Welcome to Who Runs The Rec World? The podcast that provides stories of success and the journeys it takes to get there by females in recruitment.
Each episode covers a different career journey and aims to give females support and advice, in order to help them become successful and thrive within the industry.
Season 1 | Ep 12 – Jill Bassett on “Don’t question whether you are good enough”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Jill Bassett, Operations Director and Board Director of ManpowerGroup and Brand Leader for Talent Solutions.
Jill started her career journey off in the retail world and worked her way up to manage a number of different stores in the Sears Womenswear Group. After deciding she wanted to move into a new niche, but continue in management, Jill applied for a Branch Manager role at Manpower after seeing an advert in a retail magazine.
After taking a sideways career step to move into recruitment, Jill has had an incredibly successful career that has seen her progress from a Recruitment Consultant to a Board Director.
In today’s episode Jill talks about overcoming challenges that come with taking over new teams, and discusses how putting herself up for opportunities and continually pushing herself outside of her comfort zone has allowed her to continually progress her career. Jill also praises her team at Manpower for allowing her maternity leave to be smooth sailing, and compliments her supportive family unit for allowing her to juggle personal life with a demanding career.
25 Aug 2021
Season 1 | Ep 11 – Sam Smith on “Coming out of the services into what we call civvy street was a real culture shock!”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Sam Smith, Vice President and Managing Director of KellyOCG.
Sam started her career journey in the Royal Air Force as a Mechanical Engineer- a job she had dreamed of and thought she would be in for life. After leaving the Forces, Sam fell into recruitment after using a recruitment agency to help her find a new role. Sam has now been in the industry for almost 20 years!
In this episode, Sam talks about the culture shock she faced when entering the world of recruitment. She speaks openly about having her son, and lessons learnt from juggling work and family life. Sam also touches upon the importance of staying true to yourself and gives tips on how to set up a healthy work life balance.
21 Jul 2021
Season 1 | Ep 10 – Melanie Forbes on “know your value! Four of my days were potentially worth six of someone else’s”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Melanie Forbes, Managing Director of APSCo Outsource.
Mel fell into the recruitment industry after stumbling into a Manpower branch on her local high street, looking for a change in career. A week later she was hired as a Recruitment Consultant and she has now been in the industry for over 30 years – with a focus on the outsourcing market.
In today’s episode Mel talks about being able to see the opportunity and progression recruitment was able to offer her, and discusses having some great male and female leaders to look up to throughout her career. She touches upon working part time whist she had her children, and talks about how having a really supportive network allowed both her and her husband, to build on their successful and demanding careers, whilst bringing up their children.
16 Jun 2021
Season 1 | Ep 9 – Michelle Watson on “I was absolutely hell bent on being the first!”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Michelle Watson, ex Managing Director of Michael Page & External Board Advisor.
After starting her career training to be an accountant and deciding she needed a change, Michelle walked into Michael Page looking for them to help her find the right switch in career, and walked out as a Part Qualified Recruiter! Michelle has now spent 25 years in the industry!
In this episode Michelle talk about her journey from corporate to consultancy. She explains that having some strong male sponsors really helped her with her journey to become one of the first female Managing Directors at Michael Page, and talks about the difficulties of having children when both parents have thriving careers!
2 Jun 2021
Season 1 | Ep 8 – Lauren Bland on “I’ve got this, I can do this!”
In today’s episode, I was joined by one to Watch, Lauren Bland, Principal Consultant at Degreeix Recruitment.
After spending a number of years working within the care industry, Lauren entered the world of recruitment after being head hunted by one of the Directors at DegreeSix. In less than 3 years, Lauren worked her way up from Associate Consultant to Principal Consultant and is now working towards management.
In this episode Lauren talks about how rocky her first year in recruitment really was, she speaks openly about struggling with mental health and having anxiety- regularly questioning if recruitment was for her. After overcoming these hurdles and having some great success, Lauren talks about how much she now loves her job and is keen to take her career in recruitment as far as it will go!
19 May 2021
Season 1 | Ep 7 – Donna Owen on “Own being a woman in recruitment because it’s actually a great thing”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Donna Owen, Head of Sales at Vincere.
Donna unexpectedly fell into recruitment after answering a client call whilst working as an Accountant within a boutique recruitment agency! After having a successful career in recruitment, working both in agency and for herself, Donna was keen to join the tech sector after feeling constantly frustrated with the tech she was using. As Head of Sales at Vincere, Donna is now “weaponising recruiters through technology”, and helping out thousands who share her frustrations with the tech in the industry!
In this episode Donna talks about having some “kick arse” female role models throughout her career. She explains how she decided to work for herself when she had her first two children due to lack of flexibility in the workplace, and delves into how her success affected her first marriage, highlighting the importance of a supportive family unit.
