Successful Search

Scottish firm increases revenue by 20%

Search Consultancy – one of Scotland’s largest recruitment companies – has reported a revenue increase of 20% in its interim results. During the first six months of 2003, turnover was £37m, compared with £31m for the same period last year. The group projects annualised turnover of £80m for the year.

Expansion occurred across all of Search’s 14 industry specialisms, but was most marked in IT and finance, said managing director Kai McCabe. Search has also expanded geographically, with its latest opening in Leeds being the most successful so far, according to McCabe.

McCabe attributes the agency’s success to its ‘supersite’ model, which houses around 50 consultants per branch and offers clients the option of using the agency for one aspect of recruitment or outsourcing their entire recruitment operation.

“It’s like having a number of boutique recruitment operations under one umbrella,” she explained. “Some companies start with one service and expand from there – it means they don’t have to talk to lots of different recruitment companies at once.”

Search has also witnessed an upturn in demand for outsourced HR services over the past year, including disciplinary matters, counselling and appraisal.

Search operates five supersites in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Crawley, and there are plans to open another in late 2004, early 2005. In total, Search has 11 branches across the UK and employs around 400 staff. In 2003, it reported revenue of £64.5m.

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