EP 64 - How To Break Into The US Market + Outsourcing In South Africa w/Elliott Manning

What if you expanded your recruitment business to America before everyone else thought it was cool?In this episode, I’m joined by Elliott Manning — Founder & Managing Director of Kayman Recruitment, who built one of the UK’s most recognised Rec2Rec firms, expanded into the US before it became the trend, and is now helping agencies scale globally through outsourcing and consultancy.Elliott lifts the lid on the reality of building in the US without a roadmap — from flying to New York ten times in a year to learn the market, to discovering the cultural differences that make American recruitment so unique. He also shares how he built an outsourcing arm in South Africa that’s helped over 60 agencies scale faster, smarter, and more profitably.This is a practical and unfiltered conversation about expansion, BD strategy, and how to future-proof your recruitment business by thinking globally, not locally.We explore:✅ How to set up in the US (without burning money)✅ The cultural & commercial differences between US and UK recruitment✅ Why relationships beat transactions in America✅ The truth about “full-desk recruiters” in the US✅ How to interview and hire American talent✅ Building consistency through relationship nurturing✅ How to use case studies & name-dropping to win clients✅ Outsourcing to South Africa — the model, pros & cons✅ Remote management tips & avoiding micromanagement✅ The future of recruitment: value, solutions & diversificationIf you’ve ever thought about expanding your agency to the US — or want to understand how outsourcing can transform your business — this episode is a must-listen.⏱ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & Elliott’s backstory02:00 – Launching Kayman Recruitment05:00 – Early US trips & lessons learned10:00 – Cultural differences between US & UK recruitment16:00 – The power of relationship nurturing21:00 – How to stand out in the US market25:00 – Selling with value & solutions33:00 – Why traditional recruitment models are changing39:00 – Building teams & managing remotely52:00 – Niche vs. geographical specialisation in the US55:00 – How Elliott built his outsourcing model58:00 – The truth about South African delivery teams01:02:00 – Managing remote recruiters effectively01:07:00 – Lessons on balance, family & flexibility01:13:00 – Elliott’s 1% Better tip🔗 Connect with Elliott ManningLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-manning-4b3b6b7/🔗 Connect with Charles KyriakouLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakouApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@charleskyriakouLinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712🎟️ Don’t forget to grab your ticket for the live podcast event in London:⁠https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1-better-recruitment-live-podcast-how-to-thrive-in-challenging-markets-tickets-1777948464719?aff=oddtdtcreator