Recruitment agency aims for £3 million turnover following Haylofts move

A fast growing recruitment agency is aiming to hit £3 million turnover only 18 months after launching and in the midst of COVID-19.

Novum Personnel was taken over by managing director Tom Simpson in late 2019 and has established itself in recruitment areas such as construction, engineering, tech and education.

Tom said: “We’d only just start when the pandemic began, but rather than panicking we sat down, analysed what effects COVID-19 was having and what sectors would prove to be more resilient to the pandemic.

“We looked at what industries would be less susceptible to an airborne virus and took the decision to focus on the construction sector.

“We made sure our offer to both those looking for work and employers was distinctive and attractive and threw everything at the sector – and it worked.”

The company now employs 17 people across three offices in Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hull and is on track to hit its ambitious turnover target in its second year of trading.

Alongside Novum, entrepreneur Tom is now launching sector specific brands – with Hello Education already working in schools and colleges recruitment.

He said: “Hello Education is doing well, and we’ve had some really positive feedback. We’re about to go out with Hello Tech in the world of digital and technology.

“As well as correctly identifying the sectors we needed to be in, I think our success is also down to our partnership model.

“We work very closely with our clients and get to know their businesses or organisations well.

“We also work hard with our network of contacts to generate new business for our clients.”

Following its success, Novum has moved into the recently-opened Haylofts flexible workspace in Newcastle.

Haylofts is an innovative office space in the old Newcastle Brewery stables on St Thomas Street, adjacent to Haymarket travel interchange.

The renovated space has 22 offices, seven meeting rooms, a lecture space for 80 and broadband speeds of up to 100Gbps.