Empathy, Automation & Grit is the Recipe for Building a Modern Recruitment Agency – Daphne Lee

“AI will never replace empathy, emotions, and context. That’s where I live.” – Daphne Lee, SPHR

In the 10th episode of the Humans of Recruiterflow series, meet Daphne Lee, Founder of Tier 1 Consulting, Inc.

With nearly three decades in the recruitment industry, Daphne brings a refreshing blend of human-first thinking and automation-savvy operations that define what modern recruitment should be.

Recruitment Found Her First

Some careers are chosen. Others find you.

For Daphne Lee, recruitment wasn’t a path she planned; it was a door that swung open unexpectedly.

Fresh out of college, she took her first job as a recruiting coordinator at a major agency. By noon on her first day, the manager who was supposed to train her had left for good.

“It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. On my very first day, I was thrown into a challenge – what was initially supposed to be an administrative role quickly evolved into a full desk recruiting job.”

Thrown headfirst into the chaos, she embraced the unknown. That one twist of fate became the starting point for what evolved into a decades-long love affair with talent acquisition.

From Contract Hustle to Entrepreneurial Drive

After years of excelling in corporate and contract recruiting at giants like Microsoft, Deloitte, and Home Depot, Daphne found herself at another crossroads: the pandemic.

She had already been running a consulting business on the side since 2005, but when COVID-19 hit and her corporate role with ADP ended, she decided to go all in.

“That was my full-speed moment. This time, I wasn’t just consulting, I was building something for real.”

Since 2020, Tier 1 Consulting has grown into a high-touch, tech-enabled agency that serves clients across industries with exceptional efficiency.

The Reality of Wearing All the Hats

As a founder, Daphne acknowledges the challenge that stumps many recruiters trying to launch agencies: juggling it all.

“It’s rough. You’re sales, finance, recruiter, back office, everything. A lot of people don’t realize how much admin goes into running your own shop.”

Her secret to making it work? Systems. Boundaries. Automation.

She credits tools like Recruiterflow for allowing her to automate email sequences, candidate updates, interview scheduling, and more, giving her time back for the part she truly values: strategic relationships.

Daphne’s Definition of Success

For Daphne, success isn’t about titles or awards; it’s about the impact she has on the people she works with. It’s also about the meaningful connections, shared growth, and knowing she’s made a difference. Her everyday victories define her journey.

“Success is when everyone I work with feels empowered to reach their potential,” she says. It’s in the small moments, like helping a candidate find the right role or guiding her team to grow in their careers. 

AI = Her Executive Assistant (Not a Replacement)

Daphne’s approach to AI is a mix of enthusiasm and groundedness.

She uses AI to source candidates, screen resumes, write job descriptions, and manage email outreach, which saves her 60–70% of the time she used to spend on manual tasks.

But she draws a firm line where it counts:

“AI will never replace empathy, emotions, or context. That’s where recruiters thrive. Let AI be your assistant, not your voice.”

This philosophy allows her to stay hands-on with clients and candidates while letting tech handle the repetitive grind behind the scenes.

KPIs That Keep Her Business Lean & Responsive

“If I can’t measure it, I can’t improve it. KPIs keep me honest with myself, my clients, and my candidates,” says Daphne.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aren’t just numbers on a dashboard for Daphne; they’re a reflection of how well her business delivers value to both clients and candidates.

Here are some of her non-negotiable KPIs:

1. Submission to Offer Ratio

She tracks the number of submissions that convert into offers, which helps her stay sharp on match quality and candidate readiness.

2. Time-to-Fill

She keeps a sharp eye on how long it takes to close each role from intake to offer.

3. Client & Candidate Satisfaction Score

Daphne cares deeply about how people feel after working with her, on both sides of the table. She collects feedback from clients and candidates alike, tracking what went well, what could have been smoother, and whether they would work with her again.

4. Offer Acceptance Rate

She reviews how many offers are accepted versus declined to gauge fit, trust, and clarity throughout the process.

5. Revenue per Placement

Profitability matters. Daphne monitors the average revenue each placement brings in, using it to assess the quality of her clients and roles.

6. Fill Rate

She never leaves roles hanging. Daphne tracks what percentage of open roles she successfully fills, keeping her close rate high.

Advice for Fellow Founders

Daphne’s experience in the recruitment industry has given her valuable insights that she’s passionate about sharing with other recruiters and agency founders. Here are some of her top suggestions for succeeding in the recruitment world:

1. Build Strong Relationships with Candidates and Clients

“Recruitment isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about building relationships that last and helping people achieve their career goals.”

Daphne emphasizes that recruitment is all about relationships, not just ticking off job requirements. It’s essential to establish long-term connections with both candidates and clients by understanding their needs, values, and goals. 

2. Keep the Communication ON

Clear communication throughout the recruitment process is key to success. Daphne encourages recruiters to be transparent with candidates at every stage, whether they’re hired or not. 

3. Keep an eye on your NPS

“Feedback is the compass that guides growth. It’s not just about hearing what went wrong, but understanding what went right and how we can build on it.” 

Listening to feedback from clients, candidates, and your team helps refine approaches and boosts performance.

3. Leverage Technology, But Keep the Human Touch

Daphne advises using automation and AI wisely. “Automation can streamline repetitive work, but recruiters should always ensure that personal engagement remains central.”

Technology should support, not replace, meaningful communication.

4. Use Data to Drive Improvements

Don’t just sit on your data; use it to improve your system, workflows, and processes. 

5. Systematize Your Processes Early and Delegate

Daphne stresses the importance of building scalable, repeatable processes from the beginning. Whether it’s streamlining candidate sourcing or client communication, creating systems early on sets you up for growth. 

6. Adapt to Changes

Daphne highlights the need for adaptability in an ever-changing industry. New tools, techniques, and trends emerge regularly, and staying flexible ensures you remain competitive.

And above all, don’t ignore the back office. “That’s where most new founders stumble,” she says. “They’ve recruited before, but they’ve never run a business. You need both.”

“Recruitment is about trust,” Daphne says. “The more you listen, the better you serve. And the better you serve, the more you grow.”

That’s the Tier 1 Consulting way — where automation supports, empathy leads, and precision wins.

Conclusion

With a blend of grit, empathy, and automation, Daphne has built a recruitment model where success is measured by meaningful growth and lasting impact, not just placements.