Approach Personnel
Approach Personnel is an independently owned UK recruitment agency founded in 2007, supplying temporary, permanent and freelance trades, labour and professional staff to construction, manufacturing, facilities management and food production clients across the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Approach Personnel does
Approach Personnel Limited is a UK-based, independent recruitment agency founded in 2007, headquartered in Nottingham, that supplies temporary, permanent and freelance trades, labour and professional staff to the construction, civil engineering, facilities management, manufacturing, and food production industries. The company operates under UK regulatory licences — a Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) licence for labour supply and Modern Slavery Act 2015 compliance — and acts as both an Employment Business (temporary supply) and an Employment Agency (permanent placements). Its service catalogue is productised into five tiers: Flex and First Call for contingent temporary recruitment, Partnership for fully outsourced talent acquisition on multi-year contracts, Lean for cash-flow-friendly permanent placement, and Key Hire for premium headhunting with psychometric assessment and a 12-month replacement guarantee.
The firm's commercial model is transactional fee-based across temporary supply (mark-up on worker pay rates), permanent placement fees, freelance supply, and outsourced recruitment services under Partnership contracts. Approach Personnel monetises long-tenured candidate networks built over 19 years across housebuilding, civil engineering, interiors, FM, industrial, energy, and utilities verticals. The technology stack is consultant-facing rather than product-facing: Firefish CRM for candidate management, Kulea.ma for email automation, Apollo.io for professional data sourcing, and AI-assisted tools (third-party LLMs) for CV formatting, candidate summaries, job-description drafting, and matching. There is no proprietary AI model or client-facing platform; AI is deployed internally to improve consultant efficiency, with human-in-the-loop review retained on recruitment decisions.
The group includes two acquired brands retained under their own identities — Elizabeth Michael Associates (commercial office recruitment, acquired 2017) and Simon Nicholas Associates (Nottingham-based construction recruitment, acquired May 2024) — and operates a US office in Miami, Florida under the Approach Talent USA brand. Turnover exceeded £15 million with 400+ clients as of 2017; the firm has publicly stated its intent to triple revenues through further acquisitions. Growth has been driven by a combination of organic sector expansion and targeted M&A, with no disclosed external funding.
Approach Personnel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Approach Personnel
- Legal name
- Approach Personnel Limited
- Website
- https://approachpersonnel.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Approach Personnel is an independently owned UK recruitment agency founded in 2007, supplying temporary, permanent and freelance trades, labour and professional staff to construction, manufacturing, facilities management and food production clients across the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Approach Personnel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (56132), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing (BPACAEAB), Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC)
Keywords
Where Approach Personnel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Approach Personnel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Temporary Staffing Supply: Supplying temporary labour to construction, manufacturing, and food production clients. The company acts as an Employment Business as defined by the Employment Agencies Act 1973. Revenue generated through mark-up on worker pay rates and service fees charged to client contractors.
- Permanent Recruitment: Providing permanent recruitment services as an Employment Agency. Revenue generated through placement fees upon successful candidate placement, with packages including Lean (contingent), Key Hire (premium headhunting with replacement guarantee), and Partnership (outsourced recruitment team).
- Freelance and Contract Staffing: Supplying freelance trades and labour staff to meet project-based demand across UK construction and manufacturing sectors.
- Professional Services: Outsourced recruitment team services under Partnership packages, providing dedicated talent acquisition support as an extension of client HR teams.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Flex - Flexible contingent temporary recruitment with zero-risk model |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | First Call - Time-saving cost-efficient temporary staff management |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Partnership - Fully outsourced recruitment team extension |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Lean - Cash flow-focused permanent recruitment for new/expanding businesses |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Key Hire - Premium headhunting service with replacement guarantee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Approach Personnel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Approach Personnel is an independently owned UK recruitment business founded in 2007 that supplies blue and white collar temporary, permanent, and freelance trades and labour staff to the construction, manufacturing, and food production industries. The company operates as both an Employment Business (for temporary labour supply) and Employment Agency (for permanent placements), offering tiered recruitment packages ranging from contingent search to fully outsourced talent acquisition. They serve sectors including Shop Fitting & Interiors, M&E, Construction, Civil Engineering, Facilities Management, Engineering, House Building, and Food Production across the UK and select US markets.
