Lawrence Della Valle – Director New Business, Professional Services at Countrywide

“Being able to attract good talent to your business  is key.   Yet talent without the right cultural fit can cause you just as many problems.  So finding the right recruiting partner is vitally important to your business.  A good recruiter is like having your own scout.  I don’t mean campfires and canvas tents but the professional sporting type of scout. 

These are the men and women who spend long lonely hours looking for new talent and bringing them to your attention.  They are out there day in day out meeting new and exciting people and assessing if they would be right for your business and then bringing them to your door. 

It  is all about matchmaking.  So what do I look for in a recruiter?  Well firstly they are not all the same. Some are genuinely happy to get you anyone just so they can fill that seat but I am looking for ‘the’ person not only for today but also for tomorrow.  Anyone will  just not do.  Then, I want to know “do they get the business”  and “do they understand the culture”.  Finally are they in it for the long term or are they just in it for today?

At Countrywide we have been dealing with Anne Braithwaite at Andy  File Associates for over 10 years now and for me Anne is that professional field side scout.   Anne and the team spend time making sure they understand my business and the type of person I am looking for.  They meet the people I go on to hire and do all those delicate but detailed things before I need to make the final decision.  In short they assess the cultural fit as well as the operational fit.

Andy & Anne have become one of the team.  Our relationship has lasted the test of time and has endured many changes of leadership.  What has continued is their understanding and investment in our business.  They have seen our business change and know the reasons for it.  They also make time to listen and are patient whilst we finally decide. 

For me, Andy File Associates are those field side scouts that add value to my business & talent to my teams.”