Recruitment
“This is a team that has a real passion for the Rail engineering industry. They work very close to their clients and candidates and have a strong track record in placing niche candidates with their clients. The team have also worked on specific client projects which also included advising and consulting on a new office location for a client then recruiting all the staff for that office.“
“Adam has propelled himself from Junior Consultant to Head of the Rail Division for ARM, all within 4 years. The vast amount of achievements and plain hard work that has enabled this unrivalled success has been acknowledged and rewarded from within ARM and, I believe, warrants industry wide recognition.
He is a stand out example of what can be achieved when you push yourself to excel every day and maximise every opportunity that this creates. It has resulted in an enviable CV sent to Interview ratio of 4 to 1 and an Interview to Placement ratio of 2.3 to 1. His monthly placements average 3.3 and he has maintained a weekly timesheet value in excess of £270. Adam’s initiatives occur frequently and are often adopted by the business, these include building client specific micro-sites, hosting open days and he has developed a technique of onsite pre-interviews that help his success rate immensely. This has resulted in him winning 2 holidays for highest contract consultant, in October he was in Lisbon and he’s off to Dubrovnik in May.
Adam joined ARM’s Engineering division in 2012. His focus was supplying Design Engineers into the rail sector. As an early example of his aptitude he identified a substantial demand for Signalling and Telecoms Design Engineers, a skillset notoriously hard to source. A tremendous amount of research, effort and networking resulted in a tactical plan and strategy to develop and build a network of highly skilled candidates.
This ethos is regularly replicated and during Adam’s first year at ARM he smashed his targets and won “Rookie of the Yearâ€, which resulted in an all-expenses paid trip to New York with other top billers. His dedication saw him gain more recognition from his customers and he was chosen to work on a key project for a national corporation. A core part of the project was to establish and recruit for an office of 9 skilled placements and Adam was able to quickly achieve this. The client relationship has been cemented further and he is now the main point of contact for all of their requirements. He shows a true consultative approach and is able to talk on a highly technical level to support customer projects and advise candidates on their next position. Adams’ commitment to professional standards means he is always ahead of the game with any new legislation affecting the industry.
Adam has grown his contract plan to exceed £10,000 a week and has yet to fail hitting a target. He has developed a substantial influence on his department which has seen significant advancements to client and contractor success. Adam is admired and respected by his customers and colleagues and has become a strong mentor for our junior consultants. He was influential in helping one of his reports get shortlisted for the IRP’s Apprentice of the Year award in December 2015 and Adam himself was also shortlisted for the IRP’s Temp Consultant of the year at the same event.“
“I consider him my mentor, confidant, a friend even. We talk at least every fortnight. Adam puts my contracting frustrations and anxieties into context, saving me from rash, expensive decisions and the client company from the consequences. Below is a brief synopsis of our journey.
One lunch time at the end of April last year Adam called me up out of the blue with a contracting job opportunity. Fortunately, I had some prior indirect experience with the client company and project, but even then conducting a telephone interview with the hiring manager and accepting the role before that day way done was pretty special. All thanks to Adam tirelessly driving the process along. Within three days, rates had been agreed and contracts signed. Given my subsequent experience with the hiring company, this last accomplishment was in the water-into-wine league achieved through Adam’s intimate knowledge of the client’s processes and personalities.
I started work at the back end of the following week. I didn’t have anything set up at the time, so without steering me down any particular path Adam provided me with the introductions, advice and context for me to choose my Accountant and set up my Company.
My contract was extended, but the new team taking over my services wanted to alter the terms of my contract. What has followed is over six months of chaos where the client hasn’t paid for my services. Adam has had to keep his own company on-side, and paying me, whilst working away at the client to unblock the new contract from them. I’m delighted that we’re now set to close this out with an increase in rate that Adam is working hard to get back dated. A stellar performance from Adam which I salute..“
“Adam helped me make the big step from permanent employment to the contract world. His excellent industry knowledge enabled me to find a role at a company that proved to be a perfect match. Having such a well versed recruitment expert at the end of the phone gave me confidence in a very competitive industry.
