Anna, you have over 28 years of experience in the recruitment industry. Could you tell us a bit about getting to where you are today?
I went to university in London and studied for a business degree, came back home to Sheffield and ended up getting a job in the accounts office at Bassett’s sweet factory in Hillsborough. They quickly realised that I was good at talking to people and suggested that I’d be suited to recruitment.
I was a graduate with a 2:1 in business thinking that I knew it all, but when I was looking for a recruitment role all the agencies wanted some sales experience. There was an agency called Protemp Recruitment who told me to go and get three months sales experience and come back. So, I was still working at Bassett’s during the day but at night I’d do telesales for a marketing company selling timeshares.
Following that, I started at Protemp, who were one of the biggest agencies in Sheffield at this time in the mid-90s. I had a fabulous time there, starting as a recruiter and ending up as a branch manager, focusing on the commercial business side of things. I moved on to manage another business following that and I eventually took the decision to set up in a partnership before going on to start my own business.
Your company stands out by specialising in recruit-to-recruit (Rec2Rec). Why did you choose to focus on this particular field?
During my career, I was often getting contacted by recruitment headhunters and I remember thinking about how impersonal it was – how would they know that just because I was a recruiter I’d be a good fit for these other roles? So I took the approach of taking a more personal, considered approach and the business took off.
Also, when we started out, a lot of Rec2Recs were based down south, so there also felt like there was a need for a local company to do it. We’ve now got a fantastic, family-run business brand with nearly 30 years of experience behind it, and that knowledge of recruiters and recruitment companies has really helped along the way.
What do you enjoy about focusing on this type of recruitment?
I think it’s a case of being able to utilise a lot of relationships I have in the industry. With the experience behind me, I know what a good recruiter looks like. I spoke to someone who called me just the other day who I initially placed as a trainee recruiter and is a now VP at a big agency.
As mentioned, when I started out there was a bit of a niche for Rec2Rec in South Yorkshire, so I think that combined with knowing I could excel at doing a different type of work excited me.
The best bit of the job is quite straightforward for me: getting other people jobs. When you place somebody with a recruiter and you see their career develop and hear about how much they’re enjoying it, the feeling of knowing you had something to do with that is a great one.
On that note, what sort of qualities do people need to succeed in the recruitment sector?
Resilience is a key one and being at ease with sales targets is another. Of course, you need to be a people person and able to communicate with others well, but that needs to be balanced with being target-driven. Staying ahead of the game, acting on feedback and prioritising customer service are givens, too.
What are the most important aspects to being a successful rec2rec recruiter?
I think being honest and trustworthy is a big one, as people are trusting you with the next steps in their career and I take that very seriously. Also, you’ve got to be prepared to put in the time to forge the relationships and to really put yourself out there. Oh, and spending plenty of hours doing your LinkedIn research is key!
In the recruitment industry, what do candidates tend to be looking for from job roles?
Work-life balance is naturally a priority these days. A lot of recruiters can do their job from home, so a hybrid working policy is almost a standard – though some people still love the buzz of the office so having the option is the way forward. Generally having roles that are a little less structured so people can work around their family and personal life is what people are looking for. Basic salaries have gone up and there’s been a more general shift in how people approach their careers and what they want from their job. That’s why it’s so important to keep up to speed with the changing trends in the industry, so you can offer the right sort of service and get the best results for both candidates and recruiters.
What are the key values you run your business by?
Our values are that we’ll always operate with integrity and honesty, whether that’s feedback from interviews or being honest if a job isn’t right. This is a family business ran by myself and my niece, Rachel, and we’re passionate about our jobs and working with the Sheffield business community. We’re looking to get out there and support even more businesses. If anyone wants to get in touch, let’s have a chat!
Contact AMR today for all your recruitment needs at 07715454545, or by visiting amrl.co.uk/contact. Keep an eye for the next issue of unLTD, where we’ll be exploring the business support side of the business, led by Anna’s niece Rachel.