An energetic and enthusiastic entrepreneur, Shaun Barratt is perfectly suited for his professional responsibilities as the director of Salt Recruitment Limited, an HR and recruitment agency that has enjoyed exponential growth since its founding in 2003. As the director of Salt Recruitment, Shaun has worked tirelessly to ensure the company’s recruitment and HR services are tailored according to the precise needs of each and every client in order to ensure the best possible outcome.
Shaun did not immediately pursue a career in which he could test the full extent of his entrepreneurial acumen, as the founder and director of Salt Recruitment worked as a professional chef before deciding to study accountancy at Massey University. Putting his education to immediate use, Shaun then secured a role with Goodman Fielder Wattie, the internationally renowned food provider that maintains a strong presence in Australia, New Zealand, China, Fiji, and beyond.
Despite his professional success, Shaun boldly acted on his desire to create a company of his own that could one day become an international leader in its field. In 2003, Shaun founded Salt Recruitment and ultimately built a company that expanded from a single office in Auckland, New Zealand, to multi-national operations that now feature offices in New York, London, Dubai, Sydney, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
In your own words what do you do?
Salt Recruitment specializes in digital recruiting along with a number of other HR services, and we are immensely proud of the personalized approach we take with each and every client we serve.
What led you to your current business?
When I first started Salt Recruitment, I saw tremendous potential for growth due to the increasingly rapid advancement of technology. At the time, I felt there was a lack of digital services able to properly leverage the ongoing technological developments.
Could you walk us through your process of developing your business?
I started out with just a single office and focused on creating a business capable of providing highly specialized services to clients. I also made sure to consider the potential for rapid expansion and developed a specific strategy to ensure Salt Recruitment could expand according to rising demand without suffering any growing pains during the process of doing so.
Did you encounter any particular difficulties in the beginning?
Even with a strong marketing plan in place that was quite effective in reaching potential clients, services such as ours often rely on an established track record that includes clear evidence demonstrating the superiority of our services. It took some time to get the ball rolling, but we have enjoyed quite a ride ever since we delivered exceptional results for those initial clients.
What is your long term plan?
We hope to continue our expansion to include even more international locations, but our principal focus will always remain on ensuring consistency in the quality of services we provide to clients.
Could you share with us some industry insights?
A great deal of our success is the product of our ability to develop new technologies or to find new ways to take advantage of existing technologies. Although this has been a crucial part of our growth over the past 13 years, so much of our success is directly tied to our ability to understand the needs of our clients and to help them overcome the challenges they face through our highly personalized HR and recruitment services.
What are some important lessons you’ve learnt about business?
Continuity is so critical in business, especially as it relates to company personnel. Perhaps more than anything else, it is the people that make up Salt Recruitment that are most responsible for our 13-year run of success and continued expansion.
Any tips for achieving success?
Establishing a culture that reflects the company’s overarching mission will go a long way toward ensuring success, and it is equally critical that every professional feels appropriately challenged by their respective responsibilities and can truly look forward to coming to work each day.
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