Contracting Recruitment at its finest: meet Scott Logan

Contracting is currently the talk of the town, and contracting-specialist recruiters are in high demand.

To find out more about the highs and lows of contracting recruitment, we sat down with our National Contracting Lead, Scott Logan, to learn more about his career in Contracting recruitment, what makes it different from traditional "permanent" recruitment, and the growing emphasis on contracting recruitment at Six Degrees Executive. 

Meet Scott

Scott has been with Six Degrees Executive for 9 years, and openly talks about how eventful (and rewarding) that journey has been for him.

Scott Loves: his family (fiancé and Six Degrees legend Jo Krause, and son Hunter), and maintaining a good balance between staying fit and healthy and his social life. And Contracting Recruitment. Obviously.

Scott Hates: Dishonesty. And financial scammers.

The history

Scott's family hail from NZ, but he was born and bred in Melbourne which he still calls home. He had a super sporty childhood, playing in up to 5 clubs at any one time, and still has a big focus on his health.

Getting Into Recruitment

Scott left school not knowing what he wanted to do but quickly found himself in sales, where he spent 5 years selling various services, and leading teams of up to 20 people. He knew it wasn't his end goal. He had some contacts who worked in recruitment who suggested he talk to a specialist Recruiter for Recruiters (or Rec-to-Rec) about career opportunities. And there it began!

"I made it through a huge group interview and assessment centre process for a global recruitment business, with no idea what type of jobs I'd end up recruiting for. I was told I'd get along well with Engineers (whatever that means!) so that's where I was placed, specialising in the commercial construction market."

After a year, Scott was shoulder-tapped by a much smaller business that had a more specialised focus on technical / engineering recruitment, and spent a further 3 years there.

"I worked a hybrid desk, which means I worked on both contract and permanent assignments, which I enjoyed. I made top biller there three times, and I think that was helped by having the contracting revenue working in my favour."

Eager to learn, Scott did a lot of reading about the art of recruitment, becoming a big fan of Ross Clennett and Greg Savage along the way. The consistent themes they spoke of: best practice and high performance inspired him further.

"I knew I wanted to be surrounded by more experienced recruiters than myself so I could grow and learn, and that meant I needed to move on. I heard about Six Degrees and was told that they had a lot more structure, development opportunities and a focus on growth. I was introduced to them through a Rec-to-Rec and hit it off with the people I met straight away."

Six Degrees Life - the early years

On arrival at Six Degrees Executive, the environment was exactly what Scott had hoped for. He was surrounded by people who were more experienced than he was and performing at a high level. He was impressed by the way things were done and immediately set about emulating the processes and activities that were going on around him.

"I felt like I had a lot to live up to, and it was a challenge moving into a new industry. I transitioned from infrastructure to Engineering, Operations & Technical, but loved the variety."

It wasn't all smooth sailing, and after a highly successful first year there, Scott struggled in his second. A combination of personal and professional challenges made him question if he was in the right place.

"I had a lot going on personally, and it was a really stressful time for me. I took a short leave away from the business but kept in touch with the team. After a couple of robust conversations with Kristan De Sousa, who at the time was managing the contracting team, I returned to a new, remodeled role. It was one of the best things I've ever done."

A focus on Contracting at Six Degrees Executive

On his return to the business, Scott was refreshed, revived, and determined to succeed. The Engineering team wanted to focus on growing contracting. Having done some contracting recruitment prior, it was a good fit for Scott's skills, and it made sense for him to take the lead. He soon placed his first couple of contractors and very quickly built up from there. 

RELATED: 5 Reasons to Specialise in Contracting Recruitment

Over time, as more Contracting Consultants joined the business, Scott took a lead role in developing their skills, and running learning programs to keep the business up to date on aspects like workplace health and safety, compliance and legislation. Then, 18 months ago, Scott was promoted to National Contracting Lead.

His role now is to support the growth of contracting across all 3 states, as well as keeping up to date and educating the business on the ever-changing areas of risk, legislation, Workcover, licensing etc.

Still actively recruiting for roles, he also enjoys supporting the growth and development of the contracting group within the business:

"As time goes on, we are better and more successfully integrating contracting across the entire business. The recent launch of Accounting & Finance and Technology has already had a huge impact on the growth of contracting for us, but we have ambitious goals we're working towards. It's an exciting time to be in contracting!"

The love of contracting

For Scott the pros of Contracting recruitment far outweigh the challenges: 

"For me, there's a real sense of calm knowing that you have an ongoing portfolio of contractors which means you don't start every new month or quarter from zero. Having more reliable revenue is a real luxury that means you feel slightly ahead all the time. I also feel like I have much closer relationships with my clients: I need to be more aware of their changing business needs and be available and ready to help with urgent requirements.”

The challenges?

Scott says sometimes contracting can be a bit misunderstood, so continually educating candidates, clients, and even recruiters on what it is, and how it can really have a positive impact on business outcomes is key.

Why consider Contracting?

We asked Scott what he'd say to someone considering a move into Contracting Recruitment

• “This is one of very few professions where you can work 4 or 5 days a week, have incredible earning potential, and be surrounded by brilliant people. It offers a great quality of life.”
• “If you're an experienced recruiter, a stint in contracting is something you should definitely consider. It gives an opportunity to deepen relationships with your clients, flex your commercial muscles, and create a much more sustainable desk: no permanent recruiters start their new month or quarter with guaranteed revenue already in their favour.” 
• “Contracting recruiters really can (and do!) perform better over time. It does take time to build a portfolio of contractors and clients, but once it's up and running you're much better galvanised against external market factors. This can really reduce stress and ensure you have the space and time to work on long term goals.”

Do you think Contracting Recruitment could be for you? Get in touch with our Talent Team to learn more about career opportunities with Six Degrees Executive.