Hey Liam! Could you start by telling us a bit about what you do?

“I am a Sales Manager for the Structural Steelwork industry and I have specialisms in Civil Engineering and Water & Highways too.

Working closely with internal talent attraction teams and using headhunting (and my network that I’ve built over the years) to fill roles to find the right people for the jobs, is a huge part of my job.

I like to invest a lot of my time into candidates so I know they’re matched to the environment, it means I can create relationships with them and build trust. They know I understand my market well and in turn, they trust my guidance and judgement of where they should be placed because of that.”

Structural Steelwork sounds like quite a niche industry, is that right?

“It is very niche! Candidates need specialist skills to succeed in the job roles as the vacancies have very strict qualifications. I love it because it’s so diverse, there’s a lot going on in different markets such as energy, infrastructure, civil engineering, etc.”

So how did you get into recruitment?

“I actually started off as a credit controller for an umbrella company startup, where I signed over 800 companies. My manager at the time decided to take a risk and train me as a recruiter.

My mentor was very experienced in recruitment so I learned a lot!”

What kind of roles do you recruit for?

“I work with a lot of candidates that go out of the country to work roles such as project managers, site managers, structural engineers, design engineers, quantity surveyors and fabricators & manufacturers.”

That sounds super interesting! So… what we all want to know, is what made you come back to ARM?

“It was a natural choice for me, I didn’t even think about engaging with other recruitment agencies.

I was still in contact with Dave (our CEO) and I remembered how I liked working with him at a previous company. I loved that it’s an owner-managed business, the leaders of our business set the culture, it’s transparent and they communicate well. It’s an open business, it’s a ‘nothing to hide’ organisation.”

We’re pretty biased but we think so too! What are your aspirations here, moving forward?

“I want to strengthen my industry reputation across the UK, to increase the brand awareness for ARM as a structural steelwork specialist. To continue to build relationships with clients and candidates that are strong and trusting and maintain partnerships that we have.

I have goals to grow my team and to guide recruiters with my expert knowledge and mentorship. I need to expand my sector, to strengthen my position with key clients of mine. My long-term goal is to be a director, but in the short-medium term, my plan is to create opportunities for new members of my team.”

Any words of wisdom for new recruiters?

“Your first year or two will be tough, but the more you know about your industry and immerse yourself into it, the easier you’ll find it when times are difficult!

Choose an industry you have a genuine passion or interest in… I have always been interested in engineering and steelwork. I used to get Makano toy sets for Christmas instead of Lego and I’ve never looked back!”