Russell Biggs – Team Leader
If you’re ambitious and keen to learn come and join us.
When Russell was approached about a role at Penta he wasn’t looking for a new job, however he was ready for a new challenge. With five years sales experience in banking and property, Russell knew what he was looking for in his next role and was immediately impressed by Penta and the way the company develops employees.
As he explains: “I knew I would be able to transfer some of the skills I was using as an estate agent but I didn’t know anything about recruitment, so there was, and still is, a lot to learn. I’ve received really good training and the fact that I am working alongside some of the best people in our industry means that I am learning from them every minute of the day which is fantastic.
There’s no denying you are expected to work hard at Penta but the recognition and rewards are there if you are successful. It really helped that I had my first offer after just two weeks and did my first deal within my first month and I am very pleased to say my success has continued. I’ve been at Penta for two years and thanks to the commission I am earning I can afford to go on fabulous holidays. We also have brilliant overseas incentive trips and I’ve been to Cyprus and Dubai and they were both out of this world.”
Russell feels that to do well and to be a top performer at Penta you need to be ambitious, keen to learn and passionate about what you do because delivering great customer service is what it’s all about.
Aminesh Patel – Managed Services Account Director
Penta recognises and rewards performance.
Aminesh joined Penta in 2003 having cut his teeth in sales at the Carphone Warehouse. Despite not having any recruitment experience Aminesh excelled as a consultant in the international teleco division and over the past nine years has seen his career rise dramatically.
As he explains: “Penta’s very comprehensive approach to training and development along with the company’s commitment to the value of mentoring and coaching meant that I got a fantastic start to my recruitment career. It was hard work and there was a lot to learn and I had to build up my business from scratch but in the first year I exceeded my financial and business targets. This was a great boost to my confidence and meant that I earned very well from the start.
Penta is a company which recognises and rewards performance and after a couple of years I was promoted to Senior Consultant with the opportunity to begin building up a team around me. My next big break was moving into account management with responsibility for a very large international telecoms vendor and eighteen months later I was tasked with setting up and running our managed services division. Currently I have project teams located across five countries delivering global technical remote services which is a huge challenge but one that I relish.
In 2008 I was invited to become a shareholder in recognition of the contribution I have made to the company and that for me was fantastic acknowledgement from the senior team. Being a shareholder means that I benefit directly from the company’s success and I find that hugely motivating. Yes, it’s hard work, the hours are long but the people I work with are brilliant and it’s a great working environment. And of course the rewards are excellent and by realising my earning potential it enables me and my family to enjoy a high standard of living. I think the key to succeeding at Penta is confidence, ambition and a drive to succeed.”
Simon Boxall – Recruitment Consultant
The people I work with are inspiring and passionate.
“I got a really good vibe when I went into Penta for the first time. There was such a buzz on the sales floor and I was very impressed with the people I met. Even though I didn’t have any previous recruitment experience I did two deals in my first six weeks so I must have done something right.
Immediately prior to joining Penta Simon had spent eight months travelling round the world which he says was a ‘trip of a lifetime’. Before that he worked for Toyota for two and a half years where he says he learnt his sales and communication skills.
“I heard about the opportunity at Penta from a friend of mine who works here and he spoke highly about the company. It’s been hard work learning all about recruitment but the training and support from everyone in my team has been fantastic. I know I can ask anyone for help or advice and the people I work with are inspiring and passionate about doing their best.
I enjoy coming to work, there is a really good social side to Penta too, so it’s not all work and no play, and I am excited and proud to be part of the business.”
Phil Hunter – Team Leader
I might have fallen into recruitment but I’ve made it my business to develop my career with Penta.
Phil joined Penta in 2004 with an IT degree
but says he never considered recruitment as a career option. “It’s just not on the agenda at university which is a real shame as it means people are missing out.
When I joined, the IT market was very buoyant, but it was still a challenge to learn how to build up business and get to know the right contractors but the training was excellent. Not only that, but I benefited from having a great mentor – it’s brilliant being able to listen and observe people who’ve been doing the job successfully for some time as you can pick up all sorts of hints and tips that don’t come up in training.”
Phil’s career has taken off and he became a senior consultant three and a half years ago with a remit to develop new market sectors. “My initial five year plan was to stay and build my recruitment career with Penta and now I’m on my next one because the company is still a dynamic place to work with exciting plans in the pipeline for its development. I was recently invited to become a shareholder which is great recognition for the contribution I have made and it’s very motivating to have a stake in the company. Not only that but we all get on really well, the management team is very hands on and will help you all they can and I am now mentoring a new member of staff passing on what I have learnt.”
Ian O’Neill – MIRP CertRP – Head of Major Accounts
The future’s mobile, the future’s Penta and that’s where I want to be.
When experienced recruitment manager Ian O’Neill reviewed his career options two years ago he found Penta a compelling choice. Not only had the
company managed to increase its profitability
despite difficult trading conditions, but he was very impressed by the focus and energy on the sales floor.
As he explains: “I’ve got 12 years’ experience in this industry now, so I know a good recruitment company when I see one. I already knew people working at Penta and over the past few years, I have watched the company grow and mature into one of the most successful technical staffing companies in the industry and I was intrigued to find out what might be on offer for someone with my experience.
Amongst Penta’s many awards and accolades is the Queen’s Award for International Enterprise, this (and the fact that they were then ranked as the 14th Best SME to work for in the UK by The Sunday Times now 13th), really impressed me, and I was keen to see what life was really like on the inside. From the moment I walked through the door I felt a real sense of focus and purpose, and the constant success of the company provides exciting career opportunities for everyone. These factors made the opportunity a pretty convincing proposition.
I like the fact that Penta delivers on its promises both to its staff and to its customers. It is rare in this industry, to be able to recruit and retain experienced recruiters, and I still find it amazing, yet reassuring, that in the team of eight people that immediately surround me, there is in excess of 100yrs recruitment experience!
For me the timing is great. Not only has Penta offered me a fantastic opportunity to use all my skills and experience to move my career forward and earn a great package but Penta is at a very significant point of its own development and I’m looking forward to playing my part in its future.”
Karen Eels – Contracts Administrator
Penta offers me a great work life balance
Karen first joined Penta in January 2000
as Contracts Administrator but was soon promoted to Contracts Manager thanks to her natural abilities and Penta’s training programme. She soon became a key member of the Penta support team so it was with some dismay that her colleagues wished her well in November 2001 as she started her maternity leave. Karen decided to extend this leave and didn’t return to Penta until March 2003 when she opted for a part-time role.
As she explains, “I was really pleased to come back to Penta but knew that I wouldn’t be able to be Contracts Manager on a part-time basis as the company had doubled in size and it was a much bigger job. So I went back to being Contracts Administrator which worked really well for me until I had my second baby in the Summer of 2006. This time I just took my nine months maternity leave and came back in March 2007.
It’s always a challenge getting back into the swing of work after a baby but I love it here and what makes this such a great job for me is not only can I work part time but I can be flexible with my days so I can it in with my husband’s commitments and we can share the childcare which is the icing on the cake.”
Tony Howell – Account Manager
Penta is all about dedication, passion and honesty
Tony Howell joined Penta in 2005 through a personal recommendation. With no previous experience of recruitment his first two weeks on Penta’s training desk was a huge wake up call. As he explains, “the first two weeks were quite a learning curve as Penta has a very structured learning programme, but it was good for me, as for the first time in my life I felt like I had a career rather than just a ‘day job’. It also helped that I did my first deal at the end of my first fortnight so that really encouraged me.
The great thing about working for Penta is that it is so varied with different global locations and new technologies which is great for personal development and for understanding the market you are working in. Penta provides you with the skills and knowledge to run fully compliant business on a global basis. I began working on voice and data but for the last three years have been more focused towards the mobile sector with Ericsson which is proving to be a fantastic opportunity for me.
The key to success for me has been all about watching and listening to the people I work with, particularly those who have proven success. But it’s not just about listening it’s about putting new ideas and methods into practice and never being too proud to ask if you aren’t sure because there is always someone on hand who can help. Penta treat its entire staff as the individuals that they are which means that they care about you and you count.
Through the years I can honestly say that working in telecoms is like being part of a family, the team pulls it off every time even if it means working 24 hours to do so. Over the years I have made a lot of very good friends within my team.
People often ask about targets and whether they are impossible to reach and my answer is that at Penta we aim high which means we achieve good results, and to be successful you have to set high standards. If I had to sum up three key qualities to be successful at Penta I would say dedication, passion and honesty.”
Danielle Weston – Management Accountant
The social life and overseas incentive trips are fantastic
Danielle started her working life in retail
in Wallington but with a flair and interest in
finance she began a part-time accounting course. Keen to use her new skills she decided to look for another job and on the recommendation of a friend sent her CV into Penta.
As she explains: “I was already working in Wallington so Penta’s location was ideal for me and I was thrilled to join such a key local business and be offered a role in the accounts department as the Timesheets Administrator. I’d never worked in such a big office – there are 80 of us here – so it was a bit overwhelming to start with but from the word go I was made so welcome and I soon felt that I’d been here for ever.
My career is also progressing really well. After a year I began working on one of our largest international accounts, was appointed Accounts Assistant and more recently took on the role of Management Accountant. I am learning so much and it’s helping me with my studies which is a real bonus.
Working at Penta is good fun and I have already been on fantastic incentive trips to Marbella, Dubai and a ski trip in the Alps. I’ve also made a successful referral to Penta, so not only have I got one of my friends working here, but I’ve earned an extra £1,000 so I’m very happy and I couldn’t recommend it more highly!”
Kyle Rashid – Recruitment Consultant
The more you put in the more you get out
Kyle joined Penta with six months sales experience and is proof that you don’t need ‘recruitment know how’ to succeed because within his first year he was running his own niche operation overseas.
As he explains: “I joined as a consultant in the telecoms perm division working as part of the product and strategy team. To begin with my focus was on getting to grips with everything I needed to learn in my induction training both about working as a Penta recruiter and about the telecoms market and take it from me there was a lot to take in. I was assigned a mentor and that really helped and gave me more confidence and within my first three weeks I signed up a new client which was a real boost. From then on I made steady progress, I’ve continued to develop clients and I’m now heading up our operation in the Benelux region traveling regularly to meet clients. It’s fantastic to have my own area to focus on both in terms of my own career development and for the company and I have high hopes that it will become a significant part of our European business.”
Kyle says that it’s a job that demands a lot but corny as it sounds, the more you put in the more you get out, and that includes very attractive commission and incentives such as overseas trips. “I think to enjoy working in recruitment you need to be able to pick yourself up when you get knocked back, have good communication skills, ambition and be prepared to go the extra mile for your clients and team mates. It can be a long day, particularly as I get in early to be able to speak to overseas clients, but it’s a great working environment. There’s lots of support and help along with healthy competition and banter to get you through the day. We’re professional and committed but we also know how to have a good time and enjoy playing sport and socialising together. For me working at Penta is like belonging to a big family where I know what I do is appreciated and recognised and I’m looking forward to staying and building up my career.”
If you’re tech savvy, keen to learn, ambitious and looking for a real alternative to uni then Penta’s School Leaver programme could be for you and one way to find out is to apply for a summer internship. If we think you’ve got what it takes to make a successful recruiter we will train and mentor you as well as pay you while you learn.
Iqram Rahman Sixth form student at Greenshaw School
“Whilst I was about to do my internship at Penta, I didn’t know to expect as recruitment was not a profession I wanted to lead myself into, also I had no knowledge whatsoever about recruitment. I had painted a rough picture in my head thinking Penta was going to be another work experience where I sat down, doing only admin work and being given work which was irrelevant furthermore I thought I was going to be unsettled, bored and confused. Little did I know….
Penta consulting changed this whole perspective once I started to work there. I was given work which everyone else in the building was doing after the first couple of days. I was treated like a colleague from the start, everyone was friendly, cheerful and incredibly supportive any time i need assistance none of the workers would hesitate to help me. After a few weeks I really started to enjoy this profession, I thought that I fitted in well with the team and it was a job where I never started getting bored. Penta consulting is one of a kind, this company shows that you can enjoy, have a laugh, be yourself and be a hardworking, determined passionate individual simultaneously. I would recommend anyone to work at Penta consulting and not let a chance go by because in my vision Penta is a perfect workplace to be in.”
