My Brilliant Recruitment Career: Sarah McCullock
23 September 2015
My Brilliant Recruitment Career: Sarah McCullock
Fri, 25 Sep 2015
How did you get into recruitment?
My first job was as a permanent recruitment consultant in commercial, so anything from admin, secretary, reception up to HR management to HR director level — a vast mixture.
What do you love most about your current role?
It’s definitely the people and the culture. We live by the mantra ‘Work hard, play hard and be kind’, and I think that filters into everything we do here. We’re design-led and entrepreneurial, and we want people to embrace their uniqueness and develop it.
What has been the most brilliant moment of your career?
I think my experience working for a massive mining company called Rio Tinto in the Northern Territory [Australia] in a remote mining town called Nhulunbuy [on Aboriginal lands]. It was a 12-hour drive or an hour-and-a-half flight out of Darwin. Most Australians haven’t heard of it. My role was to recruit miners across each state and bring them over to Nhulunbuy, so I wasn’t just selling the roles, the company, the core values — it was selling them a lifestyle. Our food, materials, everything used to come over on a barge once a week.
Your ‘can’t do without’ office tool besides your phone?
My Outlook calendar.
Stay-cation or a holiday abroad?
I would like to go to Vietnam. I’ve been to Thailand, I’ve travelled all around Australia. Vietnam was the one place I didn’t get to do before I came back to the UK.
Outside the office, where would you like to interview a candidate or be interviewed?
I’m going to change the question. What I would love is for the candidate that I’m interviewing for a role to ‘flip reverse’ it, and interview me for the role.
What is your top job to fill at the moment?
If I gave you one above the others, then it would cause conflict. At the moment the most difficult job to fill is project operations manager looking after our omni-channel. It’s a brand-new role.
Laugh or cry — which did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why?
Many years ago, I worked for [business support recruiter] Huntress Group, and I was recruiting for a customer service adviser, high volume. A really lovely, smiley chap came in with a basket and put it in the centre of the table. He started to get out these props, which he said represented how his former colleagues would have described his work characteristics — a big sun for the ray of sunshine he would bring to work, bubbles for his bubbly personality. He put so much effort into it. I did hire him actually.
What’s the best or worst interview question you’ve ever heard?
I can’t think of one that stands out!
Make us an offer we can’t refuse. If you want to be part of a creative, happy, design-led culture, come and join team OB. We are expanding and have lots of opportunities available. Watch this space!
FROM OCTOBER 2015'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE
Earliest dream job: A sports physiotherapist.How did you get into recruitment?
My first job was as a permanent recruitment consultant in commercial, so anything from admin, secretary, reception up to HR management to HR director level — a vast mixture.
What do you love most about your current role?
It’s definitely the people and the culture. We live by the mantra ‘Work hard, play hard and be kind’, and I think that filters into everything we do here. We’re design-led and entrepreneurial, and we want people to embrace their uniqueness and develop it.
What has been the most brilliant moment of your career?
I think my experience working for a massive mining company called Rio Tinto in the Northern Territory [Australia] in a remote mining town called Nhulunbuy [on Aboriginal lands]. It was a 12-hour drive or an hour-and-a-half flight out of Darwin. Most Australians haven’t heard of it. My role was to recruit miners across each state and bring them over to Nhulunbuy, so I wasn’t just selling the roles, the company, the core values — it was selling them a lifestyle. Our food, materials, everything used to come over on a barge once a week.
Your ‘can’t do without’ office tool besides your phone?
My Outlook calendar.
Stay-cation or a holiday abroad?
I would like to go to Vietnam. I’ve been to Thailand, I’ve travelled all around Australia. Vietnam was the one place I didn’t get to do before I came back to the UK.
Outside the office, where would you like to interview a candidate or be interviewed?
I’m going to change the question. What I would love is for the candidate that I’m interviewing for a role to ‘flip reverse’ it, and interview me for the role.
What is your top job to fill at the moment?
If I gave you one above the others, then it would cause conflict. At the moment the most difficult job to fill is project operations manager looking after our omni-channel. It’s a brand-new role.
Laugh or cry — which did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why?
Many years ago, I worked for [business support recruiter] Huntress Group, and I was recruiting for a customer service adviser, high volume. A really lovely, smiley chap came in with a basket and put it in the centre of the table. He started to get out these props, which he said represented how his former colleagues would have described his work characteristics — a big sun for the ray of sunshine he would bring to work, bubbles for his bubbly personality. He put so much effort into it. I did hire him actually.
What’s the best or worst interview question you’ve ever heard?
I can’t think of one that stands out!
Make us an offer we can’t refuse. If you want to be part of a creative, happy, design-led culture, come and join team OB. We are expanding and have lots of opportunities available. Watch this space!
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SARAH MCCULLOCK is resourcing partner (support office), Oliver Bonas
