Exeter recruitment company toasts 25 years of success

An independent recruitment agency is toasting its on-going success after celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary.

Cathedral Appointments, based in Exeter’s Southernhay, opened in 1988 and specialise in providing permanent, temporary and interim staff across the region. Areas of expertise include Sales, Marketing, HR, IT, Engineering, Office, Manufacturing, Logistics, Accountancy, Financial Services, Legal and Executive Appointments.

The company began in a small office in Gandy Street in August 1988 after the Founder Directors, who had previously worked for a high street agency, decided to set up a business offering a thorough and flexible recruitment solution for South West businesses. 

The offices opened with the intention of running purely permanent staff but within two months they had applicants, temporary and permanent vacancies and a part-time secretary!  Their continued growth saw a move to bigger premises in 1990 but was closely followed by a recession, of which they were one of the few city recruitment agencies to survive. When the economy started to pick up and businesses started to recruit again, Cathedral Appointments ensured they were able to meet the demand.

Co-Owner Jo Caine said she was “immensely proud” of her company’s achievements considering the pressures that their key sectors have been under in the most recent recession. She attributes this to the fact that the company has remained independent and retained long-term relationships; some of them over the 25 years. “Because we are not part of a large chain we have greater flexibility, and our on-going local presence gives us the opportunity to build a specialised knowledge of the area’s requirements. Recruitment is a two-pronged business and we are equally committed to fulfilling the needs of our clients who require suitable staff and our candidates who are looking for jobs and careers advice.”

She also added; “Our success is also attributed to our fantastic team of consultants.  We have over 95 years of combined recruitment experience between us! Most of it has been gained whilst working for Cathedral Appointments which is really rare in this business. They really are an asset to us.”

Cathedral Appointments has developed long term relationships with many of the city’s largest businesses as well as a variety of SME’s but the business model has changed slowly over the years, from being known as generalist recruiters to focussing on providing permanent roles in more specialist areas of recruitment. 

Jo said; “The beauty of being a smaller independent agency is that we are able to be flexible on pricing, offering a tailored service which the High Street agencies are unable to do and take time to develop long-standing relationships with clients and candidates. Often candidates then become clients! Many of them see us as their ‘Career Manager’ as we are genuinely interested in putting them in right role.”

After 25 years there are plans for the future success and growth of Cathedral Appointments; they plan to increase the business further by expanding into different sectors throughout Devon, Somerset, Cornwall and Dorset. They are currently on the hunt for an experienced consultant to join their team and have plans to recruit another before the year is out.