Welcome to our latest blog series – get to know the team. We wanted to give you a chance to get to know the people behind the emails and phonecalls, and to get an inside look at who we are and what we do.

So, without further ado, here’s Teagan, our Managing Consultant.

What’s your role at ISL?

 I’m a Managing Consultant. I do 360 recruitment which means I focus on both the client and candidate side of the job. I also have a strong focus on the Product and Design market.

How did you get into recruitment?

I lived in Canada and then I moved to the UK and I wanted to do some sort of sales. Originally, I thought I wanted to be a Real Estate Agent, but it turns out it’s very different in the UK. I’d heard of some recruitment jobs which I thought would be interesting, so I applied, and here I am 4 years later!

How do you differentiate yourself from other consultants in the industry?

I think I really listen to the needs of clients and candidates, diving deeply into their motivations, how they want to progress etc. For me, it’s about building a partnership where I can provide my clients with value across all areas of the business, not simply just sending CVs.

What roles or type of clients most excite you?

My focus is anything and everything in the Product and Design space. I particularly love startups working within climate tech, healthtech or fintech where businesses are contributing to the wellbeing of the planet or people.

I also think it’s becoming more apparent how important it is to have a strong product team with companies becoming very user and product focused. I love working on design roles and speaking to creative people.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

I like speaking to different people but I think the best bit of the job is when a candidate who really wants the job gets it, and you’re the one to deliver the good news. I also find it exciting speak to candidates, giving them advice an moving them through the process feeling like you’re adding value to someone and helping them achieve their career goals.

What are some misconceptions people have about recruitment consultants?

That we’re all money grabbing idiots. I also think that people have this perception that recruitment is easy. But what they don’t see is the time it takes to build a pool of talent, how much work it takes to perfectly align a candidate with a business, manage the process and sell the opportunity. The one thing that recruiters don’t have is an easy job!

What would be your best piece of advice for a founder looking to grow their startup?

Be enthusiastic and interested in people. A lot of companies that interview get caught up in why the candidate is good for them, rather than thinking about how they can sell their opportunity to the candidate. The interview process should work both ways, and as much as the candidate should work to prove they’re the right fit, you should also be selling the opportunity.

What would be your best piece of advice for a candidate looking to join a startup?

I’d say do your research. Sometimes it’s a very intense environment but also really rewarding. You need to make sure that it’s the type of environment you thrive in. It won’t be as straightforward as working in an established company but you’ll be able to make a lot bigger impact. So, figure out if that’s the type of environment you’d like to work in and do some research into companies and ones you think would be good for you.

To learn more about ISL or to chat to Teagan about career opportunities, connect with her on LinkedIn here.