Our Team

Chris Whatling

Managing Director & Founder

Nickname: Whatters 

Favourite quote: “When you are in a dark place, you sometimes think you’ve been buried. Perhaps you’ve been planted – BLOOM.” 

Tell us a little bit about you and your role at The Animal People Recruitment company. 

I’ve worked since I was 15 years old and have experienced so much. I have had lots of different jobs before moving into recruitment over 10 years ago, from sales, customer service to retail, even a car garage (I know, you can’t imagine it, can you? Lol), and spent many years working abroad in bars. 

Today, I literally do a bit of everything! I am quite literally the face of the company, and I am responsible for recruiting, sales, marketing, social media – the lot! The typical life of a start-up founder! 

What I love most about working in recruitment is how you can literally have an impact on the course of someone’s life. There is no better feeling than helping someone get that job that they really want and deserve! Plus, as an animal related industries recruitment agency, we not only make a great impact to the lives of people who work in these industries, but also to the animals that these companies benefit, too. 

What do you look for in a candidate?  

Honesty and Passion before anything else. I want people to be authentic at interview and to demonstrate to me how much they want the job and what they can bring to it. If you can be all those things, then I will back you all the way. 

What is the best career advice that you can give someone?  

Be yourself, play to your strengths, find your motivators in life, take opportunities as they come, be kind to others, know your worth and work hard. 

What are your top tips for creating a perfect CV?  

It may sound silly, but keep it simple and always have it double checked by someone else. There’s nothing worse than a mistake in a CV – even though we all can make them! Be yourself in your CV, too, and be clear in your opening profile about who you are, what your skills are, and what you are looking for. Don’t include generic hobbies and interests (be honest with who you are and what you really enjoy outside of work), and never forget to include all of your contact details – you’d be surprised how many people do!

What’s the biggest misconception people have about people that work in recruitment?  

That all recruiters are out for themselves and making money over anything else. 

What is the worst job you have ever had and what did you learn from it?  

Working in a car garage at 15. It taught me that I would never work anywhere that made me uncomfortable or forced me to fake who I was to earn a living. 

Do you have any pets?  

Yes, Rodney our Cavapoo and our two rescue cats, Harper and Bear. You can see Rodney in lot's of the website's content. He's a ledge.

What are your top three favourite tv shows/books?  

Any of The Real Housewives franchises – I watch them all religiously, and If I was to go on Mastermind and this was my subject, I’d win. Hands Down. Beverly Hills, Orange County, New York, I watch them all! 

If you could invite three people dead or alive to a dinner party, who would they be and why?  

My partner Rich, he is my favourite person. My mum as I love her to death and my nan & grandad as they were my idols – I miss them so much. 

Describe your perfect day. 

A day with my boyfriend and our best friends bar hopping in a city, then heading back to a nice hotel for a freshen up, and out into the evening for an amazing meal and more laughs. 

Sarah Grace

Director & Co-Founder

Nickname: SG 

Favourite quote: “Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work” 

Tell us a little bit about you and your role at The Animal People Recruitment company. 

I have worked in recruitment for 25 years and love everything about it; it is the best job ever! You get to help people day-in, day-out, and get paid for doing it. What’s not to love? I’ve enjoyed every role that I have ever had, and I’ve never left a job, just left bad managers. 

As Co-Founder and Director of The Animal People Recruitment Company, I am responsible for managing the finances and overall operations of the business. Working in the pet, animal heath and veterinary industries, along with our contribution of proceeds to Birmingham Dogs Home, it is very rewarding to know we are making a big difference to the lives of animals, and indeed, those who want to work in them. 

What is the best career advice that you can give someone? 

Don’t stick at something that makes you unhappy. There is a whole world of other companies and opportunities out there, and if you find the right recruitment consultant to represent you, they can truly open up any door. 

What’s the biggest misconception people have about people that work in recruitment? 

That we don’t genuinely care. At TAPRC we absolutely do. 

Do you have pets of your own? 

Yes, my beautiful Tilly- Bear. She is a Cavachon but behaves like a baby and has separation anxiety if I am not constantly in her line of sight; she is my little shadow. Also, my little girl’s hamster called Ted. I can’t believe how much he makes me happy, he is a lovely little thing. 

What are your top three favourite TV shows/books? 

I am very into books, I read at least three a week! At No. 1, it is The book thief; 2, Wuthering Heights; and 3, anything else I can get my hands on.   

If you could invite three people dead or alive to a dinner party, who would they be and why? 

George Michael (he was amazing and I would have loved to have met him), Sacha Baron Cohen (He is hilarious and we are guaranteed a good time), and my nan (because I miss her and she was a legend!). 

Describe your perfect day. 

A nice walk up the Lickey Hills and Sunday dinner with my husband and two children. Bliss. 

Katie Fletcher

Recruitment Director

Nickname: Foster!

Favourite quote: "If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough."

Tell us a little bit about you and your role at The Animal People Recruitment company.   

As Recruitment Director, I am responsible for everything from the candidate experience through to senior hire recruitment. I love everything about my role at The Animal People Recruitment Company – except, maybe, writing adverts! – but in particular I am fascinated by people and love building those long-standing relationships and friendships.  

Before starting here, I worked for over 10 years in the oil and gas industry across a multitude of roles. Working in animal-related industries is a refreshing change and I am really enjoying working day-to-day with lovely people who truly care about animal welfare. 

What do you look for in a candidate?  

Want, drive, passion and positive attitude. Authenticity is really important, too.  

What is the best career advice that you can give someone? 

A quote that really helped me was from a book called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. It goes:  

“A boy and horse are in the woods. The boy says to the horse he can't see a way through. The horse says, can you see your next step? The boys says yes. Then take one at a time.” 

All you need to focus on is your next step. 

What’s the biggest misconception people have about people that work in recruitment? 

That we put sales before people. At The Animal People we truly care about our clients and candidates. 

Do you have pets of your own?  

No, unless a toddler counts? 

What are your top three favourite TV shows/books? 

Sex and the City – if you were to ask me who I was most like, it would have to be Samantha! Then Shuggy Bain by Douglas Stuart and The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton. 

If you could invite three people dead or alive to a dinner party, who would they be and why?  

David Attenborough (a true legend, need I say more?); Stephen Hawkins (A true genius and one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists... who wouldn’t want to know more about big bangs and black holes?); and Ricky Gervais (comedy genius and from my home town of Reading). 

Describe your perfect day. 

Any summer BBQ spent with friends and family.  

Waheeda Jafferali

Recruitment Partner

Nickname: check back soon ;)

Favourite quote: 
check back soon ;)

Tell us a little bit about you and your role at The Animal People Recruitment company.   

check back soon ;)

What do you look for in a candidate?  

check back soon ;)

What is the best career advice that you can give someone? 

check back soon ;)

What’s the biggest misconception people have about people that work in recruitment? 

check back soon ;)

Do you have pets of your own?  

check back soon ;)

What are your top three favourite TV shows/books? 

check back soon ;)

If you could invite three people dead or alive to a dinner party, who would they be and why?  

check back soon ;)

Describe your perfect day. 

check back soon ;)