The Frontline Recruitment Group had an outstanding 2022, and it’s rocketing into 2023.
CEO Arthur McColl says “The economic climate has been good for recruitment and there has been a shortage of candidates. The whole sector has seen an uplift over 12 months, but I’d like to think as a franchise model we’ve outperformed the market more than most.”
Sales growth rose by 45 per cent, with 13 months in a row delivering record results for the 26 year-old business.
And Arthur reveals that even though January 2022 was the highest achieving month in the firm’s history, the first month this year has added an astonishing 25 per cent rise to that success.
Frontline Recruitment record year
It was a record year financially for the brand – and for award recognition.
The recruitment brand came second overall in 10Thousand Feet’s Top Franchise awards, based on franchisee feedback. The business was also a national finalist in the marketing excellence category in the Franchise Council of Australia’s national awards event, with a WA franchisee taking out the state award for Single Unit Franchisee of The Year (2 or more staff).
Add to this three of the leadership team, including Arthur, placing in the Top 10 of the Top 30 Franchise Executives in 2022 and the franchising side of the business was well rewarded last year.
And the good news continued, with Frontline scoring a 5-star franchise rating already this year.
“We knew we’d do well in the ratings, but we were delighted to get five stars!” says Arthur.
5-star rating is icing on the cake
“We’re not a big brand, we’re not a first choice as a franchise, so we have to punch above our weight.
“We had been very successful with recognition in the 10Thousand Feet survey but we were lacking commercial validation. FRANdata’s Australian Franchise Rating Scale was perfect.”
Arthur believes external validation, particularly on a commercial basis, gives franchisees the confidence to explore multi-agency ownership.
“This is the type of business where you make your money on the way through. When people want to onsell or retire, this award validates with potential buyers. We’re now an independently assessed business.”
And franchisees are highly likely (61 per cent) to recommend the brand as a franchise investment. That’s against an industry average of 10.54 per cent.
The good stats continue with customer feedback – the business also achieved a Net Promoter Score of +65 against an industry standard of +10.
Franchisees’ appetite for growth
Last year out of nine agencies awarded, six were awarded to existing franchisees. There are another six already looking to expand their portfolios to supplement their already successful agencies.
“That’s partly why we did so well,” Arthur says of the 5-star rating. “Franchisees have an incredible appetite to expand, which is a good measure of performance and engagement.”
Frontline Recruitment Group operates in sectors including construction, education, health, hospitality and retail.
To expand, a franchise owner can take on a new area, or add a new sector.
“Some franchisees are choosing to diversify their business by adding different sectors,” says Arthur.
A great place to work
The leadership team chose to chase recognition in the wider business community too, and were rewarded for their efforts.
Last year Frontline Recruitment Group’s record of stellar performance continued with Great Place to Work certification and was ranked in the top 30 as one of Australia’s Best Places to Work for Women.
“The Great Place to Work certification is survey-based and accreditation is for each individual agency,” Arthur reveals. “As a recruiter, we want to place great people in great companies, so we have to walk the talk.
“Our business is more than 70 per cent women. A lot of our corporate team and franchisees are women, it’s one of our superpowers,” he says.
“We are keen to elevate the brand as a specialist recruiter so there’s been a huge focus on people first.”
Now Frontline Recruitment Group has a rejuvenated brand with a fresh new logo, a string of awards and an engaged franchisee network – and it is primed to sustain these achievements for years to come as it welcomes ambitious new franchisees on board.