Recruitment Episodes

Is "Culture Fit" Killing Diversity in Hiring with Theo Smith
June 24, 2026

Is "Culture Fit" Killing Diversity in Hiring with Theo Smith

In this episode of the Marketing Rules Podcast, James is joined by Theo Smith, one of the leading voices on neurodiversity, inclusion and workplace design. Theo has spent more than 17 years working across recruitment, talent acquisition, recruitment marketing and HR technology. Today, he helps organisations understand how hiring processes, workplace systems and company cultures can unintentionally exclude talented people. They discuss: Why recruitment processes often lose great candidates before...
Guest: Theo Smith
Networking Isn’t Dead. You’re Just Doing It Wrong With Andy Dunne
May 28, 2026

Networking Isn’t Dead. You’re Just Doing It Wrong With Andy Dunne

This week on The Marketing Rules Podcast James is joined by Andy Dunn, Managing Director of TEAM, the UK’s largest network of independently owned recruitment businesses. They dive into something that almost everybody talks about, but very few people genuinely understand: networking and community building. They discuss what separates networks that create real opportunities from those that simply look good on paper, why giving value first matters, and how to stay visible without becoming just anot...
Guest: Andy Dunne
The Recruitment Industry’s Most Overlooked Performance Hack with Michelle Flynn
May 11, 2026

The Recruitment Industry’s Most Overlooked Performance Hack with Michelle Flynn

Most people in recruitment think burnout is just part of the job. Long hours. Constant pressure. Always “on”. But what if the real problem isn’t workload… it’s how we’re operating? In this episode of the Marketing Rules Podcast, I’m joined by recruitment leader turned performance coach Michelle Flynn to talk about sleep, stress, burnout, breathwork and why so many recruiters are running at 100mph with no recovery. This is one of those episodes that will probably make you stop and rethink how you...
Why ‘Head Of’ Means Nothing Anymore with Daen Fox
April 20, 2026

Why ‘Head Of’ Means Nothing Anymore with Daen Fox

This episode flips one of the biggest assumptions in recruitment on its head. We spend so much time defining people by job titles, CVs and neat career paths. But what if that is exactly what is limiting performance, creativity and growth? In this conversation, I sit down with Daen Fox to unpack why labels in recruitment are becoming less relevant, and what actually drives high performance in today’s market. We get into the reality of modern recruitment. Why generic processes are creating average...
Guest: Daen Fox
The Truth About Recruitment Content Nobody Talks About With Joel Lalgee
March 5, 2026

The Truth About Recruitment Content Nobody Talks About With Joel Lalgee

What happens when a recruiter stops relying purely on cold calls and starts building an audience instead? In this episode of the Marketing Rules Podcast, James Whitelock sits down with Joel Lalgee, widely known as The Realest Recruiter . Joel has built one of the most recognisable personal brands in recruitment, growing a global following across TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube while continuing to operate as an executive recruiter. Joel shares the story behind how he went from agency recruiter to co...
Guest: Joel Lalgee
Is Your Recruitment Website Already Obsolete With Dave Jenkins
Feb. 17, 2026

Is Your Recruitment Website Already Obsolete With Dave Jenkins

James is joined by Dave Jenkins, CEO and Founder of Wave, who has spent 25 years building recruitment websites and watching them evolve from simple brochure sites to powerful marketing and tech platforms. We get into the future of the recruitment website, the impact of AI, candidate experience, and why your site should be your hardest-working asset, not just something that sits online looking pretty. #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Dave:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com...
Guest: Dave Jenkins
AI Isn’t Replacing Recruiters. It’s Exposing Who Actually Scales With Manan Shah
Feb. 2, 2026

AI Isn’t Replacing Recruiters. It’s Exposing Who Actually Scales With Manan Shah

This week, James was joined by Manan Shah, co-founder and CEO of Recruiterflow. They get into what recruitment data really matters, why most agencies obsess over the wrong metrics, and how velocity, productivity, and AI are reshaping how recruitment businesses scale. If you care about building a faster, smarter, more resilient recruitment operation, this one’s for you. #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Manan:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mananshah212/ Learn more a...
Guest: Manan Shah
Why Football Clubs Attract Talent Better Than Most Businesses with Zoe Shackleton
Jan. 21, 2026

Why Football Clubs Attract Talent Better Than Most Businesses with Zoe Shackleton

In this episode James is joined by Zoe Shackleton, Head of HR and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Huddersfield Town Football Club. Zoe sits on the other side of the table to most of TMRP listeners, she’s the end client recruiters are trying to win over. They talk candidly about talent attraction in football, what genuinely inclusive hiring looks like in practice, and how strong culture and smart use of technology drive retention in high-pressure environments. #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecr...
What No One Tells You About Selling Your Recruitment Tech Company with Thomas Vose
Jan. 6, 2026

What No One Tells You About Selling Your Recruitment Tech Company with Thomas Vose

In this episode, James is joined by Thomas Vose, co-founder of HireAra, to unpack what it really takes to build a recruitment tech business from scratch and successfully exit it. They discuss the challenges of bootstrapping, angel investment, avoiding the VC trap, and what life is really like after being acquired. If you’re building, scaling, or thinking about selling a rec tech business, this one is packed with real lessons from the front line. #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠T...
Guest: Thomas Vose
The Developer Revolution Is Here. Are You Ready? With Rudi Bauer
Dec. 8, 2025

