RECRUITMENT INTERNATIONAL. July 2014

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1 Ri RECRUITMENT INTERNATIONAL July 2014

2 Serocor: Reaching out to outstanding recruiters We first met with the newly formed Serocor in April last year to learn about its beginnings as a specialist Recruitment and Human Capital Solutions group and the opportunities it offers to exceptional entrepreneurs. This month we catch up with the CEO, Mike Gawthorne, to talk expansion and staff development and we get the low down on how the Group has developed in the last 14 months. Serocor was formed in March 2013 with the aim of managing and harnessing the strengths of a select few specialist companies and nurturing the talent of innovative entrepreneurs keen to set up their own niche recruitment businesses within a structured environment. So far in its grassroots journey the Group has experienced expansion by sticking to its aims and objectives, and with the support of an experienced and proven Board of mentors the result has been the strengthening of operations throughout its subsidiary companies. Redefining niche Advanced Resource Managers (ARM), formed in 1996 and the flagship brand, has traditionally recruited for white collar IT and engineering jobs, but in December 2013 the firm restructured as a response to the increasingly specialist demands of the markets in which it operates. As a result, the following niche divisions were launched: Oil & Gas, Utilities, Automotive, Technology, Specialist Engineering, Infrastructure & Built Environment and Information Security & Communications. By creating its niche recruitment divisions and empowering people to run them, ARM has better aligned its services to its clients and candidates requirements. Consultants at ARM have seen improved earnings, demonstrating that actively seeking specialist market knowledge is a smart move and one that is crucial to both brand and financial success. Mike explains that ARM has also developed their corporate services function, providing further account management capability. He says, Clients have one point of contact at ARM, but with access to specialist capability. This new function also gives choice to our consultants about whether they want to grow their career as a specialist 360 consultant or if they want to be a candidate sourcing specialist, with the option to grow as an account manager. Paul Mallinson, MD, Optamor I joined Optamor and the Serocor Group because this is a company that puts the customer first and our staff service the customer first. As an owner-manager I can ensure that Paul this Mallinson will always be the case. We have great plans for Optamor, which will see the business grow ten fold over the next five years. I would welcome calls from anyone who believes that they can contribute to our success and who thrives in an empowered people-centric environment. Led by a highly experienced team headed up by newly appointed Managing Director Paul Mallinson, Human Capital Solutions company Optamor offers Recruitment Process 0utsourcing, Managed Service Provider and Managed Training Services. While holding the same company values as ARM, Optamor has a different culture to match its more consultative style. Mike stresses that the cultures of each of the businesses have been adapted to link with their service offerings and adds, Optamor is highly consultative and is focused on innovation around sourcing under our clients brands and looking for talent solutions linked to the employee journey. The Group s Hawker Chase Executive brand, which focuses on executive recruitment for the aerospace, defence, automotive and oil & gas sectors, has thrived over the last year. Director Marie Stockley relocated the business from Portsmouth to Bournemouth in April in order to accommodate both its growth in staff numbers and expansion into new sectors. New business New to the group is the award-winning shared services company, Serocor Solutions, which is intrinsically linked with the recruitment and human capital solutions brands under the Serocor umbrella to provide seamless internal RI - July

3 Serocor: Reaching out to and external customer support. When initially set up, the company operated independently from its brands and the shift to integrate it and establish a more service-orientated culture has been challenging Mike says, but it now means ideas can be rolled out quickly and effectively. Digital talent agency Bloc started doing business this February and recruits for the digital marketplace, including PPC, SEO, Java, Mobile (Android/iOS) and creative. Headquartered in Bournemouth, the nine-strong team concentrates on the markets in London and Germany, and aims to open offices in both locations. In fact, 50 per cent of Bloc s revenue is generated internationally, mainly in Germany. International expansion The long term strategy of Serocor has always been to expand internationally and in our last meeting Mike and the team revealed they had a two year international development plan. Although still firmly on the agenda, Mike admits that for ARM these plans were slowed down to allow for the growth of its fledgling regional offices in Aberdeen, Coventry, London and Bristol. Now that boilerplates have been set up for the regional offices, the Board, having further established the scalability of its businesses, is turning back towards international expansion. ARM is currently building its capabilities in the United Arab Emirates and is tapping into the specialist engineering and software development markets in Germany, plus the technology market in the USA. Staff recruitment and enablement The Group has implemented a carefully controlled and robust internal recruitment process. For ARM, this incorporates a thorough screening process and competency based interviews in the search for proactive, ambitious and hardworking consultants who hold the company s brand values of passion, professionalism and partnership, will share its commitment to what we say is what we do and who support its mission statement of Making successful people. In return, ARM offers training and flexibility in a supportive working environment, a The Serocor Board: L-R - Paul Huntingdon, Simon Lawton, Miles Hunt, Simon Church, Mark Gawthorne, Mike Gawthorne. 22 RI - July

