Talent Titans – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode 51 - Dave Hartin, Success Isn’t About Clocking Hours

People often show up every day and expect results from simply doing that. But if you own your own business or make your money off of commission, you’re going to need to do more than just punch the clock and occupy the space. Learning what to do to be the most effective in the least amount of time is what brings success, not just showing up.

Key Moments:

• How Dave came to a place where they decided to start Aixal Consulting Ltd

• One of the biggest challenges Dave and his team faced launching Aixal 

• Why Dave feels like you are more secure in a smaller company versus with one of the large corporations

• Why Dave and Aixal don’t advertise and what they focus on instead

• The difference between hours worked and hard work and how to focus on the latter

• Some of the common mistakes Dave sees other staffing companies make

Favorite Quote: 

“Understand what’s important, what’s urgent, and what isn’t.“

• Dave

Connect with Dave:

Dave is a leader who has dedicated his career to the art of talent acquisition and executive search. As the President of Aixal Consulting Ltd, he brings a wealth of experience and a reputation for excellence in identifying and placing top-tier talent across diverse industries and sectors.

With a deep-rooted passion for helping organizations find the perfect fit for their leadership teams, Dave has consistently demonstrated an innate ability to match exceptional individuals with companies seeking to drive growth and innovation. His strategic insights and unwavering commitment to client satisfaction have positioned Aixal as a trusted partner for organizations striving to build high-performing leadership teams.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Dave is an advocate for community involvement and philanthropy. He has been heavily involved in minor sports, running local sports organizations and coaching at all levels.  He is involved in various charitable organizations and believes in giving back to the community as a means of creating a better future for all.

With a commitment to excellence, a dedication to fostering diverse leadership, and a deep-seated passion for the executive search industry, Dave continues to lead Aixal to new heights, helping clients secure the key talent they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 50 - Mark Tower, Obtaining US Relevancy From Canada

Many times we look at borders as impassable brick walls, especially the border between the United States and Canada. Changing your perspective is the first step to expanding your business into the US, which is probably not nearly as hard as you may anticipate.

Key Moments:

• How Mark got started working in the US without ever leaving Canada

• Why Mark feels that there is plenty for room for expansion in the US staffing industry for companies based in Canada

• Why living close to an airport in Canada can make more of a difference than actually living in the US

• Why Mark feels that working internationally with the US should go both ways

• Mark’s tips for gaining legitimacy in the US staffing market

• How the US and Canadian Staffing Industries differ the most

• Why you should try to first determine someone’s objection before just trying to lower the price

Favorite Quote: 

“I think we are now beyond borders.“

• Mark Tower

Connect with Mark:

Phone: 905.515 9986

Email:  TheTowers44@gmail.com

Mark Tower is the Chief Operating Officer at Joblio, where he leads strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and drive growth. With over 25 years of experience in the staffing and recruitment industry, Mark has a proven track record of optimizing processes and developing innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of clients and candidates alike.

Before joining Joblio, Mark held various leadership roles in prominent staffing firms, where he successfully implemented scalable systems and improved service delivery. His expertise lies in operations management, project execution, and team leadership, ensuring that Joblio remains at the forefront of the employment sector.

Mark holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is passionate about leveraging technology to transform the recruitment landscape. Mark enjoys mentoring young professionals and exploring the latest trends in workforce management.

Outside of work, Mark enjoys travel, family, faith and all competitive sports.   

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 41 - Moe Nazariha, Solving Problems in Staffing

Some people are pessimistic and spend a good portion of their time looking for problems. A small selection of people are optimistic and also spend a good portion of their time looking for problems, only they often refer to and view them as opportunities for ways to grow and further serve a need. Moe Nazariha is most certainly the latter.

Key Moments:

• Some of the things that Moe seems as problems worth fixing in the staffing industry

• Why it’s so important to have a solid foundation and process if you expect to see growth

• How Suky’s Staffing Summit and Podcast have inspired Moe to work on their own presence

• Why it’s so important to get on a better cycle of repeat business so you aren’t continually having to sell yourself just to stay alive

• How Moe and OpenShortlist.com are helping streamline the process for Indie Recruiters

• How Moe plans to further serve the needs of recruiters moving forward into the future

Favorite Quote:
“In the case of a recruiter, you have two customers, there’s the company that’s hiring, and the candidate. So you have to treat them both as customers, and you want that experience to be consistent.“

• Moe Nazariha

Connect with Moe:

As the founder of OpenShortlist.com, Moe Nazariha has carved out a unique niche in the recruitment industry, particularly focusing on independent and boutique recruitment agencies. Moe's journey into entrepreneurship is built upon his experience and curiosity in the intersection of humans and technology.

