An Interview with Claire & Rob Bond – Director Bond Williams Professional Recruitment
Local female entrepreneur Claire Bond launched Bond Williams Professional Recruitment in June 2004; we talked to her about recruitment, retention, and the marketplace locally.
How and why did you start Bond Williams?
I was working locally in the recruitment marketplace for a number of years and saw a gap in the market for a local independent recruitment agency that could provide a more consultative approach to recruitment. This approach has continued over the past 19 years allowing us to grow and has been well received by both the clients and candidates.
How would you describe the culture of your organisation?
We have established an enviable reputation within the local marketplace for our honesty, integrity, and high quality of service. We consult with our clients and aim to ‘take the weight off their shoulders’ to do what it takes to get the job done, creatively, quickly, and efficiently. Everyone within the business takes ownership of service and delivery to our clients.
It has been a busy 19 years for you, how has the company changed?
We have grown considerably over the years due to business demands and we work with some of the most prestigious clients across the country now; we support both large corporate and smaller independent companies, providing the same consistent high quality of service. We have specialist consultants who are experts in their field recruiting across 5 specialist sectors Office, HR, Accounting & Finance, IT and Science, Space & Engineering.
Looking at Bond Williams Customer base what is a “typical client”?
Our clients range from a start-up business looking to build a new team during those early periods of growth, through to large corporates growing departments and expanding their headcount. More importantly all of our clients have a dedicated team assigned to them that work together to ensure they have a thorough understanding of both the business and the type of person they are looking for in order to find that high quality prospective new employee.
What are customers looking for in today’s market?
Some businesses are simply looking for the ‘cheapest hire’ and we are probably not the right company to support them. As we all know, the cheapest is not always the best and there is a reason for that! When our clients engage with us, they are getting over 250 years of combined recruitment experience and market knowledge coupled with the latest advances in talent acquisition technology to source individuals carefully selected for their business. Whilst we might not be the cheapest, we are quick to react and using our resources and knowledge makes for a very cost-effective and successful recruitment solution.
Ultimately our clients look to work in partnership with us, sourcing exceptional talent, saving them time, thus allowing them to do their day job and ultimately save money. In lowering attrition rates candidates stay for the longer-term and ultimately this adds considerable value to their business.
How has the marketplace changed?
The marketplace has changed considerably over the years and continues to go through cycles. Currently there is a high volume of jobs in the marketplace, over 1million in the UK at the last count and a shortage of skilled high-quality candidates not to mention Brexit. Clients are fishing from the same talent pools which has created a tightening within the marketplace. Homeworking has helped increased the size of the talent pool for many, but it has also further increased the competition for talent in sectors that wouldn’t have previously been an issue and therefore have been forced to increase and often over inflate salaries which has become a real sticking point for many.
What advice would you give to employers?
Everything needs to be on the table. Look at your brand, are you promoting it enough? Is it selling your company values? Is your recruitment process fit for purpose? Are there areas you can improve? Look at employee wellbeing and benefits strategies, making sure they are in keeping with what the market is looking for. If you can’t offer higher salaries, can you offer flexible working? People need to think creatively more than ever at the moment.
When looking at retaining staff, employers need to consider their wellbeing and benefits packages, career progression, training opportunities and even flexible working arrangements as they are all key factors in not only retaining candidates but also attracting candidates from other companies, especially if the salaries are quite similar.
And for Recruiting staff?
Staff attrition costs companies time and a considerable amount of money. It is currently a candidate driven market with candidates having multiple offers on the table. It is not always the quickest company to make an offer (this is still particularly important) but also the flexible working, benefits packages, company values and purpose that will be the tipping point for candidates nowadays.
If a client is having difficulty recruiting, what should they do?
Call us, have an initial call or a face-to-face meeting with one of our experts to discuss the frustrations you are facing in the marketplace, and we will work with you to find a solution. If you are currently working with a recruiter, make sure they really understand your company and your marketplace, and they are selling your opportunity in the right way. Are they experienced enough specialist recruiters to have those pools of candidates in mind, think creatively and tap into those passive candidates? Make sure they are producing high quality shortlists of potential future employees and, most importantly, do their due diligence by talking to those candidates prior to submitting them to your roles. That should avoid a lot of failed interviews or poorly matched candidates in the first instance.
And finally, how would you describe Bond Williams?
Bond Williams is an independent recruitment agency committed to understanding the needs of our clients and candidates, the team at Bond Williams Professional Recruitment go the extra mile every day. With over 250 years’ combined experience across three offices, we have been successfully placing high-quality candidates with prestigious employers since 2004.
Our consultants recruit permanent, temporary, and interim roles at all levels and are specialists in our five core divisions. Accounting & Finance, Office & Commercial, HR, IT & Software Solutions and Engineering, Science & Space. If you are looking for a job or need to fill a vacancy across the south of England, London, the Midlands and beyond, we can help.
