David Balfour, one of the first mentors of the Recruitment Industry Taskforce for Enterprise (RITE) scheme recalls the time he was starting his own business: "When I started, there was no one to ask for advice in taking decisions or to offer constructive feedback.

"Now RITE is offering unbiased and honest advice to new agencies. What new recruiter wouldn't want that kind of support?"

Today David Balfour is part of the RITE initiative, helping to ensure that new recruitment businesses get the best possible start by providing targeted advice and hands-on assistance to new starters in the industry. Rewind to 1989, and David himself was setting up his fledgling recruitment business, the Colchester-based GBN Group, and facing the same challenges that all new agencies must contend with. In the years in between David has become the successful Managing Director of three companies under the umbrella of the GBN Group, including Pyramid Recruitment Services, which was recently named Growing Business of the Year at the Essex Countywide Business Awards 2005. During this journey, David has gained an intimate understanding of the industry and picked up the tricks of the trade. He's now eager to share his knowledge with others.

"When you run your own business, you learn from your mistakes" David comments. "I can see where the company I mentor is going wrong, because it's with things that I have experienced and overcome with my own business. It's great when I make a suggestion which really works."

David is a mentor to Accompolish, a new agency specialising in permanent recruitment based in Loughton, Essex. He meets with staff for a day every month, which is spent reviewing their progress, and setting action points to be worked on for the next meeting. But his involvement does not end there. "The most important thing is that mentors are always at the end of a phone, which gives new recruiters the chance to ask advice on any problem," explains David.

"For instance I could be asked my opinion on the content of an advert they want to place for a new consultant, and I would be able to give tips for improvement. Issues like this can seem basic after so many years in the industry, but mentoring has reminded me how important these basics actually are to a business."

After many years spent dealing with his own company's challenges, one would be forgiven for wondering what inspired David to help out with those of other businesses. The simple answer is his passion for recruitment and commitment to raising the industry's standards. "It allows me to put something back into the industry. All RITE mentors play by the rules, we operate our businesses to the highest standards. It's important that we encourage others to do the same, as it's easy to fall into bad habits", David comments.

Launched in January 2005, the RITE scheme aims to raise industry standards by encouraging new firms to adopt best practice from the outset. Georgina France, a Director of Accompolish, has found the advice of David and other mentors of vital help in setting up her agency.

"I don't think we could have done it without David or RITE" she comments.

"David is always at the end of a line to listen and give advice, and it's been really important for us to make use of his experience in areas such as advertising, IT systems or telephone skills."

The benefits of RITE aren't only for the mentored, however. David has found his involvement with Accompolish extremely rewarding. He comments: "It's a great sense of achievement to see them improve. "

His mentoring has also provided David with a fresh perspective on the recruitment industry, which has actually inspired him to set up another new company himself. People Recruitment Solutions, the newest addition to the GBN group, is due to open this month. "Advising on setting up a new business made me think, 'why not give it another go?'" explains David.

RITE is looking to improve the industry by not only improving new recruiters, but also by inspiring the more experienced ones. After all, as David concludes, "You're never too old to learn."

David Balfour, MD, Pyramid Recruitment Services. Tel: 01206 710856

www.pyramid-recruitment.com

If you are interested in becoming a RITE mentor, or would like further information on the scheme, contact 020 7462 3290, or visit www.rite.uk.com.

Taken from Business Essex, September 2005.