After a year of working with Adam I was approached by a company who offered me a role I could not refuse. With the confidence I had in Adam I asked for him to be my agent, however with a strict PSL in place, much to my disappointment ARM could not represent me.
Recently, in my new role, I have been required to use the existing PSL to source candidates for the vacancies in my team, unfortunately without much success.
Having worked with Adam before and understanding the way he works, I began the process to get ARM added to the PSL. With this being an important moment for me to build my own team to embark on numerous multi-million pound multi-discipline projects, in my mind there was no better person for me engage with to assist me with this complicated task – Adam Razzell.
Other agents that I have been required to deal with have used a ‘scatter-gun’ approach to candidate selection, clearly going for the quantity over quality approach. This is very un-helpful and counter-productive as it uses my valuable resources sifting through patently unsuitable applicants. Adam and ARM have been successful in being added to the PSL and have already started to deliver great candidates for me to interview. I expected nothing else!
Working with Adam brings a streamlined recruitment process and gives me the confidence that the most suitable candidates available in the industry will soon be sitting across the interview table in front of me!“
“When I decided to take the step from being in permanent employment into the contracting role I approached ARM and was point into contact with Adam.
Adam explained how the contract world worked and set about finding me a suitable role after going through a series of Q&A’s. Within a few days of our initial contact Adam had provided me with a few options and subsequently lined up a number interviews. Fortunately I was successful and was offered a role! During this period Adam kept me fully advised of progress, throughout the process unlike many other agency’s recruiters at no time did he seem pushy or after personal gain, I believe he had my best interests at heart.
Adam also gave me valuable advice on setting up a Limited Company and Business Bank account which can be a potential mine field. Once in the role Adam then contacted me a regular basis to ensure all things were processing smoothly and to check if I had any issues.
After approximately 18months in the role I decided to resign from the role and take a sabbatical overseas. After having a suitable break and whilst still overseas I contacted Adam to explain I was returning to the UK and asked him if he could source me a suitable role. Adam got the wheels in motion and before I had returned to the UK had line up a role which I started 4 days after arriving back in the UK, would have been sooner but for jet lag!
I speak to many recruiters regularly and unlike most Adam provides a professional service far in excess of others, I would not hesitate to recommend him.“
“I have been working with Adam for nearly a year and his efforts in supporting my recruitment have been invaluable to me. Adam always asks the right questions to gain a good understanding of the requirements for each specific role, and the CVs he provides me with truly reflect this. He understands the challenges I face and works with me to find solutions. Since I have worked with him, Adam has proved to be a gregarious, genuine and patient person. He is extremely knowledgeable about the rail industry, and his advice and honesty have been highly regarded. I have no hesitation in recommending Adam – he is a true recruitment professional.“
“Having recently been involved with Adam and the services he provides, I feel almost obligated to write this recommendation.
Adam Razzell has shown himself to be a tenacious go getter with a real make it happen attitude.
So many times an agent will tell you want they think you want to hear, not so in Adams case, he had shown himself to be completely honest and realistic in managing both client and contractors expectations, which is such a refreshing way of working in my experience.
I personally have been a contract worker for 12 years and Adam has managed to completely restore my faith in agents and agencies working for clients and contract staff alike.
I recently attended an interview for a new contract position, the client offered me a perm role which although was well paid, was not what I was exactly looking for and I felt was not right for me. Normally this would have been dead in the water, but Adam was able to negotiate a contract role with the same company on a very good rate in the same position, something that is very rare indeed and has never happened to me in 12 years.
Adam was also able to contact me with a very detailed overview of the benefits of working for this particular company and the reasons I should take the role. Whilst I would say Adam has persuaded both myself and the client that this is a good match, I have not felt pressured in any way, just made to feel confident that I have made the correct choice and that the client really wants me to fill this role for them.“
“Adam secured my latest position for me and was superb from start to finish. Communication was excellent throughout the process and his deep understanding of the rail industry and what companies and individuals expect really shone through. I would highly recommend Adam to anyone looking for a new position.“
“I have been in the Railway Signalling industry since 1970. I therefore feel that by this time I can give a fairly balanced assessment of the recruiting agencies and recruiting agents.
