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The Supply Chain Social - Interview with Tony Goldsby - Managing Director at Procurement People

Written by: Supply Chain Online
Published on: 15 Jun 2015

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Supply Chain Online interviews Tony Goldsby, Managing Director at Procurement People

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Name: Tony Goldsby
Company: Procurement People
Position: Managing Director

What did you want to be when you were at school?
I’m afraid to say, I was no different from a lot of boys, I wanted to be a footballer. I played in some very good teams at school, local club, and semi-professional level as a boy, and fortunate to play with very good individual players, including future internationals. I was never able to make the grade, but it has always helped me in everything we do, working in teams and playing or taking part in all sports.

When did you first start out in the Recruitment industry?
Hmmm, a long time ago, I have worked in the recruitment industry, agency and in-house for 30 years.

How did Procurement People come about?
I was approached in 2008 after a short spell of consultancy, advising a client, ADR International, a procurement consulting & training group, who were seeking to establish a recruitment business to support international consulting teams. They needed advice on how to establish the recruitment business and set up systems. 3 months later, they asked if I would like to join the business to run the operation. I had spent the previous 6 years working in-house for global businesses and developing recruitment technology and I wanted to get back in to an agency, so the timing was right.

What kind of jobs does Procurement People specialise in, and which regions do you cover?
We established the business to deliver at all levels of the procurement function from Analyst to CPO, we recruit all ranges of specialists for category management roles and Purchasing management in both Private and Public sector. We also recruit broader Commercial, Supply Chain and Project Management roles, which are aligned with business improvement through our sister brand, Project Solutions. We have regional teams, based in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh to cover the UK market and we are growing an international team. We recruit permanent and Interim specialists across UK, all of mainland Europe and Internationally, with a particular interest in developing our U.S. client base.

What sets Procurement People apart from your competitors?
We believe our mindset is different, we do not think of ourselves as a typical agency and try to work with clients that want a better longer term relationship, with a partner who can deliver the right people, better support services and innovation. We have built extremely good working relationships with household name clients and with people who tend to follow us because they trust us to deliver when they need support. We also work well with in-house recruitment teams, having worked in-house it allows us to understand their needs better and work with them as a discreet partner. Also, we hope they like us, we are constantly praised for being a partner they enjoy working with, which is a great motivator for us.

What's been the biggest challenge you and the company have faced since launch?
Plenty, too many to mention here, next time we meet, ask again and I will tell you privately!

There can be no doubt that the rise of social media has had a significant impact on the recruitment industry. How has social media changed the way you work at Procurement People?
We have invested a lot of effort in shaping our social media branding, candidate networks and communication channels with clients, watch this space. The next 6 months will be very interesting.

How important are job boards within your marketing strategy?
They are an essential part of our candidate marketing mix. Job Boards have changed significantly in the last 15 years and the market is becoming increasingly complex for all recruiters, however some are developing their proposition better than others. We will continue to partner with the best.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Treat people the way you would like to be treated yourself…….

What one piece of advice would you give to other young entrepreneurs starting out?
Always remember to ask your clients what they want before you start pitching for their business and never be afraid to walk away from a client you do not want to work for. Why on earth would you want to recommend anyone to work for them, if you wouldn’t yourself.

What's the latest news at Procurement People?
We are growing our teams around the country, it’s based on a sound foundation and great clients in both regions. The key to our future continued business success is recruiting the right people to work with those clients and I am recruiting now for new senior roles in the London team, as we see significant opportunities for growth in London and Internationally.

Where would you like Procurement People to be in 5 years’ time?
Continuing to grow successfully and partner with the world’s best procurement teams, helping them to face their challenges. Also helping the business teams to grow and achieve all of their potential and to continue to enjoy what they do!

Interview by Richard Marshall - Managing Direct of Supply Chain Online