STILL Going For Growth!

Published: January 2009

Evidence that Relay Recruitment is bucking current market trends comes with its Number 21 slot in the Fast 50 2009.

Compiled by recruitment industry bible, Recruiter, with Catalyst Corporate Finance, the chart ranks the UK's fastest growing private recruitment businesses by sales.

Relay's ever-closer and flexible working partnerships with both top employers and high calibre candidates resulted in a 42.8% compound annual growth rate in its last financial year, with sales of £7.85m. 

Indeed, the company has enjoyed year-on-year growth since it began, in 1996, and is looking to boost business further despite the downturn, as more employers seek to tap into its value added services and superior pool of labour.  Thus far, growth has been achieved organically, rather than by acquisition and, significantly, Relay is debt-free with trading capital.

Managing director, Steven Street, puts success down to two broad factors.  "We think of ourselves less as a staff supplier and more as an all round service provider and problem solver for employing organisations 

"Also, we see to it that we attract and retain the UK's best consultants, with career development plans and terms that rival those of the largest networks.  Last year, Relay opened a purpose-built centre of training excellence in York and was the only one in the country of its size (35-40 heads) to have a board level post devoted entirely to recruiting and developing its own staff."