I’ve been looking back over the last few months at Parke Lane People, and it’s been a good opportunity to reflect on where the business is heading.
We’ve made some changes to our website, refreshed the way we explain our services, developed some new professional relationships and invested in new photography. Nothing particularly revolutionary. But all part of making sure the business continues to reflect the way I like to work.
It’s also been a fairly interesting few months outside recruitment. I’ve finished the cricket season with a better batting average, managed to get out on the golf course and, rather remarkably, Tottenham have won three games in a row.
As a lifelong Spurs supporter, I’ve learnt not to get carried away.
But perhaps there’s something to be said for enjoying the good moments when they come along.
Recruitment has always been about people
I founded Parke Lane People in 2018, having spent many years working in professional recruitment.
One of the things I wanted to do differently was build a business where relationships mattered more than transactions. That probably sounds like something every recruitment business says, but it’s genuinely how I prefer to work.
I like getting to know the businesses I recruit for. Understanding what makes them successful, where they’re heading and the challenges they face. And I enjoy getting to know candidates beyond what’s written on their CV.
Over time, those conversations develop into relationships. Some clients have worked with me for years, and others have come through recommendations from people I’ve helped along the way. That, to me, is what makes recruitment rewarding.
Recruitment agency or recruitment consultancy?
We’ve been giving some thought to how we describe Parke Lane People, particularly on our website.
If you’re searching for recruitment agencies in Oxfordshire, you’ll naturally come across businesses offering to find candidates and fill vacancies. And that’s exactly what we do.
But I’ve always felt there’s a difference between simply supplying candidates and genuinely helping a business make a good hiring decision.
Sometimes the most valuable part of my job happens before a vacancy is even advertised.
A client might be unsure whether they need a Finance Manager or Financial Controller. Perhaps they’re struggling to attract the right people, or they’re offering a salary that doesn’t reflect the current market.
Occasionally, I’ll suggest they rethink the role altogether. Not because I want to make recruitment more complicated, but because getting those decisions right at the beginning can save considerable time and money later.
That’s why we increasingly talk about consultancy-led recruitment.
It doesn’t mean we’ve stopped being a recruitment agency. It simply describes how we approach the job. And it’s something we’ve tried to communicate more clearly through our updated website.
Giving employers a clearer picture of what we do
Our refreshed Client Services page explains how we support businesses across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the wider Thames Valley.
Our specialisms remain Finance, HR, Marketing, Admin and Operations.
But every business is different. You might need help with:
- Filling a single vacancy
- Planning for a period of growth
- Replacing a senior team member or recruiting for a specialist role
The level of advice and support needs to reflect that.
For me, the starting point is always understanding the business and being prepared to ask questions. I’ve occasionally been told I ask quite a few!
But I’d rather spend an extra half-hour understanding a vacancy than waste everyone’s time further down the line.
Good recruitment isn’t about how many CVs you can send. It’s about finding the person who will make a genuine difference.
A little more help for candidates, too
We’ve also given our CV Writing page a substantial update.
Having reviewed thousands of CVs over the years, I’ve seen plenty of examples where talented people simply haven’t done themselves justice.
Some include every responsibility they’ve ever had but very little about what they’ve achieved. Others are so carefully polished that you struggle to get a sense of the person behind the words.
And that brings me to something we’ve specifically addressed in the updated guidance.
Should you use AI to write your CV?
My answer is yes. And no.
I think tools such as ChatGPT can be genuinely useful. They can help organise information, improve sentence structure and spot mistakes.
But there’s a danger that everybody starts sounding exactly the same. Suddenly every candidate is a strategic, results-driven leader with a proven track record of delivering transformational outcomes.
Wonderful. But what did you actually do?
I’d much rather read a straightforward CV that explains somebody’s real achievements than three pages of impressive-sounding phrases.
Use AI to help you write your CV, but don’t let it write your career for you.
The person on the page still needs to be the person who turns up for the interview.
Sometimes stepping back is the best decision
One of the more personal things I’ve shared recently was my decision to step down as captain of Brill Cricket Club after 12 seasons.
Cricket has always been a big part of my life, but I’d reached a point where the responsibility of captaincy was starting to affect my enjoyment and performance. I was putting myself under pressure, and something that had always been an escape was becoming another thing to worry about.
Working with integrative psychotherapist Rebecca Lisi helped me look at that pressure differently. Eventually, I decided to step down as captain but continue playing.
And do you know what?
I enjoyed my cricket again.
I finished the season with a better batting average and, perhaps more importantly, remembered why I loved playing in the first place.
It’s an experience that has made me think about the pressures people face at work, too. Sometimes we’re so focused on progressing, taking on more responsibility or meeting other people’s expectations that we forget to ask whether we’re actually enjoying what we’re doing.
Rebecca and I explored this in our recent article, When Stepping Back Helps You Move Forward. She’s also now part of our Trusted Partners directory.
At a recent Opendoorz meeting, I showcased Parke Lane People and talked about how I work with employers and candidates. Rebecca followed with a professional development session, which was a good chance to hear more about her work.
It’s a collaboration I’m particularly pleased about because she brings professional expertise to subjects that come up surprisingly often in recruitment. We’re also exploring interview nerves and how pressure can affect even the most capable candidates.
And no, before anyone suggests it, I haven’t yet asked Rebecca to help with my golf.
Although there may be a case for it.
Putting a face to the business
Another recent development has been some new professional photography.
I spent a morning with Oxfordshire photographer Cyrus Mower, who has produced a collection of images for our website and social media.
I’ve never been particularly comfortable having my photograph taken, but Cyrus made the whole experience enjoyable. And I think it’s important.
Parke Lane People isn’t a large recruitment organisation with dozens of consultants. When somebody contacts the business, they’re dealing directly with me.
That personal approach is something I’m proud of, and I want the website to reflect it.
The new photographs will gradually appear across our website and LinkedIn, alongside more of the advice, stories and insights we’ve been developing. Hopefully they’ll give people a better sense of who they’re dealing with before we even have that first conversation.
Photography by Cyrus Mower, Oxfordshire.
Looking ahead, without changing what matters
All these developments have made me think about what I want Parke Lane People to be known for.
It’s not about becoming the biggest recruitment agency in Oxfordshire. I’d much rather be the person a business owner calls when they need some honest recruitment advice, or the consultant a candidate recommends because I took the time to listen.
We’ll continue supporting employers across Finance, HR, Marketing, Admin and Operations, helping them find the right people and make better hiring decisions.
We’ll also keep developing our candidate resources, sharing useful advice and working with trusted professionals who bring something different to the conversation.
The website will continue to evolve, but the underlying approach won’t.
Finding Your Best Fit has been our strapline since the beginning, and I still think it sums things up rather well.
If you’re recruiting across Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, considering your next career move or simply want a second opinion, I’d be pleased to have a conversation.
And if you happen to have any advice on improving a golf swing, I’m all ears.
Although, after supporting Tottenham for so many years, I’ve become quite good at managing expectations.
Andy Parke
Founder, Parke Lane People