What others say

We retained Inspired Search when looking for a top-level Executive Editor in the UK and were delighted with both the service and the results! The level of attention and care we received was among the very highest caliber I’ve ever had from any service company. They brought in their entire team to help us and immediately made impressive progress. During every step of the process, they were continually a step ahead of where I expected and making impressive progress. Throughout the search, I felt valued and knew that they would do anything needed to get the job done. Being a US-based business, having a Search partner who understood the market in such depth and had access to a diverse network of publishing professionals was invaluable. We had specific requirements for this role and were determined to get the best in class for it. The research and insight that Abigail and the Inspired Search team were able to provide meant that this was the case and they matched our determination with clear passion and intelligence, not stopping until we had the desired result and always eager to jump on a call or meet in person to ensure they understand exactly what we wanted and were up to speed on the latest progress. I would highly recommend using their service for an executive search for any leadership position and would choose to work with them again on our next leadership hire.

Since joining Bloomsbury in March 2021, I have been working closely with Jennie Hooper and the Inspired Selection team as preferred agency partners. I have found Jennie and the team to not only be knowledgeable across the publishing sector, but also efficient, friendly and we have forged a real working partnership. They have gone above and beyond to support myself and the hiring managers in our search for the right fit for Bloomsbury and they rise to any challenge we put to them! Inspired Selection have made several key placements with us and I look forward to a continued successful relationship with the Inspired Selection team.

Throughout the entire application process, Rhiannon was a pleasure to work with and frequently checked in with both my organisation and I. She took the time to call me to check on my progress after each interview I had. She was always willing to respond and didn't hold back when I needed clarity on specific steps in the process.

Abigail is a pleasure to work with - she has an impressive work ethic, is comfortable with changing demands, and flexes her approach to specific needs. Throughout our search for an executive board position, Abigail was with us every step of the way - she took time to understand the organisation and the role thoroughly, meeting with other senior executives in the business; she also undertook one of the most comprehensive searches I have ever seen, which allowed us the opportunity to refine and really stress-test what we were looking for in the ideal candidate. I thought three months would be ambitious from initial scoping through to appointment, but because of the upfront work and due diligence from Abigail, we secured our candidate in that timeframe. I'd recommend the Inspired approach and Abigail highly. 

Esme has provided excellent service in helping our team recruit for various editorial roles. She has taken the time to really get to know what we are looking at, and only sent candidates our way that were suitable for the positions we were looking to fill. Personable as well as professional, I hope to have the chance to work with Esme again in the future.

Rhiannon has now placed me in my last two jobs. Rhiannon is always a pleasure to speak to, and has now twice taken me through the final process of job placement, following the job offer - she is a steadying hand during a time where things might be positive, but details still need to be worked out. I've found Rhiannon to be a pleasure to work with, and someone I would recommend any publishing professional to work with.

Inspired selection has been key in helping us find incredible talent for our business. They are thorough at every stage of the process and always available to answer any questions we have or give further in-depth information and advice around candidates and hiring process. We are extremely grateful for the exemplary people they have brought into our business! Further to that, Verity has been an absolute pleasure to work with, she knows our business well and the process always runs smoothly.

Abigail has been absolutely a delight to work with.  Her expertise, professionalism and detailed analysis of each candidate presented was outstanding.  Abigail went above and beyond with her time and efforts in building relationship with more than one contact with those involved with the recruitment.  We have been really impressed and I have worked with many exec recruiters and I can say Abigail has been one of the best.  Her personality and knowledge are assets.

It’s been a real pleasure to work with Inspired Selection over the last two years and I have no hesitation in recommending them. They do a thorough job of vetting applicants and making sure the candidate is both a good fit for the role, and for the Twig culture too. Their communication and attention to detail is excellent and I really appreciate their friendly approach.

It was a real pleasure working with Abigail, who headhunted my successor as Managing Director of Gallic Books and Belgravia Books. It’s not easy to find someone to replace a founder and MD but Abigail’s research led to the best possible candidate.

Rhiannon helped me find a very good job in the publishing industry. She found the strengths in my CV and guided me towards the most appropriate opportunities. She was very supportive, knowledgeable, communicative and helpful throughout the process, and her assistance was valuable. She truly is excellent at her job.

Inspired Selection played an integral part in matching me to my ideal role, through carefully planning and facilitating my interviews. They were helpful, friendly and reliable and I'd certainly recommend them to a friend!

