EP 60 - Creative Outreach, Polite Persistence & Mastering Long-term Relationships w/Frazer Graham
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Fraser Graham, Founder of Nautic, a Rec2Rec business specialising in placing recruiters from consultant to director level across Manchester and the Northwest. We dig into Fraser’s journey from leaving football and sport behind at 18, to breaking into Rec2Rec during the post-lockdown boom, and now launching his own agency. From why recruiters get such a bad reputation, to selling to salespeople, creative BD tactics, and the realities of starting solo, Fraser shares raw lessons every recruiter and founder needs to hear. We also dive into how to build long-term candidate and client relationships, why “polite persistence” is the real differentiator, and how creative outreach can open doors that standard cold calls won’t. This is a practical and unfiltered conversation about resilience, creativity, and what it really takes to succeed in recruitment today. We cover: ✅ Why recruiters get a bad reputation (and how to fix it) ✅ Polite persistence & multiple touchpoints in Rec2Rec ✅ Creative outreach strategies that actually work ✅ Selling to salespeople without “selling” ✅ The reality of starting a recruitment business solo ✅ AI, automation & the future of recruitment ✅ Why empathy & listening make great recruiters ✅ The role of mentors in early career & founder success Whether you’re a recruiter trying to build your desk, or a founder thinking about making the leap, this episode is full of lessons you won’t hear in most recruitment podcasts. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro & welcome 02:00 – Fraser’s background & why he started Nautic 05:30 – Breaking into Rec2Rec at 18 during a booming market 09:00 – Why recruiters get such a bad reputation 12:30 – Polite persistence & creative candidate touchpoints 18:00 – Calls vs LinkedIn — finding the right BD balance 21:00 – Selling to salespeople without being “salesy” 27:00 – The leap to starting Nautic & early challenges 32:00 – AI, automation & the future of recruitment 40:00 – Personality fit & finding your recruitment niche 54:00 – Why empathy is a recruiter’s secret weapon 58:00 – Fraser’s 1% Better tip Connect with Fraser Graham 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frazer-graham-9a4915209/ 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/46LjJfwLJ5MxzTQWqogOBN 🔗 LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712
