The Elephant Insight No.4 We beat those February Blues

Welcome Message from Matt

📢 February Update – Top Talent, Hiring Trends & A Recruiter Sales Fail

February has been a big month at Brellis Recruitment. From showcasing some top-tier candidates to celebrating Nicole’s six-year Brellisversary, we’ve had plenty to talk about.

This month’s newsletter covers:
💼 Standout Candidates – Meet exceptional professionals ready to make an impact.
😂 Recruiter vs. Recruiter – A recruiter who tried to sell recruitment… to Matt.
🎉 Nicole’s Milestone – Six years of excellence, client relationships, and success.
📊 February’s Hiring Trends – A record-breaking month and what it means for 2024.
📖 The Recruitment Playbook – 📥 Download your copy here: The Recruitment Playbook 2025

With momentum building, hiring confidence growing, and some truly unique conversations along the way, it’s safe to say February has been one to remember!

Let’s dive in. 🚀

#FebruaryRecruitment #TopTalent #HiringTrends

Two Charlies & A Leanne – Triple the Talent!

This month, we’re bringing you not one, but two exceptional Charlies—because great talent clearly comes in pairs! But wait, there’s more… Leanne joins the lineup, bringing her own unique expertise and skillset to the mix. Three outstanding candidates, three different strengths—could one of them be the perfect fit for your team? 🚀

Meet Charles – Customer Success Pro with a Flair for Finance & Fast-Paced Environments

📍 Based: Warwick | 💰 Salary Expectations: £28k+

If you’re looking for a customer-focused, data-savvy, and financially switched-on professional, Charles is your guy. With a background spanning customer service, credit control, and payments management, he’s the kind of person who keeps things running smoothly, whether it’s handling debt recovery, process improvements, or high-volume customer interactions.

🛠 What Makes Charles Stand Out?

✅ Customer & Payments Management – Led a team of 12 at ONTO, managing £5M+ in monthly subscription revenue while keeping customer satisfaction sky-high.
✅ Data-Driven Problem Solver – Recovered £40k in disputed chargebacks, ensuring revenue stayed where it belonged.
✅ Process Optimiser – Built new workflows for PCNs & subscription bolt-ons, cutting revenue leakage and boosting cash flow.
✅ Fast Learner & Tech-Savvy – Confident picking up new systems like SAP, Stripe, Xero, and Tableau with zero fuss.
✅ People Person & Team Player – Approachable, hardworking, and always on top of customer needs.

From customer retention strategies to financial operations, Charles is a rare mix of commercial awareness, technical skill, and first-class service delivery. If you need someone who can handle high-pressure environments with a smile, manage customer accounts with precision, and pick up new systems in a flash, he’s your man.

📩 Want to meet Charles before your competitor does? Let’s chat!

Meet Charlie – Global Sales Leader & Market Expansion Specialist

📍 Based: Welford-on-Avon/ Available UK Wide | 💰 Salary Expectations: circa £100k

If your business needs international growth, strategic partnerships, and revenue acceleration, Charlie is the sales leader who can deliver. With 15+ years of experience in high-level commercial strategy, global sales, and account management, he’s a powerhouse when it comes to driving market expansion and leading teams to success.

✅ Head of International Sales at Draper Tools – Led market expansion across EMEA, APAC, and North America, securing double-digit revenue growth.
✅ £20M Five-Year Contract Win – Secured a major European deal at Rubix, expanding long-term revenue stability.
✅ High-Value Negotiator – Managed £60M+ revenue portfolios, securing multi-million-pound contracts.
✅ Global Sales Strategist – Built and led international teams across B2B, e-commerce, direct, and distributor networks.
✅ Data-Driven & Tech-Savvy – Expert in Salesforce, HubSpot, forecasting, and commercial strategy.

Charlie is a relationship builder, revenue driver, and international sales strategist. Whether you need a high-energy sales leader to penetrate new markets or scale your existing sales function, he’s ready to deliver real commercial impact.

📩 Want to take your business to the next level? Let’s talk!

Meet Leanne – The Office Manager Who Keeps Everything Running Like Clockwork

📍 Based: Southam | 💰 Salary Expectations: £35k - £40k

Need someone who can organise, streamline, and keep everything running effortlessly behind the scenes? Enter Leanne—an experienced Office & Operations Manager with a knack for structure, efficiency, and keeping businesses on track.

🛠 What Makes Leanne Stand Out?

✅ Multi-Sector Expertise – From catering to manufacturing, procurement, and corporate offices, she’s handled it all.
✅ Financially Savvy – Experienced in bank reconciliation, credit control, payroll, and VAT returns.
✅ Master of Process & Compliance – Ensures smooth operations across HR, H&S, purchasing, and ISO standards.
✅ Customer & Supplier Management – A pro at resolving supply chain issues, handling key accounts, and coordinating logistics.
✅ Tech-Savvy – Confident with Dynamics 365, Xero, SAP, and Microsoft Office.

Leanne is approachable, proactive, and the kind of person every business needs—calm under pressure, highly organised, and always two steps ahead. Whether it’s keeping the office running smoothly, balancing financials, or managing supply chains, she’s the one making it happen.

📩 Looking for a game-changing Office Manager? Email me!

When Sales Tactics Go Rogue: A Recruiter’s Worst Pitch Yet

Recruiters calling recruiters—it happens. But every so often, you get a call that really makes you wonder what’s going on.

