The RailStaff Awards 2024

David James

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam’s consistently, without exception, ARM’s top performer. The statistics speak for themselves. Adam’s annual interview to placement rate is 1.3:1 (versus 5:1 across the company) and he makes 4 new placements monthly on average – far more than any other consultant, this means every week someone gets a new Job working with Adam!!

From January-December 2016, his hard work accounted for an incredible 12% of the company’s overall revenue. His personal billings are 6:1 the company average.

These figures provide irrefutable evidence of Adam’s expertise, focus and determination as a recruiter, and also demonstrate the deep understanding he has for the rail signalling and telecoms sector. That’s why he’s single-handedly staffing the high-profile Crossrail project and is considered by the client as an integral part of their own recruitment team.

In 2016, Adam was recognised with two awards: REC/IRP Temporary Consultant of the Year and RailStaff Awards Recruiter of the Year. To receive acknowledgment from both a professional body and from his industry sector further solidifies Adam’s reputation as the leading recruiter in his field.

Unbeknownst to Adam, his characteristics, motivation and values have recently been identified as ‘the shape of the ideal recruiter’ by our sister brand and this is being used to inform future in-house recruitment decisions – we want more Adams!

If Recruitment: The Movie was ever commissioned, it would be based around Adam’s incredible journey to Head of Rail.

Adam built his desk up from scratch, having never done recruitment before. In fact, he was a publican - that’s quite a career change. And yet, his easy affinity with people, developed behind the bar, has helped him become the trusted, reliable and celebrated consultant that he is today.

Adam’s skill, performance and reputation is such that in the intervening years, he has (as mentioned above) won awards and been selected to represent Europe on global online recruitment series, Top Recruiter. This saw Adam being removed to France, way out of his comfort zone, and forced to complete challenges in front of recruitment and HR ‘royalty’, where James Caan and Karen Brady were among the judges. The experience taught him a lot, and he also received some incredibly encouraging feedback, which he has put into practice – Adam is never complacent and always seeking professional development to further better himself and the service he provides.

His knowledge, patience and honesty has helped candidates make massive professional leaps who only risked contracting from the safety of perm employment after several, valuable conversations with Adam.

He is well known for ‘going the extra mile’. He took it upon himself to organise and carry out one-to-one sessions with his contractors on the Crossrail project to ensure they knew about and understood the impact of the IR35 changes, and could ask any questions.

One of Adam’s most redeeming features is his desire to help his colleagues similarly reach the upper echelons of recruitment. He serves as a role model in the office for members of our apprenticeship scheme, mentoring and guiding them. He bolsters, motivates and encourages his team mates, sharing their job adverts and his contacts. It’s never ‘all about him’.

Adam is a phenomenal example of what you can do with hard work, determination and incredible relationship-building abilities. His candidates can’t speak highly enough. His clients can’t manage without him. ARM’s senior management want to clone him.“

Sundeep Gupta

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam by far is the most impressive recruitment consultant I have dealt with. Adam has been professional and very thorough throughout the whole process. I am really impressed by his friendly and dedicated approach. I found Adam as a professional, polite and focused consultant I would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking for new role“

John Corrigan

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam early this year enabled a timely and difficult transition from my former supply agency, he was very helpful and extremely reassuring during this process. He took the time to answer all concerns which was clearly a very busy part of his regular works.“

Dan Shields - **HAS LEFT**

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has been my mentor for nearly a year, in this short time he has guided me through my first steps in recruitment, and provided me with support for my apprenticeship. He has done all of this whilst also continuing to build his contract plan and even taking the time to represent the UK recruitment sector in a US / European recruitment docu-series.

Adam has had no hesitation in being a teacher and mentor, and has gone as far as to give away some of his own trade secrets to being successful recruiting for the UK rail sector.

