The Resilient Recruiter

Tonya Leadman went nine months without a single placement.Seven searches were put on hold. Two offers fell through. Cash flow tightened. And her accountant called to check if she was okay.Tonya is the owner of Leadman & Associates, a national executive search firm serving the food, beverage, and CPG manufacturing industries. After building her career as a top performer in the MRI Network and later moving in-house as a Fortune 500 talent acquisition leader, she launched her own firm in 2022.Then the market turned — and placements stopped.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Tonya shares what actually keeps a recruitment business alive during a prolonged downturn — without dropping fees, spamming clients with resumes, or compromising standards.She also breaks down the candidate presentation system behind her 92% interview rate, why she only submits the top two or three candidates, and the activity that kept her visible when most recruiters disappeared.This is a real conversation about resilience, discipline, and leadership when placements stop.You’ll learn:What to do when your recruitment business goes months without a placementHow Tonya maintained standards during a nine-month droughtWhy submitting fewer candidates builds more trust with clientsThe candidate presentation process behind a 92% interview rateHow staying visible during a downturn pays off when the market turnsWhy Tonya fired a client when cash flow was tightHow career services helped stabilise revenue without losing focusHow fast recruiting can turn around when momentum returnsEpisode timestamps:00:00 Nine months without a placement01:40 Returning from maternity leave to a layoff03:10 The habits that shaped Tonya’s early success14:35 The candidate presentation system behind a 92% interview rate18:19 Why Tonya submits only the top 2–3 candidates30:33 Launching a firm during a tough market39:00 Seven searches on hold and the drought begins43:02 The activity that kept her business alive44:30 Firing a client during a downturn49:17 Career services as a stabiliser51:05 How recruiting can turn around fastGuest: Tonya LeadmanOwner, Leadman & AssociatesIf you run a recruitment agency and want to survive market downturns without lowering your standards, this episode is essential listening.

For years, Matt Rooney did what a lot of capable recruiters do. He stayed busy. Took the work that came in. Said yes more often than he should have.Inside private equity, that turned him into what he later called a "utility recruiter". Useful, but reactive. Some years were strong. Others weren't. And it never quite felt like a real partnership with clients.Two decisions changed the direction of his business.Matt narrowed his focus to one role inside private equity: business development and deal origination. Then he made the shift from contingent to retained.Today, Matt is the founder of Coastal Partners. He's gone from closing 3–4 retained searches in his first year as a specialist to being on track for 10 retained searches this year, with the majority of his work now retained.In this episode of The Resilient Recruiter, Matt breaks down what actually made that transition possible. Not theory. Not scripts. Real decisions, real resistance, and what changed once clients started committing up front.This conversation is especially relevant if you run a recruitment agency, lead a small firm, or feel stuck in feast-or-famine despite working hard.What you'll learn:Why being a "utility recruiter" keeps agencies reactiveWhat changed when Matt stopped taking every jobHow he handled the "no retained experience" objectionWhy specialisation built confidence and credibility fastHow original market data helped him become a trusted partnerWhy predictability mattered more than volumeEpisode timestamps:[00:33] Why does contingent feel reactive [03:02] How Matt fell into recruitment [07:11] Feeling stuck as a utility recruiter [12:44] Resisting the idea of niching down [15:18] Why specialisation changed client relationships [19:03] Making the move to retained [20:39] First retained searches and predictability [27:40] Mapping the market and building authority [34:16] Publishing hiring reports and compensation data [35:25] Launching the Deal Sourcery podcast [50:31] Hosting a live panel at a PE conference [55:56] Why Matt would specialise soonerGuest bio:Matt Rooney is the founder of Coastal Partners and specialises exclusively in business development and deal origination roles within private equity. After nearly a decade recruiting across PE functions, Matt made the decision to focus on one specialty. In his first year as a retained specialist, he closed 3-4 retained searches. This year, he's on track to close 10, with the majority of his business now retained. Matt has become a recognised authority in his niche through original market research, publishing quarterly BD hiring reports and an annual compensation survey. He co-hosts the Deal Sourcery podcast with Dan Her—the only podcast dedicated specifically to business development professionals in private equity.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: Matt RooneyCoastal Partners: websiteDeal Sourcery Podcast: websiteAbout The Resilient Recruiter:The Resilient Recruiter is a weekly podcast for recruitment agency owners and search firm leaders building sustainable, profitable businesses. Host Mark Whitby interviews industry leaders who share the strategies, systems, and mindsets behind their success—including the mistakes they made along the way. Learn from their experience to avoid the pitfalls and accelerate your results..Since 2001, Mark has coached over 800 recruitment business owners across 34 countries. The podcast brings you the same frameworks and insights Mark teaches in his coaching programs—free every week.Connect with Mark:Free strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-sessionLinkedIn: Mark Whitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoachSubscribe to The Resilient Recruiter for weekly conversations with recruitment leaders who are building businesses that give them freedom, profit, and lasting impact.If you want to future-proof your recruitment business without burning out, this episode is a must-listen.

