The Pros and Cons of Building a Recruitment Business in Dubai | Louise Vine

The Pros and Cons of Building a Recruitment Business in Dubai | Louise Vine

Dubai attracts recruiters from all over the world. Louise Vine has spent the last 18 years learning how the market really works. Louise is the founder of Inspire Selection, a specialist finance and accounting recruitment firm based in Dubai. Over the last 13 years, she has built a fully remote business operating on a commission-only model while navigating a market where fee pressure is intense, cultural differences shape every interaction, and jobs can disappear without warning. Last year, 70% of Louise's assignments were either canceled or put on hold. Louise covers the challenges that catch Western recruiters off guard, why agencies charging 8% fees have changed client expectations, and how she introduced engagement fees to protect her team's time. She also explains how her commission-only model works, why only a small percentage of recruiters are suited to it, and what she has learned about hiring, accountability, and building culture in a fully remote business. If you're considering Dubai, exploring commission-only recruitment, or looking for a different way to build a recruitment business, this episode is worth your time. In this episode: * How Louise went from Robert Half in the UK to building a recruitment business in Dubai * What recruiters need to understand about the realities of the UAE market * Why nationality-based salary bands still exist in some organizations * How fee pressure impacts recruitment firms across Dubai * Why 70% of Louise's jobs went on hold or were canceled last year * The engagement fee strategy that changed client behavior * The pros and cons of a commission-only recruitment business * How to manage performance without micromanaging * Building culture and accountability in a remote team Episode Highlights: 00:00 Intro 02:17 Growing up in Yorkshire and how it shaped Louise's resilience 15:51 The Facebook photos that convinced Louise to move to Dubai 17:25 Becoming top biller in her first quarter in Dubai 22:37 Nationality-based salary bands and what they mean for recruiters 27:06 Why 70% of jobs went on hold and how the engagement fee changed things 37:43 The commission-only model: 60-80% payouts, fully remote, no base salary 44:07 The hidden cost of commission-only, most owners don't see coming 46:18 How Louise manages performance without micromanaging 56:30 Why finding the right person for a commission-only model is harder than it sounds 1:03:07 How Louise builds team culture with everyone working from home About Louise Vine Louise Vine is the founder of Inspire Selection, a specialist finance and accounting recruitment agency based in Dubai. She moved to Dubai from England 18 years ago and launched Inspire Selection 13 years ago. Today she leads a team of nine billers and three support staff, all working remotely on a commission-only model. Connect with Louise: Louise on LinkedIn, inspireselection.com Podcast Partners Recruiterflow is an AI-first ATS and CRM built for modern recruitment firms. Find email addresses and phone numbers directly from LinkedIn profiles and manage your entire recruitment workflow in one platform. Book a demo: recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow Free Resources: Take the Recruitment Freedom Scorecard: recruitmentcoach.com/scorecard Book a free Strategy Session with Mark: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Connect with Mark Whitby LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter for weekly interviews with recruitment business owners and search firm leaders.

