James Balaam
Associate Director - Facilities Management
With over 12 years in Facilities Management recruitment, I’m definitely a seasoned recruiter!
As an Associate Director, I run the Facilities Management and Engineering sectors for recruitment at Mainstay. My role covers many aspects of the business, from the day-to-day speaking with clients and candidates to long-term plans for expanding and developing the department.
In the early days of my career as a recruiter, being ‘keen as mustard’, I would put my hand up to work on any Facilities Management-related vacancy. This helped me fully understand the market and each job role that falls within it—filling a wide range of positions from Account Managers, M&E Engineers, Sustainability Managers, Soft Services Supervisors, Cleaners to HSE Directors!
I quickly discovered that I had a gravitation toward the Hard Services sector and so honed my skills and understanding in that field of expertise. Never discriminating with which clients to work with, I’ve had the pleasure of supporting the biggest FM contractors and FTSE100 firms through to start-ups and SMEs looking to make a difference on their contracts. This has meant visiting prestigious sites such as Buckingham Palace, the Dubai royal family’s London residence, Westminster Abbey and all the moving parts that the general public does not get to see. However, let me add that not all client visits in FM are ‘5-star’. I remember one poor Maintenance Contractor’s office was a battered old caravan strapped to the roof of the building!
I’m incredibly passionate about Facilities Management and how important the sector is in running the world and all it encompasses, and it’s with this attitude that my approach to recruiting is that of care, understanding, dedication, customer focus and authenticity.
I love building relationships with my candidates and clients and ensuring that their recruitment journey with me is genuine, smooth and ultimately successful.