Moe's vision for OpenShortlist emerged from a keen observation of the challenges faced by independent recruiters. Challenges that are often overlooked by larger firms and traditional recruitment platforms. Recognizing this potential, Moe founded the OpenShortlist platform - dedicated to the "Indie Recruiters" - to empower these professionals by providing them with the tools and resources necessary to thrive in the competitive recruitment landscape.

In addition to building and running a software company, Moe has recently launched - OpenShortlist Radio, not to be just another podcast, but a vibrant community hub, and the collective voice for forward-thinking indie recruiters. Through this channel, he aims to influence the recruitment industry, advocating for changes that not only improve how small recruitment businesses operate but also how they are perceived in the broader business community.

If you're curious to learn more about his platform or the community, you can reach out to him directly on Linkedin Moe Nazariha 

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 40 - Saye Sathiyakumar, Thrive to Serve: Cultivating Growth for Giving

Everyone would love to change the world or at the very least their community. The reality is that money can help as a catalyst for the change you wish you could see. So why not put in some extra hustle in your everyday life to grow big so you can afford to give big?

Key Moments:

• How and why Saye got into the staffing industry right out of college

• Why Saye feels so connected to the neighborhood that he grew up in to the point that he still mostly employs people that grew up like he did

• The events that led to Saye becoming an investor and owner of a local restaurant he had gone to all his life

• How and why Saye has gotten involved in providing support for the elementary school he went to as a child

• The method Saye uses to help determine who and how he will offer support to those in need

• Why Saye has chosen to keep his business in Scarborough vs. moving into the Downtown Toronto area

Favorite Quote:
“You can either change the world, and it might take you decades to do… Or you can change your community in one lifespan.“

• Saye Sathiyakumar

Connect with Saye:

Saye is an elite executive within the recruitment industry, with 10+ years of high-level sales, strategy, operations, and management experience. Saye’s main focus is with Power Group, gunning to be the largest Healthcare & Technology staffing agency in Canada. He is also a shareholder in multiple businesses within Canada & U.S. Saye most recently acquired Stay Home Forever Inc. in Feb 2023, following another acquisition of Hourglass HR Inc. In March 2023, in which he served as President for both companies. Saye is a minority-based owner, who is very passionate about business and solving challenges.

Alongside his entrepreneurial ventures, he is a big advocate of giving back and specifically in regards to mental health awareness. Saye has been dedicating the last 2-3 years to gentrify and improve the lifestyle in his hometown of Scarborough, Ontario. Working alongside education institutions, community groups, and less fortunate neighborhoods to provide a platform for the beautiful culture, people, and talent of Scarborough to flourish in this corner of East Toronto.

LinkedIn

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 39 - Paul Ratcliffe Part 2, Leading By Example

Often managers elevate themselves to that level so they won’t actually have to dig in and do the job, but is that really the best strategy? Is that a good way to lead? Or would you be much better off getting into the trenches when necessary next to those you are leading? How could you expect someone else to do the things you yourself are not willing and/or able to do?

Key Moments:

• The role emotional intelligence plays and why it’s so important to an organization

• Some of the questions that you should probably be asking yourself to get your mindset in the right place

• Some of the steps you can take to learn to get over the fear of cold calling

• Why you need to be willing and able to do the job itself if you plan to lead and manage others

• Why being vulnerable as a leader is so key and how it affects those around you

• How being flexible and open minded can serve you not only in the staffing industries but in pretty much any part of your life

Favorite Quote: 

“I would never ask somebody to do something that I either have not done or would not be prepared to do. I think that is Leadership 101.“

• Paul Ratcliffe

Connect with Paul:

Paul Ratcliffe is the Vice President of Brunel and a Career and Executive coach based in Houston Texas specializing in helping people on a global basis to transform their careers and find purpose and passion in their professional lives. 

