HR consulting and recruitment business Hunter Adams attributes resilience and agility to a record-breaking year in 2021, with the firm poised to see more of the same in 2022.
Adapting its business model in line with the business climate and market demand has enabled them to expand their reach and achieve record growth in 2021.
Managing Director, Jennifer Marnoch, said: “Like most businesses I imagine, we began 2021 with an element of trepidation as we were still unsure of what the pandemic would hold for us and the impact it would have on our UK team.
“But as the year progressed, Covid restrictions were gradually eased and the economy opened back up; it became apparent that the initial rebound we inevitably saw was by no means a temporary spike in activity. In fact, throughout the year we found ourselves getting busier and busier, culminating at the end of the year with our busiest ever December and a year of record growth.”
Discussing some of the trends Hunter Adams observed last year, Jennifer said: “We’ve been involved in a number of M&A transactions, as well as seeing various requirements from fast-growth tech companies. Despite the global economic challenges there continues to be significant investment across several sectors. As part of what has been branded ‘the great resignation’ there has also been considerable movement at a senior level within HR which saw our senior interim consulting services as well as our permanent executive search services grow immensely.”
Jennifer continued: “Clients always want to reduce costs where possible, so tend to look at their ‘big ticket’ people cost areas such as hiring. Many new and existing clients have opted to use our interim recruiter service to remove their pre-existing and often expensive third party recruitment agency costs.
“Employee health & wellbeing and diversity & inclusion are two specialist areas of HR which have really come to the fore in recent months as we all try to ensure our teams feel supported and included during what has been a challenging time. Having experts in these areas has also proved to be a real success with our clients.”
Following some changes to the Hunter Adams leadership team later in 2021, a further key appointment was made in January this year with the addition of Holly Milne, previously Director of Client Services, who has returned to the business in a different capacity with a remit focussed around leading the continued growth into 2022 and beyond.
Holly said of her return to the Hunter Adams leadership team: “It’s an exciting time to be re-joining the business, and it looks as though we are poised to continue the tremendous momentum witnessed during the second half of last year. The pandemic has accelerated changes in workplace culture beyond anything we expected, and good HR is now more important than ever in supporting business growth. We know Hunter Adams is well positioned to add significant value to businesses across the UK through smart, commercial HR solutions.”
Asked how she attributes last year’s success, Jennifer said: “First and foremost our purpose has always been to help our clients grow their organisations with a focus on increasing bottom-line profitability. The shift towards a hybrid working model has enabled us to access a broader pool of talent from across the UK, as well as the intensified focus on people and culture for businesses across the board fuelling an increased demand for our services.
“As an employee-owned business we are also very lucky to have such a fantastic and committed team. The resilience they have demonstrated over the last couple of years is remarkable. We work hard to cultivate a strong and supportive culture within Hunter Adams and it’s in times of uncertainty where you really see that investment paying off.”
Hunter Adams has certainly not experienced a January lull coming back after the holidays, as Jennifer explains: “As with our busier-than-expected December, January has picked up right where December left off – a great position to be in and very encouraging for the year ahead.”
