Recruiter Profile - Gary Gabriel Associates

Staff come first at Gary Gabriel Associates

It might be a bit of a cliché, but we really do believe that our biggest asset is our staff.  How could we expect to have happy clients unless we have happy staff?  Happiness is not just about money, of
course.  Whilst we try to ensure that our salaries and benefits packages are up to the mark and wouldn’t disgrace a Central London consultancy we are also aware that there are many other things that make
for a great place to work.

For instance, here in Sevenoaks we have a wide age range; from sprogs, to young parents and grandparents right through to old codgers.  A great combination of experience and enthusiasm.  And we wouldn’t
have it any other way, because it benefits everyone both professionally and personally.

On the technical side we have a 100% success rate for chartership exam passes; at the first attempt that is.  But, as you are no doubt aware, a good professional continues to learn throughout his or her
career.  We encourage participation in local institute activity.  We provide regular, in-house luncheon seminars and we send people on external courses.

We try to support everyone who wants to challenge themselves; for example we’ve kept jobs open for youngsters who didn’t take a gap year before University, but found themselves with the travel bug in their
mid twenties.  We’ve provided university sponsorship for some who joined as CAD technicians but who later decided to go into engineering.

We don’t have any formal flexible work policies, but we understand the pressures that arrive with parenthood, so some staff (including managers) work short weeks.  Short weeks are also popular with staff
approaching retirement; it gives them the opportunity to wind down.

We encourage out of office events – barbeques, ten pin bowling, karting etc. We have a very enthusiastically attended annual Christmas Dinner to which “other halves” are invited.  And when there are some
exam results or promotions to celebrate then it’s all down to the local for a buffet lunch (beer and sarnies).

Our office hours are 9.00 to 5.30 and, whilst there are times when a deadline has been brought forward and overtime cannot be helped, the office is usually locked and dark between 6pm and 8am.  Talking of
offices, our Partners and Group Heads do not hide themselves away in them; they muck in with everyone else in our largely open plan offices.

We will be introducing a much more formal training regime in the course of the next year or so which will not only improve our technical education, but will provide the sort of all round management and
skills training to help our people go as far as they want to in their careers.  And, because we are growing, we would hope that their aspirations will be satisfied with us.  This growth, by the way, is
totally dependent on finding and keeping the right staff – always has been, always will be.

All in all, we treat our people like the professionals they are.