Why Marketing Should Lead Staffing Sales Strategy – Takeaways from Our Manchester Lunch & Learn

On July 9th, SourceFlow hosted a dynamic Lunch & Learn event in Manchester, welcoming recruitment marketers, agency executives, and operations leaders from across the UK. The focus? How recruitment marketing must evolve - and take a leadership role - in driving sustainable growth.

While the setting was informal, the insights were anything but. Here are the key lessons shared by the event’s expert speakers:

1. Kristie Perrotte – Think Like a CMO, Act Like a Founder

Kristie Perrotte is the Founder and Chief Thriver at Thrive Recruitment Marketing, a consultancy helping marketing leaders in the staffing sector deliver real business value.

In her opening session, Kristie emphasized that modern marketers must speak the language of the C-suite. It’s not about likes or brand awareness -it’s about revenue. Marketing, she argued, should be seen as a strategic growth function, not a support role.

> “They don’t want to know how beautiful the engine is - they want to know if it’s going to get them to their goal, faster.”

Actionable takeaway: Build and update your marketing plan monthly. Use it as a tool to align leadership and push back on distractions.

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2. Simon Brown – Marketing Runs the Table. Sales Plays on It.

Simon Brown, Founder of Richard Knows Best, challenged attendees to rethink their approach to business development. His message was clear: traditional BD tactics are outdated, and marketing must lead the go-to-market strategy.

He also highlighted how modern **recruitment marketing** is increasingly powered by tech - and marketers need to own that stack.

> “If recruitment is a marketing job, then marketing is now a tech job. If you don’t understand the tools, you can’t drive the growth.”

**Actionable takeaway**: Empower marketing to lead CRM implementation, tool selection, and outreach cadence. This ensures alignment across marketing and sales.

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3. Chelcie Harry & Janine Owen – 10 Questions Recruitment Marketers Need to Answer

Chelcie Harry, Group Marketing Director at Levin, and Janine Owen, Founder of JO&Co., tackled some of the toughest questions facing recruitment marketers today - from how to prove ROI, to how to earn a voice at the leadership table.

The core message? Staffing marketing must be rooted in data and revenue impact.

> Chelcie: “The second you move from brand metrics to revenue, you change the conversation.”

> Janine: “Don’t just report numbers - tell a story. Show where you’re going and what it means for the business.”

Actionable takeaway: If your CRM data is unreliable, don’t wait - start with manual tracking and simple spreadsheets. Focus on proving commercial value fast.

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Final Thought: Marketing Must Drive The Growth Agenda

The big takeaway from our Manchester event? Marketing is no longer just about brand - it’s a core driver of business performance. In today’s highly competitive talent market, marketing leaders must take ownership of revenue alignment, digital strategy, and operational tech.

Whether you’re improving **recruitment website design**, enhancing lead generation, or building smarter outreach campaigns, the future belongs to recruitment marketers who combine strategic thinking, creativity, and commercial accountability.

Want to dive deeper into the strategies discussed at the event?

You can check out the slides from the event by clicking right here.

Author: Will Astbury, Global Head of Marketing, SourceFlow
I have worked in staffing marketing for nearly a decade and now lead strategic growth and communications at SourceFlow. 

SourceFlow do WAY more than industry-leading recruitment website design. We build recruitment websites and marketing tools that amplify ROI and provide transparency with state-of-the-art data insights.