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Evie Irons: Behind the Desk

In our latest Behind the Desk feature, we sit down with Evie Irons. Evie recently joined Sharp Consultancy as a Consultant within our Leeds office, working as part of our Transactional Temps team.Having made the move into recruitment, Evie brings a strong commercial foundation and a genuine passion for building relationships to her work supporting temporary finance professionals across Leeds.In this edition of Behind the Desk, we spend some time getting to know Evie - exploring her journey into recruitment, the lessons she's learned so far, and the perspective she brings to supporting finance professionals.Getting to Know Evie: Background and InspirationEvie's path into recruitment started with a degree in Business Management and Marketing, chosen because she wanted to understand how businesses operate and how they build relationships with customers. It was during her time at university that the people-focused side of business really caught her attention, and she began looking for a career that let her combine commercial thinking with building genuine relationships. Finance and accountancy recruitment stood out for exactly that reason. "These roles are critical to every organisation, and the market is fast-paced and constantly evolving," she explains. "I enjoy learning about different businesses, understanding their hiring needs, and matching them with candidates."Starting a new career can be a big step, and Evie admits the industry has surprised her in a few ways. She expected recruitment to be mainly about filling vacancies, but has come to learn it's really about building trust, with both clients and candidates. The pace has been another eye-opener; priorities can shift quickly, and adapting to that has pushed her to become far more organised and flexible than she might have expected going in.Industry Perspective: Lessons and Approaches in RecruitmentAsk Evie what she's found most rewarding so far, and it comes back to people. Working with graduates, much like herself, and helping them land roles that genuinely fit has been a particular highlight. "Starting your career can be challenging, so it's great to support people through that process and help them take the next step." The same goes for clients, understanding what they're looking for and finding the right person for their team, knowing that a good match makes a real difference on both sides.The reality of recruitmentIt's also given her a clearer view of what recruitment actually involves. A common misconception, she says, is that the job is just matching CVs to vacancies. In reality it's about building relationships, understanding what both candidates and clients truly want, and finding a fit that lasts, while supporting candidates through a process that can otherwise feel stressful.When it comes to what makes someone stand out in transactional finance, Evie points to reliability, attention to detail, and strong organisational skills, alongside good communication, since the role means working across different teams and managing expectations. A positive attitude, adaptability, and a genuine willingness to learn round it out, qualities she believes matter even more for candidates early in their careers.Where the market is heading?Being at the start of her recruitment career has also given Evie a sharp read on today's job market, and competition is the word that comes up most. Candidates need to stand out through the right skills, a positive attitude, and a genuine willingness to learn, and she's noticed employers increasingly looking beyond experience alone, valuing adaptability and potential to grow within a role.She's equally clear on what candidates value most from a recruiter: honesty, communication, and a sense of being genuinely supported throughout. For Evie, that means taking the time to understand what someone is really looking for and offering guidance, rather than simply putting them forward for any available role. Trust and keeping people updated, she says, make all the difference.If she could change one thing about the hiring process, it would be communication and feedback. Candidates are too often left unsure of where they stand, and clearer updates throughout would make the experience better for everyone involved.Beyond the Desk: Life Outside WorkOutside of work, Evie makes time for the people and places that matter to her. She's originally from near the Peak District and loves getting out for walks there whenever she can, alongside catching up with friends and family and the odd spot of shopping. Her free time has recently gained a new focus too, in the form of a puppy she's spending plenty of walks and quality time with.Given the choice of anywhere in the world, Evie would book a flight to New York without hesitation, drawn by the atmosphere, the landmarks, and everything there is to see and do, from Central Park and Times Square to the food, shopping, and culture the city is known for.Closer to home, the one thing she always makes time for is her friends and family, whether that's a catch-up, a walk, or simply relaxing together. It's her way of switching off and keeping a healthy balance outside of work. Since joining the business, Evie has brought energy, curiosity, and a genuine care for candidates to the team. Her people-first approach and eagerness to learn make her a valuable addition to the Leeds office.We're pleased to welcome Evie to the team and look forward to seeing her desk continue to grow in the months ahead.--At Sharp Consultancy, we're committed to giving our people the support and platform they need to build a rewarding career. If this sounds like the kind of path you'd like for yourself, take a look at our Careers page to find out more.

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Attracting top senior finance talent is a challenge faced regularly by every organisation and for SMEs and owner managed businesses, it is vital that they recognise and understand the particular nuances of the market place – and what they can do - in order to successfully secure the right individual that will make valuable contributions to their operations.

When making a move from professional practice – or when considering their next move in industry –– many candidates are attracted by the distinctive opportunity this career step offers them to play an influential role in shaping the direction of the business and utilise and develop their technical skills, knowledge, leadership qualities and management style to support an operation’s overall strategy.

