Expert opinion

Recruitment Businesses: 4 Key Characteristics Private Equity Houses Are Looking For

Key players in all areas of the private equity market remain keenly interested in the recruitment market. Here are four key characteristics investors look for when deciding to invest in a recruitment business...

5 minutes
June 20, 2024
Words:
Oliver Roper
Images:
PDF:
Report

Private equity has always had a somewhat ‘marmite’ attitude to investing in recruitment businesses. With repeatable revenue streams operating at high profit margins and a focus on entrepreneurial leadership, there is a lot of characteristics that should draw in investors. However, the extra emphasis placed on retaining key salespeople has switched some investors off the sector.

Nevertheless, key players in all areas of the private equity market remain keenly interested in the recruitment market. Here are four key characteristics investors look for when deciding to invest in a recruitment business:

1) Focus on temp

A key characteristic that private equity firms look for across all industries is repeatable revenue streams, and it’s long-term temporary placements that hold the real value in recruitment. Private equity houses have been aiming for and finding industries where eight to nine month placement periods are not uncommon (for example the IT/tech industry). Better still are industries with skills shortages, such as life sciences, where candidates can be easily placed. This obviously gives greater certainty over repeat revenue once the placement finishes.

Nevertheless, placements on short term cycles still provide value as candidates tend to stick with the same agency in the long run. Key to ensuring this is to create brand loyalty  in your organisation amongst your candidates as well as your clients. Driving your agency towards targeting temporary placements offers the investor confidence by providing security over the long term profitability of the organisation. Furthermore, this repeatability drives up multiples, meaning the private equity house will get a better return on its investment when it comes to exit.

2) Niche offering

Having a particular sector specialism has become increasingly important to private equity buyers. When a private equity house looks at an investment, they think to both the short and the long term. Their long term planning mostly involves thinking of who they will exit their investment to. Multiples on exit are higher for sector specialists as eventual buyers will see the target as strategic. There is also the age-old adage of find what you do best and stick to that. Diluting your sector specialisms to serve multiple markets can distract from your core business that private equity investors will value.

3) Succession planning

By nature, an agency is only as successful as the consultants it employs, meaning the risk for private equity is these consultants leaving during the course of their investment. To prevent this, it is essential to instil a culture and long term incentives which encourage consultants to stay. Making consultants feel embedded and part of the organisation will make them feel valued on both a personal and financial level. This could be achieved, for example, through the grant of share options, often through and Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme. By granting these options, you are ensuring consultants are incentivised to work towards the long term growth of the business and to stay to participate in the eventual exit.

4) Growing but stable markets

The market your agency operates in will be a key area of consideration. Private equity houses are attracted to growing markets so the business can expand in order to achieve an acceptable return on investment. However, it is important for that market to be stable, ie free from major peaks and troughs. An unstable growth market presents a risk to the investor that they invest just before a crash. A good example of a stable and growing recruitment market is the life sciences sector. High levels of government investment and general industry growth has seen demand for workers rise year on year but in sustained manner.

Attracting a private equity investor to your business, be it for growth funding or to take some cash out of your business, is a difficult task. Being aware of the key characteristics investors are looking for will help you to plan your business’s journey and give you the best possible chance of attracting private equity interest.

Oliver Roper is an Assistant Manager - M&A at Shaw & Co

If you'd like to discuss how Shaw & Co can help you sell, buy or fund the growth of a business, please book a meeting here

Words:
Oliver Roper
 - 
Assistant Manager
Read 
Oliver Roper
's bio

When a specialist recruitment business grew to £103m turnover, its owners asked us to sell the business to a new owner...

