Leanne Scaletta has had an incredible journey with Adam over the past few years, working her way up from an admin assistant to Operations Manager. She shares her rollercoaster experiences and the valuable lessons she’s learnt along the way.
I thought I was put off recruitment forever…
10 years ago, I was working at the Trafford Centre as a shop assistant. After a couple of years, I had worked my way up to Store Manager.
I thrived in the fast-paced environment but grew weary of working in retail and doing shifts. So I set my sights on a change of career path and took a role in recruitment - it seemed like an industry that would suit me more.
This lead me to accept a position as a recruitment consultant for an agency that hired and placed carers in nursing homes. They were based down south but had an office in Manchester.
Unfortunately, my experience working there was grim. The job could have been fulfilling but my manager had next to no interest in supporting his team - he would sit and play games rather than engage with us (the worst part was that he got away with it!)
The agency was also obsessed with unnecessary KPIs. It was all about who had made the most calls rather than the quality of candidates provided and were named and shamed publicly if we hadn’t made enough calls! We did very long days hammering the phone to hit their targets: we were frequently asked to stay
outside of our normal working hours. It was an insane amount of pressure to be under.
I lasted nine months at the agency. When I was at breaking point, I confided in my manager that I was getting sick with stress. He told me I wasn't cut out for recruitment because I wasn’t thick-skinned enough. I walked out that day.
My problems didn’t disappear when I left: I was left with problems with depression and anxiety. I spent the next five months giving myself the time needed to get help and recover. This horrible experience put me completely off working in recruitment again ...
… Or so I thought!
I needed to get back in to work and applied for dozens of roles. When I saw a job advertisement for an admin assistant role at Adam, I nearly didn't apply because it was at a recruitment company. But the website caught my eye … the brand depicted a softer, friendlier and less corporate business. I became hopeful that this would be a great place to work.
Two hours after I applied, Adam called me to set up an interview for the next day. I walked through their door to the Darth Vader theme tune (a coincidence, they promise, but a little unnerving nonetheless) and instantly knew this wasn’t your average recruitment company.
I was interviewed by Vanessa and Richard. They were wearing t-shirts, jeans and trainers (my kind of people). They were so easy to talk to and I totally bought into them. They offered me the job on the spot and I started two days later.
I went from editing CVs to helping the business progress
As an admin assistant, I was editing CVs, dealing with enquiries, answering the phone and doing various other essential support tasks. From day one, I was made to feel welcome and valued - my colleagues always gave me the time of day and made a real effort to get to know me.
Six months later, I was promoted to Office Manager. It was a natural step up having previously worked in a management role. I took this opportunity to explore how I could improve specific processes in every area of the business.
My job gradually became more strategic: I was taking on more projects, analysing data, managing information and marketing the business. However, it didn’t take me long to get restless - I was always eager to learn new skills and to take on bigger challenges.
Advancing alongside the business
Adam was very receptive to my needs. They recognised that I could do so much more, and I moved into the senior team around six months ago.
I am now the business’ Operations Manager. I love my job. I get to help other people succeed by galvanising the business’ processes and enabling them to perform at their best. I also provide coaching for the team, helping individuals manage situations to the best of their abilities.
Ultimately, having a say in where the business is heading is thrilling. Not a week goes by where my job isn’t rewarding - working for a flourishing business means even the smallest task can have a massive impact.
To think that ten years ago, I was running around a shop floor feeling pretty unfulfilled. What a difference finding a company where you feel supported and valued can make! I hope my story instils others with confidence that ‘the dream job’ does exist - you’ve just got to follow your gut and be picky about who you work for!
Stick Around For More
Our next ten-year retrospective will be from the one and only, Leon Milns (our co-founder and someone we all look up to). His story will soon be featured on our blog, so keep your eyes peeled!
Got an inspirational business journey of your own? Then please share on Twitter!