I can categorically state without any prejudice that Adam Razzell has provided the best recruitment agent service that I have encountered over all these years. He is extremely professional in every aspect and at the same time still being able to understand in detail my personal aspirations regarding the job position that I was searching for,
Adam has also provided me with the correct contacts regarding the assistance of setting up a new limited company. The accountancy firm, banking, legal and company Insurance firms that he has taken the extra trouble to investigate before referring me to them provide an excellent quality service of a very high standard.
This has shown me that Adam has a very high standard of ethics and a concern for my well being that I really have appreciated.
Adam has definitely excelled over and above his role as ' just another recruitment agent' by not only providing the above services but he is constantly ensuring that everything is going according to my satisfaction at my current place of employment. He is performed this function in an exemplary manner because he has not only always been respectful and friendly but he has made sure that he has not been intrusive or overbearing in his approach.
I will definitely recommend Adam to friends and colleagues who are looking for a highly ethical and efficient recruitment agent.“
“Adam joined our business from a very different and established career to recruitment. I believe this immediately presented challenges many others simply don’t have to face, and this drove Adam to prove his value and ability from the very outset. He is a straight talking, assertive man, who commands a professional authority which provides him with a great deal of credibility not only in his market place, but within his work environment too. His clients and candidates respect his knowledge and expertise of his technical space, and many see him as their ‘go to’ person within their industry. He is dedicated to his cause, often working long hours to strive for excellence. He knows how he would like to be treated as a customer, and lives this high standard of professionalism every day. He has proven track record and knows this enables him to take his service levels up a notch in order to exceed the demands and expectations from his client and candidate base. Adam is fast becoming an authority on his subject matter, and take a very strategic approach to his work. This is all evidenced by his billings and levels of repeat business. He is a mentor for others in the Group, is often invited to engage in areas of the business outside his immediate niche. This is because his opinion is valued and trusted. Adam is a great example of how a raw recruit to the industry can quickly demonstrate an excellent return on investment and expectation. His ability to sell reduced time to hire and cost to hire for his clients and candidates is what I believe truly differentiates him from the rest of his market.“
““I have known Adam for Three and a half years as my contracting agent. Prior to contacting Adam I was with a different agency but I had been out of work for two months. As I live in the London area I wanted to have a contract opportunity in London but my previous agents didn't succeeded in getting me any work. Out of desperation I accepted a job in York and was waiting to sign the contract when I was contact by Adam.
His professional approach convinced me to abandon the York job for an opportunity closer to home (in Reading) which was commutable from London. So rather than being away from home I now have the luxury of seeing and assisting my young family on a daily basis. It did take a lot of persuasion and good sense from Adam to change my mind and switch me to his agency, ARM, as a contractor. In short Adam can charm any potential candidate and provided very convincing and sensible advice to persuade people to join his agency. I would recommend Adam as a top professional recruiting manager.–
“Adam is the consultant that I go to first when I need staff, I appreciate the CVs Adam send through as soon as he takes on new people and like to think I am one of his priorities in York for temporary staff. Adam and I are in regular contact and discuss resourcing issues locally and nationally for my company. We have taken 2 people on directly from Adam recently, (more from the wider ARM team) and are constantly looking for more. Adam knows the signalling design industry very well, and appreciates the challenges of the industry. He takes the time to talk to me, but also listens and takes on board my requests and feedback. I find this very reassuring, and makes him stand out as a consultant. I am not bombarded with poorly written CVs, far from it, by understanding my needs Adam saves me time and effort, which helps me and I know the candidates he puts forward are worth considering right from the start.“
““BASRE is one of the largest re-signalling projects of its type in the UK. It’s a vital part of the transport network, so it is a big responsibility, but also a great opportunity to make a real difference.â€
Carl is clear on the benefits he has enjoyed as a rail contractor working through Adam at ARM: “There is a real effort to match the right people with the right skills to the right role, which isn’t something that is always evident with other recruiters.†Adam found Carl a role as E&P CRE with railway specialist Signalling Solutions, working on the Bristol Area Signalling Renewal & Enhancement (BASRE) project. Carl explains how Adam has worked closely with him to further his career.
