Employee case study:
Danielle Twiss

When you joined Sellick Partnership did you have any long-term career goals, or know that you would want to move into a sales role?  

Not when I first joined! I had decided that my university course wasn't right for me and took a leap of faith joining Sellick Partnership, but it was only after joining I began to consider my long-term career prospects. 

How did the opportunity to transition to a Resourcing Consultant role begin?  

I had been working on reception for close to two years and really enjoyed it, but I was ready to progress. I initially spoke with my Team Leader during one of our regular one-to-ones as I didn’t know what was available to me. She suggested I speak to Simon Briffa, who later informed me of vacancies arising in the Legal sales team. 

I had heard about people moving within the business and decided to just air how I felt. I’d been thinking about it for a while and had been taking on more responsibility within my role, and wanted this progression to continue.  

Simon told me about the Legal In-House team that had recently launched, he asked whether I’d like to interview for the role and offered me tips and advice, just as he would to any external candidates. I then met Chelsey Saxon in a café away from the office, and following this I had my formal interview with Laura Hayward.  

It was really interesting (and important) to see that I went through the same process as an employee that I went through when I applied for the Reception role in 2021 – this showed me that regardless of whether you’re an internal or external candidate you are dealt with the same.  

What inspired you to move into recruitment, and how did the company support you in making that change? 

Seeing first-hand from colleagues how exciting the world of recruitment can be, but knowing that it’s an industry where hard work pays off. I thoroughly enjoyed working as a member of the fantastic Reception Team, however I wanted to challenge myself in a new field. I also had somewhat of a legal background, so I knew I already had some knowledge of the sector that I could utilise.  

In addition to this, I really understood the company – I’d worked on Reception for a couple of years so I knew different references and terminology. This was crucial in helping me hit the ground running.   

When it came to support, Simon provided lots of useful information for interviews, and my colleagues were encouraging. I was given great feedback as well which allowed me to develop my interview skills. 

What was it like to join a newly established team/specialism?  

Exciting! As the team was new, no two days were (and still are!) the same, as we deal with so many different areas of law. I had to learn quickly; luckily, my team was incredibly supportive and happy to go into detail with any queries I had. 

The first few months were mainly helping the team find new clients to map out, getting clients’ details and a lot of candidate registrations. On top of this, I did a lot of work collating what candidates we had for different areas.  

I was there to allow the team to focus on the roles we had on and, as a newly established specialism, I can see now that this was invaluable.  

What challenges did you face while transitioning into recruitment, and how did the team help you overcome them? 

Something I struggled with at the start was saying no to people. Coming from a customer service background, the customer is always right. But in recruitment, you need to be able to inform candidates if they are not right for the role, or if they are unsuccessful. It is also necessary – and a big part of our job – to be consultative with clients at times, to provide the best service. For example, if I speak to a client about salary vs skills, I have to help them to be realistic.  

My team are always on hand to assist me in finding the best ways to tackle sensitive situations. Finally, being honest whilst also ensuring you are empathetic is an important skill to develop in this industry. 

Did you have any training/mentorship during those first few months? Has this continued?  

My Manager, Chelsey, and my colleague, Zac, initially provided training on recruitment from start to finish, so I could correctly register candidates, prepare them for interviews, and receive and provide interview feedback and offers.  

I then started attending Module Training provided by other experienced colleagues at Sellick Partnership, which furthered my knowledge and provided some useful additional tips and tricks. The Module Training is delivered by Consultants from different specialisms across the business, so you get a real variety of experiences and knowledge.  

I also have monthly reviews with my Manager which ensures I am on track and have new targets to work towards, continuing my development. SP provides training to its employees at all levels of experience which I feel highlights how attentive they are in ensuring development is continued throughout your career here. 

Can you share any standout moments or achievements in the Legal In-house team to date? 

During the summer of 2024, I had to take on a new client vacancy on my own while my team were on annual leave. It was my first time dealing with the client side from start to finish, as this is limited when you are a Resourcing Consultant.  

I only had a couple of days to source multiple candidates and organise interviews, whilst juggling other roles simultaneously, but I successfully scheduled three interviews – one of which proceeded to the final stage.  

This candidate ended up getting the role! In fact, the client liked them so much that they decided to take them on permanently. I was really pleased to facilitate this on my own and loved the fact that the client and candidate were still happy months later! 

Afterwards, I was nominated for Sellick Partnership’s quarterly star initiative by Group Director Laura Hayward which was a lovely surprise. It was maybe the highlight of my year because it’s more than the prize, it’s your colleagues recognising the hard work  you’ve put in as well.  

You were promoted after just 11 months, how did this come about?  

Sellick Partnership was very clear from the start about career progression and when I could expect to be promoted, provided I hit my targets. My Manager created quarterly and monthly objectives to keep me on track; I am very target-driven naturally, and I ensured I continued to hit my objectives leading to promotion.  

How did your role change after promotion?  

Being a Recruitment Consultant means I have my own clientele and area of law within the in-house specialism. I specialise in the Private Client, and Wealth and Asset Management sectors in-house, though I do work across other areas from time to time. I also work more closely with clients, which is something I built towards during my time as a Resourcing Consultant. 

As a Resourcing  Consultant you predominantly work on one side of the process (the candidate side), I would see them through to the offer and accepting stage/s, but I would only email clients from time to time. Now I do the entire process, dealing fully with the clients from start to finish. 

How would you describe the culture at Sellick Partnership, and how has it impacted your journey? 

The culture at SP is one of the key reasons I have worked here for so long! My colleagues are incredibly supportive across the board, and everyone is happy to give great advice and work together to achieve the best outcomes. 

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at Sellick Partnership? 

Be friendly and positive, as there are a lot of ups and downs in recruitment! Being a go-getter and having the ability to move on from setbacks is also key. You have candidates that don’t get the role and you just have to carry on. You’re dealing with people and people have real lives.  

What are your career goals moving forward, and how do you feel Sellick Partnership will support you in achieving them? 

I am looking forward to progressing with my recruitment career and would like to be able to mentor once I have attained enough knowledge! Alongside this, I am interested in supporting more charity work going forward, which is something Sellick Partnership takes pride in. 

Last year, I was able to volunteer at Mustard Tree with a number of my colleagues using my CSR day which is provided by the business. We all spent the day supporting the charity which works to combat poverty and prevent homelessness.  

What lessons have you learned from your journey that you’d share with others looking to progress their careers? 

Don't be afraid to get stuck in – afterall, when you are thrown into the deep end you learn the most! If you’re unsure on something, ask for advice and take it on board. Finally, persistence is key – we’re a new team and things happen, you get setbacks, or clients don’t need assistance but it’s continuing on and not being afraid to carry on asking.