4 May 2021
Season 1 | Ep 6 – Kershia Broughton on “I wanted to be a woman in business”
In today’s episode, I was joined by one to watch, Kershia Broughton, Interim Executive Search Consultant at Forsyth Barnes.
After spending a number of years as a competitive figure skater and coach, Kershia jumped into the world of recruitment starting her career at Hays. After an impressive 6 months at Hays, on a Temp Administration desk, she was headhunted by Forsyth Barnes, and was given the opportunity to mix her career in recruitment with her passion for sport, on a Tech into Sports and Entertainment desk.
In today’s episode Kershia talks about going from transitional recruitment to exec search and overcoming the fear that came with it; entering Forsyth Barnes as the only female rec con in the office; desk changes, and how she enjoys proving her market knowledge to clients after being mansplained in a male dominated environment.
21 Apr 2021
Season 1 | Ep 5 – Mel Venner on “Anyone who tries to sell the myth to us as females that you can have it all is selling a lie- there are always compromises along the way”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Mel Venner, Performance consultant and Director of instinct performance.
Mel got into recruitment through a graduate rec 2 rec after completing a Degree in Neuroscience. After a successful career as a Contract Recruiter at S3, she transitioned into L&D and training, after feeling the training in the industry could be improved. Mel now owns her own business which leverages her past experience by offering support around sales & recruitment, Leadership and management , D*I and Internal training.
Mel talks about the struggles and benefits of being a female in a male dominated market sector and industry. She also delves into how open and honest she has been in the past, when asking potential future employers what they have in place for when she eventually chooses to have children.
If you would like to reach out to Mel, please contact her on LinkedIn or mel@instinct-performance.co.uk (mailto:mel@instinct-performance.co.uk)
Instinct-performance.co.uk
7 Apr 2021
Season 1 | Ep 4 – Poonam Mawani on “I’m no wallflower”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Poonam Mawani, Director of Azuki Accounts.
Poonam has spent over 10 years working within the recruitment industry in a finance capacity. She was working in an accountancy firm when she watched an episode of Dragons Den and thought “wouldn’t it be great working for one of these guys”. After writing into the Dragons Poonam managed to secure herself a role working for a company chaired by James Caan. This is where she got her first experienced of working for recruitment clients!
Poonam then went on to work in house for a recruitment business, contracted whilst she had her first 2 children, and in 2016 she opened up her own firm offering accountancy services to Recruitment Clients.
In this episode Poonam talks about taking her 1 week old baby into the office after giving birth a week early, and how she continued to work as a contractor whilst having 2 children in the space of a year!
24 Mar 2021
Season 1 | Ep 3 – *Special Episode* Clare Trotter talks WFH tips, yoga and leads a guided relaxation
In today’s episode, I was re-joined by Clare Trotter, Recruitment Leader and Yoga Therapist.
After talking through her career journey in episode 2, Clare and I received a number of questions about yoga and switching off whist working from home. Clare kindly agreed to come back on the show to answer some of your questions and lead a guided relaxation!
(Guided Relaxation starts at 57:45)
If you have any further questions about yoga please get in touch with Clare on via email at hello@stillnessspace.com or visit her website www.stillnessspace.com
3 Mar 2021
Season 1 | Ep 2 – Clare Trotter on "If something feels right, you have to take that risk!"
In today’s episode I was joined by Clare Trotter, a Recruitment Leader and Yoga therapist.
Clare started her career journey as an Accountant. After working in-house with a client who was a recruitment company, she decided recruitment was something she wanted to have a go at herself. She has now been in the recruitment industry for over 20 years!
Clare talks about taking risks and explains how she took a risk when joining the industry at the age of 27, she speaks about the salary cut she had to take after working her way up to a senior salary bracket within the accountancy world, but explains that within a year she was earning £10k more than she was earning as a Senior Accountant. She openly discusses some of the low points she has had, and the beneficial career breaks she has taken over the years that have involved travelling and training to become a Yoga Therapist, and talks about how yoga has really helped her with anxiety!
If you would like to learn more about yoga therapy please get in touch with Clare via email at hello@stillnessspace.com or visit her website www.stillnessspace.com
17 Feb 2021
Season 1 | Ep 1 – Tara Ricks on “Anyone who tries to sell the myth to us as females that you can have it all is selling a lie- there are always compromises along the way”
In today’s episode, I was joined by Tara Ricks, NED to the recruitment sector and Chief Operating Officer at Elite Leaders.
Tara has over 25 years’ experience within the recruitment industry. She started her career journey in investment banking and went on to scale a start up Recruitment Company, which she sold to Randstad and stayed on as a board member. Tara now leverages her recruitment experience to help recruitment businesses in an NED capacity.
In this episode Tara talks about how she has had to compromise in order to be as successful as she has been within her career, but explains that it has all been worth it as she has achieved some great things. She also talks about how being a female in a senior position, with a hiring capacity in the past, allowed her to create a match fit working environment for women who continue the future of the human race!
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