Most recruiters talk about “quality.”

Richard Locke built an entire firm around it.

On the latest episode of Recruiter Wins, I sat down with Richard Locke, founder of Locke Search Group (founded in 1983)—and instead of one “big recruiting win,” Richard shares the playbook behind building a national agency that’s thrived through recessions, industry booms, and massive shifts like LinkedIn + AI.

A few moments that hit hard:

• He started as a one-person shop… and drove a taxi at night during a brutal recession to keep the dream alive.
• Growth wasn’t random—it was opportunistic + intentional, including a defining moment in 1999 when his firm won a nationwide project to build an entire specialty sales force across Canada.
• His “secret sauce” isn’t sourcing tools… it’s knowing the story behind the story (and protecting clients from time-wasters).
• He’s adamant about something too many recruiters forget: candidates are clients and clients are candidates. Treat both with the same respect.
• And the big one for every agency owner: your business has to pivot. What worked 10 years ago won’t carry you now.

If you run a desk, lead a team, or own a firm—and you’ve felt the pressure of a changing market—this episode is full of timeless lessons (and a few lines you’ll probably steal for your own training doc).

Listen to this week’s Recruiter Wins with Richard Locke wherever you get your podcasts.

Most recruiters say they “specialize” in an industry.

Daryl Rosenstein actually lives his niche.

In the latest episode of Recruiter Wins, Daryl Rosenstein of The Rosenstein Group shares how one recruiting win turned into 16 placements with the same company.

What stood out most from this conversation:

• Follow your passion, not just a vertical - Daryl’s interest in the product and space made him naturally go deeper than a transactional recruiter ever will.
• Do the “competitor homework” before you ever pitch - He earned credibility by naming competitors, understanding the landscape and asking the best question: “What are you doing differently that’s going to lead you to win in this market?”
• Turn one placement into an account - After delivering, he didn’t disappear. Instead, he introduced himself to other leaders and made sure the wider team knew he was a resource.
• Bring market intel, not just resumes - Daryl shared industry news stories and changes at competitors to add value between searches.
• Real expertise takes real time. Daryl spends 10–15 hours a week staying on top of his market because that’s how you stay relevant to top performers.

If you recruit in sales/marketing (or any competitive niche), this episode is a masterclass in how to become the recruiter clients keep and candidates trust.

Listen to the full episode of Recruiter Wins with Daryl Rosenstein wherever you get your podcasts.

What does it really look like to turn a high-pressure search during COVID into a long-term win for the client and the candidate?

On this week’s episode of Recruiter Wins, I sat down with Aman Sodi, recruiter at Summit Search Group, who shared how she navigated a Director of People & Culture search in late 2021, right in the middle of school closures, parenting chaos and shifting employee expectations.

This wasn’t just “fill the role fast and move on.”

It was about:

• Balancing a client who needed someone in-seat ASAP with a top candidate who had just taken a family-focused career break.
• Building flexible start date options (modified schedules, delayed ramp-up) before things went sideways.
• Framing tough conversations about salary and flexibility with data, market benchmarks and real options (not just “sorry, that’s the market”)
• Treating the placement as the beginning of the relationship: one week, one month, three month, 6+ month check-ins that turn today’s placement into tomorrow’s client

Fast forward almost four years: that candidate is still in the role, has built out an HR team and is thriving.

That’s the win.

If you’re a recruiter who’s:

• Juggling misaligned expectations on comp or flexibility
• Trying to push back on clients without damaging the relationship
• Wondering how to build a real partnership model vs. one-and-done placements

…this episode will give you a super practical playbook.

Check out my conversation with Aman Sodi on Recruiter Wins and steal some of her frameworks for your next tough search.