1% Better Recruitment Podcast4 Nov 2025

EP 65 – The Death Of Sh*t-House Recruitment w/ Sheldon Clottey

What if the real problem in recruitment today isn’t the market… but how people are working?

In this episode, I’m joined by Sheldon Clottey — Founder of Charles & Charles Recruitment, who’s built a global business spanning London, Dubai, and the US construction market.

We dig into what “real recruitment” looks like in 2025 — from data-driven BD and candidate marketing, to exclusivity, client control, and why most recruiters have forgotten the basics. Sheldon shares how he built his US desk from scratch, the blueprint for setting up new markets, and how to balance automation, AI, and actual skill.

This is an honest, unfiltered, and practical conversation about standards, mindset, and the future of recruitment — and why the best recruiters will always stand out, no matter how advanced the tools become.

We explore:
✅ How to build a US recruitment desk from scratch
✅ Why data and email marketing still win
✅ The difference between UK & US recruitment mindsets
✅ The power of saying no to bad clients
✅ How to protect your time and control the process
✅ Why PSLs are often a trap, not a trophy
✅ AI, automation & the new skills recruiters need
✅ Why phone-based recruiters will always have the edge

If you’re tired of lazy recruitment, want to rebuild your process, and believe in raising the bar — this episode is for you.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & Sheldon’s backstory
06:00 – How recruitment has changed since 2012
14:00 – UK vs US recruitment mindsets
22:00 – Setting up a US desk from scratch
26:00 – Data, targeting & marketing properly
37:00 – Why recruiters fail with eShots
44:00 – The rise of lazy recruitment
50:00 – Interview slots & client control
56:00 – PSLs & saying no
59:00 – AI, automation & real recruitment
01:08:00 – Sheldon’s 1% Better tip

🔗 Connect with Sheldon Clottey
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheldon-clottey-723b6555/⁠

🔗 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

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