Recruitment International: Green Park - A diverse approach to leadership

Rachel Kaur Whinney has over 10 years of executive talent acquisition and strategic planning experience. Her diverse background includes cross border searches, senior leadership restructuring, people training and servicing high level corporate relationships internationally. She gained extensive experience whilst working in the Middle and Far East followed by interim stints at two leading big four corporations in London. This has helped her cultivate a unique, respected, agile and innovative approach. Kaur Whinney has represented leading organisations to promote the modern message of fair, professional and effective recruitment strategies.

What attracted you to the field of executive recruitment?

I love and enjoy the people aspect of recruitment and helping others to achieve their goals. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work alongside great talent and interesting people of all levels and backgrounds. As a result, I have built up a powerful network of proactive professionals who also serve as my knowledge centre when I, also need support and guidance. It is extremely rewarding to observe and mentor talented individuals through their career journey.

Recruitment is about positive relationship-building and enabling organisations to realise their greater potential by also considering the diverse people and opportunities within and outside it. I thrive naturally by using my interpersonal skills and strategic mindset to ensure successful partnerships are created and that I leave behind a positive legacy of warm referrals from each project worked on; setting a benchmark for how talent is perceived, understood and hired.

How have clients’ needs changed in the last ten years?

There has been a huge shift in an organisation’s expectations of recruitment firms, in terms of quality, care and service offering. In today’s competitive world, clients are increasingly looking to their recruitment provider to help shape a bespoke talent strategy in a consultative and coaching manner.

They rightfully expect added value and a more personal interactive service with smart add-ons. They welcome and appreciate new innovative ways of working and desire a provider that can inspire new ideas and think outside the typical hiring box.

What does it take to be a successful modern recruiter?

A natural strategic ability, interactive smart communication and an effortless intuitive style with people are musts. The desire to learn, grow, master and appreciate your market and customer, coupled with being commercially astute, is vital. Authenticity, integrity, knowledge and the desire to share and give back also form part of a strong legacy.

Additionally, a successful recruiter is one that is true to the values of their company and self, even when it means challenging the cultures, processes or behaviours of organisations they work for and work with.

What attracted you to the role of senior consultant for Green Park’s people solutions practice?

Green Park is a growing entrepreneurial and ambitious brand, but it is also one with more than a monetary purpose. I was impressed by their ethos and focus on diversity and inclusion, which has been a core focus of the firm since their inception and for which they have contributed to real and valuable change within their own organisation and those they work with.

The Green Park people solutions practice was recently founded to service the evolving needs of clients with a more flexible holistic approach to volume recruitment and management. We partner with top-tier clients to provide services such as talent acquisition, diversity consultancy and supplier management. This constantly evolving unit is already making a strong footprint and like Green Park, this new greenfield practice is young and ambitious which naturally appealed to my entrepreneurial side and my desire to make an impact.

What would be your advice to your younger self?

Be open-minded, bold and inquisitive! Don’t be afraid to tackle new challenges that push you beyond your comfort zone. Embrace meeting and networking with new people – make sure you surround yourself with a diverse pool of people who teach and challenge each other. Appreciate the ‘power of self’ and most importantly, enjoy yourself along the way!

This article was published in Recruitment International Magazine on Friday the 1st of June, 2018. To read the full magazine, click here.