By Michael Allen of Brightred Resourcing Limited
In today’s economic climate, how do you reassure your clients that your company follows through the promises it makes? In the UK, the recruitment industry frequently boasts about offering an exemplary quality of service, when in reality it often falls short. There is a growing trend of internet-based recruiters who charge a one-off fee to routinely flood organisations with unchecked candidate CVs. It is then the job of the client to trawl through this tidal wave of CVs in the hope that they will find what they are looking for. Additionally, there are countless agencies out there that say they meet all their clients and interview all their candidates, when in fact they very rarely do.
I’m pleased to say that this faceless way of operating is not one I endorse. When I first entered the industry fresh from University, I was hungry to learn and eager to climb the professional ladder. Penniless and full of optimism I took the first job I was offered with a US recruitment firm who had just opened their first office in the UK, where I progressed from trainee resource, through various sales roles, to eventually opening and running a prestigious office in the City of London. I left after eleven years, needing a change of scene, but when I look back I am grateful to have had the opportunity to cut my teeth in a business that prioritised quality over quantity. The leadership there invested significant time and financial resources to build a gold standard customer service culture and, all these years later I lead my own company, Brightred Resourcing Limited, with the same high values.
I launched Brightred in 2005, starting with a team of three, and we have grown steadily to twelve people over ten years. Our clients have consistently told us our value is in both the strength of our relationships with them, and the candidates we represent. They fully support the fact that we take time to meet them personally, getting to grips with their specific requirements in terms of candidate roles, cultural alignment, and more importantly our understanding of how to deliver what they need, first time. They are reassured that we also meet prospective candidates face-to-face to secure an excellent working partnership. I value integrity in the workplace at all times, and as a team we work hard to recruit not just anyone to fill a role but to find the very best fit. I am proud that we deliver great people who work for great companies and we are committed to supporting the respective parties throughout the whole process.
The recruitment industry is now at the start of a significant growth phase. Coming out of a poor economic climate, we know it is imperative that as a business we grasp each and every opportunity presented to us. Our clients are sensing this and are asking for faster, bigger, stronger results meaning that already this year, we have seen a huge number of requests coming through. However, if a client wants someone to start the following day, we will sometimes ask for forty-eight hours instead to give us a little longer to get the right person and not rush it. It is all part of living with the constant tension of delivering candidates quickly, but with prudent placement in a professional manner.
The same is true of course when it comes to the vision for Brightred. Do we expand rapidly to meet the growing demands of a more robust economy, or do we take time to build from the grass roots more organically, in order that our foundations remain strong for the years ahead? Without doubt, one of the key ways we are investing in the future for the company is the bringing in of apprentices, in partnership with Learn Direct. I am happy to report that Zohra Hussain, our first apprentice, has now completed her course and is in full-time employment with us. I want more of this and I hope Zohra and others will take on key leadership roles in recruitment, account development and customer support in the future. Our second apprentice, Ross, should complete his programme shortly, and with luck, we will be adding two more to our programme in the near future. Look out for Zohra’s experiences of life as an apprentice with Brightred in the next blog.
As a rugby fanatic, I know the value of a good team dynamic to get the job done and win. Everyone at Brightred has a unique role, and because we are a happy team, our individual strengths complement one another and the team. This is the key to success. We all work for the same goal. I may be the Managing Director, but I am still here to deliver great people to great clients. I am first and foremost a great recruiter who wants to be valued by our clients and candidates alike. We work in an open-plan office, and everyone has access to one another at all times. In the end, if you are a company that does what it promises to do, you have to deliver with integrity and consistency in every sphere of business. That is, and always will be, my number one priority.
If you are interested in becoming part of an exciting journey in a rewarding environment, or know someone who might, please get in touch with me.
Michael Allen
mallen@brightred.com
February 2015
