IT
Appointment - NorthLink Digital ’ s new head of recruitment , Alex Bailey .
WORDS : PHILIP TALLENTIRE PICTURE : TOM BANKS
IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE
Dynamic IT consultancy ’ s new head of recruiting targets new tech talent
If you want a job doing effectively and efficiently , do it yourself .
That ’ s a philosophy NorthLink Digital founder and CEO Graham Orrell firmly endorses as he seeks to attract more talented employees to his thriving business .
Established in 2016 , the Tees tech firm is going from strength to strength . And to ensure that growth continues , Graham this year decided to add a head of recruitment to his team of all talents .
Fellow Teessider Alex Bailey is a recruitment specialist and his arrival means NorthLink Digital can look after its own employment requirements rather than rely on agencies .
“ Alex has been hired to do all of our future recruiting ,” explains Graham .
“ Previously , when we ’ ve wanted to recruit a developer or designer , it ’ s been through organic growth – skilled people I know of who might be looking for a job or , alternatively , by using a recruitment agency .
“ We ’ ve had some good success with agencies but the reality is they can only do so much for you and I wanted to go a step further and hire someone internally .”
Alex ’ s role won ’ t be to simply replicate the jobs an agency could take care of - he ’ s also raising the NorthLink Digital brand profile in the region . That means he will be spreading the company message at high-profile networking events , while also building on established links with lecturers at colleges and universities . Such networking will help ensure that the most talented students and graduates are aware of the exciting roles NorthLink Digital offers .
The company offers full stack development and digital design , and employs website and app developers , expert designers , project managers and business analysts , who all work out of its Boho 8 hub in Middlesbrough .
Current clients include a hedge fund business in London which , due to the ambitious scope of the project , requires working with cutting-edge technology . NorthLink Digital has also been building from scratch an e-commerce market place for a start-up company .
“ We tend to work on what I think are interesting projects for interesting clients , including household names ,” says Graham . “ Not all companies can offer such a variety of projects and that ’ s why working for us is exciting .
“ Alex will identify quality employees who will enable us to deliver exciting new projects ,” continues Graham , adding : “ Alex ’ s appointment also makes a clear statement that recruiting is a big priority for me over the next six to 12 months .
“ The main thing that could limit NorthLink Digital ’ s further growth over the next six months won ’ t be a lack of work – we have a bulging order book – but having the skilled resources in the team to deliver that .
“ And we ’ re not just hiring young people but also senior developers . It ’ s essential we also attract experienced talent who are up for a new challenge .”
Graham spends much of his time in London , growing the business by identifying new customers , before sending the work back to Teesside where his technicians work their magic .
“ I made a deliberate decision a few years ago to set up this development office in Teesside ,” he says . “ Partly because it ’ s my home area and I have good connections , but primarily because I wanted to tap into the local talent and bring interesting projects to a dedicated office in Middlesbrough .”
For his part , Alex is delighted to be a key element of such a thriving business .
“ I enjoy working as an internal recruiter and talking to Graham in our interview it was clear there ’ s a lot going on at NorthLink Digital . It ’ s an interesting , ambitious company that ’ s looking to grow rather than just tick over ,” he explains .
“ We want to find gifted , motivated candidates and I ’ ve got a really good platform to work with because NorthLink Digital has such a lot to offer prospective candidates .”
To find out more about vacancies at NorthLink Digital , email Alex . Bailey @ northlink . digital
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