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In April 2020, our Sunderland Branch Director Gillian Gomersall celebrated 30 years at NRL – having led and developed our North East recruitment expertise for three decades. She reflects on what the recruitment industry was like when she started out in 1990.
The candidate database was logged in our head!
When I started at NRL and asked how I could find candidates the Branch Manager rolled off a list of names from his head – there were no computers back then. Each time we secured business we would flick through a box of candidate cards and start speaking to them!
There was no concern over skills shortages
We didn’t have to worry about any skill shortages back then either – candidates were easy to find and roles easy to fill.
Being a woman onsite in construction was a challenge
With no female toilet facilities! Although we still have a long way to go, it’s fantastic to see more and more women choosing this as a career choice. It is no longer unusual for a woman to arrive on site.
The key to sustaining a career over 30 years?
Back in 1990 recruitment was a very rare career to enter and even more so for a woman in construction. It’s great to see how many people now choose recruitment as a career of choice. I absolutely love it, it’s so varied and you get to meet some fantastic people.
It is a highly rewarding career especially if you choose a company with the right culture who really invest in you and most importantly your career development. My role has involved developing staff and it’s been wonderful watching them grow into a great team.