Podcast
Talent Titans
Hosted by Suky Sodhi · EN
High performance staffing industry mastermind leader, Suky Sodhi has always felt strongly about allowing the sales team within organizations to have a voice at the boardroom table. She has been working with global recruitment companies for almost 3 decades, helping them align their focus on both the bottom line and their people.
President and Founder of Professional Selection, a leading rec2rec agency, and Founder of Elite Global Recruiters, a community of staffing industry professionals from around the globe, she is helping recruitment businesses scale like never before.
Her podcast, Talent Titans serves as a platform to share her research and findings with us, including best tips and practices to take your business to the next level.
If you enjoyed this episode, please tell us what you think so that we can create more content around this topic. Your feedback is key to help us grow!
38episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 136 - Ageism Was Never About Performance — It Was Always About Cheap Labour
4d ago00:12:06Tap to summarizeIs ageism in hiring really an unconscious bias—or was it deliberately engineered over decades? In this episode of Talent Titans, Suky Sodhi challenges one of the most accepted narratives in modern hiring: that older professionals are "too expensive," "hard to manage," or "stuck in their ways." She explores how economic downturns created incentives to replace experienced professionals with cheaper labor, how those decisions evolved into long-standing hiring myths, and why businesses today are paying the price through lost institutional knowledge, weaker leadership, and widening generational divides. If you're a recruiter, staffing leader, hiring manager, or business owner, this episode will challenge how you think about experience, leadership, and the future of hiring. ⏱️ Key Moments: 00:00 – Ageism Was Engineered, Not Accidental 00:40 – Welcome to Talent Titans 01:20 – How Economic Downturns Created Hiring Bias 03:10 – The Myth: "Older Workers Are Stuck in Their Ways" 04:15 – "Hard to Manage" or Hard to Fool? 05:15 – The Experience Gap Businesses Created 06:00 – The Generational Divide in Today's Workforce 06:50 – The Real Value of Experienced Professionals 07:55 – How Companies Can Eliminate Age Bias 10:15 – A Final Message Every Hiring Leader Needs to Hear 11:15 – Closing Thoughts Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 135 - Your Sales Team Looks Busy. But Is It Building Pipeline?
2w ago00:41:29Tap to summarizeIs your sales team underperforming — or is the real problem sitting in the manager's seat? Chris Beckage , Vice President, Business Development at ProCom, doesn't pull punches. In this episode of Talent Titans, Chris and Suky break down the uncomfortable truth about why most staffing sales teams stall: it's not the market, it's not the reps, and it's almost never what you think. From killing "Always Be Closing" to uncovering Canada's secret weapon in the US market — this is a masterclass in modern staffing sales built for founders and leaders who are done with excuses. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: → The one question that instantly separates a pipeline builder from a busy salesperson → Why "Always Be Closing" is dead — and the two principles that replace it → How Canadian politeness became ProCom's competitive edge in the US market → The mid-market opportunity most agencies are missing (and why ego is the reason) → How ProCom uses AI coaching to level up junior reps faster than ever → Why the market is almost never the real problem — and what actually is ABOUT CHRIS: My purpose is simple: to provide the guidance, support, and tools that empower people to build the lives and careers they choose — and to help them find success and happiness along the way. At Procom, I lead client acquisition, account expansion, and recruiting operations, working alongside a team of account managers and recruiters who share that same commitment to the people we place and the clients we serve. The value I bring is in the listening. I take the time to truly understand a business and its challenges before I try to solve anything. From there, I ask the right questions — even the uncomfortable ones — because that's what surfaces the real problem, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for everyone involved. Growth — in revenue, in client relationships, in people — isn't something you force. It's something you build by paying attention first. Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbeckage/ KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 Introduction & Chris Beckage's Personal Purpose 02:00 Golf, Trust & Reading Clients in Their Natural State 03:45 Canada's Secret Weapon in the US Staffing Market 06:25 Why Collaborative Decision-Making Wins Long-Term 08:00 Busy vs. Building: How to Spot True Pipeline Builders 12:20 Why "Always Be Closing" Is Dead 15:00 Always Be Aligning & Always Be Useful 17:00 AI Coaching Tools & Sales Development at ProCom 22:00 Culture Shock: US vs. Canadian Decision-Making Pace 26:00 Open Territories & North American Expansion 27:30 People Over Playbook: How to Scale in New Markets 30:30 The Mid-Market Sweet Spot (Stop Chasing Fortune 500) 34:00 When the Market Is the Excuse and Management Is the Cause Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 134 - Your Staffing Agency Is One Bad Contract Away From Losing Everything
