Tell us about your career journey so far?
My early career was spent working at Reeds Rains Estate Agents in Manchester City Centre. For 8 years, I worked across various offices with a focus on the rental market, and by 2009 I ran the Middlewich Branch over-seeing both sales and rentals.

In 2012 it was time for a new challenge, and I moved to Illingworth Ingham Timber Merchants into the position of Assistant Branch Manager. I then had the opportunity to run the Crompton Road branch in Macclesfield where I increased turnover 2.5 times until moving back to the Hurdsfield branch in 2019 to run the branch.

Why did you join GCS Associates?
After being at Illingworth’s for 10 years it was time for a new challenge. I knew of GCS Associates as they recruit into the Merchant sector and I knew I would have a lot of sector knowledge to bring into the team, as well as sales experience. I started at GCS Associates in Feb 2022 as a Recruitment Consultant covering the Construction Supplies sector.

It’s a refreshing change and a great team to work with every day!

What’s your role at GCS?
Currently my main role is the ‘resourcing’ side of the job which is basically learning the best ways to attract and engage with potential candidates. We use in-depth online searches and relevant advertising to attract the right kind of person for our clients, taking into consideration not just skillset but also culture fit.

The main thing I’ve learnt about recruitment is that job isn’t just waiting for people to reply to adverts – the vast majority of our time is spent actively headhunting for the best candidates.

What kind of roles are you working on at the moment?
Variety is the spice of life and as GCS Associates recruit for every type of position within the Construction Supplies sector, I’ve already recruited for lots of different roles – from Branch Management positions to internal sales and trade counter roles.

What’s the best thing about working at GCS or what gives you job satisfaction?
It’s very satisfying when you know you’re putting the right person into a role that will suit them and the employer.

I am also pleasantly surprised how people are happy to speak to us about their career goals and what might be a good next move for them. This job has changed my perception of the value a good recruitment consultant can bring to both employers and people looking for new jobs.

Tell me about how you help clients and candidates?
Regarding clients, it’s important we build up a picture of exactly what kind of person the client requires. This is crucial and saves a lot of time in the long run as we can then only put forward candidates which are the best fit for their organisation.

This really works – as if we find someone who fits in well to their new job then they will be happier in the role, if they are happier then they will be more productive and if they are more productive then that’s exactly what the employer wants.

It’s just about being helpful, informative, and really listening to our clients and candidates.

What do you do outside of work?
Spending time with my family and I am particularly passionate about most outdoor pursuits like hillwalking and cycling.

My house also needs a lot of work which also keeps me very busy in my spare time!

Tell us about your career so far?
I originally started my career as an amateur golfer. At the age of 21 after spending 3 years in the USA, I turned professional and traveled to Europe & the Middle East to compete professionally.

I then spent 5 years in the UAE working within Real Estate progressing through the ranks, learning my trade in sales before moving back to the UK. After returning to the UK, I wanted a role that represented the harder I worked the more potential there is, and Recruitment was just that.

I instilled the work ethic I had developed in Dubai into the UK recruitment industry and quickly came to grips with the market. After joining an agency and really enjoying working in the Recruitment sector, I made the decision to work for myself. I focused on Construction and Engineering and really immersed myself in those sectors, gaining a wealth of knowledge which I now gladly bring to the GCS Associates team.

Why did you join GCS?
I joined GCS because I believe in what they’re doing. Their focus on Engineering and my background within Engineering is a great match. I look forward to finding jobs for as many people as possible and bringing onboard my existing clients plus introducing new ones.

What’s your role at GCS?
My job as GCS is a Recruitment Consultant, specialising in Construction and Engineering. My role is to really get to know my clients & their teams then match the best candidates to their business, ensuring not only a skills fit but a cultural fit as well.

This approach really helps with our client’s retention rates and means their new recruits stay with them for a long time!

The absolute best part of my job though, is making the phone call to the successful candidate and telling them they have secured a new position.

It gives me job satisfaction to know I’m helping someone with their career goals!  My hope is to be making those calls more than ever this year and at GCS I have no doubt this will happen.

How do you help Clients & Candidates?
I believe in honesty when it comes to my clients. A lot of recruiters tell clients what they want to hear which in turn leads to failure in the partnership. Transparency is key and it’s important to provide accurate information on the current market.

I also help clients by securing the perfect candidates for their business. This, in turn, means I build long term partnerships and take on the role as trusted recruitment advisor for my clients. It’s important to me that I build long term relationships.

What do you do outside of work?
I continue to play golf. I regained my amateur status upon returning from Dubai and look forward to arranging a GCS Golf Competition for our clients and candidates soon (when COVID allows, of course!).

Tell us about your career so far?
I began my career as a Yard Assistant at Jewson, straight from school when I was 16. I worked there for 12 years in total, progressing into roles such as Yard and Transport Supervisor, Counter Sales, Internal Sales, External Sales Executive for several branches.

I moved into a Branch Manager role for Build Centre, who Jewson then acquired, then moved to Wienerberger driving sales of brick into Builders Merchants. Then I went to EH Smith in a national specification sales role for their Porotherm division.

I returned to Jewson as a Business Unit Sales Manager looking after the external sales team then most recently, I was a Group Sales Manager for a local independent family business where I implemented and ran the external sales team whilst looking after key accounts.  After many years working in the Merchant sector I’ve now taken on a new challenge as Business Development Director at GCS – the leading recruitment company within the Merchant and Building Supplies sector.

Why did you join GCS?
I’ve known Mike Parry & GCS in general for many years. GCS are the recruitment specialist in the sector I worked in, and we had discussed potential career moves in the past.

What really drew me to GCS was the fact it’s a smaller, fast-growing, and ambitious business where I can really make a difference. My new job as Business Development Director at GCS is an exciting opportunity plus means I can change careers yet retain and utilise the knowledge I’ve acquired within the Merchant & Building Supplies sectors.

What’s your role at GCS?
My role as Business Development Director is to speak to new and existing customers about their long- and short-term recruitment plans. Whether it be one-off Executive level hires or a retained recruitment solution to make sure businesses always have access to the best talent in the market. We also offer services like Employers Branding and Video services to help our clients retain and attract new people.

I am not only working in the Merchant and Building Supplies sectors but also Manufacturing and Engineering, as those are the key areas GCS specialise in.

How do you help Clients & Candidates?
I help clients by getting know and understanding their business. By visiting their sites, meeting them and their staff and drawing from my experience so truly understand the exact person required for a certain role in terms of skillset and culture it – this approach saves time and money for all!  Also help to help highlight and offer the other recruitment options we can offer – there is massive benefit to businesses by partnering with a specialist recruitment business such as GCS

I help candidates by being able to talk from experience and helping them to understand the next steps in their career – helping with interview and presentation prep etc.

What do you do outside of work?
I’m passionate about fitness, particularly strength training. I’ve trained since I was 11 and have coaching qualifications in boxing, self-defence & calisthenics.  I am also a football coach and have football and goalkeeping FA badges plus coach my two young boys football teams.

After that I enjoy spending time with the family, good films, and great holidays!