Andrew's MBA Journey
Andrew Dodds joined the team at MBA in September 2019, following on from this he cemented himself as a crucial figure in the business. Andrew brought his high-level recruitment experience to the table by managing one of our premier accounts, additionally solidifying his practice and furthering his career within MBA by becoming an Account Director.
We asked Andrew some questions about his experience working for MBA...
& here is what he had to say:
What were you doing prior to your start at MBA?
Before joining MBA, I was an on-site Resourcing Business Partner working for Barclays, based at their Radbroke Hall Technology campus. My role was responsible for all hires to the Vice President grade within their ‘Global Technology and Infrastructure’ business area.
Why did you decide to join MBA?
MBA have a diverse client group, the majority with which we hold long-standing relationships. The strength of these and the degree to which we’re embedded allows us to positively influence the hiring processes and behaviours; leading to optimal outcomes for both candidates and our clients alike. Clearly, this scenario is a hugely attractive proposition for anyone working in Talent Acquisition at whatever level you operate. Alongside this, the growth across MBA’s client accounts presented me with the potential opportunity to progress my career from Account Manager to Account Director, with the professional development that this step-up in remit and responsibility entailed.
What was your training process like?
My training programme encompassed a comprehensive package based around our internal candidate ATS system, search tools and technologies and deep-dive on client background. It was imperative that I was fully familiarised with both our internal teams, including delivery and back-office functions, as well as the client stakeholder map, systems and processes; in order that I could hit the ground running from day one.
Can you describe your MBA journey from start to where you are now?
My initial role was as a Recruitment/Account Manager, overseeing hiring into a SME specialist Engineering company. Once the strategic projects we’d been engaged with to deliver were successfully completed, I then moved to managing hiring into a large part of one of our bigger clients. Concurrently, I was given responsibility for senior hires across the wider client group.
In April this year, I was promoted to Account Director and assumed full accountability for what I would view as MBA’s premier client, Crawford & Company – a global Loss Adjusting and (insurance) Claims Management business.
What does your typical day as an Account Director look like?
As with all roles in recruitment, it is fair to say that no two days are ever alike. Ultimately, recruitment is a problem-solving business, so my activities are primarily focused on solution-building and process improvement. Essentially the role of an Account Director is to act as the key conduit between MBA and its’ client, in order to ensure that the client’s strategic objectives are defined, understood, supported and delivered upon to the very best of our abilities.
What is the best part of your job?
I touched previously on the job being one aimed at problem-solving, but it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that people are at the core of everything we do. By far and away the most rewarding aspect of working in recruitment is the impact we routinely have on the lives of the people with which we’re fortunate to work. Secondary to this, I also take great satisfaction in supporting the growth and success of our clients through these people, and the subsequent influence we’re able to impart on the businesses’ culture and values.
What is the worst part of your job?
To have longevity in a career in recruitment (or indeed to be successful in life more generally) you need to be resilient. There are always elements of a process outside of your ability to control and in this industry, the points at which things can go wrong are myriad. The most frustrating days for me are those when I’ve spent weeks, or occasionally even months on a project, only for something to occur at the last minute which can take you back to square one, still with a difficult issue left to resolve. It’s important in these circumstances to retain perspective though, as it’s in the more difficult circumstances that you can learn and develop most.
What is the company and team culture like?
MBA is a company that lives by its’ principle value of “Whatever It Takes”. We are a solutions-led business and take a collaborative approach to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our clients. At the centre of this is an open and inclusive culture with a focus on employee wellbeing, within an environment that fosters an ‘esprit de corps’ and enables our professional development.
