Hector

Fix Inconsistent Performance and Build a Team You Can Rely On to Grow.

For growing recruitment companies with 10+ recruiters who want consistent billings from a reliable, high-performing team.

Hector gives your recruiters the skills to succeed in today’s market with 120+ actionable courses taught by today’s top billers—backed by hands-on implementation support.

Founder

Vertical Drop

Strategic Advisor

The Recruitment Mentors Podcast 

The most practical podcast in recruitment, listened to by 80,000+ ambitious recruiters a month around the world 🌍

Podcast Host 

Azzouz Branding

Hoxo Media

Sales Consultant

Pavilion Recruitment Solutions

Insurance Recruitment Consultant

One Answer Insurance

Sales Executive

Hastings Direct

Sales Adviser

I’m on a mission to help recruiters build the skills they need to succeed in today’s ever-changing market.

To do that, I focus on two things:

🎙️ Hosting the most practical podcast in recruitment: The Recruitment Mentors Podcast - Listened to by 80,000+ ambitious recruiters a month

📈 Building the world’s best training platform for the recruitment industry — Hector.

Safe to say, we’ve still got work to do 💪🏻

I’m at max connections — hit follow to stay connected and follow along the journey 👊🏻

Hishem Azzouz

The non-billing manager era is fading.

For years, being "off the tools" was something people celebrated.

A badge of honour.

A signal that you were progressing quickly in your recruitment career.

But there's a trend I've seen consistently this year across some of the most successful recruitment companies I've met:

They have fewer and fewer managers without a personal billing or contribution target.

Not more.

And honestly… I'm not surprised.

Here's why:

1️⃣ The knowledge gap has never been bigger.

What it takes to succeed in today's market is so different to what worked even 2–3 years ago.

If you're not close to the market, close to customer expectations, and close to today's market nuances, your ability to coach effectively drops fast.

2️⃣ "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work anymore.

Most recruiters don't respond to that style of leadership.

They want leaders who can model the behaviours they're being asked to adopt.

People who still feel the rhythm of the market, not just talk about it.

3️⃣ The best companies are shifting the model.

Nearly every high-performing business I've spent time with this year has a management layer full of people who are still contributing.

Not necessarily full desks.

But still revenue-generating.

Still proving they can lead from the front.

The non-billing manager will always exist, and some are incredible.

But I'm seeing fewer of them every year.

4️⃣ The new career pathway looks different.

I don't see more and more recruiters stepping away from the tools early.

I see the opposite.

Those who want to lead are realising:

To lead well in this market… you need to stay closer to the market.

This isn't a criticism.

It's just the direction things are heading.

The best recruitment companies today?

They're building teams where leaders still contribute, still obsessed with understanding their market, and still operate in the same reality as the people they manage.

#Recruitment

Helping Recruitment Leaders Build Consistent, High-Performing Teams | Founder @ Hector | Host of The Recruitment Mentors Podcast (80K+ Monthly Listeners)

If I was a recruiter making one big bet for next year, it would be this.

The more people I meet in person in my industry… the more successful my year will be.

Clients.
Candidates.
People of influence.
Anyone who matters in your ecosystem.

Every time I look at the data, the stories, the behind-the-scenes conversations on the pod… 

It all points in the same direction.

If you get to the end of next year and correlate the people you met with the business you did, the graph will only go one way.

Up and to the right.

In-person interaction is about to become a competitive advantage again.

Because while most recruiters hide behind emails, video calls and AI…

The ones who put themselves in the room will win the relationships and the revenue everyone else misses.

#Recruitment

There will be fewer and fewer stories like this over the next five years in our industry.

Which is why sitting down with Benjamin Richardson & Mike Bott, Co-CEOs of LHi Group, was a real privilege this morning.

How often do you get to unpack a recruitment story that includes:

🏆 Circa £45M+ in gross profit across 300 people, 9 offices and 5 recruitment brands over the last two years.

🏆 A landmark financial event in 2022, in which the business was valued at ~£80M and 80% of the company became employee-owned through an EOT.

🏆 A leadership transition with Jim Denning after five years as CEO, handing over the reins to a brand-new Co-CEO structure.

We did our very best to dig into exactly what they believe has enabled the business to reach this point.

And the first thing we unpacked the foundation of their entire journey was their People Strategy.

They’ve made a huge, consistent investment in entry-level talent for years.

And the impact?

80%+ of all leadership roles have been homegrown.

The majority of the board started their careers inside the business.

Along with this, we really got stuck into what they believe has helped them retain their best people, so you will learn all about Jim Denning's 'Younger You & Future You' Concept - I thought this was absolutely brilliant!

We then dug into how diversification has been one of their biggest unlocks:

Multiple brands.

Multiple geographies.

Multiple ways of working with customers.

