Sharples Davies have been working with Spinks for over 22 years. The relationship stretches two generations on both sides. The recruitment has primarily been for the Branch Managers of the plumbing branches with three of the four current Branch Managers being placed by Sharples Davies. Our most recent recruitment has been finding their current Marketing Manager.
Matthew Harrison on Sharples Davies: I can’t remember when I first spoke to Jeff Hulme about recruitment but I think it might have been at an industry event. Jeff was a down to earth, ‘I do as I say’, gent – one of the good guys who left a great impression on people. When Gareth took over it was only natural to ask ‘can he fill Jeff’s boots?’. It speaks for itself that we are still working with Sharples Davies and in fact more now than ever before.
Why Sharples Davies? – Recruitment companies don’t always have the best reputations. This may be because they don’t always listen to what you want or because you are ‘just another’ customer, but having had experience of an agency I was working with approaching one of my staff I became very careful about who we use. Sharples Davies are different. They have loyalty, integrity and really want to find someone that fits with you and your business. They don’t give up when its hard to find someone even though there are probably easier and more lucrative projects they are working on.
What has been a recent recruitment project? – Our Marketing Manager left to join one of our suppliers and we advertised locally but did not find what we were looking for. We specifically wanted someone who did not want to create huge change in the short term but to evolve our marketing, to learn about our industry and who was not so set in their ways that they were not prepared to be open minded about what works for us.
Matthew Harrison thoughts on the process – Recruiting a local Marketing Manager is clearly not the mainstay of Sharples Davies’ recruitment focus and as such Gareth did not ask for a retainer payment in case he could not find anyone (How many would do this?) However within days he called me with a ‘stand out candidate who I would employ myself if she lived near us’. While Chloe’s CV did not indicate a huge amount of active experience in marketing I took Gareth at his word and set up a meeting with her, expecting to reject her. Of course Gareth was spot on. Chloe has been here a couple of months now, is a pleasure to work with and starting to put her stamp on our Marketing.
