gap personnel

Sponsored by: The Recruitment & Employment Confederation

gap personnel supplies temporary, contract and permanent staff to companies across the industrial sectors, nationwide. With a turnover approaching £140m in 2017, its business is predominantly focused on temporary labour. It places up to 9,000 temporary workers each day and covers more than 2.5 million shifts per year. Within the organisation, every individual is responsible for upholding compliance principles as part of ethical practice. The central compliance team comprises five specialists across the firm’s national network, supporting all business divisions and departments. Four of the team have been promoted internally from operational positions, so they know the business, appreciate the needs of both candidates and clients, and have faced the challenges the operational teams face day-to-day.

• The company defines compliance as meeting all requirements that govern the business: laws, rules, regulations, contract requirements, and internal policies and procedures. gap personnel conducts its business and other practices in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations of the UK and officiating bodies at all times.

• The compliance team focuses on creating an environment and company culture that not only carries out what it is required to, but also finds ways to achieve more as an ethical partner for its entire people.

• In addition to upholding operational processes that are subject to regulatory oversight, the company has longstanding industry memberships, affiliations and accreditations with among other the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; and the Gang masters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).

• Each compliance manager has their own specialism, and is responsible for ensuring they are up to date with the latest regulatory requirements within their remit.

• To keep its clients up to date, the team carries out client training and professional adviser workshops, holds regular client service reviews, provides legislation-specific documentation, and invites clients to training opportunities at industry events.

Judges’ Comments:

“Our winner is a stand-out, which demonstrated an ambition to go above and beyond the legislative requirements to seek out excellence. It also showed GDPR preparedness that stood out from the crowd.”

Winner: Robert Walters

Sponsored by: QX Recruitment Services

Robert Walters is a specialist professional recruitment consultancy operating across 28 countries and employing more than 3,700 people. It experienced a record-breaking financial year, with high profit growth and an expanded marketshare. In a year-on-year comparison, the firm saw revenue grow by 23%, net fee income by 19%, operating profit by 13% and profit before taxation by 25%. During 2017, it operated an effective social media strategy, being named as one of the top three most socially engaged recruiters on LinkedIn, and increasing its follower numbers by 13% in the UK and 14% globally. It also created a dedicated innovation team to explore technology innovation, as well as being involved in several business partnerships, and in initiatives generated by its corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategy.

• In the firm’s most recent full-year financial results, it reported a 9% increase in terms of productivity, with an average of £133.7k generated by each fee-earner.

• Recent activity by the innovation team includes: an artificial intelligence sourcing project with US-based AI firm Arya; investment in data-led sourcing technologies; and use of technology to support meritocratic recruitment.

• Business partnership activities during the year included sponsorship of the British and Irish Lions rugby union tour of New Zealand, which involved creating branded content and an online contest to win a trip for two to New Zealand to watch the Lions play.

• CSR and sustainability activities during the year included: holding a global charity day which raised more than £32k in the UK alone; and becoming a corporate partner of charity Global Angels, which works with disadvantaged communities around the world.

Judges’ Comments:

“The winner demonstrated a clear advancement of UK business interests for the sector while delivering on its charitable agenda and supporting social campaigns”

Winner: Investigo

Sponsored by: CV-Library

Investigo was established in 2003, initially specialising in recruiting accountancy and finance professionals. The business now employs more than 170 people and recruits across audit, business change and transformation, compliance, business intelligence and data analytics, HR and talent management, pharmaceutical and life sciences, procurement, property, facilities management and construction, risk, SAP, strategy and technology. It reached a turnover of £100m, and its profit rose to £21.7m. It launched offices in Oxford and New York, hosted six diversity & inclusion (D&I) events, and introduced a flexible working policy. Investigo was ranked 20th in the Recruiter HOT 100, and featured in LinkedIn’s Top 25 Most Socially Engaged Recruitment Agencies in the UK.

The firm made more than 1,000 temp placements and more than 1,100 perm placements.
The company’s D&I team meets monthly to discuss how the firm can continually push forward and be at the forefront of the recruitment industry. Its LGBT network is going strong, and inductions include D&I training to ensure new starters are onboard. As a result of a gender inclusion survey, the firm chose one of its female directors to lead a network called Women at Investigo – an open forum to discuss projects, work life and career goals.

• The firm has created an information channel for clients and candidates called Investigo Network (IN), to bring insight on topics that are relevant in today’s business world through publications, events and seminars. It has hosted several INevents over the year, including Securing Your Next Executive Role and a career coaching event.

