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Stephanie Brackley, managing director of Source Recruitment’s new office, tells Emily Moore why she is excited about the opportunity to establish the brand in the Island
IMAGINE you were looking for a new job or thinking about changing career. Whatever the reason for wanting to try something different, most people probably want their workplace to offer more than just a pay cheque at the end of each month.
In the case of Stephanie Brackley, that list includes a diverse workload and a fast-paced environment, with the opportunity to interact with lots of people and to make a positive difference. She also likes being able to influence business using strategy and create tailored solutions to meet specific needs instead of looking for off-the-shelf options.
Taking all of this into account, it is of little surprise that, when the HR professional saw an advert looking for someone to establish a Jersey branch of a Guernsey-based recruitment agency, it was too tempting an opportunity to ignore.
“Source Recruitment is a family-run business, set up by Julia and Rick Martin 20 years ago,” explained Stephanie, who is now the managing director of the firm’s newly launched Jersey operation.
“I saw the advert while undertaking consultancy work, and immediately felt excited, a feeling which only grew after researching the business and having a chat with Julia, where we just hit it off immediately.
“That relationship was crucial, as although I am heading up the Jersey office, sharing the same values is essential. If we hadn’t had the same outlook and approach to business, the venture wouldn’t have worked.
“But, with our values aligned, it is hugely exciting for me to represent such a successful business, which has such a good reputation and a strong team in Guernsey and recreate that here.”
The decision to open a second branch during the company’s “landmark 20th-anniversary year” came, Stephanie added, following a number of requests from “pan-island clients, the passion for expanding upon what they already do exceptionally and wanting to take the next step on the Source Recruitment journey”.
“The Guernsey team has been looking after clients across both islands for some time, so the idea of setting up a Jersey office had been in the background for a while,” she said. “However, the time had to be right and Julia and Rick also wanted the right person on the ground, as they realised that while some businesses may operate in both islands, and while Jersey and Guernsey may be close geographically, they can be quite different places.
“It was therefore important to them that the Jersey office was led by someone who understands the local market, both in terms of its competitiveness and in how we attract candidates and speak to clients.”
Giving Stephanie that knowledge, she explains, is her 20-year-plus career in HR, leadership and operations, 15 of which have been spent in the Island, working for companies including Play.com and Feelunique.
“My HR work was always wide-ranging, working with teams on everything from recruitment and reward to learning and development, talent management and strategy,” she said. “Feelunique was a rapidly growing business, with hugely diverse recruitment needs, so I was responsible for sourcing talented people at all levels for every area from warehouse staff, finance professionals and buyers to digital marketing, brand and forward-thinking technical experts to focus on the ecommerce side of the business.
“While the business’s workforce was initially employed predominantly in Jersey, when we rapidly expanded, my role became even more diverse, as we started taking on people who were based in the UK, France and Singapore as well as in the Channel Islands. It was a vast business, and that made my job very diverse, which is why I stayed there for so long. I loved the fast-paced, evolving entrepreneurial nature of the business.”
When I meet HR professionals to talk about their firm’s recruitment needs, I understand the challenges they are talking about because I’ve been there. That means that I know just how important it is to get the right person for a business, and not just ‘put a bum on a seat’. But… I also want to find the right role and the right environment for each candidate
And while the demands of her role changed as the business grew, Stephanie relished the new challenges with which she was presented, including taking on responsibility for the facilities management and stores teams.
“I was the firm’s first HR professional, so I was able to set up all the systems and implement everything needed, adapting our procedures as the firm grew,” she said. “I’ve always liked tailoring solutions to respond to specific scenarios, rather than trying to ‘make do’ with an off-the-shelf package.”
Having been involved in recruiting so many roles during her time at Feelunique – and having also presented herself as a candidate to agencies in the past – Stephanie feels she is well placed to help both candidates and clients in her new role at Source Recruitment.
“I think one of my greatest strengths is having a knowledge and understanding of different people,” reflected the Chartered Institute of Professional Development and Chartered Management Institute member. “I also think that, while there is naturally a big market piece on financial services and professional services, my varied background, which includes ecommerce, operations, legal and financial services, will benefit all businesses, as technology advancements shape roles in all sectors.”
Also benefiting businesses, says Stephanie, is the fact that she has first-hand experience of having sat in the talent acquisition seat.
“When I meet HR professionals to talk about their firm’s recruitment needs, I understand the challenges they are talking about because I’ve been there,” she said. “That means that I know just how important it is to get the right person for a business, and not just ‘put a bum on a seat’. But it is not just about finding the right person for a business: I also want to find the right role and the right environment for each candidate.
“After all, we spend a lot of time at work, so we need to be in the right place. I always find it interesting to spend time with a candidate, getting to understand them, their capabilities and transferable skills and asking the right questions, so that I truly understand their preferences and know what they are looking for from their job.
“My Myers Briggs Type Indicator practitioner skills also stand me in good stead here, providing me with that additional awareness of truly understanding candidates as individuals.
“Having sat in the HR professional’s chair before, I know how frustrating it is to receive CVs that are totally unsuitable, so I will never send out a CV just for the sake of it. My focus is on meeting clients to understand their environments and what it’s really like to work there, and then match their opportunities with candidates.”
With new clients, new candidates and new jobs coming into Source Recruitment every day, Stephanie admits that her first few months in the role have been “very busy”.
“It is very fast paced but my attitude is that the work has to be done, so it will be done,” she said with a smile. “We are also in the process of expanding our team in Jersey, which will support our goal of becoming a well-known brand in both islands, while being recognised for getting the right candidates for the right roles, and the right opportunities for our candidates.”
