Testimonials

Clients Candidates

Client Testimonials

  • I have worked with Kelly George for some time now. I have always found Kelly to be very responsive, professional in her dealings with me and very committed to finding our organisation the best possible candidates for our roles. In our two most recent assignments with Kelly, she undertook a search for relatively difficult to find roles with excellent results. We now have two very experienced and talented HR professionals in our team.  We are very happy with Kelly’s service and highly recommend her.
    Sarah Coleman
    Chief People Officer, Warren & Mahoney
  • Ruby are my go-to recruiters – Kelly for all things HR – she knows the market and the candidates exceptionally well and has excellent results every time. For those hard to find roles or out of the ordinary recruitment situations Paul is my go-to. He quickly got a feel for our business and its leaders and quickly became a trusted partner to the business. Paul has had phenomenal success for me in multiple traditionally sourced roles, but has also saved our bacon on a number of occasions with his unbundled service.
    Bridget Ashby
    HR Manager, Viridina Glass
  • I’ve had the pleasure of working with Kelly for a number of years, mostly supporting me within larger corporate environments. When I decided to move into a very different sector, I was really pleased that my different needs were then also catered for and understood. I think the secret to Kelly’s success is she invests in understanding not only her clients business, but also them as a person – providing serious ‘right fit’ value every time. The breadth and depth of Kelly’s network is impressive, so speed to appointment is consistently optimised!
    Jo Carkeek
    Head of Shared Services at Viridian Glass
  • I really appreciated Kelly’s style and experience in matching me with her client company. She was direct, knew her client well, and asked me challenging questions to ensure it was a good match. It wasn’t a check box interview. As a result, going into the role I had a good picture of the client’s priorities. Highly recommend. 
    Helen
    Senior L&D Contractor
  •  Kelly’s strengths are her connections and her commitment to matching candidates to managers, roles and organisations.  I’ve worked with Kelly on a range of roles over the years and have experienced how she truly cares, and goes out of her way to deliver.
    Erica Malone
    Head of Human Resources at Public Trust
  • We were having trouble finding a suitable Head of People and culture. Kelly George was independently recommended to me by two different HR professionals. Within a week Kelly had identified several quality candidates from her existing network, one of whom we hired. This was hands-down the smoothest, fastest hiring process for a senior position that I have ever been involved in. I am hugely appreciative of Kelly’s professionalism and extensive networks.
    Dr Brian Young
    Chief Executive, IANZ
  • I’ve been lucky enough to work with Kelly as a trusted recruitment partner over the last 7+ years, and during that time Kelly has always put in the time and effort to build our relationship to ensure she truly understands our business’ needs. Kelly ensures candidates presented are always the right fit and therefore a great match for our team, which speeds up the whole offer process in this candidate short market!
    Margo Thomas
    Global General Manager People & Capability, Rakon
  • I first met Kelly as a candidate about 10 years ago. The care I was given during that time made it an easy decision to then become a client (and now back again as a candidate). Kelly has a deep understanding of the HR market, isn’t afraid to challenge expectations because of that knowledge, meaning strong placements.
    Erin Parkinson
    Head of People/Workstream Lead
  • We worked with Kelly at Ruby Recruit for the first time this year recruiting our new HR Business Partner.
    We really enjoyed the process and Kelly’s calm and experienced leadership. We finished with a great result and would recommend Kelly to others.
    You will get informed and expert guidance from Kelly, who spends the time to understand your needs and culture and who also has a deep understanding of the HR labour market.
    With Kelly, you are in safe hands.
    Jonathan Barry
    Managing Partner, Frequency
  • I’ve worked with a lot of recruitment consultants over the years, and Kelly stands out for all the right reasons. Kelly takes the time to understand what the business needs and the leader that you are to determine who would add value to your team from her vast network of People & Culture professionals. She is brilliant at connecting the dots between people, culture, and strategy. If you’re looking for a recruiter that is curious and genuinely invested in getting the right outcome for both the business and the candidate, Kelly is one of the best.
    Kirsty Dent
    GM HR
  • I have engaged Ruby Recruit to fill two key vacancies on our Senior Leadership team.
    Kelly and Paul have proven to be excellent partners and I am extremely satisfied with the outcome of the campaigns. Given the tight recruitment market, I was very pleasantly surprised at the range and calibre of the candidates offered, providing us choice amongst a range of personalities and experience levels. Throughout the process I was kept informed of progress with regular communication and updates. They are both professional, responsive, and honest in their feedback.

