Financial recruitment specialist sets its sights on City of Discovery

HRC Recruitment has expanded into Dundee with the opening of a new city centre office, which will be led by industry stalwart Ian McHardy.

Mr McHardy joins the firm as a director and has spent 16 years in the recruitment industry across Scotland.

Previously with ASA Recruitment, he was latterly responsible for the business’s development in the north of Scotland, encompassing Aberdeen, Dundee, and Fife.

Although he initially joined to head up HRC Recruitment’s growing engineering team, he and Hilary Roberts – the founder and chief executive of the consultancy – identified Dundee as a great opportunity for the next stage of the business’s expansion.

Ms Roberts said: “Dundee is on the cusp of serious economic expansion – the time feels right to establish a base in the city and grow with it. Dundee is a magnet for investment, house prices are rising faster than the Scottish average, and it’s becoming a real cultural hub.

“There are huge opportunities in this evolving market in our existing sectors of professional services and new areas too. Dundee is well known for its IT and gaming industries, but there are also burgeoning healthcare, hospitality, and construction sectors. It’s come a long way from the days of being known for jam, jute, and journalism.”

The move sees HRC Recruitment also expand into a clutch of new sectors that are driven by temporary projects, adding to its core specialisms of professional services, HR, IT, contact centres, and manufacturing and engineering.

HRC will be based at Marketgait, with an initial team of six and plans to add to its headcount quickly. The consultancy recently announced its expansion in Edinburgh and took new office space in Glasgow’s 180 St Vincent Street.

Mr McHardy added: “Hilary has a clear vision for HRC Recruitment in the years ahead, with seismic plans for growth. Joining the executive team responsible for delivering on that strategy is an incredibly exciting opportunity. Leading the manufacturing and engineering team will also be a key part of my role, as we look to expand that specialism into central and the east of Scotland.

“We have plans to establish businesses across the local economy, taking in everything from public sector frameworks to SMEs. With a fair wind, we’ll be looking to increase our initial team of six quickly, while also adding new sector specialisms to the areas in which HRC Recruitment is already well known.”