What was your earliest dream job?

I absolutely wanted to race remote-control cars for a living!

What was your first job in recruitment and how did you come into it?

I, like many others, was sold a dream back in 2008 to join an SThree spin-off through a rec-to-rec (recruitment-to-recruitment) business. They did a great job at preparing me for the interview. As cliché as it sounds, I’ve never looked back (or up) since!

Who is your role model – in life or in recruitment?

I don’t have a role model, other than trying to be the best version of me possible. I work on me every day – who I am, what I want to achieve and how I can help others achieve around me. Role models are rarely the demigods people make them out in their own head to be.

What do you love most about your current role?

Seeing people do well through hard work, especially when the penny drops that hard work is the one thing you can’t automate. And then I’d say it’s the pace – it’s fast, energetic and we are extremely agile!

What would you consider to be the most brilliant moment of your career?

A mindset shift in the pandemic leading up to rebranding in 2022 to drive both profit and purpose. The money is great, but doing it the right way and trying to leave things a little bit better than when you found them is incredibly rewarding and good for the soul. That’s why we have taken steps to go through B-Corp certification, so we know we are on the right track.

Laugh or cry, what did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why?

Gosh, I’m not sure we can print this, so how about this one? They wanted me to lend them money so that their partner could buy a car, to drive them to the new job – that’s a particularly interesting one!

What would you regard as your signature tune?

Hot Natured – Benediction… it’s just pretty cool.

The last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster. What have you learnt about yourself during these turbulent times?

It’s not enough to be successful. You’ve got to make sure you make a difference, however little or big. We all have to do something to leave this world slightly better than it was yesterday.

What personal qualities do you think are needed to lead through change and uncertainty?

Having a great, positive growth mindset, the ability to focus, plus an unwavering amount of determination and work ethic. That’s a great start.

Tom White spoke with journalist Roisin Woolnough.

Image credit | Shutterstock