The Global Talk podcast recently welcomed Graeme Hubert, co-founder of ConSol Partners, to discuss what it really takes to build a global staffing business. He sat down with Amy Davies to share his insights, especially on the importance of recruitment compliance and his advice on how to grow an international contract book.
From launching with zero external investment to running contractors across 50+ countries, Graeme’s insights are essential listening for recruitment firms looking to grow internationally. At Workwell Global, we support firms through that exact journey every day, helping them expand into new markets, stay compliant, and scale with confidence.
Graeme now serves as an Executive Advisor helping staffing companies navigate growth, scalability, and expansion. In our discussion, he shares clear, honest, and deeply practical advice for recruitment leaders to follow.
One message stood out. If you want to scale internationally, compliance isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a path to long-term growth.
“We knew we had to build out contract, but we didn’t want to build contract runners out for margin’s sake. It had to be sustainable, compliant business.”
Graeme’s success didn’t come from shortcuts. It came from structure. And at the heart of that structure were five contract recruitment non-negotiables that shaped how ConSol Partners balanced their commercial goals with recruitment compliance.
Read more below, or catch the full episode by watching the video below.
Why Recruitment Compliance Is a Growth Enabler, Not a Barrier
Scaling a contract business across international markets comes with complexity: new laws, different payment terms, and unfamiliar employment rules. The temptation to move fast and figure it out later is strong. But as Graeme shared, that short-term thinking doesn’t scale.
When Graeme and his co-founder went through due diligence for their exit event at ConSol Partners, their compliance-first approach paid off. No red flags. No deal breakers. No markdowns on valuation.
That’s why, at Workwell Global, we position compliance not as a roadblock, but as a route to higher enterprise value, as Amy shared during the conversation:
“The most successful firms are the ones that train their consultants to sell through knowledge and compliance so that you make end hirers feel safe.”
5 Non-Negotiables for Balancing Recruitment Compliance and Commercial Goals
“There were five things for me that, when it came to engaging with new customers and agreeing commercial terms for contract.”
When recruitment firms look to scale globally, the natural instinct is to focus on business development: winning clients, placing candidates, and growing revenue.
Graeme shared that he found himself in this familiar situation. His sales team, hungry to win business in competitive markets, would bring in contracts with terms heavily skewed in favour of the client. Saying yes would have meant faster wins. But Graeme had a clear vision for long-term value. He knew that accepting those one-sided terms could jeopardise the integrity of their contract book. So, even when it was difficult, he held the line, prioritising compliance and sustainability over short-term gain.
Here are the five contractual fundamentals that Graeme and his team never compromised on, and why they matter for any recruitment firm building a global contract book:
1. Capped Liabilities & Warranties
Recruitment agencies can’t afford open-ended risk. If something goes wrong onsite, your liability must be clearly defined and capped in order to protect the business.
Without limits on liability, your agency could be exposed to massive legal or financial risk if something goes wrong on assignment.
Graeme emphasised this as his first and most critical rule: “If something goes wrong once a contractor is on-site…you don’t want a $50 million lawsuit.”
2. Supervision, Direction & Control Clauses
These determine whether a contractor is genuinely independent, or risks being seen as a deemed employee, which could trigger tax and employment liabilities, in addition to opening up huge financial and legal implications for businesses involved in the supply chain.
This is particularly critical in jurisdictions like the US where worker misclassification is an issue the Department of Labor continues to crack down on. Similarly in the UK, IR35 legislation has made this a high-stakes issue. It is also something the EU is tightening legislation around, recently with the introduction of the Platform Work Directive.
By partnering with an Employer of Record, staffing and recruitment firms can ensure that workers are onboarded under the appropriate engagement model. Workwell Global provides compliant solutions and ensures worker classification is handled correctly in each country we operate in.
3. Timesheet Clauses
Contract growth is cash-intensive. To fund the book, you need prompt, verifiable time reporting that ties directly to your ability to invoice and collect payment.
A fast-growing contract book is only as strong as the systems that support it. Inconsistent or vague timesheet processes can lead to delayed invoicing, payroll problems, and even disputes with clients.
