Lucy Robinson - Super Niche Recruitment

Lucy Robinson started with a laptop, a notebook of contacts, and a belief that recruitment could be done better.

Today, LCR International is a global executive search firm placing senior leaders across the fresh produce industry on six continents, with more than 90% of its work retained.

In this episode of Retrained Search, Lucy shares the real story behind the transition from contingent recruitment to retained search. From failed starts and difficult lessons to building a structured search business with forecastable revenue, stronger client relationships, and near-perfect fill rates.

We discuss:

Why she chose one of the most niche markets in recruitment
The mistakes she made trying to move into retained search
Why most recruiters misunderstand retained delivery
Building a global search firm without offices worldwide
The difference between contingent recruiters and search consultants
Creating a team-based delivery model
How community and collaboration accelerated growth
Why niching down changed everything

If you are trying to move away from contingent recruitment and build a more structured, profitable, retained search business, this episode is packed with insight.