June 16, 20261 min
Redundancies: The Hardest Part of Leadership — COAR S3 E1 Snippet
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Confessions of a Recruiter
Hosted by xrecruiter.io
Episodes
238
Latest episode
May 2026
Language
EN-AU
About the show
Confessions of a Recruiter is a podcast built for recruiters who want more than surface-level stories. We’ve stepped into a new era with a sharper look and a stronger voice. This rebrand isn’t just about a new logo. It reflects our commitment to real conversations, genuine insight, and a brand that matches the impact we’re making in the recruitment industry. If you're keen to be part of the journey, email us at info@confessionspod.com
Listen to episodes
June 16, 202648 min
Darren Buchanan | The Man Behind Hays Queensland’s Rise to #1 | COAR S3 E1
Send us Fan MailYou don’t often get to hear from someone who’s spent 32 years inside one of the world’s biggest recruitment agencies and still has a clear view of what matters. Darren joins us to share how he “fell into recruitment” in early 90s London, survived the boiler room pace, and eventually helped build Hays into a powerhouse across Queensland.We dig into the real differences between UK recruitment and Australian recruitment culture, especially in Brisbane and regional Queensland. London can be transactional and outcome-first, while Queensland recruiting often rewards relationships, trust and showing up in person. Darren explains how the same recruitment methodology can land very differently depending on the market, and what that means for client management and candidate experience.We also get practical on systems and leadership: why CRM and ATS rollouts are so hard in big agencies, how to win buy-in (including pulling sceptics closer), and how to manage KPIs when your most experienced recruiters operate on instinct and deep networks. Darren shares why compliance and customer service can’t be an afterthought, plus what the GFC taught him about redundancies, humanity and leading when it hurts.If you’re building a recruitment agency, running a team, or trying to stay sane while chasing targets, this one is packed with grounded lessons. Subscribe, share it with a recruiter mate, leave us a review, and tell us: what’s the hardest change you’ve had to lead in your business?Support the show· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
May 10, 20261 min
Theo Elliott - Rover Recruitment | COAR S2-E6 Snippet
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May 10, 202655 min
Mastering Candidate Experience: Blue Collar Recruitment | COAR S2-E6
Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Theo Elliott from Rover Recruitment to unpack the real first-year story behind a fast-growing labour hire desk in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, including the ugly parts recruiters don’t post about: rejection, cashflow stress, and learning suburbs on the fly while still trying to win work. We get practical about what moved the needle early. Theo shares why he doubled down on manufacturing, warehousing and logistics recruitment, how he approached market mapping, and what it took to do 1,000 business development calls in two weeks. We also dig into the quality versus quantity debate, why activity creates better outcomes over time, and how speed-to-market affects candidate attraction in blue-collar hiring where applicants disappear fast. Then we go deeper into operations and risk. Theo breaks down how he runs a lean 360 model, when he hired support, and how remote recruitment professionals help with sourcing, screening and contractor flow while he stays focused on client acquisition and account management. We also talk bad debt and liquidation risk, the warning signs he wishes he acted on earlier, and the lesson he wants every recruiter to take away: get on site, understand the culture, and manage expectations with clients before you promise anything. If you’re building a recruitment agency, scaling a labour hire desk, or trying to improve candidate attraction and temp-to-perm outcomes, this one will sharpen your thinking. Support the show· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
April 14, 20261 min
Dan Newberry, Shadow Gate Partners | COAR S2 SPECIAL SNIPPET
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April 14, 202637 min
Defence, Intelligence & Space : Dan Newberry, Shadow Gate Partners | COAR S2 Special
Send us Fan MailThe defence industry is hard enough. Now try recruiting for intelligence missions where the best candidates cannot be found on job boards, some people barely exist online, and you are not even allowed to talk about certain details in public. In this special episode we are joined by Daniel Newberry, founder of Shadowgate Partners, to get a rare look at what modern intelligence recruitment and space-related hiring actually involves.We talk through Daniel’s path from internal talent acquisition at major defence primes to launching his own specialist recruitment agency, then deliberately niching down into signals intelligence and space capability. He explains the early credibility problem, what it is like trying to navigate defence procurement. If you have ever wondered how recruiters source “cleared” talent when LinkedIn is not enough, this is the playbook: internal sourcing, program mapping, and relationship-led headhunting.Daniel also shares why Shadowgate runs retained search instead of contingent recruitment, why some clients only want to see one CV, and what “delivery” looks like when relocations, family impact, and mission outcomes are on the line. We finish with founder-level lessons on picking a niche, not scaling too fast, and building a process that earns trust in the intelligence and defence space. If you enjoy conversations about defence recruitment, security clearance hiring, signals intelligence, Australia’s space industry, and building a recruitment agency that can operate across Australia and the US, press play.Support the show· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
March 29, 20262 min
How Candidate-Led Business Development Wins Real Search Work | COAR S2-E5 Preview
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March 29, 202655 min
Mastering Candidate Experience: Creative & Digital | COAR S2-E5
Send us Fan MailGhosting, dropouts, slow feedback, messy shortlists, and clients who “just want the CVs” aren’t random problems. They’re symptoms of a process that doesn’t build trust early and doesn’t make the work visible. We’re joined by Ryan Kelly from Creative Natives to talk about candidate management and candidate control in a way that’s practical, human, and built for the 2026 recruitment market.We get into employer value proposition and employer branding that actually moves the needle: turning a role brief into a 30-second video, distributing it on LinkedIn, and using it as both candidate attraction and free PR for the client. Ryan explains why his agency positions itself as a true 50-50 partner to both client and candidate, plus the impact-led choices that back up those values, including incentives for hiring return-to-work parents.From there we go deep on content marketing for recruiters, inbound business development, and what to measure when likes don’t tell the full story. Ryan shares how webinars, newsletters, and community (including Slack groups) create a slower burn that converts passive candidates into warm, trusting relationships over time. We also cover the nuts and bolts that lift interview-to-placement results: weekly update meetings, presenting shortlists live, capacity limits, interview prep calls, and the follow-up email that too many candidates never send.If you want a smarter retained recruitment process and a better candidate experience without grinding harder, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a recruiter mate, and leave us a review with your favourite takeaway.Support the show· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
March 15, 20262 min
If You Want The Best, You Have To Pay For It | COAR S2-E4 Preview
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March 15, 202653 min
Mastering Candidate Experience: Technology | COAR S2-E4
Send us Fan MailA near million-dollar blue collar desk, a life jump to Japan, a return to Melbourne during COVID, and a pivot into tech and enterprise accounts, Ena Colo has lived the full recruitment rollercoaster. We sit down and unpack what actually works when you’re trying to build a long-term career in recruitment, not just hit this month’s number.We talk about the difference between reactive recruiting and a true account director approach: becoming a single point of contact, earning trust across talent acquisition and line managers, and doing the relentless groundwork before the market “tap” turns on. Anna shares how she measures success through account growth, how she runs 15+ client meetings a week when needed, and how that effort compounds when hiring freezes lift and roles finally flow.From the delivery side, we get practical on standards and alignment. Why sending two excellent CVs beats uploading six average ones, how to tighten feedback loops with delivery consultants, and what the one percenters (formatting, spelling, rate clarity, super) do to your credibility. We also go deep on employer branding, managing expectations when a client has a poor reputation, coaching hiring managers to move faster, and keeping candidates engaged with clear communication and personalised outreach.If you want better candidate experience, stronger client relationships, and a more consultative recruitment style, you’ll take plenty from this chat. Follow the show, share it with a recruiter mate, and leave a review, what’s one recruiting standard you refuse to compromise on?Support the show· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
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