In this episode of Talent Matters, we sat down with Ellie Cree, Managing Director at Savvy Recruitment, to talk about leadership, therapy, honesty, and everything in between. It’s a refreshingly open conversation about the experience of working in recruitment, running a business, and staying true to your values in an industry often driven by targets.
Ellie’s journey isn’t your typical recruitment career path. She joined Savvy as a junior recruiter in her early twenties, left to go travelling, trained as a psychodynamic therapist, and eventually returned to help run the business. That mix of personal growth and professional development is exactly what defines her leadership style today. Her story is as much about finding yourself as it is about leading others.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the episode:
You don’t have to love recruitment to thrive in it
When Ellie first joined Savvy, her goal wasn’t to build a career. It was to save money to go travelling. But she was open about that from day one, and Savvy supported her in achieving that goal. That honesty set the tone for the kind of culture she helps lead today, one where personal ambition and transparency are valued just as much as performance.
Her story is a great example of how recruitment can be a vehicle, not necessarily the destination. And sometimes, that mindset leads to a deeper connection with the job itself.
Personal goals are part of the business plan
At Savvy, career planning starts with personal ambition. Whether it’s buying a house, planning a wedding, or taking time out to study, goals are openly shared and supported. The result is a culture of transparency and trust that helps keep people motivated through the tougher parts of the job.
Each year, the team reviews not just what they want to achieve at work but why. Managers then use these personal goals to guide incentives and tailor support. It’s a refreshingly human approach to performance.
Therapy and recruitment aren’t as different as they sound
As a qualified psychodynamic therapist, Ellie brings a deep understanding of human behaviour into the recruitment space. From spotting patterns to offering space for difficult conversations, she applies her training in a way that supports both clients and consultants. She can recognise the unspoken dynamics that might influence someone’s confidence, decision-making, or communication style, skills that are just as crucial in recruitment as they are in therapy.
Her insights into mental health and emotional resilience help foster a healthier workplace, where people can admit when they’re struggling and know they’ll be heard, not judged. This mindset encourages vulnerability, openness, and genuine human connection. It also helps create a culture where performance isn’t just measured by numbers but by how supported and empowered people feel in their roles.
You don’t need 100 recruiters to build a successful agency
Savvy isn’t trying to become a 100-person agency. In fact, they’re deliberately keeping the team small and efficient, focusing on processes, profitability, and personal impact. For Ellie and her co-director, success is about helping each person in the business earn more and enjoy their work.
They’re investing in systems and technology to boost productivity, not headcount. Growth, for them, is about depth rather than scale. It’s a model that prioritises team wellbeing, quality of service, and long-term sustainability.
The reputation of recruiters needs to change
Recruiters are still battling outdated perceptions, often lumped in with estate agents. Ellie believes the key to changing that narrative is honesty: being transparent with candidates and clients, never overselling, and treating each placement as something that could genuinely change someone’s life.
That mindset filters through to everything they do, from the initial client conversation to how they prep candidates for interviews. It’s about care, not just conversion.
Tech should make space for more human moments
While Savvy embraces tech to reduce admin and streamline outreach, Ellie is clear: the human part of the job is where the real value lies. Tech should give recruiters more time to talk to candidates and build authentic relationships, not automate the entire experience.
Recruitment tech should support, not replace. By automating repetitive tasks, recruiters can focus on conversations, coaching, and long-term relationships. The parts of the job that genuinely make a difference.
Ellie Cree – Managing Director, Savvy Recruitment
Ellie Cree is the Managing Director at Savvy Recruitment, a people-first agency specialising in the creative and media space. With a background in psychodynamic therapy, she blends empathy and honesty into every part of her leadership style, supporting her team to achieve their personal goals while building long-term, values-led client relationships.
