It’s Simplicity itself for HR sector as revenues rise for Forest business

The UK’s recruitment industry grew by 11 per cent to more than £35 billion last year, supported by nearly 35,000 businesses, from oneman (or woman) bands, to multimillion pound companies.

Here, at least, is one sector which doesn’t yet seem to have been affected by Brexit, or perhaps that’s the point. With fewer people from overseas able (or feeling welcome enough) to work in the UK, there’s more competition for the limited pool of UK skilled workforce, and more need for good recruitment agencies.

Simplicity in Business, based in the Forest of Dean, has built an £118 million turnover company supporting the sector. And it’s growing as fast as the 500 or so recruitment businesses it works with (which it refers to as partners). Typical partners employ up to 10 people and turn over up to £5 million annually.

Simplicity in Business acts like an invoice finance discounter sector. As well as offering a comprehensive range of funding, it provides back office and technology services to help recruiters run their businesses more efficiently, compliantly and cost-effectively.

As a result, they have more time to look after their clients and seek new ones, leaving the financial and administrative management to the 70-strong team Mitcheldean-based Simplicity.

And the business has growth in its sights.

Director Jonathan Viney said: “We have recently invested around £3 million in new technology which gives even more support to our partners, and will allow us to widen our offer even further into the “Software as a Service” (SaaS) model.”

Simplicity’s technology includes a CRM system for its partners, and many more nice-to-have add-ons which they can take advantage of. All this will help Simplicity shape up for overseas expansion, which would certainly fit in with the company’s growth strategy. “We want to be turning over £200 million in