LMS - Recruitment Coach
Recruitment Coach
Why do some recruiters stay stuck on contingent work while others shift to 40% retained without pitching harder? My guest James Cairns, discovered the answer after nearly quitting. And it wasn’t about better sales tactics.
James is a CPA who spent years in Big Four audit and corporate finance before launching The CSP Group in 2014. He started with $30K in savings, a one-year-old at home, another baby on the way, and zero local network in St. Louis.
First year? Three placements. He borrowed money from his father-in-law just to survive.
Then something shifted. James made a decision on his back porch one summer night that changed everything. He eliminated Plan B. From that moment, momentum followed. Today, The CSP Group places senior finance talent up to CFO level, wins against national firms, and operates with 40% of work on retained or contained terms.
“I remember I was sitting on my back porch. It was a nice night of summertime. I was thinking about this plan B. And then it just suddenly occurred to me, like, hey, there is no Plan B. Like forget about the Plan B and just do the Plan A.”
In this episode, you’ll hear what it really takes to commit fully, survive the early grind, and build a recruitment business when failure is not an option. You’ll learn why James beats bigger firms consistently, how he turned candidate profiles into a third of his placements, and how he positions retained work without sounding like a sales guy.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [3:44] How a CPA with zero recruitment experience decided to start a search firm in 2014
- [6:31] The 1am decision: quitting with $30K in cash, a pregnant wife, and no local connections
- [8:46] First year reality: 3 placements, borrowed money, and nearly giving up
- [10:04] The back porch moment that eliminated Plan B thinking forever
- [11:24] What caused the shift from struggling to consistent momentum
- [17:11] Why James didn’t hire anyone for 7 years (and what changed his mind)
- [18:41] The multi-step candidate process that transformed responsiveness
- [21:51] Talent profiles: the three ways James uses them to generate a third of placements
- [25:00] How featuring candidates on his website became a client differentiator
- [28:01] Why authenticity wins more retained work than polished sales pitches
- [33:36] How knowing Mark since seventh grade led to the perfect business partnership
- [38:02] Why being local and specialized beats national firms every time
- [43:27] The CFO placement that unlocked everything: 30 days vs 9 months
- [46:55] What James does differently to consistently win against larger firms
- [50:04] The exact retained pitch: “This is how we work. Third up front.”
- [59:06] Why 40% retained work comes from being willing to walk away
The Back Porch Decision That Changed Everything
Most recruiters keep one foot out the door. Just in case.
James did too. For two years.
He’d placed only a handful of candidates. Money was tight. He’d borrowed from family twice. At one point, he reached out to another local recruiter about working for him.
Then one summer night, sitting on his back porch, something clicked.
“I remember I was sitting on my back porch. It was like, it’s a nice night of summertime. I was sitting there and I was thinking about this plan B. And then it just suddenly occurred to me like, hey, there is no Plan B. Like forget about the Plan B and just do the Plan A.”
James had been operating with escape routes. Worried it wouldn’t work out. Always kind of ready to bail.
“I always kind of had one foot out the door. And as soon as that happened, things really started to change.”
He stopped looking for backup options. He committed fully to making The CSP Group work.
Within months, placements became consistent. Cash flow improved. The business started working.
The lesson? Your business can sense when you’re half in.
Clients sense it. Candidates sense it. You sense it.
Desperation shows up in how you pitch. How you negotiate. How you follow up.
James didn’t need better tactics. He needed full commitment.
That one shift – eliminating Plan B – unlocked everything else.
Why Talent Profiles Generate a Third of Placements
James struggled with candidate responsiveness for years. He’d talk to someone, ask questions, say he’d call if something came up.
Then nothing. Candidates wouldn’t return calls. His pipeline felt empty every time a search came in.
So he rebuilt the process from scratch.
Now it’s consultative. Multi-step. Focused on the candidate first.
Step one: “Tell me about yourself. What are you looking for?”
James doesn’t interrogate. He doesn’t rush through their background. He already knows what kind of candidate they are from their profile.
Step two: Build a talent profile together.
“We’re going to work with you to build out a presentation, a talent profile. And so when we come across something, we can put you in front of them and generate more interest.”
They walk through it on a Teams call. James gives recommendations on strengths and achievements. It’s consultative. Candidates feel helped, not harvested.
Then James uses that profile three ways.
One: When a relevant role opens, he sends the resume plus the talent profile. It paints the candidate in the best light immediately.
Two: He publishes it on The CSP Group website. Local employers can browse by salary, level, and specialty. They reach out directly when they see someone interesting.
Three: He markets candidates proactively using the unique URL. In the past, NPCs required typing something up. Half an hour of work. When you’re busy, it doesn’t happen. Now the profile is ready to go. One click.
“That’s generated like a third of our placements. Just from doing that talent profile.”
A third.
The difference between the old way and the new way? The old way was transactional. Extract information. Move on.
The new way is consultative. Help the candidate. Build buy-in. Give them something valuable.
Candidates who fill out a talent profile are more responsive. They’ve invested time. They remember James.
And when he calls? They actually call back.
How to Close 40% Retained Without Sounding Like a Sales Guy
James doesn’t pitch retained work. He states it.
“Some searches, I won’t even give them the option of contingent or even contained. It’s just like, hey, they say, how do we work? I’ll say, this is how we work. And it’s a third up front. That’s it. And we’re very confident we can fill this and be our top priority.”
No big pitch. No clever objection handling. Just clarity.
But here’s what makes it work: James genuinely doesn’t care if they say no.
“I don’t care if we get the search or not.”
That detachment didn’t come from a sales course. It came from experience.
A few years ago, James and Mark decided to take every search that came in. Build process. Get good at execution.
They ended up working 20 staff and senior accountant searches over a few months.
They filled one.
“Those candidates are so in demand that when you have a good one, they’re already talking to three other recruiters and they’re not really being honest with you half the time. It’s just like a mess.”
That pain taught James what’s worth his time and what isn’t.
Now when a low-probability search comes in, he knows. He’s been burned before.
And he’s busy enough that he doesn’t need every client to say yes.
That combination – painful experience plus healthy pipeline – gives him genuine walkaway power.
Clients sense it.
“People can sense if you’re desperate or you’re confident. I think they can sense that pretty quickly if you’re trying to sell them on something.”
James explains why multiple recruiters hurt the client. It creates a bad candidate experience. It doesn’t make him work harder – it makes him work less because his odds just dropped.
And if they’re paying him upfront? He’s obligated to prioritize their search.
“We require five grand payment up front. Four week period of exclusivity. If you’re not happy after that, you can move on.”
That’s it. No elaborate pitch deck. No lengthy justification.
Just: this is how we work.
Most clients say yes. When they don’t, James refers them to someone else.
He’s not for everyone. And that’s fine.
Because the clients who do work with him get his full attention, fast turnaround, and candidates he’s already built relationships with.
