November is National Career Development Month, encouraging professionals to celebrate their own career development and focus on their future career choices. To celebrate, we have produced a ‘Creating Careers’ series, in which we interview members of the team about their career development, personal successes, and highlights of their career so far at Invenia Group. In this interview, we talk with Andrew Maddison – Director of our US Life Sciences team. Andrew joined Invenia Group as a Researcher in January 2010. Since then, he’s been promoted up to Director level.
So, Andrew, what was it that initially made you want to work in the recruitment industry?
Like a lot of people, I completely fell into recruitment. I knew there was a lot of progression within the industry, and a lot of money to potentially be made. My previous role was also ‘salesy’ so it was something I knew I could be good at and enjoy.
Why do you think you’ve been so successful in your time at Invenia Group?
I joined Invenia Group in 2010 as a researcher and was actually the first hire to the team. I think that being involved in the company’s development from the get-go gave me a drive to grow and progress what started as a small team of 3 to something huge – persistence is key!
Success is measured differently for everyone, but I think you need to be passionate about what you do, and this will allow for greater potential. I enjoy my job, and I enjoy working with a team of people that can motivate me. So, I also attribute a lot of my success to those around me.
What are your plans to develop your team in the future?
The next goal is to have at least 30 consultants within 7 divisions! So, I’m looking at doubling our current team headcount and delving into some new markets.
What are your future goals and ambitions?
I’d like to grow into a more strategic role and develop and manage a team of successful managers.
What’s been the most rewarding part of being a manager?
It’s funny because I didn’t actually enjoy management at first! I found it quite difficult telling people how to work, and it was hard to balance my own time with coaching and mentoring my team members. But ultimately, it’s ended up being my favourite part of my role. I think the most rewarding part of management is seeing people who I know have been working really hard score fees and grow their markets. It’s also really rewarding recruiting consultants without any recruitment experience and watching them grow and develop their skills.
I also think it’s really important to stand back as a manager and give your team some independence. You should be hiring people that you trust to work on their own, and if that’s not something you can do – then they aren’t the right fit for your company. Within the hiring process, we’re really keen to focus not just on experience, but also on cultural fit – and this is something I’m really proud of within my team – we all aim high, work hard, and have a great team environment with great working relationships.
What are your personal highlights from your time here?
Moving offices because of our huge growth this year! Right now, we are most definitely the most forward thinking the business has ever been, which makes the journey really exciting. Our new office is fantastic! Watching us grow to a company of almost 50 people has been amazing! You’re constantly surrounded by this busy environment and this buzz off success and motivation which is really nice to see.
Obviously, the incentives are a huge highlight as well! Whilst working at Invenia Group, I’ve enjoyed a fantastic number of trips abroad with my colleagues; Majorca, France, Croatia – just to name a few, which is really rewarding – particularly when you get to spend this time with your team.
What part of management have you found to be most challenging?
Managing means to support personally and professionally, mentor and coach, train and develop somebody into where they want to be. I would hope my team know I legitimately care about them as people and not just billing robots! I’ve found it difficult previously to balance time between team members and almost organise a schedule to keep to a happy team – but this is something I think comes with experience and growth.
And finally, what is your advice to anyone looking to develop in their career?
I would say to be resilient and positive! There’s always highs and lows in life, and particularly in recruitment – you’re lucky if you don’t have any lows but push through these and you’ll come out even stronger.
I’d also say, don’t let your mood dictate how you are with your team or your peers – you need to remain professional and be that shoulder for those around you.
Are you looking for an exciting new career opportunity within recruitment? We have a variety of opportunities across our life science, medical and dental sectors. Email your CV over to info@inveniagroup.com to find out more!
