A major player in happiness

28-May-2008

Walking into the Covent Garden offices of creative recruiter MajorPlayers, in the heart of London’s West End, one is confronted with an unusual sight. Parked in the corridor is a bright yellow motorbike — a championship-winning Yamaha 1000 and prized possession of founder and managing director Jack Gratton, one of 33 he owns.

The incongruity builds when you notice a TV in the reception area perched precariously on a small grandfather clock. Casually dressed staff busy at their desks give the impression that every day is ‘dress down Friday’.

Of course, such superficial details don’t always tell the whole story. However, according to chief executive, Greg Orme, MajorPlayers is indeed something out of the ordinary. “I believe that we provide the best overall package and the best place to work in the creative recruitment sector in the UK, if not in the world, ” he says.

It’s a bold statement, but certainly not one without foundation, as the company won the Best Medium to Large Firm to Work For in the 2008 Recruiter Awards for Excellence, supported by Thomas International. So fast yellow motorbikes in the corridor aside, what sets MajorPlayers apart?

“The most important thing for MajorPlayers is its culture. It’s one that runs contrary to many of those prevailing in recruitment,” says Orme.

Another bold claim, but one that Orme is keen to justify. MajorPlayers is an “exciting, energetic and fun environment”, he says. Indeed, after running the Centre for Creative Business, a training organisation for leaders in marketing, Orme says it was these aspects of the company that persuaded him to take up his present position last January. “To be honest, I have never been happier in my career,” he adds.

Orme emphasises that culture cannot be imposed by management, but must come from the staff themselves. “It’s about giving people freedom to perform without a lot of rules, regulations and bureaucracy. In addition, we make sure people have a lot of fun,” he says.

Fun certainly seems to be high on MajorPlayers’ agenda, with barbecues in the courtyard, car boot sales for charity, and myriad other social events, organised by groups of staff themselves, termed ‘crack teams’.

Paula Carrahar, a director of the company, emphasises that while everyone works hard, the make-up of the company’s staff is quite eclectic. “You can very much be yourself,” she adds. However, she concedes that to prosper in recruitment, consultants need a hard edge. “It would be a lie to say that we are not competitive. We like our consultants to have a tenacious attitude.”

The company prides itself on its training commitment, says Carrahar, with staff guaranteed a minimum of five days a year from an external training provider. Staff can pick and choose their training programmes, she says.

Another attraction is a flexible benefits package consisting of 23 benefits, such as gym membership, outside training courses, hairdressing or extra holidays.

However, Orme is keen to emphasis that the lure of financial reward is still “incredibly important”. Basic salaries are “highly competitive”, he says, though bonuses can make up to 25% of total remuneration. Salaries are benchmarked against the REC, Recruiter and other Vedior company figures. Basic salaries are 22% higher than the industry average, with overall remuneration including bonuses 43% higher. In 2007, the average recruitment salary was £34,718, including commission/bonuses, according to the Recruiter/REC and Saffery Champness salary and benefits survey.

That said, however, Orme continues: “I believe there’s more to work, even to sales work than just the money.”

People come to work for a variety of reasons, he argues, such as liking your workmates and being listened to. “I just think that other factors are important in keeping people here, and that they are underplayed in other places in the industry, where they have high attrition rates.”

In comparison, he points out that MajorPlayers’ staff attrition rate is a comparatively low 10%. “I wouldn’t want to work in a company where people weren’t happy, I just couldn’t do it,” Orme adds. “Fortunately happy people are associated with successful companies.”

According to Carrahar, almost all staff say they enjoy their work. “Historically, we always tell our consultants, go out and meet other consultants. But in almost all cases, they come back and say they are staying where they are.”

The company’s approach appears to be paying off. In 2006-2007, the company’s 85 staff (now 100) generated pre-tax profits of £1.2m on a turnover of £15m. This was up from £837,000 in 2005-2006. Since 2002, company turnover has risen by an average of 44% per annum.

Carrahar emphasises that the company could not have got to where it is today without its founder, Jack Gratton. “He does pull you along with his energy, and is able to maintain the company culture and keep everyone positive. He also recognises the strength of the people around him, and that it’s been a team effort,” she says.

Gratton downplayed his own contribution, telling Recruiter: “MajorPlayers is not an ‘I’ company, it’s a ‘we’ company. It’s a great place to work where people can fulfill their dreams. You’re part of something that really is for the good of everyone in the company.”

According to the 2004 Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For, four out of five staff said he inspired them, while 89% said he was “full of positive energy”.

While in recent years, the company has thrived on London’s burgeoning need for creative people, from digital and PR to design and advertising, Orme says that certain changes are needed to take the company “to the next level”. He says the main requirement is to bring “a more structured approach” to the company, part of the remit given to him by Gratton when he joined.

He has already made a start, by putting together a five-year growth strategy, reviewing the company’s remuneration processes, and introducing regular client and employee surveys. But he emphasises: “This is not a turnaround situation but to enhance future growth.”

Orme says he would like to see MajorPlayers expand internationally into other creative centres, such as the US, the Middle East and Australia. He says that such a prospect can only be enhanced by Vedior’s (MajorPlayers’ parent company) purchase by Randstad. “If you can’t have global aspirations as part of a business like that, when can you have global aspirations?” he asks.

However, Orme admits that there could be dangers in introducing a more structured approach. “The challenge is to do this without becoming corporate,” he says.

It remains to be seen, however, whether as the company moves to the next stage of its development, it can retain those slightly quirky aspects of its culture that have made it special in the first place.

MajorPlayers: A snapshot

• Founded: 1994
• Staff employed: 100
• Turnover: 2007-08 £15m. Projected 2008-09 £18m
• Pre-tax profit 2006-07 £1.2m

Winning big in Scotland

With so many recruiters competing in the same talent pool, attracting and then retaining a workforce of satisfied and motivated staff is a huge competitive advantage.

Construction recruiter Contract Scotland picked up the award for Best Small to Medium Recruitment Firm to Work For at last month’s 2008 Recruiter Awards. So what does it take to win such a coveted accolade?

Colin Woodward, Contract Scotland’s managing director, says that the key is to differentiate yourself from the competition. One way the company has achieved this has been the way it rewards its consultants. Unlike the vast majority of recruiters, Contract Scotland’s consultants are not paid on commission, but receive a basic salary. “This produces a less pressurised environment and less pressure in the need to produce results,” he says.

Staff like the fact that the company behaves “more as a professional services company”, says Woodward. “If someone doesn’t want to work for Balfour Beatty, that’s not the end of our conversation with them. We are working to find them a job, rather than fill a particular job.”

Woodward says that commitment to staff development is another key differentiator. “We invest a lot of time and money in training staff,” he says. All company entrants are put through the REC’s accreditation programme, with 50% of staff working for a professional qualification.

He also believes that the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a big draw. This includes working with asylum seekers to provide them with work opportunities. Around 25% of staff have the opportunity to be involved with CSR activity. The company also provides other benefits, including gym membership, an interest free loan of up to 15% of salary, showers and the opportunity to go running at lunch time.

Woodward says that everything the company does is recognition that these days people are attracted to employers for many reasons.

Key facts about Contract Scotland

• Turnover to June 2007: £10.5m
• Projected turnover to June 2008: £11.3m
• Around 220 freelance temporary workers, places 12-15 perms a month