Freya’s First year

Wow! It’s been a whole year since I started as Recruitment Lead at H2R Selection – This year has really flown by!

I joined H2R off the back of maternity leave with my second daughter. I was unsure what to expect and was nervous to re-enter the world of work with two little ones. It’s certainly been a juggle, but do you know what – being a parent certainly makes you a good juggler! It’s been so busy, and thinking back on what we’ve done as a team makes me realise how much we’ve achieved as a small business this year.

The recruitment market has been an interesting one this year, with businesses trying to get back to “normal” following the pandemic. It’s continued to be a candidate-lead market, with many businesses needing to ensure they stand out from their competitors and are able to attract top talent through reviewing their benefits, employee engagement and recruitment marketing. Candidates’ expectations of hybrid working, salaries, benefits and flexibility have seemed higher following the pandemic, and the job of a recruiter hasn’t got easier. But I think I thrive on the rollercoaster ride and the highs and lows of being a recruitment manager!

We’ve done some fabulous fundraising. In 2023 so far, we’ve raised over £2500 as a team for some wonderful local and national charities including Marmalade Trust and Cancer Research UK. I’ve been involved in a skipping challenge, a cake sale (attempting to make the best of my limited baking ability!), a sponsored walk and some brilliant events. My team did a super job of hosting events for loneliness week and International Women’s Day amongst others, and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy networking with clients at Ashton Gate (whilst watching the Lionesses win 6-1!) and the Gloucestershire Cricket Ground too. So much of our work is done from behind a screen these days with remote working being the norm, so it’s been refreshing to get out and about to meet clients. Such a lovely way to network, build relationships and socialise, as well as raising money for our charity partners from ticket sales.

This year I’ve also had the opportunity to attend some more fancy events and dig out my floor length dresses and heals! It’s been exciting to see H2R Selection gain nominations for various awards – This year alone we’ve been shortlisted in the Bristol Life Awards, Entre Conf, The Great British Awards, FSB Awards and Business Leader South West awards. What an accolade!

Another way I’ve got out and about this year is by dropping in to see our clients and visiting new starters with a bottle of bubbly or some tasty treats. Despite being a small business, we work with some of the top Southwest (and national) employers and a lot of our relationships are retained or exclusive. I’m proud to work for a business with over 90 five star Google reviews, where relationships are long-term and truly valued. With my interest in HR (having completed my CIPD level 3 previously), I’ve enjoyed working closely with our HR consultants to support several of our clients to across both recruitment and HR.

And all of this couldn’t be done without my colleagues – As a close-knit team from various sides of Bristol, we make an effort to celebrate our achievements together and have regular team get togethers. I’ve enjoyed many a lunch out, and I’ve also discovered I’m actually pretty good at darts!? We’ve welcomed a few new starters to the team over the past few months, and I’m excited to see what my next year at H2R Selection will look like. I’m going to be enrolling on a course shortly and I’ve just upped my hours slightly so I’m pretty sure that this next year will be a pretty busy and successful one at H2R Selection 😊