Craig McGregorAfter growing up in the Hunter, moving to the Central Coast to work post Uni, starting a family and returning to the Hunter to live in Maitland, 2006 saw the realisation that it was time to venture into my own business.

Hunter Industrial Recruitment was born with two business partners that owned and operated Hunter Executive Recruitment. We shared an office in Newcastle with another entrepreneur, Summa from PeopleCheck. Those early days of making cold calls and going to as many networking meetings as possible seem so long ago. Being mentored by lifelong business owners and working side by side with another go getter was the best starting point I could have asked for.

The business started to make headway and clients enjoyed the individualised service and dedication to finding fit. Clients started to seek assistance with no industrial roles and I can still remember meeting with an accountant and the quizzical look on her face “why I am meeting with an industrial recruiter”. This was the meeting where the branding change to Hunter Recruitment Group was conceived.

The initial business partners were bought out and the business moved to Maitland, selfishly so I didn’t need to commute any longer, but also to engage more with the business community in the best city in the world.

Having a business for 10 years has given me the canvas to explore how I can best assist business and candidates through the employment life cycle. We have built lifelong relationships with some of the best people in the valley.

We have formed relationships with superstars of other industries that supply us with fantastic services and products. This new website is a great example, to have met and worked as a customer of psyborg® doesn’t only get you a great website but it makes you a much more effective branding warrior.

Our little business has also collaborated with some of the regions brightest people to assist in areas of HR Consulting, Board reviews for the not for profit space and employee engagement projects.
Networking and spotting opportunity has also lead to HRG gaining a contract with one of the worlds largest Career Transition providers. This has given us the capacity to truly assist people in our region at a time of need. Supporting business by engaging with employees that have been made redundant.

Emotionally and functional supporting people through this critical time in the employment life cycle. Most importantly HRG has become a vehicle for Amy and I to support people. We change lives when someone gets a job or a new role. It helps build the local economy. Our favourite piece of recruitment has changed our lives. Sheridan Kirby has lifted the professionalism of our team and has become an extension of the brand and ethos of our company. Nothing has been more pleasing than the ability to give such a great young woman her start at working life and watching her skills blossom.

So 2016 sees HRG celebrate 10 years as an entity, but more importantly it is just the beginning of what has been and continues to be an exploration on how to be better at helping people through employment solutions.