Avenue Prepare For Growth

The economic climate has affected almost every business in one way or another however I believe that it's how you manage your business through the hard times that determine your long term success.

Avenue is now approaching its 16th year in business and we have experienced the hard times before which has undoubtedly equipped us with the knowledge and experience to come through this period even stronger than before.

We don't claim to have all the answers but we do have our own theory about how to manage a business through a recession. Clearly overheads must be kept to a minimum but the businesses who will see a quicker upturn in business will be those who have been wise about which overheads to trim and which to maintain.

In our last newsletter we discussed the importance of investing in your existing people. Unfortunately many businesses chose to cut their training budgets over the last 12 months.  We increased ours and we are seeing the benefits.

In this newsletter we have also discussed the importance of investing in your clients and you will have seen that we have worked even harder over the last 12 months getting to know our clients. Again, many businesses have cut back on their frontline staff to save money.

Thanks in no small part to the actions we have taken, we are now seeing strong signs of a recovery and a real growth in vacancies. And whilst many companies may be overly cautious, we have the confidence to invest even further in our team with 3 key appointments that we believe will enable Avenue Scotland to reinforce its position as one of the leading recruitment companies in Scotland.

Bennie McConnachie - Trades & Industrial Division Manager

Benny McConnachie has joined Avenue to head up our highly successful Trades and Industrial division as we aim to strengthen our position in the Scottish manufacturing, engineering and energy sectors.

Benny comes with an enviable track record and his CV reads like a who's who of the Engineering Sector Agencies with the likes of Bordax, Dietsmann, Babcock, Acetech Personnel and most recently SWGR (formerly Scotweld), where Benny's unparalleled level  of knowledge, contacts and experience was instrumental in their success.

Benny is one of the biggest names in the engineering recruitment sector with an enviable reputation for success, professionalism and a thorough understanding of the market.

Benny explained, "I am delighted to become part of the Avenue family where there is a real enthusiasm for customer service and a commitment to quality. With over 20 years in the industry my reputation is extremely important to me and  I believe it can only be enhanced by the superb environment that has been created here."

He continued, "The future is very exciting with some incredible projects in the pipeline and some major contracts happening right on our doorstep in the not too distant future and from my experience in the recruitment market I can honestly say that no-one is better placed than Avenue to capitalise on these opportunities."

Andrew Brown Recruitment Consultant  - Oil, Gas and Energy

Avenue Scotland has further strengthened its Trades and Industrial division with the appointment of  Andrew Brown who will be responsible for reinforcing Avenue's position as the leading supplier to the Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy sector.

Andrew brings a wealth of blue chip experience having started out as a relationship manager in the UK finance sector before being headhunted by an Offshore Investment Broker where he worked with key clients in their Dubai office.

Andrew has been working in the recruitment industry for the last 2 years working on mid to senior level positions where his experience and his tenacious approach to recruitment and selection enabled him to develop an enviable portfolio of clients.

Andrew has been a long admirer of Avenue Scotland and was delighted to join the team, explaining, "Avenue Scotland is well respected in the recruitment marketplace for their professional service to clients and their ruthless attention to detail. But as soon as I joined the company it was clear that their commitment to training and their continued investment in technology and quality systems provides a platform for success  that is unlike anywhere else I have worked."

Louise Coats - Recruitment Consultant Water & Energy Sector

Earlier in the year, Avenue also appointed Louise Coats to strengthen our position in the Water and Energy sectors and meet the demands of our growing client base.

Louise's remit of establishing Avenue Scotland as Scotland's number one recruitment supplier to the water industry - you know how we like to aim high here at Avenue - is one that she has grasped with both hands.

Having worked in the water industry for the last 7 years, there isn't many vacancies that Louise hasn't come across and her ability to understand the exact skills a candidate must have when clients are after a Telemetry Engineer or a Instrumentation Technician.

Louise explained, "The skills required for the water industry are very specific and it's not just a case of finding an engineer that's possibly worked in the industry. You have to know what the job entails, the activities involved, the decisions that will need to be made and also the people the role will be responsible for."

She continued, "What sets Avenue apart from most of the competition is our ability to really get to grips with the brief supplied and only supply candidates that are right for the job - not just sending a pile of CVs."

Paul McGowan - Compliance & Quality Manager

With over 20 years in the recruitment industry and his thorough understanding of the key characteristics of the systems, processes and standards used by Avenue Scotland, Paul is the perfect man to ensure we continue to delight both clients and candidates with our superior standards of quality and service.

Paul commented, “I suppose my role is a bit like Roger Federer’s trainer. It’s about analysing every minute detail of the way we do our business and looking at how we can improve it even further to ensure Avenue Scotland continues to be world beaters.”

And whilst many of our competitors are looking to cut their overheads even further we are continuing our search to find the skills and talent that we require to achieve our ambition growth plans.

If you are looking for a new challenge and would like to be part of Avenue Scotland's exciting future contact Stephen Mitchell on 01383 622233 for an initial chat.