Recruitment Down Under: The APSCo Australia Podcast

Hosted by APSCo Australia

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Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to Recruitment Down Under: The APSCo Australia Podcast. We’re the podcast for the Australian recruitment and staffing industry, brought to you by APSCo Australia. Each episode brings together leading voices from across the sector to explore the real issues shaping recruitment businesses today. Through candid conversations, industry insights, and expert interviews, we unpack the trends, challenges, and opportunities influencing how recruitment firms operate, grow, and evolve in a changing market. Recent episodes have explored themes including mergers and acquisitions in recruitment, with our Deal Makers series examining what drives agency value, who’s buying, and how firms can position themselves for growth or exit. We’ve also gone live on location, including special recordings from industry events such as Emerge 2025. Other discussions have focused on the future of work and workforce dynamics, including how five generations are now working side by side, and what that means for leadership, culture, and performance inside recruitment businesses. We regularly dive into capability and performance within agencies, covering topics like recruiter development, CRM and technology adoption, and how firms can build stronger, more consistent teams. Across the series, we also explore broader industry shifts including diversity and inclusion, compliance and regulation, healthcare recruitment innovation, and the growing impact of data, automation, and AI on talent acquisition. Whether you’re an agency owner, leader, or recruiter on the ground, Recruitment Down Under brings you practical insights, real-world stories, and conversations designed to help you stay ahead in a fast-moving industry.

Listen to episodes

44 recent

October 8, 202635 min

From Assistive to Agentic: The next wave of AI in Recruitment

Send us Fan Mail What will recruitment look like in three to five years' time? According to Nicole Krensky, who leads the go-to-market strategy and execution for Bullhorn Amplify and the company's AI and automation solutions, we're only at the beginning of the AI transformation. In this episode, we unpack the next wave of AI in staffing and recruitment, from embedded intelligence and automated workflows through to fully agentic AI. Nicole shares real-world success stories, lessons from high-performing firms, and explains why the greatest challenge isn't the technology itself but getting people to adopt it. Most importantly, we discuss why AI isn't replacing recruiters. Instead, it's elevating the human skills that matter most: relationships, judgement, influence and trust. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

September 18, 202638 min

Deal Makers: Recruitment M&A is back

Send us Fan Mail The recruitment M&A market is gaining momentum again. After a challenging couple of years, buyer appetite has returned, with strong demand from Japanese, European and broader Asian acquirers seeking high-quality recruitment businesses. Sovereign Private's Paul Masters shares why specialist agencies continue to command premium valuations, what separates the most attractive businesses from the rest, and why leadership capability has become one of the most scrutinised areas of due diligence. He also explores the growing divide between thriving recruitment firms and distressed businesses struggling with low margins, high working capital requirements and rising financing costs. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

May 20, 202643 min

Understanding SOW: The workforce model reshaping recruitment

Send us Fan Mail What exactly is Statement of Work and why are more recruitment firms paying attention to it? In this episode of Recruitment Down Under , Brian Huggett , Managing Director of APSCo Outsource joins APSCo Australia's MD, Lesley Horsburgh to unpack the complexity, opportunity and future of SOW, MSPs and workforce solutions . From workforce governance and risk through to AI, outsourcing and evolving client needs, this conversation explores how recruitment businesses can position themselves beyond traditional hiring models. Want more info about evolving service models? APSCo has developed a Service Delivery Model Glossary of Terms that our members can use and share with their clients and the wider community to help define key acronyms and outline the main features of the different outsourcing models. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

April 15, 202652 min

Deal Makers - Is there really a buyer for every business?

Send us Fan Mail What’s really happening in recruitment M&A right now? In this episode, Paul Masters from Sovereign Private joins us to unpack the shifting landscape of agency mergers and acquisitions across Australia in 2026. We explore why deal activity has slowed from the 2022–2023 highs, and why today’s transactions are increasingly favouring high-performing niche agencies over generalist firms. From valuation multiples to what “strong” actually looks like in the current market, this is a grounded look at how economic conditions are reshaping pricing and expectations. We also get into what really happens behind the scenes. How buyers stress test growth forecasts, why generic projections don’t hold up, and what a credible EBITDA bridge needs to demonstrate to make it through due diligence. Paul also explains the practicalities of deal structure, founder dependence, earnouts, and the critical role of a strong second-tier leadership team. Paul also shares a surprising insight from offshore buyers across Japan, Europe, and the US. If you’re thinking about growth, exit, or just want a clearer view of the market, tune in. Hosted by APSCo Australia 's Lesley Horsburgh To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