This approach has been fundamental to their resilience and long-term success.

There was so much gold in this conversation.

If you’re a recruitment leader in the trenches, building and growing your business, we did everything we could to make this episode as useful, insightful, and practical as possible.

Can’t wait to drop this one 🔥

#Recruitment

To the 1,300 of you who listened to the podcast so much this year that it was your #1 show…

I appreciate the hell out of you.

There are so many unbelievable podcasts you could give your attention to.

So to have 1,300 people choose The Recruitment Mentors Podcast as their number one, week in, week out…

Thank you ❤️

I hope you’ve felt the show improve this year, with better guests, better questions, better conversations.

And I’ll do everything I can in 2026 to keep pushing the standard.

For the 5,500 of you where we were a Top 10 show, and the 3,900 of you who had us in your Top 5…

Let’s see how many of you we can move to the Top 1 next year 🫶🏻

#Recruitment #Podcast

Sat down in the studio with Jack Cole today. 

The first time since 2019 when I rocked up to his old office with a backpack, two tripods and my phone to record a podcast along with Thomas Hurley  

Whole different chapter now.

And it hasn’t been easy.

This was another really honest founder conversation.

Impact of stress, ego, scaling too fast, getting things wrong, getting things right, and rebuilding with intention.

Zero sugar-coating.

Just the real journey not the Linkedin highlight reel. 

If you’re a founder (or want to be one) and you’ve ever thought:

“Is it supposed to be this hard?”

…this episode is going to hit home.

Can’t wait to share it with you all 🔥🙏🏻

#Recruitment

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If you’re planning to hire entry-level talent into your recruitment business next year…

Do it with one rule in place.

It will massively increase your chances of success and give you far more future leaders in years to come.

The rule:

Never hire entry-level talent into a cold market.

Only place them into markets where you already have traction, job flow, and proof of success.

Don’t expect a brand-new recruiter to build a market from scratch.

Set them up to win.

This came straight from my chat this week with Mike Bott from LHi Group.

They’ve hired their fair share of entry-level consultants over the last 5+ years, tested everything, and this is now their non-negotiable.

It’s massively increased their success rate and it might be worth adding to your entry-level hiring strategy next year.

#Recruitment

Over the last five years, I haven’t partnered with many companies on my podcast.

I REALLY care about who we align with and the impact we deliver for them.

Not just taking whatever ££ comes our way.

Which is why one of the biggest buzzes I get in this business is hearing the results we’ve been able to generate for the partners who trust us.

And this year has been insane.

Here’s how we’ve got on YTD:

🚀 SourceWhale 

575% ROI from their podcast marketing spend this year.

Year 3 incoming…

🚀 Raise Year 1 Partnership

 A qualified lead every single week.
 50% close rate.
 400%+ ROI in year one.

Bonkers results.

This is the stuff that gets me fired up.

So I’m buzzing to say that our 2026 Podcast Partners will be.

🔥 SourceWhale (Year 3 together!)

🔥 Raise (Year 2 incoming!)

Let’s goooooo!!!!

P.S. We do have one more partner to announce for 2026… More on that soon 😉

#Recruitment #Podcast

What will recruitment look like in 2026?

I don’t usually like making predictions.

But after dozens of interviews, hundreds of conversations, and a ridiculous amount of data from this year and being asked this question a few times recently.

These are two trends I can’t ignore heading into 2026 

#1 - Trust will be the new battleground.

Trust has always mattered in recruitment.

But in 2026?

It becomes everything.

We’re heading into a world where trust is being eroded from every angle:

Was that video real or AI-generated?

Was that email written by a recruiter or ChatGPT?

Is this DM from a person or a bot?

Is that “market insight” actually true?

And that’s just the surface.

From a client or candidate’s perspective:

“Can I trust this recruiter with my career?”

“Can I trust them with our brand?”

“Can I trust they’re even who they say they are?”

“Is this candidate / person real that I am interviewing?”

As tech gets louder, and automation accelerates, human trust becomes the differentiator.

Everyone wants to be the “go-to recruiter” in their niche.

But here’s the truth:

You’ll never be the most in-demand recruiter, until you’re the most trusted one first.

Recruitment businesses need a deliberate trust-building strategy now, not in two years’ time.

#2 - The market is splitting: more small agencies, fewer big ones

I don’t think recruitment is slowing down.

I think it’s splintering even further.

And the biggest shift?

More lean, high-margin agencies and fewer traditional “scale to 100 people” plays.

Nearly every market report shows ~80% of UK recruitment agencies have under 10 employees.

I genuinely wouldn’t be shocked if that pushes closer to 90% in the next 2+ years.

Founders have real options now to grow profit in their business.

AI, Automation, Outsourcing.

Not the traditional add 2-3 £250K billers to my business this year which will mean X to the bottom line.