4 outstanding recruiters competitive basic pay and commission scale, plus a clear career path structure. Vacancies are promoted online (www. arm.jobs) but Julie Pratten, Internal Recruitment Manager for ARM, equally welcomes cold applications and Mike stresses that speaking to the company directly really is the best approach. Julie can be reached on for ARM matters, for other Group companies call and for entrepreneurs looking for investment opportunities, Mike can be contacted on All applications are treated in strictest confidence. Brand entrenchment Each brand in the business has been tailored to its target industry and clients, and one change that has arisen out of ARM s brand development is a fragmentation of the historic culture and values of the business internally. Mike says, Culturally it s been really challenging going from a single site entity to having multiple sites. The most pressing challenge ARM has been faced with is how to get staff on board with the company s values without losing the flair and ability for which they were initially hired. Consequently Mike explains that ARM and all the Serocor brands are, Going through a reembedding process: putting the culture and the values back into the business, specifically emphasising The three Ps that underlie the heart of the business which are passion, professionalism and partnership. This year ARM has also heavily invested in staff training, including an online portal through which staff can manage their own training and career development. Senior management training has been delivered through personal coaching and middle managers are also being coached to prepare them for future leadership. Personal development plans have been rolled out to all staff, ensuring all individuals have a clear path to follow in order to reach targets and achieve their professional development goals. The road to top staff Dedicating time to invest in staff development has resulted in the company improving and stabilising its staff turnover in the last three months. Alongside a focus on culture and training Mike attributes the upturn to a renewed focus on company-wide policy changes based on the results of a staff engagement survey. These include a revised communications strategy, with a monthly newsletter and weekly Automotive Digital Marketing Automotive Managed Service Provider Finance Information Security & Communications Technology Defence Recruitment Process Outsourcing People Development Infrastructure & Built Environment Oil & Gas Creative Oil & Gas Managed Training Services Brand Development Business Systems Specialist Engineering Business Support Technology Shared Services Utilities RI - July

5 Serocor: Reaching out to outstanding recruiters ARM s Bristol office is the latest addition to its regional portfolio and is situated in Temple Quay. Ben Halligan manages the growing Bristol team, who recruit in the technology, infrastructure & built environment and information security & communications sectors. Bristol is the main commercial hub for the South West of England, says Ben. Businesses are investing heavily in the area and we are perfectly placed to assist them with their niche technical and engineering recruitment needs. meetings. Other changes include a relaxed dress code, flexible and home working options and a new charity initiative that gives staff the option to carry out voluntary charity work on an annual basis. According to Mike, the aim of these changes is to play to people s strengths and to attract and retain the best people, rather than a one size fits all approach. Refining a unique entrepreneur model Bloc is an excellent example of a successful proposal made by an entrepreneur, one of many whom Serocor is currently working with. The business start-up scheme is an important aspect of the Serocor business and the Group maintains an open door policy for individuals looking to enable their business vision through the financial and business support backing of a solid company. Over the past year, Serocor has worked to restructure its business start-up scheme and the opportunities it presents and Mike explains, We are looking for talented individuals with the entrepreneurial flair and commitment to run their own business whilst seeking the funding and support to do so. Individuals who successfully apply to set up and run a business with Serocor will be given access to the management equity investment scheme with Serocor being their business partner. Whilst financial security is important, the pool of advisers available to managers of start-ups is invaluable, playing an integral part in company growth. Entrepreneurs receive support and insight from Board members from both an internal viewpoint and an external perspective due to their additional advisory roles at other companies. In addition to Mike as CEO, whose role is to represent the shareholders in any startup and provide operational support alongside CFO Mark Gawthorne, there is Chairman Miles Hunt, Non-executive Directors Simon Lawton and Simon Church, and Founder Paul Huntingdon. Together the Board are on hand to provide advice from every angle of the business and there isn t much they haven t experienced personally in their substantial recruitment careers. The team will meet regularly with the managing director or practice manager of the company and discuss the major aspects of the business including operations, marketing and finance so as to ensure the smooth running of the business. The detailed methodology involved in servicing the entrepreneurial business model is a reflection of Serocor s choice to remain an investment company for a select number of businesses. In fact, Mike confirms, We never set out to have 20 brands; we have a small number of boutique brands in the Group and we are looking to grow this to eight or so over the next five years less is more. For entrepreneurs looking for investment opportunities, Mike can be contacted on and all applications will be treated in the strictest confidence and beyond Mike is positive about the future of Serocor, not least because throughout all its changes the Group has managed to maintain consistency in its NFI. The Group did see a drop in its bottom line profit as it invested in its staffing, offices and services, but Mike is confident that business will continue to improve from this point forward stating, At the moment all we can see is upward trajectory in terms of profitability and NFI. However he does stress, We re a people business and our big learning curve has been don t get distracted with structures, financials and branding; you ve got to keep people central to everything you do. Miles Hunt, Chairman Restructuring the pre-existing group of technology and engineering recruitment and managed service operations into the Serocor group is now largely complete. From a homogenous collection of services we now have distinct brands, operational identities and a corporate structure centred on the philosophy of management equity aligning the interests of management with broader group shareholders, by offering the chance to own a meaningful shareholding in their own company. We have yet to complete the transformation process but the new sense of empowerment, autonomy and responsibility felt by each of the company management teams is palpable. The expansion of the ARM brand across regional geographies and the investment in four new offices reflects the ambition of the group to take advantage of market opportunities. 24 RI - July