Graeme advises agencies to work alongside a strong invoice or finance partner.
4. Direct Engagement Clauses
Once you’ve placed a contractor, they shouldn’t be poached or reassigned without your consent. These clauses protect the value you’ve built.
Graeme shared that his team avoided RPO arrangements almost entirely. Why? Because they wanted protection against the poaching of contractors.
“If we’ve got 50 contractors on our book, they cannot be moved to a new supplier tomorrow.”
5. Fair Payment Terms
Many recruitment businesses struggle with cash flow when clients insist on 60 or 90-day payment terms while payroll goes out more frequently. It’s a mismatch that quickly becomes unsustainable. Lengthy payment terms can kill your cash flow.
“You have to be willing to say no…or at the very least, give something up to get the terms you need.”
Build Enterprise Value Through Recruitment Compliance
As Graeme noted, having standards is one thing. Enforcing them across a busy sales team is another. ConSol Partners built a framework of “rules of engagement” by territory, a step-by-step playbook to keep commercial goals and recruitment compliance aligned.
“To help educate sales teams, we created rules of engagement for every territory that we operated in. If you want to place a contractor in Dubai, here’s the pack, here’s the workflow, the things you need to follow to be compliant.”
In our conversation, Graeme shared an example of their due diligence when placing contractors in Norway, and how five years later, the company’s compliance was scrutinised by tax authorities. Ensuring they followed their rules of engagement, ConSol Partners were able to prove that they had followed procedure.
The quality of ConSol Partners’ documentation impressed their purchaser during the due diligence phase of their exit event, aiding the overall enterprise value.
“There was no ability for our purchaser to chip [the enterprise value]”
Recruit From Afar
Under Graeme’s leadership, ConSol Partners had an international contract book across 50+ countries, yet the business only had offices in the UK and the US. It’s a model that aligns with what we at Workwell Global call the ‘Recruit from Afar’ method: building global reach without the need for local offices in every territory.
For Graeme, the decision not to establish a physical presence in mainland Europe wasn’t a limitation. The business grew by focusing on tech verticals rather than geography. As he explains, the key was getting on the ground to meet clients face to face, without necessarily needing a brick-and-mortar base.
That said, Graeme acknowledges that some markets demand more physical presence. In regions like the Middle East, for example, establishing credibility and long-term partnerships often requires local infrastructure and relationship-building in person.
Even when they considered expanding into Europe, Graeme notes that Germany would have been their first choice, largely because of local licensing requirements, a reminder that recruitment compliance can drive strategic decisions about where and how you expand.
If you are thinking about opening up a physical office in Germany solely due to licensing requirements, consider reaching out to Workwell Global. We have an indefinite AUG license which reduces the risk of illegal labour leasing for you and your end client. Speak to one of our experts to learn more about our capabilities.
Ensure Recruitment Compliance by Partnering with Experts
“One of my key learnings is to surround yourself with experts that can plug the gaps in your knowledge so that you can learn.”
From day one, Graeme and his co-founder took recruitment compliance seriously. Before they placed a single contractor, they had already brought in expert advisors and built a solid infrastructure. Their goal? To be “world-class from the get-go.”
This philosophy was simple but powerful. Growth and compliance aren’t mutually exclusive. When you get it right from the start, they can fuel each other.
Whether you’re scaling into Europe, North America, or exploring emerging markets, understanding local employment law, tax, and payroll requirements is complex and time-consuming. That’s where Workwell Global comes in.
We help recruitment businesses like ConSol Partners navigate the complexities of global contractor management with confidence.
- Compliant contractor placements in 80+ countries
- Local payroll, onboarding, tax, and benefits managed for you
- Legal and regulatory compliance without the operational burden
We remove the barriers so you can grow your business, not your risk. Want to explore new markets without compromising on compliance?
Talk to our team to see how we can support your international recruitment goals.
Disclaimer: The information provided here does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or accountancy advice. Instead, the information and content available are for general informational purposes only.