In this "Five minutes with ..." article, we give you the chance to get to know our consultants and how their specialist knowledge and experience can you support you.

What is your role in Pure Executive? 

I’m based in our Cambridge office and lead on Senior / Board level HR and Executive recruitment. My main focus is recruiting HR Directors, Chief People Officers, Chief Operations Officers and Chief Executive Officers for clients ranging from privately owned businesses through to venture-capital-backed organisations and PLCs. I’ve spent the last ten years of my career working in partnership with businesses in Cambridgeshire, supporting them in recruiting senior HR personnel and wider board level positions.

Why do you most enjoy about recruiting senior HR roles in particular?

In my humble opinion (and that of Richard Branson!) people are the most important part of any business and it is those in senior HR positions who will lead on all elements relating to people. They are the ones who will develop the ethos, purpose and culture of the business. Finding a great candidate match for an HR leadership position will have an impact on everything related to that organisation’s engagement levels and its ability to attract, retain and develop great people.

What is your career history?

I’ve worked in the recruitment industry for just over 20 years and the foundations for my career path began while I was at university. I studied Media and Business at Manchester University, initially with a view to becoming a radio researcher. As the degree went on, I found I had a real interest in business and HR and psychology in particular. After I graduated, I went backpacking around South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America before heading home to start my career. I worked for two FTSE 100 businesses, recruiting finance roles, before joining Pure.

When did you join Pure?

I started on the very first day Pure officially opened, back in 2002. Gill Buchanan, Pure’s COO and one of its founders, was my previous manager. She approached me to ask if I would be interested in helping to set up an independent recruitment business, I said yes, and the rest is history.

How are you continuing to develop your own career?

I’m currently studying towards a PG Cert in Personal and Business Coaching. I’m really keen to be able to add extra value to the candidate and client experience from a coaching perspective. This could be when I’m interviewing candidates or to provide the coaching support which enables them to succeed in their new Executive role.

What is important to you when working with clients?

I know it sounds like a cliché, but I genuinely love working with clients to get under the skin of the business and to really understand what they are looking for in a candidate. I truly value being able to work in partnership and to be considered a trusted advisor. When my clients ask me for my advice, I know I can add real value. I also realised quite early in my recruitment career that I love meeting candidates. I enjoy listening to their stories and helping them to work out ‘what next’ in their careers. I’m very curious about people and this helps me to ask questions and to really get to understand their motivations and ambitions. All of which helps me to then hopefully match them with the right organisation.

What is your biggest career achievement to date at Pure Executive?

​I’ve recruited a number of senior HR leaders for businesses across Cambridgeshire and I always feel really proud when I see that, years later, they are still working for the same organisation. These are the people who are making a real difference to that business and to the region’s economy. They are developing the people strategies which create engaged workforces and enable organisations to grow. They are leading on the development of workplace cultures and environments which put their business on the map as a well-respected employer.​

To discuss your recruitment needs please contact Caroline on 01223 209888 or email her at caroline.batchelor@prs.uk.com