From Basement to Boardroom Recruitment Leadership Evolution with Paul Goodman | Goodman Mason | S2-04.

by Howard Greenwood, 2nd July 2025

In this episode of Recruitment Leaders. Unlocked, Paul Jacobs interviews Paul Goodman, Founder & Director of Goodman Masson, one of London’s largest financial recruitment businesses with 150 employees and international offices.

Paul shares his remarkable 30-year journey building Goodman Masson from a basement startup in Bath Street to an award-winning organisation known for exceptional performance and outstanding employee culture. He discusses the difficult transition from billing manager to strategic leader, including navigating partnership dissolution and learning when to step back and trust others to run the business.

Key topics include:-

• The two foundational principles that drove their success
• Why trust should be given from day one, not earned over time
• How to use metrics as tools for success rather than weapons of control
• The reality that billing management is the hardest job in recruitment
• Building wealth-sharing schemes (EMI) that retain top talent
• Creating ultimate flexibility – including employees working from Bali
• Why great leadership is often about what you don’t do
• The importance of sticking to your principles when others advise against them

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

02:18 Paul Goodman’s Journey into Recruitment

03:53 Leadership Principles and Business Growth

12:41 Challenges and Lessons in Leadership

23:26 The True Meaning of Trust in Business

24:03 Using Metrics for Success

27:51 Challenges and Leadership in Scaling a Business

32:35 Empowering and Supporting Your Team

Paul provides honest insights about leadership failures, the courage needed to hire people better than yourself, and how stepping back from day-to-day operations can accelerate business growth. He shares Sam Walton’s simple but profound business wisdom and explains why “not being greedy” has been fundamental to their success.