Lillie, an experienced Recruitment Specialist with deep insights into business support roles and the ever-evolving recruitment industry. With a keen understanding of how crucial support functions are to the success of any organisation, Lillie has navigated the hiring landscape, helping businesses find the right talent while also witnessing firsthand the challenges and opportunities within recruitment.
In this interview, we’ll get to know Lillie and find out her expert perspective on the role of business support professionals, the skills and attributes that make candidates stand out, and the trends shaping the recruitment industry today.
Name & job role
My name is Lillie Coxon, I am the Head of Business Support at Howett-Thorpe. I manage recruitment for all roles within HR, marketing, administration, events management, legal administration, and operations etc.
Favourite part of the job?
My favourite part of the role is helping people feel more fulfilled in their new job opportunities. It is a really great feeling when candidates are able to get more recognition in their role, career growth, financial gain, and join a team where they feel most appreciated and invested in.
What do you love about Howett Thorpe as a business?
It is an incredibly welcoming and friendly atmosphere and a greatly supportive working culture; even during my initial interview with the team, I instantly felt at home and part of the furniture. It honestly feels like I’ve been a part of the team for years which is a great feeling.
What are the most in-demand business support roles you’re seeing right now?
I am seeing a lot more companies fully investing in their HR and marketing departments on a higher level. Bringing an established, experienced management team into the company within these departments greatly assists with company growth, team culture and engagement and efficiency.
How has the shift to hybrid/remote work impacted the business support job market?
The vast majority of companies are now working on a hybrid basis – this allows people to have a great work/home life balance, and can keep engagement within the team, and continue to build team relationships on the days people are working onsite.
What are the emerging skills that employers are looking for in business support candidates?
Candidates with a great work ethic are becoming more important for companies with more working from home allowances, having that enthusiasm and keenness to work independently, managing workloads remotely, staying self-motivated etc., along with being open and keeping communication lines open with the team on their progress.
Are there any specific industries experiencing a higher demand for business support professionals?
There’s a mixture of industries I am seeing having a high demand for business support team growth including legal, manufacturing, IT, finance and banking. All these areas are looking to build their business support teams in order to ensure administrative support, managing client relationships, compliance, reporting, data entry etc. are all kept to a high standard to continue supporting their company’s growth.
What are some common misconceptions about business support roles that you encounter?
I think the biggest misconception would be that business support roles only cover admin work. Yes, some roles within business support involve answering calls and emails, but there are so many other roles out there including project management, data analysis, marketing growth schemes, customer relationship management, HR management, and strategic design support which are so much more complex.
How are economic factors influencing hiring trends in business support
The increases in cost of living mean that companies are placing greater emphasis on HR, payroll and employee relations roles to ensure their teams are kept motivated and productive. Managing employee well-being and wellness programs, salary bandings, mental health initiatives, and communications between management and staff all play such an important part in keeping everyone happy.
What are the salary trends for various business support roles in the current market?
I have seen a lot more investment financially into salaries for business support roles, companies are seeing huge differences once business support teams have been established, and are seeing longer term financial gains having their teams fully supported by the business support team, so are definitely worth the investment.
What are the biggest challenges businesses face when recruiting business support staff?
There is an increasingly high level of competition for top-tier candidates in the business support market. Skilled and experienced candidates usually have a number of great opportunities to choose from, and companies offer very attractive compensation packages, benefits and work environments in order to stand out against their competitors.
What are some best practices for employers to attract and retain top business support talent?
I believe having a welcoming and friendly environment, a team where individuals feel supported, financial benefits (salary, holiday allowances, good pensions) etc. take away any financial stresses and can fully invest their time and efforts into the role, along with having a hybrid working schedule so that people can continue to uphold their working-home life balance.
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