This month, I had one of those calls. A recruiter rang me, full of energy, eager to pitch a candidate for one of our open roles. Now, I appreciate the enthusiasm—we all have jobs to fill. But given that I am a recruiter myself and we had already shortlisted strong candidates, it was a pretty easy "no."

That’s when things got interesting.

Rather than taking the polite rejection and moving on, he went for a different approach—mocking my tone.

"Oh, OK. You sound a bit boring now."

Apparently, because I wasn’t matching his high-energy sales pitch, I was the one killing the vibe. After a long pause (mostly me processing what had just happened), I simply wished him a nice day.

But he wasn’t done. With one last shot, he signed off with:

"Not very salesy of you, man."

Now, I don’t know what reaction he was expecting, but why on earth would I, a recruiter, use another recruiter to fill my own role? That’s like a Michelin-star chef getting a cold call asking if they’d like someone else to cook their dinner.

I get it. Sales is tough. Recruitment is competitive. But if the strategy is "hype yourself up and mock the client into buying," I think I’ll stick to my boring, non-salesy approach—the one that actually works.

#RecruitmentFails #SellingToARecruiter #NotVerySalesy

🎉 Celebrating Nicole – Six Years of Dedication & Recruitment Excellence! 🎉

This month, we’re shining a well-deserved spotlight on Nicole Strange, our longest-serving team member, who has just hit another career milestone with Brellis Recruitment!

Nicole joined us six years ago, starting part-time before quickly proving herself indispensable and making the leap to a full-time recruitment powerhouse. Over the years, she has built exceptional relationships with clients and candidates alike, known for her genuine care, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to finding the right match.

One of Nicole’s most recent placements, Joanne Lee, had this to say about her experience:

💬 “She was incredibly supportive, professional, and proactive throughout the entire process. From our first conversation, it was clear that she genuinely cared about matching me with the right opportunity. Her communication was always prompt and clear, and she provided invaluable support and guidance to help me prepare every step of the way. I truly appreciate her dedication and expertise—I couldn’t have asked for a better recruiter.”

Nicole’s dedication, attention to detail, and ability to bring out the best in candidates and clients alike have made her a cornerstone of our team. Whether it’s guiding someone through a career move or helping a business find their perfect hire, she does it with heart, integrity, and a relentless drive to get it right.

Congratulations, Nicole—here’s to many more years of success and making a difference! 🎉

#NicoleStrange #CelebratingSuccess #SixYearsStrong

📢 Recruitment Update – February’s Strongest Month Yet!

January set a positive tone for the year, but February has surpassed expectations. Not only have we been busy with our existing clients, but we’ve also had some truly unique and exciting businesses reach out for recruitment support.

This month alone, we’ve partnered with:
🏥 A Health & Wellbeing Company – Supporting a business focused on improving lives.
🐑A Pedigree Registration Organisation – A niche business with fascinating hiring needs.
🤖 A Mechatronics Firm – Merging mechanics and electronics for cutting-edge solutions.
🍽 A Food Refinery Business – Driving innovation in food production and sustainability.

On top of this, our long-standing clients have also been actively recruiting, making February our best-ever February since launching in 2018!

📊 The Numbers So Far:

✅ 15 successful placements in February.
✅ 31 live job opportunities still available.

Looking back, 2024 started stronger than expected, which is a welcome shift after a more underwhelming 2023 following the record-breaking years of 2022 and 2023. While we remain cautious, particularly with the National Insurance hikes increasing overheads, the early signs are encouraging, and we’re optimistic about what’s to come.

For now, we’re taking this momentum forward and looking ahead to even more success in March! 🚀

#HiringTrends #StrongStart2025 #RecruitmentMomentum

📢 The Recruitment Playbook 2025 – Essential Insights for Employers

This month, we released a must-read whitepaper for businesses looking to stay ahead of the 2025 hiring landscape. If you’re wondering how to attract and retain top talent in an evolving job market, this guide is packed with essential insights and strategies.

🔎 What’s Inside?

📊 Salary Benchmarks – Are you offering competitive pay in today’s market?
🚀 The Top Hiring Mistakes – Key missteps that could be costing you great talent.
💡 What Candidates Really Want in 2025 – The changing expectations of job seekers.
🛠 How to Build a Winning Hiring Strategy – Practical steps to future-proof your recruitment process.

In 2025, we’re seeing increasing job board costs, new employment laws, and AI-driven recruitment shifts, all of which affect how businesses attract talent. Our guide breaks it all down, giving you clear, actionable steps to stay competitive in this shifting job market.

📥 Download your free copy here: The Recruitment Playbook 2025

Let’s make 2025 a year of smarter hiring and stronger teams! 🚀

#RecruitmentPlaybook #HiringTrends2025 #BrellisInsights

🌱 Wrapping Up February – Winter is Over, and So Are the Excuses!

February has been a brilliant month—our best one yet! From top-tier talent and record placements to unusual sales calls and Nicole’s Brellisversary, it’s been a wild ride.

But now, as winter officially ends and spring begins, there are no more excuses. No more "we’ll wait until after Christmas" or "let’s see how the market looks." The sun’s coming out (occasionally), businesses are hiring, and opportunities are blossoming. 🌸

If February is anything to go by, this year is going to be full of momentum, growth, and maybe a few more ridiculous recruitment stories. We’re here for all of it.

Bring on spring, and bring on the opportunities! 🚀

#SpringIntoHiring #WinterExcusesOver #BrellisRecruitment