We’re excited to introduce Alex Willshere, our newly appointed Director of Performance, Learning & Development at Oyster. Alex brings a wealth of experience and a passion for driving performance in the recruitment industry. Here’s a detailed look into his journey, reasons for joining Oyster, and what he looks forward to in his new role!
What has your career journey looked like so far?
I began my career in recruitment 14 years ago, initially drawn to the industry by the success of friends and encouragement from lecturers at university where I studied Business & Marketing. Over those years, I've worked at three different agencies, covered permanent and contract in both sales and sales leadership roles.
Just over three years ago, while with my previous agency, I identified that I felt a lot more satisfaction and fulfilment from seeing my team succeed - both collectively and on an individual basis - than I did my personal billings. Fortunately, I was offered an opportunity to transition into the L&D team which I helped build from its inception. Within the past three years, I have been focused on bringing together Talent Acquisition, HR, Operations & L&D to build people strategies for consultants and leaders at every stage of their career lifecycle.
At Oyster, this experience will enable us to elevate the level of service we provide to our candidates and clients through L&D while also driving performance, both collectively as a business and individually.
Why did you choose Oyster?
I first heard about Oyster a number of years ago and have always had a positive impression of the brand and its people. After 14 years in recruitment, that’s less common than it ought to be! When searching for a new challenge, it wasn’t about the size of the business or the markets they covered - it was about the people. At Oyster, I found they had a genuine passion for the industry and a commitment to doing things the right way, both morally and from a business perspective.
Everyone I met throughout the interview process confirmed for me that Oyster was the right fit. Their ambition, passion for people, and dedication to sustainable business practices aligned perfectly with my own values. I was particularly impressed by their focus on not just making money but truly caring about the people within the business and driving performance.
What is your new role here at Oyster?
As the Director of Performance, Learning & Development, my role is to enhance and align our performance strategy with the overall business strategy. This alignment will accelerate the company's performance and growth, helping us achieve our goals. On an individual level, I aim to support our leaders and consultants in driving their personal performance, ultimately contributing to their success and satisfaction.
Specifically, I’ll be:
- Building on and delivering our existing performance and L&D strategy and aligning that to the broader business strategy
- Ensuring that we have the right processes in place for leaders and consultants to perform at the top of their ability
- Supporting leaders and consultants in improving their personal performance, which includes improving the level of service they provide to clients and candidates, placing more candidates, earning more commission, and advancing their careers
- Creating a culture of continuous improvement and high performance
What are you most looking forward to at Oyster?
As well as delivering on all the above, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the talented team at Oyster. Their passion for the industry and commitment to doing things the right way makes for an inspiring work environment. Together, we’ll work on strategies that not only drive business success but also improve customer satisfaction and lead to individual growth and fulfilment.
We are so pleased to have Alex join the team and look forward to seeing the positive impact he will bring to Oyster. Welcome, Alex!