Happy Business Birthday ‘Isabelle Williams - Recruiting Recruiters’. The ups and downs of the journey so far!

*1 year in at ‘Isabelle Williams – Recruiting Recruiters!’*

And what a year!

I started my business at the back end of 2019, initially sorting all the basics of setting up a business ready to hit the ground running in January.

And hit the ground running I did!

The local economy seemed to be booming.

The positive reactions to my business development calls surprised me.

I was impressed by the quality and offerings of our regional recruitment agencies.

I became addicted to recruitment again, working day and night.

It felt almost a bit too good to be true!

Then Covid hit!!

I had pretty much made 3 placements to that point, but all 3 processes stalled.

A Director from an extremely successful business called me to say that his other ‘Rec to Rec’ was on furlough, can I help him continue his growth plans?

I carried on working with a select few clients while the kids were off school, combining work and home educating for 6 months!! I will forever be grateful for their support.

Having worked in the industry for 20 years, I understood this was the time I needed to focus on my relationships with passive potential candidates.

At this point, Recruitment agencies no longer needed me for Consultants with less than 2 years’ experience. Sadly, too many at this level had been forced into the marketplace.

I was on hand to offer advice to people facing redundancy, but frustratingly it was difficult for me to ‘open up’ opportunities for them.

So, I spent my time mapping the market, identifying talent, understanding Consultants and Managers motivations, offering advice, and nurturing these relationships.

Thank you September and the schools/clubs reopening!

September came and I had childcare for the kids again, along with there being more positivity in the marketplace, this is when things started moving properly.

I arranged interviews held ‘at the park bench!’

I had an awakening as to how difficult ‘Rec to Rec’ is and what a risk I had taken! I had to learn new skills and work in a hugely different way to the Office Support sector I had been recruiting in most recently.

However, I managed to uncover some fantastic talent and facilitated some incredible moves.

I am humbled that these highly successful Directors and Senior Consultants chose to work with me exclusively for their next move.

I am proud to have placed someone who may hold the title for billing the most revenue in a year in their city, ever!!

I’ve enjoyed helping people earlier in their recruitment career to embark on a path I am so passionate about.

Thank you!

I am hugely grateful to everyone who has supported me this last year, I cannot express my gratitude enough.

A particular thanks to everyone who has ever liked, commented, or shared one of my posts.

This simple act is such a boost to a new business owner, or someone setting up a new desk.

With no colleagues as yet, I can’t email my team asking for their support in this way!

To all my amazing clients and wonderful candidates, I can honestly say that you have inspired me.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all this year and am looking forward to developing our relationships in the coming years.

Moving forward….

I am hoping to be able to answer the question someone asked me once.

‘If you as a ‘Recruitment to Recruitment’ business, recruit Recruitment Consultants for Recruitment agencies, who recruits the Recruitment Consultants for the ‘Recruitment to Recruitment’ company?!! 😊

Thank you for reading,

Victoria Shirley