Talent Acquisition Manager, Sam Ford is at the forefront of recruitment at Bishop Fleming. Hear from Sam as he talks about his exciting career journey and the challenges of recruiting in a tight labour market.
Can you share with us your career journey and role at Bishop Fleming?
I joined Bishop Fleming in April 2022 following almost 4 years working for Yeo Valley managing their recruitment. It marked a return to Professional Services having previously worked for a regional law firm.
As part of my role at Bishop Fleming, I manage recruitment as well as support the firm in developing its ability to attract, select and retain top talent. I work closely with the various Partners and service lines to find the talent they need to deliver effectively to our clients.
My role is broad and varied, whether that is looking at our recruitment governance, working on our newly launched careers site, sourcing and interviewing candidates, or looking at new and innovative ways we can take our opportunities to the market.
I also oversee our Early Careers recruitment, which is something I feel sets us apart. We take on considerable cohorts of apprentices every year (over 60 last year!) and we’re an accredited Apprenticeship provider which is unique and really helps to hone our focus on ensuring our people get great career development here.
How has your role evolved since you first joined the company, and what are some of the biggest challenges you've faced along the way?
Learning all about accountancy has been a steep, but enjoyable, learning curve. The labour market is historically tight and competition for skilled candidates in our sector is fierce, that's definitely been one of the more significant challenges.
As a People team, we've worked closely with Marketing and key stakeholders across the organisation to ensure that we're attracting prospective talent using the best methods, and clearly communicating where our company stands out to attract quality applicants to our job openings. Launching our new careers website and working on our ‘Employer Brand’ have been exciting parts of the journey, so far.
What attracted you to the firm, and what has kept you engaged and motivated since you started working here?
I felt a pull to be part of the firm’s exciting growth journey after my first interview. I also thought there was a lot of opportunity to support some positive transformation in terms of Talent Acquisition. The scope of the role was interesting, and I was very impressed with the modern, centrally based, offices that provided access to a range of great amenities in central Bristol, I now enjoy getting over to St. Nick’s market for a variety of lunchtime delights!
There’s always a great buzz in the office and collaboration is very important here. I think it played a significant role in my decision to join. The role is also flexible. I balance my time between being in the office and working from home, which is handy and enables me to get the best of both worlds, managing childcare with my son.
What’s your favourite thing about working for Bishop Fleming?
Bishop Fleming has a great culture, and the people here are brilliant! There is a real sense of ambition and a focus on collaborative working. It makes the day to day enjoyable and interesting.
If we asked you to describe Bishop Fleming as a place to work in 3 words, what would those 3 words be?
Collaborative, driven, sociable.