Marble gets the job done

THE recruitment industry may have felt the effects of the global economic downturn more than most, as evidenced by the number of local businesses to fold in the past year, but Marble Group presents a different story.

Not only did the Subiaco-based business survive the GFC, it recorded growth during the period.

Marble Group owners and directors, Lee Corbitt and Gary Denton, say their strategies of unearthing new markets, maintaining development, inspiring staff and investing in the company’s infrastructure has been instrumental in the firm coming through the GFC.

They also focussed on developing relationships with prominent clients in their specialist industries.

“The state of the labour market over recent times has meant that it’s never been more important to become fully immersed in our specialist markets,” Mr Corbitt says.

“The past 12 months have been spent laying the foundations for many years of sustained growth.”

Of all the strategies the company used to sustain its growth there was one that Mr Corbitt says was integral to Marble Group being successful in the downturn.

“The single biggest factor in achieving growth is maintaining the morale of your staff. Our willingness to openly communicate and support our people through the uncertainty of the past 12-18 months has been vital,” he says.

The formula seems to have worked. Marble Group’s turnover is forecast to grow 11 per cent this financial year. Staff numbers are another reflection of growth in the business.

Marble Group started out as a two-man show in 2006, with 26 staff now employed across the two Marble Group offices, in Perth and Sydney.

The company’s success formula is simple.

“Recruitment itself is not a unique product or service but it is the thoroughness of delivery and an extremely consultative approach to our dealings that has enabled us to grow so rapidly,” Mr Corbitt says.

“As a people business, our reputation is everything. The way in which we are perceived is directly determined by the quality and integrity of our consultants.

“Another example of strategy has been the structured communication between our business leaders and our clients. Weekly phone calls are made to each client that has been visited by a consultant for the week.

“This not only provides valuable insight in to our consultants’ performance, but also demonstrates a commitment to the relationship and opens the lines of communication between management and our clients.

“Commitment to growth for us meant putting our money where our mouth is and we’ve invested heavily in several key projects that will move our business from a start up structure to a scalable, flexible model for the future.”