What was your earliest dream job?

If you grew up in Derby in the 1960/70s, you were told you were either going to have a craft apprenticeship or technician apprenticeship. Whilst I didn’t have a ‘dream job’ as such, I knew that wasn’t for me.

What was your first recruitment job and how did you come into it?

Like many, I fell into recruitment. I’d just returned from Italy working as a troubleshooter for a famous fashion brand, and a national agency placed me. I went back to the agency a few years later when that role failed to live up to expectations, and they offered me a job.

Who is your role model – in life or in recruitment?

Retrospectively, I would say football manager Brian Clough (pictured) had a huge influence on me in terms of being fearless of larger opposition. Business-wise, Sir John Harvey-Jones’ common sense approach to resolving business issues is probably my biggest influence.

What do you love most about your current role?

Easy one. Seeing people who are far more talented than me join the business and thrive is a gift that keeps on giving.

Although I wanted to do the job very differently, recruitment was what I’d been put on the earth to do”

What would you consider to be the most brilliant moment of your career?

The epiphany moment when I sat a few weeks into my first recruitment job and realised that, although I wanted to do the job very differently, recruitment was what I’d been put on the earth to do. Sounds cheesy I know, but that’s the moment that stands out.

Laugh or cry, what did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why?

I rang the vice-president of a large international company. He was in a jungle in Africa and somehow the call via a satellite. He was about to be attacked by a wild boar and told me in no uncertain terms where to go. I later placed him and, as a result, did millions of pounds worth of work through him thereafter.

What would you regard as your signature tune?

My Way by [Frank] Sinatra.

The last few years have been a bit of a rollercoaster, due to Covid-19, technology changes and various global crises – what have you learnt about yourself during these turbulent times?

To misquote the author Rudyard Kipling, I learnt that if you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, sanity eventually prevails.

What personal qualities do you think are needed to lead through change and uncertainty?

Integrity, a clear vision, a calm head, trust in your gut feeling and trust in those around you. Not everyone will follow your lead but those who are worth leading will.

Pete Schofield, group chairman at talent services group Ford & Stanley, spoke with Roisin Woolnough

Image credit | Alamy | Shutterstock | Getty