Show notes
Why did David Windley disrupt the recruiting industry by moving from commissions to an hourly model? In this interview, he reveals how he scaled his firm to $50 million in revenue before selling it. He explains why the traditional 33% commission model is broken for clients and how he implemented a professional services approach instead. David unpacks the terrifying reality of a 75% revenue drop during COVID and how furloughing staff saved the company. He also shares why he spun out a software startup (Hoot Recruit) to build AI agents for sourcing, the truth about whether AI will replace human recruiters, and his #1 rule for leadership: character over competence.Check out the company: https://iqrecruit.com----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------đ NETWORK BEFORE YOU NEED IT (6 LESSONS THAT MADE SEAN $15M)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ⶠGet my eBook free - https://welivetobuild.com/network-----------------------------------đ WORK WITH ME-----------------------------------ⶠBuy 300 Lessons From 300 Founders: https://welivetobuild.com/300-lessons-ebookⶠBook a Paid Advisory Session: https://welivetobuild.com/book-a-callⶠStartup Fundraising: https://welivetobuild.com/fundraisingⶠSponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/sponsorship---------------------------------------------đ CONNECT WITH SEAN---------------------------------------------ⶠLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotⶠInquiries: [email protected]đ CHAPTERS---------------------------00:00 - The $50M Exit & The Hardest Part 00:41 - Surviving a 75% Revenue Drop During COVID 03:11 - Rebuilding to $50M Revenue Post-Pandemic 05:54 - Why I Sold the Business (The "Accidental Entrepreneur") 06:06 - Hourly vs. Commission: Disrupting the Recruiting Model 09:35 - Why the Industry Hates the Hourly Model 12:42 - How to Generate $50M on Hourly Rates 14:00 - Spinning Out "Hoot Recruit" Software 16:35 - Using AI Agents for Candidate Sourcing 19:26 - Will AI Replace Recruiters? (Human in the Loop) 25:30 - AI Bias and Why Humans Are Still Needed 27:26 - The #1 Leadership Rule: Character vs. Competence 29:08 - Why Culture Matters More Than PoliciesLeave a Review (it truly helps us grow): https://welivetobuild.com/review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.