Vanessa Skinner

About Vanessa

Vanessa’s very first job was in telephone sales, selling advertising space in the Yellow Pages to the general public. That experience taught her a great deal: the power of kindness, the importance of truly listening, and, most of all - resilience.

She then took a surprising detour into computer coding. Despite her own admission that her dog probably has better IT skills, but still, it was part of the journey. Like many others, she then “fell” into Recruitment, assuming it would be a temporary move. That was over 35 years ago, and she’s still in the industry.

Throughout her career, Vanessa has always tried to show up as her authentic self. Now, as a near-qualified Therapist, she understands even more deeply how powerful authenticity is in building meaningful, lasting relationships. Many of the clients she worked with in her 20s are still with her today, a privilege she doesn’t take lightly.

At the core of it all, Vanessa simply loves working with people. Human connection is in her DNA. After more than three decades in Recruitment, she decided four years ago to begin training as a Therapist and is currently undertaking a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and completing her placement as a student Therapist in a medical centre. Over the years, she’s often helped clients rebuild their confidence after a career knock or break, and she’s seen first-hand how powerful it can be just to hold space for someone to think things through. Often, the mind that holds the problem also holds the solution.

She believes the future of recruitment, especially with the rise of AI, will require a balance between leveraging data and human intuition. AI can help streamline the process by matching candidates with roles based on their CVs or online profiles, but hiring someone based purely on skill alignment doesn’t guarantee success. It’s equally important to explore how an organisation will support that individual psychologically. Do the values of the business align with those of the new hire? Is there clarity and honesty around expectations? These are the questions Vanessa believes truly matter.

When working with clients and candidates, Vanessa also explores cultural behaviour. How do they handle conflict? Do they use frameworks like transactional analysis to understand how people show up, and how they might adapt their behaviour to work more effectively with others?

At the heart of her work, Vanessa’s values remain clear: moving a candidate isn’t just a transaction. It’s a responsibility. Of course, every individual has agency, but as a recruiter, she believes in focusing on long-term success - not just the commercial fee. She’s a strong advocate for bringing behavioural science into recruitment, knowing it can make all the difference.

Outside of work, Vanessa is passionate about neuroscience. These days, she’s also a bit of a bookworm and enjoys drawing, sketching, and singing (badly!). There’s nothing better, in her view, than coffee and cake with a good friend. And if you’ve been one of those friends, past or present, she’s deeply grateful.