💵 Higher fees, less competition, a shorter timescale for getting paid...
... so it's no wonder recruitment agencies are eager to expand into the US & Canada.
But it's not as simple as just starting to take job reqs and cracking on with making placements.
That's why we hosted "Scaling Across the Atlantic: Growing Your Recruitment Agency in North America" yesterday in London, to provide the guidance Founders need to expand into these markets.
We'll have a full recording of the sessions available shortly (drop a comment if you'd like to get the recording), but a few of the key learnings I would highlight include:
☑️ The US market has fewer recruitment agencies than the UK, even though it's several times bigger. Firms report that the intensity of competition there is noticeably lower than in the UK as a result.
☑️ Each state in the US and province in Canada should be treated as if it's a different country. They each have their own labour laws, licensing requirements and compliance boxes to tick. So start out by choosing just one or two you'll focus your efforts on.
☑️ There are several states and several sectors where UK recruitment firms have had a particularly strong track record in getting successfully established. So choose your starting location carefully - and be wary of picking somewhere just because "you've always wanted to have an office there!"
☑️ Compliance is the biggest thing to make sure you are on top of. The liability you could expose yourself to - and the headaches that can be created if you get this wrong - are scary. But often, UK firms don't give this the attention it deserves when first starting out.
☑️ Don't underestimate the impact that having "boots on the ground" can have, as opposed to trying to build the whole business remotely from the UK. But also be alert to the significantly higher packages that recruiters earn there, when you're doing your financial planning for your launch.
There's so much more I could add, what did I miss?
- if you were there, what are 1 or 2 key learnings you took from the day?
- if you missed it, what questions do you have that are holding you back from taking the plunge and expanding into North America?
Looking forward to some good discussion in the comments 👇👇
*******
This event wouldn't have been nearly as rich without the insights shared by all our panelists and speakers, so a big THANK YOU to all of you for making the time to share your experiences.
The great lineup was thanks to Francis Larson of Ascen and Suky Sodhi of Professional Selection Inc. A great collaboration with the team from Social-Hire.com, it's been a pleasure working with you on this - and, on behalf of all the attendees, thanks for all the effort you put into making this happen
👏👏👏
#Recruitment #RecruitmentAgency #BusinessGrowth