Onrec: How did you get started in recruitment and how did the idea of Talos360 surface?
SR: Initially, I fell into recruitment! Having studied marketing at university, then spending 3 years traveling and working in hospitality, I wanted to get into sales – so started my recruitment career as a graduate trainee recruiter at a boutique retail hospitality recruitment agency. I loved the challenge and opportunity to match and connect the right person for the right role.
After 7 years as a recruiter, I moved into radio and digital recruitment advertising. The idea for Talos360 came from recognising the lack of options for a medium sized business when hiring. At the time choices were limited to individual job boards, with lots of applications which could be difficult to manage, or traditional rec agencies.
I wanted to make recruitment quicker and easier for inhouse recruiters whilst ensuring hiring was a candidate focused experience. This has evolved into Talos360 offering a complete SaaS hiring platform covering the full candidate lifecycle from talent acquisition to employee onboarding.
Onrec: The recruitment market is very inflated. What makes you different from your competitors?
SR: Our DNA was to always put the candidate first, so our approach to technology reflects this. From commute-time checkers, to onboarding microsites – we’re always thinking about how the candidate experience can be improved. We are a people first software business, so our quality of customer service also really sets us apart. This is all down to us having an incredible team who really care about our business vision, about our customers and about each other.
Onrec: What exciting new trends are you noticing?
SR: A lot of the market has cottoned on to the fact that the candidate experience is essential so it’s great to see this evolving across the wider talent ecosystem.
Of course, I have to mention AI. There is good and bad in this as AI is creating both real opportunities and new challenges in the hiring market. Applicants are leveraging AI to write CV’s and assist them with interviews, whilst HR are having to anticipate potential upcoming regulatory controls on the use of AI in hiring, so we see the responsible use of AI being a key theme moving forward.
Onrec: What do you think will be the next big thing in online recruitment?
SR: The ability to pay per qualified applicant, or a pay per hire model in the recruitment marketing space, will be the seismic shift in online recruitment I believe.
Onrec: Biggest challenges we face in 2025
SR: Navigating the speed of technological change with AI.
Onrec: How many people do you employ globally?
SR: 111 in the UK.
Onrec: Where do you see the recruitment industry in 5 years?
SR: Great question, reduced reliance on traditional agencies because tech platforms like ours are able to connect an employer with the perfect hire.
I also see the balance of control moving more towards the candidate.
Onrec: Do you have any other plans to expand? And if so, where?
SR: Lots of exciting plans to continue our high growth, can’t share the exact plans but watch this space.
Onrec: What is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
SR: ‘Own it’
Onrec: What do you enjoy outside of work?
SR: Time with my wife, friends, family. Anything that involves being out in nature with fresh air, golf, walking, mountain biking, skiing, travelling, holidays and exploring.
Onrec: What is your career low and how did you overcome it? And what is your career high?
SR: At the height of the 2008 recession the business I worked for closed down, which was a real career low and it felt like the worst possible time to be made redundant. However, this gave me exactly the push I needed to start Talos360, so my career low effectively became my career high!
