EP 66 Why Most Trainees Quit, But a Few Become £1M Billers w/ Brandon White
In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Brandon White, Founder of Volta Search and one of the most honest Rec2Rec operators in the industry. Brandon has spent over a decade helping recruiters and recruitment businesses grow — and this conversation goes deep into what really separates failing trainees from future £1M billers. We unpack the truth behind expectations, sacrifice, work ethic, office culture, mental resilience, and why so many new recruiters quit before they ever give themselves a real chance. Brandon also opens up about his own journey — the highs of building successful teams, the collapse of his previous business, burnout, therapy, rebuilding, and launching Volta Search in 2024. This episode is raw, unfiltered, and packed with lessons for trainees, consultants, founders, and anyone who wants to get 1% better in recruitment. We cover: ✅ Why some trainees quit early while others bill £1M+ ✅ The truth about sacrifice, long hours & real expectations ✅ Why WFH is holding the next generation back ✅ The problem with “£100k first year” lies in recruitment ✅ How social media distorts success for young consultants ✅ What trainees don’t see behind top-biller results ✅ Building proper relationships with clients ✅ How to get better, more open-minded clients ✅ Brandon’s journey through burnout, therapy & rebuilding ✅ The importance of consistency, routine & the basics ✅ Why environment beats motivation every time ✅ How Rec Room is supporting solo Rec2Rec founders Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & intro 02:00 – How Charles & Brandon connected (via a viral LinkedIn post) 05:00 – Brandon’s story: 11 years in recruitment & launching Volta Search 12:00 – Why trainees struggle with expectations 16:00 – Sacrifice, long hours & what top billers actually do 20:00 – Social media vs the reality of recruitment 25:00 – WFH vs office culture for new recruiters 32:00 – Why £100k first-year earnings is a lie 40:00 – Rapport building, personality types & communication 48:00 – Candidate stories, confidence & mindset 54:00 – Burnout, mental health & Brandon’s toughest year 01:02:00 – Getting better clients & building long-term relationships 01:10:00 – Consistency, routines & doing the boring basics 01:16:00 – Brandon’s 1% Better tip 01:18:00 – What is Rec Room? Connect with Brandon White 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonwhiterecruitment/ 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 ... 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/46LjJfw ... 📰 LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712/ 👇 Enjoyed this? Like, comment & subscribe — and share it with someone who needs to hear it.
