About you and recruitment
To start with, can you tell us more about your approach to recruitment?
My approach has always been the same since day 1. In a few words, fast paced and very proactive. As soon as I take a brief, I map out the market and try to deliver as soon as possible. On the other hand, I always do a lot of networking with businesses and their leaders to understand what is happening in the market. Knowledge is key in recruitment, so the more people you speak to, the more you know - who is hiring what, who has raised funds, etc.
Why is recruitment fun to you? People! I am very sociable, I talk to everyone. Recruitment encompasses that quite a lot, the fun side of it. I especially love talking to salespeople. They are very high energy and I have a lot of interesting conversations with them. Obviously, helping people find their dream job is the end goal but I think just the general nature of the role being high paced, sociable and very rewarding is what makes it fun.
What do you like particularly about SaaS recruitment?What’s very interesting about SaaS recruitment is that I work with a lot of startups and scaleups. Over the last 11 years, I have seen a lot of new SaaS businesses popping up, disruptive technologies whether it’s in HealthTeach or other industries. It has been interesting to see all these new ideas. It’s nice to stay at the forefront of technology.
After 11 years, you have made many placements. What is the one you are proudest of?My first ever placement, 11 years ago. I remember the hire dropping out twice. A candidate started and dropped out. Then someone else started and dropped out too. Finally, the third one was the right one. It was an intense roller coaster and when finally that third person stuck, it was a very good feeling. I was thrown into the deep end of recruitment - I had every feeling possible but it set me up nicely for what the world of recruitment can be like. It was my very first job, I was given a phone and told to go build my sales desk. I didn’t really know what I was doing and was self-taught in that sense. Sometimes you have to sink or swim and you swam!Only just! (Laughs) But all that adds to the pride I take in that first placement.
According to you, what makes a great recruiter? Someone who listens. It’s all about listening both on the candidate side and the client side. There are a lot of recruiters out there who are trying to shoehorn people into jobs just because it’s a fee. A lot of the time, they won’t end up staying or there will be a problem along the way. So it’s all about listening and understanding what both parties want and matching them up.
Do you have some insights on the market you would like to share?It’s very tough at the moment. We had a similar situation a couple years ago where many people were looking for jobs and vacancies were scarce. Similarly right now it doesn’t look like the best situation to be in but it always does change and things get better! A lot of people I am talking to said they will be hiring more soon.
What piece of advice would you give talent looking for a sales role in the current market? Your CV and LinkedIn profile are what get presented to hiring managers. You need to make sure you present the best version of yourself on those. You will be judged on the numbers you achieved - percentage of target, revenue generated, and so forth. So you need to make sure all that information is laid out comprehensively & efficiently on your CV and your profile.
Before we move on to learn more about your personal journey as an independent recruiter, what is one thing you would like hiring companies to know about you? I am extremely dedicated and knowledgeable about the tech market. I have a good understanding of what good looks like when it comes to commercial profiles in SaaS companies. And I always deliver at a quick pace.
About your journey as an independent recruiter
Thank you for these insightful answers! Despite how many times we have experienced it, we always find recruiters who go independent extremely inspiring.
When did you first realise you wanted to become a business owner as opposed to an employee in a recruitment firm?I actually had the idea just before COVID happened. It’s one of those cases where I had been in the office for 6 or 7, actually 7 or 8 years, you know, constantly working from 8 until 6. Back then, I had never had any ‘work from home’ days or anything, it was a full five days in the office, with all the commuting, etc. It was a point where I was thinking I can probably do this on my own. Then COVID happened, everyone was at home and after a year of that, I wanted to see people again so I spent two and a half years as a Sales Director and building the sales desk for my previous employer. It’s only at the end of last year that I finally decided to make the leap.
It is quite a leap. What was your biggest apprehension about going solo? I think it’s always going to be the fact that I had amazing existing clients and the apprehension of how companies will receive me being a one man band vs. me representing a company with a team around me. In a way, in the end, this works to my advantage. Because startups and smaller organisations like to work with one person who can dedicate time to them. But for me it really was how the market would perceive the move and how my clients would see it.
So how did things unfold for you once you finally made the jump? Did you have a specific plan in mind? I had nothing planned, really! It all unfolded really well though. Obviously, I got introduced to ReEcho and you guys made it feel safer doing it. I had a lot of support behind me with everything you (ReEcho) do as a team. And currently, it is working out quite well. I have clients which I was allowed to take with me so it has been a really good experience so far.
What is the main difference between being in a firm vs being an independent?There are two sides to it. The people and the flexibility. I miss working with people quite a fair bit but the flexibility and time I now have for myself outweighs that massively. I have been able to work a lot more on my health over the past few months. Generally, I have been able to do more things that I wanted to do for myself because I am not tied to a 9-5 routine. Sometimes I can work from 7am to 9am, and then start again after 1pm. It is extremely flexible, something I didn’t have when working under another employer.
It sounds like overall it has been a great experience so far for you. What was the hardest thing for you as someone who recently went independent?It has been a pretty smooth transition. My partner works from home quite a lot so this has been more of a shock for her than for me. I think I have been annoying her quite a bit! (Laughs) In all seriousness, the social side of things has been a little challenging but I have signed up for more things to do during the day - fitness classes, walking the dog, etc. And I get to see my friends and family a lot more as well!
And I presume you also get to earn more on our terms! If you are comfortable with sharing this, how are your earnings as an independent vs an employee in a firm?Taking into account things like corporation tax and other business expenses, depending on how you pay yourself (salary vs. dividend etc.), you probably take home around 70-75% of what you bill. Whereas when you are employed, depending on the commission structure and other factors, this looks more like 25-40% of what you bill, probably closer to 25%.
What piece of advice would you give someone who wants to become an independent recruiter?You know what you are doing, the job in itself is essentially the same as what you have always done, just that you have to do it by yourself now instead of being paid by a company to do it. So you have to back yourself and use ReEcho! That’s what made me feel extremely comfortable and confident going into this whole experience. Knowing that you (ReEcho) have the knowledge and the network which includes those people I used to know and work with, made the decision more comfortable and safe for me.
What are your plans moving forward?In essence, I want to solidify my client and have a constant stream of commercial opportunities in sales and marketing to work on. For that I probably need to build up my brand with marketing and online presence more. I have never been a person to post much but these days, the more prominent you are on LinkedIn, the more likely you can find mandates to work on.