• The firm has organised many activities for charity, including: collection of donations of food, money and clothes and delivery of these to Calais during the refugee crisis; a charity quiz attended by 180 clients and candidates, and raising more than £23k via a raffle and auction; a recruitment five-a-side football tournament, which involved 16 rival recruitment teams; a London-to-Amsterdam bike ride; and several cake sales and marathons.

Highly Commended:

Green Park

Judges’ Comments:

“This company has shown year-on-year growth in revenues and profitability, and well-executed expansion plans. It has demonstrated accomplishments in all parts and facets of the business.”

Winner: Trust in Soda

Sponsored by: Flexr

Trust in Soda is a digital recruitment agency with international reach. Its consultants work with technology organisations, brands and agencies, offering candidates and clients a range of opportunities and roles on both a contract/interim and permanent basis. The company has seen rapid growth, achieved without compromising its commitment to diversity & inclusion, corporate social responsibility and partnerships with charitable institutions. In 2017, it contributed £32k in donations to charities. The firm is committed to giving back to the digital community. It frequently interviews experts across a variety of new and trending topics, and shares this information with the digital community, via free podcasts, events, videos and specialist blogs.

• The firm’s staff retention rate is 83%. Initiatives include: an enterprise management incentive scheme that gives every consultant the opportunity to gain shares in the company; flexible working to ensure a good work/life balance; a free weekly personal training session at lunchtime; and fruit deliveries to promote health and wellbeing.

• Trust in Soda was one of LinkedIn’s Top 25 Most Socially Engaged Staffing Agencies in Europe, recognising that the firm invests in its professional brand, engages with its followers and industry network, and creates thought-provoking, locally relevant content.

• As regards diversity & inclusion, more than 60% of the firm’s consultants are women.

• The firm has also invested in a tailor-made training academy to ensure both long-term and short-term development programmes are at the forefront of best practice, covering smart sourcing methods and staff competencies.

• The firm’s offline event activity includes sponsorship of the Agile.Delivery conference, which brings together the software community, leading market professionals and influential speakers. It organises a meet-up for ‘Women in DevOps’, to combat diversity problems and celebrate the achievements of women who have overcome these barriers in the technology community. It also runs the Soda Social Meet-up series of events, with guest speakers such as Jonah Jones from Facebook, Brian Flanagan from Expedia and Jose Alves from Sky.

Judges’ Comments:

“The level of investment – in thought, research, care, time and finance – was impressive, and the blend of value-add services, events and innovation was outstanding.”

Winner: Venari Partners

Sponsored by: Class People

Venari Partners is an emerging international executive search firm that places strategy and commercial executives across a range of sectors. It has launched a series of training workshops to equip its 10 consultants with the tools to be the best in their respective sectors. The firm has rewarded employees for success with annual trips to the Dominican Republic and Spain and monthly incentives such as spa days for the team. In the year ending October 2017, the firm’s turnover increased by 42% year-on-year to £1.64m and its profit increased 29% in the same period to £863,396. Having established itself in the travel, transport and logistics industry, Venari focused on its recently launched life sciences and technology, media and telecommunications practices.

• The firm further aligned executive search with strategy consulting to deliver targeted talent management networking dinners. Building on the success of the previous year, it co-hosted a further three roundtable dinners with McKinsey management consultancy, and there are plans to extent the events to digital health and medical technology.
• The firm has maintained its position in the travel, transport and logistics industry, winning new mandates. In life sciences, it has carried out transactions with more than 10 new clients across the world in the past 12 months, from the US to Eastern Europe.
• The training workshops launched in 2017 focus on areas such as sourcing candidates, new business development, and managing the offer process.
• On the environmental and social responsibility side, the firm has started moving towards a paperless product. It has increased its charity work over the past 12 months. With each search, it sends out a brochure detailing its charitable efforts and encouraging clients to sponsor or join it in supporting these causes.
• The firm continues to hold innovation meetings where everyone is encouraged to present an idea that will further improve the product offering or the company. It expanded this arrangement and encouraged employees to present specific ideas to further improve the standard of customer service.

Highly Commended:

Flair 4 Recruitment

Judges’ Comments:

“The winner has evidence of extremely strong financial performance, and is a clear global expert in its field. A clever strategic partnership has supported its impressive success.”

Winner: Gravitas Recruitment Group

Gravitas Recruitment Group is a global specialist recruitment company that provides contract and permanent services in the technology, insurance and banking sectors. The business needs global support for five offices in the UK and Asia, including accounts, credit control, contracts, customer care, first-line IT support, administration, travel booking, marketing, communications, management information reporting, facilities management, HR and personnel services. The back office team works with an external legal consultancy when necessary, within legislative environments in the UK and Asia that cover employment law, agency worker regulations, HMRC/financial law, data protection, immigration law, equal opportunities, privacy and electronic communications, and contractual law.

• In 2017, Gravitas bought boutique search firm Atlas Global Search in Hong Kong. With the purchase complete in the first week in June and the go-live date for the initial transition of staff and systems into the Gravitas Hong Kong office scheduled for 1 July, the back-office team had to react quickly. The business-critical project needed collaboration – not only between teams, but also internationally. The various functions worked together across borders to meet deadlines, and the project was a success.

• The team’s contribution to customers is shown by its work on advising contractors in the public sector what HMRC’s IR35 changes might mean to them.

• The team has made improvements to the efficiency, effectiveness and compliance of the business, including the amalgamation of Gravitas UK with Gravitas Asia into one global business. There were huge differences in back-office processes, policies and procedures, leading to inconsistency, process inefficiency and lack of compliance. The team ensured that systems data and reporting are now accurate and consistent globally.

• Process efficiency is woven into the business, and back office is expected to take the lead on this. As well as being reactive to business demands, the team also proactively drives its own projects forwards, consistently bringing innovative ideas on improving and growing support.

Judges’ Comments:

“This entry showed sound knowledge of legal considerations and the contractor care service offering showed great value added. We were impressed by the collaborative approach in managing the acquisition in Hong Kong.”

Winner: Class People

Sponsored by: The Recruit Venture Group

Class People is an independent education recruitment specialist, providing supply teachers, teaching assistants, tutors, special educational needs staff and early years practitioners to schools and settings across the South West of England. The company runs a foundation that provides sponsorship to key clients using money that has been put aside to give back to schools. In various schools, it has sponsored a behaviour reward system, sports kit and country dancing t-shirts, and contributed to an end-of-year production. Its corporate social responsibility initiatives include a project that ran over the 2017 summer holidays.

• An example of the company’s contribution to client success is its work with Field Court Junior Academy, which has been a client more than 10 years, during which its teachers have contributed to the school’s success and its Ofsted rating has gone from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’.

• A challenging vacancy was an Apple education sales consultant for Western Computer. Class People realised this would be the perfect opportunity for a teacher looking to use their relevant experience towards a new challenge, and approached a candidate sourced recently for supply teaching work, who mentioned that he had been looking to leave the teaching profession. The candidate jumped at the prospect of staying in a field related to education but not in the classroom.

• Excellent client service is shown by company’s strong relationships with its schools. Its consultants often give up their evenings or Saturdays to participate in clients’ summer fetes, circus days, face painting or running of bouncy castles. Over the summer holidays, the Class People team took time out of the office to build a pond and nature garden at another school.

• The company’s excellent service to temporary workers is illustrated by its support for a primary teacher who moved to its area from London. He said he left his induction appointment “feeling enthused and ready to face the fresh challenges of teaching in a new part of the country”.

Judges’ Comments:

“As a small private company, they were going the extra mile to deliver exceptional service … the passion and enthusiasm were shining through. We were impressed by their innovation, especially around corporate responsibility.”

Winner: Commercial Services

The recruitment division of Commercial Services is wholly owned by Kent County Council. Connect2Kent provides a master vendor recruitment managed service for the council for all categories of temporary, interim and contract positions. When required, the recruitment team engages with its OJEU-compliant supply chain, with zero off-contract spend. Increasing demand from other public, third and private organisations have led it to operate an external trading business, Connect2staff. An example of the company’s expertise contributing to clients’ success is its work connected with resettling Syrian refugees in Kent, where it swiftly mobilised an interpreting and translation business to source qualified agency translators, ensuring families were fully supported from arrival through to full integration into the UK.

• The company sourced assessors for adult social care. The council had a backlog of deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) assessments, but a combined effort to source qualified best interest assessors allowed the assessments to be completed within the necessary timeframe.

• A challenging vacancy filled by Connect2Kent is placing six independent chairs, for domestic homicide and for the safeguarding adults board, into the council and Kent Police – all six workers are ad hoc consultants and still work on a regular basis for the service.

