Getting a list of people whose LinkedIn profiles contain the right keywords is becoming easier by the day.
The valuable bit is working out who's genuinely good.
What did they actually achieve? What was their contribution? Why did it work? What happened when things went wrong? What kind of business will get the best out of them?
That's the bit David enjoys.
Honest market advice
If the salary is wrong, the brief doesn't make sense or the process is likely to lose good people, David will tell you.
Not because being difficult is the point. Because finding out six weeks later helps nobody.
Long-term candidate relationships
Good recruitment is a people business.
Candidates aren't inventory and relationships don't begin when a vacancy lands. David has spent years building a network across marketing and agencies, often knowing people through several moves in their careers.
Manchester roots. UK-wide reach.
David is based in Manchester and has particularly deep roots across the North West marketing and agency market.
But the work isn't limited by the M60.
Essential supports senior and specialist hiring across the UK when the brief and market call for it.
A bit about the human behind it
David's a dad, a retired rugby player, an old-school raver at heart and somebody who'd still rather have a proper conversation over a coffee than hide behind another automated sequence.
He loves technology and AI when it makes recruitment better.
He just doesn't think it replaces knowing people.