EP 64 - How To Break Into The US Market + Outsourcing In South Africa w/Elliott Manning

What if you expanded your recruitment business to America before everyone else thought it was cool?

In this episode, I’m joined by Elliott Manning — Founder & Managing Director of Kayman Recruitment, who built one of the UK’s most recognised Rec2Rec firms, expanded into the US before it became the trend, and is now helping agencies scale globally through outsourcing and consultancy.

Elliott lifts the lid on the reality of building in the US without a roadmap — from flying to New York ten times in a year to learn the market, to discovering the cultural differences that make American recruitment so unique. He also shares how he built an outsourcing arm in South Africa that’s helped over 60 agencies scale faster, smarter, and more profitably.

This is a practical and unfiltered conversation about expansion, BD strategy, and how to future-proof your recruitment business by thinking globally, not locally.

We explore:
✅ How to set up in the US (without burning money)
✅ The cultural & commercial differences between US and UK recruitment
✅ Why relationships beat transactions in America
✅ The truth about “full-desk recruiters” in the US
✅ How to interview and hire American talent
✅ Building consistency through relationship nurturing
✅ How to use case studies & name-dropping to win clients
✅ Outsourcing to South Africa — the model, pros & cons
✅ Remote management tips & avoiding micromanagement
✅ The future of recruitment: value, solutions & diversification

If you’ve ever thought about expanding your agency to the US — or want to understand how outsourcing can transform your business — this episode is a must-listen.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & Elliott’s backstory
02:00 – Launching Kayman Recruitment
05:00 – Early US trips & lessons learned
10:00 – Cultural differences between US & UK recruitment
16:00 – The power of relationship nurturing
21:00 – How to stand out in the US market
25:00 – Selling with value & solutions
33:00 – Why traditional recruitment models are changing
39:00 – Building teams & managing remotely
52:00 – Niche vs. geographical specialisation in the US
55:00 – How Elliott built his outsourcing model
58:00 – The truth about South African delivery teams
01:02:00 – Managing remote recruiters effectively
01:07:00 – Lessons on balance, family & flexibility
01:13:00 – Elliott’s 1% Better tip

🔗 Connect with Elliott Manning
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-manning-4b3b6b7/

🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@charleskyriakou
LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712

🎟️ Don’t forget to grab your ticket for the live podcast event in London:
⁠https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1-better-recruitment-live-podcast-how-to-thrive-in-challenging-markets-tickets-1777948464719?aff=oddtdtcreator