Q & A: 2 months of Abi Howell

Q & A: 2 months of Abi Howell

The effervescent Abi Howell became a part of the RE team on 1st April 2024, when Truly Tailored Recruitment joined RE Recruitment.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of months since then, but we managed to catch up for a Q & A with Abi to see how things are going.

RE: Hey Abi! Your first couple of months have flown by! How have they been?

AH: “They really have, there’s been so much going on all whilst it’s ‘business as usual’, which is weird but exciting! It’s been great to step into a recruitment environment that can offer so much more than I could previously. It has been interesting meeting the team, particularly Elliott, who is now working closely with me on capitalising on business synergies to deliver the best possible service to our clients under the RE name. We’ve begun launching our REal Heroes and Office Heroes campaigns, with Rach and Elliott getting out in the local area to deliver information and some goodies to local businesses. Watch this space for more on that!”

RE: How are you finding the synergies?

AH: “It’s amazing to have so many teams under one roof within RE, and the biggest thing for me, coming from a small business, is the efficiency of having a compliance team, and a dedicated payroll team. Bringing things in-house is the way forward, and seeing the way the market is in our area, I am really pleased that we were proactive in making this move to merge with RE. The recruitment market currently is very tough, with smaller businesses facing challenges at every turn it seems. Other SME recruiters with highly regarded reputations have closed. It seems as though the way to survive in the current climate is to maintain safety in numbers, with big recruiters having the ability to sail more stably through these choppy seas. What I am passionate about is maintaining our small business ethos, with every individual in our team upholding our values and really getting to know their clients and candidates. In my opinion, it’s the only way to do the job.”

RE: Tell us more about the Real and Office Heroes campaigns?

AH: “Our strength is in our top quality candidates; they are the most important part of our extended team, and we want to showcase that! The REal and Office Heroes, ready to come out and save the day for our clients. Be it sickness cover, holidays, or simply a boom in business requiring an extra pair of hands, we can mobilise a Hero to provide reliable, qualified cover. As part of my commitment to my candidates, I am really keen to ensure I do my bit and actively market them to the local area. These campaigns are a good way to do so, with our plan to get out and about visiting businesses in the area to keep them informed … backed up with some chocolate Heroes to sweeten the visit!”

RE: What are your future plans?

AH: “I am excited to see where this journey takes me; it’s quite a transition to go from a very small team to this much larger organisation, but I think we can all learn from one another and grow together. I’d really like to see the RE name becoming more prominent in the supply of quality administrative and commercial temps, in the same way it is within the industrial world.

Expect to see Rach and I out at networking across the county, enjoying being back ‘in the fold’ and forging new relationships with local businesses. We have so much more capacity to provide staff, both temporary and permanent, across a broader range of specialisms now we are part of a large team of experienced recruiters. Those of you who knew TTR know we were always committed to being upfront and honest, and it’s exciting to be able to say yes to almost everything we’re asked to deliver now, thanks to the wealth of experience and specialism within the RE brand.”

To chat more with Abi, call today on 01242 505400 or email abih@rerecruitment.com