Whilst I am carving out my own career, it is a privilege being under Adam’s guidance and learning fundamentals that can only be seen as building blocks for success.“

Mark Barron

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam comes across as a fair considerate guy. He will tell you straight and not dance around the situation. With that, I find Adam to be an honest individual, and not your typical recruitment consultant, in other words a salesman. He will help you as much as he can, and its my turn now to pay him back. Good luck Adam..“

Mike Brownhill

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam continues to be my benchmark for best practice. ARM are undoubted leaders in their field, with a proven record of adapting their systems for the benefit of their customers, and Adam's contribution is exceptional. His knowledge of his hiring managers and candidates is the most extensive and current I have come across. Adam handles the characters and processes with sensitivity and efficiency regardless of whether in the engagement, maintenance or end-of-contract phase. A true please to work with and Adam will continue to receive my endorsement and referrals.“

Andy Williams

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“From the short time I have dealt / known Adam he comes across as a knowledgeable and keen individual in his market field. Who follows up and aims to fulfil yours needs in a timely manner.

I'm confident from what David James has written this very much sums up Adam.“

Mark Solomon

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has been a pleasure to deal with and helped me acquire my last job.

He's always at the end of the phone when you call and will address any query within 24 hours“

Greg Basquine

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“industry is very good.

Adam is a straight talking guy and he is very good at delivering his promise.

Adam is very approachable and any queries or questions I have had, he always has or will get the answers required. I have also recommended colleagues to Adam as he is so good at his job“

Martin Dodson

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“In the short timer I have know Adam he has been very knowledgable and professional.“

Dominic Wind

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has been a great help guiding me through the complex changes involving IR35 regulations in the public sector with his expert knowledge of the recruitment industry.“

Derek Goff

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Since Adam joined our business, he has established a very promising career in recruitment, and has proven to be a real asset to our organisation. This is not just in terms of billings and client development, but also in demonstrating that tenacity and resilience is key to building a successful desk.

Many of his colleagues see him as someone, who through hard work and determination, and the positive ‘can do’ attitude, will be further able to support them in their own professional growth.

He enables a strategic proposition, and continues to develop valuable and credible networks within his sector. He works closely with the Sales Leadership Team at ARM, and is often consulted on market data and intelligence. Adam is keen to put his reputation on the line time after time, in order to promote quality standards, and to demonstrate the IRP Code of Ethics in his approach to managing the client and candidate experience.

He is a visionary within our industry and is able to graciously recognise his own development areas, and work to overcome them in order to further promote his personal brand. I enjoy working with Adam, and am genuinely excited about his future career prospects within our industry.“

Yema Gilpin

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I am nominating Adam for his professionalism and customer/client relationship skills.“

Kenneth Rhynas

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“In the short period I have worked for Arm I have found Adam very helpful with any queries that most new recruiter will have. His attention to detail and prompt responses have impressed me most so far. This has made my move over to Arm very simple and painless. I would like to personally thank Adam for all his help.“

Glenn Holmes

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has always been true to his word and produced the goods when required. I've been contracting with him for two years and he is always on hand to help in anyway needed. I've recommended him to many people resulting in interviews and job offers.“

Mark Jones

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has assisted me in managing my IR35 contracting issues, he has proved to be knowledgeable, helpful, honest and a person of integrity. I would have no hesitations in dealing with him in future and would recommend him to anyone who finds themselves needing assistance in this area. He is proactive, thinks ahead and communicates well at all levels. Thanks Adam!“

Gareth Gore

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has made my transfer to ARM seamless and easy and is very forthcoming with communicating relevant info/advice.

He always make an extra effort to retain a good relationships with his clients.“

Alan Lowe

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“As a new client of Adams he has been most helpful with my new placement.

He is friendly, approachable and has that "nothing is too much trouble" attitude.

I would certainly recommend him to colleagues looking for new opportunities.“

Stephen Brown

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“From the first conversation I had with Adam, I knew I was in safe hands. Adam is extremely knowledgeable and was able to guide me in the best direction for my next career move.

Right from the start, he not only listened to my needs and wants, but also set up an interview for my perfect job - and I am still in this role, 12 months later. This not only demonstrates that Adam is a good listener but that he has the ability to really look after his candidates and clients, finding the perfect fit for both!

I can honestly say I have never worked with a more professional and understanding recruiter, and that is true testament as to why Adam has been recognised by industry professionals, nationally, on many occasions. He should 100% be recognised for his continued hard work - that’s why I am so happy to write this recommendation.“

Ben Green

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have now worked alongside Adam for over two years and have recently myself made the switch to providing freelance professionals to clients within the rail sector.

