Meet the Team

Next up in our ‘Meet the Team’ series is Head of Interim, Richard Bruce. Richard is passionate about building relationships and has over 20 years of experience in business development. Richard’s focus is on growing and developing our temporary and contract division across the Central Belt of Scotland. Since joining he has instantly fit right into the iMultiply family! Recently he shared with us what his proudest professional achievement is and his tips for candidates on how to get to know a company’s culture in the interview process.

What area of the market do you specialise in?

As Head of Interim at iMultiply, I specialise in recruiting for temporary and contract positions across the Central Belt. The so-called ‘gig economy’ and the rise of ‘agile working’ means that more and more professionals are looking at interim work as a long-term career choice rather than just out of necessity as it used to be.

What 3 things do you enjoy most about what you do? 

Building Relationships – This sounds like a cliche but I LOVE it.   I’m naturally inquisitive (nosey) and love nothing more than getting to know all about my customers. The journey they are on, their strategic focus, short to medium term goals and very importantly, their current challenges. In understanding the challenges, I can help present solutions and in doing so, build trust and develop a long-term relationship. In over 20 years in business development, I have learnt that building long-lasting relationships is the hardest but most rewarding part of my role.

Working at Pace – I get a real buzz from an environment that moves quickly. The interim accountancy & finance market moves at incredible speed with the best talent being snapped up quickly. Preparing for this by getting to know my candidates in great detail (back to me being nosey!) is what I enjoy, so when I am recruiting at the pace I know which candidates to represent and why.

Teamwork – The world of business development can be incredibly lonely if you are left to attack things on your own.  The main thing that strikes me since joining iMulitply is the collaboration and team spirit.  We have a diverse group however as a team, we are formidable.  Always looking out for each other, sharing best practice, aiming to get on the same page and working towards a common goal.  That’s really powerful but I also know that this is not an accident.  Everyone is committed to the culture. It’s exactly the right environment for me.

Tell us about your proudest professional achievement.

I have had varied success over the years that I’m extremely proud of, but they mainly came at the cost of having to sacrifice my family life.  Working stupidly long hours and missing out on family time was the cost of being a top performer. Nearly two years ago I decided it had to change and I took a role in a new sector with products and services I knew nothing about (talk about terrifying!).  I was wildly out of my comfort zone, but I was working for a leader who valued life and not just work. She knew that to get the best out of me professionally there had to be balance.  I was pushed to do great things at work but also to get the balance right at home. This is my proudest achievement – realising that…. you can have your cake and eat it!  Happy Worker + Happy Family = A Very Happy Life!

What advice would you give to people looking for a new role?

For me when you are looking for a new role, it is very much about the relationship you have with your hiring manager and your new team as well as the company you choose to work for.  Be sure to ask lots of questions about the company, but more importantly, ask about the culture and the team environment.  Ask for examples of how they have brought this to life and ask to speak to others in the team.  Ensure you feel it is a fit from your perspective as well as from theirs.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love spending time with my very patient and understanding wife Lynn and my kids. Lily is 13 and Adam is 11.  I’m also extremely passionate about grassroots football. Alongside three close friends we launched and run a new youth football team – AFC Motherwell.  I love coaching and seeing the development in the players, we’ve also won some great games of football which always helps! 

We are a values-led organisation with customer experience at the heart of everything we do. Which of our values resonates most with you and why? 

Inclusion – working collaboratively as a team has always been really important to me.  I’m a natural relationship builder and so this is where I do best.  Teamwork is easy to talk about but it takes real commitment to create an environment where everyone is treated equally and listened to.  A team with a real identity, with clear goals and values, can achieve great things.  I’m really proud to be part of that at iMultiply.