AI is accelerating at a rate faster than at any point in recruitment history. New tools are emerging monthly. Employers are experimenting without clear guardrails. And agency owners are left wondering which developments will matter - and which are just noise.In this episode, I sit down with Matt Alder, talent acquisition futurist and host of Recruiting Future, to cut through the hype and focus on the realities of AI in recruitment today. With more than 25 years tracking technology's impact on talent acquisition, Matt brings a long-term perspective few others can match.We explore the shift from experimentation to adoption, including real examples of employers using AI to conduct live voice interviews with candidates. Matt breaks down where AI is already delivering value, where it's still falling short, and why trust has become the most important currency in recruitment.He explains the three human skills that will keep recruiters indispensable - networks, relationships, and influence - and why agencies who double down on these strengths will rise above the noise. We also discuss the two competing futures unfolding right now: Recruiting Utopia vs Recruiting Dystopia.Matt closes with a prediction about agentic AI - a future where candidate agents and employer agents negotiate autonomously. It sounds futuristic, but Matt believes it's entirely feasible and may reshape the industry faster than people expect.If you're a recruitment leader looking to stay ahead of technological change, this episode offers clarity, direction, and a practical roadmap for the years ahead.TAKEAWAYS- Why the pace of AI innovation is unlike anything the recruitment industry has seen- How employers are already using AI to conduct voice interviews- Why trust is eroding - and how recruiters can rebuild it- The three human skills that keep recruiters relevant- Why outreach automation isn't effective yet- How candidate-facing AI may disrupt faster than employer tech- The two competing futures: Recruiting Utopia vs Dystopia- What agentic AI could mean for hiring and recruiter influenceTIMESTAMPS4:23 Matt's background and the evolution of TA tech7:19 What HR/IT convergence reveals about the future10:29 AI hype vs practical reality14:18 Where AI is already improving recruitment processes21:14 Why AI interviews may enhance candidate experience26:24 Categories of AI tools shaping workflows32:45 Why automation isn't fixing outreach40:20 Networks, relationships, influence - the future skillset47:02 The erosion of trust and how recruiters can differentiate52:16 Recruiting Utopia vs Recruiting Dystopia55:04 The agentic AI future57:48 What agency owners must pay attention to nowGUEST BIOMatt Alder is a talent acquisition futurist, international speaker, author, and host of Recruiting Future, the number one podcast in the recruitment industry. Over the past 11 years, he has interviewed hundreds of leaders and innovators across the global TA landscape. Matt advises employers on innovation and technology strategy and has been studying recruitment technology since the late 1990s.GUEST LINKSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattalder/Recruiting Future Podcast: http://www.recruitingfuture.comCONNECT WITH MARK WHITBYFREE Strategy Call: https://recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recruitmentcoach/Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter: https://plinkhq.com/i/1489513354

