It was Monday the 7th September 1992, there was a light drizzle outside, Rhythm is a Dancer by Snap was playing on the radio, some people in the street were wearing their clothes back to front (thanks Kris Kross) and we were all very excited that Home Alone had a sequel that was coming out soon! However, this seemingly ordinary day was definitely not ordinary, for it was the day that Major Recruitment was born. Three decades later, we’re celebrating our 30th Anniversary!
Yes, 1992 was recession year and some thought it may be a little risky time to start a company. However, our CEO Phil Bottomley wasn’t perturbed, he had a dream and with a little help from others he made it happen! In his previous roles, Phil had seen colleagues wanting to improve themselves; asking for help to pursue their goals only to be told no, or to be ridiculed for their ambitions. So, his vision was to build a company that was all about its values. One that would not only encourage people to improve themselves, but to give them a leg up on the way!
Major = Family
The initial vision was to create a family that worked together with its core values to be Genuine, Passionate, Progressive, and Resilient. Respect was the key objective, delivering staff to work in the most ethical manner possible. And it worked (that’s putting it mildly). At the beginning it was possible for Major to visit each site and hand deliver the payslips and we even invited the temps to the pub on a Friday and buy them a pint. As we grew, it became impossible to hand deliver all the payslips and we couldn’t find a pub to accommodate us! However, our phenomenal growth did not affect the family ethos that was instilled at the very beginning. On our 30th Anniversary Major is still a family – very much so!
We never stopped growing (and we never will)
In 30 years, we have come a long way (an awfully long way) from our humble beginnings in Yorkshire. We opened 2 more sites in 1994/95 and from there – there was no stopping us! Right now, we have branches stretching across the entire United Kingdom – From Ashford to Aberdeen! We added new divisions and brought in the most experienced individuals to run them as we grew. We also have many Major Recruitment onsite departments working solely for our partner clients, thanks to our fantastic Managed Services division. As you can see, we do not like to stand still at Major. Even a global pandemic didn’t stop us from expanding. No matter how much we grow or how fast, we will always keep our culture and ethics, and will always keep the family feel.
What does the future hold for Major?
People say, once you hit 30 grey hair starts to appear, you get wrinkles everywhere and you swap your wild nightlife for cosy nights in. However, they also say you can reach higher levels of happiness, you create more meaningful connections, and you receive a better work satisfaction. But all that’s a load of click bait really isn’t it? If our Major Awards/30th Anniversary Party has anything to do with it – we’re not even close to overlooking a night out for a night in, and hey there’s always botox!
In the coming years we will be focusing on developing, improving, and growing (even more!). We want to build on our current success – whilst keeping our values alive and real – as we believe those (and the people within the company) are what has made Major Recruitment so successful. In today’s market reaching your 30th Anniversary is a massive milestone, and one we are immensely proud of!
“For Major, great things are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of devoted people, which has made this business exceptional, in every sense, over many years!”
Phil Bottomley – Major Recruitment CEO
Congratulations to everyone! We cannot name check them all as this blog would be far too long. So we will just say thank you to the whole family, and here’s to the next 30 years!