I have been actively involved in the recruitment industry for over 25 years, throughout this time taking on a number of different roles and building my skillset ahead of and during each transition.
I believe that the role of the recruitment industry and of the professionals like myself operating within it, brings with it both a significant opportunity and a responsibility. I understand that the work I do can have a real impact on the fortunes and prospects of both businesses and individuals. In short, the appointment of the right person can transform an organisation and securing the right job can transform a person’s life. I am really motivated by the essence of this I use my experience and this passion to influence and encourage this belief through recruitment work, via my professional and personal networks and in turn the wider networks which are aligned to these.
At its heart, recruitment is about building trusted mutually valuable relationships with people. The most important feature and ingredient to these long term relationships is the ability to listen and to recognise its importance. When I meet someone, I listen to understand what is important to them – I care about the trust and reliance that will be placed on the advice I give.
My current position as Contractor Relationship Manager at Hays is to build and maintain relationships with Hays contractors and trusted clients and spot new opportunities for both. I believe that you build good relationships by meeting people face to face.
Continually training and developing my own skills has been rewarded by my membership of a Fellow member of EPAA and a Fellow Member of IAM. I make time to attend events and training sessions outside of work hours and more recently my studying has included modules exploring Mental Health, Equality and Diversity and Personal Branding. It is important to me to ensure that wherever I can, I pay-it-forward. It’s essential to support those in the pipeline so they develop their own set of skills and make their own connections too.
I am also co-founder of The Essex PA Network. A voluntary group set up 2 years ago to connect and develop the skills of office professional staff in Essex. I have brought my experience in building partnerships throughout my career to make sure that the network is successful in its operations and objectives. We currently have 40 members that we bring together quarterly, and invite industry leaders to speak on topics which focus on professional and personal development.
Since 2014 I have been a voluntary shop worker for the Hamelin Trust Charity, Essex. Hamelin Trust supports disabled children and adults with disabilities as well as supporting their families. Working for a local charity has enabled me to give something back to the area I grew up in as well as allowing me to pick up another skill set at the same time.