In the September edition of The Norwich Resident, our very own Senior Manager at Pure Norwich, Joseph O’Sullivan, has this month’s final word:

Please introduce yourself

I was born in Dublin and moved to Norfolk when I was seven. My Dad had the choice of taking either a job in Thetford, or a job in California! I’ve been working in recruitment for 31 years and I’ve been described by clients as the ‘go to guy’ when they have a specialist or senior role they think will be difficult to recruit.

Tell us more about Pure

Pure was founded in Cambridge in 2002 and the Norwich office was the next to open in 2005. Today we also have offices in Ipswich and Chelmsford and we specialise in Accountancy, Executive, Human Resources, Marketing & Digital, Office and Technology roles across all levels.  

This financial year our Norwich team has performed better than ever, placing 398 Norfolk candidates in their next professional career move and supporting 159 businesses in the county to recruit high-calibre employees. This includes placing high profile Executive roles, negating the perception that organisations need to use London firms to recruit at board-level. The talent is here in the region and we have the network and contacts to identify exceptional leaders for our local businesses.

For Pure, success is achieving our purpose of contributing to the region’s growth and making a difference to people’s lives. We go beyond just recruitment, helping businesses and candidates flourish through career development, employee engagement initiatives and strategic partnerships.

And tell us what’s next for Pure…

We will continue to help people by providing expert help, support and guidance to find their career roles. It is so rewarding to bump into people you’ve helped throughout the years and we do form long-term relationships and friendships.

We will also continue to add value through our initiatives including the Finance Leadership Programme, Directors Clubs, Women’s Leadership Programme and most recently our Board Ready Training Scheme. In October we will be presenting awards and accreditations to businesses at our Best Employers Eastern Region 2018 event.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I’m a keen golfer and I’ve been a member of Eaton Golf Club for 20 years. I’m really into fitness and I go to the gym four or five times a week. Both my wife and I are also keen cyclists and we regularly to do local club rides together. A few years ago we did the London to Paris bike ride and raised nearly £9,000 for EACH and the Norfolk Community Foundation between us.

Norwich has a great restaurant scene – what are you favourite places to eat out and why?

My wife is a fantastic cook, but we both still love eating out in Norwich. Some of our favourite places are Blue Joanna, Haggle, Roger Hickmans, East Twenty Six and Merchants of Spice. We also have some lovely pubs and you’ll often find me in the Unthank Arms of a weekend.

How would you spend your perfect day in Norwich?

I’d start by having breakfast with my wife. I’d go to the gym for a spin or PT class in the morning, visit Roger Hickmans for lunch and play a round of golf at Eaton in the afternoon. Then in the evening settle down with a curry, a glass of red wine and a film.

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