IAM1877 – Recruiter Heads Company’s US operations

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/2020/04/30/iam626-recruiter-heads-companys-us-operations/

Transcription:

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Ian Clark Teaser 00:00

In terms of what needs to be done, there's always a better way to do things, and you can only find a better way to challenge the status quo by pushing each other and being better, to be smarter and to rethink outside of the box. So, the one resource I would say is absolutely having a great, unbelievable team, that you are a part off and you're working towards a common objective.

Intro 00:22

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the IAMCEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:51

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the IAMCEO podcast. And I appreciate you listening to this episode. If you've been listening this year, you know, that we hit 1600 episodes at the beginning of this year, and we're doing something a little bit different.

Where we're repurposing our favorite episodes around certain categories, topics, or as I like to call them, the business pillars that we think are going to be extremely impactful for CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners, and what I like to call the CB nation architects who are looking to level up their organizations.

This month, we are focusing on operations. These systems will set you free. So think about systems, think about flow, sustainability, potentially working out in your morning routine, waking up early, e-commerce, and different business models.

Think of the operations in the. Models that basically set up the foundation to allow the creativity within organizations, but also to make sure the trains are running on time and things are going as they should. Now, this is extremely important because we often turn to the sexy parts of business and forget about the operations and how important that is.

So I really want to focus this month on this specific topic. So sit back and enjoy this special episode at the IAMCEO podcast.

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the IAMCEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Ian Clark of the Tenth Revolution Group. Ian, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Ian Clark 02:10

Nice to meet you, Gresh. Thank you for having me.

Gresham Harkless 02:12

Yeah. Super excited to have you on. And before we jumped in, I wanted to read a little bit more about Ian. So you hear about all the awesome things that he's doing.

And Ian is the head of Americas for the Tenth Revolution Group. He holds a first-class honors degree in Economics from Oxford Brooks University and has 15 years of experience in the recruitment industry.

He moved to the U.S. in 2016 to oversee the launch of the company's Philadelphia and Tampa offices and is now responsible for all U.S. operations. Ian, are you ready to speak to the IAMCEO community?

Ian Clark 02:39

Absolutely Gresh.

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Gresham Harkless 02:40

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off. I wanted to hear a little bit more about your background. What led you to your current spot in your position? All the awesome things you're doing.

Ian Clark 02:48

I actually started my career as an intern for a large multinational recruitment business in the UK. As part of my university degree, I took a sandwich placement, which is a full years in industry. So learning some raw skills in the trade of recruiting.

I returned to the same firm as soon as I graduated, I kind of caught the recruitment bug very, very early on, and I progressed very, very quickly to become a Director in that business, had oversight of over 70 people, specializing in banking and financial services recruitment.

And then I joined the Tenth Revolution Group in September, 2016, and I was presented with a very unique opportunity to work for the fastest-growing recruitment firm in the world.

As a result, I learned and progressed alongside some of the best, most talented individuals in the market. We're a niche IT specialist recruitment which has a once in a lifetime opportunity working in most fertile recruitment markets that I personally think I will ever work in.

And it's really allowed me to grow the business, develop myself and grow a career in conjunction with each other. I moved to London, to Philadelphia, as you said initially, and then opened up the Tampa office about 12 months later.

And now I run the U.S. operations. Since I joined the business, I've grown it from 350 employees to 850 people in just three and a half years. In that time we've increased year-on-year revenue by 40 percent and I've opened up, in the last 24 months alone, I've opened up an additional six new offices. So, although I didn't start the business, I got on board crucially and a really exciting time.

Our objective has always been to find great people, great jobs within the niche IT recruitment market. And the digitalization, the rise of the cloud computing, it's growing exponentially year on year. And the economic conditions are something that's like an industrial revolution, really.

The need for specialist staffing experts who understand technology can provide real solutions and tackle disequilibrium and the skills gap. And there's a war for talent. Cloud tech is only on the rise and recruitment industry really is a sector that rewards hard work and ambition.

And if you are a really motivated person there's an opportunity that enables you to thrive. It feels unique in that there's a sales environment, yet there's also a real strategic element of placing the right candidate in the right role. And the satisfaction and gratification you get from doing that is unparalleled.

So I've definitely found my calling and something that I'm very proud to be a part of the Tenth Revolution Group and we're achieving some phenomenal things here.

Gresham Harkless 05:17

Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. So I know you touched on it a little bit. Could you take us through exactly what the Tenth Revolution does? And also a little bit more on how exactly that process goes working with your clients.

