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One Year Catch Up With Managing Director Keith

Digital Source has grown as a company over the past year, continuing to deliver cutting-edge talent and roles within tech recruitment. One year ago, we were joined by a new addition to the team, Keith Hudson. To mark the occasion of his one-year anniversary in this role, we caught up with Keith to reflect on this first year and learn all about the biggest milestones and lessons along the way. Jump in!

Hi Keith, exactly a year ago, you became Managing Director of DS; Congratulations! Can you tell us how your journey began?

Hi! Sure, before joining DS I had an amazing experience working in Tokyo for 9 years with my previous company. Many factors came into play and it was time to be a little closer to home (Ireland). Luckily some connections pointed me towards Digital Source/PCN and within a few months my commute into Tokyo station changed to going into the office on Keizersgracht. Definitely less people on the train!

What do you like most about working at Digital Source?

A new change means a lot of new faces and it’s been great to work with my new colleagues. Due to the pandemic, I had to meet a lot of people online initially, but as things opened up it was great to meet face to face! I also love the 4 day work week 😉 it impacts everyone here in a different way and you can see the benefits.

How do you find our company culture? Has anything changed since you first started?

One day I went into the office to pick up everything I needed and then it was remote work and lockdown. Culture was only online initially. A lot happened in my first year — new faces, new clients and new people to help. Now that things are finally opening back up, the culture is only getting better. 

In your role, you have had the opportunity to mentor new members of the DS team through our grad program. What is one characteristic that is essential for people entering recruitment? 

Bouncebackability! Like most professions you have days when you win and some days when you try to win but it doesn’t work out as expected. Those who are able to bounce back, keep focusing on the little wins, and learn from mistakes are going in the right direction. 

people sitting on chair

What is the biggest lesson you learned over the past year and how did this challenge you? 

Hopefully I’ve learned a few lessons over the past year. Entering any new company is a challenge. Figuring out how things work, settling in, new location, meeting new people, remote, going into the office, back to remote, lockdowns, restricted travel to see family and friends. Lots of small challenges and lessons along the way. 

According to you, what hiring trends did you see last year and what can we expect from this? 

I had the chance to work with several clients who are fully remote. Companies offering remote work for their employees have opened up so many doors. Clients based in The Netherlands or Germany who are able to hire people remotely across the EU and elsewhere have had a huge impact on the speed at which they can grow. More importantly it has given employees the chance to work with companies they probably wouldn’t have thought possible because of the location. Finding the right talent is tough, companies who are flexible in this regard will continue to bring in the right people. 

silver iMac near iPhone on brown wooden table

What excites you most about where DS is heading?

Into a 3 day work week? Too ambitious? 😉 We take it one day at a time. Clients and candidates we help now will help us get to where we need to go!

Thank you Keith for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences so far as Managing Director at Digital Source. To hear more about Keith’s industry insight and expertise, join us at our virtual event ‘Careers in Coding’, hosted by Digital Source  in collaboration with Coders Lab – IT Academy. The event is taking place on Thursday March 24th at 4PM CET. Sign up below, to reserve your spot!

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