12 for 12: A ZD Birthday Question…

Zachary Daniels is 12 years old, and we’re celebrating by asking 12 random members of the team one very simple question. Whether they’ve been here for part or all of that time, why are they still with us?

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. 12 years ago, Zachary Daniels started out with two men (Zac and Danny) and a dog. Frankly, the dog was a rubbish retail recruiter. Fortunately, Zac and Danny were pretty good.

In the 12 years since we’ve grown a lot. We’ve moved offices a bit. And we’ve expanded our core specialism of retail recruitment to include consumer recruitment, HR, Finance and more.

But some things haven’t changed. We’re still the same business we always were, with the same values we always had. We might articulate those a bit differently these days, but they (and we) are still the same at heart.

Without wishing to repeat ourselves, we never treat retail recruitment as ‘just a job’. We adapt. And we give a s**t. You can find out lots more about us here.

12 for 12

We’re now a core team of around 40 (not including Mr Fenton, Buddy and Angus, our three dogs). A few of us have been here almost as long as Zac and Danny. One or two have only just taken their coats off. Everyone else has been part of the team for years.

So to celebrate our 12th anniversary, we thought we’d ask 12 of them a simple question? Why? Why did they choose Zachary Daniels in the first place? What do they love about it? And why are they still here? Before they headed off in search of a slice of celebratory cake and a glass of fizz, here’s what they told us (in alphabetical order):

“I’ve been watching Zachary Daniels’ growth for years. I love their brand and culture. When I joined, straightaway I could see the candidate and client care in everything they do. That’s why they’re so successful. There’s a real entrepreneurial feel here. I’ve not worked in an agency like that before. Everyone treats their desk as their business and I’ve never seen people work so hard for their clients.”

Hannah Baron, Business Manager

“Culture is important to me. That’s why I joined Zachary Daniels. They don’t focus on filling posts. They concentrate on finding great candidates, which is exactly how I like to work. I’ve come up against ZD in competition and I know how they are viewed in the market. They have a fantastic reputation. I’m delighted to be part of it.”

Ben Hands, Business Director

“I found joining Zachary Daniels the biggest breath of fresh air as an agency. The culture here really stood out. Somehow they’ve managed to hire 40-odd of the strongest, most vibrant, most capable people. They’re all so successful in completely different ways. And Zac and Danny don’t miss a beat, always moving with the market. It’s really refreshing.”

Sophie Kennedy, Senior Recruitment Consultant

“When I left retail I still wanted to use my skill set and passion for that world. Recruitment was perfect for me and ZD is the ideal fit. It’s supportive, fun and collaborative, which is massively important because you can just do a better job and deliver a better service when everyone works together.”

Sarah Lock, Business Manager

“There’s a real sense of family at Zachary Daniels. There are plenty of recruitment agencies out there where everybody’s seen as a number, a figure or a fee. We have a mantra here of ‘changing lives one job at a time’ and we take that really seriously.”

Rony Meredith, Senior Recruitment Consultant

“I’m still here because Zac and Danny gave me the opportunity to grow this role and make it my own. It really does feel like one big family here. We’re all working towards the same goals and we all get on. Becoming employee-owned has helped galvanize us as a team even more and I think that’s part of why so many reputable brands choose us, and why we’re consistently winning new clients.”

Ryan Preston, Finance & Operations Manager

“I feel a huge amount of loyalty to Danny and Zac. I don’t think you find many business owners who operate a business the way they do. Everyone supports everyone else here. That’s really important, because however good you are as a recruiter, you need the right people around you. Our success is collective.”

Louisa Robinson, Business Director

“I absolutely love the people here. They’re friends as well as colleagues. The culture here is incredible. Every day I feel I’m growing my skills and abilities. It feels good to be with a recruiter that focuses on people and results, not sales. We do what we do because we’re really good at it, because we know the difference we make, and because the relationships we build with clients and candidates are important to us.”

Rebecca Sanchez, Business Manager

“I love what I do because every day is completely different. I get to work across every part of the business, acting as the sort of glue that helps pull everything together, which I really enjoy. Everybody comes to you. Everybody leans on you for advice. You feel like a crucial part of the business, and I love the fact that I’ve been able to carve out this role and make it my own, which is one of the best things about being part of Zachary Daniels.

“ZD feels like a real family. You all work hard, but we play hard too and everyone’s got each other’s backs and helps one another.”

Cerys Savage, Business Support Manager

“I’ve been with Zachary Daniels for several years now. I love the variety. Every day brings different clients, challenges, and opportunities.
You get well rewarded here and there’s a lot of freedom to operate in a way that suits you. But perhaps the thing I value most is that I respect my colleagues and they respect me.”

Andy Scullion, Business Manager

“I joined Zachary Daniels because it very much stood out in the market. It wasn’t a big, soulless corporate beast. The way ZD approached the market was far more meaningful and it gave me the opportunity to work with people I really respected and admired. Years later, it still does.”

Leanne Spencer, Business Director

“I joined Zachary Daniels because Zac and Danny gave me the platform to build ZD’s London presence, which really excited me. What stood out from meeting everyone was to be around such amazing people. I have learnt so much from every person in the team who specialises in every area possible in the world of retail. I love how we all work closely and support each other. We all celebrate each other’s hard work and each person has fantastic energy which is why ZD is a really special place to work!”

Jackie Turner, Business Director

Retail recruitment done right

12 years ago, we figured there was a better way to do retail recruitment. 12 years later, we’re still doing it. If you’re tired of retail recruiters who all act a certain way (you know what we mean), discover one that really doesn’t.

Talk to us now or have a chat to any of the people featured in this post and they’ll either help you or point you in the direction of someone who can.

Oh, and however much or little of the past 12 years you’ve been a part of our story, thank you. It means a lot.