3w ago00:53:36Tap to summarizeTwo words. That's it. Two words buried in your indemnity clause that could save your staffing agency hundreds of thousands of dollars — and most agency owners have never heard them. In this episode, Suky Sodhi sits down with employment and staffing lawyer Dale Friedland to pull back the curtain on the legal landmines hiding inside the MSAs and contracts you're signing every single day. If you run a staffing agency or recruitment firm, this is the episode you forward to your lawyer — and then wonder why your lawyer didn't already know this. What We Cover: The single most dangerous clause hiding in your MSA (and the two words that neutralize it) Uncapped liability vs. third-party liability — why the difference matters enormously Contractor misclassification: Canada vs. US vs. UK — and why "at will" changes everything The "control test" — how to legitimately protect your independent contractor relationships Backdoor hiring protection: the contract clause that stops clients from cutting you out Extended payment terms and the early warning signs of a client who won't pay When to use an EOR service vs. incorporating locally in the US 🔑 Key Moments: 00:00 The 2 Words That Could Save You Thousands 01:03 Meet Staffing Industry Lawyer Dale Friedland 05:20 The Biggest Legal Risks in Staffing Contracts 08:00 The Clauses Staffing Firms Need to Watch 13:00 Why Your MSA Could Be Putting You at Risk 19:20 Protecting Your Agency in Client Agreements 22:00 Building a Stronger Staffing Contract 27:00 Employment Law & Protecting Your Business 34:33 What Happens When Clients Backdoor Hire 41:00 Protecting Your Recruitment Fees 47:00 When Clients Refuse to Pay 51:41 When to Walk Away From a Bad Client 52:48 Closing & How to Connect With Dale Connect with Dale: Dale Friedland is a trusted employment and staffing law lawyer based in Toronto, with a focused practice on advising businesses, recruitment agencies, and HR professionals navigating complex workforce challenges. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the legal landscape governing hiring, employee relations, and contingent workforces, Dale provides strategic, practical counsel tailored to modern workplace realities. Specializing in staffing, recruitment, and employment law, Dale regularly advises clients on matters including master staffing agreements, employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, sub-vendor/subcontractor agreements, workplace policies, compliance with provincial and federal regulations, wrongful dismissal claims, and dispute resolution. As former In-House Counsel at a leading Canadian staffing firm, Dale has particular expertise in the legal nuances affecting staffing agencies, including temporary placements, co-employment risks, and regulatory compliance. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-friedland-95065a3a/ Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 133 - Your Gut Is Lying to You: How Unconscious Bias Kills Your Best Recruiter Hires
4w ago00:15:58Tap to summarizeAre your instincts costing you your best recruiter hires? In this episode of Talent Titans, Suky Sodhi exposes the hidden unconscious biases that cause staffing firms to reject proven revenue producers — and how to stop it before it costs you thousands. We break down a real case study: a tech recruiter who knew his contractor counts, profit margins, and fill rates cold — but got rejected because he hesitated on a complex tiered commission question. The verdict? "Not hungry enough." The reality? A textbook case of the Fundamental Attribution Error. This is vibe-based hiring. And it's statistically broken. The research is clear: gut-feel interviews carry only 14% predictive validity for job performance. Structured, competency-based assessments? 