Meet Emma West: Does she really have what it takes to be the Group Talent Acquisition Manager for Kinetica?

Over the past decade, my journey in the field of recruitment has evolved from being an agency recruiter to an internal talent acquisition professional. But how has this equipped me for my role as the Talent Acquisition Manager at Kinetica?

When I first began my career in recruitment 10 years ago, I started as an agency consultant specialising in Life Science recruitment. After graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry from the University of York, I did what most scientists do and started working in a lab. Quite quickly I realised that this career path was certainly not right for me and it left me questioning what to do next. I loved science and wanted to continue to utilise my degree, but I honestly had no clue what other opportunities where available in this field. I ended up stumbling into a recruitment role and I can honestly say I have never looked back. 

I spent 3.5 years working in Life Science agency recruitment before transitioning “to the dark side” into an internal recruitment position within a large multinational drug development organisation. It was a truly difficult decision, as I loved my job; however I could no longer handle the “toxic stereotypical culture” that was associated with agency recruitment back in the day. I couldn’t see how I could achieve my future goals of having a family and maintaining a career or even a life outside of work in this environment, so I decided to leave for the stability of internal recruitment. 

I feel like my degree, background in scientific recruitment (both internal and external), agency and internal talent acquisition experience really allows me understand the markets that we recruit for and the type of skills needed to succeed in this industry. When sourcing new talent, I know the grit and determination candidates must have to survive as an agency recruiter, whilst also understanding the internal planning and the cultural piece that is so important to a growing company. I feel like I can connect with our existing team as I understand what they do and I can work with them to create a culture that is focused on our employee wellbeing. All in all, I have walked a mile in their shoes and I can relate.

Before I joined Kinetica, I was super cautious, as I never wanted to work for an agency that perpetuated the same toxic culture I was exposed too, but it is nothing like that. So many of our employees have young families and the freedom and flexibility we provide really allows our staff to have that work life balance, so many recruiters desire. I am proud to work with our Senior Leaders to continue to create an exceptional culture for our existing employees, whilst also finding new talent to further grow our business.