Shaping Success Stories

Pairing exceptional business acumen with genuine emotional engagement

Professionalism, listening, engagement, support. These are just a few of the powerful words its employees use to describe Approach People, aptly demonstrating why the company is a Best Staffing Firm to Work For.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Approach People’s mission is to support its clients’ expansion by providing an array of efficient recruitment services and a team of multilingual consultants.

Over the past 24 years, the company has grown to eight offices across Europe and the United Arab Emirates, serving an array of industries that include IT, marketing, engineering, life sciences, finance and fashion. This is its second appearance on SIA’s Best Staffing Firm to Work For list.

A Culture of Care

Ashley McCartan, who joined Approach People’s team of 50 employees in 2023 as an international recruitment consultant, praises the company’s unique blend of senior leadership and care.

“Approach People is where you’ll find exceptional business acumen paired with genuine emotional engagement,” McCartan says. “When you find a place where the leadership not only shares knowledge but also invests in your growth, success is inevitable.”

Perrine Vincent, a seasoned HR business partner with four years of experience at the company, echoes similar sentiments that highlight the company’s inclusivity and support.

“Every day, Approach People reminds us that we’re not cogs in a machine,” she says, recalling a time the company was particularly supportive of a colleague who was battling cancer. The employee was a French immigrant and had to return to France for treatment. Without hesitation, Approach People let her work remotely from there.

“Great communication starts with listening,” Vincent says. “We know, the day we need the leadership to hear us out, they’ll be there to listen.”

Long-Term Partnerships

Trust is key to building successful long-term business relations and Approach People has upheld this value by prioritizing employee satisfaction, cooperation, motivation and innovation.

For Emilie Narcy, an HR and operations director, this mutual trust strengthens internal company bonds, while also maintaining outside relationships, as her experience shows. After spending two formative years with Approach People, she left to explore other opportunities.

Despite the move, Narcy’s connection with Approach People remained strong as it was her top recruitment supplier at other firms.

In 2018 she returned to the company.

“Approach People was always my go-to supplier in recruitment due to its efficiency and professionalism,” Narcy says now. “Returning to the firm has felt like coming home. The company led me to discover myself, evolve as a consultant and embark on an international career. Being welcomed back as an operational director a decade later was truly rewarding.”

Indeed, the company’s efforts have yielded tangible results, with increased employee satisfaction and turnover.

Authentic Generosity

Approach People goes far beyond empty slogans by providing multiple opportunities for its staff to thrive.

“When I expressed interest in management, the leadership wholeheartedly supported me,” Vincent says. “And when I needed to learn English from scratch, they provided intense training without batting an eye.”

This was notable because it can take months, even years to learn a new language, Vincent says. “Such instances do not happen often because not every organization invests in its employees’ growth with such sincerity.”

McCartan agrees, citing that many companies paint a pretty picture, but only a few embody authenticity.

“Here there are no blurred lines, everything’s crystal clear,” McCartan says. “It all depends on what one wants, and management is genuinely flexible in its approach.”

A Sense of Collective Responsibility

Like other firms, Approach People adapted its operating practices during Covid-19 and has retained some of the changes. Embracing a hybrid model, employees spend two days in the offices but maintain collaboration through daily morning kick-up Zoom meetings.

“Covid taught us invaluable lessons and introduced us to some best practices,” Narcy says. “Our offices now collaborate more closely than ever. We stay connected, keeping each other updated on project assignments and projects.”

And while the company is still structured on the five-day workweek, the hybrid model enables employees to work from anywhere. With Monday and Friday being remote days, employees appreciate the opportunity to get away from home for a longer weekend even while still working.

Approach People also ensures that its people have a conducive and healthy work environments even while working remotely and it provides incentives to set up comfortable workspaces at home.

For example, the company provides a monthly allowance to employees, enabling them to invest in essentials like Wi-Fi, chairs, or even a second screen. “The goal is to provide for anything and everything that would let them work perfectly from home,” Narcy says.

Looking Ahead with Optimism

As Approach People charts its course for the future, the company remains dedicated to celebrating every triumph and prioritizing investment in its people.

For Narcy, people are an organization’s greatest assets, and investing in them is imperative to reach monumental milestones.

“Sometimes, one step towards a milestone can taste as sweet as the end goal,” she says.