48%. Every week a seat stays empty on a 15-contractor desk is $12,000 in unrealized gross profit. The math is simple. The bias is the problem. In this episode: → The "hungry enough" fallacy and why it's a legacy sales stereotype → Fundamental Attribution Error, anchoring bias & confirmation bias — the psychology behind bad hiring decisions → Why operational metrics (contractor counts, margins, fill rate) predict performance better than any interview gut feeling → The financial cost of prolonged vacancies in your firm → A 3-step consultation framework to challenge and coach your clients through biased rejections → Why the candidate who "dodged a bullet" is still getting a final interview — because consulting works Don't hire by vibes. Hire on facts. Let the numbers tell the story. KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 The Hidden Bias Costing Recruitment Firms Millions 01:40 The Interview Mistake That Rejected A Top Recruiter 03:20 Why "Not Hungry Enough" Is A Dangerous Assumption 04:40 The Metrics That Actually Matter In Recruiting 06:30 How Unconscious Bias Impacts Hiring Decisions 08:30 Why Gut Feel Interviews Fail 10:30 The Real Cost Of Passing On Top Talent 12:00 How Recruiters Can Challenge Client Bias 13:30 Stop Hiring On Vibes — Use Data Instead 15:00 Final Thoughts Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 132 - Your ATS Contract Is Trapping Your Recruitment Agency
Jul 700:43:45Tap to summarizeIf your ATS needs a 24-month contract to keep you, that's not a partnership — that's a trap. In this episode of Talent Titans, Suky Sodhi sits down with Karen Somal , CEO and Founder of Athena CRM, who's disrupting the recruitment software industry with a radical promise: full customizability, month-to-month contracts, and zero migration costs. After 15 years in recruitment tech, Karen has seen it all — from directors building systems that treat recruiters like "data entry clerks" to agencies trapped in "bad marriages" with their ATS providers. She breaks down: • Why legacy ATS platforms force YOU to adapt YOUR workflow to THEIR software • The hidden cost of poor recruiter adoption (and why it's killing your placements) • How data migration horror stories are keeping agencies stuck in broken systems • Why Athena covers migration costs — and buys clients out of existing contracts • The "director-led vs. recruiter-led" design philosophy that's changing the game Karen's message to agency founders: "If you need a 24-month contract to keep someone, you're admitting that the product can't retain them on merit." This is real talk for recruitment leaders who are tired of software that works against them instead of for them. 🔑 Chapters 00:00 — The ATS Trap: Why Your Software Is Working Against You 02:15 — Director-Led vs. Recruiter-Led: The Design Philosophy Shift 08:30 — The 24-Month Contract Problem 14:00 — Data Migration Horror Stories 22:45 — "We're Unsellable Right Now": When Bad Data Kills Acquisitions 28:30 — Athena's Radical Approach: No Migration Fees, Monthly Contracts 35:00 — Why Recruiter Adoption Is Never About Features 42:00 — Word-of-Mouth Growth: From Canada to Dubai 47:30 — What's Next for Recruitment Tech Connect with Karen: I'm Karen Somal, a recruitment technology specialist with years of experience helping agencies improve their systems, processes, and use of technology. I've worked on CRM implementations, automation projects, data transformation, and business process improvement across the recruitment sector. I'm also the founder of Athena CRM, a platform created to give recruitment businesses a more flexible and configurable approach to managing their operations. I'm passionate about using technology to solve real business challenges while keeping people and relationships at the heart of what I do. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-somal-35569117/ Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 131 - Canada Is Not One Market: The Recruitment Truth Nobody Tells You
Jun 3000:13:32Tap to summarizeCanada is NOT one single hiring market — and if you're treating it like one, you're already losing top talent. In this episode, we break down why a one-size-fits-all recruitment strategy fails across Canada's five distinct regional markets. From the boomerang talent strategy in Atlantic Canada to Bill 96 compliance in Quebec, from Alberta's affordability edge pulling talent away from Ontario to British Columbia's "Pacific premium" battle with US tech giants — we cover 5,000 kilometers of talent landscape in one episode. If you're a staffing agency founder, recruitment leader, or talent acquisition professional hiring across Canadian provinces, this is your playbook for thinking globally and acting locally. ⏱️ Key Moments: 00:00 - Why Canada is NOT one hiring market 02:15 - Atlantic Canada: The boomerang talent strategy 04:30 - Quebec: Bill 96, language laws, and cultural identity 06:45 - Ontario: The Toronto-Waterloo corridor under threat 09:00 - Alberta: The affordability advantage changing the game 11:15 - British Columbia: The Pacific premium and US tech competition Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 130 - The AI Automation Trap Staffing Agencies Aren't Seeing
