Twelve months ago, PTSG launched its first fully in-house recruitment team. Here is what they have built, why it matters and what comes next.
Before last year, every hire at PTSG went through external agencies. Across a business of over 3,000 people, spanning more than 40 integrated companies, that meant dozens of suppliers, inconsistent processes and significant cost, with no central oversight.
That changed when PTSG launched its in-house recruitment team 12 months ago, bringing together a group of specialist recruiters under one roof for the very first time. Today, that team of nine covers every division of the business, from Fire Solutions and Electrical Services to Water Treatment and Building Access Specialists, and it has fundamentally changed how the company thinks about hiring.
In their first year, the team hired more than 800 people across the PTSG Group. Agency spend as a proportion of total hiring costs has dropped significantly, with the team delivering cost avoidance well in excess of its original Year One target. Turnover among the direct workforce has reduced and the team’s interview-to-offer ratio sits at 2.5:1, meaning that roughly one in every two and a half candidates put in front of a hiring manager receives an offer. In recruitment terms, that is a strong signal of quality, not just volume.
The onboarding process has been transformed too. What previously took days now takes minutes, thanks to automated systems introduced and developed by the team. For candidates moving from offer to their first day, it is a smoother, faster and more professional experience.
Oli Smith, Recruitment Manager, PTSG explained: “We set out with a clear goal: to build something the business could genuinely rely on. The results in year one have gone beyond what we expected, but for me, it is about the foundation we have laid for what comes next.”
Since the recruitment team was established, PTSG has continued to grow through acquisition, welcoming HD Sharman and ITAC, System Hygienics, UKSM, Earth Tech LPS and Testing Services (UK) Ltd into the Group. Each acquisition has brought new colleagues, new processes and new hiring requirements, with the recruitment team playing a key role in supporting integration from day one.
From establishing recruitment systems and rebuilding attraction strategies to connecting new colleagues with the wider PTSG network, the team has helped ensure a smooth transition into the Group.
The team has also driven progress on initiatives that go beyond filling vacancies. PTSG signed the Armed Forces Covenant earlier this year, a commitment championed by the recruitment team that has opened new talent pipelines with service leavers and reservists. Work is also underway to deepen the use of behavioural and psychometric assessment tools, helping improve not only who the business hires, but how effectively individuals are matched to roles where they can thrive and build long-term careers.
Of the colleagues brought in to launch the function, almost all remain with the business a year later – no small achievement in the recruitment profession. The team has built strong relationships with hiring managers across every division, transforming what was once a fragmented, agency-led process into a collaborative partnership.
Internal mobility has improved too. More people are now moving between divisions and businesses within PTSG, supported by a more connected approach to talent that simply did not exist before. The team is actively building talent pools, ensuring that when opportunities arise, there is already a pipeline of potential candidates in place.
Oli continued: “Recruitment is a people job first. The numbers matter, but what I am most proud of is the relationships this team has built across the business in just 12 months.”
Year two already has a clear direction. The team is planning virtual careers events specifically for armed forces leavers and reservists, building on the partnerships established through the Armed Forces Covenant.
New insight tools will help the business understand not only whether a candidate can do a job, but whether they are likely to stay, develop and succeed within it.
There is also a focus on reducing turnover further in some of the higher-volume areas of the business, using better hiring practices and onboarding experiences to tackle the challenges faced across the sector. The goal is not simply to hire people well, but to set them up for long-term success.
A year ago, PTSG had no in-house recruitment function. Today, it has a team that has delivered more than 800 hires, reduced agency reliance, improved retention and created a scalable platform for future growth. As PTSG continues to expand, the recruitment team will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the business attracts, develops and retains the talent needed to support its ambitions.
For more information about current roles at PTSG visit careers.ptsg.co.uk
