However you count it, 4 years, 48 months or 1460 days, the Frazer John adventure has so far been awesome!!!
This time 4 years ago Frazer John Recruitment was nothing more than a business idea and a domain name – www.fjrgroup.com. We weren’t registered on Companies House, we didn’t have a business bank account and there was no sign of a database – not even a little black book of contacts! No deals, no clients, no candidates… zero, zip, zilch… you get the idea. Looking back I can now understand why, in the economic depths of 2011, the idea raised a few ‘risk adverse’ eyebrows.
However, despite all of this we did have the enthusiasm and ambition to create something that was different. Different from all the other recruitment agencies on the market.
From the very beginning our aim was not to measure our success on revenue, profit or headcount; but on our reputation, our culture and the quality of our team. Our ultimate aim is to be recognised as experts in our fields, as a trusted recruitment partner and ultimately as being an awesome place to work.
Today we have almost 25 people in the business and we are always looking for outstanding individuals to join our adventure, so please don’t be shy and get in touch if you’re not getting the career you feel you deserve. We are well on track to find 500 people new jobs this year – a statistic that makes me very proud as I believe we are lucky to work in recruitment and to do the roles that we do. We can actively help individuals and businesses develop, grow and achieve their goals. In the short period of time that we work with these people we can really support them to achieve their aspirations – sometimes a forgotten fact in our industry. It was summed up by a client who spent significant time working from our offices in 1 New York Street whilst we under took a key global project for them. On completion of the project I received this feedback:
“What you and the team have built isn’t just a cool place to work for engaging people, it is actually a progressive organization that understands growth is about strategy, time, and execution.
While I am pleased with the work that Frazer John has done for us, I am proud to say that for the first time in my career, I have been awed by a team who are prepared to ensure the success of our brand and my reputation though their efforts.
I believe your competitive advantage and what differentiates you is not cost or the candidates you can find, but it is the quality of the candidate experience which enhances the brand and reputation of your clients by positioning them in the market as an awesome place to work.”
I can honestly say the day we received this was genuinely one of the proudest in the last four years.
Our enthusiasm and ambition has only been fuelled by us achieving so many of the goals and milestones we set ourselves when we started the FJR adventure 4 years ago today. So, what does the next year have in store for us?
A big development and coaching program is already underway, and there will be a dramatic increase in our head count helping us increase the 500 people we aim to support this year to an even bigger 750 in 2016. There is also a huge technology infrastructure project in place to ensure the teams have the best tools available.
With the growth we are expecting in 2015, a bigger garden may even be on the cards…
We have kicked off our community partnership with The Mustard Tree in our bid to support the ‘Business in the Community’ national programme. The programme engages businesses to support those disadvantaged groups back into employment. We are focusing on The Mustard Tree Freedom Project, a project that is aimed at those who have additional barriers to moving on in life, such as homelessness, mental health issues, addiction recovery or a criminal record. Using our expertise we will be providing employability, CV and interview advice to those involved on a weekly basis.
Planning for the Manchester 3000 is also well underway! Watch this space for more information. We aim to raise significant funds for The Mustard Tree.
All of the above will be underpinned by two things that will remain constant; our mission to “exceed the service expectations of our candidates and clients” and whilst we continue our adventure we ensure that Frazer John Recruitment remains an awesome place to work, with stunningly good colleagues and tons of fun and laughs!