Jun 1800:19:51Tap to summarize🎙️ Is AI making recruitment more efficient—or are we automating away the very thing that makes recruiters valuable? In this episode, we explore the growing tension between automation and human connection in recruitment. From AI bias and legal risks to candidate backlash and commoditization, we discuss why the future belongs to agencies that are tech-enabled but human-driven. Learn what should be automated, what must stay human, and how recruiters can use technology to strengthen relationships instead of replace them. ⏱️ Key Moments: 00:00 The Friction of Automation vs. Human Connection 03:02 Why Clients Pay for Human Judgment 05:54 The Illusion of Bias-Free AI 09:48 The Legal Risks of Over-Automation 15:39 Tech-Enabled, Human-Driven Recruitment 18:20 What AI Should Automate 20:08 What Must Stay Human 22:04 The Future of Recruitment Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 129 - Your Recruitment Content Doesn't Need More Reach — It Needs the Right Decision-Makers
May 2600:17:02Tap to summarizeIf your LinkedIn posts get likes from other recruiters but zero DMs from decision-makers, you're not building a business — you're building a fan club. In this episode, Suky Sodhi dismantles the biggest lie sold to recruitment professionals: that "reach is king." She breaks down why chasing vanity metrics (follower counts, likes, shares) keeps you trapped in a dopamine loop that feels productive but generates zero revenue. The truth? The people you most want in front of — CEOs, VPs, CTOs — are the quietest people on LinkedIn. They're lurkers. They don't like, they don't comment, but they're watching. And if your content is designed to go viral instead of speaking directly to them, you're pushing them away. What you'll learn: • Why a post with 10 CTO likes is worth more than 1,000 likes from people who'll never hire you • The LinkedIn algorithm trap: how generic content miscategorizes you and buries your posts for the audience that matters • How to escape the "work bestie" engagement loop and attract the right lurkers • Why being boring to the masses is essential to being essential to your ideal client • The real metric that matters: high-value DMs and emails, not crowded threads This is real talk for recruitment founders, staffing leaders, and agency owners who are tired of posting into the void and ready to reach the people who actually move their business forward. ⏱️ Key Moments: 00:00 - The Reach Illusion: Why More Isn't Better 02:16 - Why Your Follower Count Is Lying to You 05:24 - 10 CTOs vs 1,000 Strangers 08:20 - Quality Engagement Beats Quantity Every Time 11:43 - The Vanity-to-Value Shift 14:24 - Finding Partners That Actually Move Revenue Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 128 - 90% of Staffing Agencies Will Never Sell for What They're Worth — Here's Why
May 1900:12:16Tap to summarizeIs your staffing agency actually sellable — or are you just building a bigger cage? In this solo episode, Suky Sodhi breaks down the single most important shift staffing founders need to make if they ever want a high-value exit: margin over revenue. Most agency owners chase headcount and top-line growth, not realizing their low-margin book of business is quietly destroying their valuation. Suky walks through the brutal math that separates a $8M exit from a $16M exit — with the same profit — and gives you a three-step blueprint to flip your valuation before it's too late. In this episode: Why revenue is a vanity metric and EBITDA is everything The "Valuation Chasm" — why low-margin agencies get 3-5x and high-margin agencies get 7-10x Client concentration risk: if one client is >20% of your revenue, you're a high-risk gamble Keyman risk: why being indispensable makes you unsellable The three-step blueprint: Strike Teams, Dolphin Clients, and the High-Margin Pod How to build a business where you're the least important person in the building The bottom line: The path to that sandy beach is a maths problem. Let's solve it. Key Moments 00:00 – Welcome to Talent Titans & Ascen Sponsorship 00:41 – The Big Contract Myth That's Keeping You Trapped 01:36 – The Only Number That Matters: Your Exit Multiplier 02:00 – The Valuation Chasm: 3-5x vs. 7-10x EBITDA 03:00 – Owner A vs. Owner B — The $8M vs. $16M Exit 03:48 – The Real Cost of Chasing Low-Margin Business 04:14 – The Poison Pill: Client Concentration Risk 05:00 – How Buyers See You (And Why They'll Lowball You) 05:48 – The Low-Margin Treadmill: Stuck as Chief Everything Officer 06:12 – Keyman Risk: Why Being Indispensable Makes You Unsellable 07:04 – Vanity Revenue vs. Real Wealth — The Choice 08:00 – The 3-Step Blueprint to Flip Your Valuation 08:39 – Step 1: Strike Team + Dolphin Clients 09:27 – Step 2: Grow the High-Margin Pod 09:52 – Step 3: Move from Supplier to Specialist 10:52 – The 3-Part Exit Formula (Your Sandy Beach) 11:29 – Thanks for Listening + Follow & Share Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →Episode 127 - Your Staffing Model Is Broken — Why the 'Unemployable' Are Your Best Hire