• Connect2Kent provided temporary admin and education support staff to Virtual Schools Kent, which promotes the progress and educational attainment of children in care and young care leavers.

• Connect2Kent helped a care and support worker in their career path, assisting them in a move to work at a reception centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and then to gain skills to eventually become a shift leader at this centre.

• Innovation during this period is shown by the company’s development of a mobile app, MyTimesheets, to meet the challenges of clients with shift workers. The app enables real-time approval of individual shifts that are captured for finalised authorisation by the hiring manager for the week as a whole on a secure client portal.

Highly Commended:

Baltimore Consulting

Judges’ Comments:

“The winner showed a clear focus on delivering solutions in a difficult environment … and showed innovation in creating an in-house recruitment agency, adding real value to the community and the council.”

Winner: DMJ Recruitment

DMJ Recruitment specialises in placing legal and company secretarial professionals into private practice and in-house clients. It has signed a preferred recruitment partner agreement with a professional institute (ICSA: The Governance Institute). As part of this agreement, DMJ was asked to increase the profile of the profession among students and graduates interested in a company secretarial or governance career. At the end of 2016, the company launched Insight Days, a CPD-accredited initiative that offers students and graduates the chance to spend half a day with a prestigious host organisation to learn about the role and responsibilities of a company secretary.

• The agency saw an impressive 51% increase in profits in 2015/16 and £1m net profit in 2016/17.

• DMJ has worked with insurance company Aviva as part of an internal transformation plan for its company secretarial/governance function, for which Aviva found difficult to attract and retain talent. DMJ has since assisted Aviva in implementing its longer-term strategy to retain its best talent, appoint high-calibre individuals and assist those being managed out.

• A case study of a challenging vacancy that DMJ has filled is the role of UK head of legal and company secretary at Bank of Georgia. The company managed a successful hire, improved internal practices and a positive recruitment experience.

• An example of excellent client service involves work with Tesco, which approached DMJ to help it with hires in its company secretarial/legal function. DMJ worked with the client on role profiles and eventually successfully placed five people on the team.

• A case study of excellent candidate service over the year is its work with a business law graduate seeking an alternative career. DMJ suggested the idea of her becoming a company secretary, and worked with her on obtaining a permanent role.

• Innovation during this period is shown by the Insight Days initiative that DMJ started to raise awareness of the governance profession among students and graduates. Benefits include increased student membership for ICSA, development of the future pipeline of candidates for DMJ and increased awareness of the brand in the market in which it operates.

Judges’ Comments:

“The winner demonstrated a clear link between valuing its own employees and business success… Taking the long-term view pays off.”

Winner: Peel Solutions

British policing is facing a record number of retirements after recruitment drives between 25 and 30 years ago. The company provides bespoke recruitment and training solutions for the law enforcement sector. Director Andrew Smith is a former detective superintendent who served with Cheshire Constabulary for more than 25 years. With operational links to the National Crime Agency, he understands the internal structures and mission to lead the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime. The other director, Dylan Cooper, brings over 20 years’ recruitment experience to the company after owning a successful agency in the industrial and IT sectors.

• Peel Solutions has created an innovative course entitled ‘Investigative Skills and Evidence Gathering Refresher’, to provide retired or retiring police officers with the knowledge that is required to keep their skills relevant.

• In another example of creativity and innovation, the firm has secured the domain policejobs.co.uk to create an exciting, police- focused job board.

• As an example of Peel’s quality of service, the firm was approached by a large-scale investigation team looking to recruit 10 disclosure experts, who would be required to get an important piece of work over to the Crown Prosecution Service. Peel was able to supply 10 appropriate candidates within eight weeks and received positive feedback.

• Peel offers differentiation and competitive advantage in police knowledge, skills and recruitment, owing to members of Peel’s team having worked in these sectors first hand. The firm’s head of investigation skills, Chris Davies, was also in the police force for 30 years. The firm has taken the knowledge that they obtained from their time with the police and the experience they had during the retirement process, and used it to improve the service it offers.

• Peel has recently begun to branch out into the health and social care world, adding a division to the company. Health and social care and policing go hand in hand in helping the community stay safe. Peel has appointed Jodie Stott for this division, who brings 17 years of expertise working in healthcare.

Highly Commended:

Source Technology

Judges’ Comments:

“Peel combines policing and recruitment expertise to create a business that clearly meets a need and is creating second careers for highly specialised and valuable people.”