Meet Gemma Baxter, Athona’s Executive Recruitment Consultant for our Nursing division. We spoke with Gemma to gain a deeper insight into her role and responsibilities, benefits of working with an agency and advice for others wanting to start out in recruitment! Keep on reading to find out more information on Gemma.
What were you doing before joining Athona?
I have worked in recruitment for a number of years now and prior to joining Athona in 2018, I worked for another medical recruitment agency. In that role, I specialised in recruiting emergency medicine doctors and managing a number of SLA (service level agreements) contracts throughout London.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
Building relationships with candidates is definitely where I find the most enjoyment in my job. There’s nothing better than recruiting a mental health nurse and succeeding in supporting them with finding the perfect job and with the hours that suits their lifestyle best!
What inspires you most about your candidates?
Working alongside so many mental health healthcare professionals, I’m inspired every day by how dedicated and caring they are to their patients. In addition to this, I am amazed by the commitment and flexibility shown by mental health nurses, despite the current staff shortages in the NHS.
Why did you want to become a Recruitment Consultant for nurses?
Having recruited doctors for 10 years, I decided that I wanted to challenge myself with learning a new field and try recruiting within a different healthcare sector.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome working in recruitment?
The most challenging time for me was definitely recruiting through the Coronavirus pandemic! From adapting to working from home, to supporting candidates who continued to work through a very scary and difficult time – it was definitely a big challenge and change to adjust to,
What would you describe are the best benefits of working with an agency?
One of the best benefits of working with an agency is, having the flexibility to pick and choose when and where you want to work, which therefore creates a positive work/life balance.
Do you have any tips for anyone wanting to work in recruitment?
Organisation and the ability to build strong and positive relationships is key! You must be passionate and knowledgeable about what you do and always go the extra mile to support your candidates – candidates are the key to your success in recruitment!
Are you currently looking for your next role in mental health nursing? Get in touch with Gemma today to begin your journey into your dream role!
T: 01277 286001