Read case study

INDUSTRY Content

See all Shaw Reports
The Shaw Report: Leisure, Tourism & Sport - Interim Review #2

Shaw Report

|

June 27, 2023

The Shaw Report: Wholesale & Retail Trade - Annual Report #2

Shaw Report

|

June 27, 2023

The Shaw Report: Property & Construction - Annual Report #2

Shaw Report

|

May 30, 2023

The Shaw Report: Automotive, Transport & Logistics - Interim Review #2

Shaw Report

|

May 24, 2023

The Shaw Report: Manufacturing & Engineering - Interim Review #2

Shaw Report

|

May 10, 2023

The Shaw Report: Food & Drink - Interim Review #2

Shaw Report

|

May 9, 2023

The Shaw Report: Technology, Media & Telecoms - Interim Review #2

Shaw Report

|

April 17, 2023

The Shaw Report: Energy & Natural Resources - Annual Report #2

Shaw Report

|

March 28, 2023

The Shaw Report: Professional Services - Annual Report #2

Shaw Report

|

March 20, 2023

The Shaw Report: Banking, Financial & Insurance Services - Annual Report #2

Shaw Report

|

February 28, 2023

The Shaw Report - Healthcare & Life Sciences Annual Review December 2022

Shaw Report

|

December 14, 2022

The Shaw Report - Wholesale & Retail Trade Industry Interim Review December 2022

Shaw Report

|

December 14, 2022

The Shaw Report - Leisure, Tourism and Sport Annual Review November 2022

Shaw Report

|

November 29, 2022

The Shaw Report - Property & Construction Industry Interim Review November 2022

Shaw Report

|

November 23, 2022

The Shaw Report - Technology Media & Telecoms Industry Annual Review October 2022

Shaw Report

|

October 19, 2022

The Shaw Report - Automotive, Transport & Logistics Industry Annual Review October 2022

Shaw Report

|

October 12, 2022

The Shaw Report - Professional Services Industry Interim Review September 2022

Shaw Report

|

September 26, 2022

The Shaw Report - Manufacturing & Engineering Industry Annual Review September 2022

Shaw Report

|

September 1, 2022

The Shaw Report - Banking, Financial and Insurance Services Industry Interim Review August 2022

Shaw Report

|

August 23, 2022

The Shaw Report - Healthcare & Life Sciences Interim Review August 2022

Shaw Report

|

August 11, 2022

Food & Beverages Industry Report 2022

Shaw Report

|

July 22, 2022

The Shaw Report - Leisure, Tourism & Sport Interim Review July 2022

Shaw Report

|

July 19, 2022

The Shaw Report - Energy & Natural Resources Interim Review June 2022

Shaw Report

|

June 27, 2022

Shaw & Co launches annual analysis of wholesale & retail trade industry

Shaw Report

|

June 29, 2022

The Shaw Report - Automotive, Transport & Logistics Interim Review May 2022

Shaw Report

|

May 19, 2022

Shaw & Co Launches Annual Analysis of Property and Construction Industry

Shaw Report

|

May 6, 2022

The Shaw Report - TMT Interim Review May 2022

Shaw Report

|

May 5, 2022

The Shaw Report - Manufacturing & Engineering Interim Review April 2022

Shaw Report

|

April 8, 2022

The Shaw Report - Food & Drink Interim Review March 2022

Shaw Report

|

March 25, 2022

The Shaw Report - Professional Services Annual Review 2022

Shaw Report

|

March 17, 2022

The Shaw Report - Leisure, Tourism & Sport December 2021

Shaw Report

|

December 14, 2021

The Shaw Report - Health & Life Sciences December 2021

Shaw Report

|

December 10, 2021

The Shaw Report - Banking, Financial & Insurance Services December 2021

Shaw Report

|

December 8, 2021

The Shaw Report - Energy & Natural Resources November 2021

Shaw Report

|

November 16, 2021

The Shaw Report - Technology, Media & Telecoms October 2021

Shaw Report

|

October 28, 2021

The Shaw Report - Automotive, Transport & Logistics October 2021

Shaw Report

|

October 14, 2021

The Shaw Report - Manufacturing & Engineering October 2021

Shaw Report

|

October 1, 2021

The Shaw Report - Food & Drink September 2021

Shaw Report

|

September 27, 2021