Founding a USA Recruitment Agency From the UK: Co-Founder of Forsyth Barnes Journey
Roheel Ahmad, former recruitment consultant who cofounded Forsyth Barnes knows exactly what it takes to go from recruiting in the UK, to founding a USA Recruitment Agency with three offices in New York City.
That’s why he interviewed him on the ‘Scale Up Stateside’ podcast. Keep reading this part-transcribed interview to learn how Roheel Ahmad went on to found a USA recruitment agency from the UK.
Roheel how did you go from studying law to eventually founding a USA recruitment agency?
Commercial and financial opportunities in recruitment
“My chosen degree program had less than favourable commercial and financial prospects compared to what the world of recruitment could bring”...
Roheel explained in our Scale Up Stateside podcast that he studied law at university and discovered a greater interest in recruitment due to the financial prospects aligning more with the lifestyle he desired.
Typically, many UK recruitment founders go on to successfully found a USA Recruitment Agency. In many cases, after achieving their goals in the UK, they’re ready to take their business global. One of the main (out of the many reasons) they choose the US is to increase the overall valuation of their business outside of the saturated UK recruitment market.
Founding a USA Recruitment Agency with £100 million+ in revenue in 6 years…
“It became apparent that the pace of progress in the UK recruitment industry didn't align with our ambitions.”
Roheel further explains why he took the leap from the UK to Founding a USA Recruitment Agency was due to his own aspirations to succeed.
He met the Cofounder of Forsyth Barnes in the spoken recruitment business. After parting ways for 6 months to pursue opportunities in different companies, their paths eventually crossed again.
It was then when they had open discussions about their visions for the future and decided to cofound Forsyth Barnes. It’s safe to say their determination from their background as UK recruitment founders and desire to ‘disrupt the recruitment industry’ as stated on their website is what has brought them great success in Founding a USA Recruitment Agency. Forsyth Barnes are now operating at a global level with operations in the US and UK, specialising in eTail and FinTech.
How did you find that process of scaling your USA Recruitment Agency up to 80 employees globally?
“We learn on the job, and along the way, we make mistakes. However, it's in those mistakes that we find the greatest opportunities for growth.”
Forsyth Barnes is the largest it’s ever been, and as Roheel says ‘…Every day is a journey. It's a learning curve for us. It's a new experience, and there’s no better way to learn than by doing it”.
Expanding on Roheel’s advice, PGC witness many UK recruitment leaders taking the leap and just ‘going for it’ in the US. We always emphasise there is no time like the present, and with our help (and ‘Recruit From Afar Guide’) they can immediately get started in the US, even from their home office.
“In the world of recruitment, it’s quite common for people to forge strong friendship bonds and working relationships, which is necessary when it comes to scaling a business.”
When scaling the business Roheel noted that coming together with his co-founder Scott, and partnering with experts for support, like PGC in the US, was certainly a key factor in Forsyth Barnes success.
“We've always had the ability to be completely open and honest with each other without getting upset, which has been crucial for our partnership.”
We often hear when successful cofounders like Roheel conquer their US expansion and start prospering and scaling in the states, that relationships with external partners and within their own key teams is what makes the transition possible.
“Our US Growth Happened Organically”
Roheel and co-founder Scott began their US journey and later went on to scale their business in what Roheel describes as an ‘Organic’ transition. The co-founders of Forsyth Barnes, began by specialising and networking with various US sporting organisations teams and clubs, and naturally gravitated in that direction.
What we normally see at PGC, is our clients enter the US market by recruiting in a niche sector. By networking, building strong US teams, and business development strategies, the opportunities just become abundant.
Did you experience any setbacks when scaling your business in the US?
“One of the key issues was the closure of borders into the US, which made it difficult for the company to carry out its expansion plans. Additionally, the embassy was facing a significant backlog of items to process, which could have been related to immigration or visa applications.”
We often find immigration and visas are often a major concern for recruitment leaders when deciding to make the move to the US. McKenzie Powell, Operations Manager at Strive launched their first international office in Florida earlier this year. We spoke with McKenzie to breakdown the process of immigration, paperwork, interviews, data and much more, a must listen if you’re planning on applying for an e2 visa.
What attracted you to the US recruitment market VS UK?
The growth opportunities in the US recruitment market
“The Growth opportunities available to establish a global business, and when you talk about growth and scaling, there's no better environment than the US”
When speaking with previous recruitment leaders PGC have helped expand to the US, often their main reason behind the move is to build and grow their recruitment business to a global standard.
