Although we are super excited for the start of our Newcastle Startup Week, we also can’t wait for the booming afterparty on Thursday which is bound to provide plenty of networking opportunities and a healthy dose of partying. The final afterparty, which will take place on Thursday 16 May at the Stack at 7pm, is kindly sponsored by BMC Recruitment Group. We had a chat with Chris Milnes, Managing Director, to learn more about BMC and how they can help businesses with acquiring the right talent to scale.
Hi. Can you tell us more about your company and how it helps entrepreneurs?
BMC Recruitment Group is based in Newcastle City Centre and a trusted recruitment partner for businesses worldwide. We specialise in finance, technology, insurance and insurtech, sales and marketing and executive search.
We help entrepreneurs to scale up their business quickly and effectively. At BMC, we have worked with a range of entrepreneurial businesses to attract, attain and retain top talent. Many entrepreneurs will be tasked with attracting a diverse set of talent in a short period of time. However, they will most likely hold a limited network or focus within one sector meaning that it will be particularly difficult for them to recruit in different specialisms. BMC has worked with numerous scale up businesses to help navigate this challenging time in their corporate journey, freeing them up to concentrate on growing their business.
2. BMC Recruitment Group has had an amazing start to 2019, forming a partnership with Insurtech UK and joining Digital Union. How can these partnerships support SMEs with talent recruitment?
BMC are thrilled to be supporting such fantastic and leading organisations. We are proud to be Official Recruitment partners for Insurtech UK. The Insurtech industry is an incredible area of growth and we are delighted to support the expansion of insurtech businesses across the country.
Both Digital Union and Insurtech UK have vital roles to play in helping their members recruit the right talent. They provide their members a voice in regards to the issues with skills and talent in their respective industries. They contribute key advice and provide guidance in recruitment strategies and in addition, ensure the sector addresses problem areas such as talent retention and helping to reduce the skills gap.
They also represent a fantastic network. We’re excited to be able to work with their members and help contribute to developing the tech and insurtech economy.
3. BMC Recruitment Group specialises both in board and employee recruitment. What do you think the ideal mix of employee and board talent looks like in a young company looking to grow?
The ideal mix of employee and board talent for a scale up depends on the size, structure and culture. With a new company, the majority of the initial members usually constitute board talent before additional employees are recruited. However, at start up stage, there is a strong crossover, employees need board member mentality and vice-versa. It is essential to get the right balance, not just in team size but in regards to the fit in company culture. The ideal mix is an established set of board members to drive the vision and enough employees to deliver it.
4. What are the key differences in recruiting board members versus recruiting employees? What should entrepreneurs look out for?
Board members need to have overarching key vision and long-term plans and strategies. Employees are all about fulfilling a required demand and skill set to drive a part of the business forward. Both require different recruitment techniques. With board members, we rely strongly on our network, whereas employees are found through strong resourcing implementation strategies.
Ensure you understand precisely what your business needs, so you know exactly what you need to look out for. Entrepreneurs may find they require more personable skills from board members whereas they need a specific set of skills from employees.
5. How can young companies attract talent when they’re on a limited budget?
We work with many scaleups where budgets are often a major concern. Whilst it is important to ensure the salary you offer is competitive, startups are also able to offer employees a different variety of benefits. When you’re on a limited budget, offering unique perks and promoting your company culture can help to secure talent.
BMC are acutely aware that the use of recruitment firms can be seen as an expensive allocation of resources, however, it is not as expensive as recruiting the wrong staff. The opportunity cost associated with this can be huge, both in terms of direct and indirect costs, taking away senior management time away from running and growing their businesses. We have developed a team of industry focused specialists that are experts in their respective fields, with a wide network of talent to enable start ups to scale up quickly and confidently.
6. What is your number one piece of recruitment advice for young companies?
Our number one piece of recruitment advice is to ensure you have the right team around you. Talent is crucial. Evaluate your business needs, and establish the right infrastructure. At BMC, we provide our clients with consultancy to help them successfully scale up. It’s essential to have recruitment and talent as the heart of your growth plans.
Want to learn more about building talent for your scaleup? Speak to BMC Recruitment Group at Newcastle Startup Week by booking your ticket today.
Alternatively, you can visit the BMC Recruitment Group Website, follow them on Twitter, like them on Facebook, or engage with them on Linkedin. You can also reach BMC via or phone call at 0191 303 9298.