Just two weeks in, and 2009 already faces living down a horrific reputation. Never has a new year been so widely derided as potentially “the worst since …” — whichever reference suits.

Take heart from the recruiters featured in our inaugural Fast 50, the Recruiter-Catalyst Corporate Finance listing of the 50 fastest growing UK recruitment companies. Many of these companies have bucked a number of odds to grow during ‘the gathering storm’, most achieving growth without making acquisitions.

We’re delighted to be working with Catalyst on this long-planned project, which was designed to fix a close eye on the upwardly mobile movers and shakers in our industry.

Because of holiday season publishing idiosyncrasies, you will receive Recruiter two weeks in a row this month, with the next issue arriving on your desk a week from today. A good thing, too — the year is off to a busy start!

So beat the doom mongers — make 2009 a memorable year in the best possible way.

Fast 50 firms share their success

Recruiter and Catalyst Corporate Finance have compiled a list of the 50 fastest growing recruitment agencies (click here for the full list). Julian May interviewed five representatives from the Fast 50 to discover the secrets behind their phenomenal growth

Faststream Recruitment

Sectors: Architectural, building design, maritime and shipping, oil & gas and mining.

Founded: 1999. Fast 50 place: 47

The global operations are run from Southampton with offices in the US (covering North and South America), Norway (Scandinavia) and Singapore (Asia Pacific).

Diversification has been key in its growth. Mark Charman, managing director, recently set up The Meeting House, an executive search and selection consultancy specialising in senior talent acquisition in the shipping, marine, energy and commodities markets.

He told Recruiter: “We identify niche areas that we understand and where we can provide a pure recruitment consultancy model.”

Charman said the firm has seen “fantastic year-on-year growth” but the focus is on net profitability rather than “unsustainable” high turn-over and low margin business models. “I very much adhere to the adage: ‘turnover is vanity, profit is sanity and cash is reality’.”

International recruitment, particularly developing specialisms within specialisms, has been marked for growth. There are plans for 10-15 new staff in 2009, mostly consultants in Singapore, which is “proving a massive growth area and seems immune to the global downturn”.

Aston Carter

Sectors: Permanent, contract and search, IT financial services.

Founded: 1997. Fast 50 place: 18

The business has diversified into consulting, HR, senior appointments and finance and operations, with offices in 16 European and Asian countries. Staff numbers have grown 26% to 252 since last year.

Chief executive Sean Zimdahl told Recruiter that the extensive in-house training programme and company share incentive scheme have helped to improve staff retention (average attrition is less than 12% since 1998).

There has been “significant pressure on UK contract margin” in the financial services sector.

“However, we are currently 10.4% ahead on a net fee income (NFI) level compared to the same period last year, profits are in line with expectations and with less than 45% of NFI coming from the financial services market, and more than 34% being generated internationally, we are well placed to make the most of any opportunities,” he explained.

Aston Carter’s growth plans continue with new offices opening in Berlin and Zurich and further client diversification in the UK.

Eurostaff Group

Sectors: Senior roles in technology and finance.

Founded: 2003. Fast 50 place: 14

Mark Znowski, director, and co-founder Paul Flynn decided to focus on Germany and the Benelux region from the firm’s London headquarters, rather than the “saturated” UK market.

The partners concentrated on high level project and programme managers on a contract basis with clients such as IBM and AXA, which were “high yield areas with placement fees of five figures”.

Eurostaff only employs the top graduates, training them to become leaders in their fields, said Znowski.

‘Warts and all’ honesty with staff has helped keep attrition low, and keeping hold of key staff has helped to grow the business. Eurostaff is also debt free — there is no venture capital.

The company is expanding in 2009, launching its Gulfstaff brand, focusing on the Middle East region, based in Abu Dhabi.

Eurostaff has also begun high-level engineering and HR recruitment in Europe and is setting up an office in Germany this year to be closer to its clientele.

“We hope to turn over about £20m this financial year. We aim to be one of the top international recruiters, by gross profit, in the next five years,” said Znowski.

Investigo

Sectors: Project and change management professionals to the banking, financial services and commercial sectors.

Founded: 2003. Fast 50 place: 10

Simon Smith, managing director, started Investigo with joint managing director Scott Beckson and six staff. They now have over 60 employees.

Investigo turned over £600,000 in year one, is estimating a £27m turnover this year and hopes to make £2m profit. “That is pretty significant growth considering we started the business with £90,000,” said Smith.

Smith said one reason for success was the staff equity scheme, where franchise partners invest in their own business unit in return for a stake in the company. The scheme has empowered staff, enhanced continuity of relationships with candidates and clients, and attracted top talent from the competition.

Investigo only employs experienced staff — most (95%) have a minimum of three to five years’ experience, meaning less spend on training and development.

Household name clients like Apple and Tesco have also helped to attract high quality candidates.

Investigo is planning “sensible expansion” in performing markets this year, said Smith.

Drivers Direct Recruitment Agency

Sector: Driving. Founded: 2002.

Fast 50 place: 35

Gethin Roberts, managing director, opened the business with three branches, focusing on everything from chauffeurs to HGV, professional and coach drivers.

Staff have increased from 11 to 33 and 400-500 drivers are out every day, said Roberts. Despite the “tough and tightening” market since the downturn, trading has still been “reasonable”.

“I don’t have an expensive head office or the overheads that a top 50 company does. We will not be that far off last year’s profits [about £500,000],” Roberts said.

The key to Drivers Direct’s success is hiring people with the right attitude and professional understanding and a comprehension about what each employee is expected to make financially, said Roberts, an ex-transport worker himself.

“We are working on a big contract at the moment and are looking at opening offices in areas such as London, Sutton, Leeds and Reading. In the next 12 months there will be at least three new branches.”

Roberts has also taken advantage of government rules that come into force in 2009, which mean all professional drivers must be CPC qualified, by setting up a training division offering free NVQ qualifications.