There can be few more people-centric professions than recruitment. At its core, it's about understanding people, what motivates them, what drives them, and how their skills and experience align with the culture and requirements of a business.
In a world dominated by technology and automation, the human touch makes all the difference. That’s why Bryony Gibson makes it personal to find the right person for the right job and, as important, vice versa.
Building relationships, listening, and understanding are the tools of Bryony’s trade. For her, recruitment isn’t a numbers game. It’s about getting it right the first time. Avoiding the all too common scattergun approach, she specialises in recruitment for the North East’s public practice accountancy profession.
If you are looking for an accountant or auditor, a finance manager or tax specialist, then Bryony can help. With more than 20 years of experience recruiting in the North East for public practice, she’s got a contacts list which other recruiters would envy.
It’s also how she is able to work so closely with independent accountancy firms, all the way up to the Big 4. But what about the person whose name is above the door? We thought we’d learn a little about Bryony and her company, Bryony Gibson Consulting.
So, Bryony, tell us a little bit about yourself…
Originally from Bath in the south I spent my childhood years enjoying the beautiful City before heading off to University to study law. After a summer overseas I met my husband and swiftly moved North. Fast forward 25 years and I am now a busy Mum with two (almost) teenage children and Buddy my Labrador. Life is busy with running your own business and playing taxi to two children who swim (a lot). Plenty of 4am starts and 10pm finishes leave little other time but dog walks, shopping, running and pilates are squeezed in. My favourite pastime is holidays and travelling, a (warm) beach is for sure my happy place.
So, what led you into the world of recruitment?
After graduating, I joined M&S’s management programme. A fantastic education, it didn’t take long to realise weekends were far too precious to spend my life in retail. That’s when I moved to the North East, and, kind of, fell into recruitment. Thankfully I loved it and, after more than 20 years of specialising in tax and accountancy, I decided to set up my own consultancy and it was the best career decision I ever made.
What skills do you need to do your job?
In recruitment, it helps if you have tenacity. Someone once said to me it is not how many times you fall that matters, it’s how many times you get back up again. Recruitment is a little like that. You have to be resilient and I believe to be successful you have to genuinely care about what you do. It’s more than a job, it’s a passion for me to know I have helped someone find their perfect job. The ability to communicate and listen and understanding people’s needs is what it’s really about, I don’t just fill jobs I try to find people the right fit.
Recruitment can be akin to spinning lots of plates at the same time.
Over the years, how has recruitment changed?
When I began in 1999 I worked on a black and green screen (who remembers those?) and CV’s had to be hand fed page by page into a fax and then a call to check they had been received by your client. The trick was to always number each page. There was no LinkedIn and we relied heavily on our own built database and “hot lists”. Hardly an efficient way to work but it taught me to get to know my candidates. One of the dangers with the advance in technology is that people can become reliant upon computer algorithms and AI to find the answers, rather than getting to know the people behind the CV’s. Ultimately it is still the same job, the people element will always be needed I believe.
Why did you choose to set up a business that specialises in one area of recruitment?
I’d been at the same company for a long time so needed a new challenge and more flexibility. Being part of a PLC gave me a fantastic understanding of global recruitment, but I saw a gap in the market for a sector expert offering a flexible and personal service. One where developing long-term relationships was crucial to the success of the partnership, and so I thought why not just go for it.
What’s been your biggest highlight so far?
I am not sure I have one single highlight but I do feel very grateful each day for how far I have come on my own. Working independently can be lonely at times and you have to stay positive and motivated, I have to drive myself each day which luckily I don’t find difficult. I enjoy the relationship side of what I do and feel lucky to still be working with people I have helped over the years. Receiving the smallest of thank-you’s or a personal recommendation are probably up there too as highlights as it means I am achieving what I set out to do.
Advice time. Anyone reading this who fancies a career change, what would you recommend?
I am a firm believer that life’s too short to do something you don’t enjoy so no matter the job, make sure you are passionate about it. Recognise that if you want something enough you can achieve it but that comes at a cost. Of course it is hard, but if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
So there you go. If you’d like help to find the right tax & accountancy role or a recruit, call Bryony on 0191 375 9983.
Alternatively, visit www.bryonygibson.com, connect on LinkedIn or follow @bryonygibson.