Product overview
Approach Personnel is an independently owned UK recruitment business (trading since 2007) providing a portfolio of recruitment services across temporary and permanent placements. The core offering comprises Temporary Recruitment Services (with Flex, First Call, and Partnership packages) and Permanent Recruitment Services (with Lean and Key Hire packages), collectively supplying blue and white collar, temporary, permanent and freelance trades and labour staff to the UK's construction, manufacturing and food production industries. The company operates across multiple sectors including Shop Fitting & Interiors, M&E, Construction, Civil Engineering, Facilities Management, Engineering, House Building, and Food Production. The product portfolio also includes two acquired brands: Elizabeth Michael Associates Ltd (commercial office recruitment, acquired 2019) and Simon Nicholas Associates Ltd (construction recruitment, acquired 2024). The company utilises AI-assisted tools internally to support its consultants with CV formatting, candidate summarisation, job description drafting, and vacancy matching.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Temporary Recruitment Services Supply of temporary blue and white collar trades and labour staff to UK construction, manufacturing and food production industries. Covers Shop Fitting & Interiors, M&E, Construction, Civil Engineering, Facilities Management, Engineering, House Building, and Food Production. The company acts as an Employment Business under the Employment Agencies Act 1973.
- Permanent Recruitment Services Supply of permanent blue and white collar, freelance trades and labour staff to UK construction, manufacturing and food production industries. The company acts as an Employment Agency under the Employment Agencies Act 1973.
- Flex Recruitment Package Flexible contingent temporary recruitment package with zero-risk model — no payment unless the role is filled. Includes flexible rates, rebate/guarantee options, profile assessments, advertising and marketing. Pay-as-you-go billing.
- First Call Recruitment Package Time-saving, cost-efficient temporary staff management package with dedicated account management and delivery team, weekly reporting, and exclusivity option that stops other agencies calling for 12 months. Middle ground between Flex and Partnership.
- Partnership Recruitment Package Fully outsourced recruitment team extension for clients, providing a dedicated Account Manager, bespoke advertising campaigns, and full vendor management system technology. Operates as subscription/multi-year contract. Reduces or removes the cost of an in-house recruitment team.
- Lean Recruitment Package Cash flow-focused permanent recruitment package designed for new or rapidly expanding businesses requiring significant employee growth. No fees until the right candidate is placed, with shared risk. Pay-as-you-go billing.
- Key Hire Recruitment Package Premium headhunting service for permanent recruitment with a dedicated headhunter, psychometric and profile assessments via Thomas International, and a 12-month free replacement/rebate guarantee. Fast-track to ideal candidate using best technology and headhunting strategies.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ clients supplied across the UK construction, manufacturing, and food production industries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Approach Personnel
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Approach Personnel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature2 records
Approach Personnel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Armed Forces CovenantminorApproach Personnel signed the Armed Forces Covenant, formally committing to support serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families. This includes promoting employment opportunities and raising awareness of the value the Armed Forces community brings to employers. The company recognises veterans' transferrable skills in leadership, work ethic, safety awareness, and ability to work under pressure.
- Simon Nicholas Associates Ltd (SNA)coreAcquired Nottingham-based construction sector recruitment company Simon Nicholas Associates Ltd as part of Approach Personnel's growth strategy. Simon Pearce joined as Business Director following the acquisition. This acquisition expands the company's market position and is part of plans to triple revenues through similar future acquisitions. SNA brings construction recruitment expertise and client relationships to the group.
- Elizabeth Michael Associates LtdcoreAcquired in 2017, Elizabeth Michael Associates is a well-established commercial office recruitment consultancy based in Nottingham. It operates as a sister company to Approach Personnel, providing office-based recruitment services. Head over to www.Elizabethmichael.co.uk for office-based recruitment services. Together the companies form a group offering both blue/white collar construction staffing and office-based professional recruitment.
- Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA)coreApproach Personnel holds a valid GLAA licence, demonstrating compliance with labour provider regulations in sectors including construction, manufacturing, food production, agriculture, and logistics. The GLAA protects vulnerable workers from exploitation and labour abuse, and licensing requires demonstration of legal operation, correct worker pay, employment law compliance, proper right-to-work checks, and safe working practices.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Approach Personnel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sphere Solutions: Construction recruitment consultancy supplying white- and blue-collar construction professionals across the UK. Directly comparable on construction sector specialisation and temporary/permanent placement model.
- Linear Recruitment: UK-built environment and construction recruitment firm providing temporary, permanent and contract staff to contractors and housebuilders. Comparable to Approach on construction and housebuilding sector focus.
- Fawkes & Reece: UK construction and built environment recruitment specialist with offices nationwide, supplying trades, labour, and professional staff to contractors. Closely mirrors Approach's blue- and white-collar construction staffing model.
- Daniel Owen Ltd: UK construction, property and built environment recruitment agency supplying temporary, permanent and contract staff. Direct comparable to Approach Personnel given similar sector specialisation (construction, FM, property) and similar size profile within the UK mid-market.
- O'Neill & Brennan: UK and Ireland construction, industrial, mechanical and electrical staffing specialist. Direct comparable on construction and industrial trades/labour supply.
- Citra Recruitment: Construction, property and engineering recruitment agency operating across the UK. Comparable niche vertical specialisation and similar size to Approach Personnel.
Broad incumbents
- Hays plc: Global publicly listed recruitment firm with a sizeable UK construction and property division. A broad incumbent whose UK construction desk directly overlaps with Approach's white-collar construction professional placements.
- Reed Specialist Recruitment: Large UK generalist recruiter with a built environment practice. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Approach on permanent and temporary construction professional hiring.
- Randstad UK: Major global staffing group with significant UK construction, industrial and logistics operations. Broad incumbent competing with Approach on temp trades and labour supply at larger scale.
Others
- Elizabeth Michael Associates Ltd: Nottingham-based commercial office recruitment consultancy acquired by Approach Personnel in 2017 and operated as a sister brand. Useful adjacent comparable for office-based professional recruitment services within the same group.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Approach Personnel social profiles
Digital presenceApproach Personnel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Approach Personnel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Approach Personnel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Approach Personnel subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Approach Personnel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Approach Personnel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Approach Personnel
What does Approach Personnel do?
Approach Personnel is an independently owned UK recruitment business founded in 2007 that supplies blue and white collar temporary, permanent, and freelance trades and labour staff to the construction, manufacturing, and food production industries. The company operates as both an Employment Business (for temporary labour supply) and Employment Agency (for permanent placements), offering tiered recruitment packages ranging from contingent search to fully outsourced talent acquisition. They serve sectors including Shop Fitting & Interiors, M&E, Construction, Civil Engineering, Facilities Management, Engineering, House Building, and Food Production across the UK and select US markets.
Is Approach Personnel a public or private company?
Approach Personnel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Approach Personnel founded?
Approach Personnel was founded in 2007. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Approach Personnel based?
Approach Personnel is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Approach Personnel make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Temporary Staffing Supply is the primary driver. The others are permanent Recruitment, freelance and Contract Staffing and professional Services.
Who are Approach Personnel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sphere Solutions, Linear Recruitment, Fawkes & Reece, Daniel Owen Ltd, O'Neill & Brennan and Citra Recruitment. Broad incumbents are Hays plc, Reed Specialist Recruitment and Randstad UK. Elizabeth Michael Associates Ltd is listed as an others.
Does Approach Personnel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Approach Personnel.
What industry is Approach Personnel in?
Approach Personnel's product category is Construction Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAEAA, Construction & General Labor Staffing, with a secondary code of BPACAEAB, Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing. Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.