Our People

In contingency recruitment, I sometimes felt as if I was just a link in a repetitive process – that required minimal intellectual engagement. A key difference with search has been that almost every assignment is a one-off – and we’re not looking to provide a quick fix; the level of effort and research put in is significant.

I like recruiting from a field of candidates across range of disciplines – and making chief executive or chair appointments can be fascinating. I’ve worked on important positions, with employers from listed plcs to government departments. I also work with not-for-profit organisations and occasionally still recruit for clients in the built environment. My role at Hays Executive has given me far more broad-ranging experience than I could ever expect in a contingency role.

It’s undoubtedly more fulfilling. Mentally, it can be incredibly labour-intensive, as there’s more at stake for both my client and me. At times, it’s challenging – there are no short cuts at the top level. But that makes it all the more worthwhile when you’ve been putting in the hours and you make that successful appointment.

What I’ve enjoyed is having the chance to develop into niche markets. That’s a big factor for people who come to Hays Executive – if you have an interest in a particular area and you’re sufficiently capable and proactive, they let you go ahead and get on with it.

On a day-to-day basis, working with the research team is a hugely interesting process – it’s definitely a case of getting back what you put in. It’s never just a transactional process with the researcher; you have to work alongside them to help build up a picture of the marketplace and develop a strong field of candidates.