One of Sydney’s most successful recruitment specialists, Michelle Walker loves connecting people.
With a BA in Communication (Public Communication) from Western Sydney University and a MA in Media in Practice from the University of Sydney, Michelle has been connecting the right people with the right employers for over nineteen years.
Following a successful career in corporate recruitment, Michelle opened her own boutique recruitment firm five years ago. Here she indulges her enthusiasm for finding the right person for the right job and turning strangers into business associates and friends.
The mother of three gorgeous girls, Michelle believes passionately in leading by example for girls growing up and young women starting out in their careers, and in giving back to the business community through active engagement.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Michelle, to know a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started? What inspired you?
Michelle: Starting my own business was inevitable for me. Having grown up with a father who ran his own successful business, it was in my blood.
Running my own recruiting firm allows me to be creative in the way I approach recruitment, and to express myself and my principles every step of the way. I feel like I’m making a difference by changing the culture around recruitment, and that is exciting to me.
Being an entrepreneur also allows me to be flexible. I am able to work my schedule around spending precious time with my children so I don’t miss those special moments.
Q. What’s one thing in your routine that you do consistently that has made a huge difference in your personal or business life?
Michelle: For me, communication within the team is vital to success. We have a ‘team huddle’ every morning so that each of us knows what is happening with the others and we are all on the same page. This also allows us to be present in supporting each other when needed and keeps us all focused and accountable.
Q. Who are your mentors and inspiration? and what knowledge or insight did they give to you that was valuable?
Michelle: As I mentioned earlier, my dad ran his own business while I was growing up, and he was definitely an inspiring mentor for me. He believed wholeheartedly that you can do anything you put your mind to, and I have always carried that belief.
I learned my people skills from my dad. Watching him deal with customers and suppliers of his delicatessen in a caring and personalised manner I realised at a very young age that connecting with people on a personal level was key to success.
Sadly, he passed away in 2006, but knowing he would be proud of me and the work I am doing continues to inspire me.
Q. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Michelle: There have been so many! And I’m lucky that they happen on a daily basis. Receiving feedback from clients or candidates about how successful their ‘match’ has been giving me enormous satisfaction.
I have also been honoured to win or be a finalist in a number of business awards, which is great validation for myself and my team.
Probably the single most satisfying moment was being invited to this year’s Australia Day Award Ceremony in our area. As the daughter of migrants, this is a special event for me. I’m looking forward to attending with my mum.
Q. How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?
Michelle: I utilise a mix of business development and social media to market my business.
I am fortunate to have a very strong client base, so my return business is very good.
This is no accident. It’s a direct result of my focus on personal attention and communication. I also strive for consistency in all aspects of my business, so that both candidates and clients always know what to expect when they work with us.
Q. What has been your biggest failures or challenges?
Michelle: Probably our biggest challenge as a business has been the two Covid lockdowns. Despite the difficult circumstances, we continued to work to support our clients, and locate great candidates. We facilitated online interviewing and coordinated the delivery of pcs and tools for candidates to get their jobs done. I’m thrilled to say many of our clients came through the storm stronger than ever.
Q. How did this failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
Michelle: The quieter times during Covid reminded us how important it is to stay connected with our clients, and allowed us to explore ways of doing this without the face-to-face contact we were used to. We had to learn to be flexible.
Our consistent contact over the phone, email, social media and EDM’s allowed us to build even stronger relationships, and this has stood us in good stead as we move back into more traditional forms of contact.
Q. If someone was to create a TV show about you, what would it be about and what would it be called?
Michelle: Well, it would have to be called The Recruiter – what else?
It would be about the busy life of a working mum who successfully wears many hats and navigates the competing demands of work, community and family. And each episode would end with the successful placement of a candidate with one of her clients. Although, of course, that’s just the beginning of the story!
To keep up to date with Michelle and her journey, connect with her on Facebook.
