To give you a better idea of what it’s like building a career in recruitment, as well as what it’s like working here at Henry Nicholas, we’ve interviewed a few members of our team about their background, their role and their career with Henry Nicholas so far.
We spoke with our Founder and Director John Austin to find out more about the business and his love for the job…
Hi John! How long have you worked for Henry Nicholas?
Coming up for 14 years – I started the business in February 2009.
What’s your career background?
After graduating, I joined Pirelli where I worked in their HR department, and then moved across to telecomms recruitment in 1997. I sourced candidates all over the world to form virtual telco companies to bid for mobile licences; some of those original incubator companies I worked with are now giants such as Vodafone and EE. I moved to Bristol in 1999 and started working in sales and marketing recruitment for an independent, before becoming the top biller for a senior appointments agency. I then started Henry Nicholas in February 2009.
What motivated you to start Henry Nicholas?
I believed recruitment could be done differently, and better.
Why did you decide to create a company that gives back, and why is this important to you?
Purpose motivates me and the team. It’s great to be successful, but doing it whilst helping others and the planet is a different level – it takes the selfishness out of business.
What do you enjoy most about recruitment?
We make a difference to people’s lives and businesses, which gives me a real sense of achievement. You’re involved in helping people develop their careers and seeing businesses grow. What is there not to like?
What do you love about working at HN?
It’s a fun place to work. I laugh a lot! We don’t have a micro-management culture, and everyone is treated with respect and trust. Everyone is given autonomy but supported as and when required.
How would you describe the HN culture?
I would say fun; we really trust and care about each other. Coupled with a commitment to our marketplace, it creates a calm, effective environment that isn’t too serious.
What does your typical day look like?
Busy, and no day is the same. I’m still a hands-on recruiter because I just love it!
Do you have a favourite memory to share?
There are so many: tartan paint, transporting a game of Risk from one pub to another halfway through, Prague, New York, Vegas (twice), Portugal, Barcelona, Liverpool, Cheltenham and Skiing in Bulgaria. My favourite though is getting rather drunk in Dublin with Woody Harrelson, the Edge and Bono.
What are you looking forward to achieving this year?
We have big plans this year. We are on our B Corp journey, and hope to gain certification by June. We will also be recruiting new team members and seeing them develop through our 14-week training programme, moving into our new riverfront office in central Bristol, seeing my team develop into leaders… the list is endless.
If you’d like to take your career to the next level by joining the Henry Nicholas team, we’d love to meet you! Find out more about working with us, or get in touch to discuss your options.
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