I often get asked about the history of BB, why I left the stability of the corporate world to set up the business, and what the experience has been like.
My early career followed a fairly traditional path – university, grad scheme, managing my first team within 3 years, and inevitable progression up the ladder to a ‘Director’ role in a FTSE 250 company. (I will come back to why I accentuate that title).
Looking back, I enjoyed lots of that stage, learned loads from some very talented people, and had some fantastic training. Many of my colleagues today are people I worked with in those 12 years, and lots of BB’s most loyal and trusted clients are people I originally got to know then.
For almost all of that time, I assumed I would continue to progress in that world and I wouldn’t change almost anything about it, but I knew something was missing, and while I had the title, in reality, I was not going to be able to really influence the business unless I learned to embrace the political game of the corporate world. Indeed, one day after a particularly vocal board meeting, I was visited by my boss to advise on who and how I should communicate my views if I wanted to continue to progress.
This moment, I think was the start of the end of me enjoying my corporate career. My director title really should have read something like – internal problem / #### sorter. I spent almost all my time sorting out internal issues, disputes, and team problems, getting further and further away from the coalface.
My chosen career was to help clients and candidates, ideally through consulting with both, yet my role didn’t let me spend anything like enough time with my customers. I tried another company to see if it was different, but it wasn’t so I knew the time was right to create my own business with values, service levels and a culture I truly believed in.
At the same time, a gap was opening in the market.
The industry had allowed itself to become transactional in the UK as it matured, and with the onset of the digital job search age clients could source a lot of their own talent themselves. There had also been a lot of consolidation of mid-market national firms, and the UK market was polarised, with the international firms at one end and very good but niche suppliers at the other. Only 8% of the UK recruitment market is made up of firms with > 50 people, and only 2% have >100 people.
This meant there was no mid-market national Finance and IT recruitment business in the UK and I hatched a plan to build a business to fill that void as quickly as possible. I met with 15-20 recruitment entrepreneurs to help me understand how they had built their businesses and much of my thinking and strategy was formulated through these meetings.
Once the plan was built, I had to think about 2 main things: people and people. I knew that once we launched, the priority would be to grow as quickly as possible, sacrifice earnings and profit to expand quickly and create the national footprint in no more than 2 years. One of the things that really stuck in my mind from the advice I took was to be brave and grow quickly. This is not an empty comment but I 100% believe that great people make a great business and this is never more true than in start-up stage.
BB could not and would not exist without its people, the brave 6 who joined in year 1 when all I could do was sell thin air and a plan through to the 50 odd we now employ delivering some of the best service in the industry. People buy people and by hiring some of the very best I have worked with before and many I haven’t we were quickly able to gain the trust of new and old clients alike.
We proved that businesses still wanted expert advice to guide them through the recruitment landscape and candidates wanted impartial and honest guidance on their careers. Start-ups can quickly lose focus and get distracted by ideas and shiny plans, in reality, if you hire good people and sell more than you spend you won’t go far wrong.
We are 7 years in now, future focussed and still growing. We now provide services across multiple functions and international markets, we have a consulting arm that supplies advisory change and transformation teams into our clients and we have offices in 8 UK cities.
Over the next few years, we would like to grow beyond 100 people, move into the top 2%, and expand our international offering in North America and beyond into Germany and Asia. We will do this with an ongoing commitment to our people agenda, staying true to our values, and our recent EVP project led by the team is a testament to this.
There have been ups and downs along the way, but I have enjoyed every moment. I have learned more in the last 7 years than I ever thought possible, been tested more than ever before, made some mistakes, got some things right, and seen my passion for the industry reach new heights. Most of all, I have realised that you are only as good as your team, and it is the people that make a business. BB is very lucky to have some of the very best ones.
Currently working on an Outside IR35 Contract via Broster Buchanan.
Phill and the team are fantastic to deal with and the entire process from onboarding, use of self-billing timesheets and dealing with adhoc questions has been extremely efficient and easy to navigate through.
This is what every Contractor wants – make the admin easy so we can focus on delivery!
Jude
Candidate
Variety of placements recommended by Broster. I have been working with them for hiring and seeking job. Well structured approach in introducing to the suitable openings.
Mohan
Candidate & Employer
I’ve worked with various recruitment agencies over the years, but Broster Buchanan stands out as my top choice. Since I started working with them, I’ve consistently been impressed by their dedication and efficiency. The team, including Harriet, is incredibly motivated and always ensures my roles are prioritised.
The quality of candidates they present is consistently high. I’m particularly impressed with how quickly they find the right people.
Thanks to their excellent service, I no longer need to work with multiple recruitment agencies. I highly recommend them to any business looking for a reliable, results-driven recruitment service.
Luke
Employer
For me, recruitment is all about people. It’s the talent in the people that you get to join your team but it’s also in the expertise of the people that help you source them. The value that working with an external recruiter brings, is only worth having if they understand your requirements and make the process of finding amazing people as easy and painless as possible.
Janine and her team at BB brought their expertise and sourced all of the external talent that we needed. Due to the number of roles, the pressure was on them to offer a tight short-list and, as a result, we interviewed them all. The candidates that they sourced were impressive, with and we now have a vibrant team, full of great talent and experience.
Danny
Employer
Really impressed with the team at Broster. They spent time understanding what type of candidate we were after, not only experience but also cultural fit and alignment. The slate of candidates was pulled together quickly and was of a high standard. We were able to complete the appointment from initial discussions to acceptance of the offer within a short time window.
