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JAMES MILNER, executive director
manager at Redline Group, on developing a rewarding career
Success has everything Recommendations are to do with talented more important than people. targets.
What would you tell someone just starting in the industry?
Our success has grown over the years through recommendations. We need to retain that as we grow. Our ambition is to be the UK’s number one IT recruiter, but we’re never going to be huge – we need to balance volume with our focus on strong relationships.
We try to balance strong experience with Embrace technology nurturing raw talent. as early as possible Our directors have all been here for over 10 years to keep ahead of the and they still look after competition. clients. Their experience provides good role models to the rest of the business. But we’ve also had great success at hiring junior people, training, mentoring and promoting them. I’m not just talking about graduates – if you’re switched on, work hard and can build great relationships, education doesn’t necessarily come into it.
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NATALIE TYLER, sales and marketing
at The Bridge, on building a successful agency
The Bridge has recently been named by the London Stock Exchange as one of the most dynamic and fastest growing SMEs in the UK, and I genuinely believe the team we have is the best I’ve worked with in my 16 years in recruitment.
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BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS
For us that means AI and data-driven products that improve productivity. We’re quick to trial new job boards and search technology. But we’re keen to involve the whole office to find solutions that work. And now we’re owned by Morson Group, we’ve got a wider network to tap into, too.
Take time to learn as much as possible. Success doesn’t come over night. You have to put in the work, understand your clients and candidates, and learn from those around you. Recruitment is tough but incredibly rewarding. When someone new joins my team I always tell them that it will be a rollercoaster ride, but you will have fun and love what you do. The highs always outweigh the lows.
What’s your best candidate story? My candidate was in a great career for over 10 years at a small technology company. He got to a point where there was no room for progression and needed a challenge. He applied for a position I had with a technology company.
Unfortunately, office politics were bad and he felt he didn’t fit in. Six months later, visiting a client to discuss a new role, my candidate popped into my mind. Understanding the role, the company and the culture, I knew that he was perfect for it. In short, he’s still happily working there now. This was a ‘win win’… I should have charged a higher fee!
What do you think makes you a good recruiter? I am business-minded, sales-orientated and a driven individual. You have to run your own desk and team the way you would run a business. Sometimes I can’t switch off, but that’s because I am passionate about what I do.
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