Recruitment Now becomes all-female business

Jan 9 2009 By The Journal

THE director of one of the region’s recruitment firms has handed over the reins to his wife after helping her to create a £1.6m turnover business in four years. Peter Nixon has stepped down as a director of Gateshead’s Recruitment Now to concentrate on his senior role at Newcastle construction equipment-firm Nixon Hire, allowing his wife and business partner Sarah to take full control.

Mr Nixon had always intended to pass over full control of the recruitment business, which has a 14-strong all female workforce, once it was fully up and running and will now return to a full time director’s role at the plant hire company, which has a turnover of around £20m and has been in operation since 1967.

Sarah said: “Peter’s remit was always to help me get Recruitment Now established and now that we are in our fifth successful year, he is returning to his family business where he always remained as a director.

“This will allow me and my team to take the business forward. For the first time we are an all-girl recruitment agency.”

Sarah is under no illusion as to how difficult 2009 could prove for the recruitment sector and expects a big challenge during her first full year in charge.

However, she still expects to see a repeat of last year’s performance, with a positive temps market helping to limit the damage done by a lack of permanent positions. She said: “It’s no secret that we are facing troubled times economically in the UK and, as such, companies are less likely to commit to permanent staff. We realised this and so made a massive effort to drive the temporary side of our business by adding new divisions and providing admin support to our top temporary consultants.

“People may say that my husband is a bit mad for passing on full control to me at a extremely crucial time. However, he believes I can make a go of things and help grow the business.”