Welcome Message from Matt

🐘 The Elephant Insight – Latest Edition

Welcome to our latest Brellis Recruitment update.

It’s been a little while since our last newsletter back in December, so we’ve got plenty to share.

The good news is that we’re starting to see some positive signs in the market, with hiring activity picking up again after a slower period. That said, it’s certainly been an interesting few months, with a mix of cautious hiring, high application volumes, and a few unexpected situations along the way.

So what’s in this edition?

📈 We take a look at our strongest hiring month since April last year and what that tells us about the market
⚠️ We share an employment tribunal case that highlights why robust recruitment processes matter (and why it’s something employers should be aware of)
👥 We introduce a couple of standout candidates currently on the market
👋 We share a team update, including a farewell and a new face joining Brellis
🐶 And of course… a quick update on Rolo, our newest (and most enthusiastic) recruit
🎁 Plus, a reminder that there’s still some free Brellis merchandise up for grabs

If you’re new to the newsletter, you can also view our previous editions here:
https://newsletter.brellisrecruitment.co.uk/

As always, thanks for reading — and if there’s anything you’d like to see in future editions, just let me know.

Matt
Brellis Recruitment

1. When a Job Application Turns Into a Tribunal Claim

Imagine rejecting a job application based on experience or suitability… and then finding yourself facing a discrimination claim in the Employment Tribunal.

While rare, this situation has happened to a number of employers and recruitment agencies in recent years. A widely reported case involved an individual who submitted thousands of job applications over several years and then brought numerous tribunal claims after being unsuccessful.

Many of the claims alleged disability discrimination linked to recruitment decisions. Some employers argued that the applicant had applied for roles where he did not meet the essential criteria and then pursued legal action following rejection.

Interestingly, we experienced something similar ourselves. A claim was brought against us after a job application was unsuccessful. After taking legal advice and responding robustly through our solicitor, the claim was ultimately withdrawn.

The case highlights an important feature of the UK employment tribunal system. Individuals have the right to bring a claim if they believe they have been treated unlawfully, and tribunals must consider each case on its own merits. A history of previous claims alone does not automatically make a new claim vexatious.

However, the courts also recognise that repeated or unmeritorious claims can place a burden on employers and the tribunal system. In more serious situations, courts can impose restrictions that require an individual to obtain permission before bringing further claims.

For employers and recruiters, the key takeaway is simple: clear and well-documented recruitment processes matter.

Some sensible precautions include:

• Clearly defining essential job criteria
• Keeping written records of shortlisting decisions
• Applying selection criteria consistently
• Responding properly to requests for reasonable adjustments
• Seeking early legal advice if a claim arises

Fortunately, claims arising purely from job applications remain relatively uncommon. But cases like this serve as a reminder that a fair, transparent and well-documented recruitment process remains the best protection for employers.

If this is something you’d like to know more about, feel free to drop me an email [email protected].

2. Our Strongest Month Since Last April 2025

Some good news from the Brellis desk. The picture above accurately represents all the job roles we have filled so far this year!

March isn’t even finished yet and we’ve already filled more roles than any month since April last year.

After a slower hiring market through much of 2025, it’s encouraging to see recruitment activity starting to pick up again. What’s interesting is what sits behind those hires.

In February alone we received 3,963 job applications across our vacancies. Those candidates are now turning into the hires that will start in March, April and May because most recruitment processes take weeks and many candidates have a month’s notice period. So while the hire happens today, the work actually started weeks earlier.

And that’s where most of our time is spent.

Across the year we review tens of thousands of applications for our clients. Many simply aren’t suitable, so a big part of our job is filtering through that volume and identifying the candidates who genuinely match the role.

By the time a client receives a shortlist from us, hundreds of applications may already have been screened.

The good news is that the pipeline is building again, with six more roles already progressing into April and May.

A positive sign that hiring confidence may finally be returning.

3. A Farewell, A New Face, and A Very Appropriately Named Recruiter

Some team news from Brellis since our last newsletter.

Firstly, after many years with us, our longest serving team member Nicole has moved on to pastures new. Nicole joined Brellis just six months after Zoe and I started the business and has been an integral part of the team ever since.

Over the years she has helped us build the business into what it is today and has played a big role in supporting both our clients and candidates. Nicole has now moved into an Internal Recruitment role, which we know she will do brilliantly in, and we wish her every success in the next stage of her career.

On the flip side, we’re pleased to welcome Joe Jobling to the team.

And yes… if you were going to invent a name for someone working in recruitment, you’d probably come up with something very similar.

Joe previously worked in sales and first approached me last year while working at another recruitment agency. After meeting a few times it quickly became clear that Joe’s personality, attitude and work ethic would be a great fit for the business.

