At the time, I was midway through an apprenticeship to be a Solicitor; an apprenticeship I was doing with my Dad who ran a small but well-regarded legal practice in Cork. My (now) wife and I stayed until 2012, but when we left for Australia, it was time to go.
My Dad’s values were all about people, long before that became a hackneyed slogan. I worked with him for 5 years until 2012 where I observed him day after day put people before profit. He was (and still is) exceptional at his job and during those formative years, I learned how hard work, honesty and commitment to your craft earned trust and respect.
The intention was to come back to work with my Dad in the family business. But one year turned into two, and I sought out an opportunity to try my hand at recruitment. By the end of my first 12 months in recruitment, things were very much on an upward trajectory and I knew I had to keep going. So in 2014, I rang my Dad to tell him I wasn't coming back to the family business. That really wasn't an easy call to make, but in my mind there was no turning back now - I had all the motivation I needed to make this new career work.
Every engagement starts with a thorough investigation into current state, future state, and what the organisation is actually trying to solve. The brief determines everything that follows. A weak brief produces the wrong shortlist, no matter how good the candidates are.
Gerard manages every aspect of the process. The quality of a recruitment engagement should not shift depending on who is handling which part that week. Consistency is not a value. It is a structural decision.
Every person presented has a detailed understanding of the problem they are being engaged to solve. Not the job description. The actual challenge, the context behind it, what success looks like in twelve months. Surprises at this stage cost everyone.
Contact me about your hiring needs, brief in a role or request a search.
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