For 20 years, Maria Sinclair watched other people get promoted while she stayed stuck in her own head. She questioned whether she belonged, worried about how she was perceived, and doubted nearly every decision she made.Then Covid hit, and everything changed.Cobalt furloughed 45 of its 55 UK staff, leaving only ten people working. Maria picked up multiple desks, supported clients across new specialisms, and kept the operation steady during one of the most challenging periods the industry had ever seen. That moment revealed a capability she had never fully recognised in herself.Today, Maria is the Managing Director of Cobalt, ranked 49th in the UK’s Hot 100 list based on GP per employee. After 23 years with the business, she has worked her way up from recruitment consultant to MD while helping build a culture known for tenure, trust, and consistent performance.In this conversation, Maria explains how she built confidence later in her career, why she focuses on job quality over call volume, how openness about challenges like perimenopause strengthens team culture, and how Cobalt hires for work ethic and trains for market expertise.If you have ever doubted whether you are ready to lead, this episode shows what becomes possible when you start backing yourself.You’ll learn:• How Maria entered recruitment after being rejected eight times• Why confidence took decades to develop• How she navigated the 2009 crash, Brexit, and Covid• Why the COVID-19 crisis became the turning point in her leadership• The cultural principles that support performance• Why job quality matters more than call volume• How Cobalt assesses work ethic and validates billings• The patience required to train recruiters from other sectors• Why expertise beats activity in the built environmentTimestamps:[6:00] Breaking into recruitment after eight rejections[18:29] The confidence struggle[24:09] Navigating economic shocks[25:36] The Covid moment[28:49] The promotion that shifted everything[30:44] Being open about perimenopause[36:17] Culture and retention[41:37] KPIs that matter[50:18] Hiring for work ethic[54:29] Training recruiters from other sectors[58:13] Becoming an industry expert[1:01:06] Closing rate problems and what they meanGuest Bio:Maria Sinclair is the Managing Director of Cobalt, operating across the built environment with offices in the UK, Germany, and the US. Cobalt ranks 49th in Recruiter Magazine’s Hot 100 list based on GP per employee. Maria has been with Cobalt for 23 years and was appointed UK MD in January 2024.

What does it take to raise your fees, win better clients, and rebuild your recruiting business from the ground up?In this episode, I speak with Randee Staats, founder of S4 Search Partners, who went from losing everything — $250K in debt and $500 left — to rebuilding a seven-figure desk within the following year.Randee explains the decisions that nearly destroyed his business, the turning point that pushed him to rebuild, and the systems that rebuilt his confidence, his pipeline, and his profitability.He also breaks down the daily discipline, fee structure changes, and point-based productivity system that helped him win better clients and finally charge what he is worth.In This Episode, You'll Learn:How Randee launched his firm from his parents' basementThe moment he landed a billion-dollar clientThe scaling mistake that cost him $250KWhy he walked away from a $600K accountHow he raised his fees to 20 to 25 percentThe script he uses to convert email replies into meetingsThe daily BD rhythm that rebuilt his pipelineThe point system that keeps him consistentHow he broke seven figures the year after rebuildingEpisode Highlights02:49 Discovering recruiting05:04 Launching from the basement09:35 The Jim Carrey check13:15 Early success and hidden risks14:18 The scaling mistake17:16 The turning point23:10 The weekly client call script42:00 The wake-up call44:14 New rules for pricing46:47 The $30K placement50:21 Daily planner51:22 BD rhythm1:03:09 The point system1:07:33 Breaking seven figuresGuest BioRandee Staats is the founder of S4 Search Partners, based in New Jersey. He launched the firm in 2015, scaled a major national account to $600K, and later rebuilt his business from $500 and $250K in debt to seven-figure billings using a disciplined daily system and a new fee structure.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randee-staats/Connect with Mark WhitbyFree 30-minute strategy call: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-sessionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhitby/Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach