Jason Thomas has worked within the recruitment sector for over 15 years, leading teams across a variety of sectors and disciplines. In January, his exceptional work Hamlyn Williams’ EMEA Director of Contract was recognised with a promotion to Sales Director, tasked with leading the growth of our Cardiff office.
We sat down with Jason to learn about his goals, methods and delve into the keys to his success.
On Goals and Ambitions for the coming year
“Ambition used to be easy for me to define. If anyone asked me about goals, the answer would be good people find a way, and no matter what that target needed to be HIT. Don’t get me wrong, I have not lost that deep-burning desire to hit goals, but I think a lot deeper and I am far more strategic about how we are getting there.
Professionally, I want to help grow managers, develop them into leaders, and put the power to hit numbers in as many other trustworthy hands as I can. By making coaching and developing one of our daily must-dos, the focus isn’t just hitting a target, we are able to create a lot more value within the business; if I hit my goal of creating new leaders and we promote 5 people in the team this year, the numbers will come, the target will be hit along the way. This will create and build foundations to keep scaling up each year.
By tying goals and ambitions to the behaviors that make hitting the target happen, rather than the target itself, we not only become more successful- but we also build a nurturing, positive, and driven culture that is more enjoyable to work in.
Personally, my ambition is to continue to help REST, a charity set up in memory of one of my best friends, Tom Bassett, who was sadly taken away from loved one’s too young whilst on holiday. The charity was set up by his family and partner, with the aim of providing support and financial aid to families in Wales who find themselves in similar situations and lose a loved one abroad. The charity covers the cost to bring the person home as this has a huge cost attached to it.
Each year I have set ambitious goals to test myself mentally and physically, whilst raising money for REST. This year, I hope to complete The Fan Dance Trinity, one of the toughest physical challenges in the UK. The Fan Dance is a 24k hike that must be completed carrying 35 pounds on your back in sub 4 hours 10 mins. The Trinity means I am committing to doing this 3 times in 2 days and once through the night. Weirdly I enjoy being pushes so far that it takes me into a dark space mentally, each time I test myself and complete a really challenging physical test I become stronger, this helps me break down barriers in all aspects of my life.
Jason’s fundraising page can be found here
How Jason is making his mark on the Cardiff office
What I love about this team is the determination everyone has, both in and out of work the team have goals and the drive to achieve them. We currently work well as a team, and it is my goal to embed the type of consistency that naturally leads to reliable, predictable results for everyone.
To do this, we have focused on the development of leadership, commercial, and recruitment skills, but I am not doing this as a strategic leader that sits on the sidelines shouting orders. I am getting involved in all of the day-to-day, helping consultants build their pipelines and workshopping skills in real situations; it is such an exciting time, because I am seeing so much positive cultural change and a real desire to want to win as individuals and a team! My ambition is to have Cardiff as the number 1 performing office in the next 3 years!
How Cardiff celebrate success
A key part of driving positive cultural culture change month on month has been working out a totally new reward structure that ensures we continually deliver on expectations and ensure the office is a fun and vibrant place to work.
We want to ensure that our incentive rewards are massive markers in the calendar that inspire success.
Our last Fine Diners afternoon took a lot of planning; we had multiple luxury locations and transport between them, but this effort made it feel like an event, not just a meal. This is not the be-all and end-all, we also run continual small incentives like Breakfast Clubs, Fino Fridays as well as getting the team out of the office for badminton games or wellbeing walks. This ensures that success is always recognised, and celebrates the small moments and KPI goals, which all end up with big commission cheques and, net year, a plane of Cardiffians on our annual incentive trip!
Legacy and creating a lasting impression
Legacy, for me, happens when you make other people better.
My goal is to build future Directors, Top Billers and CEOs, as this is the only way to create something truly long-lasting. If I can create 8, 9, 10 brilliant leaders or elite billers in Cardiff, then the office will not only be challenging for the ‘#1 office’ prize in the short term, but these effects will be seen for years to come.
If you would like to become part of the amazing culture Jason is growing in Cardiff, check out our Careers Page to see our current vacancies.