To give a flavour of what it is like to work for Barclay Simpson, here’s what some of our current staff have to say. If you would like to talk directly with any of the individuals quoted below about their experience of working for Barclay Simpson, give them a call. They can all be reached via the main switchboard number 020 7936 2601.
You may also wish to read Our culture - it's about you
“Having already specialised in the information security market for a number of years before I came to Barclay Simpson, I was already a successful recruiter in this niche market. However, the strength of Barclay Simpson’s brand and its working practices propelled my success to the next level. Working with other leading recruitment consultants in the security market is a distinct advantage and, in a team focussed, non-competitive environment, the working atmosphere is great. Barclay Simpson has also been highly accommodating to me as a working mother, providing me with flexible working patterns and a home office. I am regularly head-hunted to join other recruitment firms, as are many of the consultants here, but they are simply wasting their time.”
Ruth Jacobs – Information Security
“Barclay Simpson offers a truly unique working environment where you are given the space and support to build a business with long term value. Our profit share scheme is the antithesis of the individual target driven big agency culture. As a result, we attract people that believe in team work and information sharing to a degree you will not find in other agencies. Our ability to retain consultants long term means that we can develop into true market specialists, delivering real value to our candidates and clients.”
Antony Berou – Credit Risk
“The biggest difference between Barclay Simpson and other places I have worked is the relationship with the clients. Not only will they happily take your calls, but they frequently call you for advice on how to structure their department, what salaries they should be paying their staff or what they should be paid themselves, as well as discussing specific recruitment needs. The job title recruitment consultant is usually a misnomer for CV salesman, but at Barclay Simpson you are treated with respect and your experience and advice valued. This makes a massive difference in terms of job satisfaction and leads to us winning more than our fair share of business.”
Steve McCann – Internal Audit
“Barclay Simpson is a unique place to work. Although I had no previous recruitment experience before joining Barclay Simpson, having previously practised as a lawyer, I feel that after more than four years here, I can safely say that it would be difficult to find a more flexible and understanding employer. From the day I started, I was given every support and resource that I needed to develop the compliance division and every promise made to me has been kept. When my personal circumstances changed and I became a working mother, Barclay Simpson adapted my working arrangements to ensure that I could comfortably continue to work. I feel privileged to work here and to be part of such a successful company.”
Victoria Alkiviades – Compliance
“I joined Barclay Simpson as a well established recruitment consultant. The experience since has been a breath of fresh air. The work environment is straight forward; it is focussed, positive and supportive with no unnecessary politics or stress. Good people in this industry will thrive in a company like this that has the right values both as an employer and a service provider, allowing an excellent reputation to be built. When you combine this with the freedom you are given to manage your desk you get an idea as to why good recruitment consultants both join and then very rarely leave Barclay Simpson.”
Hugo Brown – Business Continuity
“Having joined Barclay Simpson after a number of years with a large national recruitment firm I have found the relaxed yet professional working environment a refreshing change. Without having to attend numerous internal meetings on a daily basis, I find I have much more time to actually focus on doing my job well and building strong relationships with clients and candidates. There are no unnecessary layers or protocols at Barclay Simpson – everyone is treated like an adult and given considerable responsibility. The non-hierarchical structure, autonomy and personal accountability are strong reasons why so many people thrive here.”
Jane Fry - Legal
“Having joined Barclay Simpson in August 2006, after spending six years at a large international recruitment consultancy, I’m left in no doubt it was the best career move I could have made. Gone are the days of micro-management, irrelevant targets and impersonal recruitment and in came high levels of autonomy, mutual respect amongst colleagues and the ability to work in a highly commercial organisation without the politics present in a target orientated business. Barclay Simpson manages to successfully balance ambitious plans to grow and develop without losing sight of what is most important in recruitment; personal relationships. Although many recruitment companies market themselves based on their apparent values, very few in reality actually deliver behind closed doors. Barclay Simpson truly is different and everything you read in the testimonials from our consultants is true and is not written because a manager told us to, but because we all genuinely feel lucky to work in such a company.”
Matt Crocombe - Compliance
"One of the key differences about working at Barclay Simpson is the clear emphasis on building long-term relationships as opposed to chasing short-term results. This makes for an excellent working environment, as our clients value our advice and a large number of our candidates are people we have placed on more than one occasion. I previously came from a micro-managed background and have come into a totally different workplace, one which demands personal responsibility rather than direct management with no specific fee targets or commission. The difference is unquestionable and the results have been far greater."
Daniel Close – Banking & Financial Services Internal Audit
“The unique environment fostered by Barclay Simpson allows consultants to manage their own workload and client base without the need for micro management. Having come from a highly aggressive sales environment, I found it refreshing to be able to successfully develop my own client base without the pressure of short term targets. This approach allows me to provide my clients and candidates with a high quality service and, as a result, I get a lot of repeat business from candidates as much as clients. I would recommend Barclay Simpson to any independent minded consultant who enjoys the buzz of recruitment without the bureaucracy attached to more target driven environments.”
Liam Hughes – Internal Audit
“I joined Barclay Simpson in 2000, having had no prior recruitment experience. Barclay Simpson at that point had made a strategic decision to develop the business and it was genuinely exciting to form part of those growth plans. Since then, the business has and continues to grow at a sustainable rate. Importantly, the culture has remained the same. The office now has a diverse range of people who are all professional and work to a common aim. Support is there, ideas are listened to and a range of working styles and approaches are accommodated. Clients and candidates appreciate the “Barclay Simpson” approach to recruitment – our consultants don’t tend to leave and that continuity cements long term relationships. This leads to our work being about more than pure recruitment as major clients seek our help with benchmarking and developing their recruitment strategy.”
David Hornsby – Banking & Financial Services Internal Audit
“Barclay Simpson is a truly great place to work. We have a non-hierarchical environment and are not micro-managed, but treated as adults with the responsibility to manage our own desks. At my previous recruitment agency, I was automatically put on the career path to management and my time was taken away from focussing on my real passion – being a recruiter. As someone who enjoys the recruitment process and making placements, Barclay Simpson has provided me with the opportunity to further my career by establishing myself as a top consultant in my niche area and allowing my focus to remain on recruiting. The freedom of working in a non-bureaucratic organisation means we are able to excel as recruitment consultants, resulting in excellent end rewards.”
Alexia Demetriou – Interim Solutions
“Barclay Simpson provides a grown up environment that allows consultants to work in the style they choose to work in and is more interested in the end product than the number of hours spent at your desk. This environment will not suit brash egos or those that need a manager setting them targets to get things done.”
Mark Ampleford – Information Security
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