Ian Clark 05:27

The Frank Recruitment Group is, a brand within the Tenth Revolution Group. And I say is a recruitment firm. It's not an outright staffing business. And specializes in cloud solutions, and cloud technology, and we focus in hyper-niche IT skill sets.

So we've always worked within these technology markets with professionals that are experts in platforms such as Salesforce, AWS, for instance, and these ecosystems, we've watched them grow quarter over quarter, year over year and see the demand to professionals increase. exponentially.

And the cloud market, is definitely the most fertile recruitment market that exists today. We, the market has been able to keep up with the growth in the sector. And now the sector is facing, an enormous skill shortage. So we're dedicated connecting professionals with great jobs.

When the number of jobs massively outstrips the supply, the number of candidates that are available that just simply isn't enough. So the businesses struggle to get that talent they need, there's a real need for innovation. And that kind of, comes under threat.

So that's why we take a two-fold approach to solving this issue. Not only do we source candidates, we also deliver hard-to-find talent through our niche IT sort of technology staffing brands.

We also create that talent as well through, we've got a new training brand as well. So there are two streams or two strategies within our business, which is talent creation, and then there's placing of talent.

Gresham Harkless 06:52 Yeah, that makes so much sense and I appreciate you guys for, being able to solve both of those problems. Because as you said, of course, you want to be able to find the talent and play that matchmaker piece where people are looking for certain talent and then you're able to find the right candidate for that.

But in the same way, if there is a death of talent and not the right person, and the right fit. If somebody does have to take the charge on being able to cultivate, create that talent and to train that talent and be able to do that in two part makes you guys a one-stop shop, sounds like.

Ian Clark 07:21

Exactly that definitely differentiates our services.

Gresham Harkless 07:24

Yeah. And do you feel like I call it your secret sauce and it could be for you personally or for the business. But what do you feel is that you guys sets you apart and makes you unique?

Ian Clark 07:34

Yeah, I think we take a fully comprehensive approach to tackling this sort of skills gap. So, we're not just sourcing for talent, in creating it. It's absolutely in getting people certified and developing skill sets that is fit for the market. Absolutely there's no other business like ours that is doing both parts of this.

Our experience in staffing kind of technology ecosystems, we see firsthand where all the gaps are. We know where the sources are. We know that creating talent offers a solution to our clients and we're keeping the tech market really moving. We are uniquely equipped to create solutions to these issues because we've been working in the spaces for almost 15 years.

So the depth of expertise in the business is unparalleled. We're product experts. So we know the technology extremely well, and we know the skills that are needed to utilize these platforms and that really is part of the magic sauce.

Gresham Harkless 08:28

Yeah, absolutely. And I think, at the end of the day, there is constant change and constant evolution and to be able to stay abreast of that and be able to, of course, like you said, be able to find those people that are able to fulfill like those roles that these organizations need.

But on the same part, being able to keep your ear to the ground and be able to cultivate that talent as well, too, and to build and grow that is definitely something that is a unique.

Ian Clark 08:50

Yeah.

Gresham Harkless 08:50

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So that could be like an app, a book or a habit that you have, but with something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Ian Clark 09:02

That's a tough question that is if you think about the resources that are available, there's just so much, that you can use from box to apps, to mentors in the marketplace, for me, really one thing that I think has enabled me to be successful and, self-aware to develop is I work with some of the most talented, like-minded individuals that challenge each other.

And I think I'm blessed and very, very fortunate to work with a leadership team that is exceptional at what they do. Some of the brightest, sharpest minds in the industry on the value of having a fully united, compatible leadership team. I don't think that can be understated.

Our CEO, James Lloyd Townsend, he is a visionary. He's somebody who creates a leadership team that is really allied towards, achieving a goals and pushing our goals to different boundaries that develops individuals, but develops the business in a very unique way.

So, I think that having my business hack, would never be to stop challenging your leadership team. And even if you're aligned towards the same goal and are in sync in terms of what needs to be done, there's always a better way to do things.

And you can only find a better way to challenge the status quo by pushing each other and being better to be smarter and to rethink outside of the box. So, the one, one resource I would say is absolutely having a great, unbelievable team, that you are a part of and you're working towards, a common objective.

Gresham Harkless 10:31

Yeah, absolutely. A lot of times I'll say, your environment will determine your altitude and you have to be very aware of the team you're creating of the people that you're putting in place. And it's great to hear that the leadership team and the CEO has really made it a point to do that.

And I think that when you are able to do that's when you do start to see those innovations, that growth and that kind of pace setting that you guys are doing to where you're setting seems like the market on a different path than it may have seen. And I think when you're doing that, that doesn't start with just, stand on a mountain saying, Hey, let's do X, Y and Z. It starts to be created with that environment and the people that are around you.

