Public-sector recruiter Antal International is targeting public-sector employees to join the firm as specialist recruiters.

The firm will offer nurses, doctors, policemen and transport workers training and support, plus access to its broad international network and infrastructure.

The firm’s chief executive officer, Tony Goodwin, believes that most non-specialist recruitment practices fall short in meeting the specific requirements of national and local public-sector employers, in particular for health, education, the legal system, transport and defence.

Goodwin said: “The growing number of individuals employed by the public sector coupled with government targets on delivery mean that there is a constant need to find, place and replace individuals using knowledge of the sector and not those skills typically associated with the recruitment industry.”

However Ian Wolter, CEO of specialist public-sector recruiter Eden Brown, called Antal’s move a “headline-grabber”. He believes the specific industry knowledge is transferable to consultants.

“I think it’s an interesting approach, because the sector has enough problems without people targeting its staff,” said Wolter.

“You will always have people from the public sector becoming recruiters, but they won’t be any better or worse than other consultants.”