The story of rail recruiter Advanced Resource Managers (ARM) is one of enduring success. The Portsmouth- based agency has spawned new businesses and helped thousands of people find work in the rail industry. As much as it has contributed to the industry, it owes a lot to the railway for its longevity.
ARM is doing its part to give back, sponsoring the Rail Manager of the Year category at this year’s RailStaff Awards, which will be held at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 7 October.
IT entrepreneur Paul Huntingdon founded ARM in 1996 and now oversees its parent company, Serocor. In just over 20 years, ARM has worked with more than 1,600 companies and has won 40 industry awards for its efforts.
Growing team
ARM’s early focus was providing recruitment services to the IT industry. The company, which employs around 100 recruitment consultants, has come to specialise in the wider engineering sector, with rail now representing the largest part of its engineering income.
‘We’ve grown our team. We’re now looking to grow even further,’ said Adam Razzell, head of rail at ARM. Adam joined the business in 2012, leaving his previous life as a publican, and has grown the rail business to a point where it now has an annual turnover of around £15 million.
A team of seven currently works within the railway business but it has plans to expand significantly over the next couple of years. The company, which is a major supplier of white collar staff to Crossrail and other infrastructure delivery clients, sees opportunities with Crossrail 2 and HS2. Steps are also being taken to give the business a global presence.
All about relationships
Charitable exploits have become a part of everyday life at ARM, with staff taking on both the London to Paris bike ride and Three Peaks Challenge in previous years.
The company’s current chosen charity is children’s hospice Naomi House & Jacksplace which supports children and young adults with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. The next challenge will see a team from ARM scale the Gran Paradiso peak in Italy. It is reflective of the culture that exists within the company.
‘I think one thing I’ve learned about the rail industry is it’s all about the relationships,’ said Adam. ‘An award like this, if you can build more relationships by rewarding people that’s great.’
Businesses rely on managers who are able to forge relationships and manage egos within their departments. Last year, the Rail Manager of the Year category was won by Merseyrail’s Ian Taylor. The award was recognition for his significant contribution in bringing the technical office and production teams closer together. Judging by the popularity of the category this year, there are many more like him still waiting to be rewarded.
To donate to the Gran Paradiso trek challenge visit the company’s Just Giving page
You need to act quickly if you’d like to attend this year’s event. Visit www.railstaffawards.com to find out more.