“In the UK Recruitment industry, inner growth and ambition to succeed in one's immediate surroundings is essential but having the vision and strategy to thrive on a global scale, is what's going to help you make it in the USA”.
When speaking with UK Recruitment Founders, who go on to found a USA Recruitment Agency usually do so to access higher margins and to increase the valuation of their business.
As Roheel stated, “From day one, we knew we wanted a global business; it was just a matter of when and how to make it happen.”
Less barriers to entry
“Less language barriers for global business in the US”.
Roheel stated that one of the main reasons he entered the US was because like the UK, it is an English-speaking country and therefore easier to make business connections and get up and running.
Just like Roheel, PGC’s previous clients echo his comments regarding entering the US. The main reasons being the ability to establish a global brand in the largest staffing market in the world. The choice on offer, 50 states with different perks and flourishing industries as well as shorter notice periods and the ability to earn fees quicker than anywhere else.
Culturally, the US is somewhat similar to the UK, and language barriers are virtually non-existent. This makes it a logical choice for us in terms of scale and breadth. Although, not everything is the same, employment laws differ greatly, and they differ state by state, US vs UK work culture isn’t the same nor is many other things such as salaries.
There are 52 States to choose from
“What makes a successful company in the global expansion puzzle is having the foresight to recognize where opportunities lie!”
Roheel, like many of our clients at PGC, carefully researched each state and city to decide which was best for their agency. Roheel and Scott, the co-founder of Forsyth Barnes, begun their US expansion in New York. After getting a taste for the states however, they have no plans stopping or confining their agency to the one city.
For Forsyth Barnes, the US dream won’t stop at New York City. The Forsyth Barnes team are awaiting the perfect moment to launch their agency in the west coast. Loved by many previous clients the west coast, sunshine, tech hubs and living the Californian dream is ought to do the trick.
What is essential to be aware of before deciding to enter the US?
Issues when operating in the US, from the UK
“The challenge lies in expanding something globally while not being physically present in the US every day, however PGC has consistently demonstrated exceptional support, being available at any time of the day, and readily extending their assistance even beyond standard working hours. This has been invaluable for our expansion in the United States.”
Often, recruitment leaders who recruit from the UK to the US often stress the importance of ensuring that business practices and processes are robust enough to facilitate expansion.
PGC have helped many recruitment agencies place and payroll contractors with US clients from the UK, before creating a physical presence. Despite the challenges that come with time zones, some reasons they operate in the US from afar first is:
Less financial risks – Office, visas, and relocation costs.
Build up US market research first
Build up a US clients and candidates before relocating
Focus on one state at a time
“The key is also understanding the milestones or triggers that would prompt you to open a second office”.
Just as Roheel states, deciding to open a second office in a different state is key to effective growth in the states, however it’s important to be aware of the key performance indicators that will determine whether you should go at that specific time.
Certain states boom at certain times, and it can be to do with the political or economic climate. Each state is unique, and so too are the factors which affect employment. Be aware of the states which are welcoming business, states where your industry may thrive.
A question we always get asked after the increasing popularity amongst Austin, Texas – Is if its too late to start doing business there, so make sure to research and ask yourself these key questions before expanding to a second location.
What preparation and research did you do before deciding on New York?
“Our decision to choose New York was driven more by our desire to challenge ourselves in one of the toughest markets.”
Roheel stated that Forsyth Barnes was launched in London during a very challenging time. The opportunity to bring the company to New York was driven by the desire to challenge their business concept in New York, with the desire to prove it to themselves.
Just as they say “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”.
Cons of choosing New York for business?
As one of the most challenging and competitive markets, there was lots to consider before making the move. Roheel stated that the higher living costs, taxes were considered. Sooner or
later they found out that the wealth of talent especially among younger professionals looking to advance their careers absorbed the associated costs – and also believes this is all part of running a business and competing in a vibrant market like New York.
Cultural aspects
“Our initial ambition was clear: stay true to our roots. While there were some necessary adjustments for cultural differences, we’ve found that staying true to our core values and what makes us unique has worked well.”
The cultural differences between the UK and US, can be challenging for many recruitment businesses to keep ahead of when making the move to the US. Roheel commented that there are some necessary adjustments that will need to be made, it is easy to assume that the US is similar culturally to the UK.
