Recruitment is a commercially-driven industry where results and commissions keep the wheels turning. Few would expect purpose to be front and centre. But fundamentally, it’s an industry with people at its heart, and people are the drivers of purposeful change. So how can recruitment firms embed and activate purpose to transform their businesses?

Today, host Becky Willan speaks to a leader who climbed her company ranks from Graduate Recruiter to CEO. Hayley Still’s journey to the top of Hydrogen Group has put her in a prime position to reshape purpose at the company. Now operating in 67 countries, Hydrogen merged with Argyll Scott in 2017 - and when Hayley took over as CEO in 2022 she saw an opportunity to cement that merger, catalyze new company-wide values and ignite a fresh purpose. 

In this episode, you’ll discover how you can disrupt an industry through purpose, and using moments of change to rearticulate and reinforce core values. 

Do you want to learn how to build a purpose-driven business from Given, the consultancy that’s helped some of the world's largest organisations become purposeful? Download the Insiders’ Guide to Purpose HERE.  

Apologies for the typos, this is an AI transcription.

Use your purpose to drive positive change in your industry. Before I speak with, Let's take a quick look back at her career to find out how she went from graduate recruiter to purpose-driven CEO.

Hayley's parents were professional gymnastics coaches.

She was un unlikely to ever succeed on the world stage.

You couldn't get it through hard work.

Then there are other industries where you might question whether there's ever been a boardroom conversation around purpose, and the idea that companies would prioritize anything other than profit. For a lot of people, recruitment would fall into that category. It's known for being one of the most commercially driven and cutthroat industries around.

And yet one recruitment company has taken a different approach and is putting purpose-driven growth front and center with brilliant results. So what does it really look like to challenge and disrupt an industry through purpose? Hayley, welcome to the show.

Who is Hydrogen Group and why did you need a purpose?

But also then on the other side, professional services like legal. And I suppose, why did we need a purpose? Well, we had two businesses that we were bringing together so it made sense to fully integrate our businesses. We already had done kind of behind the scenes operational integration, but we hadn't yet sort of brought ourselves together from a values and a purpose perspective.

But equally, I really. That we were evolving in terms of our culture anyway, and I felt we really needed to articulate what we believed in, what we stood for, what we're trying to achieve. Cuz it really felt like it was moving to a different place than where we'd been previously. But also quite different probably from where we had been and the rest of the industry as well.

So we didn't want it to be a very kind of top down. Approach. And actually part of that is because our purpose itself and the culture that we have been cultivating is particularly not top down. It's particularly people orientated and treating people as individuals rather than just kind of one of many.

So we definitely wanted to make sure we incorporated that into the process to make sure it was something that wasn't just aspirational, but it was something that made sense for us as a business. So it had some of the fabric of uh, kinda being already part of it. So we partnered with Given, and we did, we, we actually started with a very thorough look at who we were gonna work with.

And we particularly liked that Given, had experience predominantly outside of recruitment. Cause we didn't want someone coming with a preconceived idea of what a purpose in recruitment should be because we definitely felt we wanted to disrupt the industry, but then also actually speaking to our clients and candidates, find out what they felt about it.

Um, and then also trying to get a bit of an understanding of how that kind of fitted with the direction of travel of the industry and the world more sort of broadly. So there was an element of where do we want to go, but also an element of where are we now as well to make sure that it, it kind of made sense and was an, an evolution rather than a complete swing in a different direction.

So sort of looking back on the work, were there any kind of real standout benefits of working with the third party to help you through?

That should be our purpose, which is not what I want. And having someone come in externally meant. Not only would they be more open and honest, but actually you just had a, a clear different perspective and you were really coming in and actually spoke to us. Gave me a, a better understanding of where we truly stood with our culture and where we were from different international perspectives.

That's something that's quite complex when you are an international business. Trying to understand. Where you really are in the different regions as well. You definitely got a more true and honest feel on the ground in the organization, and you were able to give that kinda external perspective, but you didn't just do it in total isolation.

So you spoke to us as well, and you know, you, you might say, I'm feeling this and I would say it might be because of X, Y, and Z. Would that make sense with the feedback you're getting? And you would probably. Yes, that does make sense. And so it's not such a big concern or no, that doesn't really marry up. It is an ongoing concern and would really keep pushing me on those things and pushing the exec.

So yeah, I think it had a, I think it was hugely important. You also obviously as well have an understanding of how to articulate things. So the way I describe it to the team is like, it wasn't like an agency came in and told us what our purpose was. That would be ridiculous. And I think that's sometimes how people.

