Laura Collings

About Laura

When I graduated from the University of Edinburgh 20 years ago recruitment wasn't a path I considered. This particular journey started 10 years ago when I joined a small local family run firm called Vets Now as a member of their HR team after years of working in sales customer and project management. How companies develop and look after their employees had become a particular focus to me. It therefore made sense to begin studying for my postgraduate diploma in Human Resource Management. As time went by I fell in love with the veterinary industry and will never forget how at home I felt. I had the opportunity to undertake a six months secondment in the recruitment team and never looked back. I was lucky enough to be the first team member to work on the Nursing Edge programme and to have involvement in the initial setup of the original contact centre team.

Fast forward to the end of 2016 and I was approached by Debbie to join her in a little start up called Independent Vet Care. We were instrumental to the huge growth in the business and I'm proud of what we achieved in developing the in-house function into what it is today. As part of the farm working group I also helped expand the focus of staffing for this emerging discipline.

I now want to take those years of experience in both ECC and first opinion and share them with both clients and candidates on a closer one-to-one basis. I believe working with a smaller portfolio affording more time to each candidate and client as an individual will deliver the best results for all. The difference that can be made when getting the team dynamic right within veterinary practice is so incredibly important in is what gives me my sense of purpose. The fact that I'm still in touch with many of those vets and nurses I helped place into roles all those years ago is what makes what I do special to me. It's a true privilege to work with individuals who are so passionate about what they do and who do so much for others.

I live in Fife with my husband, two children and rescue cat, Topsy.