Having joined his wife LeighAnne, a highly experienced specialist HR recruiter with 20 years’ experience and founder of Jordan Talent Solutions, Grant tells us about his reasons for embarking on his investment recruitment journey, his philosophy, methodology, and the recruitment experience he wants to offer both clients and candidates.

Tell us why you decided to enter the world of recruitment.

GJ: It all started with LeighAnne taking the plunge to start the company at the start of the pandemic. We were already discussing about how we could work together in the future and it just seemed like the perfect time for me to get involved and launch my investment recruitment career.

What do you bring to the table as an investment recruiter that sets you apart?

GJ: It really does boil down to experience and knowledge of the investment industry. That’s the true definition of a specialist recruiter in my opinion. Where I can add real value is that I speak the language of investment people. My experience also enables me to read between the lines and understand what they’re trying to achieve, what their jobs involve and of course the type of person that would succeed in their culture. So really it’s that trust and connection, which I feel I will be able to earn at the outset. That’s key to any successful partnership.

The hallmark of a best-in-class recruiter – what are the skills you need?

GJ: I felt that the blend of technical and people skills I have would transfer nicely to investment recruitment. You need to have excellent soft skills first and foremost, so being personable and a great listener. For candidates, it’s understanding their individual situations and ambitions whilst for clients it’s knowing their pain points. It’s a big step for many people and those big career decisions can be life changing, so that comes with responsibility from my side. Jordan Talent Solutions is based on being a relationship led business, with over 20 years working in the investment industry I feel I am well placed to establish strong relationships with clients and candidates alike. Add my technical sector knowledge into the mix and I think we’ve got a formula that works. Hopefully our clients agree!

“I’m excited about the future and making my mark recruiting top investment talent.”

And what about the recruitment experience…what do you want to achieve?

GJ: Having been in the recruitment process myself I fully appreciate the importance of how you feel as a candidate, this was a key driver in my decision to pivot my career. It goes without saying that professionalism is key and communication throughout any process is essential. Working in a consultative manner I want to build relationships with clients and candidates who are confident I have the knowledge and expertise to advise accordingly. There are many different steps, from the client brief to sourcing and shortlisting. Building rapport with people is crucial and even though we do a lot on the phone, on Teams etc. you’ve got to get out and meet people. You can only glean so much from a CV – you need to find out what makes people tick. I also think that meeting people face to face strengthens that overall recruitment experience.

What’s it like being a fully-fledged investment recruiter?

GJ: It’s been a massive learning curve because obviously I have the industry background but I’m still finding my feet in investment recruitment. But working with LeighAnne, who is such a dedicated and knowledgeable recruiter has been fantastic. I’ve learned a lot just observing how she interacts with her HR candidate network and how she goes about hitting her client briefs. It’s been a real eye opener for me and I’m lucky to be able to tap into her knowledge and run anything past her. Recruitment is a people business but there are processes to follow to achieve desired outcomes. I’m excited about the future and making my mark recruiting top investment talent.

What are your ambitions for the future for Jordan Talent Solutions?

GJ: At the moment we specialise in HR and Investment recruitment but we are doing some exciting work in the tech world too following our sponsorship of Filament STAC, an IoT start up programme in Scotland, so watch this space! In terms of branding and awareness, we recently launched our website, which we’re really pleased with. We have a business page on LinkedIn and a Twitter handle too, so please give us a follow! Our initial target market is Scotland but there are no boundaries on where we can take our business. We’ve always wanted to move abroad and we sampled that in Dubai a few years ago, so who knows, we might become digital nomads!

Want to talk to Grant about current investment management jobs OR PERHAPS YOU’RE LOOKING TO GROW YOUR TEAM?

You can contact Grant on 07555769792 or alternatively email grant@jordantalentsolutions.com