Broster Buchanan turns 10 this year – and what a journey it’s been. From a humble start in 2015 to becoming one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work, our path has been defined by relationships, resilience, and relentless effort. Founder Andrew Broster shares his reflections on what it took to get here, and what’s next for the business.
When I started the business back in the summer of 2015, my daughters were only three and eleven months, things have changed a fair bit, both professionally and personally!
At the start of 2015, sitting in Scotland on garden leave, I began sketching out the plans for a boutique recruitment agency that would be relationship-led, inclusive, and supportive – one that put consultants, candidates, and clients (our “3 C’s”) at the core of everything. It was a simple concept, but the branding initially proved tricky: I can’t draw at all – those are not my daughter’s branding efforts, below!
Thankfully, my wife took on that role and we registered the company, bought the website, and met with Rachel Pike to convince her that being employee ‘number 1’ was going to be a great idea! She joined in May that year, and we quickly got on with setting up meetings with clients and candidates, hitting the phones to gain whatever early traction we could, constantly reminding ourselves that what we were offering was genuinely what the market needed and how it would make a difference.
A few days later, we got our answer, and the phone began to ring:
Rachel was beginning to fly, too. Picking up finance roles with multiple clients across her network. It was a wonderful moment, and to all those people who placed their trust in our boutique recruitment business us at the start, we owe you a resounding thank you!
Our network grew, and importantly, old colleagues got in touch. We bumped into others in hotels or coffee shops, and suddenly Kev Moran, Hilary Marshall, Dom Cassidy, and Lucy Tavender were part of the team. Suddenly from 2 we were 6, and our network had spread across the North West, Midlands, East Anglia, and London – we were national!
It was relentless, and sometimes stressful, hard work: during the day, we recruited, whilst at night and on weekends, we handled marketing, finance, legal, and IT. But the results – and the relationships – made it worthwhile. All the graft I had learned during my early days with Michael Page was paying off!
Yet, it was the support I got from my family (Janette, Islay & Cara), friends, ex-colleagues, business acquaintances and clients that was so invaluable. I’m sure I don’t say it enough, and there are far too many people in so many areas of my life, but thank you to you all! I really wouldn’t be where I am today without you.
Some of my proudest achievements from the last 10 years include:
Ultimately, being tested, challenged, and learning new things, was fun and deeply satisfying. The laughing (some crying), kept us pushing on to provide the service we are justly proud of, and one that customers kept coming back for – 10 years later!
As you’d expect me to say, there have been highs and lows over the decade. We have tried things that haven’t worked – which is fine, as we tried and we learned. By the same token, we’ve hired people who didn’t stay, but they’ve all been art of the journey, and we’ve discovered something from every step taken. I wish them all well and hope their careers and businesses are thriving – I know some of them are.
Our one constant has remained: our people-first culture. Many of our original clients are still with us, as are the original six, and every week, we welcome new clients, candidates, and colleagues into our growing community.
Of course, we’re not the only boutique recruitment company to hit this milestone, and there are some amazing ones out there that have been launched by some very good friends and colleagues. I’m sure that, like us, they are all super-proud of what they have created; building a business in any sector is an immense achievement that should never be taken for granted. For our achievement, I am forever grateful to all my Broster Buchanan colleagues, from every step through the past decade, as every single person has played a vital role.
We are not the finished article, I know that, we never will be, the industry and market moves too quickly for that.
However, I couldn’t be prouder of the last 10 years. I think we have got it right more often than wrong. Our reviews and awards prove that. Some of our very first clients continue to use us to this day, but every week we also add new ones. The original six are all still here, but we continue to hire new people for the future. In fact, we had our newest recruit join this morning.
Ultimately, whilst it’s important to review the good and the bad from the past, the future is where we need to focus. The plan was always to build a business that wasn’t just hanging in there, but thriving in 2025. If you’d kept up with our progress then you’ll not be surprised to know we’ve surpassed expectations. With the talent that has joined Broster Buchanan in just the past year, the evolution in the leadership team, and all the amazing support teams we have in the business; not to mention the quality of people within every office and process of the business, I couldn’t be more excited for the next decade. Hopefully, we’re through the growing pains- in business life, if not family!
So, in July, we will celebrate with our people and their families, this wonderful achievement of growing a dream into a wonderful and fulfilling business. It will be a great day, a time to say thank you to those that can join us and to share some stories from the last decade. There will be a time to reminisce and talk about the ups and downs of the journey we’ve taken – the time spent with hundreds of people across the UK, and my (and our) delight in these interactions (despite my ‘dour’ perception).
My mantra has always been that any meeting is a good meeting, and the fact that so many have entrusted their career and business to Broster Buchanan is testament to that. It’s extremely humbling and something that I know everyone at Broster Buchanan never takes for granted.
Of course, we know we don’t always get it right, but on the whole, we do a pretty good job. Our focus always returns back to our ‘3 C’s’ and striving to provide the best service, and delivering for our customers. I believe that if we continue to do that then, more often than not, the next decade will look after itself.
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