EP 54: Why Most Recruitment Startups Fail (and How to Avoid It) w/ Charlie Hunt
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Charlie Hunt — fractional CFO & COO, former head of operations in recruitment, and trusted advisor to startups and scale-ups. We dig into the reality of what makes recruitment businesses actually scale — and why so many break when founders focus on headcount before foundations. From CRMs and KPIs to tech stacks, AI, and the 180 vs 360 debate, Charlie brings a no-nonsense, ops-driven perspective that every recruiter and agency owner needs to hear. This is a practical and unfiltered conversation about how to avoid the biggest mistakes recruitment founders make when growing — and how to build a business that lasts. We cover: ✅ Why most agencies misuse CRMs & tech stacks ✅ How to get salespeople actually engaged in the CRM ✅ The dangers of going all-in on automation & AI tools ✅ When to build an ops department (and when not to) ✅ Why skipping KPIs will cripple your growth ✅ The pros & cons of 180 vs 360 models in 2025 ✅ How delivery consultants can feed BD with commercial insights ✅ Brutal lessons from startups that scaled too quickly Whether you’re a founder planning to scale, or a recruiter who wants to understand the bigger picture, this episode is packed with insights you won’t hear anywhere else. Timestamps: 00:00 – Charlie’s background in recruitment operations 02:05 – Structure & systems: the first thing founders should focus on 07:50 – Tech stacks: finding the balance between too much & too little 14:10 – Analytics, KPIs & gamification tools (Cube19, OneUp, etc.) 19:20 – CRM engagement: getting consultants to actually use it 24:40 – AI in recruitment: hype vs. practical tools 30:40 – Using AI for training, L&D & note-taking 37:00 – Linking KPIs to CRM & performance management 43:20 – Why running without KPIs is a recipe for chaos 53:40 – When to hire ops, HR & L&D (fractional vs. in-house) 59:20 – Marketing & sales alignment in recruitment businesses 01:03:00 – 180 vs 360 models: pros, cons & hybrid solutions 01:10:30 – Charlie’s 1% Better tip Connect with Charlie Hunt 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-hunt-54b7b89a/ Connect with Charles Kyriakou LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfwiwqD8xY0FjQW5Wy LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712 👇 Enjoyed this? Like, comment & subscribe — and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
