Our Stories > Dominic Thornton - Canada
Dominic Thornton
Joined as a recruiter in March 2019
Today, locating and delivering exceptional talent to Canada’s FinTech markets
Focused on Montreal and Java capabilities
[Interviewed April 2020]
Talk us through your path to Caspian One
I’d spent the last four or so years not living in the UK, doing various activities around the world. So in my last year away I was working in Mexico selling timeshare - which was very face-to-face, hardcore sales, only commission. That taught me about sales, about as well as you can, I’d say.
Then when I came back to England, I applied to Caspian One after seeing them on Indeed.com. I got a call back from Pete, and at the time, I didn’t really even know who the company was; I was Googling them at the same time. Then yeah, I got invited in for an interview, and now I’m here.
How does selling timeshare in Mexico compare to working in recruitment?
It’s very different because most of what we do is on the phone, obviously depending on what team you’re in - which will impact how much face time you get. Making timeshare sales, it was very much that a deal would happen in a day. You may do some aftercare for a week or so, but that’s about it. The sale was a one-shot, one day deal.
In recruitment, you have loads of things going on at the same time, all at different stages. It’s about managing those elements. I suppose that is the main difference; along with the process duration and working mostly on the phone.
What was the interview process like for you?
So I interviewed with all three teams, as-well-as the main HR interviewer. It was more about looking at who I am, me selling myself in terms of the experience I have - and how it’s relevant to recruitment. I also had to answer some quick-fire questions from some quite experienced, senior people to see how I’d handle those. There was a personality test which was somewhat tedious, but accurate - it does work.
Then I met the team again and spent a few hours interviewing, which was a lot, but I think it was mainly because of my experience. They were trying to make sure I wasn’t just going to come on board and then leave again to go travelling. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.
After starting then, what were those first few weeks like?
The first few weeks were kind of crazy. Working in an office environment I wasn’t used to, doing stuff on the phone I wasn’t really used to - and also, learning all the tech and what recruitment is. What people think they know about recruitment is probably about 5% of it, then I had to learn everything else.
To be honest, at times I thought this isn’t for me but then when you start understanding it - it’s really good. I find it challenges the brain every day, which is what I like about it.
You mentioned interviewing with all three teams; what was it about the North American division that most appealed?
Honestly, at the start, I couldn’t really tell what any of the teams were actually like, from the interview process. All I did was meet the managers, and at the time a large amount of the office was away on incentives, so I couldn’t really tell who was who or what was what.
It came down to how the team was sold to me. I didn’t really click with the UK or Broadcast divisions, but working with the Canada team and having the opportunity to go to Canada did stand out. Now, I feel like I made the right choice.
What do you like about Caspian One - why are you still here 12 months later?
So, the longer you’re here, the more money you’ll make. I don’t feel like I have any real pressures on me to perform continually. If I just do what I do best, it just seems to work. It’s not a strict environment; you’ve not got call times up on TV screens or anything like that. It all makes sense, and I like that it’s not huge as well, not big and corporate. The hours are good too for the Canadian team, but really, I’m here because I found something I’m good at. I’m making more money than I’ve ever made and that’s only going to go up more so.
You’ve seen significant success in a short space of time. What do you attribute these achievements to?
Well, I figured that this job was not like some sales roles where at times it’s literally just luck, trying to sell something deep-down you know they don’t really want. This is a bit different because it’s about helping people. Success for me is about doing all the basic stuff right, every single time.
Not slacking on anything, not ever having days where you think “I’m not going to do much today”. For me, if you’re going to be at work, you may as well work hard.
Doing the basic parts right, over and over - success just comes.
Another key aspect is memory. Having a good memory, recalling who people are, where they are, what they do and such - that helps too.
Although you’ve seen success, I expect you’ve also experienced the emotional rollercoaster that is recruitment. How have you dealt with those parts of the job?
The only real bad times have been when I’ve lost a deal, but to be honest, nothing is that bad - compared to when I worked timeshares. Back then you’d meet people, sell them $20-30,000 worth of items with a high commission - and then they’d go home, change their mind and cancel, losing you that income. You just learn to live with it and keep moving forward.
What was it that appealed to you about Caspian One and recruitment?
When I interviewed, it looked like a really interesting company. Then when I looked at the website and realised what they were actually doing, I thought “this is cool”, especially being based down in Bournemouth too. It looked like a place where I could make a lot of money while still living in a nice location.
Really, as soon as I spoke to the managers and realised the financial and career potential, plus the opportunity to travel in the Montreal, Canada team - that was a massive thing for me. Coming back to my hometown and living again at my family house after so much time away, having an opportunity to travel still and make money was perfect.
What advice would you give to someone considering recruitment but with no prior experience?
I would say, if they don’t want to be saying the same thing over and over, pitching the same idea that they don’t believe in - then definitely do recruitment. I don’t think people realise how successful you can be in recruitment and compared to most sales jobs; it’s really different day-to-day. There are so many aspects that go into recruitment. Working in standard sales jobs, it can be quite repetitive, but for me, versatility is what appeals most.