I could not ask for a better working example of someone to follow than that of Adam. His ethic to work and the commitment he shows to his candidate network has seen him excel even higher this year.

As someone to work with or as someone to work for, Adam is hands down worthy of a nomination in this category that he could make his own.“

Conor McNamara

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I've known Adam now for 6 months and have found him to be a very professional and knowledgeable guy and also very approachable with any queries. Also Adam was very helpfully and informative with regards to the recent IR35 regulation changes. I would recommend anyone in this line of work to Adam.“

Jake Piper

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I found Adam professional and helpful with a 'can do, no messing around' attitude to getting things done.“

Gary Windle

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has been a great help this year with IR35 issues“

Paul Welland

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have known Adam for several years and he is without doubt one of the most honest and trustworthy recruiters in the industry. I cannot recommend him highly enough, an extremely knowledgeable and professional individual, he is second-to-none at what he does.

When I have had any queries or wanted to learn about something in particular; he answered to his full capability – or pointed me in the direction of someone who could.

He not only has a great base of contacts but also operates in a very open and personable way. I would definitely recommend Adam to any job seekers or to those with a vacancy to fill.“

Jeremy Todd

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam is consistently responsive to all queries and makes the contract management side of my business pain-free and efficient.

Adam is what you are looking for when it comes to Railway Industry recruitment.“

Chris Hayes

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has a great personality and is very approachable and knows how to talk to people and he is a pleasure to work with. Simply as that.“

Jai Smart

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has supported contract recruitment to my department for over five years. He has consistently been in tune with industry developments and market forces.

He has easily grasps the role requirements and matches suitable candidates to our particular needs; If initially candidates are not on his immediate portfolio or available he has proactively sought out alternatives that have met the requirements in a timely manner.

Immensely helpful and supportive to the dynamic and transient nature of the industry.“

Roy Pearson - **HAS LEFT**

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam placed me in my current Principle Telecoms Engineer role back in 2015. Throughout the years Adam has provided me with constant support and been there to offer industry advice whenever needed. I have burdened Adam with regular requests for help due to myself having an Accountant who isn’t the most efficient when it comes to Payroll (Slightly worrying for an Accountancy Firm) The problems are never due to any failings by ARM however Adam doesn’t hesitate to take the responsibility to resolve the issue in any way he can and this is always resolved in an instant. I know Adam has many other priority tasks which he will be juggling yet he never complains nor hesitates for a second to answer a request no matter what this may be.

I don’t work in recruitment but I recognise and respect Adams level of professionalism and competence in his field or any field for that matter. I can’t think of a single negative since Adam has been my Agent.

The rewards and recognition are deserved and don’t come easy as he work tirelessly. I have no hesitation in nominating Adam for Recruiter of the Year.“

james chapman

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Great recruiter.

Goes out of his way to make you feel at ease.

Always answers any queries.

Manages large amount of staff

Professional in all situations“

altaf bapu

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam is by no doubt one of the industry's leading professionals, who has a natural ability to interact and engage effectively with his candidates. As a recruiter, Adam breakdowns the barriers and provides a complete ‘bespoke’ service to his candidates. Going forwards, I would have no reservations in dealing with him in future, and would highly recommend him to anyone who is in the rail sector. He is proactive and takes to the time to understand his candidate’s needs....wishing Adam all the best.“

Sarah Howard

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam is the very definition of a subject-matter expert. I doubt there’s anyone who knows the rail recruitment sector as well as he does – that’s why huge organisations like Crossrail choose him and candidates ask for him by name. Adam’s reputation precedes him, but that’s purely down to his determination and relentless drive to provide his network with the highest possible level of service.

Not only have his endeavours supplied us with plenty to market (such as his participation in Top Recruiter), but he has also been part of our social advocate group, trialling new tech and helping his team make better use of social media to improve their searching, etc. He’s a great asset to ARM.“

Leon Howgill

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have watched Adam develop over the years into ARM’s most successful recruiter. He has set the standard against which we now recruit. He has continued to build a successful desk while managing to mentor an apprentice and take part in profile-boosting activities (which also boost ARM’s profile). Adam is frequently our monthly top contract biller and is a real role model among his colleagues. He’s never too busy to help and his work on IR35 is a great example of both his proactiveness and his unfailing candidate care. He’s a truly valuable member of the team.“

