Some of the most important things to come out of business have absolutely nothing to do with business.
We spend so much time in recruitment talking about targets, billings, clients, candidates and growth. But when I look back over my 20-plus years in the industry, some of the things that made the biggest difference to my career weren’t deals or placements.
They were people.
Recently I shared a story about someone who had a huge impact on my life.
His name is Ian Cooper.
Years ago, when I was Recruitment Manager at Conchango, I had something Ian needed. Office space and a budget for beer and pizza. Ian was one of the co-founders of the London .NET User Group and was looking for somewhere to host their meetups.
We met for lunch, had a great conversation and decided to join forces. Nothing complicated. No business development strategy, no networking masterclass, no hidden agenda.
Just two people who got on well and realised they could help each other.
I provided the space, beer and pizza. Ian brought together a community of brilliant people.
And that was the start of something much bigger.
Over the years, Ian became a friend, someone I trusted and someone who supported me in ways I’ll always be grateful for. He played a huge part in giving me the confidence and support to eventually go out and run my own recruitment business.
When I look back, it’s quite extraordinary that something which started with a room and a few pizzas could have such an impact on the direction of my life and it got me thinking.
In recruitment, we’re constantly encouraged to network. Build relationships. Grow our connections. Find opportunities but perhaps we sometimes forget the most important bit.
Relationships aren’t just about what someone can do for your business.
Sometimes the best relationships start when you simply help someone, without expecting anything back.
You never know where a conversation, introduction, favour or friendship might lead. And sometimes the person who changes your career isn’t the biggest client, the most successful recruiter or the person with the most LinkedIn followers.
Sometimes they’re just someone who needed a room and a pizza.
I feel incredibly lucky to have had an Ian in my life. Thank you, Ian.
And I bet many of you have someone like that too.
So, who’s your Ian?
If you would like to know more about I built my solo recruitment business with every client on exclusive and a 100% hit rate drop me an email to [email protected].
