We caught up with our London Managing Director, Alec Rahman-Jones, on why he thinks London is the perfect place to do business, what a career as a talent partner is actually like, and why he thinks working in an office is beneficial to people early on in their career.
Each month, we'll release a new blog post in our series, diving deep into the unique culture and operations of our key offices located in various corners of the globe.
At Phaidon International, transitioning between talent brands isn’t just encouraged, it is celebrated as a pathway to broader professional growth.
With 13 years of experience at Phaidon International, we chatted with Alec Rahman-Jones, our London Managing Director, about his experience across some of Phaidon International’s brands – Selby Jennings, EPM Scientific, DSJ Global, and Glocomms. This has offered him a comprehensive view of both market trends and knowledge on potential growth trajectories for those looking to begin their career with Phaidon International.
From leading the London permanent recruitment team to spearheading expansions in the United States, Alec’s background across Phaidon International has been varied, proving how easily one can move throughout the business and take on new opportunities:
“I have been with the business now for nearly 13 years. My current role is leading the London permanent recruitment business team, specifically responsible for the perm team. But I’ve held several different roles, including in the US. When I moved to the States, it was with just a team of seven, and in the decade I was there we grew Phaidon International to around 850 people, which we’ve now grown beyond as well.”
Part of a bigger picture
Alec has worked for four of Phaidon International’s brands, financial services and sciences talent partner Selby Jennings, life sciences specialists EPM Scientific, supply chain talent experts DSJ Global, and technology talent brand Glocomms. The ability to move between brands is one of the many incredible career opportunities here at Phaidon International, and it has allowed Alec to see the bigger picture when it comes to potential growth for the London office next year:
“Green energy is expanding rapidly, and with this huge expansion in infrastructure projects, our energy and infrastructure brand LVI Associates has grown. But these developments don’t just impact LVI Associates, because all our clients are wanting to become more sustainable. We have seen supply chains needing people who can make procurement greener, or financial firms looking for sustainable investing expertise.”
Value-adding services
Phaidon International’s investment in client growth is demonstrated through value-adding services, distinguishing us in the market. With teams built by industry experts, here at Phaidon International we provide clients with timely market updates, talent trend reports, and informative advice on challenges such as upskilling people, as Alec explains:
“Although the technology industry has gone through a challenging period, it is still an area of growth for us. When there’s a fantastic product which needs to be sold, it will always need commercial professionals to do that job, and we can find them. AI has also seen astronomical growth, and while it’s been on our radars for some time, now the innovations are really hitting the headlines, and talent is required to drive AI forward. There are not enough people around who have those skills versus the amount of vacancies and our clients need to hire.
“We’re encouraging clients to take on people who have strong technology skills and upskill them because we’re not in a situation where there are enough people to fill roles that are out there.”
We also constantly strive to meet with our clients in-person to build our understanding of what an organization is about culturally, mission and vision. Alec says:
“We have a saying here, which is eyeballs, not emails.”
Why a career in recruitment?
Alec is passionate about Phaidon International not just being the talent partner of choice for leading businesses hiring top professionals, but also the talent partner that people want to work for themselves:
“You get an exposure to world-leading organizations within the first few weeks at Phaidon International, that I don’t think you get anywhere else. I was speaking to clients within my second week as a graduate consultant.”
Graduates may see Phaidon International on their campus, as we attend many careers fairs every year to educate people about to leave university on the career development opportunities available throughout our organization globally. And for more experienced people already in recruitment, we also offer comprehensive training on ‘The Phaidon Way’ to bring skilled talent experts on board.
“On learning & development, there is nobody else in my mind that comes close in terms of the structure or size,” Alec says. He continues:
“We appreciate we are offering people the opportunity to become managers early on in their career, so it is important we support them with that through extensive management training. When I look at other recruitment firms, they mainly just focus on training in the onboarding phase and getting them through their first few months, whereas we have training for all levels – I'm still receiving training for example. And I think that’s a really unique aspect of our company, that we are all always learning.
“Phaidon International is about more than placing professionals or hiring for businesses. We do fantastic things for clients and candidates, but also, we also do amazing things for our staff internally too.”
Learning in-office
Phaidon International is primarily an in-office business, and Alec believes this is very beneficial to people at the start of their career because they can learn so much from working in a professional environment:
“If you’re having a bad day, when you’re sat with your manager you can just speak to them easily and ask questions. But if you’re working remotely, it might feel like a bigger deal to call them up again and again. It feels more noticeable in a way, and it could put people off reaching out in the first place. Then they might not make that call, and not learn, and fall behind.”
A unique blend
Alec envisions Phaidon International as a destination where professionals aspire to work. This ethos is ingrained in our company culture, emphasizing early exposure to world-leading organizations and continuous learning opportunities.
For graduates and seasoned professionals alike, here at Phaidon International we offer a unique blend of career development and comprehensive training. Continuous learning extends to all levels, setting us apart from the rest and nurturing career growth from the onset.
Explore career opportunities at Phaidon International’s London office. Click here to search for roles or submit your resume/CV.
