In this Q&A session, we explore Sarah’s role and journey in the field of recruitment and Horticulture.
What does the business do?
I have been working at MorePeople Recruitment for nearly 5 years! I feel like every day is a learning day as we specialise in recruitment for food, fresh produce, horticulture, and agricultural industries and these industries are continually evolving. For the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), I have been sitting on the committee since May 2022, committed to uniting under 35’s in horticulture.
What courses or qualifications have you completed?
At MorePeople Recruitment, I’ve completed a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 in Recruitment, studied for my Royal Horticulture Society Level 2, and a Chartered Management Institute Leadership qualification. For me, the leadership qualification was fantastic. I was able to build a really strong base understanding and foundation to work on, as well as areas that I needed to develop.
With the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), working on this committee has given me so many new networking and career skills I would have never gotten the chance to do otherwise!
The main thing I would say about most qualifications is that they build knowledge and some great theory but putting it into practice is always different.
What do you do in your job each day?
My day-to-day job at MorePeople is so varied, and I could probably bore someone all day with the ins and outs! Essentially, I help people find their next job, or help businesses find that person they need. I specialise in Horticultural and Agricultural recruitment, so I focus on lots of different roles. I also manage a team of 3 and help them develop their knowledge and skills.
At the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), as a volunteer, we do what we can when we can. My main role is to represent us at various events, manage the website, and ensure the job page is up to date so people have another resource to use.
I hope that I change people's lives and help them advance their careers!
What skills do you use in your job?
I think for both roles, the main skills I use are people skills and communication. I’ve learned so much about reading people’s body language, changing your tone depending on the situation, empathy vs sympathy, and more.
Organisational skills are also so important!
What’s the best part of your job?
This is going to sound cheesy, but the best part of my job is the industries I work in. I didn’t know how vast the industry was, and I wouldn’t be part of the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) if it wasn’t for MorePeople Recruitment.
I’m so interested in all parts of Horticulture and Agriculture, and the best part of the job is that I get to speak to so many people, that I never stop learning!
Are there any challenges in your job?
At the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), one of the biggest challenges is time. We’re all volunteers with full-time jobs, so trying to fit in everything we want to achieve is a challenge.
With MorePeople, the main challenge is trying to ensure that everyone you work with in the end is happy with the outcome.
Is technology important to your role?
Technology is so important for both of my roles as so much of my role at MorePeople is done over the phone, and via email as we recruit across the UK.
At the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA), our members stretch from the top of Scotland to Cornwall, so having a communication platform for our group is key. We also host seminars over teams to keep the networking and education piece going, and we couldn’t do this without technology!
If you had to convince someone else of the benefits of a career in your line of work, what would you say to them?
I would highlight how interesting and varied my role is! While the day-to-day and my targets are the same, I deal with so many different people at any one time. I’m always learning, and I love it! It’s all about putting yourself out of your comfort zone and thinking of long-term goals.
We have learned from Sarah, that you can have multiple career goals! If you have a love of plants, growing fruit and vegetables as well as a passion for working outdoors, then the world of Horticulture is the perfect career choice for you!
