At LogicMelon, we are very proud to be a TEAM supplier and they have been great supporters of our business. So in true Melon fashion, we sent our friend and industry veteran Keith Robinson to interview TEAM founders Simon Garbett and Liz Longman.

Q - So Simon what is TEAM, for those that might not know?

It stands for The Employment Agency Movement. We are not a trade association but an affiliate network of independent SME recruiting firms; no PLC’s. We work together to help aggregate our knowledge, networks, buying power and improve the bottom line of our members.

Q - Where did the inspiration come from?

A - Good question and it goes back to the early 90’s when I ran a 10 branch recruiting business in Surrey. I found it frustrating that I could not get on those "juicy" PSL’s even though I knew we had a good service to offer - a local service with great candidates.

So I approached another local which also had 10 branches but we only competed in one location, unfortunately although it made sense, pride, fear and maybe a slight "ego" issue got in the way. BUT the seed was sown and in ’94, I set TEAM up.

Q - So today Simon…

A - We have 400+ members with local branches across the UK tapping into the power of the local market but leveraging national resources if required. Our members have 1bn in turnover and we do get on the "juicy" PSL... but where the margin makes sense. Also, our members will share assignment and that gives the clients of our members access to an incredible "Talent Pool".

Q - Over the last 18 years I’m sure you’ve had some highs and lows, please share one of each;

A - My highlight was at a TEAM meeting in the Midlands a few years ago. It is a very competitive area for business but I watched 42 owners of recruiting businesses, many of which compete, sharing ideas, knowledge and working together to create a win-win and, yes, improve their bottom lines.

My biggest frustration is simple; "why don’t people trust, why can’t they share and why can’t they open up?" And one more frustration; "why are some recruiting firms just so lazy"... we need to add value, the industry is changing, finding candidates with tools like LinkedIn and we, as an industry, need to add value, leverage our assets more smartly and co-operate to do these things.

Q - Final question, my friends at LogicMelon set this interview up, so what is the relationship?

A – [Liz] One thing we are very focused on is helping our members find those suppliers of products and services that will "really add value" to the businesses of our members. So we will rigorously vet our own preferred suppliers and Darren and his team provide our members with an invaluable service. Getting the right ad, to the right job board at the right time and price is critical and LogicMelon manages this efficiently 24/7/365.

BUT as importantly, Darren gives his personal time to TEAM too and that, we know, is appreciated by the members.