Reinforced Recruitment
- Client Name: Alex Wallace & Emily Hayes
- Sector: Construction
- Inception: June 2023
- Isotope Partnership: Traditional
Success Story
Construction Recruitment Specialists was founded by Rosie-mae O’Toole at the start of 2020. After 8+ years working across the construction market, across a smorgasbord of agencies before well & truly making her mark within one agency in particular, it felt like the right time to Rosie to take that experience & that knowledge & pour it into her own agency. Focussing primarily across the blue-collar construction market, this is her story.
Client Name: Rosie-mae O'Toole
Company Name: Construction Recruitment Specialists Ltd
Sector: Construction
Inception: 09 April 2020
Isotope Partnership: Traditional
Looking Back
As cliché as we know it sounds, there is never a “perfect time” to leave the (perceived) security of employment & make the leap into the realms of business ownership. Which means that, more often than not, if you stand in the wings waiting for the ideal time to present itself you’ll very rarely end up really making that leap.
Rosie is not one to wait in the wings.
& so, when the timing felt right for her to make the leap & launch her own agency, everything else just simply had to take a backseat. A global pandemic being one of those things that simply did not phase her.
One recruiter’s nightmare is another recruiters golden opportunity.
& this was the golden opportunity that Rosie felt she needed to effectively launch & develop her own agency from. She’d been thinking about the idea for years; the progress that she had enjoyed throughout the ranks within her previous employer had made her very aware of some of the practical mechanics that came with running a desk, division & ultimately a business.
Progression had always been important to her & it was one of the things that kept her with her previous employer for such a long time, she was constantly progressing, earning more as a result & having additional responsibilities thrusted upon her that armed her with an even deeper understanding of her market. But when that progression seemed to slow & the infamous glass ceiling started to become apparent to her, she started to look seriously into the idea of launching her own agency.
It was at that time we, the Isotope team, were lucky enough to first start talking to Rosie about the idea. It was very clear to understand why, professionally, Rosie felt ready to launch her own agency but as ever it was about understanding what she was personally hoping to achieve from launching her own agency; not only so that we were able to understand further what was pulling their exceptional recruiter towards the idea, but what effective recruitment startup support really looked like for her & her new agency to ensure it was giving her exactly what she (& her family) wanted.
Support Areas
We have been on such a journey with CRS since those first conversations back in March 2020 & while, of course, we have helped countless construction recruiters build their own agencies, each is unique in terms of what they look for from Isotope. Here are just some of the areas of support Isotope are lucky enough to work with CRS across:
Visual
Logo design
Business cards
Letterhead
Compliments slip
Website
Construction Recruitment Specialists
Here are just some of the landmarks CRS have enjoyed since opening their doors.
Eligible for Gross Status
by Month 6
100k GP
achieved within Year 1
Dual desk success
perm & temp offering established
£1m Turnover
targets smashed
Visual
Good to Know
Rosie does not do things by half measures. It’s just not in her personality. Why would you only “just” focus on running your own recruitment agency, when you can plan a wedding at the same time. We often talk about landmarks & these are just them – yes business ownership is important & something to be celebrated; but planning a wedding in the midst of COVID & running a profitable startup… that’s something only a few can do.
Explore More
It is really tricky because I could write a 3 page review on Isotope, however, to save your sanity I have condensed it:
1) They know everything, inside and out, any query you have to how you can afford to payroll your temps, to insurances, to legalities, databases, the list really is endless.
2) It is your business, you run it how you wish, but you have Isotope there to make sure your infrastructure is set up correctly. They essentially set your ‘desk’ up, legally, efficiently and hold your hand until your ready to run on your own.
3) Every negative reason to not set up a recruitment business on your own, is most definitely down to lack of knowledge. Every objection you have is because you aren’t aware of the solution. Isotope will set the business up, give you the tools you may or may not need and then stay in contact the entire time to make sure they are doing everything they can.
4) You are not alone – worried you can’t call your director and ask how to solve an invoice/client/ any issue? That’s fine, you can call Isotope and they will give a multitude of options for you to choose from.
The team are very personable and all round nice people. I would highly recommend and at the very least would urge people to have a chat to explore options!
Rosie-mae O'Toole - Construction Recruitment Specialists Ltd
Isotope
Commentary
“You can’t ever talk with Rosie & not come off the phone smiling. Her personality is infectious, so too is her desire to build a business that works for her & her ever-growing little family. A lot has changed since those conversations back in the depths of March 2020 over dodgy wifi & this thing called “ZOOM” (something no one knew anything about back then). What’s been really interesting is to see how Rosie’s own relationship with her business has changed over the years; what she first thought “success” looked like for her & her business has changed over the years & we feel so lucky to be part of that ever-changing & ever-developing journey with her.”
Max Jones - Director, Isotope Capital