October 21, 202551 min

Five Generations, One Workplace feat. Florence Potter and Richard Spencer

Send us Fan Mail Five generations are now working shoulder to shoulder, and the old rules aren’t keeping up. We sit down with Florence Potter (No Umbrellas) and Richard Spencer (Age Inc.) to unpack what actually makes mixed-age teams thrive: clear norms, bias-aware hiring, and honest conversations about how people want to work. Florence lifts the lid on workshops that turn vague “culture” into practical agreements: how feedback happens, what professionalism looks like, when in-person time matters, even the unspoken coffee rules. Richard maps the bigger picture, from an aging workforce to the quiet ways ageism shows up in job ads, interview shortlists, and ATS training data. We explore how to redesign “entry-level” teams with seasoned talent, why reverse mentoring should run both directions, and how to shift recruiting to long-term workforce design. We share concrete moves to modernize hiring language, add intergenerational balance, and replace the golden rule with a smarter one: treat people how they want to be treated. If you care about retention, performance, and real inclusion, this conversation gives you tools to act today. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

July 25, 202542 min

Episode 3: Deal Makers LIVE from Emerge 2025 - featuring Ged Mason OBE

Send us Fan Mail In this special live edition, we’re joined by Ged Mason OBE , CEO of Morson Group, for a deep dive into what it really means to be a deal maker in today’s recruitment landscape. From his early days to building a billion-dollar powerhouse, Ged shares how he approaches relationships, opportunities, and big decisions – with the kind of insight you only get from years at the top. This is a rare and honest conversation with one of the most respected leaders in the business. Recorded live at Emerge 2025 and hosted by Lesley Horsburgh of APSCo Australia and Paul Masters from Sovereign Private . To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

June 6, 202528 min

Deal Makers - Episode 2

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Deal Makers – the podcast where recruitment meets real-world M&A. In this episode, we unpack the strategy behind some of the industry’s most talked-about deals – from billion-dollar healthcare mergers to niche perm businesses commanding sky-high multiples. Featuring Lesley Horsburgh from APSCo Australia and M&A expert Paul Masters, this is Episode 2 of Deal Makers. Watch the video podcast here To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

April 17, 202537 min

Deal Makers: M&A in the Australian staffing and recruitment market

Send us Fan Mail Join Paul Masters from Sovereign Private and Lesley Horsburgh from APSCo Australia as they unpack the big moves in professional staffing M&A. Each month, we'll be diving into what's happening in the market - who's buying and where the deals are landing, how to get your business exit ready and the standout deals catching Paul's eye. Listen in to our first Deal Makers episode here via Recruitment Down Under - or watch the video podcast here To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

April 8, 202553 min

Building better recruiters: APSCo's new Professional Development initiative

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Welcome to Recruitment Down Under – brought to you by APSCo Australia. In this episode, we're diving into The Complete Recruiter – a brand-new training program designed specifically for recruitment professionals. You’ll hear from Russell Webb of Claverdon Consulting and Sophie Robertson from Younique Coaching – two experts who’ve brought their decades of experience together to create an 8-part series exclusively for APSCo members aimed at boosting capability, consistency, and confidence across the industry. We’ll unpack what’s in the program, who it’s for, and how it supports both new consultants and experienced recruiters looking to refresh their skills. Plus, we explore some key themes – like the differences between temp and perm desks, the challenges of dual desking, and how mindset plays a huge role in recruitment success. Whether you’re a team leader, a business owner, or a recruiter yourself – this is an episode you won’t want to miss. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org

March 14, 202541 min

'No such thing as business as usual'. A discussion on the recruitment market with APSCo Global CEO, Ann Swain.

Send us Fan Mail In this podcast episode, Lesley Horsburgh is joined by a very special guest on Recruitment Down Under - APSCo Global CEO Ann Swain, to discuss the European recruitment market and provide insights into how UK recruitment firms are responding within the current UK business environment. Thank you for listening to Recruitment Down Under and now here’s our host Lesley Horsburgh. To learn more about APSCo Australia, head to au.apsco.org