Ethical Recruitment start-up launches in Birmingham

Agency aims to bring community involvement into recruitment.

A brand new recruitment agency has launched in the West Midlands with the ambition of making the industry a more community-conscious one. 70/30 Club is leading the way in ethical recruitment, committing 70% of its profits to local charities every year, whilst delivering talent acquisition for a range of organisations.

Founded by Dave Payne and Paul Silvester, who have over thirty years’ experience in business, 70/30 Club aims to divert a small portion of the £35 billion recruitment industry to good causes. Born during lockdown, the recruitment agency wants to accelerate a shift towards more purposeful business in what they are calling ethical recruitment.

Co-founder, Dave Payne (pictured), comments: “During this pandemic, we have seen just how important it is that businesses not only have good values, but truly live by them. As we see the job market continue to feel the strain of Covid-19 – with fewer roles and more job seekers – now is the time for recruiters to step up. This isn’t just about sifting through CVs, it’s about understanding the needs of both an organisation and the candidate, and matching people on both skill and culture.”

Dave and Paul came up with the idea for 70/30 Club last year, seeing the impact of the pandemic but also an opportunity to disrupt the recruitment industry for good. Dave is a semi-retired IT Program Director who has run programs and projects across financial services, utilities, government departments and through consultancies both in the UK and internationally. Paul is an engineer by trade, responsible for running the UK service business of a European organisation. The duo now heads up a team of recruitment specialists to deliver candidate matching across sectors including IT, financial services, utilities, government, HR and Legal.

“We’re genuinely passionate about the difference that ethical recruitment can make. Charities are struggling, and organisations are looking for ways to extend their CSR opportunities and give back to communities. Every day companies are hiring new resource, which already comes at a cost, so this is a way to apportion some of that cost into your organisation’s CSR budget allocation, whilst still maintaining and driving your business forward. It’s a no-brainer and one that makes you an even more attractive prospect for candidates looking for their next role.”

In its launch year, 70/30 Club will share 70% of its profits with five Birmingham-based causes, including both Birmingham Children’s and Women’s Hospitals. As well as three local homeless charities; drop-in support centre SIFA Fireside; outreach and food provider Let’s Feed Brum; and iShelter, which runs Digbeth-based accommodation project Tabor House.

Whilst focused on being a purpose-driven recruitment agency, 70/30 Club’s team of specialist recruiters will deliver holistic talent acquisition to businesses who genuinely care about corporate social responsibility. This diversification of funds from standard recruitment into a commercial but charitable organisation could be a game changer in this industry; helping organisations increase their CSR footprint whilst also acquiring the resource needed to fulfil their business ambitions.

To find out more about working with 70/30 Club as a client or candidate, visit 7030club.