He officially joined us in January, and just over two months in he has already made his first placement and is currently recruiting for two new clients we had not previously worked with.

Joe’s focus is building new relationships with businesses across Warwickshire and Oxfordshire, helping introduce Brellis to companies we haven’t partnered with before.

So far, he’s off to a great start.

And if you’re not already connected with him on LinkedIn, I’d recommend it — his posts are starting to bring a little bit of humour into the recruitment world, which is always welcome. https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-j-704977221/

Watch this space…

4. Candidate Spotlight

Alongside our current vacancies, we’re constantly meeting strong candidates across the Midlands who are open to new opportunities. Here are two individuals we’ve recently spoken with who could be a great addition to the right business.

Lee - Technical Sales / Business Development Professional (Napton)

I recently spoke with a very strong technical sales and business development professional based in Leamington Spa who has just come onto the market.

He spent four years with Tecman Speciality Materials, selling into engineering and advanced materials sectors before moving into another opportunity earlier this year that unfortunately hasn’t proved to be the right fit.

He is now exploring Business Development roles, but is also open to temporary Sales, Admin or Customer Service work while he secures his next long-term position.

Key highlights:

• 4 years with Tecman Speciality Materials selling into engineering and manufacturing environments
• Worked on major projects involving JLR, Ford and Siemens Gamesa
• Strong background in consultative technical sales and new business development
• Comfortable prospecting, meeting clients, running projects and attending industry exhibitions
• Generated £385k in sales in his current role where previous annual sales had not exceeded £240k
• Won £100k of competitor business through proactive new business development

Prior to moving into sales, he also held operational leadership roles managing teams of up to 42 staff, giving him a strong mix of commercial awareness and organisational capability.

Previously earning £36k–£45k plus car/allowance.

Sabrina - Buyer / Procurement Professional (Warwick)

I recently spoke with Sabrina, a strong Buyer based in Warwick who has experience across manufacturing, engineering and technical supply chains.

She has previously worked within a precision CNC engineering environment, buying raw materials and managing supplier relationships to support production schedules across sectors including aerospace, motorsport and medical.

Sabrina is comfortable working from technical drawings and specification sheets, sourcing suitable materials and coordinating with suppliers to ensure components arrive on time for production.

She has managed procurement across 30+ suppliers, negotiated pricing and supported workshop planning to keep customer orders moving through the business.

Earlier in her career she also worked as a Buying Assistant managing 300+ product lines, helping reduce inventory by over £1m while coordinating deliveries with warehouse and finance teams.

She is now keen to secure a Buyer role within a stable manufacturing or engineering business locally around Warwick, Coventry or Leamington Spa.

Salary expectations: around £36k
Availability: Immediately available for interviews.

If you’d like further details on Sabrina, feel free to drop me a line.

5. Update on our Recruit… Rolo

Regular readers of our newsletter may remember that we welcomed a new addition to the Breakwell household just before Christmas.

Rolo, our Lhasa Apso, joined the team back in December weighing a tiny 2kg. Fast forward a few months and he’s now a much more substantial 6kg, which suggests he’s settling into the role rather well.

His responsibilities so far include morning alarm duties, reliably waking me up at 6:30am every day, whether required or not.

Rolo is also very keen on going out on walks, although he insists on choosing the direction himself. Any attempt to influence the route is usually ignored.

He’s also developed a rather interesting approach to time management. Despite plenty of opportunities outside, he appears to believe the most appropriate place to take a wee break is in the kitchen once we get home. We’re currently working on improving that particular process.

In terms of culture fit, he’s doing well, very enthusiastic, extremely friendly, and always happy to greet visitors.

While he hasn’t quite mastered CV screening yet, he’s proving to be an excellent morale officer and a firm favourite with the family.

We’ll keep you posted on his progress.

Looking for some Brellis Merchandise?

If you’d like any Brellis goodies, simply click the link below or email Matt and we’ll get something sent out to you.

👉 https://brellisrecruitment.co.uk/about-us/
📧 [email protected]

We currently have the following available:

• Brellis pens
• Memo blocks
• Reusable bags
• Water bottles
• AirTags
• Locker tokens
• Umbrellas

Our black memo books are currently being replaced with new yellow ones, which will be available shortly.

Finally…

That’s all for this edition of the Brellis update.

It’s been encouraging to see hiring activity starting to pick up again over the past few weeks, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the next few months develop. As always, we’re continuing to speak with both businesses and candidates across Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and the wider Midlands.

If you’re planning to hire later this year, or if you’d simply like to talk through what’s happening in the local recruitment market, feel free to drop me a line, I’m always happy to have a chat.

Thanks for taking the time to read our update, and we’ll be back with another one soon.

Until next month,
Matt & The Brellis Team 🐘🐘🐘🐘