Why Great Recruiters Ask Better Questions with Brendan Smith

What separates a good recruiter from a great one? Brendan Smith believes it starts with asking better questions, genuinely caring about people and building trust long before there's a placement to be made. Brendan is the Managing Partner and Director of Operations at Southern Staffing Group. Over 11 years in recruitment, he's worked with Microsoft and Amazon, developed recruitment systems at scale and learned a great deal about what makes teams and people successful. I really enjoyed this conversation because it went well beyond recruitment. We talked about mentorship, career changes, the importance of looking after yourself and why the experiences that seem unrelated today can end up shaping your entire career. Brendan shared something a mentor once told him: "The thing will lead you to the thing." That really resonated with me. I certainly didn't imagine when I was studying law that I'd eventually be running outsourcing businesses in Fiji and the Philippines. In this episode, we explore: ~Building recruitment systems that free people to focus on relationships ~Why asking better questions changes recruitment outcomes ~Understanding what really motivates candidates ~Mentorship and developing the right mindset ~Why a rejection isn't necessarily the end of a business relationship ~Following up with genuine value, rather than just chasing a sale ~Meditation, daily habits and avoiding burnout ~Career changes and the unexpected opportunities they create ~What it means to develop other people into leaders I also share a personal story about attending a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat in my early twenties and the impact it's had on me. Brendan is one of those people whose enthusiasm for helping others really comes through. There's a lot to learn from his approach, whether you're in recruitment, running a business or simply figuring out what's next. Connect with Brendan:   / brendan--smith   Southern Staffing Group: https://southernstaffinggroup.com Connect with Rahul:   / rahul-bedi-b3012b4b   Subscribe to The Placement Edge for more conversations with people building businesses, developing teams and finding better ways to work.