2 March 2022 Tell us about yourself & A+F Recruitment
I am in my mid 30’s and happily engaged with 2 young kids(a girl and a boy). I live in Tallaght, albeit I am originally from mayo (the heartache of following Mayo GAA-I truly know!). I would describe myself as a devout Newcastle United fan (more heartache!) and a keen lover of folk music.
A+F Recruitment are very much a 21st century recruitment firm who provide top talent to leading organisations both nationally and internationally in the accounting and finance space.
Tell us about your background
I am a qualified accountant with many years of experience having worked in practice and financial services/industry. I have plenty of experience working month end, but also loads of experience of the day to day of working in accountancy practice.
How did you get into recruitment?
I wanted a change from finance and I craved a more people focused role. Customer care is something I take very seriously and in recruitment I enjoy this aspect when dealing with both clients and candidates alike. The idea of being a ‘headhunter’ and of having a target driven role was of great appeal also.
How has your background helped you in your role?
It has helped for sure in terms of hitting the ground running in recruiting in the accountancy and finance space. For instance, it gives me a considerable degree of commonality with many candidates I speak to in the accountancy and finance space as I can share similar experiences and stories with them. In saying that, I do not believe it is absolutely necessary to have had a working background in a domain to succeed in recruiting in such domain. Hunger and a desire to learn can quickly overcome an initial lack of knowledge.
Why did you chose to join A+F Recruitment?
The Vertical Markets Group, of which A+F Recruitment is part of, carries a superb reputation as a recruitment agency. This was very clear to me from my research prior to joining. I spoke to people who had many, many years of experience in recruitment about their view of the brand. The feedback was very positive.
Whilst A+F Recruitment is a serious grown-up business focused on exceptional delivery to clients and candidates, it is particularly noteworthy to me that there is not the feeling of each and every single action being KPI orientated.
What have seen change in the industry over the last few years?
Considering I started in recruitment circa 6 months before the pandemic, it is fair to say I have seen massive changes in the recruitment industry, and in business in general.
The biggest of course is the move away from being office based to the hybrid/remote model. Whilst working remotely and so forth has been welcome, I do look forward to moving back to a degree of office based working and face to face interaction.
Hybrid/remote working has changed everything. The location aspect has become of lesser importance when hiring is occurring.
It is great to see businesses hiring on virtual interviews alone!
What do you like about your role?
One of the things I enjoy most about my role is the autonomy I have over my desk. I get to build and develop my desk in my area of preference within accountancy and finance.
The variety of work is also great. Every day is different, and you just never know what direction a day may take. Perhaps today may be working exclusively with a candidate and exploring the market with them, whilst tomorrow I may be actively sourcing talent for an urgent new hire with a trusted client.
Lastly, the fact that I can work from any location (most of the time) is a huge plus also.
What makes you stay in A+F Recruitment?
The main factor that has made me stay is without the team who are great to work with!
The fact that flexible working is offered is also a huge benefit. Spending hours commuting daily is simply not a feature when working here.
The working environment is such that any tools/training needed to perform one’s role to the best of one’s ability are readily provided. This is very important, as for instance it is vital to have the means to access the very best talent to be at the top of your profession as a recruitment consultant.
A+F Recruitment is undoubtedly a progressive organization, and the entire Vertical Markets Brand possesses a significant digital footprint.
Last but not least, lots of excellent recruitment consultants work here. It is great to work with, and to learn from, the best!
What’s your favourite thing about A+F Recruitment?
I would say the team ethos is the best element of working here. Everybody has individual targets of course, yet at the same stage the entire Vertical Markets Group are working together to help one another.
What makes A+F Recruitment Unique?
I would say A+F Recruitment are very much a prime example of a modern day recruitment firm. It is a results orientated business with a high appreciation of ethics. There is no chasing of KPI’s purely such as to tick a box. Different recruiters work by different means, which is considered fine as long as the desired results are being achieved.
Furthermore, A+F Recruitment have a keen appreciation of the way business is developing in the 21st century and the resultant importance of developing a firm digital footprint.
Lastly, A+F Recruitment are extremely flexible with regard to employee working arrangements.
