Reflecting on a Year with Hamilton Forth – Atif Hussain

Atif Hussain shares his experiences of joining Hamilton Forth one year on, including his experience of virtual onboarding, and why a focus on CSR and being a values-led business makes Livingston James Group stand out.

When I joined Hamilton Forth just over a year ago, I knew that starting out with a relatively new brand in the tech recruitment arena would present both challenges and opportunities – and that is exactly how I have found my time here. Building brand presence in the market has been exciting and scary in equal measures but myself and the team are fortunate to have been so well supported by the wider Livingston James Group.

Starting Out in Lockdown

Starting a new role in lockdown was always going to present its own challenges. Prior to joining Hamilton Forth, I had heard about both good and bad virtual on-boarding experiences. Fortunately, my experience of on-boarding virtually was very smooth. My laptop and phone arrived on time and the set up was relatively straight forward. My diary had been pre-organised with virtual introductions to various teams within LJG and key personnel. I felt everything was well thought out and made it an easy transition to a new environment.

Joining in lockdown also presented some interesting challenges when it came to getting to know my new colleagues.  Fortunately, at LJG the social committee was tasked with getting us together virtually and I enjoyed the regular social events over zoom and teams. They were always light-hearted and fun and there was no pressure for you to be involved if you don’t want to be.

In addition to this, I joined the LJG Wellness Committee where we come up with quarterly initiatives focussing on mental and physical health. This has also been a great way for me to get to know my colleagues.

Life at Hamilton Forth

Since joining Hamilton Forth, I have worked on several interesting projects and assignments. We have a great focus on retained work which allows us to fully own the recruitment process from start to finish. This results in an enhanced experience for both the candidates and the clients.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the CSR focus at LJG. We support certain charities and organisations at a group level but also, we are encouraged to work with charities on an individual level. I really appreciate the opportunity to work with organisations and causes that are close to my heart and being given two days paid leave to do so. I shared my experiences of volunteering with the Scottish Alhul Bayt Society in a previous blog.

Over the years I have worked at a number of organisations of varying sizes, all organisations talk about values and what they mean but Hamilton Forth and Livingston James Group is the first organisation where these values are not just stilted words but are a driving force behind a highly successful business.

Hamilton Forth is growing. We are looking to add people to our team at all levels.  If you are interested in finding out more about careers with Hamilton Forth contact [email protected] or [email protected]