View that external support. It's almost like I've run outta ideas, so I'm gonna have someone to come in and tell me it wasn't that at all. It's, but there, but there is a certain way to articulate these things and then drive them into the organization, which is definitely the kind of support you and the team are able to give us.

So the enabling part to me was really, really important because I feel like as an organization, I don't want to. Make something happen for someone else. Let's say if I just give you 500 pounds, then you are always relying on me to give you 500 pounds and do something for you. I wanted. To make sure that we are actually enabling.

So if I give you the skills to earn 500 pounds every day, you can do that every day, regardless of what I'm up to and what I'm doing. And you know, you have that independence and you have that ability to do so. It really mattered a lot for me that enabling. Part, so enabling you, and then the you in this is obviously everyone who works at hydrogen, but it's also our clients, our candidates, and really all people as well.

You know, the influence you can have. As an organization, the way I, I try and describe it to our people is like, you know, I want you to touch as many lives with this as possible. If you're sat next a dinner party, I want you to be thinking about how you could use the tools and skills that we give you to enable them to thrive and understand what thriving means and how their world is shaped.

You know, that's a tiny example, but you is really everyone. So enabling you and then the thrive part, I mean, thrive is a big word that you actually hear quite a lot. Part of it. Understanding what thriving means to you. So what thriving is to one person might not be the same as it is to another person. So there's an element of it as kinda defining success and not just going with maybe society's preconceived ideas of what success looks like.

So this kind of individual nature. The other thing I love about thriving is that. You can do it together. It's not like you are thriving means I'm not actually, you thrive together and we talk about thriving as teams, as you know, businesses, not just individuals. So there's the thriving element, so enabling you to thrive, whatever that might look like for you.

But ultimately we believe that if someone's thriving, They are going to be more productive and therefore they will be more successful. And organizations as a whole, if they're made up of thriving people themselves will thrive, will be more productive, et cetera. And then the changing world part is really important to me.

And we did deliberate, whether to just go with enabling you to thrive, but the changing world is really important because, The world is always changing. Neither you can be afraid of that or you can be excited by it. And I feel like we've got a responsibility to not allow people to sleep, walk through life thinking if I just on doing the same reassessing stuff.

Be conscious and aware and deliberate, and I think a lot about our purpose is a lot of making people open their eyes and reflect on themselves and really reflect and be deliberate about their lives rather than just kind of going through and either being unhappy or happy and not understanding how or why they are.

Yeah, I think that's so

So I think. A really insightful way of putting it. You also developed a new set of values for the business as well, so can you talk a little bit about that and also what role they play in making the purpose real for people? Because I think often, even a really brilliantly crafted purpose statement can still feel quite sort of big, and I think values can be a really important part of how you actually sort of connect that idea into people's day to.

They really help to bring to life. What we mean by that and what we care about and what's important to us. And definitely with those five different values, I know a lot of people really have connected well with them and used them a lot already, even though we haven't done kind of a big piece of work on them yet.

Changes are possible and celebrated. So on a really practical level, are there any things that you've done to really change either the environment or give people a different set of tools or a different set of incentives, for example, just to help nudge behaviors and kind of habits in the right direct?

So for example, we used to have one incentive trip each year that was done on. Basically billing a huge amount of money. That's the main criteria to get on it. Um, and we changed that and we said, okay, billing is still, you know, something that is important. So we'll have a trip per region rather than a truly international, kinda global trip.

Our big kind 23 trip, for example, where we're going to Tokyo. The way that you get on that is through things like the biggest innovation contributor, the biggest growth mindset. There's obviously spots for kinda ops on there as well. The way that people like directors get on it are through growth, not through billing.

And you basically have to signpost to people, this is what's important to us as an organization and this is what we're gonna celebrate and this is what we're gonna applaud so that you drive their behavior in the right direction. I mean, there are also other things you do behind the scenes like change the way you are.

You pay people, you know, you drive people's behaviors in that kind of way as well. How they earn their bonuses and commission and all that kind of thing. You can take a more. I guess aggressive stance through those kind of things. I mean, there's a really big range of things you can do as a business and things that need to be done on the ground by also having the right people in place as well and making it clear, promoting the right people, exiting people who don't.

Fit with the culture, et cetera, et cetera. And

Is LinkedIn a sort of, is that agnostic in that respect, or is it changing in a way that can help you deliver more of the experience that you are trying to create for people?