How did you first come to work with Adam at ARM?
My background is as an Electrical Engineer with experience in multiple industries however for the last 10 years specialising predominantly in Rail. I was looking for a new challenge so I contacted Adam to ascertain what opportunities he had or could best suit me with.
He worked tirelessly on my behalf to find a role that was right for me, but equally for a role that needed my exact skill-set and experience. The opportunity to join Signalling Solutions as E&P Design CRE was great timing for myself, providing an opportunity to take on a key role in such an important project and matched my 650V Signalling Power experience perfectly.
What excites you about working in the rail sector?
BASRE is one of the biggest re-signalling projects of its type in the UK. It’s a vital part of the transport network, so it is a big responsibility, but also a great opportunity to make a real difference. We have now delivered Stage 2 and I am proud to say the feedback has been very good, to which we are focusing on Stages 3 & 4.
The railways sector in general is an interesting and rewarding one to work in. I am a Draughtsman and Design Engineer by trade and it offers great opportunities to use my skills to their fullest extent. There are a lot of changes and improvements going on throughout the UK rail network at the moment, it’s a fast-moving industry and my current role gives me the opportunity to be on site, to work with different disciplines involved in the project and generally to have a lot of variety in my day-to-day activities. I have also had the benefits to provide input into the Network Rail Standards and Railway developments, i.e trialling new technologies such as the DITA to incorporate Legacy Signalling equipment into new Class II arrangements.
What has been your overall experience of working with Adam?
I can sum my experience of working with Adam in one word, ‘excellent’! I regularly speak to him and we have a very good working relationship and he always gives me useful feedback.
Adam also provided sponsorship for my assignment which assists greatly in maintaining my PTS by providing the PPE required on site and organising my Drug & Alcohol and Medical arrangements for me.
Adam is excellent at matching the right candidate to the right role. It is a real skill and he is highly adept at doing so. This really stands out in the recruitment industry and gives everyone concerned much greater peace of mind.
I would thoroughly recommend Adam to those looking for new roles and challenges, and to organisations looking for the right people and skill sets.“
“Adam supported me in a contract position seven months ago and his performance during the process was first-rate. I can positively say that Adam Razzell has provided one of the finest recruitment agent services which I have experienced over all the 23 years I have been contracting. He is extremely professional in his approach and applies total focus on any task or request regardless of its nature. I work in the Telecommunications industry and Adam has a very clear understanding of the business and therefore placed me perfectly in the role and job status applicable to my experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Adam to other Colleagues in my industry.“
“Adam was responsible for my current placement. His attitude, approach to finding the correct opportunity and knowledge of the industry helped make the transition between roles problem free. From first contact to the start of my new role I found Adam to be 100% reliable and his excellent communication gave me confidence in his ability throughout. Adam will be the first person I will speak to in future, when investigating my next career move.“
“Adam has been supporting contract staff supply and permanent recruitment for four years or so to my Power Engineering Department for Design and site implementation Engineers.
He is dynamic, pro-active and in tune with our niche part of the Rail industry; supplying a significant number of calibre staff.
I have found Adam to be the go to 1st point of contact for resourcing supply.“
“I would say that ARM is one of the leading player in the competitive market of engineering recruitment. I have talked to a number of recruitment firms and ARM is above par with the way they treated their client.
Adam is a great professional, extremely committed and knowledgeable. He manages to turn the recruitment process in such a pleasant experience.
I am very happy he was the one who assisted me in joining my current“
“I was not long contracting when Adam started to represent me. He has always been available and approachable, I felt assured, this was very important to me.
I felt confident when represented by ARM as I knew that Adam was looking out for my best interests. I often receive calls from Adam asking how things are going which is reassuring, it seems to me that he takes great pride in his position and is prepared to work hard in order to keep his clients satisfied.
