‘If you’re dreading work on a Monday, then we need to look at your options’

By Tony Sanchez 8th November 2021

In our latest Five Minute Interview, Tony Sanchez speaks to Adam Massie, Founder and Head of Recruitment at Willisia Recruitment.

Willisia Recruitment is a specialist financial services recruitment partner who pride themselves on offering solutions to both clients and candidates.

They deliver unlimited access to the hidden job market alongside strong relationships with otherwise passive candidates – finding individuals and businesses that may have otherwise have not been found.

What is the best thing about being in the bridging and development finance business?

It is such a fast-paced sector, no two days are the same and I am able to learn something new every day.

I think it is important to have an in depth understanding of both the businesses and sector I am recruiting into so that I can ensure I am making the correct matches all round.

The rate that the sector has grown over the last couple of years is impressive, and I am glad to be part of it.

What keeps you focused?

Various things keep me focused like providing a life for my family that I wasn’t lucky enough to have been afforded as a child, the feeling I get when clients ring me up and tell me about their successes in their current position and the key element for me is IMPROVEMENT.

This word defines my whole ethos as person, ever since I was a young child walking onto a sports field, I have had an unwavering desire to improve daily.

I literally can’t rest at night unless I have improved at least one aspect of my life.

Because for me everyone has a certain number of days on this earth and unless you can say you’ve taken something from each and every one of those then you’re wasting chances.

What qualities do you look for in your employees or colleagues?

A winner’s mentality, I almost always focus on solutions and not the problems a business may face on a day to day basis.

So, for me it is essential that I am building a diverse team who can all learn and balance each other out.

An open positive mindset is critical for me, we all have different political or religious views but if we all support each other to work towards the main goal which is the success of the business then it doesn’t matter

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

I am an optimist. It is deep rooted within me, but it is also the choice that I make 95% of the time when faced with adverse situations. I believe that this attitude can influence the choice others make also.

Think about it this way. Have you ever tried to convince a pessimist to be more optimistic? Likely you didn’t succeed.

People will argue their part and can almost always “prove” that they are right – there are plenty of examples of positive and negative things in the world right now.

Rather than trying to convince them I am right, I just live by my choice. My choice allows me to achieve better results with less stress and frustrations.

So rather than trying to convince them I am right, I convince them that they have a choice (almost like the old is the glass half empty or half full).

What did you want to be as a child?

I always wanted to be a firefighter when I was younger, I used to sit every Thursday night and watch them training at the local fire station.

Not quite sure what age the dream died if I am honest.

What will be the greatest challenge facing the bridging and development finance industry in the coming months?

I think from a Headhunters perspective the greatest challenge that we will face over the coming months is that we are in a heavily candidate driven market meaning a lot of firms are looking for staff, and with the majority of the desired candidates currently being employed it means that the hooks and salaries of a hiring firm have to be so impressive that it will make people sit up and take note.

Who or what makes you laugh?

My 9 year old step-daughter living with my partner (also in the industry) and myself she’s developing into such a little personality I actually think she may know more about bridging and ground up dev than most.

Do you dread Monday mornings?

Nope, as I always tell my candidates ‘if you’re dreading work on a Monday, then we need to look at your options and thankfully I am in such a position where I thrive from helping people that I find myself logging in and firing out messages/emails most weekends anyway.