Hailey's Shrewsbury relocation story

A leap of faith

When Hailey and her British husband decided to leave South Africa, the question wasn't just where to move - it was what kind of life they wanted to build. Cities were off the table. They'd come from the countryside and wanted somewhere clean, beautiful, and genuinely liveable for their children.

"We just wanted a place that wasn't the city, that wasn't the hustle and bustle," says Hailey. "We lived in the countryside and wanted a kind of clean start with something just sort of beautiful and quaint - but also not archaic, where it would still make sense for the kids to have a good life and integrate."

Several job offers came in, most of them in London. Hailey turned them all down. Something about Croud felt different. "I was just like, no - Croud speaks to my soul," she says. "I'd never been to Shrewsbury in my life, but we'll go and make it work."

A Day in the Life

Hailey's role spans recruitment, people strategy, and culture-building across a 550-strong global agency. It's a full brief, and Shrewsbury keeps the margins of the working day full of high notes - riverside walks, good food, and a town that, four and a half years in, still feels like the right call.

The Croud effect

For Hailey, Shrewsbury and Croud are a natural fit - and not just for her. As Head of Talent Acquisition, she's seen the pattern repeat itself: people hired from further afield who visit for interview and end up relocating entirely.

"It's like having a London job but in a quieter place," she says. It's a proposition that works across career stages - from early-talent hires who aren't tied to a particular city, to more experienced professionals ready to step off the commuter treadmill.

"I think for people who want those jobs you generally find in London - whether they're early grassroots talent who are a bit more flexible, or people who've been on a longer career trajectory and need a break from the hustle - it works very well," she says.

About Croud

Croud is a global digital marketing agency with around 550 staff across offices in London, New York, and Sydney - but Shrewsbury, with approximately 150 employees, is a significant part of the story. Far from a satellite office, it's where the company has invested seriously in building a long-term talent pipeline.

The centrepiece of that investment is a six-month trainee scheme, which targets entry-level candidates from Shrewsbury and the surrounding area - Telford, Ludlow, Much Wenlock - with a deliberate focus on underrepresented talent. Trainees are developed into mid-level and senior roles over time, creating a sustainable pipeline that keeps experienced people in Shrewsbury rather than losing them to London agencies.

The benefits package is designed to support that retention. Employees receive 25 days' annual leave with the option to buy five more, two recharge days, and three additional days at Christmas. A monthly wellbeing allowance covers gym, massage, or personal care, and the company offers unpaid sabbaticals after five years and fully paid ones after seven. Flexible and remote working policies round off a package built as much around life outside the office as within it.