Build systems, not burnout!

Here’s how it usually goes.

Jobs come in, everyone’s flat out, and new business gets pushed aside.

Then things slow down. The roles dry up. And suddenly it’s full panic mode - scrambling to rebuild a pipeline that was never really nurtured.

Sound familiar?

We want to help you break that cycle.

We will cover…

🧠 Tools worth trying
👀 Trends worth knowing
💬 Advice from people who’ve done the hard bits already

Let’s jump in!

📲 iOS 26 and Cold Calls: What You Need to Know

Apple’s new update means your iPhone might now screen calls before it even rings.

It picks up unknown numbers, checks if it’s spam, and only lets it through if it passes the test.

So if cold calling is still your go-to, just know it’s getting even harder to break through. Most people already don’t answer numbers they don’t recognise, and now there’s software doing it for them.

For a quick breakdown, we’ve put it all here:
👉 What you need to know about Apple’s new updates

⏰ Only have a few seconds - Here’s what’s in store…

🛁 You need to take more showers

🤫 The unspoken truth behind starting a business

⚙️ Systems, VAs and when to hire your first consultant

🛁 Belinda Kerr on sustainable systems, showers, and smarter ways to build your agency!

This month, we sat down with Belinda Kerr, founder of Recruitment Garage, and someone who’s been helping recruiters grow smarter (and saner) for years.

She reminded us of something simple but easy to forget:

🔗This is our favourite video from the recruitment garage - https://recruitmentgarage.com/the-freedom-framework-replay/

🔎 Top Trends - What are recruiters googling in 2025

1. AI-Driven Recruitment
Agencies are using AI to speed up screening, automate outreach, and improve candidate matching.
64% of leaders say AI is saving serious time. LinkedIn’s AI cuts time-to-hire by 30%.

3. Data-Driven Decisions
From ad performance to predictive analytics, data is shaping how recruiters attract and assess talent.
Optimised job ads = more qualified candidates.

8. Automation & Integration
Manual admin is out. Agencies are streamlining everything from compliance to comms with integrated tools.
Less copy-paste, more closing deals.

10. Planning for Gen Z
This generation expects flexibility, purpose, and a modern tech stack.
Workforce planning isn’t optional - it’s your competitive edge.

🪩 Shiny Tools: What’s New and Worth a Look

🧬 DiversiHire
This tool scans your job ads for biased or exclusive language before they go live. It's already helped agencies double the number of diverse applicants they’re seeing. Based out of London, and just picked up $5M in funding.

📞 CallBlitz
If you still believe in picking up the phone, this one’s for you. CallBlitz listens in (with permission) and spots moments in the call that matter, then helps you plan the next step.

🫵 What ATS to use in 2025?

We reviewed the top 10 ATS’ for recruitment agencies in 2025.

Click on the meme below 👇

Have your say 👇

😤 Recruitment Rant

Is LinkedIn Working Like It Used To?

Is your feed feeling a bit repetitive lately? You're not imagining it.

A lot of recruiters are saying the same thing.

Posts from weeks ago keep popping up, and it’s often the same 10 or 15 people in rotation. LinkedIn’s recent algorithm changes mean you’re more likely to see content from your closest connections and from creators who get a lot of longer comments.

Block, delete or spend less time on the feed.

It will help your sanity.

🫀Human First. Tools Second.

When it comes to adopting AI products in your recruitment processes, there are 2 categories you need to consider.

Some products are designed to replace the recruiter; think interview chatbots, CV scanners (for filtering), skills assessments. While other products are designed to enhance the recruiter, think AI notetakers, market analysis tools, admin automation.

The “replace” category has its place, particularly in high volume industries but there are a number of reasons to be cautious in the adoption of these tools.

Here are 3 reasons to prioritise the “enhance” type of tools.

1. Relationship building is a strategic asset. The more businesses adopt AI automation, the more you’ll stand out with a personal approach.

2. Human judgment is contextual. Recruiters can interpret nuance, ask probing questions, and understand soft signals that don’t show up in data and so can’t be picked up by AI tools.

3. Candidates dealing with fully automated or AI-driven processes can feel frustrated or dehumanised by the process, potentially disqualifying some of your best potential hires.

For more thoughts on AI recruitment products in both categories, check out this article in Forbes.

💰Rec-Tech Global Investment Pulse

Check out these rec-tech startups that have just secured funding.

1. Metaview

• Amount Raised: €30.1 million (approx. $32.3 million USD) – Series B

• Summary:
  Metaview, a London-based AI platform, transforms job interviews into actionable hiring intelligence. The company uses AI to analyze hiring conversations, making recruitment more efficient and data-driven. The new funding, led by GV (Google Ventures) with participation from Plural, Vertex Ventures, and others, will help further develop their AI suite for recruiters.

• Link: eu-startups.com

2. Delphi

• Amount Raised: $16 million – Series A

• Summary:
  Delphi, based in San Francisco, builds AI-powered “digital minds” that act as expert conversational agents for recruitment and HR. The funding round, led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Menlo Ventures and others, will be used to scale their team and expand their product, which enables companies and creators to build authenticated AI personas for candidate engagement and screening.

• Link: techstartups.com

3. Jobright

• Amount Raised: $3.2 million – Seed

• Summary:
  Jobright, a Santa Clara-based startup, offers an AI career assistant that finds and submits job applications for users, automating much of the job search process. The round was led by Translink Capital and HR Tech Investments, and will be used to enhance Jobright’s AI engine and scale its infrastructure.2

• Link: techstartups.com

🛟 Floats focus

We’ve just added our new floats creation + dashboard - Want to check it out?

🎬 That’s all, folks

If you’ve made it this far, we want to hear from you.

What would you like us to cover in the next newsletter?

And if there’s someone in your network who might enjoy this, feel free to pass it on. It means a lot.

Until next time 🫡