    It has been a pleasure working with both Paul and Kelly and I will have no hesitation in using them again in the future.
    Steve Soufflot
    General Manager, Kensignton Private Hospital
  • I have had the pleasure of working with Ruby Recruit over many years, both as a client and as a candidate. Throughout this time, I have consistently found Kelly and Paul to be exceptionally professional, responsive, and genuinely invested in understanding our business needs to ensure we get the best candidate for our business.

    Their approach goes beyond simply filling roles—they take the time to build strong relationships and ensure a deep understanding of our culture and requirements. This has made them trusted partners in our recruitment efforts and valued contacts in my own career journey.

    I would not hesitate to recommend Ruby Recruit to anyone seeking a recruitment partner who is committed, insightful, and a true pleasure to work with.
    Petrina Winchester
    HR Operations Manager, Fidelity Life
  • Our team was also fortunate to contract Paul with us as an internal resource while we determined our longer-term needs. Paul more than paid for himself through highlighting new ways of finding talent, identifying what we weren’t but could be doing with our database of candidates, and getting us started on recruitment metrics/reporting. The team still misses Paul!
    Kelsey Price
    Head of People & Culture, Uniservices
  • I really enjoy working with the team at Ruby Recruit.. I’ve worked closely with Paul to find candidates for a number of hard to fill roles and have been blown away with the quality of people he has brought to us. Paul’s under the radar approach of scanning the market and talking with select candidates has worked brilliantly for us and we have been able to bring amazing people on board. In the words of our MD ‘Paul did good’! Highly recommend the Ruby team.
    Merran Anderson
    General Manager, People & Culture, MercyAscot & mercy Radiology
  • Paul has had phenomenal success for me in multiple traditionally sourced roles, but has also saved our bacon on a number of occasions with his unbundled service.
    Bridget Ashby
    HR Manager, Viridian Glass, (2020)
  • Ruby Recruit have been excellent to deal with. Efficient, speedy and reliable and value for money. They have placed three very good people with us and we recommend them.
    Tom Dodd
    GM Engagement, Presbyterian Support Northern
  • Paul has supported Dream Childcare
    In 2019 Paul recruited our first ever General Manager and found the perfect candidate for the role. Paul understood clearly the combination of skills and personality style required for the role and presented me with outstanding applicants.
    Unfortunately, as a result of COVID 19, we have had to restructure the business and disestablish a number of roles.
    Paul has supported the company with independent, professional interviewing through this process. He drafted competency based questions in line with agreed criteria and interviewed all staff against the criteria for the newly created roles.
    Paul is an experienced professional recruiter with a genuine, down to earth approach. He has the ability to put people at ease while at the same time asking smart and clever questions.
    I highly recommend Paul.
    Tanya Burrage
    CEO, Dream Childcare,
  • Kelly George has strong relationships wherever she goes and how she builds those relationships is on a solid basis of trust. 
    Both as a client and a candidate, I have relied on Kelly to give me an accurate picture of the market, my role in it as a candidate and the types of candidates we will attract when I am the employing manager.
    I’ve always been thrilled with the outcome and Kelly has given me so many fabulous opportunities to work in places that match my values – an important consideration when you are committing to an organisation.  Not many recruiters think about that but she does.
    In fact, I’d like to call her my Placement Guru, that seems like a more apt title.
    Emilija Nikolic 
    Head of Capability Team, St John
  • Paul George recently helped us place our first CEO.  This is a new role, formed when the managing director retired from executive duties.
     
