Vol.5 – The Continuous Learner: A Journey of Passion and Growth
Today we’re continuing our Meet the Team articles with an interview with one of our Senior Recruitment Consultants, William Lambden. After nearly 3 years working for Centre People, we took the chance to reflect on his journey so far, and to take us back to how it began.
Briefly, how did you get started in recruitment?
“My partner previously worked in recruitment in Japan and based on witnessing what they do, I thought that it was an industry that I could possibly move into. When I returned to the UK, I could see that there were transferable skills from what I was doing at the time – which was English teaching and company management – so that’s it in a nutshell really.”
What’s something your clients and candidates might be surprised to learn about you?
“I guess the thing that seems to surprise people the most is that I lived in Japan for 15 years. Whenever I tell people this, they’re always surprised by how long I was there, and I’m guessing that’s because the majority of people, obviously, if they stay for that length of time, they’re probably going to stay forever or they, you know, go for a couple of years and then return. But yes, I stayed for a very long time but then returned home.”
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
“In terms of hobbies, I really enjoy reading, I’m very interested in both fiction and nonfiction. I read quite a lot. I like to read at the end of the day because I think it helps me to unwind and it’s something for me to escape from screens, you know. It helps me to fall asleep and forget about what I’ve been doing during the day, which I feel is important.”
Is there a moment from your career that you’re particularly proud of?
“I think that the thing I’m probably most proud of is being part of a team and feeling that we’re building something. I think that’s probably the biggest achievement I feel, not necessarily individually, but as part of a team effort. We’re moving in a positive way and progressing very positively. From when I started, to where I am now, I can see a big change in the dynamic and the way things are done and I think just being part of that process feels like a massive achievement on a daily basis.”
What do you think candidates should know about the recruitment process?
“One thing that always sticks out is that people think when we are registering them, that we are formally interviewing them. I think maybe they misunderstand our role, but we’re trying to learn a lot about them, so we can help support their application. We’re not there to pass judgement on their choices or anything like that, we’re there to try and fit them well with the company that they could possibly get a job with. And if that role that we’re introducing simply isn’t for them, that’s OK – it doesn’t mean we won’t introduce other things to them.”
How has working in recruitment changed you personally?
“I’ve learnt so much in in terms of industries and I really enjoy the learning side of things. I think it’s really exciting to be able to learn about different things and I think the thing that I learnt about myself actually, was that the kind of roles that I’m quite interested in are maybe the kind of things that I never considered doing, such as credit, and finance, and things like that. It’s a whole industry that I never really thought about before, but I find it’s really interesting to talk to these people about it.”
What do you think is the most important quality in a recruiter?
“I think it’s really hard to choose just one. The thing I like about our team is that we have so many different qualities and I think the thing that makes Centre People’s recruiters so good is that we do have a variety of different opinions and perspectives. This helps me to see something in a fuller way and I think differing ideas bring a better perspective sometimes of the whole.”
We’re lucky to have Will on our team. Feel free to connect with him and follow us to meet more of our fantastic consultants!
