Jump Back
I came into Barden with my own experiences, thoughts and, indeed, preconceptions of recruitment.
In short, these preconceptions were that recruitment is:
- always reactive
- purely a service offering driven by client demands
- immediate and focuses on the act of placing a candidate, and therein, it ends
HOW WRONG WAS I?
When I started discussions with Ed and Elaine, I realised how constrained and narrow my thoughts were. As I spoke with them, I began to understand that my perceptions were outdated and biased, seeing recruitment as a commodity rather than a professional advisory service.
It was this, amongst other things, that piqued my interest in the sector and the role of Strategic Advisor, and it is perhaps timely to outline what my immediate observations are after spending two months working with the Barden team.
An Evolving Sector
The global talent advisory and recruitment market is rapidly evolving, and the changes are transformative. This, I believe, is due to external forces such as persistent macroeconomic uncertainty, accelerated technological adoption, and evolving workforce expectations, but also internal factors as talent advisory and recruitment leaders develop.
I am witnessing this as I see Barden leading the way in this sector. Their focus is always on quality, not quantity. Their focus is on delivering strategic, value-driven hiring and talent identification. Often, this talent identification of personnel occurs in advance of when a client might actually need it. Barden partners with their clients to flip “just-in-time” hiring to “planning in advance for strategic growth”.
This is the TALENT ADVISORY part of the sector that clients (companies) may not be fully aware of. Indeed, I was not.
However, for an organisation to work effectively with experts, such as Barden, in a partnership approach will undoubtedly help future-proof the entity in a time when competition for talent is only growing.
Advisory in Action
My limited view of recruitment failed to appreciate the holistic advisory offering provided by the team at Barden, and what makes talent advisory a profession, not just a service.
Beyond “filling jobs”, the Barden team provide a host of additional services to their clients, including:
- insights into workforce planning,
- employer branding,
- DEI strategies (despite the ongoing push to cease it),
- succession planning, and
- strategic hires planning, whereby clients can share their strategy; vision and business plans so that “we” (and yes, I do feel part of the Barden team now) can have a bench of talent ready for companies in advance of when they may need it.
Talent advisory is evolving into a consultative, data-driven, and embedded component of long-term workforce strategy, rather than just transactional hiring.
I have observed how the talent advisory and recruitment industry in 2025 is defined by agility, specialisation, and strategic depth. Firms that integrate advanced technology with human insight and a professional sector specialist, and those that shift from filling roles to solving workforce challenges, are best positioned to lead.
And please don’t miss that “professional sector specialist” comment.
This is the secret sauce that I see Barden has, and what can bring this advisory lens to the recruitment offering.
Talent Advisory as a Professional Service
Qualified accountants identify and advise on accountant roles; transformation and change leaders identify and advise on C&T roles; technology leaders who have worked in industry identify and advise on tech roles, and qualified legals who have worked in practice identify and advise on legal roles.
As professional service providers, we talk a lot about USPs. One of Barden’s USPs is the insistence that subject matter experts of the sector – people who have worked in the sector – are the consultants who help talent and hiring managers in that sector. As such, they understand and have lived the day-to-day demands of their professional community and understand “what it is like on the other side”. This is absolutely necessary if we are to provide the talent advisory capabilities required today.
I have mulled over and considered the question, “Is the talent advisory and recruitment field a profession?”. I have surprised myself that the answer is:
Absolutely. Recruitment is a profession and an increasingly strategic one.
The best recruiters today are not just talent sourcers; they are market analysts, relationship managers, employer brand builders, and strategic advisors. As organisations face increasing complexity in finding and retaining the right talent, recruitment is gaining the hallmarks of a true profession:
- Defined competencies
- Career paths and certifications
- Ethical standards
- Strategic business contribution
Final Thoughts
In my first two months working with the Barden team, I have shattered the preconceptions I had about the sector. Not only that, but I can also see the impact that a passionate and highly skilled talent advisory firm can have on the development of an organisation.
It is not just about “filling the seats” or “reactive recruitment”; it is so much more strategic for an organisation. I didn’t know this as a customer up to four months ago – I wonder, just wonder, if others in my position are the same?
Sinéad Donovan is Barden’s Strategic Board Advisor. Connect with Sinéad on LinkedIn