Just Recruitment Group

Just what do you remember about 1983?

It was the year that the pound coin was introduced in England and Wales and Cruise missiles were introduced to Greenham Common. It was the year that the wearing of seat belts became compulsory, and wheel clamps were used for the first time in London. In the world of sport, Liverpool were still in their pomp winning both the League cup and the League title. At Wimbledon McEnroe and Navratilova won the singles titles and the year began with Australia regaining the Ashes. The UK's favourite band was Culture Club, and music CDs were launched in the UK. It was also quite a year for women. Margaret Thatcher won a second term as Prime Minister and Barbara Cartland wrote 23 novels! At Aintree, Jenny Pitman became the first woman to train a Grand National winner. In Essex another Jenny decided 1983 was the time to start a new business.


Jenny Stoneman launched Key Personnel, a recruitment agency, in the year that saw the largest number of unemployed since the Great Depression. Thirty years later and the company is still going strong and still led by Jenny. Of course a lot has changed. First the name, Jenny is now Wrightson and Key Personnel is now part of the Just Recruitment Group, as is Select Recruitment, Just Technical and Just Law Recruitment. Secondly, the office infrastructure that once boasted Golfball typewriters, Fax machines and lots of paper are now fully computerised. There are now six branches: Witham, Sudbury, Haverhill, Ardleigh, Ipswich and, of course, Braintree where it all started.


Today the company handles permanent and temporary recruitment needs for over 200 customers. In the past twelve months it has found paid employment for more than 2,300 people. One thing that hasn't changed is the company's commitment to providing outstanding service. "At heart the company is about people," says Jenny. "The people we employ, the people we place and the people who trust us with their business." After thirty years of successfully serving local businesses, Just Recruitment is still focussed on the future. While 2013 will see some celebrations taking place, it is also the year that the company is making a major investment in technology and people.


Emma Kershaw, the group's Operations Director, comments. "Of course we are proud of our history. Thirty years is a long time but we are always looking to the future." This focus on the future has seen Just Recruitment partnering with Integrity Managed Services to develop a new technology platform that will go live over the summer. The new platform will help the company to achieve its ambitious plans for the future.