IQ-Magazine-Issue-15

IQ recruitment
Amanda Nichols
with Ann Pettengell
Sarah Flack
We discover what it takes to run a successful recruitment consultancy across
three decades with the experts at Ann Pettengell
Established in the centre of Cambridge in the early 1980s,
Ann Pettengell has been the ‘go to’ consultancy for those
looking to recruit quality office, accounting, customer
service and sales staff for over 30 years.
Having weathered economic downturns and recessions,
the company has continued to flourish thanks to the
succession of talented directors. Sarah Flack and
Amanda Nichols took the helm in 2011, after working at
the company for a number of years, and have ambitious
plans for the future.
Don’t underestimate listening
“We’ve always been the agency that listens,” explains
Sarah. “This is something that’s stood us apart for years.
Being known for our sympathetic ear is important to our
team - it’s a core part of how we work. Ann Pettengell
is proud to be different, and it’s something our clients
champion in us.”
Change with the times
“As a business, we’ve shifted and modernised along
with the needs of the marketplace. We started out
mainly placing ladies who’d just finished a Pitman
course and were looking for entry-level secretarial work
in Cambridge. Our founding directors were strong
advocates for championing equality in the workplace
and helped clients to diversify their workplaces and got
countless people on the career ladder.”
Create meaningful matches
“We’ve always believed in finding the right fit between a
client and a candidate. It sounds obvious, but we won’t
ever put a candidate forward for a position unless we’re
100% confident they’d be a great fit and would flourish.
Meaningful matches don’t happen by accident. It takes
detailed industry knowledge and an ability to sell a
position to the best possible candidate.”
You can’t pretend to be ethical
“Ours is a profession with a chequered reputation.
Standing out as one of the good guys isn’t always easy,
but it will never happen if you compromise your ethical
code of practice to get ahead. We’re a transparent,
plain-talking team, and are open and honest with our
prospective and existing clients and candidates, no matter
what the cost.”
It’s a human thing
“Our business has continued to grow over what’s been a
fairly challenging period, because we’ve never forgotten
who we are. We’re a people-centred business and are big
enough to cope with complex demands, but small enough
to provide a personal, professional service. As directors,
we work alongside our consultants and have built up a
culture based on openness, positivity and mutual respect
that our clients appreciate.”
More Information
For more information about Ann Pettengell,
visit www.annpettengell.co.uk or call 01223 350234.
issue 15 | page 31