Now a couple of weeks in, we caught up with our latest team member Helen to find out what attracted her to Sarah West Recruitment, what she thinks makes a good consultant and what she gets up to outside of work.
What attracted you to SWR?
I wanted to find a new challenge that allowed me to use my years of retail experience. When I spoke with Sarah, Robyn and Toni I loved the personal aspect, and they immediately made me feel like part of the team. As conversations progressed, I knew Sarah West was my perfect next step.
What does your role look like/involve?
I’m focused specifically on retail and eCommerce roles and shaping and growing a division that supports these areas. I’ll be working to build relationships with clients, giving them the confidence that my extensive retail experience means I truly understand (and have experienced) the challenges they face and, can provide insights from a demographic perspective locally.
In a similar way I’ll work with candidates to find them the perfect next step in their retail career, whether they’re looking to progress, move geographically or, move to a different area of retail, I’ll make sure they are connected with the right opportunities.
What do you think makes a good consultant?
Here at Sarah West our hands-on experience in roles means that we genuinely understand the frustrations, challenges and opportunities each brings and can support both clients and candidates with them.
In addition, spending the time to get the right person in the right role is important for both the candidate and the client, it makes the process enjoyable and brings a feeling of excitement and relief to both sides which is exactly how it should be.
What’s your background?
I’ve got extensive experience in retail from people management, project management (store and outlet openings UK and Europe) and store management. I’ve worked for many well-known giants within the retail sector, as well as a unique family-established eCommerce brand.
This hands-on experience means I have an understanding of what a client needs, and also the people that are needed to make B2C and B2B retail a success. From show rooms to cafes, stores to outlets my retail experience has been pretty varied.
What are you looking forward to most?
I’m of course looking forward to placing candidates and finding people their dream jobs but, I can’t wait to get that excitement from the client too, knowing I played a part in that.
It’s a great opportunity to be able to use by background in a new way, I’m so pleased to be part of the amazing team at Sarah West, I’m learning so much and want to work hard, build my reputation and be a part of the amazing reputation the team has.
What do you get up to outside of work?
In her spare time, you’ll find Helen enjoying a moor or river walk, having a go at gardening or getting stuck into a new craft. (Don’t ask her how many new crafts she has waiting to get stuck in to!)