by Azar Ullah, Head of Recruitment
Today, I want to tell you about my career and my current role at MacIntyre as Head of Recruitment.
My professional background before joining MacIntyre was as a Branch Manager at a local recruitment agency. My focus was on sourcing top-notch talent for our clients and ensuring they found the perfect fit for their teams. I loved matching skills, personalities, and values, but after a while I began thinking about a new challenge, and saw an advert for MacIntyre.
First impressions
One of the things that impressed me most from the beginning was the involvement of people who draw on our support in the interview process. It was completely new to me that someone with a learning disability would be involved in interviewing senior staff, but it made immediate sense, and left a lasting impression that MacIntyre really does practice what it preaches.
Joining MacIntyre in 2022 opened my eyes to the way in which people with a learning disability, and Autistic people, can be supported to live gloriously ordinary lives, with an emphasis on everyone being a valuable part of their local communities.
Unusual teamwork
MacIntyre takes a slightly unusual approach to recruitment. We have two teams working in close connection:
- A central team which works in partnership with hiring managers around the organisation, taking briefs, writing adverts, connecting with candidates and following through once offers have been made.
- A field-based team which works within local communities, making connections and bringing people together, publicising what MacIntyre does and the opportunities for employment, volunteering and getting involved.
It’s a great pleasure and privilege to lead these amazing teams.
Mental health advocacy and EDI
Parallel to my professional career, I’ve been involved in mental health advocacy. We live in stressful times and it’s important to recognise that we all need extra support sometimes. A lot of great work is being done to break down the stigma that problems with mental health are somehow shameful.
Hand in hand with this goes my interest in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. I am pleased to be a member of MacIntyre’s Diversity Advisory Group, working in partnership with our senior leadership team to ensure we continue being an inclusive organisation for our staff and the people we support.
Making a difference
At MacIntyre, we’re intent on creating a positive impact in our workplaces and in our communities, and I’m so glad to be here in my role as Head of Recruitment.
Together, our teams are making a difference – one new staff member at a time.
