HR Heads

As a specialist HR Recruiter operating in the Surrey and Middlesex market I thought it might be interesting to talk a bit about the areas that I recruit into. I’ll be blogging about this over the next few weeks, talking in more detail about hotspots, trends, salaries, demand etc but here are a few initial insights.

Surrey is the most “wooded” county in England and is noted for its beauty spots. In economic and employment terms it is hailed as the having the highest GDP per head and is well known as being the commuter belt for those who work for financial services businesses in the city. But what does Surrey offer for the HR professional and are there HR roles to be found in Surrey? Well, yes there is lots of opportunity if you know where to look and are prepared to be flexible. From experience, HR roles in the county offer fantastic role content, more of a work life balance (compared to roles in London) and the opportunity to work in wonderful surroundings. The trade off is salary, generally packages in Surrey do not compete with London remuneration. But for those who want to escape the smog and monotony of the daily train slog into town then Surrey offers tempting opportunities in cultures that are often a breath of fresh air! If you are working in London at the moment but live in Surrey and would like to discuss the market in more detail please feel free to call.

Moving on to Middlesex…

Middlesex is the second smallest County in England (by land) – not many people know that! It is however densely populated and a powerhouse county in economic terms. The presence and influence of Heathrow attracts businesses of all types and sizes to locate themselves near to the airport. For the HR professional this offers variety. International experience is often sought after and on offer from employers in the area. Businesses often have a strong international presence (or ambition), or are European / EMEA HQ’s of US owned businesses. There is also plenty of opportunities for HR Professionals who enjoy the smaller environment however. Heathrow needs support services meaning that small company roles with SME’s are plentiful. Expect a different remit here though - the nature of these businesses and the security requirements of staff working airside leads to a heavy dependency on its HR team for recruitment, vetting and employee relations support. Often unionised, roles in these environments are busy and challenging but highly rewarding.

I’ve probably taken up all of my blogging character allocation for one day so I will return soon with more on the Surrey and Middlesex HR marketplace.

Before I go though I feel obliged to explain why I eat 7 times a day as mentioned on the last blog (I realise this seems a little excessive). I am mad about fitness and try to train every day – this means I need a huge amount of calories – eating 7 times a day keeps my blood sugar level and gives me the calories that I need. That’s my excuse anyway – its also because I love food!

One more interesting fact about me – Many years ago, my then girlfriend was away travelling the world. Our relationship was relatively new and we were in regular contact through facebook and skype, but we were missing each other terribly. I decided to fly out to New Zealand and joined her for a few weeks.  This gesture of commitment (some may say desperation) worked and we returned together to the UK at the end of my time out there…… that girlfriend is now my wife, we were married the following year. It just goes to show, anything is possible for those who are willing to go the extra mile!

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.