Mon, 8 Dec 2014
Just six recruitment companies and one industry supplier made it onto this year’s The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100.

The 18th annual list ranks Britain’s fastest-growing private companies by sales.

Although fewer recruiters made it to the list, healthcare recruitment company Day Webster was placed at number three and represents the industry’s highest ranking for at least three years.

Last year, there were 17 recruitment companies on the list, the year before there were 13 and 14 in 2011.

The recruiters on this year’s list were:

Healthcare recruiter Day Webster (3)
Global energy recruiter Spencer Ogden (12)
Payroll services provider RACS (38)
Worcestershire-based eResponse Recruitment (45; 65 last year)
Global recruiter Engage Partners (51)
Technology recruiter La Fosse Associates (72; 39 last year)
Specialist international recruitment group Staffgroup (81)

In a statement, Day Webster's joint CEO and founders Hugh Wood Ballard and Daniel Wise said it was a "huge achievement" for their relatively young business.

The statement said the company's success was the result of securing places on several healthcare framework agreements, a same day payment service which attracted the best staff, and the acquisition of Care Providers in 2011.

Also in a statement, RACS managing director Terry Hillier said the business had grown from a considerably over the last seven years and was a "genuine 'rags to riches' story which should provide inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere".

To be eligible the companies had to be registered in the UK, be independent, unquoted and ultimate holdings companies. Firms had to have 10 or more employees and make an operating profit of at least £500k in their latest available accounts.

Sales for recruitment and payroll services firms were the total amount invoiced to clients. This year, for the first time, these firms were required to show gross profit of at least £5m in their latest available accounts.

• See the February issue of Recruiter for the fastest-growing private recruitment businesses in the UK, Recruiter’s FAST 50, compiled by mergers & acquisition advisers Boxington Corporate Finance.