I can’t believe that we are already at this time of year with Christmas nearly upon us - 2017 has well and truly flown by! As I did at the end of 2016, I wanted to provide a quick overview of Think Specialist Recruitment’s year and provide some insight into our plans for 2018.

What happened in 2017?

2017 has been another fantastic year for the business.  Now at the end of our 7^th financial year, I am pleased to confirm that we have continued our history of increasing both revenue and profit year on year (every year!) since we launched in 2011. By the time the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve we will have smashed our revenue target for the year and continuing this trend into 2018 is a big task but one I am confident of our existing team (and new hires) accomplishing.

Along with considerable expansion, we have invested heavily in our systems and processes to ensure that our Consultants can work effectively to provide our clients and candidates with the best service possible.

I started 2017 by going back to university!  I had made the decision to attend the Business Growth Programme at Cranfield University, a big investment from both a monetary and time perspective but one that I hoped would provide personal development that would impact greatly on both myself and the company.  The course was fantastic and has given me the confidence to make business decisions, ensure our systems are allowing the business to operate efficiently and look at how we will grow the business.  This culminated in the presentation of a business plan and the daunting task of putting the plan into action!  An excellent course that is both well-run and impactful, I would highly recommend it to any business owner-managers (please just ask if you would like more information about it).

Systems Implementation

Although an independent recruitment agency, I have always recognised the importance of technology and we have invested heavily in our systems this year and will continue to do so in 2018.

In the 1^st quarter of 2017 we implemented a new Applicant Management System. Along with ensuring that all applications to vacancies that we advertise receive a response, it also enables our Consultants to work quicker and more efficiently. I’m sure our staff will confirm that this has truly changed the way that we work and enabled us to be far more effective in our daily activities. To read more please click here: http://www.thinksr.com/blog/164/think-ensures-first-class-candidate-response-rate

After a long search for the right system, the final quarter of 2017 saw us launch our new online timesheet system for our Temporary Division. Removing the administrative burden of paper timesheets from our temp business and streamlining our reporting/invoicing, our system is simple to use for both Temps and clients. It is saving everybody in the process time and allows our temp team to work much more effectively.  To read more please click here:  http://www.thinksr.com/blog/185/fed-up-of-paper-timesheets?

Temp Business

I’m pleased to report significant growth in our Temporary business in 2017.  Alex Ellis has done a fantastic job in ensuring that our Temps Division runs smoothly and, along with fantastic support from Kate, has ensured that we pay all of our temps on time and correctly.  We have now increased the headcount of our Temporary Division with the hire of Bobby Collins who started as a Resourcer but has quickly progressed into a Temporary Consultant role, making a big impact on the office. The launch of our online timesheet system came just in time when providing over 50 temps to one client to support their peak time of year leading up to the Christmas period! 

To find out more about our Temporary recruitment, please contact Alex ([email protected]) or Bobby ([email protected]) on 01442 531155 and we would be delighted to tell you more about our services.  Alternatively, please click here to find out more: http://www.thinksr.com/blog/180/why-use-think-for-temps?

A big thank you for Alex, Bobby and Kate for their hard work on the temp side – it is not an easy job running a Temporary Division and they have demonstrated fantastic commitment, perseverance and patience!

Permanent Recruitment

Our permanent business has remained steady this year with considerable growth, and the market has continued to be buoyant. There are plenty of clients hiring and candidates still have a lot of options when they decide to enter the job market.  Strong candidates are securing new roles quickly and we are still seeing some clients miss out on their preferred applicants by not moving quickly enough in their hiring process - http://www.thinksr.com/blog/183/the-optimum-hiring-period . We’re hoping that the permanent job market continues to remain optimistic and, as it stands, it is definitely a good time to be looking for a new job!

Our Applicant Management System has allowed our staff to respond quicker to job applications and we are seeing a greater number of permanent placements being made on a monthly basis as a direct result of this.

Jo Wright’s first year with Think has been very successful and we are looking forward to her continued success and development in 2018 (no weddings/honeymoons allowed in year 2!).  We are looking to recruit more Consultants for our Permanent Division and would be keen to hear from any experienced recruiters who would like the autonomy and financial rewards of working for Think - see below for more on this.

What does 2018 hold in store?

We are very excited about 2018 and continuing our expansion plans.  With many unknown factors influencing the UK economy, I am mindful of the potential for a reduction in hiring and we must be cautious in our approach.   However, we do work with a diverse selection of clients and, as yet, have not heard of many businesses looking to stop or pause their own expansion plans because of Brexit concerns or potential related issues. I am keeping my fingers well and truly crossed that the market remains buoyant!

We are always looking for more businesses to partner with and would be delighted to discuss our services with any companies that would like to hear more about what Think can offer.  If you are unhappy with your existing recruitment agency, are moving to the area or expanding your teams, please do get in touch – 01442 531155

Importantly, we are looking to take advantage of both an optimistic market and our growth/success by growing the team here at Think and continuing our investment in our existing, highly valued staff who we couldn’t run the business without. For more information about working for Think please click here: http://www.thinksr.com/working-for-us

We are in a strong position now to take on both experienced Recruiters and trainees looking to start their career in recruitment.  We have the systems, processes and financial rewards in place to allow our Consultants to flourish.  If there is anyone interested in hearing more about what we can offer, please contact me to set up a confidential discussion – [email protected]

We have been on some fantastic team incentives this year and, along with experiencing the ups and downs of working in the recruitment sector, have had some great fun along the way!  From go-karting to escape rooms, sandwich making competitions to cocktail making and plenty of eating and drinking – click here to read more about what we have been up to - http://www.thinksr.com/tagged/working-for-us. I’m looking forward to seeing what else 2018 has in store with Bobby organising Q4’s incentive for January!

If 2017 started with University, it finished in a very different (yet still educational!) way for me with the birth of my beautiful daughter, Wren. Big brothers Sam and Lucas are smitten with their little sister and I’m looking forward to our first Christmas as a family of 5!

I would like to say a massive ‘Thank you’ to all of the clients and candidates that we have worked with in 2017, along with a huge thanks to our hardworking and committed team here at Think Specialist Recruitment who have been fantastic. 

I hope that everyone has a great Christmas break and we look forward to working with you again in 2018!

Kind regards

Chris

Chris Jones
Managing Director
Think Specialist Recruitment

Looking to recruit high calibre staff or the next step in your career?  Think Specialist Recruitment.

Think Specialist Recruitment is an independent support staff recruitment agency based in Hemel Hempstead and working across the Herts, Beds and Bucks area. We specialise in permanent, temporary and contract recruitment with areas of expertise including: administration, customer service/call centre, PA/secretarial, human resources, accountancy and finance, sales admin/sales support, marketing and IT Helpdesk/IT support.

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