Meet the Team: Liz, Our Director

We spoke to Director, Liz about her role at YourConstruction.

What does a Director of a Construction Recruitment Company do?

I was brought into YourConsultancy Group (YCG) to manage construction recruitment because that’s what my background is in. I founded a branch in Birmingham and brought in staff. 

I oversee recruitment targets at the branch. I particularly love client relationships so really focus on that. We like to build fun, friendly relationships with clients and provide 24 hour support; I have clients still with me from 9 years ago.

How did you come to be Director at YourConstruction?

I started my construction experience in sales rather than recruitment specifically but that’s not to say I had no recruiting experience in the role. After a location change, I was looking for a new opportunity when I was offered a recruitment position. That was nine years ago so I almost fell into recruitment really.

I found that I mostly enjoyed industrial recruitment, particularly the air conditioning world as I had an understanding of the industry. I had my own industrial desk when I was approached by a company that was looking for a manager to set up and run a permanent team, which was an amazing opportunity.

After a while, I started to realise that I could do this by myself so I set up my own business, which I ran for two years until the Covid-19 hit. The pandemic was a scary time to be self-employed and this was when Josh and Seon from YCG offered me the opportunity to run a business in partnership with them.

So I’d gone from being a consultant with little knowledge of recruitment to managing a team within a company to setting up on my own, back to working within a team whilst still having a say in the business. I’d missed working with a team and I love working with my colleagues at YourConstruction. 

From my experience and career journey, I’d be interested to take on someone with a sales background as I know they will have the people skills to be successful.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in recruitment?

If you’re a people person you will love this job – that’s why I love it.

Don’t be afraid to try different jobs for the experience. I believe that every job you take is a stepping stone to your next step.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in Construction?

A lot of people who work in construction have experience in IT or sales but never worked in construction before – you don’t always have to have experience in construction.

The construction industry has a high ratio of men to women and a very relaxed environment; don’t go in expecting a corporate atmosphere.

What key skills are essential in your position?

• Listening
• Talking
• Relationship building
• Empathy
• Willingness to get up and keep going

What makes YourConstruction a great place to work? Why is it different?

Seon and Josh have paved the path for what kind of people come into YCG. We get on well and its a friendly place to work where we have fun but still work hard.

Can you describe a typical day in the office?

After we get in a and have coffees, the first thing we do is look at the board and what we’ve got on for the day and then we prioritise, and delegate. We call clients, make new business calls, match jobs and get as many CVs sent as we can before interview day on Friday. We tend to separate the day into hour blocks and reassess priorities throughout the day.

What projects are you most proud of?

I’m always proudest of my long-standing relationships with clients as it speaks to my reputation with them. My longest-standing relationship with a client is ten years.

What does the future hold for the world of Construction recruitment?

Covid is a big challenge because the temp world seems to be declining; a lot of people are now wanting more permanent positions and we have to adapt to that. 

A big obstacle has always been that people don’t like recruitment agencies so the challenge has always been to break down those walls and gain a client’s trust by proving how useful we can be to them.

What exciting things are on the horizon for YourConstruction?

We would like to build our team and work with more clients to place more jobs; it’s what it is, isn’t it? I’m looking forward to it!