In today's People Behind the Brand, the series where you get to know the Orbis team, we sat down with Tom Jeffs, Senior Consultant.
We chatted all about the highs and lows of recruitment, the importance of talking about mental health in and out of work, the resurrection of the Unplugged podcast and the positive effects of walking and talking.
Let’s jump in.
Tell us about your journey to Recruitment…
I found myself out of work after a stint in insurance and was at a real crossroads with what to do for a job. I was about 23 and looking for work, have always been a ‘people person’ and loved dealing with people every day.
I remember having some friends over to my flat and one of them was a director at my previous company. There were quite a few similarities between insurance broking and recruitment in terms of the sales side and relationship building so I went for an interview, got offered the role, and never looked back!
I suppose I’m one of those people who ‘fell’ into it but what a lucky fall it’s been, 6 years later I’m happier than ever both inside and outside of work!
What’s your favourite part of recruiting, and what’s the biggest challenge of the job?
I think my favourite part of the job is the impact and positive effect you can have on people. From the candidate and client side, it’s so rewarding to be able to get that perfect match between the pair of them and make a placement.
It’s also amazing to train, mentor and support junior members of the team to help them hit their goals and reach success within the business. For me, there’s nothing better than training someone in a specific area, and then seeing them put it into practice and start to see results from the help given.
In terms of challenges, I’d say the biggest thing is managing the ups and downs that come with recruitment.
There are amazing highs when you make a placement or bring on a new customer but there are also the lows of candidates rejecting offers, or positions being pulled due to budget restraints, sometimes through no fault of your own, you can lose a deal. So being able to keep a stable mental state through both of those and ride the waves of recruitment is what it’s all about, a lot easier said than done!
What is something you wish you could tell your younger self?
Be kinder to yourself and that everything will be ok in the end.
When I look at life now with a (slightly) more mature head on my shoulders, I can see that all the things I worried and stressed about when I was younger are insignificant now.
I used to catastrophise and think of the worst outcome for each situation. But now, I have started asking myself a couple of questions;
“What really is the worst possible outcome and how likely is that?”
“Will I care about this in 2 weeks, a month, a year's time?”
“How can I learn from this scenario so that this doesn’t happen again?”
This helps to look at things more balanced and have a clearer head.
You are a qualified Mental Health First Aider, Co-Host of Unplugged - Mental Health Podcast and training to be a counsellor. Why do you think this is an important topic to talk about and why do you think it should be spoken more about in the workplace?
Mental health is something which has definitely become more of a talking point but I still feel like it's a taboo subject; not just in the office environment but in society as a whole. We don't think twice about sharing our problems with physical health but when it comes to mental health people really close down.
I think it is about creating a safe space and an environment where people feel listened to in an unjudgemental way. This is the key to starting these conversations and I can count on two hands the people at Orbis that I feel I can reach out to.
It’s a very vulnerable thing to open up and speak out about mental health so creating the correct environment is essential. And it goes back to the old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved.
I would urge everyone and anyone to find someone they trust have a connection with, and speak to them when you feel like you can and need to.
You are a great example of how the passions you find at work can expand beyond office hours. We have heard that you are restarting the Unplugged podcast with Hannah-Jane Roue… Tell us a bit more about that.
Yes! The podcast is back!
When we sat down and recorded, we couldn't believe it had been 2 years since we’d last sat down, and also a lot had changed - time really does fly when you’re having fun!
When we last recorded over 2 years ago, I think there were definitely elements of burnout creeping into both of our lives. We were in the midst of a pandemic, had our own individual life events going on and I personally found it hard to get motivated to record. Fast forward to today and that break has ignited all the passion to get back behind the mic.
Watch this space for future episodes!
You’ve pledged to start making more time for yourself and try and go on at least one, hour-long walk, each week at lunch around London. Is this something you do for your own mental health? What other coping strategies would you recommend for anyone feeling overwhelmed or reaching burnout?
Yes, I feel walking and talking is so so important. I touched on it earlier about the importance of talking and finding that one person you can speak to but combining this with exercise is great.
Getting out and about in the fresh air is a great way to clear your mind and I know I’m definitely guilty of not appreciating the sites and sounds that London has to offer. London is the second most visited city in the world yet we’re always walking from the office to the station looking down and with headphones in.
Unplug, look up and appreciate what London (or whatever your local area) has to offer. You’ll be surprised at what you find!
Outside of walking and talking, I would encourage everyone to find something they enjoy doing and dedicate a set time each week to do that. Whether it be golf, doing a puzzle, or walking the dog. Find something you enjoy and find time to do it - YOU deserve it.
What’s one accomplishment you’re most proud of?
Going sober - 100%.
It’s only new, I’m 151 days in but I’ve never felt better and more content with life than I do right now.
It took me too long to realise but I definitely had a bad relationship with Alcohol. It was something I had very little control over and was the root cause of a lot of my struggles and problems in life.
We’re coming up to 6 months sober and I couldn't be prouder of myself 🙂
In another life, if you weren’t a recruiter, what would you be doing?
I love sports so something linked to that.. Maybe a physio or sports journalist.
Or an RAF Fighter pilot - that looks cool 😎