Plus… a lot of founders simply don’t want the stress of 30–100 people anymore.

And let’s be honest:

The economics of UK-only recruitment have got harder.

Lower average fees.

Higher operating costs.

Harder margins.

Which is why so many UK recruitment companies I’ve spoken with this year do 90%+ of their revenue in the US. (There’s a reason for that…)

So if you are trying to scale:

You need to be absolutely dead-set on it.

Clear on the path.

Clear on the sacrifices.

Clear on the long-term plan.

Because the alternative small team, high leverage, tech + outsourcing heavy is becoming more attractive than ever for founders.

Those are my two takes for 2026.

I might be completely off 🤣

But it’s what the conversations, insights, and patterns are pointing toward right now from my point of view.

If you had a take for 2026 and the recruitment industry what do you think it would be?

#Recruitment

Everyone’s been talking about the US market this year.

But what about leading recruiters in Europe?

Different rules. Different challenges. Different playbook.

Especially if you're in the Renewables or Energy industry.

This week, I sat down with Matthew Sykes from JD Ross Energy, and we broke down what it really takes to succeed in the EU markets.

Because leading recruitment teams across Europe?

It demands nuance, cultural intelligence, and serious skill.

In this episode, we get into:

🇪🇺 The biggest cultural mistakes UK recruiters make in Europe.

⚡️ Why renewables is both a goldmine and a trap.

📉 The red herrings, false signals & fragile markets to watch out for.

 🧠 How to lead, coach & stay relevant, even when you're no longer billing

We also geeked out on market strategy because in this space, it's everything.

And Matt opened up about his unique coaching philosophy that’s helped keep him close to the front line for nearly a decade.

🎬 Trailer below. Full episode out now.

As always, a huge thanks to our podcast partners who continue to support our mission with the pod - SourceWhale | Raise 🔥

#Recruitment #Podcast

Last time I talked about Metaview's new AI Sourcing Agent, a bunch of recruiters messaged me saying the same thing.

“I found candidates I never would’ve spotted on LinkedIn.”

That's what this tool is all about.

Because if you think about it, most recruiters still rely on the same LinkedIn filters and Boolean searches everyone else is using.

And that’s the problem.

Filters don’t just filter results.

They filter out excellent talent.

They can’t understand intent.

They can’t pick up on what your version of great really looks like.

That’s exactly the problem Metaview set out to solve.

Their AI Sourcing Agent doesn’t need you to write another Boolean string, it learns directly from you.

From your calls, your notes, your decisions.

It understands how you think about talent, then proactively surfaces candidates that fit your intent, not just your keywords.

After sitting down with Siadhal Magos, Metaview’s CEO, it’s clear that this isn’t just another sourcing tool; it’s the start of truly autonomous recruiting.

And right now, they’re running their best offer yet.

🔥 Sign up in November, and Metaview will double your seat count for six months.

If sourcing still eats hours of your week, it’s time to see what a genuine AI recruiter teammate can do.

You can get this offer & try it out here: https://lnkd.in/ebzn98nM

Because the future of sourcing isn’t about writing better Boolean.

It’s about removing the filters altogether.

#Recruitment

Talent Analytics

Enabling world-class human experiences with AI. 

CX Hub by Talent Analytics enables recruitment businesses to take complete control of the client and candidate experience. By measuring each interaction your consultants create, CX Hub delivers a flow of automated feedback and AI-powered guidance to empower your team to take the right actions, gain the right outcomes and can even automate the entire process.

Integrations with OpenAI, MS Teams, Bullhorn, Vincere and Jobadder ensure seamless usability and complete coverage when it comes to a recruitment businesses CX. Every direction given is triggered by either action or inaction on the CRM and our AI will analyse the best next step to ensure you turn detractors into promoters and build a brand of candidates and clients that love working with you, refer you and always come back. 

 
Get started for free at:
www.talentanalytics.co.uk

OPUS

Member

Sourcr

After two years of scaling we were successfully acquired by SEEK. In my role at Sourcr I worked first in the Australian market in Sydney before moving to London to launch the UK business. My focus was predominantly on developing the Sales, Marketing and Customer Success functions in order to create sustainable growth in Australia and the UK. This involved leading marketing campaigns (ebooks, webinars & social strategy), account based marketing, cold outreach, sales management, customer training and account management.

UK Country Manager

Weploy

As the Account Director in NSW for Weploy I partner with our customers to support the management of their temp workforces and to help them utilise the Weploy platform. I work closely with each of our customers to understand how their businesses operate and what their goals are. This is to ensure we always have the right Weployees with the right skills available for them to hire ondemand. 

