Recruitment is a big place, where every agency is a little different. Some have that cosy, homely feel like you’re all one big family, and we all know what some of the others are like. ‘Difficult’ is one word for it.
If you’re looking into a career at Ryan and wondering what it’s like, I wanted to take some time today to tell you all the reasons why – as someone who knows what it’s like – I’ve fallen in love with the place.
From backpacking to recruitment: Journeying to Ryan
My recruitment journey started back in England, working in consulting and temp roles for various agencies like we all do when we first start out. It definitely sparked my interest in a career in recruitment, but it wasn’t easy to find a company which matched my own values.
The culture in some of those agencies was very cutthroat. People would race each other to the phone to get jobs, and keep the best candidates secret from one another. Forget recruitment consultants, we were like recruitment competitors. I didn’t know if that was for me, even though I liked the industry and the work.
Around about that time, the travel bug got into me and I thought, well, why stay? Off I went travelling, spending nine months exploring New Zealand on a working holiday visa, based in Queenstown at first. I did temp work again, supporting myself until I found my way to Christchurch.
When I was searching for another role, Julie (who was on the Management Team at the time) called me and said they needed someone to come and help on the industrial desk, do some phone screening, candidate interviews, that sort of thing. I needed the money, so I signed up and did a few weeks of work.
Turning a backpacking holiday into a life
I don’t know what I did right, but they didn’t want to let me go!
They asked if I wanted to stay a bit longer, until I went back to the UK in August of that year – but I was actually really enjoying my work here. My colleague at the time asked if they could keep me, and Julie agreed to help me through the visa process to stay in New Zealand.
It’s been more than seven years since then, and I’ve built a whole life in Christchurch. I’m full-time, I’ve switched desks from industrial to the business support side, and I’ve grown into a lead consultant role with my own little team to manage. It’s funny, looking back on my 27-year-old backpacking self – she didn’t know that was going to be the trip of a lifetime, that she’d stop and marry and start a family here. But I couldn’t be happier with the result.
But why stay with Ryan, on the other side of the world from home?
It’s a good question – why stay? And about as far away from England as you can get, too.
Earlier I talked about how other recruitment agencies don’t always have that friendly, collaborative culture. Things were different here. While working at Ryan, there was no competition internally for picking up jobs or candidates. We weren’t gladiators fighting for calls, it’s all done as a team – we share those candidates, have conversations about who’s best for a job. It’s definitely more of a family feel.
It’s meant a lot to me, with my loved ones on the other side of the planet. There’s been highs and lows, but if something goes wrong in life and I need support, I know I can give people here a call and they’ll understand.
Speaking of support…
I remember when I first moved into a house in Christchurch, the Ryan team came with their utes and helped me move furniture in. It’s been those little things that have helped me get settled.
The team has been awesome at supporting me through having my first child, too. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, Ryan were super accommodating and helped me balance motherhood with work. They took the pressure off at each hurdle, and I’ve felt really understood as a working mum – especially without my parents here to provide local support.
One particular thing which has stood out is Julie’s understanding that, well, things happen! If I’m running late or my daughter is unwell, there’s no panic, no stress. I know a few of my mum friends have felt a lot of guilt regarding dreaded daycare sickness, but Julie and the team have consistently made room for me to take any necessary time off, reduce hours or work from home on certain days – that sort of thing.
Another big benefit
There’s another thing I want to mention to, which stands out to me about the differences between Ryan and other agencies.
Pride.
We have a really good base of people around us in the Christchurch market, and because Ryan has been around for such a long time, it has a strong reputation. When you say, ‘I work at Ryan’, you feel proud – and people have a good perception, they see it as a good company.
The job itself is also satisfying – I really love the relaxed Kiwi family feel, compared to the more hectic corporate environment. It’s not a super KPI-focused place. “Be on the phones all day, make this many calls.” No, when you do something, you’re doing it for a reason. When you’re making those calls, you’re not feeling the pressure from your manager, you’re doing it because it’s going to help you achieve the best result.
That’s because Julie wants the best for you. She wants to see you grow and succeed. Sometimes, with management, you feel like they want you to help them look good, so long as you don’t become better than them. While here, she genuinely cares to see you flourish – which is a really nice style of getting the best out of me, and I think most people feel that way.
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