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James Shenton is the founder and managing consultant at Opus Resourcing, a boutique technical recruitment business with 19 years of industry experience. Operating across the UK, Europe, and the US, Opus specializes in mid to executive-level technical recruitment.
Before joining Superfast Circle, Opus had built its business primarily through referrals and networking within the talent acquisition community, establishing a strong reputation for delivering on challenging roles for major companies like Sky, Three, and Apple.
However, the recruitment landscape began to shift significantly, with internal talent acquisition teams growing larger and more companies entering the technical recruitment space. This market transformation, increased competition and a need to expand beyond their warm network prompted James to seek professional marketing support.
He discovered and joined Superfast Circle through their email campaigns and attended a webinar. He was drawn to their specialized focus on recruitment marketing and consultative approach, which aligned with Opus’s business philosophy.
Where was Opus with marketing before joining Superfast Circle?
When we started working with Superfast Circle, we were already well-established, with 16-17 years in the business. Our work primarily came through delivering on major roles and networking within the talent acquisition community, where we’d built a strong reputation for handling challenging technical positions.
However, we noticed two significant changes in the market: talent acquisition teams were growing substantially, especially in tech, and there was a marked increase in recruitment consultancies within our space. This created a squeeze effect—we were feeling pressure from internal recruitment teams and the rising number of competitors in the market.
What were the challenges you faced that made you think about marketing?
The referral business that had sustained us was becoming increasingly difficult, particularly as tech teams faced layoffs. We witnessed a fundamental shift in the market as companies moved away from aggressive growth towards prioritizing sustainability. This change meant we needed to reassess our proposition and create a more formal marketing approach to build a stronger brand and develop a structured product offering. The challenge was clear—we had to find ways to reach beyond our traditional warm network and actively seek new business opportunities in a changing market landscape.
How did you come across Superfast Circle?
My journey to finding Superfast Circle began with an email campaign that caught my attention. After following them on LinkedIn and attending one of their webinars, I engaged in several detailed conversations with them, during which they took the time to understand our challenges and needs truly.
What really resonated with me was their approach — they were boutique, experienced, and consultative, much like our business model. This alignment of values and approach made them stand out as the right partner for our marketing needs.
What have you been able to achieve since joining Superfast Circle?
Since joining Superfast Circle, we’ve completely transformed our marketing approach. We started by developing our positioning and brand proposition, then moved on to building out our product offering.
This led to a comprehensive website rebuild and the creation of various marketing materials, including detailed case studies, professional brochures, and targeted pitch decks.
We’ve established a regular blogging schedule, produced market reports, and significantly improved our
LinkedIn presence for thought leadership.
Implementing email automation and business development strategies has rounded out our marketing ecosystem, creating a more robust and professional presence in the market.
How has the marketing and business development (BD) worked together?
Our marketing and business development efforts have created multiple success channels that work in harmony. We’ve seen an increase in inbound leads through our website and more candidate introductions.
Our targeted email campaigns have gained traction, while consistent LinkedIn posting has generated more inbound opportunities. The most significant wins have come through senior-level roles and executive search assignments, all supported by our enhanced market presence.
The key has been maintaining consistent touchpoints across all channels and understanding that timing is crucial in our industry— you never know when a prospect’s need will arise.
What difference has elevating your brand made?
The elevation of our brand has significantly strengthened our market position. We now enter meetings with CEOs and CTOs with professionally consistent materials that reflect our expertise and value proposition.
While we haven’t seen explosive revenue growth during these challenging market conditions, we’ve successfully maintained our revenue levels when many competitors have struggled. This stability and enhanced brand presence have positioned us strongly for growth as we move into 2025.
What advice would you give to business owners considering marketing investment?
My strongest advice is to avoid procrastination. In today’s market, where many recruitment businesses are struggling, standing still isn’t an option. Innovation and marketing aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re essential for survival and growth.
While it requires a sensible budget and structured time allocation, it’s achievable for small businesses. If you’re serious about growing or maintaining your current position, implementing solid marketing and business development strategies isn’t optional – it’s necessary for survival in our evolving industry.
Looking ahead to next year, our primary focus is positioning Opus firmly in the executive search space.
We plan to enhance our LinkedIn presence with more targeted content and increase our thought leadership through specialized articles and insights.
We’re also looking to expand our automation in business development campaigns while maintaining the personalised approach that sets us apart. The goal is to strike the perfect balance between higher volume marketing campaigns and the bespoke service that our clients value, particularly as we move more into the executive search arena.
What results have you achieved through being a member of Superfast Circle?
Through the partnership with Superfast Circle, Opus Resourcing successfully navigated a challenging market while maintaining revenue levels. We have won significant business from global brands and
delivered key roles for CEOs and CTOs.
More importantly, we have developed a sustainable marketing and business development framework that positions us strongly for future growth, particularly in the executive search sector.
The professional brand presence we have built with Sharon’s and Denise’s help serves as a solid foundation for our growth plans.
“If you’re on the fence about joining Superfast Circle, I’d strongly encourage you to take that step. Like many recruitment business owners, I initially procrastinated about marketing, but with the current market challenges, you can’t afford to stand still.
What’s unique about Sharon and Denise is their specialised focus on recruitment marketing combined with their boutique, consultative approach. They’ve helped us elevate our brand, develop consistent marketing materials, and implement effective BD strategies.
But they do more than just marketing—they act as mentors, helping with everything from client scenarios to PSL tenders. Their support makes marketing achievable even for a small business owner juggling multiple responsibilities.
We’ve maintained revenue in a tough market, won significant executive search roles, and built a strong foundation for growth. The regular calls, yearly meetups, and ability to connect with other recruitment business owners make it invaluable. It’s an investment that truly pays off.”
– James Shenton, Opus Resourcing
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