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Live webinar: Recruitment agency's blueprint for scalable growth

Picture of Charlotte Smith

Charlotte Smith

Director of People
Trilogy International, a Korn Ferry Company.

Picture of Kate O’Neill

Kate O’Neill

Recruitment Coach,
Kate O’Neill Coaching

The Recruitment Podcast EP. 12: Charlotte Smith on using data to lead, not micromanage

Recruitment leaders today face a tough balancing act: driving high performance without smothering their teams through micromanagement. 

But the solution isn’t to drop metrics altogether. 

In fact, strategic use of recruitment data can deliver exponential performance improvements without compromising your team’s autonomy.

Charlotte Smith, Director of People & Performance at Trilogy International, recently shared a powerful framework for leading with data while preserving the all-important human touch in your recruiting operations.

Here are the key takeaways that recruitment agency owners, HR tech buyers, and in-house recruitment managers need to know.

1. Boost team performance using data, not pressure

Too often, agencies swing between two extremes—either managers ignore metrics altogether, fearing micromanaging, or they become obsessed with raw activity numbers with little context or insight. 

The result is disengaged consultants and underperforming teams.

Charlotte recommends a measured, insight-driven approach. Start by identifying what really drives the “bus forward” in your business. 

“Whether your model is 360, 180, or somewhere in between, map your metrics to the outcomes that truly impact performance, like speed to hire or CV-to-interview ratios.”

Surfacing the right insights lets your team know where to focus energy and how to improve. 

2. Let data enhance, not replace, the human touch

Micromanagers tend to weaponize recruitment metrics

Strong leaders diagnose challenges with data, then collaborate on solutions.

As Charlotte explains, by mapping talent availability and skillsets in her CRM, she ensures outreach is precisely timed and super relevant. 

For contract recruiters, knowing when top-tier candidates are about to roll off projects is a game-changer. 

That’s smart service built on accurate data, not robotic automation.

When data reveals what’s working, leaders can give consultants control over how they improve, rather than just dictating what targets they have to hit. 

This builds trust, accountability, and stronger performance.

Here’s the shift:

  • Bad data use = “You’re not submitting enough CVs.”
  • Smart data use = “Your CV-to-interview ratio is off. Let’s explore how to tighten qualification or job clarification.”

The difference in approach is stark, and so are the results.

3. Use the right tech to operationalize your data strategy

Technology is the foundation of this data-first, people-powered approach. 

“And Recruit CRM is purpose-built to help agencies and in-house teams track, analyze, and optimize the right performance metrics without drowning in dashboards.”

With real-time recruiter performance reports, candidate pipeline insights, and detailed analytics baked into the platform, leaders get immediate visibility across all stages of the recruitment lifecycle.

And for firms balancing distributed teams or remote workers, centralized dashboards make it easy to spot roadblocks, identify coaching opportunities, and keep operations flowing, all without micromanaging.

Why Recruit CRM works:

– Instant access to recruiters and job performance reports

– Easy-to-read candidate funnel analytics

– Custom KPIs to track what matters for your firm

– Human support when you need it (yes, real people—not just chatbots)

4. Final takeaway: don’t fear the data—embrace it

Great recruiters want to perform at the top of their game. 

Great managers want to empower, not control. The bridge between both is data.

If your team is overwhelmed, inefficient, or simply unsure where time is being lost, data is your most untapped lever for growth.

But it has to be done right. The right metrics, interpreted correctly, aligned with your hiring goals, not a mess of numbers designed to micromanage teams.

Want to see how leading agencies are using recruitment data to scale faster and work smarter?

Watch: Charlotte Smith on leading teams without micromanaging | The Recruitment Podcast EP. 12

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