Our new Sales Director, Craig Webster, has joined Vallum Associates, bringing 21 years of recruitment experience across both agency and client-side roles. After seven years on the client side, Craig decided to come back down the agency route.

With experience on both sides of the recruitment process, as well as a clear focus on growth, client relationships and developing people, we sat down with Craig to find out more about his career, what brought him back to agency recruitment, what he sees as the biggest opportunities for Vallum and what he’s hoping to bring to the team.

The Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about your career journey and what led you to Vallum?

I’ve been in recruitment for 21 years now. The first part of that was agency and then I moved to client side, spent 6-7 years.

I was brought to Vallum by the people. I met the board and was excited by the opportunity to work with people like Malvin Kamara and Mike Petrie.

What do you see as the biggest opportunities for Vallum?

I think growth and sustainable growth. Deepening relationships with existing clients, adding more major accounts, and developing the people that we’ve got.

What made you want to come back to the agency side of recruitment?

I never thought I’d come back to agency side of recruitment if I’m completely honest but it was the people. After I met the board and after having a number of meetings with them, I knew that we were aligned and it felt like the right move.

What are you hoping to bring to the business?

High energy,

Passion,

Honesty,

Lots of fun

And loads of success!

What’s one thing you’ve learned throughout your career that you still use today?

Be honest, be open, don’t be afraid to have tough conversations with clients or people you work with. I believe people appreciate honesty, especially clients.

What do you think sets a strong recruitment partnership away from a transactional relationship?

Transactional is very much asking for a job whereas a relationship is all about understanding your client’s business, culture, goals and benefitting them in that sense. It’s important to engrain yourself in their business.

With all your experience in recruitment, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their career?

Become a subject matter expert. Pick a market, throw yourself in, learn and speak to many people. That’s how you become credible.

What are you most excited for this year?

I’m excited about joining Vallum and becoming part of the business and part of the team. I want to help people develop and really push on to see how far this can take us.

What incentive are you looking forward to the most?

The team incentive. For me it’s all about the team. We win as a team, we lose as team. But we will win. One Vallum, one team.

Can you give us a sneak preview of what the team incentive is?

There is a team incentive to go away as whole company happening at the end of the year. It's going to be in a big house with lots of events going on…DJ, party, chef.

What’s next?

I’m incredibly excited to be joining such an ambitious business, working alongside a fantastic team and building on the great work already being done.

There’s a huge amount of opportunity ahead, and I’m really looking forward to playing my part in the next stage of Vallum’s growth and seeing what we can achieve together.

Exciting times ahead.