By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Ruth Lyndon, Co-CEO, Phoenix
Ruth Lyndon is the Co-CEO of Phoenix, a recruitment consultancy firm. Lyndon is responsible for Phoenix’s strategic vision and growth and has successfully guided the firm an expansion into the US.
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
As Co-CEO, I wear a number of hats but my primary goals are:
Strategy and execution: Devising a robust strategy for the Group across Ireland, the UK, and the USA in conjunction with my fellow Co-CEO, Ed Rossiter, in line with our goals and implementing the processes, policies, and procedures necessary to deliver that strategy.
People & culture: Without the right people focused on the right things at the right time, we will never achieve our ambitious goals. As a result, I am involved in everything from talent acquisition and learning and development to HR and positive culture-building initiatives!
In-house legal, HR, and corporate governance: Unsurprisingly, this one lies with me given my background (finance lawyer in a past life). Having strong HR, compliance, and corporate governance practices ensures the smooth running of the business. We have a superb board of directors and advisors, which allows us to leverage their extensive recruitment sector, investment management, and general corporate experience.
One of the things I love most about being Co-CEO is the variety in my role. However, with variety, comes demands on my time from numerous sources. Being able to prioritise appropriately as the company continues to grow is key to our ongoing success and growth.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
Time, time, and time again!
One of the things I love most about being Co-CEO is the variety in my role. However, with variety, comes demands on my time from numerous sources. Being able to prioritise appropriately as the company continues to grow is key to our ongoing success and growth.
And this is all before I get home to a baby and a toddler where the real job starts!
How do you keep your team/staff motivated?
Communication: The team needs to know what the company’s vision is if they are to believe in it. For example, each January, we hold an annual Town Hall Kick-Off where we clearly outline what we accomplished the previous year as well as our plans for the coming year which includes revenue, headcount, sector growth, and new office targets.
Honesty: This is critical, both when things are going exceptionally well and when the waters are a little choppier — as will happen at times in every business. We openly communicate our plan to get through any obstacles and how we need everyone’s help to do that.
Progression: From the start, we outline the Phoenix Progression Pathways — which are open to everyone in the company — as well as the tailored L&D supports available at each level to ensure our employees have the tools they need to succeed. We are proud to be able to offer a rewarding, lucrative, and exciting long-term career within the global group.
Celebrate the wins and have fun: Recruitment is an intense industry and can be a rollercoaster of emotions at times. We absolutely celebrate the rewards at Phoenix, from quarterly top performer and contributor awards and prizes, regular company social events, and our Phoenix President Club annual global company trip for top performers.
Also, little things like donuts and coffee on Friday, an additional birthday annual leave day, in-house table tennis championships and more all help contribute to a positive, fun environment where people perform best.
Like any sector, attracting and retaining strong talent is a challenge and for those new to recruitment. A significant amount of time and energy can go into training and development without any guarantees that it is going to work out. Therefore, attrition and tenure rates are important.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
People: Like any sector, attracting and retaining strong talent is a challenge and for those new to recruitment. A significant amount of time and energy can go into training and development without any guarantees that it is going to work out. Therefore, attrition and tenure rates are important.
However, with our dedicated TA team sourcing and screening for the right Phoenix fit, our L&D division training and developing — and what we perceive to be a positive, successful environment — we have processes in place to address this challenge.
Professionalism: Coming from the legal profession, I feel passionately that if done correctly, (ie. professional, expert, and relationship-led), recruitment is, and should be, akin to any other professional service. Professionalism is one of our core values at Phoenix and that will never change.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
From LinkedIn and its ongoing array of new products to the latest lead generation tools, sales productivity enhancement tools, and performance data analytical tools, the ongoing developments in technology can be somewhat overwhelming.
However, understanding your employees, clients, candidates, and markets can help cut through the noise. Investment in the right technology and using it effectively and efficiently can increase productivity and, ultimately, bottom line.
Are there any major changes you would like to see in your sector?
Professionalism would be my ongoing concern. However, with an increasing number of industry professionals moving into recruitment to recruit in their specialist sectors bringing a unique level of industry expertise and credibility, an increasing number of agencies investing in L&D, and agencies increasingly choosing to only work with clients who truly value their service, positive improvements in the recruitment sector are being made from a professional reputational standpoint.
As an employer are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
From our own perspective as an employer, experienced recruitment consultants are in short supply and high demand in general — but in terms of our specialist sectors, particularly across Legal, FS, M&A, and Tech.
How has Brexit affected you?
Not particularly. In fact, the influx of regulated entities, particularly in the asset management and digital assets and payments space, establishing and seeking authorization from the Central Bank of Ireland to avail of the passporting regime has resulted in increased mandates from our Financial Services clients.
We established our UK office during the throes of Brexit but given our investment in technology from our inception and ongoing, we are able to deliver key hiring projects for our clients across the globe, regardless of the political climate.
We pride ourselves on the open honest communication we had with our team at the time and are proud to say that the vast majority of those initial team members are still with us today.
How has the COVID-19 crisis affected your business/sector?
There is no doubt that COVID-19 was a massive unexpected shock for all businesses and presented many challenges. However, given how young we were as a business, our tech-driven approach from inception and our ability to move to remote working with minimal disruption, we arguably came out the other side a stronger, more efficient organisation.
Also, we pride ourselves on the open honest communication we had with our team at the time and are proud to say that the vast majority of those initial team members are still with us today.
How do you define success and what drives you to succeed?
A tough one. For me, it is not money driven. Whilst of course a factor (and my love of shopping and the number of boxes smuggled into the house from my boot will attest to that), it is not a defining factor for me.
Success for me right now is walking into one of our offices and feeling and hearing the buzz that comes from a group of individuals happily doing what they do best as part of the Phoenix brand.
This drives me to continue to increase the headcount and number of offices globally so we can continue to offer people the opportunity to build a career with us on this wild journey. That is what puts a smile on my face and reminds me why I am doing this.
Trust your gut — if a transaction, person, situation, or proposal feels off, it very likely is.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given, or would give, in business?
Trust your gut — if a transaction, person, situation, or proposal feels off, it very likely is.
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
There are genuinely a number of highlights for me including our €1 million fund raise, Philip Gardiner, Director at Foresight, and Giles Daubeney, the ex-global Deputy CEO of Robert Walters joining our board. Ed and the wider team doing such a great job whilst I was on maternity leave recently.
However I think the opening of the New York office in the iconic Chrysler building has to get a special mention. Our own office in the USA, with such a strong starting team including experienced recruiter and Managing Director, Paul Molloy, supported by seasoned recruiter Kurt Krager who previously established and scaled the New York office for a global recruitment brand. The future is bright.
What’s next for your company?
- Keep the growth momentum moving in line with our strategic goals
- Continue to develop and promote our existing talent
- Continue to attract the right people
- Ensure we keep our culture as we expand
- Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses occasionally!
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
I defer to Daft Punk on this one — ‘Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger’.
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