Jennie is a highly skilled publishing recruiter with brilliant communication, negotiation and people skills. Throughout the recruitment process she was always on hand to offer a wise word of advice, encouragement or provide support, and proved invaluable when it came to agreeing the final job offer. I hope we'll work together again in the not-too-distant future.

Rhiannon takes great care in matching applicant’s skills to clients briefs, giving both parties the best possible chance at finding the most suitable match. Rhiannon is supportive and responsive which is very reassuring during interview prep, post interview and negotiation stages, gave me peace of mind that I would always get timely updates, and answers to my questions, no matter how trivial. I felt Rhiannon’s approach to recruitment was very personal, she really listens and negotiates with care and sensitivity. I have had such a positive experience and would highly recommend Rhiannon.

I have worked with Esme for 4 years and Esme is always my first choice when looking to recruit for our Publishing team. Esme’s love of what she does is very apparent, she is efficient, thorough, an excellent communicator, knowledgeable and above all a charming person to work with. I can highly recommend Esme.

Rhiannon put me forward for the role I am currently in. She was incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. She kept me informed throughout and spoke to me before and after each stage, which I greatly appreciated. I would highly recommend Rhiannon to anyone looking the next step in their career in publishing.

I would thoroughly recommend Inspired Search / Abigail Barclay to anyone looking for a thorough, professional and effective recruitment service. Abigail took a brief and produced a detailed talent map across the industry within 4 weeks. She handled the interviews with searching, targeted questions really pushing candidates to explore their skills and experience. The shortlisting process produced 6 potential candidates all of whom were well-equipped to fill the role. This was no mean feat and the great thing was I knew she had looked in even the less obvious places so I was sure I wasn’t missing any hidden talent. The whole process took less than 3 months to appoint a senior executive role without absorbing a huge amount of my time as Abigail had done all the ground work. Finding the right person is hugely important and I know we’ve got the very best candidate in place. Huge thanks for a job well done – I’d certainly recommend this headhunting service to anyone in the industry.

Verity really took the time to really understand our business, team and the requirements we had for each role.  This made all of the difference in the quality of candidates that we got to meet and has led to us finding brilliant new individuals for the team, time and time again.  I’d 100% recommend her and the Inspired Selection team.

I reached out to Alice Bidetti for a difficult task finding a new colleague in Scandinavia. She was very professional in her approach and did a very good analysis around my needs for the job-position. Alice quickly came back with a short-list of candidates and they all were very qualified. We ended up hiring one of her findings. I can highly recommend working together with Alice and will not hesitate to use her again.

As an international candidate in educational publishing, I knew I would be difficult to place. Not only was Rhiannon happy to take me on, but she managed to find the perfect role for me in a matter of weeks with a company that was willing to sponsor my visa. She was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the process. At our first meeting she was honest about the difficulties but took the time to talk through my experience in detail and fully understand my skills and exactly what I was looking for. The first role she suggested to me could not have been a more ideal fit, and throughout the interview process she was always available for help and advice. I could not be happier in my new job, and I am incredibly grateful to Rhiannon for making it possible!

In setting out to find a new CEO the Boydell & Brewer Board knew it would need expert support and assistance. We gave Inspired Selection a stiff challenge and tight criteria to follow. From the start. Abigail demonstrated detailed market knowledge and an efficiency that made it clear we were in safe hands. The process worked well and the guidance we received was invaluable. The Board made an appointment which met all the criteria and put us in a strong position for the future.

Working with Esme, over the years Kogan Page have recruited some outstanding candidates. It’s never great when a key member of staff resigns, but knowing you can call someone who understands your market and marketing job roles you are recruiting for to an operational level of detail is so helpful. Esme has taken the time to understand Kogan Page’s culture, which means I get quality focussed CVs, saving me trawling through paperwork and wasted interview time. She is professional and a pleasure to work with.

I have worked with Verity to fill a number of vacancies recently, for roles at varying experience levels. I have been impressed with the calibre of candidates she puts forward and we have made some great appointments as a result. Verity has also been very helpful in answering some general questions about recruitment, and I appreciate her willingness to share her expertise.

I turned to Inspired Selection for help in recruiting a new Publicity Executive after having had no success with my own attempts elsewhere. I'm so glad I did. They talked me through their process, found out my exact requirements and then sent me the CVs of numerous suitable applicants in double quick time. This resulted in Laurence King Publishing employing a great new member of staff. Inspired Selection were in constant contact throughout the recruitment process and always followed up after an interview to see how it went. They were great to work with and I would definitely go straight to them in the future when looking for new staff.