Bernie Payne

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I am the group Head of Legal and Compliance for the Serocor group, of which ARM is part. It's not often that a big-billing consultant works in consultation with 'back office' so it's refreshing that Adam is the exception! He is unfailingly polite and professional to all the support functions and is a genuine pleasure to work with and for. He always takes the time to learn and understand the legislative and compliance requirements that relate to both the recruitment and the rail industry. All this knowledge and the investment he makes in terms of time and energy he puts to great use, supporting his clients and candidates through complex and ever-changing regulations. I have supported rail consultants for over a decade; Adam is a genuine expert in his field and it shows.“

Mike Gawthorne

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam is one of our most trusted, reliable and successful recruiters. He consistently overachieves, smashing targets and never resting on his laurels. He strives for the very best for his candidates and clients, using his initiative to find the best solutions for all. When the IR35 legislation was announced, he – off his own back – met with all of his Crossrail contractors, to ensure they each knew what the change meant for them, attracting even more contractors to ARM as a result.

He’s continually developing, learning and expanding his network to find opportunities to benefit everyone. A case in point is how Adam introduced the company to an exciting AI recruitment platform, which we’ve implemented and our stakeholders are all reaping the benefits from.

His success in rail is totally down to his own hard work. He daily serves as an inspiration and role model to junior members of the team and, on top of all that, is a really top bloke! He deserves to be recognised among his industry peers for his achievements.“

Carl Fairclough

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have known Adam now for around 10 years and he is highly respected in the industry whilst in that time I have seen his career has gone from strength to strength. I am fortunate to know some of the team at ARM and Adam fits into the team perfectly.

Adam is very knowledgeable, had good client contacts and is able to provide a deal that works for both the client and yourself.

I would highly recommend Adam and ARM to any of my colleagues that are looking for a new role as I know how professional and honest he is with the backing of a great recruitment agency.

10/10 and I think that says it all.“

Piotr Swieboda

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has been a pleasure to work with. Very professional, great communicator with deep understanding of rail industry.“

Adam McGuinness

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I would highly recommend Adam as an agent that will go out of his way to not only find you work promptly but to get the role live and to get your interview arranged and contract created without a hitch. The role was exactly as described and any enquiries I have raised with Adam have always been dealt with on the same day and conscientiously.“

Justine Asare

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I'm a new client of Adam's and found his conduct to be very professional and efficient; I would definitely recommend Adam and ARM's services!“

George Christou

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“As a Senior Manager, I unfortunately don’t have the time to devote to going through CVs and interviewing ten people for every role I’m trying to fill. I need a recruitment partner that I can trust to do it for me – and to get it right. That’s where Adam comes in.

Adam has been supporting contract staff supply and permanent recruitment for my department for a while now, finding technical engineers – which are not the easiest roles to recruit for.

Adam has a very positive and relaxed attitude to recruitment which is a breath of fresh air for all recruiting managers. Trust me! There’s no hard sell, no trying to slip under-qualified applicants in to meet targets. He doesn’t need to do that.

He is dynamic, pro-active and in tune with our extremely niche part of the industry, time and time again he is able to supply a significant number of high calibre candidates to fill those vacancies.

Not only does Adam have a sound knowledge of the railway sector and a huge network – his reputation precedes him - but he has also taken the time and trouble to fully acquaint himself with the company, so he understands our technical competencies and requirements. Because of this, because of his dedication and relentless approach, Adam is able to provide me with top quality candidates.

He is my go-to first point of contact for resourcing supply; he knows me and he knows the our culture, which means he absolutely gets what we’re looking for and the type of person who would fit. I always have full confidence that Adam will find great candidates for me and the team. It’s no exaggeration to say that I’d be lost without his expertise.

I can’t recommend him highly enough.“

David Smith

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“It’s because of Adam that I had the confidence to leave the safety of a perm role and go contract.

Not all little boys dream of going into the rail industry

David stumbled into the rail industry, following in the footsteps of a family member. Apparently, that’s quite a common story. He wanted a change, to prevent him from going stale, but discovered that working in rail – in particular, design – was his true vocation. He spent several years working as a permanent employee, latterly at McNicolas (placed by Adam Razzell at ARM), but in 2016, he realised that his skills were highly marketable and started thinking about making the not insignificant jump to the world of contracting.

