Hiring great recruiters should be second nature for recruitment business owners—after all, it’s what we do for clients daily. But when it comes to growing your own team, the stakes are higher, the risks are real, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
In today’s episode, we dive into what it really takes to attract, hire, and retain high-performing recruiters—especially in a competitive market where top talent has options.
You’ll hear the inside story of how one firm scaled from 7 to 50 people and 7X’d its revenue in just five years—not by chance but by building a values-driven hiring and retention strategy.
Whether you’re hiring your first or your fiftieth recruiter, this episode will give you the mindset, methods, and metrics to do it right.
Episode Outline and Highlights
- [03:21] From psychology to recruitment – Andy shares how he started his recruitment career, leading to the foundation of Brainworks.
- [07:34] How making and learning from many mistakes are key to Andy’s success.
- [10:20] Factors that lead to growth and scaling.
- [20:05] What can help you decide when considering investing in a high-compensation recruiter joining your team?
- [26:17] Andy reveals their hiring process when recruiting a recruiter.
- [31:32] How to retain top recruitment talent.
- [35:49] Fostering a collaborative and supportive culture – Andy elaborates on their specific action points.
- [43:50] Thoughts on remote work and performance management.
- [48:34] What the next five years look like for Brainworks.
- [50:53] Andy shares their tech stack that paid off.
How Much Would You Invest to Hire a High-Performing Recruiter?
Hiring an effective recruiter is surprisingly difficult for recruitment business owners, even though recruitment is what they do best. This is for several reasons, including high commission expectations, low talent supply, cultural fit, and retention challenges.
When Andy recently scaled their business, they learned a lot, especially when it came to finding the right recruiters to fit their organization. “And I’ve made more mistakes than I can count right in. Life is about learning and failing a lot and then picking yourself up and, you know, trying again,” Andy stated.
Here are some key action points he took to find the best talent that helped Brainworks scale effectively:
- He is keen on looking at the candidate’s experience: Andy emphasizes hiring experienced recruiters who have already shown strong performance. He believes in the principle: “Past performance is the best predictor of future success.” They look for candidates who have already proven they can deliver, then give them a supportive, collaborative environment to thrive.
- Working with rec-to-rec firms: Andy worked with a trusted rec-to-rec firm and still uses multiple firms. He is also open to referrals and strategic partnerships.
- Multi-stage partner-led interviews: to further mitigate risks of mis-hire, Andy and his team utilize a multi-stage interview with internal members, not only focusing on capabilities but also on cultural fit.
- Cultural fit is key: No matter how good a recruiter is, what matters most to Andy and his team is how a candidate aligns with their values: care, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
Retention Strategies For Your Talents
Hiring a great team member is difficult on its own, and retaining them is another subject. When it comes to retention, Andy’s strategy is not just about perks or salary—it’s about setting people up to thrive.
“We care about people and we share collaboratively… I don’t want people internally to feel like they have to fight with each other.”
Andy emphasizes building an environment where recruiters feel cared for and supported. Recruiters are encouraged to ask for help, exchange best practices, and work together across teams.
“I’ll give you a base, but I’m going to change your commission structure.”
Andy offers customized compensation to suit different levels of risk tolerance (draw vs. base salary). They are also willing to be flexible in structure to give new hires confidence while protecting the business.
Healthy culture: They also value autonomy – Recruiters have autonomy over how they run their desks, but are still expected to perform. This emphasizes accountability without the micro management.
Andy also mentioned other engagement activities, such as retreats, where the team can enjoy time together outside of work.
Fostering a Collaborative Culture
Andy fosters a collaborative culture by beginning with a fundamental principle: people need to feel that you genuinely care about them. He emphasizes consistent, personal engagement with employees from the outset. For example, both he and his partner personally meet with new hires during their first few days, establishing early touchpoints. Each new employee is also assigned an internal mentor to ensure they have a go-to person for support. Andy maintains an open-door policy, frequently reminding his team that the only way to bother him is not to bother him. He makes himself accessible, even outside standard hours, to show that his people matter as much as his clients.
One of Andy’s key philosophies is treating employees like clients. He believes that if you want to build a successful business, you have to prioritize your team’s needs and demonstrate their importance through consistent attention, follow-up, and support, both professionally and personally.
To strengthen interpersonal bonds, Andy incorporates non-work interactions through structured initiatives. His team hosts various internal clubs, like a book club and parent club, to create space for connection around shared interests. They also hold an annual retreat where employees’ spouses and children are invited, reinforcing a sense of community and care for the whole person, not just their work contributions. At one point, the company even had a “Chief Fun Officer” to lead internal cultural activities.
Above all, Andy’s leadership style is rooted in availability, empathy, and consistency. He has shifted from putting clients first to ensuring that employees receive the same level of care and responsiveness. Through this mindset and structure, he’s built a culture where people not only collaborate but feel seen, valued, and motivated to grow.
