EP 42 - How to Successfully Build a 100+ Person Recruitment Business w/Nick Barton

"How do you scale a recruitment firm to 100+ people without losing your niche?"In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Nick Barton, Founder of The Barton Partnership — a global executive search firm built on strategy, transformation, and a relentless focus on customer service.Nick shares his 25+ year journey from packing boxes in a warehouse to leading a 100+ person firm with offices in London, New York, Singapore, Paris and Sydney.We cover:✅ How to scale a recruitment business without losing focus✅ The culture-building mindset that creates collaboration — not competition✅ Why face-to-face meetings still beat Zoom in a post-COVID world✅ Creating true specialism and staying niche at scale✅ When ego helps and when it kills consultant performance✅ Building infrastructure that actually supports growth✅ What most recruiters get wrong about CRMs, KPIs and “admin”✅ The only tech worth adopting — and how to drive usage without force✅ The difference between working hard and working smart in 2025Whether you’re running a search firm, building a niche agency, or planning your next big leap — this episode is full of practical, battle-tested advice.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro01:30 – Nick’s journey from osteopathy and fashion to recruitment05:00 – Building a business with real purpose and market connection09:00 – Why strategy recruitment gives you impact and scale13:00 – Staying niche while building globally17:00 – Creating a collaborative culture with no ego or top drawers21:00 – Marketing as a growth lever: what most firms overlook25:00 – Why infrastructure and training come before scale29:00 – Why most recruiters are too transactional post-COVID33:00 – Face-to-face rapport and the lost art of human connection37:00 – NLP, mirroring, and advanced client communication41:00 – Tech, AI and why most tools don’t get used properly45:00 – Smart vs. hard work: what separates 500k from 1M billers47:00 – Final thoughts: how to get 1% better in recruitment🔗 Connect with Nick Barton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasbarton/🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/