Why did you contact Adam?

David was understandably anxious about such a move, fully aware that in contracting, there’s no ‘fluffy security blanket’. Having worked with Adam before, he knew there was only one person to turn to for a sanity-check.

“I contacted Adam before I left my existing role, knowing that leaving a perm job is always a bit of a risk. I explained my skill set and what I’d been involved in to date. Adam took the time to ask questions, to really understand my situation, listen to my doubts and find out what motivated me.

“We spoke in detail about my strengths and also my weaknesses, to which Adam applied his obvious industry knowledge and identified the companies that he felt would be best placed to need me and where I would best fit.”

Candidate becomes client

With more autonomy in his role to make important decisions – such as appointing competent staff and shaping how a project is run – David quickly realised the importance of getting things right from the start; of ‘doing things in detail at the front end’ and ensuring that the right people are in the right roles from the start – which is precisely what Adam manages.

So impressed was David, that he has started collaborating with ARM from a client perspective, too, based on his exemplary experience of dealing with Adam.

“I wanted Adam and ARM to be involved as I knew you’d get a different level of candidate coming through the door, so I was instrumental in getting ARM on board. At Source Design, I managed to make ARM the sole provider of people now for us.”

What has been your overall experience of working with Adam?

“I’ve only been to two interviews through Adam and I got them both, so that to me is testament to it working - he doesn’t just take a scattergun approach of firing off CVs, which is a big point to make.

If I hadn’t had the guidance, advice and reassurance that Adam provided, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make this quite risky change. He’s someone I trust and I’m so thankful for his guidance.”“

Dawn Barker - HAS RETIRED

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have been working with Adam for about 3 years, he is by far one of the best recruiters I have come across, nothing is too much trouble and he finds great candidates. He does not bombard you with CVs and really takes the effort to ensure the candidate matches the criteria. Adam is very mature and will go far in this industry“

Matthew Hunt

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Adam has never failed to provide Crossrail with senior rail professionals for the most hard to fill / niche positions- other recruitment consultants have fallen short. He has guided candidates through IR35 transition / legislation and kept salary or rate expectations reasonable with the best interests of Crossrail in mind. Adam has and continues to have a bespoke approach to our recruitment campaigns and is flexible to get placements over the line. Adam is my preferred recruitment consultant from the PSL due to his transparency and personable approach. He simply is a recruitment consultant you can trust to deliver.“

Felix Wetzel

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Whenever I describe a great recruiter, I describe Adam. He has it all: The resilience, the relentlessness and relationship-building abilities. He knows what he is good at and he knows how to get better by embracing new ideas and technologies and by engaging people all around him. He stops at nothing to ensure that everybody wins and nobody is left behind. He takes risks without being reckless. He is already outstanding now and he has all the ingredients to one day be inducted into the recruitment hall of fame.“

Lee Dougan

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have worked with Adam for the past 2 years and have been impressed by his total dedication to the best interest of both his clients and candidates. It is not often in recruitment that the balance of care is so equally divided and his commitment to each party is always consistent. Internally, Adam has a focused and tenacious attitude which imparts itself throughout the team. He has all of the traits of a modern recruiter complimented by the values of traditional customer care and support.“

Simon Welch - HAS LEFT

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“I have worked with Adam for some time now and since he has joined ARM I have watched him flourish in his role.

Adam has become the foremost authority in his sector of expertise and has the highest respect from both candidates and clients as well as other colleagues within ARM.

Adam is very tenacious and resilient and seeks out opportunities where he can utilise his knowledge and experience excel. He doesn’t take the easy options only, if there is a problem, he heads it straight on to work with the other parties involved, to resolve them and ultimately find a mutually beneficial solution.

I have no hesitation in recommending Adam for this award“

Emily Lucas

Said the following about Adam Razzell:

“Throughout the 18 months that I have known Adam, it has been apparent just how seriously he takes his role within ARM. His candidate care is second to none, regularly contacting his candidates to build and maintain strong working relationships, this is evidenced further by the many candidates that recommend Adam on a regular basis.

Adam is a highly respected member of the ARM family, persistently striving for success and I know he will continue to do so for the rest of his career.“