Recruiters report strong starts to 2014
RETURNING business confidence and willingness to hire staff is proving a boost to two of the region’s well-known recruitment companies.
Manchester-based executive finance and accountancy recruiter Watson Moore said its net fee income was up 70% in the three months to the end of March and is expanding its team in response to a a pick-up in demand.
Watson Moore, which is one of the sponsors of The Rainmaker Awards – the new corporate finance awards launched by TheBusinessDesk.com and Out There Events, said it had placed 17 chief financial officers/finance directors in the first quarter, compared to 35 in the whole of 2013.
The firm, which has a Leeds office as well as its Manchester base, has taken on six experienced consultants in the last 12 months.
Co-founder and managing director David Moore, said: “‘Whilst we feel that we have always operated at the very forefront of qualified and FD recruitment, we have now firmly established ourselves in the corporate finance, practice, and part-qualified markets and we’re really excited to continue to grow our presence in these areas by adding great people to our business.
“We have built a fantastic network over a long time and it’s brilliant to see that in the end it’s relationships that count.’
Meanwhile Stark Brooks, which specialises in recruiting for management and executive roles, said revenues in the same period surged 34%, making it the firm’s strongest first quarter since 2011.
It has hired three staff in Manchester already this calendar year, with business manager Lauren Falcus, consultant Hugo Franklin and researcher Luke Williams joining.
Among the senior roles filled by Stark Brooks during Q1 was that of finance director at Cheshire insurance broker The Bollington Group.
Chief executive Gron Ffoulkes-Davies, pictured, said: “We saw a strong close to 2013 and 
this momentum has continued into 2014.
“Clients across the board are being more active in the recruitment market and, at this stage, we see the jobs market continuing to be buoyant, with high-calibre candidates now showing more willingness to move posts than at any time since 2008.
“However, we are seeing pockets of wage inflation pressures, as prospective employers are sometimes having to offer enhanced salary packages to secure staff with the required skills and experience.”
Stark Brooks has invested more than £20,000 in an upgrade to its IT systems.
