Meet our Head of Recruitment and Retention, Terri Foulston

We sat down with our Head of Recruitment and Retention, Terri Foulston to discuss her role, why she chose Alcumus and what she enjoys outside of work.

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Written by: Alcumus
5th November

Can you talk to us a little about yourself?

Self-confessed workaholic with a ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos. Out of the office, I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie- I have conquered a bungee jump and most recently sky-dived from 10,000 feet! I love to travel, with 3 weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia coming up in February. Some of my highlights include horseback riding across the iron mountains in Wyoming, catching the 24-hour sleeper train from Luxor to Cairo and swimming with sharks in Thailand! Next on my bucket list is Route 66 in an old school Mustang…

What is your role at Alcumus?

I hold responsibility for hiring and retaining the best talent in the industry. Following a huge project to in-source the recruitment process and reduce reliance on agency support, we are now focused on building our employer brand and proactively approaching the passive market to ensure we have the best people in our business. Once they join us, my team are also responsible for ensuring the onboarding experience is exceptional; providing support throughout everyone’s probation period.

Why Alcumus?

For me, Alcumus is the perfect balance of being fast-paced but with a people-centric focus. We pride ourselves on ensuring that our people are benefitting from our rapid expansion (20% year on year) with 22% of roles filled 2018 to date being via internal promotion!

What does your typical day look like?

I try to take a structured approach to my day yet no two are the same. I prioritise the vacancies I am recruiting for; spending time working on projects in between and have regular meetings with both my team and our stakeholders to ensure we stay ahead of the game. As the team recruit for roles across the entire group, we get to speak with people from all walks of life and specialisms daily which keeps things interesting. Nando’s lunch is also a regular feature of a typical day!

What is your favourite part of the job?

The people! I have an amazing team around me that I can count on for to support and some inspiring leaders that help me to personally develop. I sit next to our Head of L&D, whose laugh is truly infectious and will always brighten my day.

And the worst?

Telling a candidate that they haven’t been successful. In recruitment, this is always a tough part of the job so at Alcumus, we always try to give constructive feedback where possible to help people with future interviews and their development.

What is your most memorable work moment?

There are so many that I could cite here, it’s been an exciting journey throughout however I think my proudest moment was when we found out that our newly formed recruitment team had been shortlisted for Best Newcomer (as well as two others) at the In-House Recruitment Awards. To be up there with some big-name organisations and celebrating our success is a huge achievement for the entire team and one that we have worked hard for! The winner is announced on November 28th at an event in London- keep your fingers crossed for us!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I am currently studying to become a chartered HR professional so after work currently consists of more work! Once completed however plan to go back to the gym and start doing charity work/ fundraising again. Mental health is close to my heart therefore I have raised money on a regular basis for CALM (Campaign against living miserably) and have recently applied to become a Samaritan listening volunteer in the New Year!

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself:

 I have a Genetics Degree and once sang on stage at Hyde Park in front of 30,000 people!

What’s next for Alcumus?

Alcumus will continue to grow and invest in our people with some exciting announcements in the New Year…watch this space.

To find out about opportunities with us, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
02920 852852 / [email protected]