So if you read a lot about. The articles that the CEO of LinkedIn has written and generally atri LinkedIn, they talk a lot about skills-based hiring, which is talking about moving away from kind of traditional, what's your job title? What, where did you go to college or university, and that basically, Is a signpost as to what skills you've got and whether you'll be relevant for this job.

So traditionally, really that's what those things are telling you. I went to this school, so this is an assumed level that you've been taught at, and I've done this job before, or you must have these skills. Well, there's actually a huge number of skills which are transferable from one kind of either industry and sector to another or one.

Job title to another, and if you focus on what those skills are, rather than focusing on job title, education, et cetera, then. You would be able to remove the barrier to entry for a lot of different people and be able to have a bigger impact on diversity and inclusion, et cetera, but also solve a lot of problems.

Like they'll have a situation where they can see on their platform that over here they've got the highest number of jobs on LinkedIn, which need to be filled. And over here you've got the highest number of professionals which don't have a job. And actually, They could be filled by each other, but because they don't say exactly the right things that two and two aren't being put together.

So I think that industry itself is evolving away from where it has been previously, which is almost a bit like playing Snap. And it's now more towards actually what more can we offer? And, and we're taking it a step further and we're saying we're gonna really look at beliefs and values and what this person can bring to an organization through their background, et cetera, rather than, Just, do they have the right skills?

Yes, we're gonna give you someone who can do the job, but we're also gonna give you someone who's gonna help enrich the tapestry of your team, help you thrive as a team and as an organization we're gonna understand how your world's changing and therefore what kind of person you need to be able to adapt and you know, move with those kind of changes.

So, I mean, we have to adapt some of our tools, like we have a tracking system, it's called Talent Mova. And in that system usually you might track information. Salary notice period. You know, just make some notes about the candidates so that you know kinda what they're doing. Now we already are adapting kinda the front page to have sections so that we can make sure we capture the right information and we'll have sections on our clients so that we also are creating a platform which helps promote the right things and the things that we really care about in line with our.

So

And if you imagine like clients have. Many of those calls happening a day. Whereas what we are saying is we're not gonna ask about that. We're gonna start by saying, look, we want to partner with someone who cares about the same things that we do. Our purpose is to enable you to thrive in a changing world.

So let's start by talking about what are the big changes in your world at the moment? And then who thrives at your organisation? What makes your organisation thrive? How can we partner to make sure we really, truly believe in understanding the same things and we know what you are working towards, what your vision is, and we are a proper partner in that way.

First and foremost, you know, we're only going to present people to you who will thrive and, and that's quite nuanced cuz that's sort of different per person. But we're gonna take the time to get to know that about our candidates as well. I mean, arguably good recruiters are already doing this. Some good recruiters do this.

Like when I was recruiting, I mean that's the stuff I loved, like getting into that kind of level of detail. But not everyone does. My personal purpose is how I can enable more people in the business to get. Depth, you know, have that impact on their clients and candidates, but also enjoy that for themselves.

Like enjoy having that impact on the world themselves. So definitely from a practical perspective, and it's sort of almost easier to imagine with candidates, rather than saying, would you like a new job? You say, are you thriving? And usually the first question when you say that someone is, I don't know what you mean by thriving.

And that's a good start. It's like, well, it's actually different for everyone. You know, I've sat and thought really long and hard as part of this purpose about what thriving means to me. So I could describe she, what it means to me. Really, I'm interested in what it means to you. And we've equipped them with really good questions.

Try and get to the bottom of that. And when people dunno, how do you help them recognize, you know, what that is? And part of that is redefining success. You know, saying what are the key things in your life? What does success really look like actually? And it's not just about, you know, people who. Kids having time with their kids.

And it's about, you know, are you a purpose-driven person? So therefore you would like to work at a purpose-driven organization? Can we find that future? Is that what you need to get outta bed in the morning? Or actually, is it money? And it's fine to say it's money and it's taking away that like judgment of like, Traditionally in the past it would be like success is how much do you earn?

How many people in your team, what's your job title? And it's actually saying, no, success looks like something else For different people, let's acknowledge and recognize that and help them understand what that is as well for themselves. It sounds

Culturally, you know, this is gonna be more difficult to land. And one of the first videos I watched was one of our consultants, Gwen, in Singapore doing it with one of her clients. And the information she got from the client was so much more enlightening and so wildly different to what she would've. Got, if she hadn't used the purpose and the client's feedback was like, wow.

I enjoyed that. It was thought provoking. It made me stop for a moment and think, and actually it is something that everyone should be asking. All of our partners, whatever you are partnering with us for, and that's mainly been the feedback from most clients is why isn't everyone doing this and asking this.

