The Talent Initiative

In the world of Recruitment—whether Agency or Internal—success often feels like being an umpire in a sporting event. If no one notices you, you’re doing something right. But as some of my English friends would say, “Bollocks to that!”

Let’s face it, climbing the ladder in Recruitment isn’t easy. In agencies, promotions often go to the last person standing, not necessarily the best recruiter. In-house, the challenge is even steeper, with small teams and limited growth opportunities (unless you see a move into HR as a step up).

Growing up, I was taught that hard work and doing a great job would naturally get you noticed. Sorry, Mum and Dad, but that’s not always true.

I once worked with a sales guy who was the ultimate self-promoter—think Don King levels of hype. He was incredible at selling himself, convincing everyone he was the savior of his new region. But when I looked at his results after six months, he had delivered… nothing. Zero. Nada.

The lesson? Perception is reality. He sold his value proposition so convincingly that no one even questioned the lack of evidence.

This realisation was a turning point for me. My team had been quietly delivering results for years, but no one noticed. Why? Because we weren’t talking about it.

So, I changed my approach. I started shouting about our wins—literally. Every milestone, every hard-to-fill hire, every innovative sourcing technique, I shared it. I sent out company-wide emails, involved everyone in the recruitment process, and even monetised our impact by showing how much money we saved compared to agency fees.

And guess what? People started paying attention. Decision-makers consulted me on business direction, and recruitment gained independence from HR. We even earned a seat at the Executive table. We became a strategic and commercial partner in the business. (Once the business floated I was even involved with investor presentations, but that in itself is another storyy)

The work didn’t change, but the way I communicated it did. The lesson here? Don’t just do great work—make sure people know about it. Self-promotion isn’t about bragging; it’s about ensuring your value is seen and recognized.

For recruitment professionals, especially those in small teams or in-house roles, this is crucial. Your contribution matters, but it’s up to you to make sure others see it.

So, what’s your next win? And more importantly, who are you going to tell about it?