May 1300:43:02Tap to summarizeWhat if the people your competitors are screening out are actually your best hire? Marcia Nozick didn't come from the world of HR or corporate recruiting. She came from community economic development — and she built a multi-million dollar staffing company out of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside by betting on the people everyone else wrote off: those with addiction histories, criminal records, and experience with homelessness. Embers Staffing is a fully self-funded social enterprise that reinvests 100% of its profits back into its workers. And in this episode, Marcia makes a compelling, data-backed case that the traditional staffing model is extractive by design — and that the agencies clinging to it are leaving both talent and margin on the table. This is real talk about what resilience actually looks like in a workforce, why construction is opening doors that corporate HR won't, and what it takes to build a staffing company around loyalty instead of just labour. In this episode, we cover: Why the "unemployable" label is a competitive blind spot — not a hiring signal The bottom-up financial model that outperforms traditional margins in a downturn How Embers builds worker loyalty through community, not just compensation Client reactions to placing workers with criminal records — and where the industry is genuinely open Removing real barriers: PPE lending libraries, counseling, housing support, and more Why screening for resiliency beats screening for risk every time The tech adoption balance — automating without excluding your workforce Embers' expansion plans from BC into Alberta and Ontario Key Moments 00:00 Introduction & Sponsor Welcome 00:30 Meet Marcia Nozick & Embers Staffing 01:52 Why Not-For-Profit? The Origin Story 04:25 The Bottom-Up Financial Model 06:57 Building Trust & Community With Workers 09:07 Client Reactions to Non-Traditional Hires 11:09 The Hidden ROI: Embers' Competitive Advantage 14:00 Removing Barriers: PPE, Food & Support Programs 17:46 Is the Staffing Industry Leaving Money on the Table? 20:18 Managing Risk & Overcoming Prejudice 29:51 Hiring Internal Staff & Workplace Safety 33:56 Self-Funding & Technology Adoption 38:33 Expansion Plans: Alberta, Ontario & Beyond 39:53 The Alternative Staffing Association 41:00 Closing Remarks Connect with Marcia Nozick: Marcia Nozick founded EMBERS (Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society) in 2001 to create economic and employment opportunities for low-income residents in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Over the past 23 years, her leadership has helped thousands overcome barriers through self-employment education, training, job placements, and ongoing support. In 2008, she launched EMBERS Staffing Solutions (ESS), a self-sustaining social enterprise that reinvests profits into the community. In 2024 alone, ESS paid $10.9 million in wages & benefits and employed more than 1,600 people in flexible, short-term roles. Marcia's work has earned national recognition, including the Governor General's Innovation Award (2020), the BC CEO Lifetime Achievement Award (2021), and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2016). She holds a Master's in City Planning and is the author of No Place Like Home: Building Sustainable Communities, praised by David Suzuki as "a must read." LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcianozick/ Check out more episodes of the Talent Titans Podcast: Why Contingency Recruiting is Dying: https://youtu.be/BAE9lrl8z74 Master Niche Recruiting: https://youtu.be/RoRWQ5bwPm0 Connect with Suky: Award-Winning Advisor & Industry Voice | Founder: Canadian Staffing Summit, Talent Titans, Recruitment Professionals Forum | Backing Bold Moves in Staffing, Tech & Investment — No Clickbait, Just Real Talk Suky doesn't just observe the staffing industry — she helps shape it. She's built platforms where the industry's most honest conversations happen: 🔹 Canadian Staffing Summit 🔹 Talent Titans Podcast 🔹 Recruitment Professionals Forum For over two decades, Suky's helped recruitment businesses scale with integrity — from internal team builds to boardroom strategy. She works with agency leaders, tech innovators, and the investors backing the future of staffing. But here's what Suky doesn't do: copy-paste playbooks, fluff-filled advice, or empty hype. She believes in smart growth, real talk, and community over competition. Her work sits at the intersection of: People + Performance Tech + Disruption Strategy + Soul Whether she's coaching founders, advising SaaS firms, or connecting those quietly rewriting the rules — one thing holds true: Suky backs those who build. LinkedIn www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com Grab of a copy of "How to Launch a Staffing Agency: Plan to Profits in 90 Days or Less" Talent Titans is sponsored by Ascen. Ascen is an employer of record that helps staffing and recruitment agencies hire employees compliantly throughout the US and Canada. Ascen's all-in-one, white-label platform handles onboarding, timesheets, payroll, benefits, insurance, invoicing, and funding so you can grow quickly in the US and Canada without worrying about back office and paperwork. Visit ascen.com to learn more.
Transcribe →