Recruitment giant Randstad is to merge technical and professional staffing firms Beresford Blake Thomas (BBT) and Hill McGlynn as part of a major rebranding strategy.

From 1 October, BBT’s portfolio of specialist businesses in the Middle East will be rebranded Randstad Middle East, with BBT’s construction business merging with Hill McGlynn’s Middle East operation to form its construction, property and engineering division.

BBT’s health and social care division and Reliance Care will also merge to create Randstad Care.

Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering UK operation will be led by Mark Bull, currently managing director of Hill McGlynn.  Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering Middle East will be headed by Peter Reynolds, currently chief executive of BBT.

Randstad Care in the UK will be led by Richard Smith, reporting to Peter Reynolds. The Asia Pacific division will be headed up by Deb Loveridge, chief executive of Randstad Australia, and Canada will be led by Terry Power, country manager of Randstad Canada.

Randstad adds that most of its professional businesses will retain their existing brands. Rebranding will only take place based on clear strategic benefits, such as the growth potential from the synergies between BBT Technical & Professional and Hill McGlynn, and BBT Health & Social Care and Reliance Care.   

However, a new house style has been developed and will be adopted by its professionals companies by the end of the year, with brands endorsed by the tagline ‘a Randstad company’.

Brian Wilkinson, executive director of Randstad Group, says: “This is a very exciting opportunity for Randstad.  The clear synergies between BBT Technical & Professional and Hill McGlynn, and BBT Health and Social Care and Reliance Care drove the merger and rebranding strategy.  

“The combined expertise and resources of the organisations, together with the brand equity of Randstad, will create competitive advantage and a very strong platform for growth.  Clients will benefit from access to a larger pool of high quality talent and candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a broader range of career building jobs.”
 
Bull says: “Hill McGlynn’s merger with BBT’s technical and professional business is about building a better future and ensuring our service proposition continues to develop to meet the needs of our clients and candidates.  As one integrated team, we have more potential to accelerate our growth and ultimately offer greater opportunity to the team of hugely talented staff that we have within our business.”
   
Reynolds says: “The creation of Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering, Randstad Care and Randstad Middle East is a great opportunity for us to build on our exceptional capability in these markets, both in the UK and internationally.  We are very proud that we have industry-leading businesses in construction and engineering, including the strongest presence of any construction recruitment company in the Middle East, and in the health and social care markets.”

Smith, director of BBT Health & Social Care, says: “We are delighted about the merger and rebrand as Randstad Care.  There remains a real shortage of high quality candidates in health and social care and getting the right people in the right jobs is vital because they have such an important role in the lives of their service users.  

“Being recognised as part of such a prestigious organisation as Randstad will help us to continue to attract the best talent and therefore improve the lives of the people that we are set up to serve.”