Every successful recruitment business relies on strong financial control and accurate payroll.

At Planet Recruitment, that responsibility sits with two women who set the standard every day. Pat Smith has worked alongside the founders for nearly 20 years and has been part of the journey since day one. Lea Brett joined two years ago and plays a key role in keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

Together, they manage the finances and payroll for hundreds of contractors each week, protect cashflow and keep the business on track. We sat down with them to talk about loyalty, work ethic, attention to detail and what it takes to keep a growing recruitment business running properly.

Q&A with Pat Smith

You have worked with the founders for nearly 20 years. What has kept you here for so long?

I don’t know, WFH helps!

Joking aside, we obviously built a very strong relationship over the years. Graham & Darren are far more than just bosses. They’re like family at this stage. We’ve been through lots of ups and one or two downs together. But that’s the key, doing it together. I know they have my back and I’ll always have theirs.

What was Planet Recruitment like on day one compared to today?

At the start it was just a tiny office, just the three of us. And Barry popped in from time to time. It was really like starting from scratch. We worked together in a larger company beforehand so it was a big shock to our everyday routine, a huge learning curve, but we got into the swing of it.

Obviously, a lot has changed today. Just over 20 staff, a much bigger office. Far busier than we ever were in our previous company, which has its highs and challenges. I’ve changed a lot too. I’ve learned a lot of new skills, taken on a lot of responsibility. Before, I was in admin and a recruitment resourcer, whereas now I manage the finance and payroll for over 400 to 500 contractors and temps every week.

How do you protect cashflow in an industry that can be unpredictable?

Lots of credit management, debt control and chasing. Discipline is key and I really just treat it like it’s my own money. Lea and I pride ourselves on not making any mistakes, that just makes our jobs tougher.

What are the biggest financial headaches you face?

The money and wages that go out every week versus people paying invoices after 14 or 30 days. It’s a struggle for any business to manage cash flow like that. We’re lucky that we have the processes and discipline so it all moves smoothly.

What standards do you hold yourself to when it comes to accuracy and compliance?

Obviously very high. Compliance has always been my background. I don’t like to feel like we’re underachieving in that way.

Being in our position, we see every area of the business. We can see where people are working hard and if anyone is dragging their heels. Thankfully there are never many draggers.

As a woman at the core of the business, how have you seen leadership change over the years?

They haven’t changed. They’ve always been the same. In my opinion, either professionally or as a friend, they’ll never be different. They obviously have fantastic managers under them now doing a lot of the hands-on work, but they’re still as supportive and involved as they ever will be.

What advice would you give to women building long-term careers in finance?

Find a role that you enjoy. That you constantly give 100 percent to. There will be times when you think your 100 percent is not enough, but it is.

After that, as long as you’re with the right group of people and in the right company, other things don’t matter.

Q&A with Lea Brett

What attracted you to join Planet Recruitment two years ago?

There were new opportunities that I didn’t have in my previous role. I wanted to learn and it was a bigger, busier company than I was used to. I could see the growth opportunities at Planet and I really wanted to get involved. It was really what I was looking for at the time.

And that is definitely how it has been. I have definitely built up confidence in the way I work and the way I speak with people.

There’s no better way to learn than to get your hands on the task at hand and get them dirty.

What does a typical day look like for you in Finance and Payroll?

It’s a lot of candidate compliance. Also working with our clients, making sure pay rates, hours and details are correct before the weekly payments. Collecting over 400 timesheets each week can be challenging and time-consuming, but it needs to be 100 percent correct or people don’t get paid properly.

Why is attention to detail so important in your role?

It’s essential. We deal with money, people’s money. They rely on getting the correct payment so they can live their lives. Likewise, if we get it wrong, the business loses out on the revenue.

What happens behind the scenes that most people in the business never see?

Nobody appreciates the volume of invoicing and communication with our clients. I speak with our customers far more than most in the business could imagine. Any finance issues tend to come my way. And like I said, 400 to 500 contractors and temporary workers need to be paid every week. I’m not sure most at Planet or outside understand the level of detail that needs to go into all that.

How do you stay organised when dealing with high volumes of payroll and invoices?

Lists. Daily tasks. Being consistent and knowing all the candidates’ needs. I tend to know most individuals’ queries so I can focus on that before they need to raise it. Also, we double-check our work. I check Pat’s and she checks mine. Actually, we double-check everyone’s work.

What do you enjoy most about working at Planet?

I really enjoy the opportunities I am given for my own self-development. I love working with Pat, she is a brilliant boss. Also, the relationships I have built with others. You can talk with them about anything. One thing I can’t get my head around is the never-ending football chat. I know nothing about it and now I know more than I want to.

What skills are essential to succeed in your role?

Patience. Keeping calm. Staying focused. And it takes a lot of organisation to control all the candidates. Constant communication is key to getting everything done.

Q&A With Both

How would you describe the culture at Planet Recruitment?

It’s a real social culture. There’s always games going on and the next social outing is never far away. It’s well known how hard we work and it’s also well known how hard we play.

We’ve done Tough Mudders, coasteering, trips to the races, team cooking days, boat trips in London, escape rooms, Sixes Cricket and lots more. It’s a great place to work.

What role does Finance and Payroll play in supporting consultants to succeed?

Everything really. They do their jobs, get new clients, source candidates etc. But if suppliers don’t get paid, if wages aren’t prompt and if clients hit financial roadblocks, then nobody will want to work with us anymore.

And we pay our consultants’ wages, so they owe us a monthly treat.

How has the business grown from a financial perspective over the years?

It’s been incredible growth really. Every year we have not just grown but smashed our targets. From the three of us in that tiny office to where we are now, it’s a different platform for us to go out and grow even more.

What work are you both most proud of?

I really do pride us on making so few financial mistakes. And if there are any issues we may encounter, they are rarely Planet’s fault.

And Pat being here six years and not a grey hair in sight. That’s a miracle rather than something to be proud of.

What do you think makes Planet Recruitment different from other agencies?

Darren and Graham. Enough said.

If someone was considering joining Planet Recruitment, what would you tell them?

Everyone is very welcoming and friendly. Just really easy to get along with.

Lots may say this, but it really is work hard, play hard. We all give everything to achieve our collective goals, but we know how to enjoy ourselves once we do.

Strong recruitment businesses are built on trust, discipline and consistency. Patricia and Lea bring all three every single week. Their work may sit behind the scenes, but it underpins everything Planet Recruitment does.

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.