“Come, get stuck in, and reap the benefits.”
When you’re an experienced 360 consultant, the move isn’t about learning how to bill. It’s about finding the right platform to scale what you already do well.
We spoke to Steve Arnold, Principal Consultant for Investigo Cyber, who joined with seven years of previous recruitment experience, about why he made the move, and what ambitious recruiters can expect.
From Corporate Foundation to Boutique Growth:
Like many in the industry, Steve didn’t set out to work in recruitment. “It’s the age old thing — they say you fell into recruitment and I kind of did, like everybody else.”
Encouraged by friends already in the industry, he started his career at Reed, going through their structured graduate scheme and Reed Business School. “I was there for about four years.” From there, he moved into a more boutique environment — a team of 5–8 — where he sharpened his business development skills and operated with greater autonomy. Now? “I’m kind of in the sweet spot between not too corporate and not too small.”
What Drives Success in a Competitive Market?
Operating in the tech and cyber space, Steve’s approach has always been grounded in fundamentals. “One of the first things I got taught was to listen and ask questions.”
“In the tech and cyber industry, there’s a lot of stuff to learn, especially if you don’t come from a tech background.” “You’ve got two ears and one mouth for a reason.”
Beyond that, success has come from collaboration and learning from those ahead of him. “If this person’s being really successful, find out why and how. That’s what I’ve tried to do — and then put my own little spin on it.” It’s that blend of humility and commercial instinct that high-performing consultants understand.
Why Investigo?
With seven years behind him, Steve wasn’t making a reactive move. “I had been talking to a couple of agencies at the time, and I wanted to make sure I got the right place.”
The goal was clear: “Somewhere that was a little bit bigger from the boutique side of things — somewhere where I could take the skills that I’d learnt in terms of business development… and go back to a bigger agency with a bigger platform.” He wanted scale without losing autonomy.
“Everything I heard about the culture and the benefits… plus the opportunities I’d have to do things like events that I run. I’d be able to do that. It was a no-brainer.” For established 360 consultants, platform matters. So does freedom. Investigo offered both.
What Feels Different?
The first word that comes up is support. “The marketing team has been great.” “I said I want to run this event. They said, yeah, no problem. Here’s some artwork.”
For consultants building personal brand and market presence, that backing is significant.
There’s also tangible collaboration across teams. “There’s a lot of collaboration.” “I’ve found that the company… will have terms with people, and people are happy to do introductions for you.”
He contrasts that with previous environments: “Previously… it was a little harder to get people to open companies up for you.”
At Investigo, doors open internally - and that accelerates external growth.
Advice for Experienced Recruiters Considering the Move
Steve keeps it simple: “Come, get stuck in, and reap the benefits.”
“Come in, learn, speak to people, and really try to immerse yourself into the company.”
“The more you do that, the more benefits you’ll get from it.”
The Bottom Line
If you’re an experienced 360 recruiter. If you’ve built BD capability in a smaller environment but want a bigger platform. If you value collaboration, marketing support, introductions across verticals, and the ability to run events and grow your personal brand. Investigo offers that “sweet spot”: Not too corporate. Not too small. Big enough to scale. Agile enough to build.
And if you’re willing to get stuck in? You’ll reap the benefits.