2025 Winners
THE Meet dwight BUSINESS SERVICES TEAM OF THE YEAR
- Antal International
Antal impressed judges with a business services team spanning HR, Compliance, IT and Marketing that has unified a global operation, improved efficiency, and optimised technology to unlock substantial growth from client development and international collaboration.
- Finalists: Eames Group, First Point Group & Tile Hill
The Client Service Award
- Amoria Group
Judges praised Amoria Group for a wealth of metrics proving that its investment in training, talent and tech has delivered exceptional client service, growth and profit aligned with purpose.
- Finalists: Bright Network, Franklin Fitch, Oakley Recruitment, Pivotal Partners, Signify Technology & VHR
THE Bullhorn BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY AWARD
- Optime Group
Judges were impressed by Optime’s optimisation of proprietary tech to support clients with reporting and analytics at scale, creating a high value offering that has increased efficiency and margin whilst balancing tech and the human touch.
- Finalists: Savannah Group, The Portfolio Group & Trinnovo Group
The Candidate Experience Award
- SF Recruitment
SF was praised as a champion of flexible work to enable clients to access more diverse talent and candidates to access better career opportunities. Judges were impressed by a people-centric recruiter that has proved that profit and purpose go hand in hand.
- Highly Commended: VHR
- Finalists: _nology, Academize, Aldwych Consulting, Emerique & Partners Ltd, Flourish & V7 Recruitment
THE Kitto RECRUITMENT Marketing Award
- Boden Group
Boden impressed with a clear, comprehensive and consistent story of how it has differentiated with purpose and demonstrated the impact of connection-led marketing on commercial success in a challenging market.
- Highly Commended: Radley James
- Finalists: First Point Group, Major Players & The Best Connection
The 3b Innovation Award
- VHR
VHR impressed judges for demonstrating a culture of innovation with examples across the business, from the development of new solutions to growing future leaders and embedding EDI into its clients.
- Highly Commended: Morgan Hunt
- Finalists: GCS, Savannah Group & Xcede Group
The Pulse Temporary Recruitment Business of the Year
- VHR
Judges praised VHR as a provider of solutions, growing global talent pools as a trusted workforce advisor and training contractors for tomorrow’s most in-demand roles.
- Finalists: Bluestones Supply Chain Derby, ERSG Ltd, Optime Group, The Best Connection & V7 Recruitment
THE GROWTH RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR
- Penta Consulting
Penta impressed judges with strong growth across all metrics, investment in talent and tech to support future growth, and its thought leadership that is attracting clients and candidates.
- Highly Commended: Amoria Group
- Finalists: Clear Engineering Recruitment Ltd, Edison Smart, ERSG Ltd, Linnk Group, Proactive Global & VHR
THE Grant Thornton SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR (Up to £20M)
- Radley James
Judges praised Radley James for its impressive sector specialism, niche focus and close client relationships supported by consistent marketing and a people-first culture. Its success is demonstrated by global growth and expanding its team despite a tough market.
- Finalists: Arthur, Clear Engineering Recruitment Ltd, DeepRec.ai, Edison Smart & Franklin Fitch
THE GRANT THORNTON SPECIALIST RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR (Over £20M)
- Penta Consulting
Judges were impressed by Penta’s investment in technology and thought leadership to build niche candidate communities and deliver at pace for high value clients.
- Highly Commended: NHS Professionals
- Finalists: ERSG Ltd, Rise Technical Recruitment, VHR & Xcede Group
THE INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR (up to £50M)
- VHR
VHR impressed judges for how it has continued to expand globally by developing deep, high value client relationships, creating global talent pools, and demonstrating how they have enabled clients to grow themselves.
- Finalists: Emerique & Partners Ltd, Franklin Fitch, GCS, iXceed Solutions, Linnk Group & Proactive Global
THE INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR (Over £50M)
- Pracyva Limited
Pracyva was praised by judges as a clear winner in a very strong shortlist, demonstrating impressive growth with diversified and compliant global services. Judges also commended Pracyva’s leadership, with a new mindset and model for a next generation recruitment business that has scaled quickly and profitably in a tough market.
- Finalists: ERSG Ltd, NES Fircroft & Penta Consulting
The Sourcewhale Best Recruitment Company to Work For (under £50m)
- Linnk Group
Linnk Group has grown quickly and impressively in a challenging market with a people-centric culture and a range of initiatives to get the best out of their team. With low attrition and high growth, Linnk Group is a model employer in recruitment.
- Finalists: Arthur, Box Recruitment, Franklin Fitch, Oakley Recruitment, Tile Hill, VHR & Xpertise Recruitment.
The Blackwood Capital Best Recruitment Company to Work For (Over £50m)
- Pracyva Limited
Judges praised Pracyva for demonstrating that its commitment to equity, diversity & inclusion, training and tech enablement can grow both people and profit in any market conditions, with a next generation business model for a 21st century recruitment business.
- Highly Commended: Amoria Group
- Finalists: Eames Group, La Fosse & NES Fircroft
The Mishcon de Reya Recruitment Leader of the Year
- Danny Brooks, CEO, VHR
Judges praised Danny as a standout leader in a very strong shortlist for initiatives to grow talent within VHR and for clients, leading continued global growth, innovating with fixed price and talent creation solutions, and championing EDI with real examples of impact and change for clients around the world.
- Finalists:
- Ollie Whiting, CEO, La Fosse
- Jeanette Barrowcliffe, Finance Director, Meridian Business Support
- Hayley Pugh, Founder & Director, Oakley Recruitment
- Aminash Patel, CEO, Penta Consulting
- Amit Warwatkar, CEO, Pracyva Limited
- Timo Lehne, CEO, SThree
- David Weir, Managing Director & Founder, Tile Hill
The Hall of Fame Award
- Katie Folwell-Davies
This Award honours an individual with a distinguished career in the recruitment sector who has had a major impact on the industry and achieved exceptional success as a business leader.
Previous recipients of this Award include:
- Mark Cahill
- Tim Watts
- James Kilbane
- Jerry Mason
- Gary Ashworth
- Anthony Martin
- Sir Alec Reed
- Terry Benson
- Irene Marvin
- John Rowley
- Brian Wilkinson
- Denis Waxman
- Ged Mason
- Steve Ingham
- James Reed
- Peter Searle
- Anne Heraty