Ian Clark 11:09

Yeah, we as an organization know that we can achieve so much more than what we are doing today. And that is the most exciting thing about the journey that we're on is the opportunity that we have in front of us.

We know that the only failings we have are ourselves internally. It's not external to us as a team and not staying focused and developing and pushing ourselves and pushing the boundaries. And that's a beautiful thing to be a part of.

Gresham Harkless 11:32

Yeah, absolutely. It definitely is a beautiful thing. And so I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be like a word of wisdom or piece of advice or something you might even tell your younger business self.

Ian Clark 11:43

So, yeah for me, it's got to be, you've got to differentiate and specialize. You have to have a great value proposition that really sets you apart from your competitors. In every market, there is a gap of some form. And you have a huge opportunity to create a leading business if you are different. And operating in niche markets, I've seen this.

There's so much benefit in, in doing that. But one of the main one is that you can develop a specialist understanding and become a genuine authority in your sector. Differentiating your business, doesn't necessarily mean choosing an entirely uncultivated hyper niche market.

There could be other businesses doing the same thing already, but are they doing it as market leaders? Okay, so. If you see an already service market, but you believe the business could outshine competitors, then it's absolutely worth looking at the niche market that isn't being served as well could also be as fruitful as a niche market that isn't being served at all.

So your specialism could be your industry focus, product focus, geographical focus, whatever it is, you've got to stick to it and you can't be the world's best-hidden secret. That's for sure.

Gresham Harkless 12:55

No, I love that. Yeah. You definitely cannot be the world's best and you probably don't necessarily want to be the world's best in the secret.

And I think you're absolutely right when you're able to. And that's what I love, that how you guys have been able to create that. It sounds like a very learn culture where you're constantly advancing, you see where you wanna be, see the potential that there is, and you see like those opportunities and those niches that you spoke to, and then you're able to execute on those so that it makes everything so much better.

Ian Clark 13:20

Yeah.

Gresham Harkless 13:22

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. So I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question. And I love the perspective as well too, just because I know that you mentioned that you've been able to start the organization here in the United States and launch many offices and do many things..

So I wanted to ask you, even though I know you don't necessarily hold that title, what does being a CEO mean to you? Or what does it mean for you to be able to have that charge and the role and the head of America's for being able to expand the Tenth Revolution Group?

Ian Clark 13:47

To me, I suppose being a leader, CEO is, it's got lifting people and enabling people. It's about creating an environment that really allows your employees to achieve their goals.

You're gonna set a very clear vision about what is expected and then empower the staff to go above and beyond. As a leader, you are responsible for defining the journey that your business is on. You can't do on your own. You've got to build great teams.

You've got to encourage a collaborative and inclusive way of working, but more importantly, challenging each other to do the right thing for your customers and for each other. So, yeah, that's what it means to me personally.

Gresham Harkless 14:27

Nice. I absolutely love that. And I appreciate that. And I think that, as you said, the word that really resonate with me was the word empower. And I think that you're absolutely right when you are a leader and you do have that opportunity to lead a team and to be part of a team, even to that degree.

And especially, as you said, even be market leaders and for your clients and your customers as well, too. You have to have that empowerment mindset where you are learning, but you're also empowering people to be able to continue to do the same thing as well, too. And that's when you create that energy and all those kind of revolutionary changes that you guys are doing.

Ian Clark 14:58

Yeah. Thank you so much Gresh. It's been a pleasure speaking to you today.

Gresham Harkless 15:03

Yeah, absolutely. It's been awesome. And what I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know. And then of course, how best they can get a whole view and find out they can get any help they need.

Ian Clark 15:14

Yeah, brilliant. Thank you. Hopefully you've all learned or heard today a little bit about our business where, business that really wants to make a difference in the IT System within the cloud computing market.

So if anybody wants any impartial advice or any support or any guidance on themselves as individuals or their business, I'm here to help. I'm in a privileged position to empower people's lives and change and enrich everybody's careers.

So please feel free to contact me. My email address is i.clark@frankgroup.com. And I'll make myself available to as many of you as I possibly can.

Gresham Harkless 15:48

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much again. And I truly appreciate that. We will have the links and information in the show notes, but thank you for blazing trails and doing so many awesome things and reminding us to do the same thing to and basically take on and understand that change is the only inevitable.

We must make sure that we're doing that as well. So appreciate you again, my friend, and I hope you have a great rest of the day.

Outro 16:07

Thank you for listening to the IAMCEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. IAMCEO is not just a phrase. It's a community.

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Grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the IAMCEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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