How to 10X Your Recruiting Productivity with AI, with Rich Rosen

Rich Rosen is having a strong year. But he's quick to point out that it hasn't come easily. In his words, he's working twice as hard for those results. Rich has completed more than 1,200 placements, been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Top 50 Recruiters for seven consecutive years, and continues to bill over $1 million annually. He also spends more time testing recruiting technology than almost anyone in the industry. Yet despite all the AI tools available today, Rich still spends four to six hours a day speaking with clients and candidates. His concern is that many recruiters are approaching AI the wrong way. Either they use it as a distraction, spending core hours building automations instead of talking to people. Or they save time with AI and then fail to reinvest that time into the activities that actually generate revenue. Rich's view is simple: AI should help recruiters become more productive. The real question is what you do with the time it gives back. In this conversation, Rich shares how he runs his desk in 2025, what's in his tech stack, why disciplined phone time still matters, and what he's learned from producing results in a market he describes as genuinely tough. In this episode: * Why are many recruiters getting distracted by AI rather than becoming more productive because of it * The one question every recruiter should ask after saving time with automation * Rich's current tech stack: Pin.com, Ren Systems, Cluely, Gemini Deep Research, and more * How he plans his day the night before, so he's calling from minute one * Why does he fire bad clients even in a difficult market and what happens when he does * How to identify the clients worth keeping and the ones worth walking away from * What the Pinnacle Society conference revealed about where the market really is right now Episode highlights:  * [10:03] Why perseverance was the dominant theme at Pinnacle Miami * [11:46] Rich's take on AI hype and what companies are actually doing with it * [17:57] Why recruiters burn out from underappreciation, not hard work * [21:29] How to identify the clients worth keeping and the ones worth walking away from * [32:44] The mistake recruiters make after saving time with AI [35:18] His current tech stack and the tools generating the most value * [46:38] How AI has changed the workflow of a million-dollar desk [54:17] Why he still spends four to six hours a day on the phone [59:57] Is AI making recruiters more productive or just creating new distractions? About Rich Rosen: Rich Rosen is the founder of Cornerstone Search Group and one of the most accomplished recruiters in the technology sector. Over the course of his career, he has completed more than 1,200 placements and been recognized by Forbes as one of America's Top 50 Recruiters for seven consecutive years. Rich specializes in software sales, sales leadership, sales engineering, and executive-level searches for technology companies ranging from startups to enterprise organizations. He is also a longtime member of the Pinnacle Society, the premier consortium of top-performing recruiters in North America. Connect with Rich: Rich Rosen on LinkedIn Cornerstone Search Group Connect with Mark: Free 30-minute strategy call: www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/ [http://www.recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session/] Mark on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

How to Win New Clients with Personalised Video, with Sam Johnstone

Sam Johnstone has never worked for a recruitment agency. He spent three and a half years selling video technology to agency owners. Then he decided to go and do it himself. Four years in, he has a portfolio of repeat clients and inbound leads from LinkedIn. All built from a cabin on the Scottish coast with a few thousand pounds in the bank. Sam is the founder of Real Recruit, a specialist sales recruitment firm based in Glasgow. He built his entire business around video - using it to prospect for new clients, market roles, screen candidates, and deliver shortlists. It's his single biggest differentiator for winning clients over every other agency they're talking to. In this episode, Sam breaks down his complete video process from first outreach to final shortlist. He explains how a 30-second personalised video and a five-minute callback rule consistently gets prospects to take his call. He explains how filming video job adverts inside client offices builds relationships that standard agencies can't match. And he shares the hiring day model that compresses weeks of interviews into a single afternoon. Sam also covers the harder lessons. A hiring day that cost him money. A client who took 180 days to pay. The payment term changes he made after that. And the monthly recurring revenue model he built to create more predictable income. In this episode you'll discover: * The 30-second video formula that gets cold prospects to pick up the phone * Why Sam sends personalised videos to multiple decision makers at the same company on the same day * How filming a video job advert on-site at a client's office wins repeat business * The hiring day model and how to run one * Why a client who haggles on your deposit is a red flag * How Sam rebuilt his payment terms after a client took 180 days to pay * How Clay, SourceWhale, and Claude Cowork replaced LinkedIn Recruiter in his tech stack Episode highlights: [1:18] What a video-first recruitment agency actually means [15:15] The BD routine: personalized videos, watch notifications, calling within five minutes [17:54] The 30-second video formula [22:29] How a Rangers fan story turned into Sam's first big retainer [25:16] Why Sam works on deposit - and what clients receive in return [32:42] The hiring day model explained [43:55] The hiring day that cost Sam money and what he learned [49:32] Getting paid 180 days late - and the changes that followed [1:08:16] Clay, SourceWhale, and Claude Cowork replacing LinkedIn Recruiter If your outreach isn't getting responses, this episode will give you a completely different approach to winning clients. Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: Sam Johnstone Website: realrecruit.co.uk Connect with Mark: Free strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Mark on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

How to Choose the Right Recruitment Tech and Avoid Wasting Money on Tools, with Nitin Sharma

