Harvey what's your backstory?

I grew up in the United Kingdom (UK), dropped out of high school, and left a career in construction before eventually finding my way into recruitment. My entrepreneurial journey began long before any formal school, starting with selling dried starfish that washed up on the beach near where I lived. When I started my journey to Australia, I was homeless, jumping from couch to hostel, trying to find my footing.

What is HJ Recruitment and how did you come up with the idea?

HJ Recruitment is a recruitment company that focused on the permanent placement of sales professionals, as well as people within trades and labour. We use advanced internal systems, including our custom-built ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management), to screen and attract top talent.

The idea came to me while traveling around Australia. In Airlie Beach Marina, I noticed the huge boats and thought, 'What did they do to get there?' Curious, I started asking people, and they all mentioned having some affiliation with the mines.

In Sydney, while visiting Point Piper and Vaucluse, I did some door knocking and asked for advice on what people did for work. Again, the same story—mining.

This led me to consider FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) work. I realized it had great rosters and high pay. It was also a clear opportunity to help people move from the UK to Australia to work in the mines. There’s a huge demand for FIFO workers, and, frankly, anyone from the UK who comes here wants to live in Australia.

For me, getting the qualifications for the pay I wanted in the mines would have taken three years, and I didn’t have the time to wait. Inspired by Robert Kiyosaki's talk about the biggest transfer of wealth in history, I knew I couldn’t sit back. So, with just £5,000 in savings, I made the leap from the UK to Australia to get started. When I arrived, I was homeless—jumping between couches and hostels.

Why did you choose to focus on blue-collar workers for your market?

This choice stems from my background and is also a response to the significant skilled labor shortage in Australia. We hire people who have experience in these industries to handle recruitment. For example, we have team members who specialize in recruiting for the HVAC industry—having previously worked as HVAC technicians themselves.

How did you acquire your first 10 clients and candidates, and what strategies worked?

For candidates, we focused on building out a database using various platforms that gave us access to headhunting tools, while for clients, we relied on email automation to reach out and establish connections.

How did feedback from your first clients and candidates shape your offering?

The feedback has always been positive. The main focus has been refining our internal processes. We prioritize maintaining transparency throughout the entire recruitment process.

What steps did you take to align your service with your target customers' needs?

Ultimately we are a free business model until we have fulfilled our work. If we don't fulfill a placement there is no need to pay us. It is our job to put the best person forward for the job. Then the clients to see if this person is genuinely well suited.

Which distribution channels have been most effective for reaching your clients and candidates, and how did you identify them?

We reach clients primarily through referrals and outreach via email and phone.

For candidates, we use referrals, content, job boards, and social media.

Recruitment is a sales-driven business. What’s your top tip for improving sales?

Invest in mentorship and learn from people who have already done what you're trying to achieve.

What helped you stand out in the competitive recruitment industry?

Our recruiters come from the industry. We can do things at such a quicker rate as we have access to a huge automated database so the speed at which we do things is a lot quicker than anywhere else. Our consultants are all the best in the game.

What are the biggest lessons you've learned from building HJ Recruitment?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of growing a team full of A-players. They are often better at doing what I do, they come up with ideas that shape the future, and they work incredibly hard on your behalf. Most importantly, they represent your company in the best possible way.

What are your plans for HJ Recruitment in the future?

We’ll just keep innovating. We have a team of three internal software developers, along with the ideas of the team, constantly working to innovate and transform the recruitment industry through AI and new systems.

Having moved countries and started a business young, what advice do you have for others looking to do the same?

Learn sales—it’s one of the most important and transferable skills. Seek advice from people who are where you want to be, and ultimately, just get started.

What tools, software, or resources have been most helpful in growing your business?

We use a custom internal model.

Who are some recommended experts or entrepreneurs to follow for learning how to grow a business?

What social media channels do you find work well for you business and why?

LinkedIn – it’s literally a professional social media platform.

What advice do you have for founders finding the right channels to attract clients?

Identify where the traffic is and the cost to obtain a client. Then start experimenting with what works. You want to stand out, the world is full of marketing that doesn't work.

What drives you to do what you do?

I want to change the world in the largest positive way, through innovation and technology.

Any quotes you live by?

"How big would you dream if you knew you couldn't fail".

Your links + socials

Harvey LinkedIn