The Mackinnon Group, corporate business advisors, say business in the recruitment sector is becoming increasingly competitive. As a result many company owners are keen to determine the direction they should follow for future success.

A recent REC/Deloitte report on jobs suggested that recruitment consultancies' permanent staff placement and temporary staff billing continued to rise last April. But the rate of demand growth dipped to a 16-month low.

So what is the appropriate route for recruitment businesses to take? The Mackinnon Group is putting its considerable experience behind a special, free breakfast briefing on 26th July in Reading.

Ben Blackden, the Group's advisory director with over 15 years experience in the recruitment sector, will make a short keynote presentation providing sound guidance for recruitment companies looking for new direction and ideas. He will present a "snapshot" of the realities currently facing the staffing industry backed by advise on relevant growth and potential defensive strategies.

In addition he will cover the issue of expansion into new areas plus ideas for maintaining market share despite declining margins. Other topics he will touch on concern the do's and don'ts of an acquisition strategy and the key issues when considering a sale.

The free breakfast briefing is at Kirtons Farm Hotel easily accessible from J11 off the M4. It starts at 8.30am and closes around 10.30am, including half an hour set aside for networking.

HOW TO GET THERE
Kirtons Farm Hotel. from the M4 - leave motorway at Junction 11 and take A33 south (signed Basingstoke) at the next roundabout turn right and then take the second right. Follow this country lane for three miles and the hotel is on the left. It is well signposted from the motorway with brown tourist signs.

BEN BLACKDEN
He has over 15 years experience in the recruitment sector and many years of commercial and human resource management experience, He has considerable expertise in assessing options for development and understanding the benefits they can provide.

In 1990, he started two companies that later became Professional Staff leading the company's development from start-up to revenues of $150 million in ten years. He led the company's successful IPO on NASDAQ in1996 and subsequently made more than ten acquisitions giving him a clear perception on what is necessary to make such integrations work.

As a key influencer in the recruitment sector he has helped drive changes over recent years encouraging agencies to work as strategic partners with their clients.

More info here or email here (places are limited)

Written By Andrew Leech