Women Like Us

Local people for a local business

When KD Partnership were looking to grow, they wanted to employ local people who could work part-time and grow with them. Having decided against regular recruitment agencies who they felt oversold their candidates, they used the Women Like Us local network who found the them the right match, right on their doorstep.

“This was my first time hiring someone on an employee basis rather than freelance,” says Diana Gibbs of KD Partnership. “At the time we were just growing and it was important to find the right quality candidate who could start small and develop into a full-time role. As a part-time position meant they would be flexing other commitments, I wanted someone who wouldn’t have a long commute and Women Like Us offered good links to local people.

“I liked the honest and genuine approach of Women Like Us. In my experience, recruitment agencies often oversell candidates, whereas the Women Like Us team was genuinely focused on finding the right match for both sides. I also put the word out through my own networks, but the applicants who came through Women Like Us had a higher ratio of suitability and were very high quality. Several were shortlisted for interview, I appointed one of them and she is now proving to be a great asset.

“A flexible approach was important to us, as we were still feeling our way with this first permanent appointment. The support we received during and after the search was very helpful. I would encourage other employers to recruit locally when getting someone in part-time. There’s plenty of local talent around if you know where to look. I suggest you begin by looking at Women Like Us.”