Peter Kelly – Co-founder and CEO of FourWho® LTD
Many industries seem ripe for disruption. In this digital first-age, developments move swiftly, regardless of whether businesses are ready or not to react and embrace change. By all regards, technology has, and continues to be, the great driver of industry evolution, creating dramatic paradigm shifts across the global business landscape.
In the wake of these shifts, some industries have aged better than others, and today’s recruitment sector is a far cry from the best practices of the past. Increased interconnectivity and social media have done wonders in realising a job seeker’s needs in the modern market. However, it was clear that more needed to be done, and that is where FourWho and Imployable come in.
Created to increase recruitment efficiency on both sides of the process, Imployable looks set to reinvigorate a sector that has, in many ways, become stale. To start, Peter offers a brief overview of the app and its approach to recruitment. “Imployable is a job finder app and web platform that is designed to change how people get employed. Our innovative career app allows users to see
how they fit compared to the jobs you are offering: if they don’t meet the requirements then they can’t apply, and we show them what, how and where they can get the experience and qualifications they need.
This saves employers time not sifting through unqualified candidates and allows them to focus their time on hiring people who fit. Ultimately, we have a Total Addressable Market (TAM) of over 30 million people in the UK, and our app can support everyone from the unemployed, to disability in employment, ex-offenders to military leavers and people looking to transition careers.”
There can be no doubt that the potential for Imployable’s growth seems almost limitless, as it eyes moving into other markets, with the goal of being the number 1 job search app in the UK over the coming years. As a CEO, Peter is ambitious and driven, driving FourWho’s potential, and seeking new opportunities to capitalise on. These are essential qualities of a leader in charge of guiding a start-up to success, as Peter explains: “Being the CEO of a start-up means I have to wear many hats, one moment I can be doing sales, and the next,speaking to developers on tech requirements and everything in between. What is most important is leading the orchestra; I have a large team and they all look to me for guidance and leadership. I tell my staff that there is no such thing as failure, only outcomes, if we get an outcome we didn’t expect, we change it and try again.”
Peter continues, emphasising the almost chameleonic demands of a CEO as they constantly adapt to challenges: “I fully believe that a CEO shouldn’t have one leadership style, they must be on every part of the leadership spectrum at different times, as the situation dictates. Sometimes I give complete autonomy to the team to come up with a solution to a problem, other times, we may have to sit down and carefully look at options and I make the
end decision on moving forward.”
Peter’s energy becomes evident when asked about FourWho’s success and his role in securing it. As a former Royal Marines Commando, he fundamentally understands the importance of teamwork, alongside the importance of his almost indomitable will to see his plans come to fruition, regardless of difficulty or complexity.
“The key to success is to have the ability to get things done – it’s certainly a Royal Marines trait – we look at a task, we create a plan and we execute it, no excuses. Also, if you bang on someone’s door long enough they will soon answer, just make sure it is worth their while.”
“For example, we knew we wanted to make a big impact quickly, so we needed to get in front of policy makers in business and in Government. So, instead of starting in the middle and working our way up we directly contacted the heads of business and heads of departments. I emailed the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer directly and a week later we were in a meeting at Whitehall in London.”
It’s no surprise that Peter’s advice to others wanting to become successful runs along similar lines, as he stresses the everyday challenges of leadership and building a business from the ground up. “Take every opportunity, be prepared to work harder than you ever have in your life, I spent 10 years as a Royal Marine, spending time in some of the most inhabitable places in the world under some of the most stressful situations whilst being mentally and physically drained… at times, running this company has been harder than that. Be prepared for hard work, and lots of unexpected issues. In the end the having the right mindset will ensure you come out the other end stronger and more determined.”
Contact: Peter Kelly Company: Fourwho® / Imployable®
Address: Kemp House, 160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom
Website: www.imployable.me
Telephone: 0800 772 1467
