Global building firm Mace believes that creating its own recruitment firm for its design projects will be a pioneering shake-up for the industry.

The new firm, People, was created last year as a recruitment and executive search business across the construction and property sector.

The consultancy has helped Mace recruit for its projects across 14 countries, including the proposed 1,000ft London Bridge Tower, or ‘Shard of Glass’ development, and the Heron Tower in the City.

People managing director Mike Jones wants the company to be the market leader for construction and property recruitment in the next two years. He said: “We think we have an opportunity to shake up the property industry. We want to do for recruitment what Mace has done for construction.”

People is also taking the unusual step of giving all its recruiters six months of training before giving staff any client ownership.

“Mace has built some of the biggest landmark projects globally,” Jones added. “People has translated these principles into the recruitment industry by breaking the moulding of a traditional outsourcing model.”

The agency has three offices in Brighton, London and Manchester and is planning to open further branches in Dubai, Edinburgh and Birmingham by the end of 2005.

Mace was ranked 48th in the Sunday Times’ Best 100 Companies To Work For last year.