Recruitment in Partnership

Dream Doors Plymouth

29th September 2021

Player Ready Plymouth

29th September 2021

Published by on 29th September 2021

Recruitment in Partnership Ltd was established by husband and wife team Debbie & Peter Clayton with the help of a family friend Laura Usher who helped them develop the website, creating the logo, company slogan and all other documentation ready for when they started trading in August 2017 and Laura who had previously worked in recruitment went on to become the first member of their team.

Debbie and Peter decided to set up the company after spending over 35 years working for various recruitment companies during this time and realising that there was a gap in the market for a recruitment agency who weren’t driven by profit alone but one that took time to build long term, honest relationships with both the candidates and clients.

Debbie worked as a Manager for some of the top Hotel groups in the World before starting work in a London recruitment agency back in 1988 as a Recruitment Consultant learning every aspect of the business before moving back to her home town of Plymouth to join a local recruitment agency as their Manager where she stayed for many years until the sale of the agency, moving into a Directors Designate position with another local recruitment business.

Debbie and Peter Clayton

Peter had a very successful career as a Commando Engineer in the British Army for over twenty years and on leaving decided to add a few more strings to his bow by taking his HGV Class 1 Licence, CPC and ADR Licence to enable him additional options for his future career on moving back to Plymouth and joined a local recruitment business running their large transport and industrial division, moving into regional management for a large on-site recruitment agency.

The couple met again and married in 2002 continuing to work together over the years until making the life-changing decision to start their own recruitment agency, the aptly named – Recruitment in Partnership.

The couple realised over the years of working for various recruitment agencies that the quality of customer and staff care was severely lacking, so in the Spring of 2016, the couple started forming ideas on how they would do it better and if they could do it by themselves. The respected and amicable pair chose the adventurous route and by August 2017, Recruitment in Partnership was formed. By going through their careers in the way they have, has shaped the way they run their own business today by showing consideration to everybody within the company and ensuring they are treated in the same way Debbie and Peter wish to be treated, and they have grown from strength to strength building strong, long-term and honest relationships between their clients and candidates something that sets them apart from many
other agencies.

Recruitment in Partnership is located in the unique premises of Crownhill Fort, a former Army Base where Peter once lived in when he was serving in the military.

The business took off with a flying start within three months of starting and after as a token of goodwill, the couple sent out Christmas cards to all of their former clients and to their surprise, Parcelforce got back in touch to help them recruit all of their temporary staff just before the office officially opened and are now the ‘preferred agency supplier of all staff for all of their Depots in the South West, and as a continued mark of their success and the high quality of service they provide are now the ‘Preferred agency supplier to many other prestigious companies throughout the South West and even the UK. Their pool of clients is ever expanding, and they work with all types of companies, no matter how small or large they are to assist them in fulfilling vacancies be it Temporary, Permanent or Contract as they tailor the service to meet all requirements and have payment terms to suit all. They provide staff on all levels from Cleaners to Senior Managers across the following sectors: Driving & Industrial, Construction & Plant, Engineering, Horticulture, Forestry & Agriculture, Commercial & Accounts and Catering & Hospitality.

Within 6 months of opening and as the client base increased, they needed to recruit additional internal staff to keep it running effectively and efficiently. The new additions to the team started with their daughter Ria who runs their payroll, then came their granddaughter Adele (the computer whizz) who works with the larger long term clients, and they recently added two more consultants Matt and Luke who are dealing with clients and candidates old and new. The team all work to provide a full 24 hour service to both candidates and clients alike and believe Peter and Debbie’s ethos that everyone is treated fairly and with respect and are now an integral part of
the business.

The recruitment team are always happy to help both clients and candidates, assisting them every step of the way in securing jobs with reputable companies doing the role they want to work in, enjoying good rates of pay which ensures they are all happy with the end result. Recruitment to them means more than just getting somebody a job, they understand how life-changing it can be to follow a career that you enjoy and how it can enrich your life in every way. The pandemic hasn’t made it easy to find employment, but Recruitment in Partnership are always available to help you gain back your confidence and hop on the job ladder with ease.

‘We will help the candidates with their interview skills, what questions to ask in an interview, what to wear and any requirements and qualifications they may need to get before the interview process. We are also here for you to talk to if you ever feel anxious before an interview.’ – Said Peter

Peter added that he has had candidates phone up regarding personal issues and mental health worries and they feel so blessed to have built up a strong relationship with them that they feel they can speak to the team
about anything.

If you are unsure about the career you want to progress in, they ask that you come into the office and speak to them about your passions, skills and what job you are looking to do, the types of company you want to work for and any particular companies that you do not want to work for. The main thing they ask of you is that you choose a career that you really want to do instead of focusing on the money aspect of the job.

It has become obvious to us that they really do care and want the best for their clients and candidates. Debbie confirmed this by saying, ‘The candidates don’t work for us, they work with us as without good candidates working for our clients, we don’t have a business’

Recruitment in Partnership is very different to the other agencies you may see on the high street. The team will actively search for jobs and go out of their way to connect with clients new and old and any other businesses they feel their candidates would benefit from. By working together with the clients and candidates this enables them to provide cover for temporary short and long term vacancies and in turn can fill permanent vacancies saving the clients time and effort advertising, interviewing etc.

Meet the team

One of the busiest times of year for business is Christmas which for Recruitment in Partnership starts at the beginning of October and they are expected to see a sharp rise in employment within the coming months. This year has been especially peculiar in the job market as they have noticed more jobs are becoming readily available but fewer candidates are taking them. They predict this is down to the pandemic and Brexit with people becoming comfortable working on a lower salary and working fewer hours a week and finding themselves still living fairly well. As the world begins to return to the new norm and life becomes easier, they are expecting this to change.

Debbie and Peter have enjoyed many years building up their business and shaping it to become a caring and happy environment for all. After a busy week in the office, the couple like to retreat to their stables in Dartmoor and spend the weekend relaxing with their horses and three dogs. Debbie has always loved and worked with horses from a very young age, specifically ex- racehorses, something she has passed onto Peter and so their dream became a reality having their own stables and fields close to the moors where they can escape to the wilderness of Dartmoor and forget about the hustle and bustle of city life.

Their plans for the future of the business are to move into a bigger office in the main part of the Fort where they can expand their team of consultants and continue their success by bringing on board more clients and candidates.

In 5 years’ time, Peter is hoping he will have retired from the company and plans to spend lots of his time renovating the stables and enjoying the peace and quiet. Debbie also plans to spend more time at the yard whilst ensuring the company is well looked after for when she wishes to retire with Peter.

It was clear from speaking to Debbie and Peter and being in their office environment that the quality of care and thoughtfulness is like no other recruitment firm we’ve seen before. We wish them the best of luck with the future of the business and hope they continue to grow with success.