Podcast Ep9: Scaling a Purpose-Led Recruitment Firm: Jon Stanley - One Point Four Degrees

In this episode of the Recruitment Founders Podcast, Lindsay Hartland and Greg Elton sit down with Jon Stanley, founder of One Point Four Degrees and long-time S3 alumnus. Jon traces his journey from Huxley and Real, through nine years in Amsterdam and a tough stint at Opus, to launching not one but two recruitment businesses, including the first in the middle of Covid. He talks openly about court battles over covenants, getting “mullered” trying to break into contract in a pandemic, stumbling into perm and retainers with Lindsay’s help, and why he chose to partner with RFC on his second venture.

Together they explore the loneliness of ownership, the shift towards boutique and one-person brands, and how choosing the right people around you can be as important as choosing the right market.

Key Takeaways
Jon’s move to Amsterdam with S3 opened his eyes to a more international, “borderless” mindset and accelerated both his personal growth and the performance of the business he was scaling.

On paper, his role at Opus looked like a step up, matrix influence, no direct team, bigger scope, but in reality, it didn’t play to his strengths, especially once strong covenants and a courtroom appearance with his old boss were involved.

Two founders, laptops at the kitchen table, no database and a global pandemic made the early months brutal: chasing any contract job going, getting ghosted, and competing with major agencies sitting on stood-down contractor benches.

A couple of early perm wins turned into a multi-hire project, and with Lindsay’s guidance on how to pitch and structure a retainer, Jon went from never having done perm to delivering a 12-person build and finally “cooking” as a business.

By the time he launched his second business, Jon knew he didn’t want a pure lifestyle play. He wanted to grow something meaningful, but recognised the loneliness and exposure of doing that solo, which made partnering with RFC a natural next step.

For Jon, the real value in RFC is clean-eyed, sometimes uncomfortable challenge from people who’ve done it before, holding up a mirror on legal decisions, tough calls and avoidance behaviours that could quietly threaten the business.

Rather than going tunnel vision, Jon champions reaching out when you’re stuck, choosing advisers and peers with real credentials, and having the humility to admit you don’t have all the answers, even if you are the owner.

Best Moments
“It was almost like the world opens up to you… leaving the UK was probably one of the best things I’ve done for my career.”

“You’re in a very competitive space with not a lot to compete with apart from… you.”

“It was two lads and a LinkedIn Recruiter… of course we were getting mullered.”

“You don’t have to do it on your own, even if you are a solo. Choose the people around you carefully and wisely.”

About Recruitment Founders Club
Recruitment Founders Club is your launchpad to owning a successful recruitment business. We provide comprehensive mentorship and cover your start-up costs for the first 12 months. Coupled with our robust network and ongoing support, we not only help you start your own business, we ensure you thrive.