EP330: Why Face-to-Face Networking Wins Business - Mike Dias, Senior Talent Partner, Forge Talent

In this episode of The Recruiter’s Recruitment Podcast, Lysha Holmes sits down with Mike Dias, Senior Talent Partner at Forge Talent, to explore an inspiring career journey that spans international rugby, life across three countries, and a successful transition into recruitment.

Mike shares how the skills developed through competitive sport—resilience, teamwork, accountability, feedback, and discipline—became the foundation of his recruitment career. From representing Portugal in international rugby to becoming a key figure in one of the North West’s fastest-growing recruitment businesses, his story highlights the value of looking beyond traditional talent pools when hiring recruiters.

The conversation also tackles the realities of today’s recruitment market. Mike and Lysha discuss why relationship-building remains the ultimate differentiator despite advances in AI and automation, the importance of face-to-face networking, and why the best recruiters still win through trust, credibility, and genuine human connection.

They also dive into:

• How sport develops future recruitment talent
• Building business through networks rather than cold outreach
• The current challenges facing permanent recruitment
• Boutique vs corporate recruitment firms
• Why recruiters must master the basics before chasing the latest trends
• The culture and growth story behind Forge Talent

Who this episode is for:

• Recruitment business owners and leaders
• Recruiters looking to improve business development
• Professionals considering a move into recruitment
• Sportspeople exploring careers beyond professional sport
• Anyone interested in building stronger professional relationships

🔗 Connect with the guest

Mike Dias: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-dias-120a7b9a/

Forge Talent: https://forge-talent.co.uk/

🔗 Connect with the host

Lysha Holmes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyshaholmesr2r/

Qui Recruitment: https://www.quirecruitment.co.uk/

Follow the podcast on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

https://www.youtube.com/@therecruitersrecruitmentpod

https://the-recruiters-recruitment-podcast.captivate.fm/

——————

The Recruiter's Recruitment Podcast is proudly sponsored by Paiger, and partnered with Needi, Keybridge IT Solutions, Bristow & Hardy and Diversity in Recruitment.

Our sponsor:

Paiger - Making Recruiters Smarter and Faster. Paiger helps recruiters build personal brands, identify new business opportunities, attract candidates, and have better conversations.

Find out more about Paiger: https://paiger.co/

Our partners:

Needi is a concierge gift-matching service using psychology and AI, to pinpoint the perfect gifts and experiences for your recipient, from the best local independent businesses. Their team of expert gift finders save companies time and money with their complimentary corporate gifting service.

https://needi.co.uk/

Bristow & Hardy partners with SME recruitment agencies to accelerate growth through sales enablement and recruitment marketing. With over 7 years’ experience, we specialise exclusively in the recruitment sector, delivering strategy, branding, websites, marketing campaigns, and sales support. Our proven growth suite of products helps agencies attract more clients, win more business, and scale efficiently.

https://www.bristowandhardy.co.uk/

Diversity in Recruitment helps recruitment businesses understand diversity, equity, and inclusion in a way that makes sense. Our training and advisory work is designed to attract diverse talent, recruit inclusively, improve your candidate journey and confidently partner with their clients. DE&I doesn’t have to be complicated and scary - it’s simply about fair, ethical and high-quality recruitment.

https://diversityinrecruitment.com/

Keybridge IT Solutions is a London-based Fully Managed IT Support and solutions Provider - Providing 24×7 Support to all Customers. Specialities include Microsoft Cloud, including Office 365, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, Security, Internet Connectivity, VoIP, and much more.

https://www.keybridgeit.com/

#RecruitmentPodcast #Recruitment #TalentAcquisition #BusinessDevelopment #Networking #RecruitmentLeadership #ForgeTalent #TalentPartner #SportsToBusiness #RecruiterLife #RecruitmentIndustry #TheRecruitersRecruitmentPodcast