Sophie Burden

As a retail ops recruitment consultant, I source, screen, build relationships with and help hire shop floor associates up to and including store managers.

I’m an ex-store manager myself [of The Trafford Centre’s Build-A-Bear flagship] so I understand what it takes to drive results, to engage and coach a team and to deliver great customer service. I used to train store managers who were new to the business. All of that helps me tune into the requirements of my clients and understand whether a candidate will be suitable for a position. I would never have been able to do recruitment if I hadn’t been in retail first.

Something else that helps me in my work is that I’m a proudly Mancunian people person. I think it’s probably the thing I’m best known for. It helps me build a really strong rapport with clients and candidates and you see the results of that in our Google reviews.

I love my job. I left retail because I wanted a new challenge but I love the fact that I still have a foot in that world. The retail clients I work with are brands I find it easy to connect with, and that helps me achieve results for them.

Zachary Daniels lets me be my authentic self and play to my strengths. The culture here is so important. Everyone’s real. Everyone’s here to support everyone else and help you improve. There’s loads of opportunity to develop and progress and we are really well rewarded which just incentivises you even more, doesn’t it?

Outside of work I enjoy music and going to gigs — I love a 90s diva. I’m massively into trend shopping, and my biggest love is travelling. My favourite place has to be Cuba. Really down to earth people, great culture, delicious food and lots of partying.