New recruits boost Achieve’ s expansion plans
RECRUITMENT
TEAM PLAYERS
New face – operations manager Jo Knaggs( seated, right) with Achieve founders Lewis and Molly Clennell.
New recruits boost Achieve’ s expansion plans
WORDS: DAVE ROBSON
Recruitment is its business – and a thriving Teesside-based firm is celebrating recruiting some key people of its own.
Founded in 2019 by Lewis and Molly Clennell, Achieve Hospitality recruits for private households, boutique hotels, luxury villas, resorts and hospitality groups worldwide.
Its younger offshoot, Achieve Professionals, founded in 2023, specialises in permanent recruitment across finance, HR, legal and executive roles.
With 16 staff and more to come, it’ s an exciting time to join the group, which operates globally from its Middlesbrough base.
Here, Tees Business talks to one of its latest team members …
An interest in people and a wealth of experience make Jo Knaggs the perfect fit for Achieve.
For the past 21 years, Jo, from Durham, was a core member of the management team at a North-East-based agency covering permanent, contract and temporary recruitment across a wide range of sectors.
But having been offered the chance to help the Achieve brands continue its impressive growth, she was eager to grab the opportunity.
And just a few weeks into the role of people operations manager, where she’ s responsible for HR, payroll and operational functions across both Achieve Hospitality and Achieve Professionals, she instinctively knows she’ s made the right move.
She told Tees Business:“ Like many people, I thought,‘ How does a company based in Middlesbrough come to be recruiting for the sectors they deal with?’
“ But now I’ m here, I can see it’ s based on talent and professionalism – and I was pleased there was an opportunity for me to transfer everything that I have been doing into the organisation.”
Jo originally planned to become a physiotherapist but a decision to move to the Midlands when she was 19 saw her change direction, spending nine years at Yellow Pages Sales – the forerunner of Yell. com – where she was hired because of her friendly North-East accent, and the world-class sales training she received helped her progress to team leader.
On heading back to the North-East for family reasons, she landed that recruitment agency role, amassing a wealth of recruitment, HR, business support, payroll and credit control experience in her 21 years with the firm.
But having joined Achieve in September, she says it’ s not only the role itself that she’ s already finding rewarding, but the supportive environment she’ s working in.
She explained:“ I have the autonomy to do the job my way, but I’ m also encouraged and recognised for the work I do, which is very rewarding.
“ It really makes you want to do your best for the company and the clients we work with.”
Jo’ s role, she says, is to support Lewis and Molly to run the business operationally.
She said:“ I’ m working across both brands, supporting Lewis and Molly to manage people, processes and daily operations.
“ We’ ve also just launched an HR portal, which will streamline HR tasks, save time and enhance team productivity.”
Time away from work is often spent watching son Ted, 12, play football, rugby or basketball, while she regularly goes away for weekends with girlfriends exploring Northumberland, Yorkshire and abroad.
But in the workplace, for Jo, it’ s all about people – whether recruiting them or working alongside them.
She said:“ I’ m naturally a‘ people person’ so this is an exciting opportunity for me.
“ It’ s a place where the skills and experience I’ ve built can be put to good use and where I can be a positive influence on the people who work here.“ The growth plans for Achieve are fantastic – it’ s so exciting to be working somewhere that’ s really going places.”
Visit achievehospitality. com
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