Victoria, Senior GP Recruitment Consultant – How my GP recruitment journey began

If somebody had told me 6 years ago that I would be working as a successful GP recruitment consultant, I would not have believed them! After 15 years working in the banking sector, I decided I wasn’t going anywhere so quit my job and embarked on a full-time degree; not an easy decision with a mortgage, cars and 3 kids!

My passion has always been history, so that’s what I decided to do my degree in, thinking that I might work in a museum or something along those lines.

At around the same time, I gained a new neighbour; Alex, she was also a mature uni student who came from a recruitment managerial background. It was Alex who told me I would be a good fit for the recruitment industry and should consider this as an option.

As my degree was drawing to an end and it was apparent that working in a museum wasn’t going to be an option, I started researching recruitment opportunities. I spoke to a few agencies, but nothing really stood out for me until I saw the advert for Menlo Park. What impressed me was their ethics and I was intrigued by their sector, Primary Care. I immediately applied and on the same day Andrew Dean, one of the directors, called me. The following day I went for an interview and a few days later a second interview to meet with their other director, James Truswell.

Starting at Menlo Park

I was delighted to be offered the job and started a week prior to graduating. Graduating with a First and best overall performance for 2018; not bad for a mum of 3 (humble brag).

I won’t lie, I found it pretty tough! Being a new member of the team and obviously new to the industry was daunting, but I was determined to make it work, and with the support and training from my directors and colleagues I soon started to get the hang of it.

The toughest part for me was that sometimes there was reticence towards using a recruitment company. I began to learn that sadly some practices previously had very poor experiences with recruitment firms, so they just assumed we were all the same; we are most definitely not.

Most of our work comes from being recommended by practices and GPs alike due to their positive experiences with us. Consequently, I have had the honour of attending several award ceremonies in London including, The General Practice Awards and The Recruitment Awards (any excuse to wear a posh frock). Needless to say, Menlo Park’s Trophy cabinet is filling up!

The Menlo Park team at the awards!

The complexities of GP recruitment

GP recruitment is far from easy. GPs don’t just come to you; you have to source them. Once you do find a GP, you could spend weeks with them talking through various options trying to find the right fit for them, arranging interviews, and getting feedback and despite all your best efforts, they decide nothing is right for them. The same applies to practices who might pull their vacancy regardless of the time and effort you have put into working the role, and sometimes without telling you.

Another challenging aspect of recruitment is what is termed in the industry as ‘ghosting’. This is when a client or a candidate just drops off the face of the earth and ignores all your voicemails and emails! I accept now that all of the negatives are just part and parcel of recruitment, and if every contact was a success, I’d be writing this article from my private yacht! Maybe one day!

Working successfully with a practice and finding them a fabulous new GP is without a doubt one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I like to take time with the people I work with and never shoehorn anybody into a role that isn’t right for them. The feedback from clients and candidates alike thanking me for my work is humbling and consequently, I think I have even gained some friends along the way.

Becoming a Senior Consultant

Last year I decided to go for a promotion and work towards becoming a Senior Consultant. Again, like everything else this was not easy! Targets in terms of placements, testimonials, referrals, marketing and supporting our Allied Healthcare desk all needed to be achieved. However, I did it and was delighted when my director told me I had been successful.

There is so much more to my role than just routine recruitment. As a company, it is important that we demonstrate our knowledge of the sector in a public domain, so besides all the above, Menlo Park’s Consultants also contribute by hosting podcasts, webinars, writing online articles and attending exhibitions such as Best Practice and Management in Practice. There is definitely no rest for the wicked!

Click here to watch all our podcasts on YouTube.

Team outings and life developments

In recognition of all the hard work we do, we are regularly treated to team days and nights out all paid for. So far, I have been privileged to enjoy Paintballing, Clay pigeon shooting, Quadding, Archery and Skiing. Late last year we even hired out a function room at Hazelwood Castle for our very own awards night with a casino, live band, food and a free bar! Yes, we are spoilt and yes, I won an award!

Sadly, just 3 weeks after our amazing night at Hazelwood, I lost my beloved dad. My directors and colleagues were amazing in taking care of my workload while I was off, with hugs all around upon my return. I even received cards and messages from some of my clients and GPs, which again was humbling and very much appreciated.

What does the future hold?

Since joining Menlo Park, the team has grown significantly and subsequently so have the premises. I have moved office 4 times, the 4^th being to our very own building, which might I add is fabulous! The growth is a testament to the company’s success, and I am so glad to be part of this.

In a nutshell, working as a Senior Consultant on the GP desk for Menlo Park has been life-changing for me and my family. We are able to do so much more than we ever could including home improvements and taking the children on some wonderful holidays, in fact, I have literally just returned from New York which we booked as a Surprise for my daughter’s 16^th; it has been her dream to see this incredible city.

Don’t get me wrong, I have days where I’m tearing my hair out and swearing at my laptop but who doesn’t have those days? Overall, I love my job and look forward to a long and successful future with the company, working with many more clients, old and new, and helping many more wonderful GPs find their perfect job.

How to contact Victoria

You’re welcome to contact Victoria if you’re hiring to your practice, or finding your next GP role.

Call 0113 350 1308

You can complete our contact form and we can arrange a time that is best for you to speak with us.