Dan
Employer
Antony took the time to understand our unique requirements and succeeded in attracting a number of strong candidates whilst maintaining a discrete process. I have used Antony to recruit several roles now and, on each occasion, he has identified candidates with the right combination of accounting skills and team fit and run a highly professional process. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend using him!
Spencer
Employer
Rachel @ Broster Buchanan is an absolute pleasure to work with. Her commitment to her candidates shines through, and regular communication means you know what Rachel is doing for you and gives you a chance to let her know what’s going on with you. Rachel promised me during our first call that she would get me a job in the industry I wanted to get into and she delivered.
Absolutely delighted with the service and outcome. Thanks Rachel for all your help.
Greg
Candidate
The most efficient recruitment company that I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with.
Extremely friendly team, and professional! Oliver and Alistair were both incredibly diligent in ensuring the job was a right for me, and I was a good fit for the employer. They were outstanding in providing me with any information I requested about the role, nothing was to much. At all stages, I was kept up-to-date and fully supported. Even after I started my new role, both Oliver and Alistair called me individually, to made sure I was happy and satisfied.
Sam
Candidate
Josh at Broster Buchanan was an amazing recruiter, with the very best communication skills. He kept me updated every step of the way and I could not fault his service. He sent me a few jobs and I had an interview and a job offer within a week of getting in touch. I have recommended him and the agency to all that will listen. Keep up the fantastic work. He is everything you need in a recruiter, he listens and reacts. Thank you 😊
Jo
Candidate
I couldn’t have expected better support and guidance throughout the hiring process. The kind of efforts that were put by Rachel was simply outstanding.
She made sure that whatever roles I applied in to get a feedback transparency from the beginning, and frequent follow ups were appreciated. Overall a great experience and I would recommend her to my friends.
Pakshal
Candidate
Broster Buchanan helped me find a new position suited to my working experiences. I would definitely recommend them. I didn’t think I would ever find a new position after working in the same firm for 30 years. If I can do it with their help then so can you!
Sally
Candidate
I can’t thank Harriet enough, she really has made me believe in myself again… so much so I’ve set up my own company and am ready to ‘grow my brand’.
Harriet, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Flossy
Candidate
I have such an amazing experience with Mags for helping me getting a job and giving me information that will help me with my career.
Malika
Candidate
Lee was incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the interview process. He went above and beyond to prepare me, providing detailed information about the company and interview process. He kept me in the loop every step of the way and showed a keen interest in my progress, following up with me after the interview. Even after I started working in the new role, Lee continued to stay in touch and make sure everything was going well.
Tomas
Candidate
Harriet Secker is a fastidious worker and went above and beyond my expectations. She worked diligently to secure the best opportunity for me. I am now working at the company and position she deemed a good fit for me. I am very happy in my new role.
Charlotte
Candidate
Pip was brilliant, she kept me in the loop as the process moved forward and helped me land a great role.
Mike
Candidate
Very friendly service with regular updates. Appreciated being asked about roles before my CV was sent off for any role.
Richard
Candidate
Alistair worked with me every step of the way and kept me appraised of progress. He ensured all my questions were answered and nothing seemed too much trouble. Very impressed!
David
Candidate
Matt was fantastic in helping get my new role. From the first point of contact through to negotiating the package with the employer Matt kept in constant contact.
Lloyd
Candidate
Incredibly supportive and willing to spend time preparing for interviews and discussing options and next steps. Also acknowledges that there may be other opportunities being perused in parallel and I didn’t feel pressured into this role, but felt Hillary was willing to talk objectively through pros and cons of both roles. I hope to work with Hillary in the future when recruiting roles in my new team.
Jenny
Candidate
Leigh is an easy going and very knowledgeable recruiter; and has a sense of humour too He made the whole recruitment process as painless as possible. He had an indept knowledge of the what the employer was looking for and it was like a match made in heaven – the employer got the right candidate they wanted and I was matched to the right company. Thank you Leigh for all your help.
Ovoke
Candidate
Came across so many recruitment consultants, I can say Team at Broster Buchanan is like no other, especially Louise is a great person. Commited to help you at every stage of hiring process and beyond. I must say its not merely a Job for her but a passion. Thank you Louise, it was possible because of your guidance and assistance.
Nouman
Candidate
Tom took time to understand the company, the role and the value it would add to the business. Any one of the shortlist he submitted could have done the role. To be honest this has also been the case for all other roles he has placed for me
Jeremy
Employer
Lucy is always great to work with. She understands the brief and is able to submit a good selection of candidates. Lucy is always very responsive and a great help.
Leanne
Employer
Anthony and the team are very responsive, and managed the process swiftly with strong candidates. They have a partnership approach to conversations and are keen to ensure great service.
Katharine
Employer
Excellent candidates, strong comms. Good feel for the market and understanding of the requirements. Highly recommended
Ed
Employer
Working with Lee both as a candidate as well as an employer looking for candidates has been a great experience. What makes him different from many other recruiters I’ve worked with is the time and effort he puts into understanding the role and the culture of the company he’s recruiting for. He helped me find 2 people for my team, the specifications for which were a bit more challenging than usual due to the location of the office and the experience required. Overall a great experience!
Dori
Employer
The Team are a pleasure to work with, helpful and knowledgeable agency who provide strong, well screened candidates.
Penny
Employer
Lee Clarke @ Buchanan was very helpful for me to reach my target. Thank you Lee for all the support given.
Ruvini
Candidate
Looking to hire or considering a move? Get in touch. We’ll happily be a sounding board to talk through your options.