Engineering Specialist
Michael is one of Archway’s founding Directors and specialises in the geotechnical engineering sector across New Zealand. Get to know Michael below:
Tell us your name, nickname and where you are located
Michael – nickname is Macca and I’m based in Auckland.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I moved to New Zealand in 2012 from Edinburgh, Scotland. My wife and I moved over with four boys all under six years old. I still don’t quite know how we managed a 36-hour flight with four small children!
I live in Auckland with my wife Jo, the four boys plus five cats and Abby the dog. The house is nuts and I love coming to work with Abby! P.S. – I’m not a cat lover.
What do you do at Archway Recruitment?
I’m a Director of the business, I run the Auckland office and recruit in the geotechnical engineering sector.
Who do you work with?
I love working with people and enjoy meeting engineers and consultancies in person. It’s a bit old-fashioned to do this as so many arrange meetings via Teams but I find making that bit more effort is invaluable.
What industries do you recruit within?
I have recruited in civil, structural and power engineering sectors but have spent the last four years focusing on geotechnical engineering. I find it really interesting as before you can build, you need to know what’s beneath the ground.
How do you spend your time at work?
I tend to spend four days working in the office and one day working from home. Most of the team do something similar but we all try to be in the office for three days per week. I think being in the office is important for those days as it allows the business the chance to grow and learn from one another.
How many candidates on average do you interview a month?
I don’t recruit as much as I once did but I like to meet five or six people in person each month. They may not want to move right away but at least they know who will help when the time arrives, and – I also like coffee.
What is the best excuse you’ve had for someone being late to a job interview?
In Edinburgh, a candidate was late for an interview and he cited a gas leak from his electric fire as the reason.
What is the most interesting role you have recruited or placed?
I had a meeting at Faslane, a Royal Navy Nuclear submarine base in Glasgow, Scotland. The consultancy needed a nuclear safety engineer to be based on site. I had to send my passport away six weeks before the meeting to gain clearance. A fascinating but terrifying place!
If you could give a candidate one piece of advice what would it be?
Smile and relax. Talk about things you know and if you don’t know something, be honest and transparent. Those areas of perceived weakness are the areas for development and will interest the client.
If you could give a client one piece of advice what would it be?
The perfect candidate isn’t out there. They are often the person that has just left your business. Pick the candidate who is driven and determined over the one with the strongest academic record.
How do you spend your spare time?
Trying to avoid cats with plenty of dog walks to the Beer Spot in Panmure. I also enjoy watching my boys play football – they are way better than me and play throughout the year.
What do you do for fun?
I like cycling (I have five bikes) and it can become an obsession. I also love fishing whether that’s flyfishing or trying to catch Kingfish in the Hauraki Gulf.
What career did you want to have when you were a kid?
I always liked the idea of cooking and being a chef. After six months of working split shifts in a busy kitchen, I knew my days of being Gordon Ramsey were numbered!
Are you a candidate or client looking for a job or employee within the Engineering sector? Reach out to Michael for a chat.
