04 Apr Meet the Team: Matt, Our Business Development Manager
We spoke to Business Development Manager, Matt about his role at YourCode.
What is a Business Development Manager? What do you do?
I work with Josh on the new business side of things. I mostly focus on the areas of Germany and Poland, and roles such as java developers, python developers and a small amount of data scientists as well.
How did you come to be Business Development Manager at YourCode?
I joined YourCode in October 2020 as a recruiter. Around one year in, we had a conversation about how things were going and I think it was clear that my passion and the thing I was best suited to was business development. This fit with how the rest of the team worked too.
I’ve worked in the recruitment industry for 7 years, before that I was in retail management. Retail management was very different to recruitment in that it was quite regimented whereas I find recruitment to give you more autonomy because you’re the commercial face of the business. That’s definitely something I prefer.
Are there any other experiences that shaped your career development?
I’ve always had a passion for recruitment, there’s something about the buzz of the whole role, I enjoy speaking on the phone all day to clients and candidates.
I would say that the biggest moment that shaped me was when I wanted to get a bonus to help me with a mortgage application and I was able to meet my target 6 months earlier than planned – that really showed me how important motivation and drive are in this job.
What advice would you give someone interested in a career in recruitment?
I would say “go for it!”. I’d advise someone to interview at as many companies as possible; I’ve worked at three different recruitment companies and each one had a totally different culture. I’d definitely say there is a place for everyone who is interested in recruitment out there, you just have to find it.
I think there are so many different ways into recruitment. When I think of my colleagues here at YourCode and colleagues from previous companies I’ve worked with, there’s been no standard route into it; some people have come straight from university, some people had family members in recruitment, some people have been successful in sales and then moved into recruitment, there are so many different ways.
What advice would you give someone interested in a career in tech?
The first piece of advice I would give somebody would be to do your research in terms of what you specifically want to do. The tech market is massive, there are multiple languages and frameworks. I think it’s also important to be flexible and willing to adapt as the market changes.
How have you developed in the role?
The most important skill I think I’ve developed is to listen to people’s concerns and understand their requirements. It’s not just about picking up the phone, speaking as loud as you can and saying you’ve got a fantastic candidate. It’s about understanding what your client is looking for, where they are at the moment and what problems they’re having. That conversation makes it much easier to find someone to fit that situation and solve those problems.
What key skills are essential in your position?
You have to have a lot of resilience – sometimes candidates will accept other offers and roles that you were hoping to place will go on hold. In this job, the highs are very high and the lows can be very low but as long as you have a good understanding of what is happening and why and you have the motivation to keep moving forward, it will be a fulfilling career for you.
What makes YourCode a great place to work? Why is it different?
I think the great thing about YourCode is, that you’re given responsibility here and expectations but you’re not micromanaged; you’re trusted.
Can you describe a typical day in the office?
The most important part of the day is the last part of the previous day – before you shut down you need to know that all of your interviews are in place and set a to-do list to catch up with clients.
On a typical week, I will spend two days a week in the office and three working from home.
Every day is completely different, Monday is always a catch-up day with the whole team. I usually dedicate 3-4 hours a day to new business and email marketing and the rest of the day is spent speaking to candidates, lead generation and of course administration.
What projects are you most proud of?
Hitting my first target in my first quarter in 2020 really set me up for success at the company and is, I think, my proudest achievement. I was also pleased with how I’d been able to step up to the business development side of the role.
What does the future hold for the world of tech recruitment?
The main challenge in the world of tech recruitment will remain the shortage of candidates – the demand for professionals is always growing faster than the supply is increasing so the challenge will always be finding the right candidate for the right job. That being said, the pandemic has led to a lot of change as hybrid and remote working has become more common. Clients who don’t adapt to this are the ones that will struggle more in the future.
What exciting things are on the horizon for YourCode?
There are hugely exciting things on the horizon for YourCode. Our website is being redeveloped as our marketing department expands and we will have some fantastic new clients joining us in the next few months. I think the next 6 months are looking really exciting and even more exciting beyond that as well.