Behind the scenes - what you get from a career at SThree

There’s rarely a dull moment in the STEM world. Spanning science, technology, engineering and mathematics, it’s full of exciting companies and sought-after professionals specialising in everything from digital transformations through to green energy infrastructure and life-saving vaccines.

As the leading STEM recruitment specialist, SThree is at the heart of these markets, covering both the private and public sectors. And for our consultants, this means a stimulating and rewarding career, sourcing highly skilled talent that helps to shape our society’s future.

For some SThree consultants, their sector specialism is a natural career choice. However, some do cover and enjoy working in markets they wouldn’t expect to, with others often joining us with little to no previous STEM experience. This includes a consultant who disliked science at school but now enjoys the pharmaceutical sector so much she can’t see herself ever moving on.

While most consultants will specialise in one sector across our family of brands – the door is always open to transfer to other parts of the business, and even different continents.

The pursuit of purpose

Whether it’s placing today’s engineers or tomorrow’s tech leaders and life sciences talent, young professionals increasingly see the value in working for a company that makes them proud – that offers them something meaningful, outside of their 9 to 5 job.

Principal Consultant Ciana Croker who has been with our organisation for five years, places permanent hires within Irish life sciences companies. Her day-to-day work includes visiting pharmaceutical clients at major manufacturing sites and learning about the evolution of products that range from treating rare conditions to protecting people from Covid-19. “To feel as though you are playing some part in that is very, very rewarding,” she says. “It’s one of the reasons I love STEM so much and has motivated me during the past five years.”

Career progression

One of the biggest draws of SThree is the opportunity for career development. Our sales career programme, ‘Velocity’, offers new joiners a clear progression structure and promotion criteria is transparent. You don’t have to wait for someone to vacate a role to reach the next level.

There are different tiers of experience to reflect your development. Those with more limited experience will start as an Associate, with the option to progress through to a Senior Principal Consultant, or alternatively move into a managerial role.

“The managers really know what they’re doing, and you’ll do well because they genuinely care and try to develop you as much as possible,” says Sophie Fleming, an Associate Consultant covering UK further education.

Training opportunities

Training opportunities include the global introductory training programme, Elements, as well as our SThree Academy, an easy-access digital learning platform with videos on everything from sales training to health and wellbeing. There’s also the Blueprint Programme, which helps consultants to develop a deep insight into the specialists they place and markets they operate in.

Additionally, our Road to Senior programme offers consultants regular training sessions on a particular area and sit downs with senior colleagues who have been top billers. “It’s great to hear about good practices but it’s also useful to learn about some of the struggles they’ve had in their journey and how they’ve learnt from these,” says Senior Consultant Shakiel Sterling, who covers financial services in London.

Behind the scenes perks

Alongside the stimulating world of STEM, being an SThree consultant has many added benefits. Highlights include being part of the company’s diversity, equality, and inclusion (DE&I) advocates’ network or involvement in ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives.

DE&I advocates support different activities around gender, race, ethnicity and LGBTQ+. You might end up on a panel talking about what it's like to be a woman at SThree or organising activities to celebrate Black History Month. “I really enjoy being part of this network – it helps to ensure the culture in each office is very open, inclusive and safe,” says Croker. “It’s one of the things I’m most proud of working with SThree.”

For some consultants, their favourite perk is the employee volunteering days. Recruitment Consultant Elidjah Muabana, who also works in the Irish life sciences sector, spent a fortnight in her parents’ home country, the Congo, supporting schoolgirls with career development and teaching English. Five of these days were using her SThree volunteer hours.

The social side

It can be a demanding job at times, so having fun and feeling part of a team is an important part of SThree’s workplace culture.

On the social side, there’s everything from sports days to quizzes, plus incentive-based activities based on monthly targets or quarterly achievements. For top performers, the rewards include everything from all-expenses-paid dinners in top restaurants to adventure centre experiences (get ready for some go-karting or escape room challenges!) and even team trips abroad. Ibiza and Croatia are just two examples.

These experiences can be with your own team or wider colleagues within the business, which means you get to mingle with more people, from all walks of life.

While there are KPI targets, not all incentives are financially driven. Some rewards will focus on a consultant’s activity – a slow month for revenue targets doesn’t mean the company won’t recognise all the hard graft. If you are patient and disciplined and really take the time to understand client needs and what motivates candidates, you will be able, eventually, to successfully hire.

“The culture at SThree is special and is why I can see myself being here for a very long time,” says Muabana, adding: “It’s not just about making money, we genuinely want to be part of something bigger – playing a small part in the STEM world. And it’s a fun place to be.”

Flexible working

SThree’s hybrid working policy offers a lot of flexibility. It can vary between offices but usually includes two days in the office and three working from home. However, those who have recently joined the company prefer to be in the office much more regularly to learn from those around them and take full advantage of further training and coaching.

Consultants love the flexibility of being able to work from home but have excelled post-pandemic, being back around more experienced colleagues in the office when they can.

So, if you’re considering a career in recruitment, don’t be intimidated by STEM or by a sales-driven industry that can be perceived as too competitive. SThree has a very collaborative ethos. “People genuinely want to help and support each other,” says Sterling. “We’re all here to get along and have a good time, but also work hard to deliver and reap the rewards of the effort we put in.”

Are you looking for something a bit different? Find out more about a career with SThree.