If you are expanding your business to the US, it’s very important to be aware of the stark differences between the US vs UK work culture before you begin hiring employees.
UK Recruitment Agencies VS US Staffing Firms
“The US market can be seen as somewhat less mature, so business in the US rely on their own efforts to get things done.”
In the US, two key factors come into play. First, there’s a culture that strongly emphasizes deal-making and a high level of confidence in this regard. Many of PGC’s clients emphasise the difference, and have stated that a huge element includes clearly stating your approaches and processes.
As Roheel states “Our focus is on highlighting the advantages of our approach and the additional value we bring to the table, setting us apart from the competition.”
“There’s no recruiter like a UK recruiter”
Roheel added that one of the key benefits appreciated in the US, is how much time is saved on the US clients end because we handle most of the heavy lifting.
“This efficiency and effectiveness in the UK recruitment process, that’s then replicated in the US, are part of what makes a top biller in our field, and it’s something that sets us apart and adds tremendous value for our clients.”
How easy is it to find candidates in the US?
“Implementing new software, improved our communication with candidates.”
Outreach difficulties in the US
Roheel commented on communication difficulties they experienced in the first launch to the US, things like phone calls from the UK, were flagged as spam. It was little things like this which hindered their growth. However, by adapting to new processes and software, they were able to get past this and continue to build an applicant database.
Growing the Forsyth Barnes team in the US – How did it work?
We got to know our UK team very well
"We conducted a thorough examination of our UK team members' personal circumstances and professional aspirations, ensuring that we fostered alignment. So that the move to the USA would be mutually advantageous for both individuals and the organization."
Roheel had formed and took a close look at their previous team based in the UK, and as the borders opened up following the pandemic, they began to organise business trips to the US. With each trip – their stays gradually extended each time. If your team comprises of five top billers, getting them to thrive in the US, shouldn’t be a problem.
The UK team then made the jump to the US in 2021, relocating everyone to the shiny Forsyth Barnes office in NYC.
How did you manage the time zones? Did your employees work UK or US hours when incubating?
“We've been practical with managing time zones. In the UK, we used to work during US hours from Monday to Thursday to bring the team together on Fridays. In the US, our team had flexible hours to accommodate the time difference.”
Often when incubating the UK team before relocating to the US we see our clients operating US hours from a UK office, this can be especially useful in setting up your business for success to hit the ground running, however deciding what works best for your team and your employees is the way forward.
Was it difficult to maintain the culture of Forsyth Barnes beyond borders?
“Our venture's success in the US is primarily due to our exceptional core team. They're dedicated, cohesive, and have been the backbone of our expansion. The unity and effectiveness of this team serve as a prime example of a successful office, and I couldn't be prouder of them”.
Often one of the greatest benefits of incubating and having your team form close relationships from working US hours in the UK together, is the relationships formed can help maintain the culture beyond the Atlantic. This ensures your culture is not lost as you make the jump.
Top Advice for Recruitment founders thinking about Entering the US Market?
“Building a strong local presence and network is crucial and the goal is to bring some of your core team members from your existing business and build around them”.
Speaking with Roheel, its evident that what makes great success in the US market for any recruitment founders - is building and bringing a great team along with you. Building a strong reliable founding base in the UK is what’s key, and the best thing about it is it comes at very little risk or cost – so you hit the ground running once your first location is open in the US.
What's next for Forysth Barnes?
“Expanding to the West Coast, be it in California, San Francisco, presents significant opportunities, especially if we consider integrating tech into our operations.”
Building your business to the point where the UK recruitment market isn’t offering the same possibilities, isn’t something to be discouraged by. The challenge isn’t over. Make the US your next challenge, to test your business, the team you’ve built and the processes you swear by in the UK. Don’t limit your success and put into practice everything Roheel has shared throughout this podcast.
Thinking about founding a USA Recruitment Agency?
Expanding your business into the US offers a wealth of possibilities along with its share of hurdles. To successfully navigate this journey, it's essential to have a helping hand along the way.
With over 23 years of experience, PGC specializes in assisting international firms, particularly in the recruitment sector, establish a strong presence in the US market. If you’re thinking about setting up a USA recruitment agency, don't hesitate to reach out and discover how we can kickstart your expansion efforts.
Disclaimer: PGC does not endorse any personal views or opinions of the interviewee. All information here is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional and/or legal services.