Escape route planned for new office scheme

Feb 1 2008 By Greig Cameron

Move to hire 20 staff at premises

Escape Recruitment is opening anew office in Glasgow this month as part of an expansion plan.

The independent consultancy also plans to hire around 20 new recruits in the coming year to work at the West Regent Street premises.

That move will almost double the company's Scottish workforce. Since being founded seven years ago the company has averaged a growth rate of about 40 per cent year-on-year.

Recently it had to double the space it occupies at its Livingston headquarters. Turnover reached £5million in the last financial year and Escape is already projecting turnover of £6.5m when its results are announced in September.

Anne-Marie Hamill, co-founder and director, believes making the right choices in the company's own recruitment will benefit clients.

She said: "We already have a team of eight people working as a 'virtual' Glasgow office in preparation for the move in February. By doing so, we hope to make the transition as painless and hassle-free as possible.

"We of all people recognise how important hiring the right people is for a business, which is why we've recently employed a member of staff whose principal role is to recruit for us internally. The people we employ are central to the future success of the company."

Expansion into the north and east of Scotland is also planned.

Adrian Brady, co-founder and director, said: "When we established Escape we were driven by the belief that we could offer clients something new and exciting in the field of recruitment. We see this as crucial to our success to date and are looking forward to this next, significant stage of growth with the establishment of an office in Glasgow."

Escape offers specialist recruitment services and consultancy across a number of sectors, including HR, accountancy and finance, IT, manufacturing and life sciences.

It was a winner at last year's Scottish Recruitment awards and Hamill and Brady were shortlisted in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.