🌍Dorinda Gibbons 📞

“We want a BDM with a book of clients, who knows our space, and can hit the ground running.” Sound familiar? I hear this all the time, particularly from the many commercial printers moving into the packaging space. They want instant results. Quick wins. Someone who can walk in on Monday and bring revenue by Friday but here’s the reality: ▫️ The people you want are already doing this somewhere else ▫️ They’ve usually got 12-month non-competes that stop them touching current clients ▫️ They’re not leaving a role with an established customer base to start from scratch... unless there’s a compelling reason And sorry “we pay high commission” isn’t enough. If you’re not growing without them, they are your growth vehicle not the cherry on top. What are you offering them? ▫️ A clear runway to build something? ▫️ A unique proposition in the market? ▫️ Support, onboarding, realistic targets? Because the businesses who don’t think this through fall into one of two camps: ❌ Still haven’t hired or ❌ Hired the wrong person and burned through time, cash and reputation If you’re serious about bringing on a BDM who can make a real difference, you’ve got to be serious about setting them up for success. FYI, I’ve helped multiple commercial printers transition into packaging successfully—but it was doing it the right way. Anyone else seeing things like this in the market?

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Every day I get asked “How’s the market?” so I thought I’d share a few of my own thoughts on Supply Chain leadership roles across the North of England. 🙍‍♂️ There are more candidates than jobs! Clients are being quite particular on skillsets that they are bringing on board. 💲 Salaries are flat, I’m not seeing huge spikes like the post covid boom, just enough to run in line with inflation. 💻 There is more investment in to technology – planning tools in particular; so probably a good time to be a sales rep in ERP/APS! 📈 Things are picking up; a late Easter caused a wobble but all in all hiring sentiment remains positive. I’m keen to see what the remainder of 2025 brings, and what the impacts global factors like tariffs, etc could mean for Supply Chains here in the UK.

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The Future of Jobs: A Conversation with Nick Broom, CEO of PVL UK Ltd 🚧 What does it take to scale a niche manufacturing business into a global brand? In this month's edition of our 'Future of Jobs' series, I had the privilege of sitting down with Nick Broom FCIM, CEO of PVL UK Ltd at their Sussex HQ, to explore his journey. PVL’s story is proof that agility and empathy can scale - and that innovation, at its heart, is human. Nick shared insights on: 🔹 Leading with urgency & agility 🔹 Managing Gen Z expectations 🔹 Tackling post-Brexit business challenges 🔹 Adapting to local market demands 🔹 Why management training is the key to growth In a world of accelerating change, Nick reminds us that the 'future of jobs' isn’t just about technology or strategy. It’s about trust, leadership, and building teams that are ready for whatever comes next. Read the full piece on Harvey John's website, via the link in comments 👇🏻 - where you can also view our previous interviews with Julie Kapsalis, Dee Mathieson and Victoria Price.

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My absolute number 1 piece of advice for anyone in a senior position… Build a connection with recruiters who specialise in your industry. I’m not talking about generalists who “do a bit of everything.” I mean recruiters who focus purely on your role and the roles of the people who report into you. There are a number of reasons why this is so valuable: Personal perspective The more you talk to a specialist recruiter, the better they’ll understand you, the companies you admire, the kind of roles you’d consider, and the opportunities worth keeping you in the loop on. Access to rare opportunities VP-level and above roles are not only scarce, but most never hit LinkedIn or job boards. Having a recruiter who knows you means you’ll be front of mind when these confidential roles land. Candidate experience insight If you’ve spoken to a recruiter as a candidate, you’ll know first-hand how they operate. When the time comes to recruit for your own team, you’ll have confidence they’ll deliver the same professional experience to candidates representing your brand. Early access to top talent Specialist recruiters constantly uncover strong candidates in your field. If they know you, you’ll be the first they contact when someone exceptional comes onto the market, often before anyone else hears about them. Credibility with candidates Candidates don’t want their time wasted. They’re far more likely to engage with recruiters who clearly specialise in their niche. That means your role will get in front of the right people, faster. Succession planning Most senior leaders only think about recruitment when a resignation or a new budget catches them off guard. Building a relationship early means you’ve effectively got a talent pipeline on standby so you’re not left scrambling when the unexpected happens. The bottom line? A recruiter who knows your space inside out is not just someone you call when you have a vacancy. They’re an extension of your network, a source of market insight, and a long-term partner in both your career and your team’s success.

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🚀 At Thompson & Terry Recruitment, we're embracing AI every day! It's great for streamlining processes, reducing human error, proofreading with precision, and unlocking creative solutions to enhance our business and elevate both client and candidate experiences. But here’s the key… 🤖 AI should support, not replace, the human touch. This image? A little obvious but it’s AI’s take on me (from a wedding picture to professional portrait 📸), which would be terrible to use for my profile image but just what I needed for this post! But when it comes to recruitment, personality matters. 💡 No algorithm can replicate authenticity. 🎯 Employers want the real you, not a polished AI version without any weaknesses ⚠️ Some employers over-reliance on AI is already leading to poor hires and damaged candidate experiences So let’s use AI wisely. ✨ As a tool, not a mask. Here at T&T, we (Aoife or I) conduct a one-hour interview with every candidate . We use AI to transcribe the interview and summarise the notes, which we then edit to ensure the employer receives a comprehensive human overview. How do you use Ai in recruitment? #Recruitment #Ai #RecruitmentAi

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 **80% of employees who accept a counteroffer end up leaving within 6 to 12 months!!!* In today’s competitive market, with budgets now finalised post-EOFY, we’ve seen a noticeable rise in counteroffers. Lately, we have seen several offers that have been declined because of them. Throughout our recruitment processes we’re always asking: "Would you expect a counteroffer?" "Would you accept one?" Almost always, the answer is, “No, money isn’t my MAIN driver” And when we unpack why they’re looking to leave, the reasons are usually thoughtful and honest: · "There is no career progression" · “I am looking for company culture” · “I don’t agree with the direction my current employer is going.” · “There’s no job security.” · “I feel a redundancy might be coming.” But, when that counter lands with a pay rise, it often changes the decision (even when money wasn’t meant to be the driver…) Here’s what the data tells us: - 80% of employees who accept a counteroffer end up leaving within 6 to 12 months. - 50% resume job hunting within just 60 days. SEEK’s Laws of Attraction show that work-life balance is the number one motivator. Compensation comes second. Factors like management style, organisational culture, job security, co-worker relationships, and career development rank lower, but, they’re often the most critical parts of a fulfilling role. Each to their own, but returning to a role with more money and none of the other issues resolved is often a short-term fix. A higher salary doesn’t make poor culture, and no progression easier to stomach. Nor will senior staff members change their management style!!! The days of the Willy Loman-style sales rep are gone. Only around 10 to 20% of counteroffers lead to a positive long-term outcome for both the employee and the employer. If you’ve received or extended a counteroffer, what was the outcome? Would you accept one again?

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Why are so many businesses making poor decisions on recruitment partners? 🤯 And when it falls apart, it's quite common that they label the entire industry as ineffective. In the very least, they are once bitten, twice shy. If I was building a house and I chose a builder based purely on price, with no track record, poor practices and no references, I wouldn't blame the construction industry when the project turns sour. And btw, it will turn sour. It will cost me more in time and money in the long run, too to fix it. My advice isn't groundbreaking. You will read this sort of thing 100's of times today on Linkedin. But business leaders continue to make the same mistakes over and over when it comes to recruitment. And it's this: Don't cut corners on service providers. It really doesn't save you the money you think it will.

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