In addition to this I provide data and analysis on their temp workforce to assist them in their decision making across their internal operations and HR. Gaining such close insight from our customers allows me to feedback directly into our internal Weploy Tech and Product teams on how we can best develop the platform to further support our customers.

NSW Director

Growth Manager

CUB Club of United Business

Hays

In my role at Hays I lead a team of 10 Social Engagement Specialists who work across the operational business to support our consultants engagement with candidates and clients. The focus of this team is to enhance LinkedIn Network Development, Market Mapping, Online Personal Brand and Business Development activities. In addition to this I supported the Marketing team to drive social media campaigns.

Social Engagement Manager

In my role as Manager of Executive Human Resources Recruitment I worked across multiple industries to provide search services for Senior HR roles. In addition to this I worked with a number of candidates to proactively match their skills specifically to organisations and roles by utilising my network across the Sydney Market. 

Functional expertise: 
● Human Resource Generalists (Directors, Managers & Senior Business Partners )
● Organisational Development Specialists
● Change Specialists 
● Employee and Industrial Relations Specialists 
● Learning & Development Specialists 
● HR Reporting and Data Analysts
● Talent Acquisition Managers
● Remuneration Specialists

In addition to my Recruitment role at Hays I led a team of 7 Social Engagement Specialists. The focus of this team was to deliver company wide training on LinkedIn Network Development, Market Mapping, Online Brand, LinkedIn Recruiter and Boolean Searching. In addition to this the specialists supported and drove social media campaigns across their regions.

Section Manager - Executive Human Resources | NSW Social Engagement Lead

In this role I specialised in Human Resources recruitment across the Sydney region. Working with customers within Professional Services,  Legal Services, Financial Services and the Public Sector, my primary focus was to partner with candidates and clients in order to help them both meet their career and hiring goals. 

During this period at Hays I also designed and created a Social Media Marketing Training program focused on increasing the engagement our consultants had with candidates and clients online. The focus of the role was to work with consultants to best identify their niche markets online and to then deliver useful and interesting content and job information to these groups across key social platforms such as LinkedIn. 

Functional expertise: 
● Human Resource Generalists (Advisors, Business Partners, Managers & Directors)
● Employee and Industrial Relations Specialists 
● Learning & Development Specialists (Facilitators, Instructional Designers, Managers & E-Learning Specialists)
● Remuneration Specialists
● Organisational Development and Talent Professionals 
● HR Reporting and Data Analysts
● Talent Acquisition Consultants

Senior HR Recruitment Consultant | Social Engagement Expert - Specialist Region

Working specifically within Financial, Professional and Legal Industries I provided a range of organisations (sme to blue chip) with high quality HR candidates in the Sydney market.

HR Recruitment Consultant

Working specifically within Financial, Professional and Legal Industries I provided a range of organisations (sme to blue chip) with high quality HR candidates in the Sydney market. 

Completed the 9 month Hays Associate Consultant Training Program.

Associate Consultant

Travelling

Traveling across Australia and Asia as well as working in regional Australian area's such as Mareeba (North QLD), The Glasshouse Mountains (QLD) and Orange (NSW).

Traveling across Australia and Asia

Loc8me

I worked at Loc8me whilst studying for my Masters Degree at Loughborough University, England. 

- Promotion of Loc8me across the Loughborough Campus utilising networks and relationships with the University Halls and across Offsite Student Accommodation.
- Arranging and conducting viewings of student accommodation
- Gaining additional clients across the housing market in Loughborough

Marketing and Community Manager 

Progressive Digital Media Group

I worked at Progressive Digital Media during a 3 month summer interval between graduating from my BA degree and beginning my Masters. 

- Direct and Indirect B2B Marketing on a range of professional procurement websites and databases

Sales & Marketing Consultant

Enabling world-class human experiences with AI. For recruiters, every interaction presents as a chance to make a positive or negative impact. It’s the culmination of these experiences that directly impacts customer loyalty, revenue growth, and profitability. 

CX Hub by Talent Analytics enables recruitment businesses to take complete control of the client and candidate experience. By measuring each interaction your consultants create, CX Hub delivers a flow of automated feedback and AI-powered guidance to empower your team to take the right actions, gain the right outcomes and can (when appropriate) automate the entire process.

Integrations with OpenAI, MS Teams, Bullhorn, Vincere and Jobadder ensure seamless usability and complete coverage when it comes to a recruitment businesses CX. Every direction given is triggered by either action or inaction on the CRM and our AI will analyse the best next step. This ensures you turn detractors into promoters, address every risk, take every opportunity and build a brand of candidates and clients that love working with you, refer you and always come back. 

 
Get started for free at:
www.talentanalytics.co.uk

taplio

The Battle

Hishem Azzouz

Julian Hopper

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The Battle

Hishem Azzouz

Julian Hopper

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Hishem Azzouz's LinkedIn Performance

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