It’s no surprise that Pete Shillito found his passion in recruiting for the manufacturing and engineering industries. A proud Sheffielder with roots in the industrial sector, his lineage includes family who worked at Sheffield Forgemasters and a father who was a pipe-fitter/welder. Now at the helm of Adept Group – a South Yorkshire-based recruitment company comprising Shillito Executive Search and Adept Resourcing – Pete sat down with unLTD to discuss the ever-changing industry and why an overreliance on AI and automation isn’t the silver bullet many assume. it is.
Successful recruitment comes down to building relationships, and that’s how I’ve always seen it,” he says. With nearly two decades in the industry, Pete has placed candidates and worked with clients who return to him repeatedly. “The people I work with now are those I’ve known for years. I know what they like, and they know I’m not going to waste their time or mislead them.”
Pete’s approach to recruitment is grounded in the value of relationships: meaningful long-term connections are key to placing candidates effectively. “The people who are successful in recruitment are the ones who ring people, meet people and forge relationships,” he explains. His work often involves re-engaging with people he’s known for over a decade, whether placing them in jobs or helping them recruit.
The team at Adept Group, which Pete co-owns with his business partner Alex Baker, embraces a similar relationship-driven approach. Each recruiter focuses on specific roles, from shop floor CNC positions to high-level commercial and managerial roles. This structure allows team members to become well-known experts in their niches, fostering trust among both clients and candidates.
With nearly 20 years in recruitment, Pete has witnessed a dramatic transformation in how people engage with the industry. “When I started, recruitment was all about building those long-term connections,” he says. “That’s still the core of good recruitment, but Covid and technology have changed how many people operate – and not always for the better.”
The best recruiters, he believes, still follow practices that have worked for decades. “Everyone who’s successful in recruitment does it the same way – by building relationships,” he explains. But he has notice a growing reluctance to embrace personal interactions, a trend he attributes to cultural shifts and pandemic-driven habits. “Covid has made it trickier because people don’t want to speak on the phone or meet face-to-face. But if you’re just sending emails or LinkedIn messages, you’re only scratching the surface.”
His approach involves deeper engagement – taking the time to meet clients in person, which he finds essential to understanding their needs and finding the best talent match. “AI can’t read someone’s expression, can’t hear the pitch of their voice. It can’t build rapport,” he points out. “That’s why I think AI will never fully take over recruitment – it can’t replicate those nuanced human connections.”
As AI tools become increasingly prevalent not only in recruitment but across almost all sectors, Pete recognises their potential for certain tasks but remains cautious about overreliance on technology. “You can streamline some parts of the recruitment process with AI, like initial sifting or automated messages, but it also has limitations,” he says. An example might be larger businesses using website chatbots for the first round of candidate screening, but he feels this approach can only go so far. “A chatbot can ask a candidate a set of questions, but it can’t assess culture fit or make a candidate feel genuinely valued.”
He’s also noticed the impact of AI on platforms like LinkedIn, where AI-generated content has become more common, leading to a lack of originality and authenticity. “I can spot an AI-generated LinkedIn post from a mile off – the language just doesn’t match the person I know. If I post something, I want it to reflect me, not sound like an algorithm.”
Another major shift observed in recruitment is how candidates are found. “It used to be that we’d post a job advert and get hundreds of responses,” he recalls. “Now, advertising is more expensive, and people don’t respond to job ads like they used to.” This shift has prompted a more dynamic approach, reaching out directly to potential candidates rather than waiting for applications.
Finding the right fit now often involves tapping into networks and approaching professionals, even if they might not be actively seeking new roles. “I might have known someone for a decade, and I’ll reach out to them if a role feels right for them,” he explains. “Sometimes the best candidates are the ones who aren’t looking.” This proactive search strategy, he believes, is essential to stay competitive in an industry that has shifted away from traditional job posting.
The tightening UK job market has also had its say, adding new pressures to the recruitment industry. “We’ve come out of a period where there was a record number of jobs in the country, but now job numbers have dipped month on month,” Pete explains.
“You have to do more to get the same output. If you’re not ready to put in the work – meet people, follow up and actively network – recruitment can be a tough career.”
In this landscape, his advice is that adaptability is critical. The focus on building relationships that can withstand fluctuations in the market has proven successful for Adept Group. “When a client chooses us over other agencies, it’s always rewarding,” he says. “It’s a signal that our approach to building relationships and really understanding the client’s needs is paying off.”
Looking ahead, Pete anticipates that AI and other technologies will continue to impact recruitment and indeed most working cultures and practices, but he remains convinced that personal relationships will keep his and other people-facing industries grounded. “I don’t think anyone’s going to say, ‘What a brilliant algorithm that got me this job!”
His parting advice to aspiring recruiters reflects this view. “If you can build good relationships, it’s a rewarding field. Focusing on people more than process, AI or targets will result in effective recruitment – no matter how technology advances.”
