You are currently using an outdated browser.
Please consider using a modern browser such as one listed below:
I fell into recruitment in 2005, funny story, I was working for the RAC, and got speaking to a customer, bit of small talk, told them my past. Sorted them out. Then 2 days later, he called to ask for me, and wondered if I can send him my CV. Instantly got asked for an interview, it turned out to be an engineering recruitment company. 5 mins I was there for, and they offered the job.
The next 3-5 years was the real apprenticeship IMHO, worked for a few companies, learned the trade. I lived and worked in Bristol at the time, and my life finished there at the time of the recession of 2009/10.
I moved up to the Midlands, I had a second innings at Reed specialist recruitment, felt I did really well there, got to BM level.
Had a few innings for about 2 years with various other companies. Which really set in stone for me my want to start my own business.
And then 2015/16 – I started Thomas Lee recruitment. And haven’t looked back since!
My first year, I remember asking a guy, that had been in recruitment for 35 years at that point, and asked him do people do this on their own? And how could it be done. I had a little taste of it after that job for 2-3 months, doing a bit of self-employment before going into Reed for part 1 of my innings there. I realised then; I wasn’t right for self-employment at that time. I think it was me, more than anything.
I was about 2011, when I got my own branch in Reed for the first time. I had always wanted to start my own business, work for myself. But that movement up the rank to BM – gave me a different view of running my own show. Being in charge of people or making the decisions day to day.
But at that moment, I knew I need to learn more and work out how to do it. I felt I had to grow up. It that makes sense.
So, I had a plan to start up in time. 2015 near the end was like a jump start to it. The company I had worked with, wasted my time with my career, they shut me down early on the beginnings of the business we started in Birmingham. They had an unbelievable expectation of a branch in a city that was seeing branches close, because of the same expectation from people that had not experience of these areas. By this time, I had rebuilt a lot of teams, started businesses for people, and broke the back for companies – to then move on or be moved on.
I can’t get angry with that, it built that level or resilience that 2006 Mark, didn’t have when dangled the self-employed carrot.
The week I was “let go” I was on Jury service for 6 weeks – just before Christmas 2015. In that time, I decided to set 2 plans into motion, one was “look for another job” the other was “Project Make your own job”. Plan 1, look for a job, really fed into Plan 2. As I was meeting recruitment agencies, I was getting closer to working out what I really wanted. I felt that starting businesses for other companies, with my knowledge, and the desire to start my own business clashed together on a cold cold cold, December 20th I think it was. Where all my enquiries into finding a job, after the last and worse interview of my career, and it flipped me to “I need to do this for myself now”.
You need to have the moment of clarity, to make you take that leap. Till then, all the convincing myself it was right idea, was just words.
Plan 2 came into play in January 2016, when Thomas Lee Recruitment really moved to the next level, from conception to reality.
At the time of starting, it was “why am doing this for other people?” – and that is kind of the starting motivator. I never liked the way they did things. And I really felt that recruitment can be done a lot better when you get rid of the stuffiness of things.
As time has gone on, the biggest motivator for me is freedom. Real freedom to set my own hours, targets, direction, expression. I know we can’t really do that working for someone. I’m in the point of my life this is what I wanted more than a regular paying job.
As I reflect daily on this, its reaffirmed that this is what really motivates me.
What I set out the company to be is a Specialist Engineering and Technical Sales agency, focusing on the SME manufacturing sector. Who tend to be feeding into the Automotive/Aerospace/Defence sector? So, the type of businesses, make parts for engines, or aircraft. From Hose ends, to highly precession pieces machined to perfection from Pipes to cutting edge electronics. Mostly White collar – but skilled jobs too.
Along the way, I have worked with a wide range of Engineering jobs and sectors, but I feel that keeping within that Niche of Technical Recruitment of things that are made and bolted to something is what the business stands for.
My aim is to position the business to be a trusted and known (good) recruitment business in that sector.
It’s a real tough question, the world is changing every 10 mins at the moment. But I have always believed in a plan I have to grow my business, and I would hope by 3 years time, that growth would have started, or on the Journey to growth.
But I do know that we need to be adaptable and ready for change now, more than any other time in history.
I worked with Laura & Max before in their last company. I had a contract coming to an end with that company. And felt the key things these guys brought to me, was really missing when they left.
Coupled with, I am a believer that you should do everything yourself. There are things that you need to understand, and things that you need to be an expert in. I am a recruiter. That is my expertise.
I understand the back end of my business but need experts for that. That is important.
Over the years, of getting to know the team at Isotope – they built a relationship, trust and demonstration of capability they have proved they are the experts!
So far, everything that we have discussed done, has been brilliant. It’s not surprised me, but it impresses me. I guess that’s the surprise. 15 years in recruitment, not much does. But to be impressed in this day and age, really give you confidence.
I am told I am risk adverse. As you read, it took me a few years to start my business, and take that leap.
But if that is you, then follow that gut feeling. Surround yourself with all the information you need, to understand what you need to do. To run your business.
BUT the biggest advice, which to me is the key bit of advice I give everyone. Look at your last few placements, where did they come from? Was it you, 100% new business, you won it, filled it? Or was it an account(s) they business gave you, or was won a long time ago?
Why I say this?
Managing an account and filling jobs, is different to 5 day a week, BD, find a role, fill it. It was once described to me as the “Knife fight of new business”.
When you are on your own, you lose something that you didn’t realise you had. The Sphere of influence the company you work for has. Suddenly you are on your own and learning to do everything again. Marketing, social media, Business development – you don’t have any sphere of influence and have to work really hard to create that. That’s the greatest challenge of starting a recruitment business you will need to do.
That’s the key to survival.
But also, if you have clients that “want to come with you” don’t rely on them, things change, markets change, and maybe, you’ve changed.
Since getting more and more into podcasting, and video for my business. I sometimes day dream of being a film maker. Maybe a bit of acting. A bit of writing. It’s always been in the back of my head. And probably explains why I enjoy doing video for my business.
One day you never know, I may set up a film studio, and create the next Oscar winning movie?
You are currently using an outdated browser.
Please consider using a modern browser such as one listed below:
