Sam Laite
IN PROFILE
Sam Laite
Fwd Thinking Recruitment
Sam Laite is owner and director of Fwd Thinking Recruitment . Based on Gay Street in Bath the firm specialises in marketing and digital , sales and executive appointments . We met with Sam to find out more about him and the business .
What did you do before Fwd Thinking ?
I worked in London for the Sun Newspaper in advertising sales and JC Decaux selling top ticket outdoor billboard space . I loved that world , but decided to move back to Bath to be closer to family .
Are you originally from Bath ?
I was actually born in Germany . My dad was in the Forces and I moved around 19 times growing up . I went to boarding school from the age of nine and spent a lot of time in Cornwall in the holidays . My family moved to Bath several years ago and it ’ s always felt like home .
How did you get into recruitment ?
When I moved to Bath I didn ’ t want to work for one of the local media companies , so decided to do something completely different . Friends of mine said “ You ’ d be great in recruitment ” and that ’ s what I did . I went to work for one of the large international recruitment firms in Bristol and commuted back and forth . They had just set-up their sales and marketing division which I was perfectly placed to work in . At aged 30 , I told my boss in six months I ’ ll be running the office for you , which I achieved . I built my team as fast as I could and did exceptionally well , but soon became eager for my next challenge .
The next role I was in for five years , recruiting for executive appointments with salaries of £ 80k +. It was a great job , but thought I can do this myself and set up Fwd Thinking . Two and a half years on I ’ ve never looked back .
Who is a typical Fwd Thinking client ?
It would be someone who recruits marketing managers or sales directors and the individual team members within those organisations . A company that needs a really strong e-commerce presence , so they need a digital manager and a web manager . Sector-wise they would be in food and drink , retail and e-commerce , professional or financial services , but effectively a typical customer is someone who ’ s recruiting at salaries of around £ 40k and above . Marketing sales and digital professionals .
Do you think you have an advantage over the competition as you ’ ve worked in media and sales roles in the past ?
Some of the best recruiters in our sector , in my experience are those that have worked in a sales and marketing background . So , if I look at the creative make-up of the team , the best people have come from that background . The advantage that gives us , is when we ’ re sat in front of a marketing director or sales director we can easily identify exactly what it is that they ’ re looking for as we ’ ve done that role ourselves .
Do you work with many companies in and around Bath ?
We ’ re really proud of the client base we ’ ve built in and around the city . We work with some great Bath success stories such as Lovehoney and Wild & Wolf . We also work locally with Inspecs , Good Energy and LF Beauty . Further afield we work with well-known brand Neals Yard , based in Gillingham , Dorset . A lot of clients are South West focussed but may have a national or international reach .
Our latest client is Supernutrients based in South Stoke on the outskirts of Bath . Their branded product is Naturya which is now available in all of the major supermarkets . They are one of the country ’ s fastest growing superfood businesses and it ’ s great to be aiding their growth story .
Lauren Prince our recruitment consultant has built a niche in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods ( FMCG ) and retail sector . She has a strong knowledge in this area and has built an enviable reputation with brand managers , marketing managers and category sales managers .
If someone came to you and said “ I have a position that needs filling ”, how would you work with them ?
We would go and see them , visit their offices and meet the person recruiting for the role . We would also want to meet the people in the team currently . Meeting the boss of the person who ’ s doing the recruiting would be key in order to understand what progression is like within the firm , the culture , what goes on behind the scenes etc . There would be a job description , but it would be more about the cultural fit and what that looks and feels like . This helps , so that when we ’ re searching for the right candidates we can shortlist the right people . Before a candidate is selected for interview we meet them to do a pre-screening to ensure they ’ re suitable .
What ’ s the candidate marketplace like at the moment in your opinion ?
The perception is that there ’ s not many candidates , but in reality , if you network really hard and build a great reputation , people will refer good people to you . Relationships are key . If you pick up the phone and don ’ t know someone saying : “ I have a role for you ”, the chances are it won ’ t go too well .
What ’ s your vision for Fwd Thinking ?
My ambition is to build this business to a team of 12-15 strong . The aim isn ’ t to be the biggest recruiter around , but to recruit and retain high quality people that want to develop their career . Fwd Thinking people have to be highly passionate about what they do and truly care about delivering excellent customer service and a fantastic customer experience .
What ’ s next for the business ?
We ’ re currently going through a rebranding exercise , to be unveiled this winter . As we move into our third year of trading it ’ s the opportune time to relaunch and reinvigorate the brand . We are really excited about partnering with Simon Barbato of Mr B & Friends , who will manage and implement the rebrand and subsequent marketing strategy for Fwd Thinking . Look out for this in the winter edition of The Business Exchange !
For more info : www . fwdthinkingrecruitment . co . uk
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2017 35