From BD to Brand Development: How to Build a Sustainable Recruitment Business, with Jessica Hamilton, Ep #240

The Resilient Recruiter

Few people have established the credibility and connections that Jessica Hamilton has when it comes to recruiting in the financial crime space. Jess is the go-to recruiter in London for financial crime roles, with over a decade of experience partnering with clients to build out their teams.

In our conversation, Jess shares the fascinating story of how a discussion in a pub first got her interested in specializing in financial crime recruitment. She went on to launch and build highly successful teams, first at Robert Walters, then Investigo where she led the top-performing financial services recruitment team globally. Recently, Jess took her career to the next level by launching her own firm, FincSelect, with business partner Ian Christie. Jess reveals the keys to her success, including focusing on being a trusted advisor, not just a transactional recruiter. Her "soft sell" marketing approach, sharing valuable insights and building real relationships, has made her the recruiter of choice in her market.

Episode Outline and Highlights

• [02:24] How Jess got into recruiting marketing roles to Financial Crime.

• [07:16] Key factors in building the biggest billing desk in Investigo.

• [12:58] Discussion of Jess’s power phrases: “The placement is the prize, not the program” & “The art of the soft sell”

• [16:15] Becoming a credible thought leader through LinkedIn.

• [24:36] How panels and other platforms can help establish your expertise in your niche community.

• [32:09] Video phone calls and LinkedIn messaging to get a “larger surface of luck.”

• [40:28] Doing BD daily - Jess shares their best practice.

• [43:45] How to drive and use referrals from clients and candidates as a primary metric.

• [53:25] Navigating work-life integration by prioritizing and being task-focused.

Nuggets of Wisdom from Jess

Jess shared insightful perspectives on her recruitment cadence and approach in our conversation. Below are the power phrases she shared that I am sure will resonate well to recruiters and business owners, both new and tenured:

• "The placement is the prize, not the program"

Jessica stresses the importance of focusing on long-term outcomes rather than immediate successes. In her experience, success in recruitment comes from investing time and effort into understanding the market deeply, building expertise, and creating value for clients beyond merely filling roles.

• "The art of the soft sell":

Jessica highlights the effectiveness of positioning oneself as a knowledgeable consultant rather than a traditional recruiter. She builds trust and credibility by demonstrating expertise, being genuinely curious, and consistently engaging with the market (e.g., hosting events, having insightful conversations, and creating content on LinkedIn). This approach fosters a natural demand for her services, emphasizing the value of being seen as an advisor who shapes team structures and strategies.

Using Referral as a Metric to Drive Growth

Another interesting approach shared by Jess is how they use referrals as a primary metric. She has created a sustainable practice by prioritizing the quality of relationships that generate ongoing referrals.

Some key strategies she shared for building a referral-based business are outlined below:

• Tracking all referral sources meticulously in your CRM

• Using brief, personal outreach messages focused on relationship-building

• Leveraging WhatsApp (desktop) for efficient communication management

• Building strategic partnerships with complementary businesses

• Always asking for referrals in every conversation

• Treating candidates and clients with equal importance

• Focus on authentic relationships over formal referral schemes

"How can you decide if you're the best if no one's referring you?" This mindset has enabled Jessica to build a business where quality relationships drive consistent growth rather than relying solely on direct business development efforts.

Brand Development as the new “BD” in Recruitment

One of the most important takeaways from Jessica's approach is how she redefines BD—not as "business development," but as "brand development." Instead of relying solely on the usual cold calls and sales tactics, Jessica has carved out a thriving niche by positioning herself as a thought leader in financial crime recruitment. Her strategy shows that by consistently building your personal and professional brand, you can create a steady flow of inbound opportunities.

Some strategies she implements are as follows:

• Posting consistently on LinkedIn (3x weekly) between 10 am-4 pm Tuesday-Friday

• Sponsoring strategic industry events as the sole recruitment partner

• Building credibility through association with industry leaders (ex. International Compliance Association)

Jessica Hamilton Bio and Contact Info

Jessica is pretty much synonymous with financial crime recruitment in London. She is the most well-known recruiter in her space and is seen as a thought leader and industry expert.

She has featured in a book of financial crime compliance experts "Financial Crime Fighter - Book of Mentors", alongside many global heads of banks and industry. She speaks on industry panels and is the recruitment expert on the new ICA course for new MLROs.

Jess has been recruiting for just over 10 years and created her first financial crime desk from scratch initially at Robert Walters in London, after meeting a girl in a pub who did financial crime (Jess thought the role sounded interesting)

Jess then went onto replicate this at another global recruitment agency, based in London (Investigo) where within 2 years, she had built it to the top billing desk in financial services, globally.

It was at Investigo she met her business partner, Ian Christie.

After the birth of her first son, Ian approached Jess to start out on there own, and after returning from maternity leave the founded FincSelect in 2022.

• Jessica on LinkedIn

• FincSelect website

People and Resources Mentioned

• Ian Christie on LinkedIn

Connect with Mark Whitby

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• Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby

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• Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach

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