How to Build 8 Revenue Streams That Grow Your Agency in Any Market, with Gerard Koolen

Why do some recruitment agencies collapse when the market turns, while others keep growing? Gerard Koolen has lived through three major crises: the 2008 financial crash, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine. Each time, his recruitment business didn’t just survive. It grew. In this episode of _The Resilient Recruiter,_ Gerard explains why growth in tough markets has nothing to do with working harder. It comes down to how your agency is built. Gerard is the founder of Lugera, a recruitment agency with 11 offices, over 500 employees, and €243 million in annual revenue. Instead of relying on a single service line, he built what he calls an *“all-seasons service portfolio”* with eight revenue streams. When permanent hiring slowed, outplacement surged. When clients froze recruitment, other services took over. We break down exactly how the model works, why most agencies monetise only 0.2% of their candidate database, and how technology allowed Gerard to replace the work of 30 people with one part-time role. If you’re a recruitment agency owner or search firm leader who wants a business that can grow in any market, this episode will challenge how you think about revenue, systems, and resilience. What you’ll learn in this episode: * Why Lugera grew 20% during the 2008 recession * What an “all-seasons service portfolio” looks like in practice * Why most agencies monetise only 0.2% of their candidates * How eight revenue streams reduce risk and smooth cash flow * Why your ATS may be limiting your growth without you realising * How automation replaced 30 staff with one part-time role * Why outplacement becomes powerful when hiring stops Timestamps:00:00 Why some agencies grow in any market Chapters 00:00:00 Growing through the 2008 financial crisis 00:05:53 The all-seasons service portfolio 00:08:01 Monetising the 99% of candidates you never place 00:14:34 The real cost of building the technology 00:19:42 Why most ATS platforms restrict growth 00:27:02 Doubling placements without doubling effort 00:31:33 Turning outplacement into a €1M revenue stream 00:45:25 Automated outreach that converts job ads into leads SponsorThis episode is brought to you by *Recruiterflow.* Recruiterflow is an AI-first ATS and CRM built to help recruitment businesses run and scale more efficiently. It combines ATS, CRM, sequencing, data enrichment, marketing automation, and AI agents in one platform. Many leaders in our coaching community rely on Recruiterflow to streamline operations and improve execution. Learn more or request a demo at *recruitmentcoach.com/recruiterflow* 👍 *Don’t forget to

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How to Build 8 Revenue Streams That Grow Your Agency in Any Market, with Gerard Koolen is an episode from The Resilient Recruiter by Mark Whitby.

This episode is 60:01 long.

This episode was published on Feb 2, 2026.

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