What made you get into recruitment?
Like most people, I fell into recruitment. I’d been looking to move into HR on my return from a year’s travelling but one of my friend’s, suggested that I could be well suited to recruitment which was fairly early in its’ evolution at the time. I started in IT recruitment, which was a bit of a baptism of fire, but I loved it and 28 years later I still do!
What do you enjoy most about the profession?
I get a lot of satisfaction from providing a solution to client problems and playing a small part in the career growth of candidates – many of whom I build relationships with that have lasted for decades. Taking the time to understand the needs/aspirations on both sides and helping to navigate through the bumps in the process to ensure a win/win outcome is really fulfilling.
What do you like least?!
Letting candidates know they haven’t been successful for a role with limited or no feedback from the client. I think there should always be something constructive to share when a candidate has given up their time to meet with the organisation.
If you could do any other job, what would it be?
An Organisational Psychologist! I’m fascinated by human behaviour and harnessing people’s potential. It was why I chose Psychology as a degree but it turned out I didn’t love the Statistics subject that went with it!
What are the biggest preconceptions about recruiters that you think are in fact wrong?
That we are all focussed on making a recruitment fee rather than what’s best for clients and candidates. I’m sure recruiters like this exist but the ones I have worked with over my career have always been genuinely focussed on finding the best outcome for candidates and clients. I don’t believe you can have a long term career in recruitment without that long term, relationship-orientated view.
What do you like best about working at Peoplecorp?
At Peoplecorp, ‘Doing the right thing’ is something we live and breathe – by our clients, by our candidates and by each other. That’s really important to me and was what made me join Tim and Renee 5 years ago and ultimately, why I decided to become a Peoplecorp Partner. We have created a high performing, collaborative environment and one I love working in.
What are you most proud of?
I emigrated to Australia in 2000 on my own. Leaving everyone and everything I knew behind was well out of my comfort zone, particularly as an introvert. It was a tough couple of years to get established but I’m really proud of the life, family and career I have built here.
What is one of your favourite quotes?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
― Maya Angelou
Please tell us something that most of our Clients and Candidates would not know about you?!
I’m very patriotically Scottish, which can be a surprise given my southern English accent, courtesy of a 10 year stint in Sussex during my early childhood. I did spend my teens and twenties in Edinburgh but the accent never caught up. My Glaswegian parents made sure that we never forgot our roots, however, so I can Ceilidh dance with the best of them, love haggis and Irn Bru and get emotional at the sound of bagpipes!