The Developer Revolution Is Here. Are You Ready? With Rudi Bauer

In this episode, James sits down with Rudi Bauer, someone we’ve wanted on the show for a long time. They explore his journey from software developer to leading Europe’s largest developer community and dig into what developers really want today, how their values are changing, and what skills will shape the future of tech talent. It is a sharp, honest look at where the market is heading and what it means for employers and candidates alike. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...
Guest: Rudi Bauer
Why Everyone’s Talking About South African Talent With Ross Thompson
Nov. 18, 2025

Why Everyone’s Talking About South African Talent With Ross Thompson

In this episode, James is joined on the couch, in person, by Ross Thompson, founder of Infinity Staff Global, to unpack how he has successfully expanded from Australia into the UK recruitment market. They get into why he chose South Africa over the Philippines for offshore talent, how cultural fit and time zones impact performance, and why clients are turning to offshore solutions as the cost of employing in the UK and Australia continues to rise. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChi...
Why Most RecTech Startups Fail to Scale with Howard Flint
Oct. 20, 2025

Why Most RecTech Startups Fail to Scale with Howard Flint

In this episode, James is joined by Howard Flint, a strategist with over 25 years of experience helping HR and recruitment technology businesses scale and realise their full potential. They explore what it really means to grow from startup to scale-up, the challenges these companies face as they professionalise, and why understanding the problem you truly solve is the foundation for success. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...
Guest: Howard Flint
Why Candidate Interviews Are Unfair With Steve Lewis
Oct. 5, 2025

Why Candidate Interviews Are Unfair With Steve Lewis

Joining James this week Steve Lewis, Managing Director at HireGuide. Steve has spent his career at the heart of recruitment technology, from being one of the first employees at TotalJobs, to leading search staffing and RPO at LinkedIn and now driving innovation in interview intelligence. Steve is now on a mission to transform how interviews are run, helping companies make better, fairer, and more structured hiring decisions. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...
Guest: Steve Lewis
AI Is Killing Your Personal Brand with Glenn Martin
Sept. 14, 2025

AI Is Killing Your Personal Brand with Glenn Martin

This week James is joined by Glenn Martin : recruiter, talent solutions founder, podcast host, and all-around people person. With over 20 years in the recruitment game, Glenn shares his journey from Glastonbury to building personal and employer brands, the rise and fall of platforms like Twitter (now X), and how AI is reshaping content authenticity. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceO...
Guest: Glenn Martin
From Chatbots to Candidate Experience with Martyn Redstone
Aug. 11, 2025

From Chatbots to Candidate Experience with Martyn Redstone

This week James is joined by Martyn Redstone, or as many in the industry know him, Mr. AI . Martyn’s been in recruitment for nearly two decades, with over a dozen years immersed in rec tech, and long before AI became the buzzword it is today, he was already helping recruiters craft smart, responsible automation strategies. From building some of the earliest recruitment chatbots to running the first AI and automation agency in our sector, Martyn’s been right at the heart of conversational AI. Jam...
Live from RecFest 2025 with Stephen O'Donnell
July 30, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Stephen O'Donnell

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Stephen:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenodonn/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Live from RecFest 2025 with Stephen McGrath
July 30, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Stephen McGrath

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Stephen:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stmcgrath/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Live from Recfest 2025 with Sean Allen
July 30, 2025

Live from Recfest 2025 with Sean Allen

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Sean:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean1allen/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarket...
Guest: Sean Allen
Live from RecFest 2025 with Matt Alder
July 30, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Matt Alder

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Matt:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattalder/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrul...
Guest: Matt Alder
Live from RecFest 2025 with Mark Chaffey
July 30, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Mark Chaffey

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Mark:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mchaffey/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrule...
Guest: Mark Chaffey
Live from RecFest 2025 with Jim Berrisford
July 29, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Jim Berrisford

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Jim:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/talentattractiontech-hrtech-tech2rec/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠h...
Live from RecFest 2025 with Bill Boorman
July 29, 2025

Live from RecFest 2025 with Bill Boorman

Recorded live from RecFest 2025 The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #MarketingRules #TheVoiceOfRecruitmentMarketing ⁠To connect with Bill:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/billboorman/ Learn more about James and ThinkinCircles: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thinkincircles.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themarketingrule...
Guest: Bill Boorman
Why Podcasting Should be Talent Team's Secret Weapon with Nitin Sharma
July 22, 2025

Why Podcasting Should be Talent Team's Secret Weapon with Nitin Sharma

This week, James is joined by Nitin Sharma, recruitment entrepreneur, podcast host and the mind behind RecTools. They dive into how podcasting is shaking up the world of talent acquisition. Nitin shares how what started as a simple content idea grew into a full-blown platform with over 70,000 subscribers. From building credibility and boosting employer brand to engaging those hard-to-reach passive candidates, podcasting is proving to be a powerful tool for TA teams. They also get into the nuts a...
Guest: Nitin Sharma
The Evolution of Recruitment Tech with Rob Green
June 23, 2025

The Evolution of Recruitment Tech with Rob Green

In this episode, James is joined once again by Rob Green, Founder and CEO of RecTech. Making him one of the rare few returning guests. We dig into the evolution of the recruitment Tech industry the global impact of AI and how companies can make smarter tech choices faster. Whether you're in talent acquisition, HR, or recruitment, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss. The Marketing Rules Podcast is sponsored by RChill ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rchilli.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #Mark...