Ten years is a long time in recruitment.

Markets change. Teams change. Candidates become clients. Clients become candidates. And somewhere along the way, the recruiter who joined your FM team ends up running the business.

This year, Robert Parker celebrates 10 years with Insight Executive.

Back in 2016, Robert joined the three-person team as an experienced Facilities Management recruiter, bringing with him a strong network, plenty of ambition and a clear understanding of the market he wanted to build.

What followed wasn’t simply ten years of filling increasingly senior roles. It was ten years of building relationships.

Some of the people Robert first knew as candidates have since become clients. 

Others have worked with him across several organisations and different stages of their careers. Many of those relationships have lasted for much of his time at Insight.

That probably says more about Robert’s approach to recruitment than any list of placements could.

Building the business

Over the past decade, Robert has helped grow Insight’s specialist FM and built environment offering, developed recruitment teams and led searches for senior managers, heads of department, directors, managing directors and C-suite leaders.

His remit has grown considerably too, spanning FM, Estates, Capital, Property and the wider built environment.

In 2023, Robert was appointed Managing Director of Insight Executive, taking responsibility for the continued growth of the business and the team around him.

But despite plenty changing over those ten years, one principle has remained fairly constant:

Good recruitment is still about knowing your market and knowing your people.

It means understanding who isn’t applying, who might be ready for something new and who is worth speaking to long before a vacancy appears.

That relationship-led approach has been central to Robert’s career at Insight and continues to shape how we work today.

Ten years down. Plenty still to do.

Anyone who knows Robert will also know he isn’t particularly interested in standing still; there are teams to develop, markets to grow, clients to support and undoubtedly plenty more appointments still to make.

So, from all of us at Insight Executive: thank you.

From FM recruiter to Managing Director isn’t a bad ten-year journey.

Here’s to the next chapter.