Best practice makes perfect

A fast-growing recruitment agency in North Wales is celebrating a new accolade.

Letterbox, based in Rhuddlan, is the first independent recruitment agency in the region to receive the Investor in People award.

Managing Director Linda Gummer said: ìI am absolutely delighted that we have achieved the Investor in People accreditation and done so with flying colours.î

ìIt is a really prestigious award ñ with a recognised standard that means something to everybody and says a lot about us as a company.î

ìWe are very much a people business and our recruitment consultants are our greatest asset.î

ìWe have always invested heavily in training and development so that our staff can reach their full potential and provide the best possible service to our clients.î

Since being formed in 2001, Letterbox has enjoyed rapid growth. The company now employs seven people with an estimated turnover for this financial year of 750,000.

Linda said: ìOur expansion is set to continue with new offices being planned over the next few years ñ who knows, one of them may even be in South Wales where I come from originally!î

A native of Swansea, she started her working life as a secretary but at the age of 40 her career switched direction completely when she studied for a teaching diploma.

She taught Business Studies in two tertiary colleges in South Wales and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another career change happened when the family moved to live in North Wales. Linda started working for a recruitment agency, and the rest is history.

She took to it like a duck to water, so much so that she decided to set up her own business recruiting temporary and permanent staff for the private and public sectors.

She said: ìWhen I started, the days were very lonely, but soon the need arose for another member of staff and quickly we outgrew our accommodation at the Tai Tywyn Business Centre, in Prestatyn.î

ìWe needed more room and more visibility so in 2003 we arrived here at our office on the main High Street in Rhuddlan.î

ìThe way we work is very different from some other recruitment agencies. I know it sounds like a clich, but we do focus on finding the right people for the right job, never putting a bum on a seat for the sake of a fee.î

ìIf we donít have what the client is looking for, we tell them. We never compromise on quality and certainly make no false promises.î

ìOur success can be attributed to our good business practice which is where the Investor in People Award has come from.î

ìWith the help of Sue Parish from Elwa, our existing good practices have been formalised, resulting in this Award.

ìMy management style is very open and I value the input and contribution my consultants make in supporting the decisions we make on a daily basis.

ìAll the members of staff have taken ownership of their roles at Letterbox. They run their desks with professionalism and commitment, and gaining this Standard, gives them the right to be proud of working with a winning team. I acknowledge their loyalty to Letterbox, however, loyalty is a two way street.î

ìCertainly, people are very important to us and should be treated with respect. I know that this philosophy has been a key ingredient in our success.î