The Elephant Insight - Welcome

A regular update on all things Brellis and Recruitment by Co-Owner Matt Breakwell

Author

Matthew Breakwell
November 28, 2024

Welcome Message from Matt

Recently, I chatted with a client from a top-tier marketing business where we’d placed a very senior role. As we talked about the ups and downs of recruitment, I asked him for advice on how I could improve. His response hit home:

“In the six months since the placement, you’ve only really touched base a handful of times. Even if you don’t call, a simple update about what’s happening at Brellis would be valuable.”

Truth is, I’ve always tried not to pester clients, thinking you’d reach out when you needed us. But his feedback inspired me to bridge the gap – and The Elephant Insight was born.

This monthly update is my way of keeping you in the loop, sharing insights, stories, and updates from Brellis Recruitment. I hope you find it useful (and maybe a little entertaining).

If you have feedback, I’d love to hear it – and if it’s not for you, I promise I won’t be offended if you unsubscribe.

Thanks for reading, and here’s to staying connected!

All the best,
Matt

👋 Exciting News! Meet Ollie, Our New Recruit (Literally)

We’re thrilled to welcome Ollie Fellowes to the Brellis Recruitment team as our newest Recruitment Consultant! 🎉

Ollie joins us with a detective-level knack for understanding people, honed during his impressive career with the MET Police. Whether it was assessing character, building trust, or deciphering the truth (from a suspect or a CV), Ollie’s skills are criminally good. 🔍👔

It didn’t take long for Zoe and Nicole to interrogate him (all in good fun, of course). Questions ranged from, "What’s the juiciest case you’ve worked on?" to the one we’ve all been dying to ask... Does he know who ‘H’ from Line of Duty is? (Sorry, Ollie – we had to!)

One thing’s for sure: with Ollie on board, Brellis is ready to crack even the toughest recruitment cases. Welcome to the team, Ollie – we promise your colleagues are mostly law-abiding. 😉

🚀 Brellis Trials AI Technology to Transform Recruitment!

From day one, Brellis Recruitment has aimed to stay ahead of the competition and outperform the corporates. Now, we’re taking it a step further by trialling AI technology to support the day-to-day grind of recruitment.

With 3,000-5,000 applications pouring in every month, our consultants are CV-sifting champions. But by automating some of the repetitive tasks, we can free up their time to focus on what really matters: interviewing, assessing experience, and uncovering those all-important soft skills.

This is just the beginning. We’re starting small, trialling AI on select roles, but the potential to enhance our already impressive fill rates is huge.

We’re excited to see how this will improve efficiency and help us deliver an even better service to our clients and candidates. Watch this space – the future of recruitment at Brellis is looking bright!

#InnovationAtBrellis #AIRecruitment #StayingAhead

🚨 Scammer Alert: The Wrong Target at Brellis! 

This week, our new consultant Ollie received an email “from Matt” asking him to urgently buy a £250 gift card as Matt’s credit card wasn’t working during a client meeting. Suspicious? Definitely.

Luckily for us, Ollie’s police instincts kicked in. While the tone was almost as direct as the real Matt’s (you know how he is), the request was odd, especially asking for details Ollie knew Matt already had. Instead of rushing out to buy gift cards, Ollie did what any good ex-cop would do – he sniffed out the scam.

Let’s just say the scammer probably didn’t realize they were trying to outsmart someone trained to catch actual criminals. Rookie mistake.

While this turned out to be more laughable than harmful, it’s a reminder to stay vigilant. If something feels off – whether in an email, job application, or life – trust your instincts. And maybe don’t try to scam a former MET officer.

#ScammersBeware #NotToday #OllieTheCrimeFighter

📊 Local Recruitment Market Update: November 2024

At Brellis Recruitment, we love sharing insights into the recruitment landscape, supported by real data and feedback from our amazing clients. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the market and how we’re performing:

Our November 2024 Highlights

  • Permanent Placements: 8 roles filled, including:

    • 2 Service Engineers

    • Interim Finacial Director

    • Group Financial Director

    • Administrator

    • Account Manager

    • Technical Aftersales

    • Customer Service Advisor

  • Temporary Roles: 4 Customer Service and an Admin position filled

For context, in November 2023, we filled 13 permanent roles (HR Advisor, Head of Operations, BDM, Accounts Assistant, Caretaker, plus multiple admin and customer service roles) and 4 temporary roles.

  • April–November 2023: 109 permanent and 17 temporary positions filled.

  • April–November 2024: 65 permanent and 14 temporary positions filled.

This year, we’ve advertised 85 roles, filling 92% of them. Compare that to 2023, where we advertised 135 and achieved a 93% fill rate.

What’s Influencing the Market?

From conversations with clients, it’s clear that recruitment slowed earlier this year. Factors included a change in government, economic uncertainty, and cost pressures. Many businesses put hiring on the backburner after a busy post-lockdown wave of recruitment.

But here’s the good news: the tide is turning. Companies are starting to hire again. While it’s not a flood, we’re seeing positive activity, especially for high-level roles.

Why High-Level Roles?

Two reasons:
1️⃣ Client Trust: As Brellis matures (we’re still just 6 years old!), clients who first trusted us with entry level roles have seen our results and now give us tougher, more senior positions to fill.
2️⃣ Market Demand: Businesses are recognising the need for strong leadership and niche skills to navigate uncertain times.

This month, Zoe filled two senior finance roles for companies located next door to each other—neither knowing the other was recruiting with us. Proof that we’re the go-to for top-tier recruitment in the region!

If you’re considering hiring or need advice on the market, get in touch. Brellis is here to support you.

#RecruitmentMarketUpdate #TrustedPartner #BrellisResults

💙 Thank You for Your Continued Support

As we wrap up this month’s update, we want to take a moment to thank all our clients for their trust and partnership. Whether it’s filling a single role or helping shape your long-term recruitment strategy, your success drives everything we do at Brellis Recruitment.

It’s been an exciting journey, and we’re proud of the strong relationships we’ve built along the way. Your support not only helps us grow as a business but also fuels our passion for delivering exceptional results.

If you’re planning your next hire or need advice on navigating the current recruitment market, we’re here to help. From senior appointments to temporary cover, no challenge is too big or small.

📩 Get in touch – the Brellis team is just a call or email away. Let’s keep building success together!

#ThankYou #Partnership #BrellisRecruitment