The Faces Behind Our Success

Chris Jackson and Dale Swords founded Understanding Recruitment and we placed our first candidate.

Our first office was opened in The Regus Office Space, St. Albans in 2008, with Rugby legend Richard Hill as our esteemed guest of honour.

As our team grew to 10 employees in 2009, we knew it was time for a change. So, we packed our bags and made a big move to a brand new office space in Lower Dagnall Street, St. Albans.

The year 2013 was an exciting one for us. We expanded our team and moved to a new office space in The Maltings, St. Albans. Around this time, we also launched our innovative Net Promoter Score, which went on to win the prestigious 'Innovator of the Year' award at the APSCo awards. In addition, we proudly supported the Grove House Charity by participating in the Herts 10k run. To top it off, we welcomed Miles Hunt to our team as a Non-Executive Director.

Our dedication to innovation and excellence was recognized in 2014 when we were awarded the prestigious APSCo 'Innovator of the Year' award, as well as the 'Best Candidate Experience Award' at the Recruitment Business Awards. Furthermore, we were thrilled to see Tom Rankin, who began his journey with us as an Apprentice, win the 'Best Newcomer of the Year' award at the IRP Awards. As a team, we also took part in the Herts 10k run and raised funds for the Rennie Grove Hospice, underscoring our commitment to giving back to the community.

In 2015, we celebrated our best performing consultants by taking them on an unforgettable trip to Miami, where they enjoyed an amazing time of team bonding and relaxation. At the same time, we were thrilled to receive recognition for our hard work and dedication. We won a prestigious award at the Hertfordshire Business Awards and were highly commended for the 'Investing in Talent Award' at the Recruiter Awards, which highlighted our commitment to nurturing and developing top talent.

The year 2016 was filled with incredible achievements for our team. We proudly supported various charitable causes by completing the grueling Nuclear Races, raising funds for organizations such as the Niemann-Pick Disease Group, MacMillan Cancer Support, Willow, and the Great Ormond Street Hospital. In addition, we were honored to receive multiple awards, including the prestigious 'Recruitment Company of the Year' at the APSCo Awards for Excellence, and the 'Best Staffing Firm to Work For' award at the Staffing Industry Analysts' (SIA) Executive Forum. These awards recognized our team's unwavering dedication to excellence and our commitment to delivering exceptional service to both clients and candidates.

In 2017, we achieved significant milestones that reinforced our position as a leading recruitment specialist. We hosted our first Fintech meetup with Starling Bank, completed the challenging Coast to Coast Challenge and raised over £3k for Cancer Research. We were also awarded the 'Best Staffing Firm to Work For' at the Annual Staffing Analysts Executive Forum and named 'Business of the Year' at the SME Hertfordshire Business Awards.

In 2018, we marked an important milestone as we celebrated our first decade in business and expanded our team to over 50 employees. We were thrilled to promote Sam McBroom to Director, recognizing his contribution to our success. Moreover, we were immensely proud to win the prestigious 'Best Staffing Firm to Work for UK' at the Staffing Industry Analysts SIA Awards for the third year in a row, reflecting our unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional employee experience.

2019 was an exciting year for us as we made our first foray into the US market with the launch of our office in Boston, Massachusetts, which specialises in Artificial Intelligence and Backend Engineering roles. We entrusted this crucial mission to Matthew Ferdenzi, one of our most accomplished consultants. Meanwhile, our exceptional performance was recognised as we were shortlisted for three categories at the Hertfordshire Business Awards and were finalists for the prestigious APSCo award in the 'Recruitment Company of the Year £3-10 million' category.

It was a remarkable year for us in 2022 as we achieved unprecedented success, including expanding our office to the entire building, marking our 15th anniversary, and treating the entire team to an unforgettable trip to Palma. We also had the pleasure of taking our top performers on a winners' trip to Miami, while our commitment to providing an exceptional workplace culture was recognised as we were named one of the Best Companies to Work For. Finally, we proudly raised almost £20k for charity through various initiatives.

We've already hit some major milestones in 2023 that we're incredibly proud of. First off, we became an employee-owned business, which means every single person on the team now has a stake in our success. It's a big step towards creating a company culture where everyone feels invested in what we do, and we're excited to see where it takes us.

We also had an absolute blast on our winner's trip to Mauritius! It was a chance for the team to celebrate all the hard work we've put in, and we definitely made the most of it. From relaxing on the beach to exploring the island's stunning scenery, it was the perfect opportunity to recharge our batteries and come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to go.