Oli Lavender

The Plan B That Became the Plan

Oli's original ambition was the British Air Force. After going through the selection process, he found himself needing to rethink his plans after being turned down because of childhood asthma. At 18 and 19, he found himself exploring what might come next.

Like many people starting out, he turned to job boards and began looking at the opportunities available. Recruitment stood out for a simple reason: he enjoyed talking to people, and the idea of helping someone receive good news appealed to him. When he found a role at nDreams, he applied. The position closed, but he applied again and eventually secured the role.

It was his first proper job outside of shifts at Tesco and McDonald's, and he describes the transition as a culture shock in the best sense. He was entering a professional environment, learning new skills, and quickly discovering that recruitment involved far more than administration. Before long, he was supporting candidates through the process and helping people reach exciting next steps in their careers.

"I was offering people jobs," he says of those early months. "I wasn't just booking interviews."

Suzie, Katy, and the Education of a Young Recruiter

When asked who helped shape his early career, Oli is quick to highlight the people around him. Suzie, a coworker at the time, played a key role in helping him develop his recruitment skills and understand the profession. Their partnership, which lasted from 2022 until April of this year, remains one of the relationships he credits most in his development.

Another important influence was Katy, who joined as Head of Recruitment in July 2023 and worked with Oli through the end of 2024. Having first encountered her during the hiring process, Oli then worked closely with her as she helped broaden his responsibilities.

Katy gave Oli the opportunity to screen candidates, manage requisitions, and run searches from start to finish. The experience helped him build not only technical recruitment skills, but also the judgement and confidence needed to operate independently.

The common theme in how Oli speaks about both women is clear: he sees his development as something shaped by the people who supported and trusted him.

A Tool, Not a Substitute

On artificial intelligence, Oli takes a measured approach. He sees AI as a useful tool with the potential to make work easier and improve the way people approach their roles.

For him, its value comes from supporting human judgement rather than replacing it. He uses AI where it can help refine language, such as improving job adverts or finding the right wording for an email, while continuing to rely on established recruitment processes and tools.

His view is that the technology itself is not the issue. The important distinction is whether AI is being used to enhance someone's thinking or whether it is replacing the thought process altogether.

The Half of the Job Nobody Warns You About

Asked what advice he would give someone entering talent acquisition, Oli points to a part of recruitment that is often overlooked. When he first entered the profession, he was drawn to the opportunity to deliver good news and help people take the next step in their careers.

Over time, he learned that recruitment also involves difficult conversations and delivering disappointing outcomes. That realisation shaped his approach to candidate experience.

His advice is simple: put the same care and effort into conversations with unsuccessful candidates as you do with those receiving offers. For someone who entered recruitment because he enjoyed helping people, maintaining that standard throughout the process remains an important part of the job.

From Recruitment to Data Analysis

The most recent stage of Oli's career has seen him expand into data analysis. Towards the end of 2024, his analytical skills became increasingly valuable to the business, and what began as supporting with data developed into a broader responsibility.

From January 2025 onward, data analysis became his primary job function, alongside continued support for recruitment. The move reflects the wider theme of his career: building on existing skills and finding new ways to contribute.

Four years after joining nDreams as a teenager starting his first professional role, Oli has developed across multiple disciplines while continuing to grow within the same organisation. His journey has been shaped by curiosity, the support of those around him, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities.