Growing a business involves spinning hundreds of plates and if one drops, you can be sure there’s a cascade of pottery to follow. Recruitment is one of those plates. Hiring the right people is so intrinsic to your success that it shouldn’t be left to chance.

RecruitmentJunky and Strategic Partnerships Manager, Kayleigh Gibbs, empowers businesses to tap into the talent they need so they can focus on what they do best – running their business.

Let’s get to know her a little better, shall we?

What’s your background? How did you become a RecruitmentJunky?

I started my career working in fin tech sales for First Data. Working for a global payments leader exposed me to some great experiences which have stood me in good stead for understanding the needs of the businesses we partner with at RecruitmentJunky.

Another role that really helped shape my career was working at Capita Resourcing. I worked in different roles across the business for 5 years, eventually becoming a Supply Chain Manager. I’d work with different stakeholders to ensure all suppliers were fully supported and engaged with Capita’s objectives. It was a great role but the work life balance didn’t compliment having a young family, so I left to focus on supporting them.

Having always operated in a B2B space you get to understand the needs and challenges of a business. I always got a buzz out of helping organisations solve them, and admittedly, that was something I missed when I became a full time mum.

I looked into going back to work a few times but felt really disheartened. The options that afforded the flexibility I needed to be there for my kids were very slim. I wanted to be back in a business environment- working cleaning or hospitality jobs around the school run wasn’t going to work for me.

That’s why it seemed meant to be when I got speaking to Terry – who is now my lovely colleague – as our children go to the same school. One thing led to another and I couldn’t be happier in my role. RecruitmentJunky is a really family orientated business that allows you to make work work for you. I can be a great mum and have a great job. There is no either or and that’s been such a refreshing experience.

As Strategic Partnerships Manager, what would you like businesses to know about RecruitmentJunky before you approach them?

That we genuinely care about helping their business by placing the right candidate first time.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, working with recruiters and being a job seeker and I understand why people have their reservations about working with recruitment agencies. You see it a lot on LinkedIn where recruiter bashing is like a sport. There is no smoke without fire and there certainly are agencies, as in any sector, who don’t have their customers or candidates best in their interests at heart.

Traditional agency models only benefit the agencies and create commission structures which pit recruiters against each other. We really get to know our partners and candidates on a personal level so it’s not salesy for us, it’s about finding both parties the best fit for them. So if that’s doing interview prep with candidates, or spending that extra half a day understanding a business’s internal processes we’ll do it.

What advice would you give to job hunters at the moment?

I’d implore them to use every resource available to them – and that includes speaking to a recruiter. We’re here to help and we want to help. We support our candidates writing their CV’s, we’ll run through mock interviews to build their confidence and only ever put people forward for roles they stand a chance at getting. Recruitment is all about connecting people and there’s no better feeling when we can make that happen.

I really feel for everyone looking for a job at the moment. It’s difficult at the best of times but the additional stresses and pressure of looking for a role in the current pandemic is making it even harder. Rejection is an inevitable part of a job search and you can’t let that knock your confidence or get you down. Utilise the time to work on personal branding on your CV and LinkedIn profiles, or try and fill your skills gaps with online courses. There’s some great free resources available. Ultimately, it’s about keeping at it and not giving up hope in the face of adversity!

A self confessed RecruitmentJunky that loves the B2B buzz, Kayleigh always welcomes a chat from businesses looking for top talent to build out their teams.