Jark Recruitment celebrates 10 successful years in recruitment

Jark Recruitment is proud to be celebrating its first decade in business. Ranked in the top 100 largest recruitment companies in the UK by the Employment Agencies Industry, Jark employs 153 staff in 21 locations across the country and a branch in Poland and, in an industry fierce in competition, turned-over an impressive 32.36 million in the 2005-2006 financial year, which shows a 25 per cent increase on the previous year. The company is on target to achieve a turnover of 42 million this year. This is impressive growth for a company that started in a small business unit in Swaffham in 1996.

Here John Buckman, Chairman of Jark Recruitment, comments on developments within the industry and developments in the business since it began a decade ago: ìWe have experienced first hand the rapid development of the industry and have worked continuously to adapt to its dynamic behaviour. The recruitment industry in general is becoming a crowded marketplace and is fiercely competitive, but we have stayed ahead by moving with the changes. In the 1990s when UK businesses were outsourcing their HR requirements we grew specialist divisions alongside the industry boom and we have been growing ever since.î

ìWe have witnessed changes in the most popular professions such as a move away from single skilled craftsmen to a preference in the media, IT, marketing and sales sectors, which is why we have recently launched divisions to specialise in those sectors. However it is our focus in the Construction and Industrial markets that is giving us our greatest successes as we out perform our competitors and take market share.

The UK labour market has performed well in recent years, compared to other countries such as the US, Germany and Japan, and now has one of the highest employment rates in its history.

However, the significant benefit that the UK market has over other countries is that only 25 per cent of the market is controlled by the top ten recruitment companies in the country. Compare this to some of the more mature recruitment markets abroad where the top ten agencies control 60 per cent or more of the market, it is easy to see that there is room for competition at the top end of the UK market.

John concludes: ìSo far, the development of Jark has been achieved through a continuous reinvestment in organic growth and adding other businesses to the group that complement our specialist sectors. But considering the market situation as it is now, it is wide open for a few quality agencies to be aggressive and invest in taking market share. Jark Recruitment plans to do just that. With a proven track record for growth, a strong financial foundation, its investment in people and an experienced management structure, the company plans to expand significantly in its second decade of trading.î

Based on Jark Recruitmentís rate of expansion last year in which it opened four new offices, the business could quadruple in size in the next decade, and with plans already in place to further expand overseas, European success is also on the horizon for the Norfolk-based company.