“Truly making a difference in someone’s life is the best sense of achievement!” – Kelly Stirling
Commenting on Kelly’s success, Alan Shave, Associate Director said:
“Having now worked with Kelly for over 6 years, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to me that she has reached 200 placements. Aside from to say that there aren’t many recruiters who can claim to have achieved that feat, never mind in one industry and within one distinct sector of it.
Kelly has been able to embody everything that makes Contract Scotland what it is today – the ability/desire to provide a consistently high quality of service to both employers and job seekers alike, knowing that in doing so, success will follow.
ﾠShe still has all the right motivations for identifying the right fit for everyone in the recruitment process, so I’ve no doubt that she’ll make a good start on the next 200. And all whilst helping to develop other members of the Contract Scotland recruitment team, to support them in achieving the same milestones in future!”
Thank you, Kelly for taking some time to share your experiences of your 200 permanent placements with Contract Scotland. Congratulations!
That is no problem at all and thank you!
You’ve helped over 200 people by placing them in permanent jobs, how does that feel?
It feels really good. It seems like so many but I have been with Contract Scotland for a while I suppose! It is good for me to know that I have helped so many people get permanent work opportunities. The majority of the people I have placed over the years are still in those jobs and enjoying it. We sometimes take what we do here, on a day to day basis, for granted but we have to remember that we change people’s lives and for a lot of them going into a new job can be a big decision. Knowing that I have been part of making a positive impact on people’s lives gives me a great sense of self-fulfillment.
What attributes do you think helped you achieve this success?
Probably my tenacity. It would annoy me if I wasn’t able to place a really good job-seeker into a job when I know that they are good at what they do. From a client’s perspective, I want to find the right person for them. Being organised, determined and thorough as well as never leaving any stone unturned are the main reasons why I have been able to place 200 people! Contract Scotland has taught me not to think about recruitment as a numbers game, instead, it’s about placing the right person in the right position. ﾠUsing the tools Contract Scotland have given me through my initial and ongoing training, I know that going through the right steps is most important and the placements are just a by-product of our unique approach to recruitment.
What were some of the challenges you faced over those 200 placements?
When I first started 6 years ago we were just coming out of a recession which means that there was a high volume of job-seekers but not enough demand from the market. The challenge at that time was trying to register vacancies and creating opportunities for good candidates who were looking for employment. A couple of years ago the supply and demand issue changed to where there was suddenly more demand and less supply. Trying to fulfil the needs of both the supply and demand in those very different times is one of the main challenges I have faced. Making sure that I fully understand the clients and job-seekers motivations and needs has been vital to our success in an ever changing market!
What placement gave you the most satisfaction? What was your highlight?
That’s hard as there have been a lot of satisfying placements that I have made. From my very first one placement which was a very difficult discipline to fill which I did not realise and appreciate that much at the time. This was Mechanical Estimator.
However, if I had to pick one I would say it’s a placement I made this year.ﾠ There was a woman from Spain who was looking to relocate Scotland with her husband and was looking for a job within construction. Her CV did not read the same as with other UK job-seekers because in Spain they use different terminology and qualifications are also different from the UK. I spent a lot of time with her talking through her past experiences to understand what her transferable skills and experience was and I also listened to her motivations and career aspirations, so I could try to find the most suitable job for her. Once she arrived in the UK I met with her to discuss everything in more depth and based on what she told me put together a recruitment plan for her. ﾠIn the end, I was able to place her in a Quantity Surveyor role even though her past job title has been Project Manager but after having listened to her and learned about what her job role in Spain involved I was able to identify this will be the perfect job role for her within the UK. She has now been in her job for six months and is really enjoying it. What gave me such great satisfaction with this placement was how thankful she was to me, and said I had taken the time to get to understand her when others had dismissed her applications and CV.
Tell us more about your 200th placement. Who was your 200th placement?
This is also one of my most fulfilling placements. It was a new client I was dealing with, who got in contact because they were a growing business and needed assistance in recruitment, and were looking to find an agency who they could partner with. The first position they asked me to recruit was a Project Manager. I met with them and learned about their culture and values and realised that for them it was really important to find someone who would fit in with that. We had a lot of applications for this positions from highly qualified people but they weren’t necessarily a perfect a cultural fit, as much as they were more than capable of fulfilling the vacant position. I then found a guy who had been working as a joiner and he was looking for his first break into management. When I met with him I learned that all his personal values tied in really well with my clients but he didn’t have any experience as a project manager. Upon discussing the situation with both the client and the job-seeker, the client decided to invite him for an interview! He was offered the position above all the experienced applicants and when I told him that he had got the job he was so happy. The main reason why he wanted to start in management was to offer his young family better opportunities so he was also taking night classes to get his qualifications. The best thing was that on the day when I called him with the offer he had just found out that he was going to be a dad again. I could not have asked for a better 200th placement! I truly made a massive difference in his life which is the best sense of achievement for me!
