Meet The Team: Simon Cain, Recruitment Consultant

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!