South Coast SOS success paves the way for national expansion

LEADING south coast recruitment consultancy SOS is preparing for national expansion with the opening of a new branch in Southampton.

The £250,000 move to London Road follows massive success in Dorset and Wiltshire and will further enhance the SOS service by increasing its pool of candidates and companies.

SOS, which has its headquarters in Bournemouth, already recruits for some of Southampton's biggest names, such as Skandia, Yellow Pages, Bon Voyage and Moore and Blatch.

MD Julie Cook said: "We're delighted to be widening our reach. With Southampton being the closest city centre to our headquarters and white collar industries booming there, it's the ideal location.

"Companies are battling to attract quality workers because there are huge skills shortages. But our strong high-street presence, reputation and targeted advertising campaigns mean we always have skilled candidates on our books."

SOS recruits temporary, contract and permanent staff at all levels and for all industries. Since launching eight years ago, the firm has never lost a client.

Julie added: "When we launched SOS it was a bespoke recruitment firm that got right to the heart of companies in order to deliver candidates with the skills and personality to add value and productivity.

"That ethos remains and it's the reason we're the leading agency in the South. However big SOS becomes, our service will always be bespoke."

The Southampton branch is based in serviced offices in Capital House, Houndwell Place as work gets underway to prepare the new London Road branch for opening. The team is managed by Maxine Wheeler - a key member of the SOS team for more than four years.

The new ultra-modern offices on the ground floor in London Road cover 4,000 square feet and will open in time for the New Year. They'll have private interview and meeting rooms and a testing and training facility.

Julie explained: "It's essential to provide a private area where candidates feel confident to fully expand on their CVs and where clients can talk privately about their vacancies and sensitive issues such as salaries."

Companies registering a vacancy with SOS are allocated an account manager who gains a thorough understanding of each business and matches candidates accordingly.

Candidates each have a dedicated consultant to find them the best job opportunities. They also advise on CV writing and interview preparation and give career guidance and information on training.

SOS also has branches in Bournemouth and Poole. Among the companies it recruits for are HSBC, RIAS, The Portman, Liverpool Victoria, Nationwide, Exchange Enterprises, Chapel Gate Porsche, Woods BMW, Friends Provident and JMF Financial Services.

The expansion into Southampton has created a further 18 jobs at SOS, the firm expects to double its workforce in the next six months.

Staff at SOS Southampton are already hard at work recruiting for local companies and finding dream jobs for local candidates. To find out how they could work for you visit them on stand number 22 at the JobServe Live! Southampton event taking place on 4 October or call 02380 374121.