I love being in a loud office and sharing ideas, where people are constantly laughing and enjoy being with each other. Kea uses a different model to many other search firms, where we help each other find the right match between candidate and fund, and take the ego and personal gain out of the recruitment process. I find that spending time with my colleagues and bouncing ideas off each other is one of the most rewarding aspects of the role.
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Positive EnergyThis is the Kea value that speaks to me the most. Sometimes it’s the most difficult to embrace, but especially in those challenging moments it’s the one that is so crucial to follow.
Success as a headhunter
It’s having a genuine interest in other people and wanting to get to know them as well as possible; really listening to what someone is saying when you’ve asked them a question; enjoying the feeling of dealing with an unknown, and being happy to throw yourself into a challenge.
KEA
What made you join Kea?
EA
I joined Kea because the team who interviewed me painted an awesome picture of a fun bunch of people who collaborate on every project and help each other out whatever the situation. That’s been the case for the whole time I’ve been at Kea.
KEA
How has your career developed at Kea?
EA
I joined Kea 3 years ago as a Junior Researcher, working in the generalist pool to gather industry intel, develop strong relationships with candidates, and work with the Consultants at Kea on specific search mandates. I have now been a Consultant for a year, where I employ a tailored approach to find the right people for each individual opportunity. It was an enjoyable transition to make and still requires the same Researcher mindset I started out with, of learning on the job and from those around me.
KEA
What's your edge?
EA
I have developed a specialism within Kea, splitting my time between Hedge Fund and Private Equity mandates, and together with a few other colleagues focus on building out our public market coverage. Roles within Hedge Funds can be unique and specific, and to hire for them requires cultivating a strong network and understanding what the candidate is truly looking for – an approach which works just as well for Private Equity.
Day-to-day
I spend the majority of my time working with funds and speaking with candidates, to match the right people together. There’s a lot of process work that goes on behind the scenes which takes up a certain amount of the day, and I speak with all of the Kea team members to try and identify any gaps in our coverage or ways we can be doing things better. Otherwise, I’m out meeting people and learning more about the industry.
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I did a lot of singing in choirs and groups before coming to Kea,which is all about being around people and getting the best out of them. In some ways it’s pretty similar to search. Otherwise I play tennis and am generally running around in some form of sport.