Paul has a 20+ year in corporate staffing and human resources and moved into career coaching to help people overcome the challenges he personally faced when deciding to change career path.

LinkedIn

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 38 - Paul Ratcliffe, The Business of People 

Really when you break it down, staffing is just the business of people. That’s all there is. There are no otherwise tangible products or services involved. That is why you must have a passion for people and you must genuinely care about the people around you or be left with mediocre results.

Key Moments:

• Why you need to make sure people are capable of growth before asking them for more

• Why getting people on the right training program and making time in the day to do the training to grow is so crucial

• The reasons you really need to get out there and spend time with your team if you are in management

• Why if you’re not delegating properly you could be creating a glass ceiling

• The fear that some people have regarding delegation that prevents them from doing it

• Where Paul’s leadership style comes from and what it all consists of

•  Why structure always seems to help especially with those in leadership roles

Favorite Quote:
“This a people, pure people business. That’s the only thing it can be.“

• Paul Ratcliffe

Connect with Paul:

Paul Ratcliffe is the Vice President of Brunel and a Career and Executive coach based in Houston Texas specializing in helping people on a global basis to transform their careers and find purpose and passion in their professional lives. 

Paul has a 20+ year in corporate staffing and human resources and moved into career coaching to help people overcome the challenges he personally faced when deciding to change career path.

LinkedIn

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 37 - Canadian Staffing Industry Summit Awards

The 2024 Canadian Staffing Industry Summit is happening April 16-17th at the One King West Hotel in Toronto. On April 17th will also be the Canadian Staffing Industry Summit Awards. Listen in as Suky sits in with the board to hear some insights about how the board selects their winners. 

Key Moments:

• What to consider when nominating people for the Canadian Staffing Industry Summit Awards

•  Why noone on the board that chooses the winners are actually in the staffing industry

• The reasons only the board will know the winners prior to the award show. Not even Suky will know!

• How being recognized for your efforts can help attract more and better clients

• Why they have created categories for both large organizations and small to medium size ones

• Who is allowed to nominate people for the Canadian Staffing Industry Summit Awards

Favorite Quote:
“The more companies we know, the more that we can reach to get those types of nominations to elevate some of these people that are just in the background. Men and women that are doing amazing work.“

• Michael Coffill

Connect with the Canadian Staffing Industry Summit Awards:

The Canadian Staffing Industry Summit is exclusively for staffing industry professionals and features International guest speakers. The Summit is headed up by Suky Sodhi, an award-winning staffing industry coach and trainer with over 40K LinkedIn followers and connections and a database of over 40K staffing industry professionals.

The summit is aimed to elevate the Canadian staffing industry on a global scale and will provide boutique agencies with access to expertise and technology which will allow them to scale their business with ease. Attendees will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry peers and service providers on best practices

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 36 - Gary Hayman, Identity Clarity: A Recipe for Retention

In staffing it’s easy to hire the first warm body that comes through the door. It’s even easier if you REALLY need people., but we all know what happens when you hire in haste. Taking the time to define who you are and who you are looking for is the key to lowering your turn over. So get defining!

Key Moments:

• How Gary feels it’s different going into staffing versus being on the other side of the counter

• How Adecco does so much more than just providing temporary staffing and how they can help your company

• Why the blue collar workforce is still continuing to show an increase in demand

• What Gary likes about the variety of industries he gets to work in while working n staffing compared to before when he was just in one industry

• Why taking the time to hire the right people always pays off in over turnover

• Why it’s so important to define yourself as an individual and as a company

• Why Gary is so passionate about communication and why he feels it's so key

• How staffing always ultimately comes down to working with people and why it’s important to remember that

Favorite Quote: 

“If you can define who you are and what it means to work for an organization such as Adecco, that becomes the platform to grow from.“

• Gary Hayman

Connect with Gary:

Gary Hayman is the Senior Director of HR at Adecco Canada. Gary is passionate about building an organization that attracts and retains the best talent through which he can bring focus to developing a culture that enables the achievement of strategic business plans and supports colleagues in achieving their career best. 

Gary brings over 25 years of management and executive human resource experience, connecting people with purpose within organizations. As a mentor and coach, Gary engages talent to realize their full potential while driving results.

