Tony Goodwin and the Art of Recruiting in Russia

The Scale Up Recruitment Leader Podcasts offer a unique insight into the world of recruitment. Every month, REC chief executive Kevin Green sits down with one of the movers and shakers in the industry to find out what makes them tick.

This month, Kevin was joined by the chief executive and founder of Antal International Tony Goodwin. Tony has a long and storied career setting up recruitment companies in the most unlikely of locations.

Among some of his great successes, Tony established offices in both Poland and Russia. His Moscow office was the first of its kind. A brave achievement since this was all done in the early 1990s, so soon after the fall of the Soviet Union.

But what drives Tony Goodwin? Is setting a unique and successful recruiting empire across Central and Eastern Europe enough to keep him ticking? Or does something else drive him forward?

At the heart of Tony's drive has been a push to build a strong business first and a recruitment company second. Adopting a franchise approach - unheard of at the time – Tony was able to leverage the Antal brand and sell the business in Moscow. He never abandoned those drivers of success: an understanding of the market, an appreciation for the culture, and a fastidious attention to detail.

The Scale Up Podcasts offer an insight rarely seen in the recruitment industry. They delve deep into success, bringing a warts-and-all analysis and what it means to be successful in our industry.

You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or download the interview online at rec.uk.com/ScaleUpPodcasts.