EP 43 – Why Leaderboards Work & Lazy Recruiters Hate Data w/Mark Howell

"If your recruiters hate KPIs and ignore the CRM, this episode will explain why — and how to fix it."In this episode of The 1% Better Recruitment Podcast, I’m joined by Mark Howell, Founder of TenRecs Software, the all-in-one recruitment platform combining CRM, analytics, payroll, and real-time gamification to drive performance across your agency.We get brutally honest about:✅ Why leaderboards motivate top performers (and expose the lazy ones)✅ Gamification in sales, and how it rewires motivation✅ The real reason most recruiters avoid CRMs✅ KPI culture, call stats, and modern performance management✅ When ego drives results, and when it wrecks your pipeline✅ Why data matters more than ever in 2025✅ Building recruitment software that actually gets used✅ Sales floor tactics, scratch card sprints, and the psychology of winningIf you lead, train, or coach recruiters — or want your team to perform without pressure and micromanagement — this episode is unmissable.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro01:30 – Meet Mark Howell and the story behind TenRecs05:00 – Why gamification works in sales (and how to use it right)10:00 – Scratch cards, sprints & the power of visual incentives15:00 – Why ego drives top billers (and where it backfires)22:00 – The real purpose of KPIs (and how most firms get it wrong)28:00 – Building a healthy culture of performance35:00 – How to lead recruiters without killing their drive41:00 – The myth of activity vs. outcomes47:00 – What makes TenRecs different from other CRMs53:00 – How gamification can transform recruitment operations58:00 – Final thoughts: how to get 1% better in recruitment🔗 Connect with Mark Howell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-howell-3031a714/🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/