2025 marks a significant milestone for Compass Co-Founders, Mike, Chris and Sam, as the company celebrates its 15^th anniversary!

Whilst we are no longer based out of the same starting office in Cosham, the core mission of Compass has remained steadfast through all these years: to fulfil ambition. Compass empowers individuals and organisations to dream bigger, reach higher, and make their ambitions a reality, ultimately making us a trusted partner.

As we celebrate this marker, it offers a great opportunity to reflect on how recruitment has changed since we first opened our doors. What once relied heavily on newspaper ads and in-person networking, has transformed into a sophisticated, digital-first experience driven by technology, data, and evolving candidate expectations.

With four operational recruitment brands producing more than 500 years’ recruitment experience in the health, care, specialist education, and life sciences markets, as a group the business has delivered more than 10,000 permanent appointments in our history – something we are very proud to have achieved. The CRS brands have formed an outstanding reputation, culminating in the recognition at numerous industry events as winners of multiple recruiter awards; search firm of the year accolades; and back-office recognition for the support delivered behind the scenes. The success as a business stems directly from our people, and the passion they have for providing a first-class process.

The recruitment industry – along with client and candidate expectations – has changed across the past 15 years, so we are exploring what we’ve learned, and how Compass has adapted to the shift in demands, across these times.

Evolving Candidate Expectations and the Role of Customer Experience

Fifteen years ago, candidates prioritised salary and job stability. While those factors remain important, today’s workforce seeks purpose, flexibility, diversity, and career development opportunities. Employees want to work for companies whose values align with their own.

As a result, Compass has adapted our offering to ensure consultants are in a position to provide insights, value-add feedback, and guidance on retention strategies to all our clients to ensure they feel we are a true partner in supporting them achieve their specific needs. Candidates too get a highly tailored experience ranging from support and recommendations for their job search, thorough briefing on clients to whom candidates are being submitted to, as much face-to-face interaction as possible, and high levels of consistent communications. In recognition of the changing expectations, 2024 saw Compass welcome Katie Jones into a Head of Customer Excellence role to ensure all clients and candidates get the very best version of Compass in every interaction, and to drive internal L&D programmes based on feedback received.

Compass has invested heavily in HR, culture and support functions within the team internally to support our staff and to implement health, well-being and work balance initiatives. In 2022, Investors in People (IIP) awarded Compass Recruitment Solutions ‘Gold’ following our first-ever participation in the accreditation Standard – something we are very proud to have achieved.

 Digital Evolution

In 2010, job seekers relied on traditional job boards, career fairs, and word-of-mouth referrals to land opportunities. While those avenues still exist, the way candidates interact with prospective employers has dramatically changed. Today, recruitment is powered by AI-driven platforms, cohesive and joined-up tech stacks, and intelligent algorithms which match candidates with roles more efficiently than ever.

This has enabled the business to fine-tune our services over the years to reach a new level of sophistication when matching candidates to roles. It has allowed us to streamline hiring processes, reduce bias, and ensure a better fit between talent and employers.

In 2024, Compass proudly became a member of “the herd”, following investment from UK private equity firm, Cow Corner. This investment has enabled Compass to accelerate the growth of the business through organic means, alongside new market entry into targeted and adjacent markets; provided the investment of our digital  and AI capabilities; and acquisition-driven consolidation of the European and increasingly the international markets. It is an exciting period of growth for the business!

Global Pandemic Shining a Light on Health and Care

At the turn of 2020 when the Global Pandemic hit, Health and Social Care professionals were put at the forefront of public recognition. Whilst many industries and sectors saw a mass-migration towards home working (and the subsequent remote / hybrid working model which is a current hot topic in workforce discussions), many professionals in healthcare or social care were required to be on-site, facing the challenges in homes, hospitals, and residential settings.

Despite the widely-acknowledged outstanding work done by health and care staff during some of the most difficult times in Compass’ history, there continue to be political and economic difficulties associated with reform, funding, and regulation which plays a big impact for many leaders in the sector. Given everything staff have been through, more needs to be done to address shortfalls which put further pressure on many providers. There is a well-documented exodus of staff looking to leave the sector owing to intense pressures compounded over the last few years, a lack of staffing to relieve headcount pressures, and a general feeling of neglect from those in government. These challenges remain a very real threat to the sectors.

The Power of ‘Social’

In 2010, the mobile version of LinkedIn was less than 18 months old, with the social media platform just starting to gain traction, with social media used primarily for personal connections. Fast forward to today, and social recruiting is an essential part of talent acquisition. A strong online presence is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.

Across the group, Compass is able to communicate frequently to more than 65,000 engaged current and prospective clients and candidates. The platform has presented the opportunity to build interest and communities of followers where we promote our in-person events, aimed at bringing together talented leaders in the sectors we support, to acknowledge challenges, and come up with solutions with industry peers, as a means of continuing to contribute to our dedicated sectors.

Despite the obvious shift to online activity that we have experienced in our 15 years’ operating in recruitment, we stay true to our belief that face-to-face interaction is the key to building relationships and maintaining networks. Compass consultants can be regularly found attending the most suitable industry events to get valuable face-time with our audience, to build our industry knowledge, and really understand the markets we help recruit into.

A Look to the Future

Co-Founder, Sam Leighton-Smith shares his thoughts:

“15 years on from the birth of CRS, there are a generation of advances in tech and artificial intelligence that can enable recruitment organisations to scale new heights by reducing consultants’ administration time. Candidate attraction tools, automated marketing, AI note takers, brand builders and multi-channel message sequencing are just a few that have come to the fore in recent times.  

15 years on there is however no substitute for looking a candidate in the eye and assessing their cultural match for an organisation, you cannot expedite a consultant’s learned sector knowledge, and it is impossible to accelerate a client relationship formed over many years through shared experiences. 

The secret sauce in recruitment will always be a voice on the phone, a face-to-face handshake and the ability to understand what your client really needs, even if they do not. I am proud that our staff, whether a Compass, Carrot, or Carter, retain these instincts whilst embracing new concepts and technologies as they emerge. 

To all our clients, candidates, and team members who have been part of our journey, we thank you. Here’s to the next 15 years of innovation, growth, and success. 

Roll on 2040.”