Leeds employer brand agency sees 100 per cent growth as turnover reaches record level

An employer brand agency in Leeds has seen turnover rise by 100 per cent in the last six months compared to the same period last year, topping £2.2m for the first time.

Chatter Communications, which celebrated its tenth birthday last year, has won 21 new clients in the last 12 months. These include ScS Group, NHS Blood and Transport, Third Bridge and Severfield PLC, to sit alongside existing clients such as Asda, Morrisons, O2 and Yorkshire Building Society.

Chatter works with organisations to help them “attract, recruit and retain the very best talent”.

As stories of The Great Resignation and struggles around recruitment have been well documented over recent months, more businesses have turned to the agency to help them refine and communicate their employer brand to prospective and current employees.

In a recent survey undertaken by The Firm, a forum for in-house recruiters, 35 per cent said employer brand is their top priority for 2022.

The agency’s current headcount now stands at 25. Seven new starters have joined the team in the last 12 months, with an additional seven new roles currently being recruited for.

Paul Ainley, managing director at Chatter Communications, said: “It’s really tough out there in terms of recruitment right now. Roles are very hard to fill and the workforce’s priorities have changed thanks to the pandemic.

“Tech and healthcare roles have always been notoriously difficult to recruit for, but that is now stretching to semi-skilled positions, and we’re being approached about everything from engineering and retail to manufacturing. Some companies are resorting to large joining and retention bonuses, but where does that end?

“The truth is, if you’re not clear about why someone should genuinely want to work for your business rather than your competitors, it’s going to be really hard to recruit and retain employees. Organisations need to build their reputation and raise their profile as a great place to work – and that’s where we come in.”

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