Always approachable and extremely hard working, this is proven as I have often had to make calls to Adam outside the standard 9-5 hours and he seems to always be available. This is exactly what I look for in an agent and I can confirm that Adam not only delivers but exceeds my expectations every time.
I have also become friendly with Adam on a personal level as he is very easy to get along with. I feel that this is a very important quality for somebody in his position that not everybody has.
In comparison with agents that I have been in contact with in the past, some others were very good with some not so good, but it is very clear to me that Adam goes the extra mile and sits head and shoulders above the rest.
I have never felt rushed while on the phone, Adam will always listen, he takes what I have to say on board and this makes me feel that that he puts my interests as his number one priority. Which is what sets him apart from the rest in my opinion.
It is with all of this combined that I know I am in safe hands and therefore highly recommend Adam Razzell as a truly committed, very effective and highly professional Individual.“
““I was not long contracting when Adam started to represent me. He has always been available and approachable, I felt assured, this was very important to me.
I felt confident when represented by ARM as I knew that Adam was looking out for my best interests. I often receive calls from Adam asking how things are going which is reassuring, it seems to me that he takes great pride in his position and is prepared to work hard in order to keep his clients satisfied.
Always approachable and extremely hard working, this is proven as I have often had to make calls to Adam outside the standard 9-5 hours and he seems to always be available. This is exactly what I look for in an agent and I can confirm that Adam not only delivers but exceeds my expectations every time.
I have also become friendly with Adam on a personal level as he is very easy to get along with. I feel that this is a very important quality for somebody in his position that not everybody has.
In comparison with agents that I have been in contact with in the past, some others were very good with some not so good, but it is very clear to me that Adam goes the extra mile and sits head and shoulders above the rest.
I have never felt rushed while on the phone, Adam will always listen, he takes what I have to say on board and this makes me feel that that he puts my interests as his number one priority. Which is what sets him apart from the rest in my opinion.
It is with all of this combined that I know I am in safe hands and therefore highly recommend Adam Razzell as a truly committed, very effective and highly professional Individual.““
“Adam leads the Rail team at ARM, he exudes the right qualities at all times to his colleagues, clients and contractors.“
“From working with Adam over the past 3 years I can honestly say that Adam has a very good understanding of the rail industry. He has very good relationships within the industry and regularly gets phone calls from senior figures who use Adam as a source of market information.
His candidate control is very good and when a contractor does leave Adam, 9 times out of 10 they will come back to Adam to find them their next role.
His commercial acumen is second to none and he will always come up with a bespoke plan to meet the clients needs.
I would very much recommend Adam as a Professional Rail recruiter to any client or candidate. This has also been recognised with both internal and external awards and recognitions, so much so that he is now one of only two recruiters representing Europe in this years Top Recruiter TV show.“
“ARM have a very positive and relaxed attitude to recruitment which is a breath of fresh air for all recruiting managers. They provide quality candidates and have a sound knowledge of the railway sector and technical competencies.“
“Adam acted very professionally in securing my new role and his help and support have proved indispensable.
Adam is always ready and willing to help with any issues I have, and certainly deserves an award for his services to recruitment in the rail sector.“
“Anyone looking to get into recruitment should look no further than Adam for inspiration, When first starting in recruitment he made it his top priority to understand both his industry and his clients. This has resulted in him being knowledgeable beyond belief and the amount of clients and contacts that now call him for industry advice is tremendous. This did not come easy with him travelling around the country speaking to as many people as possible, listening to people’s needs and acting on them. On occasions Adam has been known to leave nothing to chance, this differs from arranging transport for candidates to looking at apartments for them to rent! This goes to show the extra mile he will go to ensure the clients and candidates needs are matched perfectly.
I can honestly say from working in recruitment for a number of different companies, different sectors I have never known anyone to have the knowledge and respect he does. I feel this is reflected in him now being one of the top recruiters in the country, this has also now resulted in him representing Europe.“
“Having worked alongside Adam for over a year, it didn't take too much time to gain an understanding as to why he has carved out a successful position in the rail signalling arena.