And from the candidate's perspective, actually quite a lot of it is like, why haven't I been thinking about these things myself? Like I just kind of been carrying on with my life and surviving. Why haven't I been. Thinking about whether I'm really thriving myself. So it's been amazing. Actually. I said to my husband in the launch week, we had this one day, which was showing how we were gonna use the purpose of clients and candidates, and we had clips of the videos kind of mashed together, and we also interviewed the consultants who had done the videos to say, how did it feel for you?

How did you feel using it? What were the results? And honestly, I think it's the only time in my career where I've nearly cried. I went down to see my husband afterwards and I was like, oh my God, it's happening. This is when I say like, sometimes you, than probably we were, than we were. At that point. It's happening.

Say, you know, what's your definitely not becoming ceo? Something like that, like, Really matters to me so much more. So it's been amazing. Cause the other thing about our purpose is it really helps consultants. It gives a framework and a language to consultants who are relatively junior to get that kind of stickier relationship quicker.

So actually the really senior consultants are having these good conversations. Generally speaking, they're not using this Thrive language, but they are in a way having these conversations where they've partnered with people for many years and have clients, et cetera, et cetera. But that takes years to build up that confidence and ability to actually get into that kinda conversation.

What we're trying to do is give everyone the ability to get into that conversation quicker and not easier, but with a different idea around it, I suppose.

Um, I guess what's your ambition, um, for the work that you are doing and how would you like to see that shape the

The role that we're doing is so important. We're finding someone a new job, which is such a huge part of their life. Building teams for businesses, which empowering the world to do many amazing things. Why? Why do we have to have this reputation? What is that born by? So there's one big part of me that wants to change the industry as a whole and like improve the quality of work that's happening, and therefore the reputation of people in recruitment.

You know, we have the ability to touch so many lives and we have the ability to have such a huge impact on so many lives. The other part, My mindset is I'm a real believer in therapy, in mental health, in the importance of actually giving it the attention it deserves, and people really being able to get more out of life and being able to be more productive.

We are in a perfect role as recruiters to offer that kind of marry together, those kind of things. Not everyone can afford therapy, not. We'll take the time to do it for many, many different reasons. And I'm not saying that we've become total therapists, but if we insert some of what we're doing, some of those good practices to help improve people's lives, make them think we would need to go a lot further than what we're doing now.

But as an industry, there is a massive. Void between the number of mental health professionals and the number of people able to offer that and the access that people have to it, and actually in the role that we're in as recruiters, if we could even put some of the basics and marry some of those things together, then I feel like the impact that we would have on the world would be enormous.

So

If we even talk to them about some of the techniques we've developed, some of the conversations we have internally and how they could have them with their friends, their families, et cetera. Even if I can get every one of our 300 people able to articulate how you have a conversation with someone about how to help and what looks and really, really productive and really successful, if everyone passes that on, then that's.

Good start. That's a good kind of footprint. So the next step for us is to go external me with it and really work on that. I mean, I'm not blind to the fact that I still have a lot of work to do internally to get everyone up to that kinda standard. So what you, what you tend to do when you once drive it in an organization is get a nucleus.

And I feel like I've nearly got that nucleus where I need it to be. The real believers, the people doing it, the people who are gonna pave the way for you, then you use them to drive. Along with the rest of the organization and we're on that kinda path. And then I personally, in this new role, I have more of a platform to be able to come onto things like this and speak openly and talk to my peers who are leading other recruitment businesses and help them understand the opportunity that we've gotten, you know, what they could be doing with their businesses as well.

So that's something that I'm gonna commit to doing. Working on, although trying to find a little bit of space in the old DHAs, isn't it? But um, yeah, definitely doing more of that type thing. And it's all, it's not just publicly as well, you know, I meet with lots of my peers, et cetera, and having these kind of conversations and even getting them thinking about what role they could play in it.

That's participating in inclusive and helps you uncover and express the right purpose for your business. If you're articulating or re-articulating your purpose, it's essential to look at your values at the same time. For a lot of people in your organization, it's how they'll bring your purpose to life.

Day to day, purpose and values have got to work together. If you want to change deeply ingrained attitudes and behaviors, you've got to give people the time, space, and tools to really get to grips with the ideas at the heart of your purpose. Make it personal to people. Make it okay to practice and not to get it right first time.

Share what works and what doesn't with your teams.

If you'd like more practical advice on building a purpose-driven business with brilliant insights from people like Hailey, download our insiders Guide to purpose givenagency.com/insiders guide.

Purposing is produced by Fascinate Productions