Blue Bay Recruitment

Delivering Elite Architects and Architecture Talent to practices in the Midlands


Blue Bay Recruitment is focused on supporting the archiecture practices of the Midlands to help them secure top talent to meet their growth plans.


Archictects are the foundation of any construction project whether it's a small extension or a major construction project and we aim to be the foundation for our clients...


Whether you are a small practice looking to expand to meet demand,  A group of partners who are looking to grow their senior team to help with future proofing the business or a large practice who've been badly supported in the past you are all looking to secure top talent for your consultancy we're here to help.


We offer best-in-class solutions focused on the Midlands region.  Our management have delivered support to construction projects in some of the world’s most difficult locations, so no challenge is too much for us.


If you're looking for someone to complete your team or looking for a new role - Test us today

// Blue Bay Recruitment

Who We Are

At Blue Bay Recruitment, we specialize in the recruitment of top-tier talent for architecture practices in the Midlands.


Our team comprises seasoned professionals, each meticulously selected for their deep industry acumen and proven track record in leading recruitment projects to get the best talent in for our clients.


Our ethos is rooted in sector-specific expertise, not merely transactional metrics. We are not in the business of accumulating vacancies; we are devoted to the industry we serve, consistently enhancing our domain knowledge.


For our valued clients, we leverage our collective wisdom to understand and address your unique challenges and complexities.


We recognize that recruitment can be a time-consuming and costly endeavor that adds operational strain. That's why our approach transcends mere job descriptions and postings. We engage in a consultative dialogue to identify the most effective recruitment strategies tailored to your needs.


Whether you're seeking a singular executive role with global search parameters or require a comprehensive team for a turnkey project, Blue Bay Recruitment delivers unparalleled, full-service recruitment solutions.


Get in Touch

// OUR BLOGS

News

News and Blog posts

By Adrian Mansfield • 10 Jan, 2023
The need to start fishing in different ponds

It’s all about you

By Default Author • 06 Mar, 2021
Here’s a trap that many new business owners fall into: they put themselves last. Of course I accept that one must make sacrifices in the early months of a business but I’m not talking about that. My point is that you should never lose sight of what your business is expected to do for you. It comes down to 3 things for sure and a fourth for some people. 1) Income Your income is half of your lifestyle equation (the other half is the time to enjoy it). Make sure you’ve worked out what this is and don’t let your current situation colour your judgement. Just because you earn £30k now doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to earn £150k at some point in the future. 2) Work Life This is about how much you want to work and what activities do you want to do when you do work. These are the questions you should ask yourself: – How many days/hours do I want to work a week? How many weeks holiday do I want? When I’m not at work, do I want the business to run without me? What activities and responsibilities do I want to do at work? This is all about leveraging your strengths and job satisfaction. Which would I like to move to somebody else? Again, don’t let the fact that you’re working 60-hour weeks and taking a week’s holiday each year influence the answers to those questions. What do you want to achieve and by when? Also, the way you organise your business will influence the quality of your lifestyle. 3) End Game This is mostly about financial security or having the choice to work or not work. It all comes down to a number that some IFAs call the Magic number. It’s a calculation and any financial planner can do it for you. Given how long you want to work for; how long you expect to be retired and the income you want when you are retired tells you two things. How big your retirement pot needs to be (The Magic Number) and how much you need to invest each year to get it. Your business must provide this amount of available cash. That’s one of its primary functions. Oh, and I wouldn’t rely on selling your business to finance your retirement. Statistically that’s probably not going to happen. So, treat a company sale as being the icing on the cake not the cake itself. 4) Legacy This is about the mark you want to make on the world. Some people care about it whilst others do not. There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s a personal decision but if you do want to leave a legacy it’s a very good idea to write it down somewhere and then commit to it. What does all this mean Well, if you can define the three or four key drivers we’ve explored above you can then design a business to achieve it. It’s actually easier than you might imagine. In its simplest form just take the profit your firm delivers now, multiply it up to deliver the profit you want and then use the same multiplier to the number of staff you have now. Add a bit of sales support time and some management time in and halve your contribution and it’s good enough. You’ve sketched out a business that will deliver what you expect from it. Now all you have to do is build it. If you don’t do this you risk having a sudden outburst of surprise, panic, blame and regret at some point in the future. Remember, when this happens it might be too late to do anything about it. So act now whilst you have time on your side.

Can you make it on your own?

By Default Author • 06 Mar, 2021
Have you had enough of working for somebody else or are you out of work and there doesn’t seem to be many jobs going? In either case, one option open to you is to launch your own agency, but will you be able to make it? In this blog I’ve outlined 3 tests that you should apply to help answer this question for you. 1) Existing Relationships It’s so much easier to build your own business if you have some existing relationships with clients. OK, you may have a restrictive practice clause in your previous contract that stops you trading with them immediately but eventually it will pass. In recruitment people really do buy from those they like and trust. So, some of the clients you have a good relationship with may give you an opportunity when you set up on your own. In my first business we only succeeded because we had two clients from our previous business who supported us in our new venture. It made all the difference. This test also applies to intermediaries who can introduce you to potential clients. The more you have, the better you’ll do. 2) Talent for New Business Whether you start with the support of a few old clients or not you still need to win new ones. Without this ability, growth will be almost impossible. Sure, you can set up a simple Proactive Referral System (PRS) that can increase referrals by up to 10% but that’s not going to be enough. Besides you can’t depend upon referrals because you can’t control the frequency, quality or number that you’ll receive. This means you must be able to win net-new clients by whatever means. This may be cold-calling (not recommended as a long-term strategy) or using a more systematic technique such as AIDA Connection Campaigns. Here at Blue Bay we provide a lot of net-new client support for this very reason. In a larger company winning new clients may be taken care of for you but when you’re on your own it’s your responsibility. 3) A War Chest I accept that whatever your personal financial situation, if you’re out of a job you’ve got nothing to lose by setting up on your own. But given the choice, I’d suggest you build up a war chest of 3 months living expenses to reduce the pressure on yourself to make placements early on. You can also slash your personal expenditure to help you achieve this. I re-mortgaged when I set up my first business but it was, and still is, a risky strategy and I could have found myself in trouble had the business not worked out. Things always take longer than you think and setting up a traditional company has all sorts of costs associated with it. My advice is to build two forecast spreadsheets: a realistic one and a pessimistic one. You’ll need both. Business is full or risks and you can’t wipe them out completely but you can control them. That’s the smart thing to do.  Summary Setting up solo is tough but sometimes it’s the only option. I think it’s easy to overlook the support you get from your employer and colleagues. All gone when you’re on your own. You can set up with another person as partners (there are pros and cons); you can join a Blue Bay type organisation or you can tough it out yourself. There’s no right or wrong option – the decision comes down to personal choice. One thing I will say, I’ve worked for myself since I was 25 and once you get used to it there’s no other way!
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