Adam has channelled his competitive nature into learning, and has done so through speaking to leading signalling design professionals through out the UK. Many of these people he can now say are either candidates or clients.
He is the first to know about up and coming projects and as a reward for his efforts regularly receives candidates referrals for individuals any recruiter would want to represent.“
“I have been working closely with Adam at ARM for the last couple of years.
As the Design Engineering manager at Alstom I was keen to really strengthen the Signalling design and verification team in Radlett after I joined in early 2014. Recruitment in the Rail sector is very competitive, it is both difficult to attract and retain the best quality staff.
Adam at ARM has been key in building our contract team, he has been both able to seek out and attract the highest quality candidates and at short notice help signalling solutions solve specific urgent gaps in our organisations.
The interview vs Offer rate of staff passed offered forward by Adam has been almost 90%, which is significantly higher than any other of the recruitment teams we work with. This indicates to me that Adam does much of the ground work in terms of individual’s competency and skills, and only offers forward staff that he knows will fit into our team this both saves me and my team valuable time in interviews.
Additionally all of the staff provided have worked well within our organisation, none of the staff we have used from Adam have been replaced or had early contract termination.
His most important trait however is that he is neither pushy nor aggressive, which seems to be the disease of the contract recruitment business. He is there when I need him and works hard behind the scenes, but does not bother me on a daily or even weekly basis. When I do need staff at short notice, he is able to spend the extra time and effort seeking out the candidate that best matches my needs.
We will continue to work with Adam and ARM in the coming years.“
“Adam has been very thorough in his dealings with myself. He is very quick and proactive to get things done.
I have found him to be very professional throughout the whole recruitment process.“
“I joined the Rail team as brand new recruiter with no previous knowledge of the rail industry, to work with Adam as his Apprentice just under 18 months ago.
In this time Adam has played a key part in my learning and development as a Contract Consultant, and has demonstrated to me the accolades which are achievable when you truly know your market, clients, contractors, and candidates.“
“I have dealt with Adam on several roles and projects. I have always been pleased with the calibre of candidates put forward. Adam is a strong communicator and always kept me up to date. One particular recruitment campaign worked well when we set up joint open evenings and advertising campaigns to set up a new office. I was pleased with the suitable candidates identified and proposed. Adam understood our needs and continued to search for candidates for sometimes difficult to fill positions. I would refer Managers to Adam and also recommend Adam on a candidate side.“
“I have dealt with Adam on several roles and projects. I have always been pleased with the calibre of candidates put forward. Adam is a strong communicator and always kept me up to date. One particular recruitment campaign worked well when we set up joint open evenings and advertising campaigns to set up a new office. I was pleased with the suitable candidates identified and proposed. Adam understood our needs and continued to search for candidates for sometimes difficult to fill positions. I would refer Managers to Adam and also recommend Adam on a candidate side.“
“Moving into a new role through Adam could not have been easier.
Consistent in his attitude towards ensuring that a placement is best for both parties whilst always available to talk about the progress of any application.
Extremely positive whilst sincere regarding potential prospects which breeds confidence in his representation.“
“Adam has placed me in my next contract position. He is easy going and doesn't try to force you into a position that you dont want. I've spoken to him numerous times and nothing seems too much trouble. Some agents try to be pushy, but Adam isn't. When I find myself needing a new contract in the future, I'll ring Adam“
“Adam is passionate about his clients, his candidates, his team, the company he works for, and the rail industry.
He takes his job very seriously and is a pleasure to work with - professional, hard working, and with a good business brain and sense of humour. He has great ideas and though he is a top performer, he always finds time to give input to the wider business.“
“I've just had time to review the November issue and would offer my most sincere congratulations for the success of the second awards ceremony, it looked a fabulous night, our guys thoroughly enjoyed it and especially so as we were fortunate to have another success. Congratulations to you and to all the team, fantastic effort.”
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