There are however, some common pitfalls which small and medium sized enterprises find themselves coming up against; and whilst many niche operations are strong, well established performers within their specialist sectors, outside of their particular industry circles, their standing may be relatively unknown. Without an instantly recognisable brand that’s on a par with the major national and regional players, it is essential that every possible step is taken to ensure that the cream of the finance crop want to seize the opportunity to come on board.

Develop a clear – and realistic - job description

It is very much understood that within SMEs there will be a requirement for individuals – particularly at a senior level – to wear different hats and to undertake duties and responsibilities outside of their core job role. It is therefore not uncommon to find that the job performed by a finance manager at one operation will vary from that of their peers even within businesses of a similar size or within the same sector. Whilst there is the temptation for business owners to try and get as much bang for your buck, it is vital not to over stretch roles and expect one person to do too much. In order to attract the right calibre of individual, ensure that there is an attractive job description which demonstrates real clarity as to what the core function and requirements of the role will be.

Understand the aspirations of the business

Successful recruitment depends on a clear alignment between the aspirations and objectives of a business and how by contributing towards their achievement, employees can attain their own personal career goals. There must be a synergy between both, particularly if the progression path is not immediately obvious in terms of a traditional route for promotion. By developing and discussing as part of the recruitment process, sensible – yet inspirational and challenging – aspirations for the business, you will be able to identify those candidates that share similar goals and ambitions and are hungry to play their part.

Understand what the key priorities and objectives are for the role

Having a clear focus on the immediate priorities of the role will ensure that during the recruitment and interview process, the emphasis will be firmly upon identifying the candidates best placed to deliver and achieve against these. For example, if the main reason for bringing somebody on board will be to drive forward a certain short to medium term project that requires a particular skill set, the priority must be to assess which candidates can deliver this for the business. In doing so, it is important to be open minded to the possibility – and not consider it a failure - that they may not necessarily see this as being a job for life and, after two or three years when they have successfully delivered the function that they were primarily recruited to achieve, may choose to move on.

Build a strong social and online business media profile

The wealth of social and online media platforms provide continual opportunities for potential candidates to learn more and come into contact with a business way before they may even consider a role with the company. Whilst smaller organisations may not have a dedicated marketing department or the resources that larger corporate businesses have at their disposal, ensuring a proactive and positive presence across influential sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter and keeping a watchful eye on review sites such as Glassdoor is key to attracting high calibre candidates.

Consider the interview process

The interview process should be thorough and designed to challenge potential candidates however it is not necessarily the case that the ‘toughest’ interviews will see the best person rise to top. It is important to remember that an interview is very much a two-way process and it is as much about someone establishing if they wish to join the business as it is about identifying the right person for the role - at a senior level, candidates will want to know that there are opportunities available to bring value to the operation.

Ensure the interview process is engaging by carefully considering the style and format of the interviews and who is best placed to conduct these in order to establish the right person – and, whilst at this level it is essential that there is a strong rapport with the business owner, skills gaps that could affect a candidate’s ability to perform the role should not be overlooked because they are the most likeable.

Time is of the essence

Be sure to keep the recruitment process moving at a timely pace and don’t allow your preferred candidate to slip through your fingers; good, strong candidates will get snapped up quickly so ensure you don’t miss out by delaying making an offer whilst you wait to see if someone else will come along.

Be creative and flexible with salary and benefit packages

A competitive salary will always be important when looking to attract the top candidates but it is worth giving additional thought to the growing influence of softer benefits on a person’s decision when weighing up a job offer. Businesses that can be creative and tailor reward packages – such as offering the opportunity to buy additional holiday, provision of flexible working, discounted gym memberships – will be in a stronger position to attract the best candidates by introducing incentives that matter to them.

See the recruitment process as an investment

Making the wrong choice on who to employ can result in a significant cost to the business which will far outweigh any financial ‘saving’ made from not engaging a suitable recruitment partner from the outset. To increase the chances of longer term success, recruiting talented individuals must be seen as an investment worth making with true value attached to their ability to guide a business through and drive the process forward. Business owners must also take into account the cost of their own time – which will be taken away from running their business - which will need to be dedicated to each step of the process including perusing CVs, deciding which candidates to take forward to interview, analysing each person’s strengths and weaknesses, all of which can be hugely time consuming. Going it alone and utilising job boards will scratch the surface of who is looking at that particular point in time but this doesn’t allow for being able to reach into the market and access an established network of contacts to identify potentially ideal candidates that are not actively looking.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment and executive search of finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for temporary, interim and permanent roles across the full spectrum of positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today and speak to a member of our team about your recruitment needs or next career move.