2022 has so far been a great year for Gibson Watts. The business has seen some incredible growth, and we’ve been fortunate enough to now be expanding our business into the USA. Alongside growing the team in America, we’ve also had some new faces joining in our Bristol office.
One of our latest new recruits is James Bradley. James has a background in recruitment and has worked in a variety of sectors within the industry. He has been with Gibson Watts since April, and since then he’s been a part of the team as a Senior Recruitment Consultant.
To introduce him properly, we thought we’d do a quick Q&A session to find out more about James and what he does here at Gibson Watts.
What is your role at Gibson Watts and what sectors do you work on?
My main role is working with new and existing clients, helping them acquire the best talent to fulfil their requirements. Staying true to Gibson Watts, the main sector I focus on is the renewable energy space. I have been recently working with solar and hydrogen-based businesses, alongside supporting clients who are tackling long-term energy storage. In terms of location, I’ve mainly been working on roles in the UK, the US and Europe, more recently Scandinavia where the majority of my roles are based currently.
What is your background?
My background is primarily in recruitment and within that, finance recruitment. The type of roles I have previously recruited for has been anything from junior transactional placements to more senior finance level roles, both permanent and contract. Also, more recently I have been able to work on project management contracts in the private sector and local government, as well as engineering roles which have set me up well for my current role at Gibson Watts.
Why did you decide to join Gibson Watts?
There are many reasons I was attracted to Gibson Watts as a place to work.
Firstly, it is a business that is going through a lot of growth and change. Previously, I had always worked for larger organisations, where the roles were very much already defined and heavily structured, which was great for me at the time as I needed the structure to gain experience and develop my skills. But being introduced to an organisation like Gibson Watts I saw straight away that they would provide me with the opportunity for me to make this role my own, allow me to define my work and be a part of that change and really make a difference in my work. Being able to feel like I can make a difference, and be part of something with purpose, was ultimately a key driver in my decision to join Gibson Watts.
How important is sustainability to you?
I have been aware of sustainability and making changes for quite some time, but up until I joined, I would only try to be sustainable if it was convenient for me. But since joining Gibson Watts and speaking to candidates and clients every day about the push for greener energy to make for a better future, I felt I needed to make more of an effort to be more sustainable in my day-to-day life.
How do you try and be more sustainable?
I’m still learning and what I’ve found is that it is definitely a gradual process, swapping things out slowly, rather than an all-or-nothing approach, which in every form of life rarely works long-term! Some of the things I’m currently doing are:
Buying second-hand clothes (I’m currently loving getting stuff off Vinted) where possible (learning about the amount of water that goes into making a pair of jeans is shocking).
• Using my car less and only when I need to
• Sourcing food locally where I can
• And of course, cutting down on single-use plastics
How would you describe the company culture at Gibson Watts?
I’ve found Gibson Watts a great place to work, I am really enjoying being in my team, and feeling more connected to my colleagues.
I enjoy the flexibility that the job offers and appreciate the trust the company puts in the team, that if the work is done, you can do the hours you want. I’ve found it, therefore, to be an incredibly progressive place to work with a supportive culture.
Finally, what are your hobbies?
My main hobbies include CrossFit, playing some tennis, and cooking. My favourite cuisine to cook is Italian, though my Filipino mother might not be too pleased to hear that! I also really enjoy going to music events and festivals.
If you’re interested in becoming part of the Gibson Watts team, contact a member of the team today to find out more.