'THE RELAY WAY'

Recruitment Professionals

Relay Recruitment was established in 1996, as a reaction to the shoddy practices and disreputable firms that flooded the market following the industry's deregulation.

Founders and fellow recruitment professionals, Steven Street and Laurence Elliott, shared values of unrivalled service thresholds, responsibility and added value to clients and candidates alike. These became the basis of the company's philosophy.

Bucking the trend by actively seeking long-term working relationships and refusing to pitch for the lowest rates, Relay impressed employers by delivering top Industrial, Commercial, Engineering and Logistics staff in all roles. These individuals were attracted by muscular training and development programmes, meaningful reward and recognition schemes and excellent pay, conditions and benefits.

‘The Best With The Best'

Short termism and the quick buck were rejected as Relay always matched the best people with the best employers, taking the role of personal representative for both individuals and companies. Key to this was the firm belief that it doesn't merely fill vacancies; it promotes staff and employers - selling each the benefits of an association with the other and bringing all parties a range of value added factors.

For example, a candidate might get a privileged contract or tips on interview techniques - and always has regular career reviews. Clients benefit from programmes that position them as employers of choice, or by tapping into Relay's long-range forecasting on employment/demographic trends - or through a host of Human Resources and management consultancy packages.

While competitors fought to undercut each other on price - providing the scantest service possible as a result - Steven and Laurence saw to it that their philosophy of unrivalled performance and responsible trading were always front of mind. To this day, all consultants work to these touchstones constantly.

Progressive

Relay grew as its pool of first class candidates swelled and the number of alliances with progressive employers increased.

And over the years, ‘The Relay Way' has continued to win converts rapidly; companies who realise the value of their people and are prepared to invest in them; and strong candidates who want rewarding careers and the work patterns that suit them best.

By motivating both firms and staff with its distinctive ethos, Relay's confidence that high performance, loyalty and mutual respect would be the result has been borne out again and again.

Investors In People

And what's right for the agency's labour pool and clients is certainly right for its own people too - with heavy investment in the development and progression of all staff from the outset.

Relay was the first Bradford recruiter to achieve Investors In People status and is a leading light of the industry's national professional body (and former regulator) the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). To ensure that all candidates and clients enjoy the very best treatment, Relay requires every consultant to have or attain REC qualifications.

Reinforcing its emphasis on training, the company recently opened a purpose-built, dedicated Centre of Excellence, in York. Designed to attract and retain the UK's top talent in mutually beneficial long term relationships, it embodies The Relay Way.