Today we meet Alex, the leader of our IT Recruitment Division.
You could probably call Alex Walker one of the Planet OG’s. He was full-time employee no.5, set up the IT Recruitment desk and has helped shape the business ever since.
But what makes him tick? What is he proud of? And as one of the Recruitment Old Dogs, what advice does he have for the latest generation of wannabe recruitment superstars?
Tell us about yourself and how you got to here?
You probably guessed from the title, my name is Alex and I manage the IT Division here at Planet Recruitment.
Before I entered the world of recruitment, I had quite a varied history. I travelled the world, worked in telesales in Australia, and managed several restaurants and hotels – including a well-known restaurant in the Cotswolds.
I got my first recruitment job over 25 years ago, most of that time focusing on IT. It all began in London, which was a very fun time, but it continued for me in Bristol, Birmingham, and then Oxfordshire, where I ran my own consultancy for 5 years before I started my amazing family.
4 years ago, right in the middle of the pandemic, I joined a small Recruitment start-up called Planet and established the IT division. Today, 4 of us focus on IT, part of a wider team of over 20.
What are you good at?
Understanding people. That’s really the key to doing the job well. Obviously, I have quite detailed, personal conversations with candidates and clients, but it’s reading between the lines where the magic happens. A job description will give you the highlights of a role, but speaking with the line manager, the director, the person in need of extra resource is where you really understand where they need help.
It’s a similar story to getting candidates to open up. Everyone will tell you that they are looking for a certain salary, a certain level of flexibility, responsibility and reward – however from a CV, you cannot get into why they really left their last role, their aims for the future, what is happening outside work that is their real motivation for advancing their career.
Once you get to understand all motivations from all sides, then you can match the right people.
I also consider myself good at building a high-performing team, something that we’re particularly strong at across the whole business. Many of the team came onboard as first-timers, resources or junior recruiters. Now they are among the high performers across the business.
Who do you like working with?
The short answer – a business or IT leader who needs our specialist advice.
I love getting embedded within a business or IT department. We have many clients who we have recruited most, if not all, of their team. Often before we are even briefed on a role, we know exactly what they are looking for.
When thinking about candidates – I like helping them all, if I’m honest, but those who need the help are the most rewarding. People who feel stuck in their roles might not like interviewing, are a little scared of the whole recruitment process and simply scroll job boards, frightened of rejection. They probably need the most help. Like what I said above about reading between the lines. My team & I meet every single candidate to match their needs to help find them a role they are suited for, one they are going to wake up every morning looking forward to.
When you joined Planet, did you come across anything that surprised you?
I joined in between the two national COVID lockdowns so it was a strange time to start any job. There were only 5 of us in the business then. The two owners and us sitting around two desks in a small room.
Pretty quickly, we went back to work from home but seeing where Planet is now from where it was then, is amazing, but not a surprise. It’s impressive and a testament to the hard work that all 20+ of us have put in since.
What’s your favourite Planet memory?
Coasteering. Without a doubt.
Did I ever think I would want to jump off cliffs into the sea? NEVER! That day I managed to do something I never thought I would, surrounded by the support of the team, Gavin Jones in particular.
After that I felt like I could do anything!
What are you particularly proud of?
The team especially. Seeing certain people progress in their career and personally has been very rewarding.
Also to see how Planet Recruitment has grown as a whole. Being part of that journey like I have. The company is still young and I have seen first hand the process in such a short time. I love being around the directors and owners of the business, learning from working side-by-side.
Being a local business too, it’s refreshing to see the togetherness success and teamwork, knowing it all came from scratch within Oxford. It’s so different to the large corporates I have worked with in the past.
What advice do you have for upcoming recruiters or anyone thinking of joining the industry?
Modern recruiters are trained wrong from the start. I cringe at the lack of quality, lack of care, the sales-heavy focus that seems to be the standardised thing. There’s no passion.
Yes, recruitment is fast-paced, but people are concentrating too short term, and no longer sharing the hiring experience with candidates and their clients.
I particularly don’t like what recruitment has become on LinkedIn. Everyone appears the same, talking more about themselves than anything else.
Try to take your time. Yes, you have short-term targets but quick-wins will not help you achieve your long-term goals. Be genuine. Take time to build relationships and your clients will come back time after time. That’s how the most successful recruiters stay successful.
