John McLaren
Recruitment Director
John McLaren
Recruitment Director
John began his career in the construction industry, gaining hands-on experience in Site Engineering and Quantity Surveying before transitioning into recruitment during the economic recession.He initially specialised in engineering recruitment, supporting clients across Scotland. As markets evolved, John moved into highly technical and niche recruitment delivering specialist highly sought after talent. With over 18 years of experience and as a Chartered MCIPD HR professional, John has built an extensive career across both recruitment and in-house HR leadership. His expertise spans multiple sectors, having worked externally as a recruiter and internally as an HR Business Partner, leading HR and recruitment functions for organisations operating across Telecoms, Civil Engineering, Building, and Power.Prior to joining Hyreus, John spent time with a private equity-backed technology start-up, where he successfully sourced high-volume niche talent within the Telecoms sector. Working closely with the HR team, he also played a key role in implementing an effective applicant tracking system, contributing to projected first-year recruitment savings of more than £500,000.Today, John focuses on driving recruitment strategy, managing delivery priorities, and supporting business growth at Hyreus. He has been instrumental in helping the business secure partnerships with several Tier One and blue-chip organisations across Europe.John is passionate about partnering with clients who truly value collaboration, commitment, and a quality-driven hiring process. He believes the best recruitment outcomes come from working closely with organisations that understand the importance of investing time and trust into securing the right talent. Known for thriving under pressure, John particularly enjoys taking on complex and challenging assignments especially those involving highly niche, hard-to-find candidates where a strategic and consultative approach is essential. For him, there is nothing more rewarding than successfully delivering exceptional talent in markets where competitors struggle to do so.Outside of work, John enjoys family life with his wife and daughter and jokes that he was probably a greenkeeper in another life.