By David Comins.
At 99 degrees Centigrade, water is hot. At 100 degrees, it boils and turns to steam. Now, it can power vehicles, factories, even whole cities. Hot water can’t. The difference is just that one percent that changes its nature, endowing it with transformative powers.
It’s that same one percent that makes the difference between winning the race, coming up with the better product or a being the market leader.
And that small one percent is the big difference between most recruitment firms and those that really stand out as something special.
Wadkins Associates is one of those firms.
As a recruitment specialist, does Wadkins Associates superficially appear any different from the other 5000 recruitment firms in London? Not particularly. On the face of it they appear to offer the same essential service to the industry as many other companies do within their market.
The difference – the one percent that makes Wadkins Associates special – is the unique business model that runs through this market leader within the Transport and Energy legal sectors.
I have worked in the recruitment industry for over 20 years, operating on two continents and in businesses ranging from start-ups, in-house, and family run firms to corporate groups. They all believed they have the right formula for success. Few did.
Too often, these businesses teach and train eager-to-please, bright-eyed graduates on “How to Sell” and “How it’s a Numbers Game” and “Do lots of the Same” and “Don’t take No for an Answer”. It’s a tiresome approach that only perpetuates the negative image with which the industry is tarnished – and wrecks the careers of aspiring young employees who are either burnt out after a year, or are dismissed for poor performance.
I joined Wadkins Associates because, on meeting Kelly and other members of the team, I immediately realised that this was an entirely different kind of recruitment firm, shaped by an insightful and inspiring leader to impart exceptionally professional advice of a calibre akin to that provided by its legal clientele.
The in-depth, sector and industry specific training provided from day one ensures clients and candidates alike engage with knowledgeable consultants. We are respected and trusted by our clients and candidates who proactively seek us out for advice and industry insight. They regularly and politely request face-to-face time with our team for new ideas and approaches that can enhance their global businesses. In my experience this rarely happens, if at all, with other recruiters.
What’s more, this approach further ensures that the team itself is continuously stretching, challenging and pushing each other to maintain our leading position by thinking of new ways in which we can provide the industry with an even better service. Now that we have claimed our space at the top, we relish the obligation to keep setting the pace!
Yet despite this innate drive to remain ahead of the game, everyone here remains grounded and modest. And the dedication to really operating as a team holds true. Everyone here values our strong company culture and is committed to its development. It’s not just what we do that sets Wadkins Associates apart, but how we do it: together.
I know I have found the “boiling business” I had unconsciously spent twenty years searching for – and it has renewed my love of being a recruiter.
Forget the ridiculous insistences on “giving 110%”, “going the extra mile”, or the “extra 20%”. This is all just meaningless hyperbole.
Join Wadkins Associates where together, as part of a tightly-knit team, we focus instead on that last one percent that transforms the nature of what you can do – and how you will feel about your work!
