The Maine Journey: 30 Years - By Meeta Sahni, CEO

When we were established 30 years ago, there weren’t very many boutique recruiters in London. Our founder, Amanda Maine-Tucker, had worked in some other larger recruitment firms and felt that a real, personal touch was missing from the recruitment process. She wanted to create a very focused search piece for PAs and EAs to MDs and CEOS, and did so successfully with Maine-Tucker.

Thirty years ago, the technology would be almost unrecognisable today, with the typewriter being the prominent medium for administrative tasks well into the 1990’s, businesses barely had a single computer. This meant that all CEOs, MDs, Lawyers (everyone really) needed somebody to do their typing, their audio, and write up their minutes. The Assistants’ role was all one on one. It was understanding that a good assistant doubles the output of the person they’re supporting (which we still believe today). So, that’s where we started.

From our inception, we introduced the 3 month 100% guarantee and we still offer this today. At that time in 1987, there was nobody else doing it, we set the bar. Even now, if you go out to the market, no one sets that as standard. Others will raise to the bar we have set, but it is not their standard. We recognised the value in a true partnership, of collaboration, of aligning values and aligning risk and reward and we have stuck to it.

We didn’t want to only provide EAs and PAs; we wanted to take that same quality of service, quality process, and the real “exec search” approach and apply this to contingent and administrative roles across the full spectrum. From post room, to office manager, to 100k business assistants, we evolved into delivering full business support on a temporary, contract and permanent basis. We developed what we do to align with what our clients and candidates needed. The Maine experience means that we will apply that same quality, the same care, and the same depth of search to a £20k reception role or a £90k personal assistant role. Why? Because every role in a business is equally important. Everyone must succeed in their role for a business to work as a well-oiled machine. We’re all the individual cogs in a larger engine.

Throughout the years, we’ve had to adapt to shifts in the market; after 2001 when the dot-com bubble burst, we realised our world isn’t future proof. It was such a huge growth area that was here one day and gone the next. We came to realise that the recruitment industry is a barometer for the wider markets; when it comes to hiring, and retaining talent, it all reflects on a business’ confidence, outlooks, and growth strategies. Ultimately, all those decisions impact how aggressively they are hiring. The years between 2000 and 2009 were a great time for recruitment, it was an evolving market and there was more and more competition, everything was on the up. Coming out of the crash in 2010, there has been a huge evolvement in the industry – the technological advances have been exponential with job boards, social networking, and the vast talent databases that are now accessible.

There is no barrier for entry into our sector and into the recruitment industry and that worries me because it means we can’t keep a hold of that quality that we are so proud of. It’s not only about our business and how well we do, but more importantly it is about the reputation of our sector and how well we are received by businesses in London and further afield.

As a boutique consultancy in recruitment, we must be aware of the market conditions and the demands of the organisation when we’re sourcing their talent. London has one of the most mature recruitment sectors in the world, and as such, we have high expectations. We’ve been delivering in this area for thirty years now and we will continue to do so for the next thirty years and more. Our guarantees, the one on one relationship building, and the true collaboration we have with our clients and candidates will withstand the test of time. There’s clear growth in the sector and we can see changes on the horizon; we want to evolve the way we offer talent out to our clients and be even more consultative to help not just attract, but also to retain and develop talent.

If you’re looking for a recruitment partner that will work with you and can draw on thirty years’ experience in the industry, get in touch with us today!