One Year @ W&A: "Yes Gran, my new job is still finding other people new jobs"

 3rd Dec 2025

Back in February, when I walked into W&A for my first day, I was mostly just hoping I had made the right call. New desk, new team, uncertain market. Starting somewhere new is nerve-racking no matter how long you have been doing the job.

What struck me almost immediately was how normal it all felt. Not boring-normal, but "these are my people" normal. The welcome was genuinely warm and there was a clear sense I had been brought in for a reason. I felt like I belonged and I felt valued, which you can never take for granted in any move.

Getting up to speed

That made it much easier to get moving quickly.

The team helped me hit the ground running, sharing context, contacts, live roles and how we like to do things at W&A. Within a short space of time I was making an impact, but just as importantly, I was learning.

I have been fortunate to work in some good recruitment businesses before joining W&A, and you naturally pick up different ways of doing things. What stood out here was how open the team has been to both sharing their approach and asking about mine. There has been a genuine "best of both" mindset.

We have a strong focus on rigour around candidate and client experience, which has helped me raise my own bar. At the same time, colleagues have been quick to implement ideas where they add value. It has felt less like fitting into a fixed mould and more like growing together.

A challenging backdrop

Of course, all of this has been happening against a Scottish recruitment market that has not been straightforward.

Economic uncertainty, political noise, wars, geopolitical tension and a lot of chatter about AI and what it means for jobs – some of it thoughtful, some of it scaremongering.

Despite that, it has been a strong year. Quality finance professionals are still in demand, but clients are choosier about who they hire and which recruiters they partner with. Conversations feel more considered. Processes are more thorough. Expectations on us are higher, which I actually see as a positive.

This is where our positioning really shows. We are specialist enough to be credible, small enough to stay agile and experienced enough to be honest with the market. That has allowed me to grow my desk, support some brilliant businesses and candidates and still feel optimistic about what is ahead, even when the headlines suggest otherwise.

Working together

One thing I have really appreciated is how naturally we collaborate.

It would be easy for desks to become territorial by sector, level or region. Instead, we genuinely approach things with a "how do we solve this together?" mindset. We share candidates, swap market insight and sense check each other's ideas. We are all pulling in the same direction.

You can see that in how we have supported clients with multiple hires across different parts of their finance teams and in how quickly I have been able to build momentum personally. Any success I have had this year has been very clearly a team effort, and that is a big part of why the year has felt so positive.

Finding my voice

Outside the day job, it has been a year where I have tried to show a bit more of myself in the market.

A couple of pieces of content under my own brand travelled much further than I expected. Typically, it was the ones half written on a Sunday night that seemed to take off. It has been a good reminder that people connect with honesty, not brochure-speak. Being open about the realities of job moves, transparency around things like parental leave policies and what candidates actually care about has resonated. It has helped build trust before conversations even start and raised our profile in the process.

Speaking at an event recently was another step. Standing up in front of a room full of HR professionals pushed me out of my comfort zone. It is something I would like to build on in the year ahead.

Switching off

And yes, I did manage another trip to Mexico.

I make no secret of the fact I love the place. The people, the weather, the food, the culture, the sense of adventure. The time difference helps too – there is something healthy about being slightly out of reach during UK working hours. Mexico will always hold a special place in my heart because of the people I have met there and the perspective it has given me when I have needed it most. Plus, I got to go with my wee sis this time, which made it extra special.

What's next for the market and recruitment

Looking ahead, I think the initial panic around AI has mostly calmed down. We are moving from "robots will take our jobs" to "how do we integrate this into our jobs?". For finance teams, that means more emphasis on data literacy, commercial decision making, communication and being comfortable with technology.

The concern I am seeing now is around graduate and early career intake. When uncertainty hits, it is often the junior end that gets squeezed first. On paper that looks like a saving. In reality, it risks weakening the pipeline of talent coming through into newly qualified and manager level roles over the next few years.

For us in recruitment, and for our clients, that raises important questions. Where will the next wave of finance talent come from? What will their route look like if it is not the traditional path? How do we assess potential in a way that matches what modern finance teams actually need, not just what has always been written in a job description?

I can see us playing a growing role in helping answer those questions – not just filling vacancies, but advising on talent strategy, succession and the skills mix needed for the future.

Things done changed

I have been quite open that the year before I joined W&A was difficult. Personally and professionally, it forced me to take a hard look at what I wanted, what I valued and where I wanted to put my energy.

This year has been about recentring myself in all of that. Remembering what I can offer to candidates and clients, and backing myself to go out and deliver it. I know I can add value and I have seen that play out in the conversations, processes and relationships we have built.

It has also been about keeping life a bit simpler. Doing the basics well, exploring my potential and continuing the slightly uncomfortable work of figuring out who I am as a person. Alongside that, I have enjoyed being more creative, challenging a few norms and looking for better ways of doing things, both for W&A and for the people we work with.

Year two

The top of one mountain is the bottom of another.

There will be challenges ahead. Markets will shift, technology will evolve and politics will carry on doing what it does. But there is still a huge amount of opportunity for people and businesses who are willing to adapt, stay curious and keep doing the basics well.

For me that means listening properly, giving honest advice, challenging when it is needed and doing right by people. The same things that got me here, just applied to whatever comes next.

I am genuinely grateful for the welcome I have had at W&A, for the trust and autonomy I have been given and for the chance to contribute to something I believe in. As we go into the new financial year, I feel ready for the next climb.

I am excited to see what we can build together in 2026.

“Hope that clears things up a bit for you, Gran?”