    The process was very professional and thorough.  Paul listened to the brief, asked good questions, added value where he thought it was appropriate and brought some very relevant and seriously good talent to the table.  His patient but focused approach makes people feel very comfortable and confident; he’s a pleasure to work with.

    Chris Callen
    Director, Tubman Heating Limited
  • Kelly has the best network of fantastic HR people in NZ.   She filled my last two vacancies so quickly, it blew my mind.  Within a week I had a list of qualified potential candidates to review.  By the time I interviewed them, I knew so much about them already.  She has great judgement and is super responsive and easy to deal with.
    Jo Copeland
    General Manager HR, Oceania
  • Kelly George at Ruby Recruit was successful in assisting My Food Bag find its new Head of People & Culture in mid-2021.  Kelly was selected for her extensive knowledge of New Zealand HR practitioners and the high regard with which she is held to candidates and HR leaders across NZ. 
     
    Once underway, we were impressed by the process Kelly led and her initial assessment of candidates.  This made the selection process as straightforward as these things can be.
     
    We are delighted with the candidate selected and recognise the critical role Kelly played in the successful outcome.
    Kevin Bowler
    CEO, My Food Bag
  • Kelly is nothing short of a magician! Kelly has been exceptional to work with over the past nearly 3 years. She has helped recruit multiple high quality HR Business Partner and Organisational Development talent for my new team. She knows the market well and takes the time to truly understand the business and what type of person and skills will compliment the team. She keeps you up to date, provides authentic feedback and discussion, great candidate care and always delivers to agreed schedules. This delivery, combined with professionalism and a good dose of laughter is rare to find in the recruitment and talent world. Thank you Kelly – we couldn’t have got such an amazing team without you.
    Louise Harvey-Wills
    Chief People Officer

