From EdTech to recruitment, Steve Price’s journey is all about people, connections, and helping others find their dream roles! At Manning Global, he thrives on genuine conversations, teamwork, and bringing a little compassion and humour into every interaction. In this exclusive MG Meets interview, Steve shares how he builds strong relationships with candidates, stays focused under pressure, and why he believes being yourself is the key to success in recruitment!
Can you tell us a bit about your career path and what led you to your role as Talent Account Manager at Manning Global?
Coming from an EdTech background, I’ve always found tech extremely interesting, particularly how it is used to solve real problems and support people at scale. At the start of 2025, I found myself seeking a new challenge and came across Manning through an ad, which immediately caught my attention. Recruitment? I thought. That sounds interesting!
I like connecting with people. I like talking to people. And that’s really where the story started. The story continues, and every page is a new experience, especially working with tech-focused clients and roles across different markets. A real page-turner!
What aspects of recruitment and talent management do you find most motivating?
For recruitment itself, I genuinely love speaking to people who have a clear passion for what they do. They make for the best conversations. They spark curiosity, and from one person to the next, you hear how people progressed into the roles they’re in and, hopefully with our help, into the roles they’ve always dreamed of.
And for talent management, it’s really about teamwork. When a new role comes in, we connect, we chat, ideas are voiced, and we work together to find the perfect match for the role. That shared energy and collaboration within the team is what I really enjoy.
What is the best thing about your job at Manning Global?
The best thing for me? Easy! Those phone calls during the interview stages and reconnecting after each one. It’s great to hear people learning more about the role and feeling their excitement grow. And when it comes to an offer, being able to share that good news is absolutely priceless!
What is your advice to someone considering a career with Manning Global?
If you want to be part of a great team with a wide range of talents, I’d say go for it. Whether you’re new to recruitment or a seasoned sourcer, take the step and embrace the next challenge. I’m glad I did, and even happier that I did it with Manning Global.
How do you approach building strong relationships with candidates?
As I was new to recruitment, it didn’t take me long to come to this conclusion. Building strong relationships is the same as in any people-facing role. It’s about being genuine, being yourself, and showing that you’re a person who genuinely cares.
It’s about having real, human conversations. I truly believe that being yourself goes a long way in making a lasting impression and building trust. There’s no secret formula. It’s as simple and genuine as that.
Have you implemented any creative strategies to attract passive candidates?
To be honest, I wouldn’t describe this as a strategy. It’s more something I naturally did as I learned the role. People are contacted a lot, often daily, and usually with very similar conversations. When you look at it that way, it’s easy to understand why some people sound a little guarded at first.
For me, the approach is simple. I’m just myself. I start by asking genuine questions, like how they are or how their week has been, and then bring in a lighthearted sense of humour. It might sound small, but not many people actually do that.
Being real, being respectful, and having a pleasant, human conversation about their skills makes a real difference. I love that moment when someone opens up five minutes into a call and you can tell they’ve made the distinction between you as a person and the many generic calls they’ve had recently. People remember that, and they’ll remember you for simply being yourself.
Recruitment can be fast-paced and demanding, how do you stay calm and detail-focused under pressure?
Great question! For me, as someone who cares about quality and making the right decisions, it can be challenging when there are multiple objectives to action at once. However, it’s not about rushing those decisions. It’s about staying focused, taking a breath, asking questions, thinking things through, and then acting with intent to achieve the best possible outcome!
When decisions are rushed, mistakes happen. Taking a little more time upfront means the task is done properly and doesn’t need to be revisited later. That, in turn, helps avoid unknowingly adding to your own workload. While doing things quickly can feel like the right choice in the moment, it can often make things unmanageable in the long run.
What skill do you rely on most in your day-to-day work?
Compassion is the skill I rely on most in my day-to-day work. Whether I’m speaking with colleagues or candidates, I’m very aware that, in today’s climate, things can be challenging for people in different ways. Approaching people with compassion and kindness can genuinely make someone’s day a little easier, and that positivity often carries through both sides of the conversation.
Everyone’s situation is different; whether they’re actively looking for a new role, navigating uncertainty, or balancing work and personal pressures. Approaching conversations with empathy and understanding helps build trust, communicate more effectively, and ultimately leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.
If you could listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I’m not sure I’d want to commit to just one. What if I got bored of it? It’s a tough question, as I genuinely have a very wide range of music tastes. One option would be Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, but on the other end of the scale it would probably be some form of drum and bass.
I’d definitely need far more time before committing to that decision!
Finally, what are your hobbies outside of work?
I absolutely love walking. I’m out and about every day at 6 am with my troublesome husky, Breeze. We go on daily adventures before work, and it’s the best way to start the day!
The exercise, fresh air, spotting wildlife, and being out in nature really set me up for the day ahead. If I’ve got something on my mind, I’ll head out on a long walk. By the time I’m back, I’ve usually processed whatever was there and gained a lot more clarity.
My other passion is fishing. Each year, I try to visit a select few lakes for a few nights, just to reset. There’s something incredibly grounding about waking up in a wooden lodge, looking out over the water, seeing the mist glide across the surface, a swan appearing, and the branches of a weeping willow gently brushing the water below. Those moments, along with epic sunrises, genuinely put everything into real perspective.
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