Linked In

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 35 - Jeremy Schreifels, Your Brand, Your Dime, & Making It Count

Building your brand doesn’t have to mean investing a ton of money. There are a lot of things that you can do right now or sometime in the near future with little to no investment other than your time. 

Key Moments:

• Why you need to think about your personal brand in everything that you do

• Why a good way to judge were your brand is is to simply type your name into Google and see what all comes up

• Some of the reasons Jeremy feels people are naturally afraid to be on camera

• Why “Just Starting” is so important and why you should do that immediately

• How doing one video podcast a month can be repurposed to provide you with a full month’s worth of content

• How you can use AI to help you generate content from your podcast episodes

• Why consistency is so crucial if you plan to launch your own podcast

Favorite Quote: 

“You can get anywhere from probably 35-40 pieces of content out of one podcast video episode… So it’s like a month’s worth of content.“

• Jeremy Schreifels

Connect with Jeremy:

Jeremy Schreifels is a multi-talented individual who has made a significant impact in the realms of audio production, writing, voice activation, and executive coaching. Jeremy shines as an Executive Producer, Author, Keynote Speaker, Podcast Host, Executive Coach, and world-class Touring Drummer. 

With a relentless commitment to integrity, a burning passion for his craft, and an unwavering dedication to creativity, Jeremy has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in his diverse fields of expertise. Most recently Jeremy has founded Box 7 Media, through which he is helping entrepreneurs get their voices heard.

JeremySchreifels.com

Box7Media.com

Rhythm of The Road Podcast

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com     

Episode 34- Chris Horak & Louisa Benedicto, Clearing The Path & Removing Barriers to Making More Placements

 At the end of the day, the goal is always getting the best people for the job into the right seats. Today’s podcast offers tips and insight from some of the foremost experts currently in the industry in Canada into how you can successfully make more placements. 

Key Moments:

• Learn what drove Louisa to get into staffing and where her burning passion lies

• What was the #1 Driver causing Chris to look more closely into women’s issues

• Why it seems to help get people onboard if you speak on why these issues are important

• Why there’s a push towards skill-based hiring vs. hiring people with certain qualifications

• Why you should always go back and adjust the job description and requirements everytime you go to rehire for a position

• How trying to hire a clone of the last successful person who was in the position almost never works

•  Why pay transparency seems to be effective and why it’s spreading fast

• Why money is not always the #1 motivator on whether or not to take a position but it’s usually in the top 3

Favorite Quote: 

“I should do a study on the amount of recruitment industry hours that have been wasted because a candidate wouldn’t take a job because of what it was paying, and only found out at the last stage.“

• Louisa Benedicto

Connect with Chris:

Chris Horak’s greatest ideas come from his love of cooking, chess, philosophy, economics, video games, hip-hop, novels of all kinds, and an endless stream of podcasts.

The passion Chris possesses for his ideas raises the spirits and sights of those he works with and inspires them to do more than they thought possible.

With Women@Indeed, Chris has helped raise awareness and donations for several charitable organizations focused on helping women. His teams have helped ~75k people get a job in Canada last year through their work with direct employees and staffing agencies. 

CHorak@Indeed.com

LinkedIn

Connect with Louisa:

Louisa Benedicto is the Senior Vice President and head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability for Hays which is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide. 

They operate across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. With 10,000 staff operating from 250 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms, last year Hays placed around 70,000 candidates into permanent jobs, and around 240,000 people into temporary assignments. 

Louisa.Benedicto@Hays.com

LinkedIn

Connect with Suky:

I’m Suky an adrenaline junkie who celebrates every single win. I believe we must celebrate and collect all our wins along the way as it fuels forward momentum to ensure we exceed our goals. When we fuel forward momentum, complacency simply can not settle in.

With over 25 years of experience working in the staffing industry, 16 of those working with global recruitment companies, I bring the knowledge and experience of working in 18 countries and successfully navigating through numerous “recession” cycles.

Companies often get so focused on the bottom line that they forget that we are in the “people business”. For me, the magic happens when my clients recognize the best way to create a truly sustainable high-performance sales culture is to align both.

LinkedIn

Canadian Staffing Industry Summit

www.eliteglobalrecruiters.com 

www.professionalselection.com