“It’s all about seeing people flourish.” The long-term vision behind short-term recruitment.

In Conversation: Emma | Associate Director

People are the core asset of any business, including our own. Our new content series, In Conversation, takes you behind the scenes to hear directly from our consultants. In this edition, we hear from Emma Hogg, our Associate Director, who has been an integral part of the Core-Asset team for almost fifteen years and now heads up Core-Asset Solutions, our temporary, contract, and interim recruitment division.

Can you tell us about your professional background, and how you got into recruitment?

I studied Psychology and Business at university, and always knew I wanted a career centered around people. My brother had a positive experience with Core-Asset as a candidate, which led me to approach them for help in finding my first job. Instead, I ended up working for them! That was nearly fifteen years ago, and I haven't looked back. I progressed through various roles that provided me with an understanding of every aspect of an employment business, from consultancy support, recruiting, contract management, through to vetting and onboarding. When we established the Core-Asset Solutions division in 2011, I instantly fell in love with its fast-paced environment, variety, and the aftercare service we provide as a part of it. Since then, it's been amazing to grow with the business to the place it’s in now, where we get to work with clients across the UK and Ireland.

Tell us about the evolution of Core-Asset Solutions. What sets contract, interim, and temporary recruitment apart from permanent recruitment?

Our Solutions division was designed to offer support to businesses when they’re facing immediate staffing pressures, such as parental leave, special projects, complex challenges requiring a niche skills set, or a temporary surge in workload. It means that companies can quickly scale their workforce up or down based on their immediate needs, and Core-Asset Solutions is set up to provide support for the whole process, from candidate sourcing through to onboarding and payroll.

From our team’s perspective, offer stage is just halfway through the process in the temporary world as we continue to work closely with candidates and clients throughout the duration of their assignment, maintaining that quality of service that we are known for throughout.

For candidates, temporary roles provide a unique opportunity to gain experience across different types of roles and companies, and to showcase their skills. Temporary roles can be like a working interview for both parties, and the majority lead to longer term opportunities, whether it be an extension to the initial contract, a recommendation for a role elsewhere in the company or even a permanent position. You never know where a temporary opportunity will lead to.

We recently celebrated the promotion of one of our candidates who came to us a few years ago with a background in customer service. We supported them to join an Asset Manager’s Compliance & Risk team on a temporary contract, and after progressing through a series of roles, they are now a leading compliance specialist within the firm. This is just one example of many where a temporary role has led to a hugely successful career in a new and unexpected area.

What advice would you give to companies looking to hire temporary or interim staff?

Move quickly! It’s a very fast-paced environment - we usually take 48 hours to recommend the best candidates for roles. It means that you can have brilliant support precisely when the business needs it the most.  Candidates available for temporary work can be snapped up by other companies so a timely interview and offer process tends to lead to the most successful interim hires.

Seasoned contractors are often adaptable individuals capable of quickly integrating into different roles and environments, so companies can expect to quickly see the benefit of interim hires.

How can candidates best prepare themselves for temporary or contract roles?

Be yourself, and throw yourself into the opportunity. The training period is often shorter, so it’s perfect for those looking to go in and add immediate value to a business. Take ownership, be a trusted team player, and bring your personality, enthusiasm, and commitment. You never know what opportunities it might lead to.

Are there any common misconceptions about contract and temporary work?

From a candidate perspective it is important to know that temporary roles exist across the full spectrum of positions across all career stages - for BAU roles as well as for those special projects - and they can offer candidates a lot of flexibility as well as the opportunity to work with some amazing companies.

Temporary hires can be the critical solution to ensure the demands on the business are met.   

Can you share any trends you’ve observed in the contract and interim recruitment market?

Recruitment is, of course, inextricably linked to the economy. An improved economic forecast indicates a favourable time ahead for contractors as businesses start to look to the future  The impact of recent political changes will also start to trickle through to the contract market as new legislation is introduced.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

It’s truly all about seeing people flourish. Whether it's a candidate you support through multiple roles or a client thriving with the short-term support they need, being a small part of that growth journey is so rewarding. Many people misconceive recruitment as a transient industry, but the reality is that we build long-term relationships and support individuals throughout their careers, and businesses through many chapters.

Seeing our internal team grow and develop is incredibly rewarding, too, and one of the best parts of my job.