What do you do at Woodrow Mercer?
I have the honour of leading our Technology Recruitment Team, which involves direct contact with all of Woodrow’s technology customers. My time is balanced between unearthing tech talent and introducing those people to our customers via a number of methods. I also work closely with our own team to support and encourage them in what can be an incredibly rewarding job.
What are the core areas you recruit for?
Since starting in 2006 up to now Testing and Quality Assurance has always been an absolute core area for me. It’s incredible to see how the perception of Testers within IT has changed in the last 12 years. Turn the clock back to 2006 and a Testers role was far from common place. Often it would be seen as a luxury to have someone working specifically as a Tester.
Now, Testers are an integral part of the SDLC, often being paid the same or more than Developers. The drive towards test automation continues to accelerate and the role of the SDET is seemingly changing the industry again. As well as this, I also hire into Software Engineering, Project Manager, Cloud Engineering, and a whole lot more.
What do you enjoy about working for Woodrow Mercer Tech? What do you enjoy most about working in recruitment?
Prior to joining Woodrow Mercer Tech in 2014, I’d worked for two much larger recruitment companies who far more formal processes and procedures. Both have their benefits, but Woodrow Mercer Tech has always stuck closely to its core values of being fun, creative, commercial and responsible.
I’m aware that company values can sometimes come across as being quite generic and disingenuous, but when I really think about these, they are absolutely true. Woodrow Mercer Tech has been an amazing journey for me, and I still relish the challenge of trying to improve both mine and my team’s overall performance every day.
What are your interests outside of work?
I love watching (not playing!) Football, supporting Aston Villa through thick and thin. Some people would say that I’m an eternal optimist, which is probably a pre-requisite if you support them. My other great passions are playing Badminton and Golf – both of them quite badly!
What your teammates say about you?
Matt is a fantastic manager, who manages a team of ‘strong personalities’ with ease! He is always on hand for guidance and advice when needed and he really helps keep the team focussed on what we need to be doing.
With 13 years recruiting experience, his knowledge is invaluable, and always on hand for advice. Matt sees the good in everyone and only flaw is being an avid villa supporter! But most of all, even at a time when we are largely apart, he makes sure we all feel united as a team.
What they say about us
I worked with Matt during my last job search, which led to my current role. Matt was thoroughly professional throughout my search and was quick and helpful in response to my queries during the process. I've previously recommended Matt to a colleague looking for a new Testing role, and would not hesitate to do so again.
QA Engineer | Client of Matt Drinkwater