How long have you been with Bond Williams?
I have been part of Bond Williams since September 2009, wow nearly 15 years!
What do you like most about working at Bond Williams?
I like working at Bond Williams because it offers the freedom to manage and develop my own workload/desk. I like the team as well and consider it a 2nd family. We really do have a laugh as well.
What do you recruit for in your area?
Bond Williams Accounting & Finance are specialists in finance recruitment for commerce and industry, practice, public sector and not-for-profit across all levels of roles from trainees and accounts assistants, to finance managers & Directors to boardroom CFO’s. We supply staffing solutions on a permanent, interim, contract, or temporary basis. We cover mainly the Dorset and Hampshire area, but we have had requests to recruit as far as Newcastle, Scotland and London for some clients.
How has the market been for your division over the past year?
The market has been very tight for good candidates, and we have learnt to move very quickly with these and have and continue to encourage our clients to do the same. We have lost good people through slow recruitment practices. The good people are being snapped up very quickly and often may have more than one offer on the table.
What trends do you see developing in your marketplace? What future roles do you think will be more in demand?
As an agency and an employer, we really need to ensure someone really is motivated to move roles and understand their reasoning. Candidates could lack a genuine motivation to move and are active on the job market just to see what other roles are available to secure a counteroffer from their current employer which wastes everyone’s time. When actually just having the conversation with your current employer could resolve the frustration and from a company perspective if you don’t want to lose someone ensure they are engaged, it may not just be a money issue, can you flex your benefits and are you are paying them what they are worth, not just after they have been offered another role. They have partly checked out at this point if they are seriously looking, and you could still lose someone you have counter offered potentially within 6 months.
What are the biggest issues for candidates in your marketplace?
Candidates are currently in the driving seat and good ones if active on the job market have multiple jobs to consider, so their biggest issue is making the right choice for their family situation/career.
What are the biggest issues for clients in your marketplace?
The biggest issue for clients now is being able to fill open vacancies with good candidates. They are learning that they need to move very quickly to secure good candidates, but this may also involve offering more flexibility and higher salaries. However, these benefits/salary increases may need to be rolled out to current employees and affect their bottom line.
What advice would you give to candidates?
If you are counter-offered by your employer, it is flattering to think they want to keep you but think about why they are doing this and what your reasons were for looking in the first place. Work with your agency of choice and always keep in touch with them throughout your job search. Don’t ‘ghost’ them – you may have lots of opportunities now, but you may need to come back to them in the future.
What advice would you give to clients?
Try to understand what is important to your staff especially considering the changes that have taken place in the last couple of years to retain the people you have and attract new people – flexible working, sensible working hours and good holiday are the key factors for candidates now. What you offered previously may not be as relevant now so take time to review these or survey your current employees.
You have been in Recruitment now for over 30 years, why have you stayed in it for so long?
I like to play a small part in helping companies and candidates grow and develop.
I like the fact that every day is different, it is fast paced and challenging as people are so different and diverse. I love helping people start out in their careers and continue to support them through their changing roles and offering companies the benefit of my expertise which allows me the foresight to think creatively and tap into my huge network to uncover some real gems of talent. The team I work with are also important to me, we laugh, we cry, and they really become a 2nd family to you.
And finally, what do you do to relax after a busy day in recruitment?
I enjoy swimming, photography and reading.
