New Kid on the Block — My first 3 months at BJSS
I have been with BJSS for just over three months and have learned so much in that time (which I expected to do). I am not new to recruitment having 10+ years’ experience in tech/digital recruitment across both agency and in-house, but working for a consultancy is certainly new to me and a challenge that was the key motivation for me in applying. I was also taking a step from being a senior recruiter purely focused on delivery, to leading and influencing a small recruitment team to ensure we are on the right track to achieve our ambitious business goals. I knew of BJSS before joining, having worked at organisations where BJSS had consultants on-site delivering awesome software. It also helped having a few folks I knew from the Leeds tech scene already here, to pick their brains and find out more about the culture and the higher demands of a consultancy.
What I’ve found is in-house recruitment for a consultancy is no different to that of a media company or financial services (which are the sectors I cut my teeth in), bar a few nuances. Having worked for companies such as Yorkshire Building Society, Sky and BBC you had sight of new headcount which had to go through a painful sign-off process before reaching you, as well as the usual attrition which you calculate as best as you can based on previous data and movement in the market. However, when you’re working for a leading consultancy, what I’ve found is that you are constantly hiring the best talent all the time and there is very rarely a blocker to do so!
This is because there is always the chance that behind you in your shadow, a new client is about to land who will require X amount of heads to deliver their project. You can only forecast for so much of this, so there is a need to move from a reactive recruitment function to that of a proactive one. I know this sounds basic, but how many of you often find yourselves reacting to new requirements as opposed to foreseeing the need and planning your attraction strategy? Rather than have the problem of needing to find so much amazing talent in a candidate driven market where there is already a shortage of skills, we need to organise ourselves into a proactive model, giving the senior management team the challenge of finding the work to place so many talented individuals we’ve hired. It’s a fine balancing act with many moving parts. Making a perfect system is almost unachievable, but something I am driven to get as close to perfection as I possibly can.
I’ve always been a big advocate of an excellent candidate experience, whatever the outcome. I’ve spent years developing my network and my engagement skills based on honest conversations, and I’ve always wanted to represent brands that share my values. This is key to success whatever sector you work in and whatever side of the fence you sit on in terms of agency vs in-house. Moving in to a Recruitment Manager role naturally results in less time I spend on sourcing roles, therefore lowering my personal candidate engagement; however candidate experience is at the forefront of my teams minds and results in consistency of experience that I have cultured throughout my career.
Having managed people in the past (mainly in pubs and a short stint at YBS) I guess I can say I haven’t perfected any kind of leadership style yet. I aim for fairness, transparency and leading by example (believe it or not I work quite hard). Having been watching The US Office again lately (hands up, I prefer it to the British one), I just want to make sure I’m no Michael Scott! That’s what she said. Time will tell how this works out but having a great team who aim for perfection and are keen to learn themselves, it makes my job much easier.
One thing I am very fortunate to benefit from and what I never want to take for granted, is the amazing people I have around me. From the other Recruitment Managers across the UK who I get to share knowledge with and learn from, but also from those in the business that know so much and are engaged in partnering with recruitment in helping bring the best people possible in to the business. Speaking to our Developers, PM’s, Testers, BA’s etc. they are happy to explain what works for them, what hasn’t worked in the past and also talk more about their roles to give me a deeper understanding of the requirements we have.
I’ve also been lucky enough to be part of an internal networking group, DBR, for the last few years. It’s given me a great platform to have a safe zone where I can talk to other professionals in my field and talk all things in-house recruitment. Having taken that leap in to a management position, there are some amazing individuals I can lean on and seek advice. As well as helping my fellow DBR members when and where I can.
Leeds has a great tech scene which is only growing, from small start-ups, to larger organisations setting up camp here (hello Channel 4). The meet-up scene is thriving and this can only mean good things for BJSS and all the other organisations in Leeds. Working for a company that continues to experience natural growth, the challenge is identifying and attracting talent to the wonderful world of BJSS. Consultancy certainly isn’t for everyone, but the rewards are great and I can certainly say I’ve learnt more in the last 3 months than I have in the last 2 years!
So, I think I can say that I’m really enjoying this new challenge and I’ve found an environment which is right for me. I’m looking forward to what the next 3 months and beyond bring, and really making a difference to recruitment here in our Leeds office. Watch out 2019, I’m coming for you!
Disclaimer — pitch alert! Being true to form as a recruiter, if you’re looking for a new role in Leeds don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m always happy to have a chat or grab a coffee/alcoholic beverage to discuss your career ambitions and how we may be the best place for you to reach your goals. And if Leeds isn’t for you, don’t worry, we have offices in London, Bristol, Nottingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Houston and New York so I’m happy to put you in touch with my colleagues across the UK and USA.
