When Hannah Cottam stepped into the role of CEO at Sellick Partnership 12 months ago, she faced a recruitment industry that was encountering economic uncertainties and rapid technological change.
For Hannah, however, the challenge wasn’t just navigating the complexities of the market – it was stepping into uncharted personal territory.
“Having the buck stop with you is something you can never fully prepare for,” she says. “You don’t just lead a department; you lead the culture, the direction, and the values of an entire business.”
This shift demanded a level of accountability that challenged her decision-making and resilience in entirely new ways.
Going back to last year Hannah recalls already knowing half of the business ‘extremely well’ after leading and directing the Legal recruitment team in its Manchester headquarters from inception. But more recently, her focus turned to overhauling the IT infrastructure as well as leading the efforts for Sellick Partnership to acquire another business.
Recognising that this revealed gaps in her knowledge, she made a deliberate effort to spend time in each of their offices nationwide: “The first few months were really spent trying to get to know the other half of the business equally as well. This took a lot of questioning – questioning myself and allowing others to ask questions – a lot of time spent together, and a lot of reassuring about the continuity of expectation.
“There is nothing better than spending time with the leaders in the different offices and with the individuals who are doing the hard yards every single day.”
Talking about those early days, Hannah added: “Having trust in your employees is critical. As a leader, you can’t do everything yourself, nor should you. It’s about empowering people to make decisions and trusting them to deliver.”
Back in 2019, Sellick Partnership sold a majority stake to international facilities management company Samsic Group. This acquisition marked a turning point for the business, introducing Hannah to a wealth of new ideas and global insights. Through her interactions with Gilles Cavallari, Président at Samsic Emploi, Hannah began to further appreciate the value of taking a step back and considering all perspectives before making decisions.
Leadership, as Hannah has discovered, requires both decisiveness and perspective, openly acknowledging the emotional challenges of leading a people-centric business she said: “Things will really frustrate me – we’re not immune to emotions, particularly when we’re dealing with people. But it’s about taking that step back and giving yourself a little bit of perspective.
Despite the natural progression for Hannah to move into this role, she admits it was a bigger jump than anticipated: “Suddenly you go from being part of what is almost a committee, to having the buck stop with you.
“While the wider UK Board discuss strategies and resolutions together, there is definitely more emphasis for me on taking time and gathering the right information to be able to make the right decisions, because, ultimately I have to live with the consequences, whether they’re good or bad.”
However, Hannah explained that the more challenges you face, the more your confidence grows, adding: “Coming into the second year, I feel a lot more prepared than I was this time last year.
“Fundamentally sometimes you have to try things and if they don't work, then that's okay,” this is a message Hannah tries to send out to the entire business; there’s no harm in trying something new, no matter what level of seniority you may be.
One of Hannah’s key beliefs is that great leadership involves flexibility and understanding people’s different life ‘phases’. She recognises the importance of supporting employees through these periods, whether it’s women deciding to start families or colleagues caring for elderly parents – there are responsibilities all around us.
“People go through different stages in life, and as leaders, we need to be mindful of that,” she explains. “If a colleague is returning from maternity leave and working part-time, it’s vital to ensure their team is set up to support them. That might mean redistributing some of their workload temporarily, but that commitment comes back around. When that colleague transitions back to full-time, they’ll be able to support others entering a similar phase.”
Hannah also emphasises the importance of creating an environment where people feel supported, not penalised, for balancing their personal and professional responsibilities. “It’s about building a team culture that thrives on mutual support and understanding. That’s how you retain great talent.”
Under Hannah’s leadership, Sellick Partnership has adapted to the rapidly evolving recruitment industry. However, with automation and artificial intelligence reshaping processes, she believes human connection will only grow in importance.
“We’re seeing it now. Face-to-face, people-to-people is going to become more important as AI gains momentum and people look to automating processes, cost-cutting, and increasing productivity.
“I think that the consultative approach, the understanding people, the questioning, the emotional connection will continue to be so key. AI and data will have big parts to play in the future of recruitment, but nothing is going to replace going and meeting with your clients and candidates and really actively listening and engaging with them.
“Sellick Partnership is a business that thrives off building those meaningful partnerships in every aspect of the word. That’s something I’m incredibly proud of.”
Looking back on her first year, Hannah reflects: “I’ve learned a lot, business is challenging but ultimately, it’s rewarding leading a business as interesting as Sellick Partnership.”
As she moves into her second year as CEO, Hannah feels more prepared and more energised than ever, “Now feels like the point where I’m most excited because I can see that we’re moving towards a really big period of growth where we know we can really push ahead.
“We had a great 2024 under some difficult circumstances, both politically, economically, but also internally, and we’ve come out of it incredibly strong.”
Last year, Sellick Partnership celebrated another record year with almost £115million turnover, 20% up on its previous financial year. The professional services recruitment firm now has its sights set on a £200m turnover, fuelled by a combination of organic growth and business acquisition.
For Hannah, this growth is more than just numbers; it reflects her deep connection to the business and its mission.
“The Sellick Partnership/Samsic business is one that I have a real connection with,” she says. “I really enjoy recruitment, and this is a great place to work doing just that.”
As she continues to defy the recruitment slowdown, Hannah’s leadership story serves as an inspiring example of what it means to evolve, embrace change, and lead with authenticity.