Candidate Testimonials

  • Kelly is a breath of fresh air with a genuine appreciation for her client and her candidate.  With no tedious online registrations requiring me to join a mailing list that subsequently bombards me with spam, the recruitment process was efficient and personal, and ensured I felt valued as an individual.  Kelly kept me regularly updated and moved swiftly to enable my placement to start timely.  I’m very happy to recommend Kelly to job-seekers and employers.
    Deana Barnard
    Head of People and Capability – Totara Hospice
  • Kelly is relationships! I met her initially a couple of years ago and she was always good at checking in and keeping in touch. When I was after a new contract – she found me a new opportunity within the week – arranging everything so quickly. She is great at relationships, proactive and quick moving to help everyone out!
    I appreciate Kelly’s approach and have no hesitations about recommending her to others.
    THANK YOU KELLY
    Amelia Campbell
    Senior Talent Specialist – Officemax/PWC
  • As a newcomer to the Auckland I was not prepared for the level of competitiveness in the job market. I spoke to well over a dozen recruiters and Kelly was the only one who regularly touched based and kept me up do date with how things were going. Kelly has a lovely warm and welcoming nature and still demonstrates care by staying in touch after the placement has been finalised. If you are seeking work or seeking talent Kelly would definitely be my go to person.
    Karen Korff
    Senior HR Contractor/Change specialist
  • Kelly’s ability to truly understand an individual and their capability is amazing. She is very professional, connected, knowledgeable, and humanistic. As a candidate, I felt incredibly cared for and knew my next career move was in very safe hands. Thank you for finding the perfect role for me Kelly, I’m very grateful!
    Sarah Warnock
    People and Culture Lead
  • Kelly really knows and understands the HR market – she is your “go to” person.  I’ve known Kelly for over 7 years as both a candidate and client and she always understands what I need and always delivers quality candidates and market advice.  Kelly keeps you informed, she has high standards, is knowledgeable and well connected.  Kelly genuinely cares about talent management and this is why I chose to partner with her.
    Vicki Fricker
    Talent Lea, Coretex
  • I’ve worked with Kelly for over 6 years. She is a recruiter whom I trust completely. She is honest and professional to deal with, and knows the Auckland HR market inside out!
    Kelly’s insightful judgement is proven time and time again by ensuring a great cultural fit between candidate and company.
    As a candidate or client I’d highly recommend Ruby Recruit.
    Derryn MacLeod
    HR contractor
  • I first met Kelly as a candidate about 10 years ago. The care I was given during that time made it an easy decision to then become a client (and now back again as a candidate). Kelly has a deep understanding of the HR market, isn’t afraid to challenge expectations because of that knowledge, meaning strong placements.
    Erin Parkinson
    Head of People/Workstream Lead
  • I loved the way Kelly at Ruby Recruit worked hard to help me feel informed about the role and the company I was interviewing with. She knew making the right choice of team and organisation was important to me and made sure that was built into the process. All our communication was really efficient and the selection process happened seamlessly. The team were a real pleasure to deal with. Thanks Kelly.
    Abi Buckell
  • Kelly George has strong relationships wherever she goes and how she builds those relationships is on a solid basis of trust. 
    Both as a client and a candidate, I have relied on Kelly to give me an accurate picture of the market, my role in it as a candidate and the types of candidates we will attract when I am the employing manager.
    I’ve always been thrilled with the outcome and Kelly has given me so many fabulous opportunities to work in places that match my values – an important consideration when you are committing to an organisation.  Not many recruiters think about that but she does.
    In fact, I’d like to call her my Placement Guru, that seems like a more apt title.
    Emilija Nikolic 
    Head of Capability Team, St John
  • My relationship with both Kelly (and Paul) is lengthy and enduring, and based on both respect and delivery. Kelly forms such strong and genuine relationships with both her candidates and her clients. She really understands HR capabilities, takes time to get to know her clients business and what skillset they need coupled with cultural fit; and what drives her candidates to deliver their best work whilst provide career stretch and satisfaction. Kelly has placed me a number of times, has provided solid candidate options when I’ve been hiring, and given sage advice in between. I can’t recommend her services highly enough.
    Dione Coleman
    Senior People & Culture Manager
  • I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ruby Recruit, both as an employer recruiting for talent and as a candidate seeking a new opportunity. Both experiences have been awesome. Kelly’s strong networks, insights and transparent approach quickly build trust and credibility. She’s open, honest and takes the time to understand your needs – then always manages to partner the right people with the right company.
    Nicky Procacci
    Head of People and Culture, Leading Edge
  • I really appreciated Kelly’s style and experience in matching me with her client company. She was direct, knew her client well, and asked me challenging questions to ensure it was a good match. It wasn’t a check box interview. As a result, going into the role I had a good picture of the client’s priorities. Highly recommend.
    Helen
    Senior L&D Contractor
  • Kelly’s ability to truly understand an individual and their capability is amazing. She is very professional, connected, knowledgeable, and humanistic. As a candidate, I felt incredibly cared for and knew my next career move was in very safe hands. Thank you for finding the perfect role for me Kelly, I’m very grateful!
    Sarah Warnock
    People and Culture Lead
  • Thank you Kelly! Working with you to secure my current role was such a personalised and positive experience.
    Having met a couple of years ago, Kelly was a natural choice for me when I was looking for a new role. I reached out to Kelly who took time to understand where I was at and what was important to me in a new role. Kelly’s strong relationships shone through when she was able to talk to one of her clients about what I had to offer and how that met their needs. Kelly supported me and every step of the way I felt she was focussing on what was important to both me and what her client needed. I am so excited about my new role and can’t thank Kelly enough for the phenomenal way that she exuded everything that I needed and wanted in a recruiter. I would have no hesitation in recommending Kelly to both candidates and clients alike and I have no doubt we will work together again in the future.
    Karen Korff