Recruitment firm creating new jobs

By ian griffin business editor

A recruitment firm is to create more than 40 jobs as part of plans to increase annual turnover from £2 million to £10 million.

Precision Recruitment, of Leicester, said it wanted to achieve this over the next four-and-a-half years.

The business will be helped after winning a coaching package worth £20,000 as part of an East Midlands Development Agency initiative.

The Coaching for High Growth project provides 20 days of specialist coaching over a 12-month period, along with a number of classes.

Managing director Phil Walker said the firm had seen an upturn in business over the past six months and now had the same number of clients it did before the recession.

He said he planned to increase the workforce from 11 to 15 by September.

"Our growth plan is quite ambitious, but it's achievable," said Mr Walker.

"After a tough 18 months in our industry we are seeing substantial growth within the majority of our market sectors.

"With the assistance of the programme we aim to grow our business.

"This year has seen the successful development of in-house specialist software, which reduces the time to hire and therefore costs for our clients.

"With the assistance of the programme it will add strength to our service levels to clients and create a strong growth plan to achieve the businesses ambitious plans."

Mr Walker said places had been cut on the programme because of public spending cuts and the company had to come through a rigorous three-hour interview.

The programme, which is aimed at the bright stars of the East Midlands business community, is partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The company, founded by Mr Walker six years ago, specialises in recruiting engineering, technical and sales staff.

Precision has recently relocated from Bede Island to York Street in the city. The company last year began managing the whole recruitment process for clients, including advertising a vacancy and handling the applications.

Precision was a runner-up in the New Business category of the Leicestershire Business Awards in 2009.