Steven is out of the starting blocks and in the race
So, we couldn’t resist the chance to catch up with Steven, who joined our team just 2 months ago, to find out how he is getting on and how he feels now his feet are a little more under the table!
We asked him to write how he feels about being part of our team, what he looks forward to and that one word that describes moving into a more sales driven role having spent so many years working in a manufacturing/production environment. We sat him down with a coffee and a hob-nob and asked him to summarise.
Here is what he had to say.
“In the two months I have been working with Patrick, I can honestly say, it’s been really enjoyable. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realise this is actually work, but perhaps don’t tell Patrick that!
In all seriousness, my first two months have proven to be amazing. I really did hit the ground running and within a matter of weeks I was securing my first placement with more to work on. What has struck me about the process we have here is the level of integrity and interest in the clients’ businesses. This has enabled me to get cracking so quickly as I have spent so long on the other side of the fence! I was that production and engineering manager who hired from recruitment agencies and had the job of sifting through the shortlisted candidates to find the right one.
However, the way we operate here is very much about being client-led and again, this gives me such a strong advantage. I appreciate the engineering environment and having seen over my career the inside workings of a factory; I know what makes a successful team. Understanding operational matters means I see beyond the placement opportunity. Bringing practical experience to the table places me in a good position to be able to have very honest conversations with clients about their wider team. I am so excited about my success so far and this has fired me up so much for the future. I never take anything for granted but I have a confidence about where I can take the role.
During my career I have always found it to be communication that lies at the heart of production environment. Understanding each other, knowing processes and clear communication are vital. These skills combined with the ability to use machinery is the way for a production environment to run more efficiently. Those people who have shown they can take on board comments and take that constructively are always the ones that succeed. In my career, I particularly enjoyed seeing people grow and develop and have always been driven to develop and maintain a strong team culture.
Whilst its good to look back and make best use of my skills and knowledge gained over a 30-year career, it’s the future that does excite me. Just in the two months I have been here, I can already see how, why and where my expertise is so well placed. I am enjoying talking to clients and probing so I can understand their specific points of view and goals. Its their story that we sell to the candidates. I love the phrase “tell it how it is” – that applies so much in my role. We avoid saying that an engineering environment is all sparkly and smiles like Strictly Come Dancing when in fact that’s not the case! I suppose it is reality but in the truest sense of the word! We need to find the right fit for a culture too, so, we need to understand how robust the person needs to be for example, what is a day really like in the factory!
Recently, I have been using the phrase, “engineer yourself for success” I think this describes very much the approach that candidates need to take. Because we are so dedicated to providing people who stay in a business, we enjoy exploring the market for those individuals who carry forward the values we stand for; Intentional, Authentic and Passionate.
I have had a reputation in my career as the “get it done man” People asked me if they needed anything and the phrase always was “ask Steven, he will know”. I enjoyed having that tag in many ways and the fact I enjoyed it has stuck with me. Whilst my experience has been within manufacturing environments, this move into recruitment has just demonstrated the power of transferrable processes. I spent years thinking in terms of process and this is exactly the same. We are the cogs in the machine ensuring the end product is the right fit for our clients.
If I had to offer one piece of advice to someone entering a manufacturing environment, I would say its persevere – keep going and take on board feedback! Perseverance is power.
My final note is how I feel about moving into a client led consultancy type of role is – liberating”.
ENDS