Fail To Plan = Plan To Fail
Louisa Harrison-Walker and Amy Tingle launched Benchmark Recruit in 2006. Bench mark Recruit supplies temporary and permanent recruitment and retention services across South Yorkshire through its various special list divisions, and was recently named Young Business of the Year at the Yorkshire Excellence in Business Awards.
Louisa explains they decided to start their own business through frust ration at bureaucratic constraints. We knew the kind of business we wanted to work for, we couldn't find it, so we decided to create it !We believed we could provide a better recruitment service than any on offer, by creating a working environment focused on quality service. delivering results and building longterm relationships, not lining fat cats' pockets!" Advice came from many sources - Business Link, SENTA, successful business people whom they respected - and they Invested heavily in all kinds of personal development and business training, "Continually developing ourselves professionally and personally has been a fundamental part of our success, Knowledge is power , after all ! "All advice is worth listening to , and some will strike a chord. For us, a session with Martyn Potter from PKF with the team as a whole was invaluable, Input from an objective business strategist gave us real clarity of vision, We now have an industry specific business mentor. Having someone who is removed from the day-to-day running of the business can help you see the wood for the trees, and being accountable to someone certainly keeps you on your tees!"
What does Louisa see as Benchmark's greatest achievements to date? "So many things!Working wi th so many bri lliant companies across South Yorkshire, The feedback from candidates and employers, Our staff, the way the team has expanded and developed, their passion in representing Benchmark. The £4,5k we raised at our charity football tournament for the Sout h Yor kshire Community Foundation! Being shortlisted for the Sheff ield Business Awards in our f irst yea r was a real plaudit. But my proudest moment was winning The Young Business of the Year at the Yorkshire Excellence in Business Awards just before Christmas, It was the middle of a recession, the media was focusing on redundancies and company closures, so it should have been our worst year ever! We were selected ahead of some major names for our brave decisions, our investment in new staff, and ploughing prof its back into the business," Finally, a few 'golden nuggets' of advice from Louisa: "Fail to plan, plan to fail. You have to be meticulous in planning and reviewing your business objectives, Set clear KPl's for you and your staff, and stick to them. David Grey from the OSL gro up once said: 'If you can't change the people, change the people: Being in the recruitment and retention game I couldn't agree more. You need the right people in the right posts for your business to stand any chance of achieving. Square pegs don't fit in round holes, "Ultimately, think long term with your clients, give your word and always deliver what you say you will. "