Inspired Selection have consistently delivered high quality candidates across a wide range of roles that we've used them to recruit for. I'm particularly impressed with the professional way that Verity and her team take time to understand the brief and focus their search on exactly the high calibre of talent that we are looking for at Sumdog. Out of all the agencies we have used, Inspired is the one that we know will get results from. I highly recommend them.

Abigail and her colleagues at Inspired Selection stand way ahead of other recruitment firms in terms of professionalism, diligence and commitment to both clients and candidates. They have a personal touch and work to align skills, experience and ethos. A great experience as a candidate. Can wholeheartedly recommend them.

We have worked closely with Alice on the recruitment of several editorial roles at EUP over the last 12 months, across various levels of seniority from Commissioning Editor through Senior Commissioning Editor to Head of Editorial (Books). She has always been approachable, thoughtful and incredibly generous in her advice, and has on every occasion secured an outstanding range of candidates for interview. Crucially this has in each case led to the successful hiring of the right person, enhancing our editorial team. Alice’s professionalism and enthusiasm, as well as her empathy, means we always have full confidence in her ability to match the right candidates with EUP, and we look forward to continuing to work with Alice as we grow our team.

I have worked with Verity for many years, as one of her clients. Verity is a trusted and valued recruiter of ours, who has filled many of our publishing jobs of varying levels, throughout the whole EMEA region. Verity always goes above and beyond in her role, providing advice to us on market conditions, market rates and helping us with some of our job evaluations that we carry out. Verity instinctively knows which candidates will suit the ethos of our business, and really 'knows her stuff' when it comes to EdTech, and digital publishing companies.

Huge thanks to Rhianna Patmore and Alice Bidetti at Inspired Selection for helping me find the perfect job. I was retuning to a permanent position after having children and freelancing, so I very much appreciated their guidance and personal touch. Rhianna talked me through the process and made sure I was fully prepared for the interview. She explained the role and provided as much background information as possible and took so much time and care throughout the whole process. I’m very grateful to both Rhianna and Alice and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Inspired Selection.

I’ve worked with Esme from both sides—as a candidate and a hiring manager—and I couldn’t recommend her more highly. Her integrity, professionalism, and warmth shines through in every interaction, which is why she’s the first person I go to when a vacancy opens up. Trust is so important when working with recruitment consultants, and I trust Esme completely.

Finding quality candidates is difficult. I know, I’ve tried myself. I manage a small but hectic marketing team for a high-profile publisher so employing adaptable, highly competent people that I can rely on is a must. After weeks of misery failing to attract any suitable candidates, I spoke to Alice at Inspired Selection. A short conversation later, she knew exactly who I was looking for and has since provided not one but two excellent candidates who are both now valued members of my team.

Inspired Selection were superb when I was seeking a new position, helpful and communicative at every step and ultimately helped me land a role where I am extremely happy. Subsequently, I used Inspired to help me build my team and I am delighted with the results.

Inspired Selection have helped me fill some tricky roles in the last year.  I find the consultants to have in-depth market knowledge and they have an instinctive understanding of the right “fit” for RICS.  It is always fun to work with Inspired Selection and I highly recommend them.

Abigail at Inspired Selection was brilliant throughout my job hunting period. She assessed my skills well in the initial interview and assisted me with my interview preparation which definitely helped me land my dream job! Her communication and feedback was excellent too during the process. Her manner was professional with friendly guided encouragement, which allowed the process to run smoothly. Highly recommended.

It’s so refreshing to find a recruitment consultancy that I can trust to work on my positions! The team at Inspired Selection always take the time to understand my team’s requirements and take care in the selection of candidates. They have provided great support for some very difficult roles and I always seem to interview the candidates they send through! They are honest and provide useful feedback to make our recruitment process easier. When I meet with candidates they always feedback on the positive experience they have had with Inspired – which is such an important of the on-boarding process. 

I look forward to continuing working with them in the future! 

I’m hugely grateful to Inspired Selection. Over and above their expertise, wide range of contacts and friendly approach is their commitment to and passion for what they are doing. No other recruitment business I have come across has been prepared to take the time needed to get to know candidates’ strengths and potentials or to probe a company’s imagined and real needs. Inspired’s intelligent questioning and personable support have made a real difference to us.

We realised very last minute that we needed someone to help us prepare some data for an upcoming launch. Suzy and her team were brilliant - quickly getting to grips with our requirements and finding us a great temp with very little notice; Friday afternoon to start Monday morning! I wouldn't hesitate to use them again in future to find suitable candidates to fill a permanent role or for short-term staffing needs.