Recruitment business owners are being pitched new tools every single day. Most of it gets bought based on fear of missing out, not because there is a real problem that needs solving. Nitin Sharma is the founder of Rectools IO, an independent directory of recruitment technology, and the host of Rectalk, the most followed recruitment podcast on YouTube with over 100,000 subscribers. He speaks to more recruitment technology companies than almost anyone in the industry while staying completely independent. Before all of that, Nitin built a recruitment agency to 15 people and close to 5 million pounds in revenue. Then it failed. Sitting with an insolvency practitioner, being asked why he did not know the answers to basic questions about his own business, was the moment that shaped everything he does now. In this episode, Nitin shares why most recruitment businesses are buying technology in the wrong order, how to work out what you actually need, and the one question every business owner should ask before spending anything on new tools. You will hear why your business finances almost always mirror your personal finances, the three conversations to have before buying any new tool, how to audit what you already own before spending anything new, and why a CRM with strong back office functionality is the one thing every recruitment business genuinely needs, regardless of size or model. Nitin also breaks down where AI will genuinely replace recruitment work first, how to spot a GPT in a wrapper before you buy it, and why legacy recruitment software is under more threat than most people realize. Episode highlights: 2:19 Building to close to 5 million pounds in revenue and the collapse in December 2023 6:17 The real reasons the agency failed 15:56 Why business finances mirror personal finances 25:47 How Rectools IO and Rectalk became the industry's biggest YouTube channel 31:13 What recruitment business owners should be doing on LinkedIn 46:47 Why legacy recruitment software is under threat 48:10 The recruitment work AI will automate first 49:06 How to spot a GPT in a wrapper 50:53 The one question to ask before buying any recruitment tool 53:38 How to check what you already have before spending anything new 59:48 Why a CRM is the one non-negotiable Connect with Nitin: LinkedIn: Nitin Sharma Website: rectools.io YouTube: Rectalk Podcast Connect with Mark: Free strategy call: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Seven Figure Freedom Scorecard: recruitmentcoach.com/scorecard Mark on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mwhitby Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

How to Build a £25M Recruitment Firm Without Chasing Headcount, with Michelle Lownie

Adding more people is how you grow a recruitment firm. Michelle Lownie spent years believing it. Then she watched it go wrong. Michelle is the CEO and co-founder of Eden Scott, one of Scotland's leading recruitment firms. She started in recruitment in 1989, filing documents and making tea at Melville Craig on a six-week summer contract. She stayed 15 years. In 2003, she co-founded Eden Scott alongside Guy Martin and Chris Logue. Today, Eden Scott generates approximately £25 million in annual revenue with 38 consultants across Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow. At its peak, the business had nearly 70 people. In this episode, Michelle talks through what it took to rebuild around a smaller, higher-performing team - and how that decision changed everything about how the business runs today. She covers the hiring process Eden Scott uses to find recruiters who don't need managing, why they've stayed on the 360 model for 23 years while everyone else splits desks, and what keeps recruiters at Eden Scott for years in an industry known for high turnover. She also shares what the last 18 months have looked like on the ground in Scotland - and why relationship-led recruitment still matters more than ever. In this episode, you'll learn: * How Eden Scott rebuilt from 70 people down to 38 - and what changed * How COVID became an opportunity to rebuild around the right people * The hiring process - including why interviewers never discuss candidates between stages * What Michelle is actually looking for when she makes a hiring decision * How their commission and retention structure works, including sabbaticals at 5, 10, and 15 years * How the 360 full-desk model still produces a £25 million business * What consistent business development actually looks like in practice Episode highlights: [13:39] How COVID forced a complete rethink of the business [17:51] Why Michelle has no interest in scaling back to 70 people [26:29] Why Eden Scott has stayed on the 360 model while others split desks [35:30] The hiring process - and why interviewers don't discuss candidates between stages [45:11] The retention strategies that keep consultants at Eden Scott for years [52:18] Why good recruiters don't need to be pushed This episode is sponsored by Recruiterflow - an AI-first ATS and CRM built for recruiters who want to spend less time on admin and more time on relationships. See it in action at recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow. About Michelle Lownie: Michelle Lownie is the CEO and co-founder of Eden Scott, one of Scotland's leading recruitment firms with annual revenue of approximately £25 million. She began her career in 1989 at Melville Craig and co-founded Eden Scott in 2003 alongside Guy Martin and Chris Logue. The firm operates across Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow with 38 consultants. Connect with Michelle: LinkedIn: Michelle Lownie Website: edenscott.com Connect with Mark: Free 30-minute strategy session: recruitmentcoach.com/strategy-session Mark on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markwhitby Follow on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach