Q&A with Oli Roberts

What has your journey at Lorien been like so far?

I started at Lorien back in 2007, so I’ve been here for the better part of 15 years. I’ve worked at various levels of Lorien, including within our Specialist Markets Teams, where I’ve also had a role in creating some of the divisions. I’ve also been lucky enough to attend multiple trips and I’ve had the pleasure of bringing in new people from all walks of life – from those at the start of their careers to highly experienced recruiters – and I’ve watched them thrive. It’s been a great journey for me personally as I was hired as the first specialist recruiter. Since then, I’ve moved up the ladder from Team Leader to Associate Director, to Director, and I currently manage a team of 10.

What is a career highlight for you or your team?

A few highlights for me would be the trips I’ve attended, courtesy of Lorien. Each trip comes with an award, and I have been fortunate enough to win nine of those, including Top Salesperson and Employee of the Year more than once. My fondest trip was the first one I attended when we visited Antigua and I found it to be a different level of luxury than any I had ever experienced before. On a more professional note, I have worked in multiple top billing teams, as well as being part of the most successful Specialist Markets Team. 2021 was also the highest billing year for me personally, and my team are on track to overachieve again this year.

What is the Lorien workplace culture like?

The culture within Lorien is better than it has ever been – and it’s always been great. The new hires we have made since the pandemic have been brilliant, and that is true of all levels. The senior leadership team are brilliant and always helpful. The environment itself is fun, honest, and hardworking and, if you’re thinking about getting into tech recruitment, there is no better environment I have heard of or personally seen than the one at Lorien.

What are your top tips for anyone going for an interview?

Always do your homework! We are a proud business and anyone coming for an interview should understand what we have achieved, what we hope to achieve and our main goals. However, it’s very important to be honest and be yourself – lots of people come in and say the same things but the best hires I’ve made have brought a bit of character to their interview.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

I involve myself in everything including operations, sales, resourcing, and strategy, so there is no typical day for me. Within my team, we have a short meeting each morning to set expectations and make promises that they will deliver on throughout this week. We have quite a grown-up culture and our people are in charge of their own agenda and workload, with the management team on hand to give assistance or support with prioritisation.

What is it that drew you to Lorien?

When I was applying for roles, I went for quite a few and received four jobs offers. I went with Lorien as I simply liked the people who I interviewed with, and that culture still resonates today with a family-feel throughout the business. The people who run the business care about their workers; it’s not just KPIs and looking at the money. There’s also a focus on wellbeing, flexibility and looking out for each other.

To learn more about the roles we have on offer at Lorien, click here.