What does a Business Director do?

Please tell us a bit about yourself

Hi, my name is Bilal Oussellam and I am currently the Business Director for temporary contact centre recruitment across Edinburgh. I have been working at Search for over ten years and even began my recruitment career here. Before this, I was working as a club promoter and ran my own breakdance company.

Why did you choose a career in recruitment?

After a successful dance career, I was looking to achieve more both from a development perspective and from a financial perspective. A few people in the market recommended recruitment and Search in particular was mentioned due to their investment in training new staff.

One of my main drivers was to make money. I wanted to work in an environment where my income reflected my efforts and Search’s bonus structure matched this.

You’ve been with Search for over ten years. What is it about us that has made you stay? 

The reason for staying so long is simple: it’s the people I work with, they really make the difference. My senior management team and I have a very honest and open relationship, which is essential in the recruitment industry.

What does a business director do, how has your role changed over the years and what does your new role entail?

My role started out as a billing consultant and while this is still fundamentally a large part of my role now, my remit has grown to be specialised in the field of contingency recruitment. Alongside this, I recruit for our team internally, train new staff, cross-sell our clientele and manage our temp budget and delivery. 

You’ve progressed from Business Partner to Business Director in the space of a year. What do you think has been the key to your success? 

Consistency, working hard with good habits, focus and not taking shortcuts.

What advice do you have for those wanting to climb the recruitment career ladder?

Build long-term relationships with clients, candidates and colleagues. Follow through on what you say and most importantly, when things go wrong, bounce back from your setbacks. This marks the difference between good recruiters and the best recruiters. 

A career in recruitment at Search

If you’re thinking of a career move contact our internal recruitment team for an informal discussion at [email protected].