Concept Recruitment
Concept Recruitment Group Ltd is a UK-based Employee Ownership Trust providing temporary, permanent, and contract staffing across food production, logistics, manufacturing, and technical sectors from four Yorkshire branches and 20+ embedded client sites.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Concept Recruitment does
Concept Recruitment Group Ltd is a UK-based recruitment agency founded in Leeds in 2006, operating from four high street branches (Leeds city centre, Bradford, Wakefield, Dewsbury) and embedded on-site teams across more than 20 client sites throughout the UK. The firm supplies temporary, permanent, and contract workers across three core service lines: On-Site Services (high-volume temporary staffing for food production, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, and automotive sectors, with named enterprise clients including Morrisons, ASDA, Warburtons, Great Bear, Culina, and Clipper Logistics); a High Street Branch Network serving SMEs across industrial, commercial, and technical arenas; and a Technical & Professional division covering skilled roles in engineering, oil and gas, rail, automotive, building services, petrochemical, and construction. Revenue is generated through transactional fees on temporary worker placements (hourly rate markups in the £12.71–£16.00 range across published roles) and permanent placement fees, with disclosed turnover exceeding £50 million in 2018.
The firm operates a proprietary C-Live online portal that manages candidate registration, job ordering, timesheet approval, invoicing, compliance checks, and KPI monitoring, complemented by bespoke compliance IT systems with pattern-detection capabilities aimed at identifying potential labour exploitation. The company holds a 100% REC compliance pass rate, Stronger Together Business Partner Verified Status (2021), Sedex membership, and Cyber Essentials certification, and co-developed a national workers' rights qualification with the GLAA and Skills and Education Group in 2021. It acquired The Works (UK) Limited, a 30-year manufacturing and technical recruitment firm, in 2021 and transitioned to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) structure in late 2023, making it a wholly employee-owned enterprise with no external private equity or venture capital investors. The current headcount is 51-100, with 15 named staff including Managing Director Duncan Heywood and Operations Director Tracy Stanway.
Concept Recruitment firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Concept Recruitment
- Legal name
- Concept Recruitment Group Ltd
- Website
- https://conceptrecruitment.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Concept Recruitment Group Ltd is a UK-based Employee Ownership Trust providing temporary, permanent, and contract staffing across food production, logistics, manufacturing, and technical sectors from four Yorkshire branches and 20+ embedded client sites.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Concept Recruitment industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Staffing & Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (56132), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- High-Volume / High-Turnover Temp Staffing (BPACACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA), Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)
Keywords
Where Concept Recruitment is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leeds
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Concept Recruitment business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Temporary Labour Recruitment: Supply of temporary workers to clients across food production, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing and automotive sectors. Revenue generated through placement fees and hourly rate markups on supplied workers.
- Permanent Recruitment: Permanent placement services for technical, professional and executive positions. Innovative pricing model tailored to client requirements with detailed feedback guaranteed within 24 hours.
- Training Services: Bespoke compliance and legislative training courses delivered to clients including audit training, modern slavery awareness, right to work checks, and sector-specific programmes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Temporary worker hourly rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Permanent placement positions |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Concept Recruitment product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Concept Recruitment Group provides temporary, permanent, and contract staffing solutions to UK businesses across food production, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, and automotive sectors. The company places over 4,000 candidates per day at peak times via three primary service channels: embedded on-site recruitment teams, a high street branch network, and a specialist technical & professional division, all supported by their proprietary C-Live workforce management portal.
Product overview
Concept Recruitment Group operates as a recruitment services provider offering a unified platform of staffing solutions. The core offering consists of On-Site Services (embedded staffing on client premises), High Street Branches (SME-focused branch network), Technical & Professional (specialist skilled recruitment), and Outsourced Services & Training (compliance and legislative training). The company also operates The Works as a sub-brand focused on manufacturing and technical recruitment. Supporting these service modules is C-Live, the company's proprietary in-house technology portal for workforce management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- On-Site Services High-volume temporary staffing solutions delivered via embedded recruitment teams operating at client premises across 20+ UK sites. Covers performance management, compliance monitoring, worker attraction and retention for food production, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and automotive sectors.
- High Street Branch Network Network of high street branch locations in Leeds, Bradford, Dewsbury, and Wakefield providing face-to-face recruitment services to SMEs across Industrial, Commercial and Technical sectors.
- Technical & Professional Recruitment Specialist recruitment division providing skilled, technical, and professional staff to blue-chip and local businesses across Engineering, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Rail, Automotive, Building Services, Petrochemical, and Construction sectors. Includes executive search and retained campaign capabilities.
- Outsourced Services & Training
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% SLA commitment delivered weekly
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Concept Recruitment
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Concept Recruitment technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Concept Recruitment partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA)coreStrategic partnership between GLAA, Skills and Education Group (SEG), and Concept Recruitment to launch a national workers' rights qualification pilot scheme. HR and Compliance Manager represented recruitment industry on pilot scheme webinar. Qualification launched nationally from September 2021 to promote workers' rights and prevent labour exploitation.
- Skills and Education Group (SEG)corePartnered with GLAA and Concept Recruitment to develop and launch a national workers' rights qualification aimed at equipping young people and adults with skills to prevent becoming victims of labour exploitation.
- Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)coreCorporate membership with the recruitment industry's regulatory body. Membership dependent on achieving minimum 80% compliance test pass rate. Concept has consistently achieved 100% compliance. REC membership ensures adherence to Code of Professional Practice and industry legislation.
- Stronger Together InitiativecoreBusiness Partner Verified Status achieved in 2021. Multi-stakeholder collaborative initiative supporting organisations to tackle and eradicate modern slavery within businesses and supply chains. All on-site facilities and branches have Stronger Together literature available for candidates.
- SedexminorSedex member, demonstrating commitment to ethical and responsible business practices. Member badge displayed on website indicating adherence to Sedex standards for responsible supply chain management.
- Wakefield FirstminorPartner in Wakefield Top 100 Companies initiative alongside University of Huddersfield and 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. Initiative aims to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Wakefield district and promote the area as an attractive destination for investment and growth.
- 3M Buckley Innovation CentreminorPartner in Wakefield Top 100 Companies initiative alongside Wakefield First and University of Huddersfield. Initiative published annually by Huddersfield Business School using Bureau Van Dijk FAME database metrics.
- University of HuddersfieldminorPartner in Wakefield Top 100 Companies initiative alongside Wakefield First and 3M Buckley Innovation Centre. Initiative published annually by Huddersfield Business School.
- Overgate Hospice Big Build AppealminorProud member of Overgate Hospice 'Bigger Together Business Club'. Commitment to help transform end-of-life care in Calderdale by supporting the Big Build project to create a state-of-the-art hospice facility.
- Wakefield HospiceminorCharitable partnership supporting hospice care in Wakefield. Company delivers Easter hampers and support activities for patients and families as part of Random Acts of Kindness Day.
- The Kirkwood Business MovementminorProud member of The Kirkwood Business Movement. Kirkwood has been essential presence in Kirklees community since 1987, offering free care to local individuals facing life-limiting illnesses along with support for families and friends.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Concept Recruitment competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Driver Hire: UK specialist recruitment franchise for logistics, HGV driving, and warehouse roles. Overlaps with Concept's logistics and warehousing customer base but focuses narrowly on driver-related placements.
Broad incumbents
- Reed: UK generalist recruitment group with nationwide branch coverage across industrial, commercial, and professional staffing. Competes for national master-vendor contracts that Concept currently cannot address at scale.
- Gi Group UK: UK arm of a global staffing group offering temp, perm, and on-site solutions across industrial, logistics, and professional sectors. Overlaps with Concept on industrial/logistics temp but operates at materially larger scale.
- Hays: UK-listed global staffing group with strong professional and technical recruitment presence. Most relevant for overlap with Concept's Technical & Professional Division rather than its industrial temp business.
Direct peers
- Blue Arrow: UK temp staffing specialist covering logistics, manufacturing, driving, and industrial roles via a national branch network. Direct competitor for on-site logistics and warehouse placements.
- The Best Connection: UK industrial and commercial temp staffing specialist with a regional branch network. Directly comparable in industrial temp focus and SME/enterprise split.
- Staffline Group: UK-listed staffing specialist with a similar on-site industrial recruitment model focused on food production, logistics, and manufacturing. Comparable in vertical mix, customer base, and use of embedded teams at client premises.
- Pertemps Network Group: UK generalist staffing firm combining branch-based SME coverage with specialist divisions, including industrial and commercial recruitment. Closely comparable in scale, multi-divisional structure, and mid-market positioning.
- Acorn (Acorn Recruitment): UK-focused recruitment group with strong industrial, technical, and professional staffing arms operating from a regional branch network. Comparable business model and customer segmentation to Concept's High Street Branch and Technical divisions.
- Cordant People / Cordant Recruitment: UK recruitment group operating across industrial, driving, technical, and professional staffing with both on-site and branch delivery. Similar multi-divisional structure and target customer mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Concept Recruitment social profiles
Digital presenceConcept Recruitment compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Concept Recruitment financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Concept Recruitment leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Concept Recruitment subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Concept Recruitment funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Concept Recruitment M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Concept Recruitment
What does Concept Recruitment do?
Concept Recruitment Group provides temporary, permanent, and contract staffing solutions to UK businesses across food production, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, and automotive sectors. The company places over 4,000 candidates per day at peak times via three primary service channels: embedded on-site recruitment teams, a high street branch network, and a specialist technical & professional division, all supported by their proprietary C-Live workforce management portal.
Is Concept Recruitment a public or private company?
Concept Recruitment is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Concept Recruitment founded?
Concept Recruitment was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Concept Recruitment based?
Concept Recruitment is headquartered in Leeds, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Concept Recruitment make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Temporary Labour Recruitment is the primary driver. The others are permanent Recruitment and training Services.
Who are Concept Recruitment's main competitors?
Driver Hire is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Reed, Gi Group UK and Hays. Direct peers are Blue Arrow, The Best Connection, Staffline Group, Pertemps Network Group, Acorn (Acorn Recruitment) and Cordant People / Cordant Recruitment.
Does Concept Recruitment have an API?
No public API is recorded for Concept Recruitment.
What industry is Concept Recruitment in?
Concept Recruitment's product category is Staffing & Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACACAF, High-Volume / High-Turnover Temp Staffing, with a secondary code of BPACAFAA, General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry). Its NAICS code is 56132 and its SIC code is 7361.