Meet The Recruiter: Hollie McKnight

 How long have you been with HRC Recruitment? My previous employer merged with HRC Recruitment in May 2018 and I joined to help expand the professional services offering in Edinburgh. What made you want to join? I previously worked for a boutique Edinburgh based agency called Application Recruitment, where I worked alongside my director Joe and my colleague, Kirsty. HRC is a long-standing friend of Application Recruitment and because of this we have merged into one. Joe is now the Director of Professional Services for HRC Recruitment. I have received some of the best mentorship I could have hoped for as a young professional and HRC very much embodies this culture. What career path did you follow to get to your current role? My educational Background is Legal, HR and Management. Whilst embarking on my Masters in HR and Management, I was part of a programme that helped young adults to put them on a positive path in life. I mentored two young people and helped them gain extra qualifications through training programmes. I helped them to create CV’s, go through interview prep and even successfully help one of them to secure a job.  Recruitment is part of an HR function and I realised from the above experience how life-changing securing a job can be. This is why I chose to become a recruitment consultant. What was your dream job as a child? When I was a child I was quite entrepreneurial. I set up a smoothie stand outside my house one day with my best friend when I was 10, nobody came because we lived in the middle of nowhere. I used to make woven key chains to sell and crocheted squares to sell too. How do you commute to work? I walk to work come rain or shine because it wakes me up, puts me in a good mood and allows me to mentally organise my work day before stepping into the office. What does a typical day look like? Recruitment is like a rollercoaster; it is fast-paced and full of ups and downs, therefore being able to prioritise tasks is an imperative skill. I can go from a client meeting, to a candidate interview, to research, to negotiating on behalf of my candidate to a team meeting. It is very varied and there is always something to do. What’s the best part of your job? Realising that I can help to change people’s lives by securing them a job that they deserve and knowing that everyone no matter what their skill-set, is a valuable member of society. Every individual I meet daily has valid and unique skills, experiences and circumstances and it is an honour to know this and help find the correct position for them. Describe the company culture here. The culture at HRC is collaborative, friendly, nurturing and rewarding. I have been able to learn from other recruiters working in different markets in order to approach my own desk with a fresh pair of eyes, to work creatively around problem solving whether that is an external market issue, problem solving for the client or candidate. What’s been your biggest success so far? I was able to place an individual who had become very disheartened in their old role. They felt under-valued and stressed. I was able to place them in better position with a fantastic salary in a place where they felt valued and they were able to do the work that they had their heart set on. What do you like to do in your free time? I am originally from the North East and I love exploring coastal towns and villages. I attend yoga classes, I love hosting dinner parties for my friends and I really like knitting as I find it therapeutic. Have you been on holiday this year? If so, where? This year is a year of firsts! I have always wanted to ski so this year I took it upon myself to learn and I travelled to Switzerland to practice! I have just returned from Vietnam and I have never been to South East Asia before.  I loved exploring the floating markets and looking at all of the gorgeous lanterns! What is most important to you? The most important thing to me in life is developing meaningful relationships. Whether that is was family, friends, clients and candidates and the second thing is always staying true to myself. Describe yourself in three words. Kind, willful and honest.