Corporate Vision Issue 11 2018

CORPORATE VISION / Issue 11 2018 29 , Icon Resourcing is a specialist recruitment business with 13 years of experience operating in the Retail, Wholesale and Sales channels. We caught up with founder, AndrewOakes who provided us with a detailed insight into howhe stays ahead of the game within an ever- changing industry. Icon Resourcing : Providing an Honest, Dedicated and Flexible Approach Established in 2010, Icon Resourcing have a proven track record of delivering excellent results for both client and candidate across multiple disciplines from Store Operations, E-Commerce, HR, Buying and Merchandising, Logistics and Supply Chain and Head Office Support. By constantly challenging the ‘classic’ recruitment mould, Icon Resourcing offers a unique proposition for all their candidates and clients alike. In addition to this, Andrew considers himself to be a specialist in his chosen field delivering continuity and efficiency with a belief in providing a service that is second to none. Going into further detail about the areas the company specialises in, Andrew begins by explaining to us the key factors that enables to him to be successful within such a dynamic industry. “Icon Resourcing provide national coverage across many sub sectors of retail from Wholesale, Discount, Food, FMCG, Fash- ion and Hospitality. Disciplines covered include Store Operations, E-Commerce, HR, Buying and Merchandising, Legal, Logistics and Supply Chain and Head Office Support. “As for what enables me to be a success within the industry, I believe it is because of two key things: “The first is that I have a clear un- derstanding of what it is my clients require and solid understanding of their culture and behaviours. The second factor is hard work. Within the industry, there are too many recruiters who do the bare minimum, but still expect great results. I understand my sector, I am well networked, and I am able to use those connections to find the best candidates available for any given brief. “Although I work for myself, it was a conscious decision which enables me to concentrate solely on providing great service. I have spent a number of years previous- ly managing a team for my old employer and took the decision that Icon Resourcing would remain just me for the reasons previously mentioned.” As for the clients that Icon Resourcing service, they span from small, start-up operations, VC backed growth business- es, established multi-channel operators and global house hold names. Keen to highlight how he approaches each client, Andrew reveals how he ensures that each client receives their desired outcome. “I approach each client in the same manner, with a desire to deliver great service, wanting to get under the skin of the business and the recruiting manager to understand exactly what they are looking for before providing a service that simply delivers rather than leaving them under- whelmed.” When discussing the challenges within the industry at present, An- drew informs us of the obstacles Icon Resourcing are currently facing and ones which may occur in the future. “The industry is continuously evolving and latterly has started to fill with new recruiters entering the market who are all promising the same thing. This, I understand Oct18492 can be quite difficult for clients to deal with, especially when people are promising the earth for very little in terms of business rates. The challenge, continuously is to remain ahead of my competition in terms of service and perfor- mance, whilst understanding the value you add as a recruiter which warrants what you charge. This, I believe, will only get harder in the coming years. “With retail, in particular high street retail, taking a down turn in the last few years, the pool of clients actively recruiting exter- nally has obviously diminished somewhat and therefore it has be- come even more competitive for their business which again won’t change for the foreseeable.” Looking ahead to what the future holds, Icon Resourcing will contin- ue to provide their award-winning services, which has seen them recently be selected in Corporate Vision’s Recruitment Elite 2018. Contact Name: Andrew Oakes Company: Icon Resourcing Ltd Website: www.iconresourcing.co.uk