Our Meet the Team series is back! This blog series is a great opportunity for you to get to know a bit more about our consultants, the sectors they work in and the types of roles they recruit for.
As part of our series, we spoke to Richard Nolan, one of our Business Support consultants and Country Manager for Ireland.
Earlier this year, we took the leap to open up two new location hubs in Ireland and Luxembourg and we’re delighted to have Richard join us as part of this venture.
Tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do at Devonshire?
I have been in recruitment and the wider sales/business development space since 2014. In that time, I have recruited across various niches including the third sector, construction & engineering and financial services.
At Devonshire, I am responsible for launching and developing Devonshire in the Irish market – from building relationships with candidates and potential clients alike to starting to grow a team here to help to expand Devonshire’s geographical footprint to cement our position on the wider recruitment stage worldwide.
Explain a bit more about your desk/sector and the types of roles you recruit for?
Given my varied experience, I am well-equipped to work in most sectors and with most types of roles, from entry-level and high-volume recruitment to middle management and executive search projects.
We have identified some key areas of focus for Devonshire in Ireland and plan to grow the team according to these to meet demand over the coming months and years.
What types of clients do you recruit for?
Again, this is incredibly varied but this is one of the most interesting parts of my role so far.
In your opinion, what makes a candidate stand out from the crowd?
At the moment, it is an incredibly difficult market for both candidates and clients. It is most definitely a candidate’s market, and, maybe as a result of this, quite a lot of candidates don’t seem to be engaged in the process.
For me, what sets candidates apart currently is their willingness to really commit to their job search – from working out what it is they want from a change of position, to setting realistic boundaries on what will be acceptable from a responsibilities/remuneration point of view and to committing to trusting a good recruiter to help them with all of this is what will truly set them apart in this moment.
What advice would you give to people wanting to get into recruitment?
To think of it as a career, rather than a stopgap or in-between. There has been a lot of bad press out there regarding recruitment, and there are almost as much bad recruitment practices as there is bad press. But for all of this, there are many great recruiters who have made successful careers in this industry.
I believe you need to think of it as a career from the start and understand that building a network of clients and candidates that trust in your honesty and integrity is what will stand to you in the long run – everything else that’s involved in recruitment will fall into place if you get those cornerstones right.
How have your first few months been at Devonshire?
Hectic. It is an incredibly interesting time to be in recruitment and an incredibly interesting time to be a part of Devonshire and the wider Paragon Group. I have settled in really well despite working predominantly remotely and feel like I have been here forever.
The fact that we are continually evolving and ever focussed on our plans for the future make every day interesting and varied.
Describe yourself in three words…
Curious, analytical, communicative.
Finally, what’s your favourite motto/quote?
“Play by the rules but be ferocious” – Advice by Phil Knight of Nike that I think is particularly relevant in recruitment. Again, if you maintain the cornerstones of trustworthiness and integrity, you can be ferocious in everything else you do.
As part of our exciting growth, we’re also recruiting for a Junior Recruitment Consultant to join Richard’s team in Ireland. Please visit here for more information and to apply.
If you would like to contact Richard to find out more about the roles he is recruiting for or how he can help you with your next hire, please contact him on richard.nolan@devonshire.co.uk.
To find out more about our team and the sectors we work in, read our Meet the Team blog series here.
