The Pond becomes a partnership
One big thing that has happened within The Pond Recruitment during Covid, was that it became a partnership, with senior employee Will Gregory buying a stake into the business in early 2021.
Prior to becoming an owner, Gregory worked full-time as a senior recruiter at The Pond for five years building out The Pond’s corporate offering while existing founder, Leighton Howl continued to focus on the agency client side of the business.
Says Howl: “Fifteen years has gone quickly, and it’s great to welcome Will on board, finding people who want to excel in recruitment is not easy. The two years of Covid-19 have certainly been a game of two crazy halves. 2020 was our worst year in business but 2021 was our most successful year to date. So, it was a great time for Will to get into the business.”
For Gregory, marketing and media recruitment was the obvious sector expansion for The Pond, which he led and delivered on, following the company pushing into digital and tech in 2015: “Buying into The Pond was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. Having worked in the business for a number of years, I knew exactly what I was investing in; a well-oiled, profitable business with exciting opportunity for legacy and further growth in the NZ market. Plus, Leighton and I work extremely well together, sharing a passion recruiting transformational talent in the sectors we love and believe in. Creative, digital and marketing continues to grow in demand for all clients, no matter the industry, in a market where great products and service are nothing without a sound marketing and brand strategy, underpinned by smart technology.”
The future of recruitment services in NZ is looking better than ever, the sector has actually benefited from Covid in a few ways. Firstly, clients had to go out and try and do recruitment themselves, they needed people fast and thought “let’s get stuck in and give it a go”, but they quickly discovered it was hard work. Pinning down top talent with multiple offers and motivations was not easy. (The days of throwing up a Seek ad were over).