People Behind the Brand: Ashwin Manjiani

In today's People Behind the Brand, the series where you get to know the Orbis team, we sat down with Ashwin Manjiani, Associate Consultant.

We chatted all about the ups and downs of recruitment, the Orbis Academy, finally securing the infamous Orbis Hoodie and being an unbeatable table football star. 

Let’s get to know Ashwin. 

Tell us about your journey to Recruitment… how did you end up here?

My recruitment journey was quite unexpected, as is everyone else's. After I graduated, I didn’t have a plan for what I wanted to do with my career. I applied to various consulting jobs in the City, thinking it would provide valuable experience. 

Orbis was the first company I interviewed with and after speaking to Amani (the head of Learning and Development) about everything but recruitment in my first interview, I got a really good feeling about the company and the people. None of the other interviews got me excited and after evaluating my options, I thought I’d follow my gut and here I am!

What's the best part of the job?

Definitely the Team. 

It’s full of the most interesting characters, all weirdly funny but at the same time all super motivated to achieve great things. Since I joined, I never once struggled to ask for help because they all made me feel super welcome and they all pushed me to be the best I can. 

They consistently encourage me to reach my full potential and they’re great at celebrating the wins.

What's the biggest challenge?

Organisation. 

One good call can change the course of what I do for weeks to come. I have to be super fast to react to new information that I receive and be able to plan my next steps around it constantly. 

I’ve found that a day plan helps a lot but I also think it’s really important to trust my instincts and follow my nose when necessary. Finding the balance can be quite tricky.

What is something you wish you could tell your younger, less experienced self?

Looking back, there are a few pieces of advice I wish I could share with myself at the start of the year. 

First, I’d say to be more proactive in taking ownership of my processes. It’s nice to have managers and team members to fall back on and rely on for support, but at the end of the day, my success is only going to be determined by my input and actions.  

Additionally, I would stress the importance of seizing opportunities when things are going well, as that’s the best time to push harder and make the most of the momentum.

You graduated from the Orbis Academy, how do you think the training has helped you as you’ve progressed in your career?

The Orbis Academy was a really valuable experience that eased me into the recruitment world at a good pace. Shadowing the different teams and individuals for a few weeks gave me a world of information to soak up. 

I vividly remember sitting in on a candidate qualification and pre-closing session with an ex-Orbis legend, Thai. Seeing how effortlessly and efficiently he was able to close candidates and provide them with exceptional service got me super excited to get on the phone. 

Also, having Amani around as a constant source of guidance was super helpful. She always encouraged critical thinking and instilled a get “sh*t done” mentality with everyone in the Academy.

What’s one accomplishment you’re most proud of?

The proudest moment so far has definitely been being awarded the MVP and securing the infamous Orbis Hoodie. Doing 360 Recruitment from the jump and constantly getting rejected helped build thick skin so when the wins started coming in, it was really rewarding. 

It took countless hours of pitching and prospecting, but being able to establish and nurture relationships with hiring managers and candidates across the world to generate enough 360 business to win MVP is what I’m most proud of.

Enough about work; do you have any hobbies? Side hustles? What are you passionate about away from your desk?

I love keeping up with football and the Premier League. Unfortunately, I’m a United fan so it’s not always fun coming into the office and facing off with the other half of the team who all support Arsenal. 

Other than that, I generally enjoy baking - the team often gets treated to Brownies and Cookies when they’re not shouting about Arsenal!

Do you have a bizarre or cool talent?

Since starting at Orbis, every lunchtime has revolved around playing table football. From having no experience with it previously, to now being virtually unbeatable in the office is pretty cool.

In another life, if you weren’t a recruiter, what would you be doing?

Definitely another sales job. 

I’m big into the satisfaction of making deals and bringing new clients on board.