Acquisition International - Influential Businesswoman Awards 2023 71 Sal Hurrell founded Barefoot Recruitment (Barefoot) in 2021, a leading specialist digital recruitment agency that is devoted to creating diverse workplaces in design and technology. Following Sal’s success within the Influential Businesswoman Awards 2023, we speak to her to discover how she’s defying the odds within the male-dominated world of business. May23705 he diversity problem within the design and technology industry is huge, with a 2020 study having found that 66% of UK tech workers are white, while only 3% are black, 6% mixed race, and 17% Asian (source: barefootrecruitment.com). The industry is largely male-dominated too – And now, Barefoot Recruitment is proud to have placed more females in leadership roles in the design and tech industry than men. When Sal Hurrell founded Barefoot Recruitment, she had a clear vision in place: to support minority groups with unique social, religious, ethnic, racial, and/or other characteristics in the workplace. This came after years of working in recruitment and noticing how client companies were not supporting minority groups. “My biggest achievement is that 80% of all our placements sit within minority groups,” Sal comments. “More importantly, all of them have felt safe and supported in their new roles.” She knows first-hand how it has always been hard for women in the male-dominated workplace. Sharing her perspective of what it’s like being outside a majority group, Sal says, “You will receive tons of ‘no’s, and in my experience, men like to work with men. Before I founded Barefoot, I’d always worked as the sole female recruiter, which made me feel as though I needed to prove myself. “I didn’t like football, I didn’t drink beer, and I didn’t enjoy the same conversations as a lot of the men in my office, so I knew I had to do well in my job to make myself an asset to whichever company I was working for.” “The key word is resilience. It is absolutely crucial. If you can show resilience, you will get noticed, and then people will want to work with you because you are great at your job, and not because you support their football team.” Now, Sal and her Barefoot team are fortunate to work with great client partners such as Moonpig, The Economist, and LiveScore, who have always been supportive of women in their own teams, ensuring that none of them hit a glass ceiling and that they are provided with steps for career progression and success. Indeed, Barefoot’s clients are on the same wavelength, being equally passionate about bridging the diversity gap and building united workplaces. The Barefoot team is able to deliver outstanding hiring processes for their clients, at the foundation of which are equitable, efficient, and T Most Dedicated Workplace Diversity Champion 2023 (Southern England): Sal Hurrell expertly-led consultative practices. This enables the agency to disrupt the market and results in a truly outstanding client and candidate experience. Speaking of working with Barefoot, Head of Product Design and UX at The Economist, Adam Morris shares, “I’ve worked with Barefoot on multiple briefs to help scale the product design team at The Economist. They took the time to understand our needs, the shape of designers we were looking for, and championing diverse candidates. The designers that Barefoot helped us bring on board are doing fantastic and I won’t hesitate to work with Barefoot in the future.” “My goal was to always do something I am passionate about, and here I am doing it. My hopes are to expand the team and get the company our values more recognised.” Now, Sal and Barefoot Recruitment’s sights are set on the bright future ahead, where the agency will be looking to branch out from design into tech. This comes with hopes to retain more recruiters that stand by its vision as a company, while continuing to find diverse talent. And this isn’t all in terms of Sal’s efforts to support minority groups in the corporate world, with plans to soon launch a series of meetups called Superwomen in Tech, where female leaders will have the opportunity to share their inspiring stories with each other. You’re invited to follow the company page on LinkedIn for updates! Contact Details Company: Barefoot Recruitment Contact: Sally Hurrell Email: sal@barefootrecruitment.com Website: www.barefootrecruitment.com Acquisition International - Issue 5 15 Located throughout the USA, DaBella is the recognised leader in home improvement services, providing clients with high-quality roofing, siding, windows, and baths. As a result of its excellent services and impressive portfolio of customer testimony, DaBella is proud to have been awarded Best Residential Construction and Home Improvement Services Firm, West USA, in the Global Excellence Awards 2023. Here, we take a look at the company’s background and the outstanding services it provides. Mar23566 he home is a place where people find comfort and shelter, raise their families, and build lifelong memories. DaBella understands that people spend a large proportion of their lives at home, so any investment they make in their home environment is incredibly important. This is why it treats every home it works on with the utmost care. Utilising factory-trained installers, American-made products, and industry-leading warrantees, DaBella ensures quality for a lifetime. While many businesses in the home improvement industry are driven by desire to make money, the story of DaBella’s establishment is much different. It started with a motivated young family working in the industry who began to envision a different kind of home services company. Their goal was not just to create a business and make a living. Instead, they wanted to create an extended family that welcomed employees, suppliers, and customers alike. When the company was founded, the family had recently been blessed with twins, who they named David and Isabella. They decided to name the company “DaBella”, a combination of the twins’ names. However, DaBella is so much more than a name. It is truly synonymous with “family” – it serves as a second family for employees and works for families to help them improve their homes. DaBella has always strived to include its customers in this sense of family. Customers are at the heart of the business, which is why it delivers attentive and informative service from start to finish. The process begins with a quick consultation by email or by phone. Through this, the company offers clients the opportunity to discuss their needs and ask any questions they have at a convenient time. DaBella encourages clients to thoroughly consider whether the company is a good fit for the project. There is never any pressure or commitment to buy with DaBella. If the client wishes to proceed, DaBella will then arrange a visit to their home to take measurements and promptly offer a free quote. From product styles and colours to financing, DaBella’s team will sit down with clients and walk them through all their options. Clients are welcome to ask any more questions that may arise. This enables them to seek all the information they need in order to make an informed decision. When they work with DaBella, clients receive the option to take advantage of the company’s financing options. Regardless of project size and the client’s credit history, DaBella will work with them to arrange an affordable plan. The company believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to create their dream home, so it maintains longstanding relationships with its financing partners to facilitate this. DaBella - Quality Begins at Home At the installation stage, DaBella strives to achieve its clients’ dreams. The company’s factory-trained installers can be trusted to get the job done right. If clients have any questions during the process, they are invited to call one of the offices to discuss their enquiries. No matter the subject, DaBella will always be more than happy to help. As a result of its excellent customer service and high-quality products, DaBella has been awarded a number of elite industry awards and certificates and has received a plethora of positive reviews from customers on Google. Customer testimony frequently refers to the professional, polite, and knowledgeable nature of the DaBella team, as well as their dedication to answering enquiries. Furthermore, customers are impressed by the fact that there was no pressure to buy at any point, instead the team worked to be informative without a forceful sales pitch. They also express satisfaction with the smooth installation process and the quality of the products they received. With an impressive portfolio of recognition and reviews, it is no surprise that DaBella has won Best Residential Construction and Home Improvement Services Firm, West USA, in the Global Excellence Awards 2023. The company has experienced impressive growth over the years and has recently opened its 42nd location in Fort Worth, Texas. Moving forward, the company continues to expand, striving to transform home improvement services in America. Contact: Courtney Bookman Company: DaBella Web Address: https://dabella.us/ It started with a motivated young family working in the industry who began to envision a different kind of home services company. Their goal was not just to create a business and make a living. Instead, they wanted to create an extended family that welcomed employees, suppliers, and customers alike. Join 85,000 Readers in Over 170 Countries Subscribe: www.acquisition-international.com/subscribe
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