Well, here it is – my first blog post. For those of you who don’t know me, hello! – but anyone who is connected with me on LinkedIn may have noticed that I have an interesting work history, to say the least. I've worked in a number of different industries, in a number of different countries; I've travelled; I even had a go at starting my own property business! The way I see it, it’s always great fun to talk about when interviewing.

This blog is going to be based on my first 11 weeks working at Evolution Recruitment Solutions. I know what you’re thinking; another recruiter with another blog post about recruitment. Hopefully this one will expand your mind a little to learn about companies out there doing things differently, and really make a lasting impact on the industry.

Working at Evolution Recruitment Solutions

I joined Evolution in April 2017 with a mixed sales background, from selling engineering materials to houses to helicopter flights over Mt Blanc. I also had a year under my belt of purely BD-focused recruitment, so it’s fair to say I had a pretty good idea about what I was getting myself into!

Evolution wasn't my only choice when I decided to accept their offer; there were other offers on the table, but for me there were two key reasons why I accepted the offer from Evolution:

1. They are a Platinum Investors in People Company, as well as the first company to ever receive a platinum accreditation from IIP. (I'd never even worked for a basic level IIP company before, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!)
    
2. After my final interview with the MD, Gareth Morris, it was clear to me that this is a company whose values and goals are in the right place, in such a people-person industry. He made it clear that he was looking to really make a difference with clear goals, not only just for the business, but for myself within the business too, which was refreshing.

Obviously, there were other factors that made my decision an Evolution one; but this post is not about the salaries, the fantastic commission & bonus structure, the awesome office, the pool table, the Playstation, the quarterly European trips and annual global trips –  these factors are all just a by-product of doing a good job, and helping others realise their potential. (If you want to learn more about what it’s like to work here, speak to Gareth Whitfield or Bethan Hollows on 01925 820 555.)

So, what does Platinum Investors in People status really mean?

In a nutshell, it basically means that they do an incredible job in supporting, training and mentoring their employees through every level of their career, across the whole business. I could genuinely write for hours about this in a lot more detail, but I'm not too sure if there’s a character limit within our blogs?!

What I have experienced so far

Everyone in the business, no matter the level of experience they have, is treated in the same way; this is pretty much stripping you back to basics of the knowledge you've gained in previous roles, then working out the best training programme to suit your needs and experience. This doesn’t mean that you sit in a classroom with a sales trainer who talks at you for 2 weeks and then away you go! The training in the beginning is pretty intense, coming from someone with no real IT background; I had to learn the difference between Java and JavaScript, Frontend and Backend, not to mention what PHP, CSS, Python and Linux mean to me, my candidates and clients alike.

The training is very adaptive and flexible, with practical exercises along the way; really drip-feeding you into the full process. You get to learn something, then test it out to see how, and if, it works –  then report back in the follow up sessions. Alternatively, you can be given an exercise with some guidelines, in order to see what you can come up with, then getting training on it to see what you managed to work out. There is never a wrong answer, as the trainers here are all for adopting innovative ways for everyone to improve; they understand that what works for one person may not work for someone else, as we are all very different human beings.

In regards to the trainers, another thing worth mentioning is that they are not outsourced and brought in as and when someone starts. They work in-house as part of the business here, all with vast amounts of experience within recruitment, whether it’s been with Evolution or other market-leading recruitment companies.

I’ve been promoted!

I am still in the early stages of my training; I’ve worked here for almost four months, and I’ve been promoted already and given bottle of champagne. Does that mean my training is over? Not a chance! For the next 12 -18 months, I will be going through continuous coaching and development, working on my core skills to make me a well-rounded and consistent part of Evolution. I will then get to decide my career path; do I want to look at dealing with bigger clients, or do I want to start to build a team and inspire and manage my own team? Only time will tell.

What does all this mean for companies looking for help with their IT recruitment needs?

You can rest assured that you’re in safe hands, knowing that you are dealing with consultants who are all highly trained individuals specialising in their own markets, as well as knowing you will be talking to experts who are actively looking to help clients, candidates and colleagues alike. Not only do we have world-class training for all staff, but we are also a software development company in our own right. Holding a Microsoft Gold Partner status, our team of over 10 in-house developers are on hand to help us non-techies with any tech queries and questions.

What does this mean for candidates?

We genuinely have a vested interest in helping you find the career to suit your goals and help you realise your potential. We have worked with a huge variety of companies over the past 17 years, from start-ups all the way up to large blue chip companies, and everything in between. This gives candidates the confidence in knowing that wherever they are on their journey, whether it’s an entry level or graduate position, all the way up to lead and director level roles, the sky really is the limit!

How do I get into working in recruitment at Evolution?

What does this all mean for you? Yes, you; the aspiring graduate looking for their first career, or the outperforming salesperson who is looking at other opportunities out there, as you are not getting the support you wish for, whether this be in a recruitment role or not.

Well, I'm not going to lie, the majority of companies I've worked for have been a "chuck you in the deep end" kind of company, and I've done alright, but I always knew I could do more with the right coaching and direction. If you seriously want to make a difference to your career and your family, Evolution can give you that; but don't just take it from me! I’m sure I can point you in the direction of any of my colleagues here, who will happily back this up.

"Life's too short (and expensive) to have no ambition."

For those of you still reading, I hope you've enjoyed this and managed to keep up! My next update will be coming soon when I get stuck in with the excellent charity work that's going on here.