Partnership Renewal with Southend United
Jonathan Rhys Recruitment and Southend United Football Club are joining forces once again for the 2023/24 season.

We are thrilled to share that Jonathan Rhys Recruitment and Southend United Football Club are joining forces once again for another incredible year!
Southend United Football Club has a long history in English football, experiencing both success and challenging times. They currently compete in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football. While the club has faced recent difficulties, it remains a focal point of the Southend community.
We believe the power of teamwork, dedication, and talent brings success. We look forward to supporting our local football club through the upcoming season and follow Southend United’s development, both on and off the field.
“I would like to place on record our sincere thanks on behalf of everyone at the club to Adam and Jon for their continued, and generous, support of the football club”, said Rylee Doe, Commercial Executive at Southend United.
“Working with companies who have a vested interest in the local community is at the top of our long-term ambitions, and I’m delighted to continue our healthy relationship with Jonathan Rhys.”
If you’re interested building a career in recruitment, visit our Careers page.
Celebrating 5 Years of Jonathan Rhys
Since 2018, Jonathan Rhys Recruitment has gone from gone from strength to strength. The company is now in it’s 5th year, and we’ve got big goals ahead, from expanding in to new markets, to exploring new partnership and growth opportunities.
We asked Managing Partners, Adam Pighini and Jon Foan, to share their thoughts and experiences about the journey so far…
Video Transcription
5 years of Jonathan Rhys Recruitment, describe the journey in 3 words.
Adam: “I’d probably say a rollercoaster ride because there’s so many ups and downs and you never really know what’s around the corner.”
Jon: “It’s been bloody hard work! Day 1 we’ve had some big challenges, but to get to where we are today is unbelievable!”
What would you say has been the secret to your success?
Jon: “Hardwork…”
Adam: “Everybody is determined to work their hardest every day.”
Jon: “… And certainly sticking together through the good times and the harder times.”
If you could start again, is there anything (about the company) you would change?
Jon: “Personally, there would be nothing I would change.”
Adam: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, maybe I would have done it a year or two earlier but I believe that everything happens for a reason.”
What’s the best thing about working with each other?
Jon: “Adam is a clean freak so I don’t have to clean 😂.”
Adam: “I think Jon is a fantastic leader. He’s not only a phenomenal recruiter, he also has this ability to bring others along with him and help them succeed as well.”
Jon: “Adam is very organised which allows me to get on with my job.”
What’s the most annoying thing about working with each other?
Jon: “The most annoying thing about Adam is the way he eats rice cakes.”
Adam: “Jon’s most annoying habit is his ability to ruin any song that comes on the office radio.”
Share a funny memory with us…
Adam: “When someone noticed Kieran’s car rolling down the road and seeing him run down three flights of stairs to try and get to his car before it hit the fence. He forgot to put his handbrake on when he arrived in the morning!”
Where do you see Jonathan Rhys Recruitment in 5 years time?
Adam: “I hope in 5 years from now we are still in a really healthy position as a company and that we have retained all of the great characters that we have working for us today. Hopefully we would have grown a bit and added several new consultants to the team.”
Jon: “At the moment it is important that we are consistent in what we do in our current markets, and hopefully we would have explored new markets.”
Training Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uR1Ig9tsBg&t=2s
Recruitment Consultant Ellie Minns gives us an overview of the training provided by Jonathan Rhys.
For more information on our current vacancies, please visit our Careers page.
Hi, my name's Ellie and I'm a Consultant at Jonathan Rhys Recruitment.
In regards to training, what happened when you first joined?
So, before my first day at Jonathan Rhys, Adam kindly sent me over some key points, that I could do some revision on so that I was familiar with the basics of the IT industry.
From my first day onwards, Adam provided extensive 1-2-1 training sessions but broken down into short sessions, so that I wasn't bombarded with too much information at once. He would then build on this each session, always relaying questions back to me, so that he could ensure that I understood what we were going through.
How did the training benefit you personally?
If it wasn't for the training that Jonathan Rhys provided, some aspects of the role could have seemed really daunting or complicated but with each session, breaking it down into simple steps, I was then able to digest all of this information and then put my own twist on things when I went back to my desk to work.
What advice would you give anyone looking to join?
Regardless of your recruitment experience, if any, with the simplistic training that Jonathan Rhys provides, you'll be on the right step to success from the very first day of joining, and then the training is always there whenever you need it, regardless of how long you've been at the company for.
Our vision for 2022
Partner and Managing Director Adam Pighini explains the vision for Jonathan Rhys in 2022.
For more information on our current vacancies, please visit our Careers page.
Would you be able to summarise how 2021 was for the company?
2021 was a really successful year for the company. We had some amazing individual achievements but I think that maybe our biggest achievement was the fact that we were able to grow and bring through some young consultants, who had very limited experience before joining us, within recruitment.
We had three individuals who were able to achieve their first promotion within six months, so it does show that not only have we got some great individual talent but it also shows that as a company, we are able to help people develop and kick start their recruitment careers, which I think really important for the growth of Jonathan Rhys Recruitment.
What is the vision for 2022?
For 2022, Jon and I have set out a bit of a plan to grow the company. Although, we do want to do this organically and we want to do this in the right way. We're very conscious not to have a high staff turnover to ensure that everyone we bring into the business, comes in with the idea of genuinely being here for the long-term, and progressing their career within this company.
We want to get the sales floor that we have, filled up. We've got capacity for twenty people at the moment. There are currently twelve consultants on the floor, and the idea would be that hopefully by the end of this year, we have eighteen to twenty consultants on the floor, that are all more than capable of looking after customers and delivering to our accounts.
Can you tell us more about the roles currently available within the team?
We're hiring across the board for multiple positions. We are looking for people that want to kickstart their recruitment career, perhaps looking at graduates who are a little unsure about the direction to take their career or people who have worked within sales, who want to be rewarded better for their effort.
We're also looking for experienced consultants who we feel that there is a real gap in the market for. People that want an opportunity that can give them all the financial rewards that they would expect to see in London but give them an opportunity that's closer to home and more importantly cut down on the cost of that extensive travel, and gives them more of a work/life balance.
We need to maintain employee trust over profit
During this time we found that many companies have put their recruitment efforts on hold, leaving us with 60% fewer vacancies than we would usually take on as a business. Now more than ever, it is crucially important to ensure that our candidates stand out from the crowd. As we are all affected by this crisis, we take personal pride in achieving the best outcome for both parties.
We believe that this international slow-down of business has however offered a new opportunity for engagement on a more honest and personal level. We are using this time to get to know our clients and candidates and understand what their long-term ambitions and plans look like and we invite everyone to do the same!
There will undoubtedly be a shift in perspective when we come out on the other side of this. Companies will be remembered for what they have done to support and develop their staff and employees will be thanked for making small personal sacrifices to help their firm's journey through Covid19. But more than anything, there will be more focus on stability within businesses than ever before. This is why, at a time like this we want to ensure as much security as possible for anyone that we are placing in a new position. Similarly, we aim to give our clients a choice of candidates who will help their business navigate through this phase with their skills and dedication.
So if you, like many others feel anxious about your employment or want to have an open conversation about what your next steps may look like, we encourage you to contact us and follow our LinkedIn for industry updates. This is foreign territory for everyone, so let's connect and help one another!