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Well placed to celebrate major anniversary

A DEDICATION to accountancy recruitment is still at the heart of Abacus Consulting which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2016.

Even through some challenging years the founders, William Hayward and Jeremy Cutler, have remained committed to their original plan and are now looking to build on the fresh opportunities.

Managing Director William said: “Fifteen years is a significant landmark for us.

A DEDICATION to accountancy recruitment is still at the heart of Abacus Consulting which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2016.

Even through some challenging years the founders, William Hayward and Jeremy Cutler, have remained committed to their original plan and are now looking to build on the fresh opportunities.

Managing Director William said: “Fifteen years is a significant landmark for us. We have come through some interesting times and on occasions it has been difficult but we have come through well and feel very positive looking to the future.”

William and Jeremy, who is the agency’s Finance Director, first met at school and then in their 20s started to look at setting up a business. At the time, William already worked in accountancy recruitment, while Jeremy was a financial journalist and analyst in London.

Their experience in the financial sector helped nurture an idea to set up a consultancy and a few years later they opened for business in Northampton. The first office was in a converted attic in Spencer Parade – a far cry from the four offices the agency now operates in Milton Keynes, Bedford, Luton and Northampton, at 3 Basset Court, Loake Close, Grange Park.

William said: “A lot has changed in the recruitment space in the 15 years since we opened for business.

We first started talking about different ideas over the kitchen table and from there put together a plan which would make the most of our experience in the financial sector.

“Now the internet plays a major role in our work but in those early days I remember flicking through

20 to 30 pages of vacancies in the Chronicle & Echo to find our potential customers. We have all had to move with the times, but we have always remained dedicated to our original idea of specialising on accountancy vacancies and I believe our success has been because we have been able to offer undiluted expertise to companies recruiting staff for their finance departments.”

Both partners still have a very hands-on role in the business, which works across four counties – Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

William said: “The real strength in our business, which sets us apart from most recruiters, is the longevity and expertise of our consultancy staff. The average length of service of our team is eight years, and each and every one of our consultants has ten years plus experience in financial recruitment in the local market.”

“It would be difficult to find this depth and consistency of knowledge in any of our competitors. We believe we are able to make a real difference to the recruiting process and add value as genuine business partners as a result.”

The team includes Moira Keenan, the longest serving member of the team, who joined the business in 2001 shortly after the company was launched. She has helped chart and steer the long-term career paths of a huge number of part qualified accountants across the region.

Michelle Pearce has been a consultant since 2004. She was so impressed with the agency’s service when she was looking for a career move in accounts in 2002 that she applied to join the team as a recruiter.

William said: “We have always believed that candidates deserved a better level of recognition and service than they were generally receiving from the recruitment industry.

“We feel that candidates should be at least the equal of employers throughout the recruitment process, if not the more important of the two parties. When you are looking to make a career move, it is a far more significant development in your life than that of the hiring manager of the company you will be joining, after all.

“As such, we have always focused our consultation on getting it right for the work seeker.”

This approach has enabled the agency to grow, with businesses trusting the team to fill their vacancies and work seekers returning to Abacus when looking for their next career progression.

William said: “We have got excellent long-term relationships with businesses across the four counties – not only large blue chip companies, but small and medium sized businesses that are looking for the right candidate. “Our experienced, loyal team have been able to help chart careers and through listening and working with individuals and businesses we have been able to meet the needs of a specialised sector.”

To find out more, see the website at www.abacusconsulting.co.uk or call William Hayward at the Northampton office on 01604 876330.

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