Congratulations to Niki Holdich on her promotion to Principal Consultant in London Local Government.
We spoke to Niki about her successful career with us.
Joining a culture that makes a difference
I joined Venn Group in November 2013. I was working in administration shortly after university and came across a lot of recruitment roles during a job search. I thought it would be a good fit as I like meeting new people along with the unpredictability and challenges they can bring. I was drawn to Venn Group due to the clear path for progression and rewards for working hard. They also stood out in terms of their team aspect; I’d interviewed with another company and was put off by their dog-eat-dog environment, but when I interviewed with Venn Group, it was a completely different culture and somewhere I could happily see myself working. It speaks volumes that I’m still here nearly nine years later!
I particularly enjoy working with the people in local government; they are really lovely and genuinely care about outcomes for their residents. It’s rewarding to work in a market where you’re contributing in some small way to deliver a programme or vision that is going to help people. Throughout the pandemic, we were providing public health professionals when they were needed the most; we were able to step in as market experts with a really solid network of talented individuals, because we already had those relationships.
It takes a team
I’ve had very different managers, which means I’ve been able to learn different lessons from each of them: Jo taught me about the detail, and how to be methodical in my approach which would be invaluable later; Rula helped build my awareness of the market and harness my commercial acumen to make sound business decisions; Rob is a very good planner and taught me about thinking ahead, and how to best use the tools I have at my disposal to provide a valuable service to our consultants and clients.
They’re all very positive people as well, and when some things haven’t gone my way, they have been really good at saying: ‘Look at what you have done, and you can easily turn this around by doing X, Y and Z,’ and we’ve come up with solutions together. But it’s not just the managers; the whole team has been really supportive and I love working alongside like-minded people who care about nurturing the relationships we have in the market as much as I do
Developing skills and characteristics
To do this job, you have to be a good active listener and sometimes read between the lines to understand what’s going on. It’s also important to put yourself in other people’s shoes. When you’re making a call, you have no idea what’s going on in the person’s life, and you have to read their reactions and be mindful of their situation. You definitely need to be resilient; you have to be prepared to hear ‘no’ a lot before you overcome an obstacle, and be creative in finding new ways to reach a solution.
It’s also important to be able to keep yourself motivated through periods where things aren’t going your way; you may be doing everything right, but some circumstances are beyond your control. This isn’t always easy for me as a perfectionist, but that’s something that I’ve had to learn to let go of. Sometimes you have to work quickly, learn as much about the situation as you can, and do the best you can with the time you’ve got.
Even after nine years there are a lot of developmental opportunities available and I always ensure I am included in ongoing training. There are also opportunities to get involved in projects outside of recruitment; I’m one of the Superusers for the new CRM, I was one of the first D&I ambassadors when the forum was created, and I’ve delivered several social value webinars. It’s been challenging at times to juggle the different projects, but they’re rewarding to be a part of and it’s good to be able to keep developing a range of skills.
We also heard from Niki’s management team who have supported her throughout her career:
‘Congratulations to Niki on her promotion to Principal Consultant! Anyone who has worked closely with Niki will know how hard she works, how passionate she is about delivering the best possible service to her clients and candidates and how dedicated to being a trusted advisor to them she is. This is reflected in the numerous glowing testimonials she has received and in the success and promotions she has seen as a result! Well done Niki, thoroughly deserved.’
Robert Westbury, Senior Manager
‘I am delighted to congratulate Niki Holdich on her promotion to Principal Consultant on the Local Government Division. Since joining Venn Group in 2013 Niki has worked incredibly hard for her clients and candidates and is always 100% committed to ensuring they receive the best possible service. Niki’s passion and knowledge of the sector is second to none and she is an integral member of the team and wider unit and is always happy to provide advice, guidance and support to others. This promotion is totally deserved.’
Jo Goodwill, Associate Director