October 26, 2026

Rec2Rec Since 2004: The Job Office Story

The Job Office Story: 22+ Years of Rec2Rec, Relationships and Doing Things Properly

The Job Office was founded in 2004 by Jamie Rafferty, a recruiter with 20+ years of industry experience, on a single belief: recruiters deserve honest advice and someone who genuinely cares about their career. More than two decades on, that belief has driven 500+ placements and relationships with 100+ UK recruitment businesses.

The Job Office has operated as a specialist Rec2Rec agency since June 2004, placing 500+ recruiters across the UK.
Jamie Rafferty brings 40+ years of recruitment experience, from trainee consultant in 1983 to Managing Director today.
The business has supported 100+ recruitment firms, from independent start-ups to established national agencies.
Every search is guided by three principles: honest advice, relevant matching, and follow-up after the placement is made.
The Job Office measures success by careers built and relationships maintained, not vacancy numbers filled.

How The Job Office Began

June 2004 marked the official launch of The Job Office Ltd. Within weeks, the first two placements were completed and the first website went live. Those early months involved long hours and steep learning curves, but the goal was never to become the biggest Rec2Rec business in the UK. The goal was to become one of the most trusted.

That meant building relationships, earning confidence, and giving honest advice, even when it wasn't what people wanted to hear. Many of the recruiters and agency owners we worked with in those formative years remain part of our network today. That continuity is not accidental. It reflects what happens when you treat every conversation as the start of a long-term relationship rather than a transaction.

If you're considering your next move in recruitment, understanding how the Rec2Rec process works is a useful first step before any conversation begins.

What 22+ Years in Rec2Rec Have Taught Us

The recruitment industry has changed enormously since 2004. Online job boards, LinkedIn, social media and, more recently, artificial intelligence have each reshaped how recruiters source candidates and develop business. Through every shift, one thing has remained constant: trust and experience still determine outcomes.

The Global Financial Crisis in 2008 was a defining test. Recruitment businesses across the UK were forced to adapt quickly. During that period, The Job Office expanded into management consultancy, helping agencies plan through economic pressure rather than simply wait it out. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a similar challenge. When the market returned, so did demand, producing one of the strongest periods in our history.

What those years reinforced is straightforward. Markets change. Technology changes. Economies change. But the recruiters and businesses that invest in genuine relationships consistently outperform those that don't. That observation has shaped every decision we've made at The Job Office.

Why Relationships Come Before Placements

Our success has never been measured simply by placements. It's measured by the careers we've helped build and the relationships we've maintained long after the offer letter was signed. That distinction matters because it changes how we work. We don't match CVs to vacancies. We match people to environments where they're likely to thrive.

Behind every one of our 500+ placements is a specific story. A trainee recruiter landing their first role. A senior biller joining a business where their billing style genuinely fits. A consultant stepping into a leadership position they'd been ready for but couldn't find through their own network. A recruiter relocating their family for a better future. A business owner finding the key hire that helped them build a new division.

Some of those recruiters have gone on to become Directors, Business Owners and Managing Directors. Others have become lifelong friends. That's one of the real privileges of spending more than four decades in recruitment: you get to watch careers develop and ambitions become reality.

What Doing Things Properly Means in Practice

Doing things properly is not a slogan. It describes specific behaviours that distinguish a career-first approach from a vacancy-focused one.

Listening before advising: Every initial conversation focuses on understanding your situation, your motivations, and what you actually want from a move, before any role is discussed.
Relevant matching only: We introduce recruiters to opportunities that genuinely fit their experience, earnings expectations, and career direction. We don't send speculative CVs to generate activity.
Clear communication throughout: You receive honest feedback at every stage, including when the answer is "not yet" or "this isn't the right move for you."
Post-placement follow-up: The relationship doesn't end when a placement is made. We stay in contact to ensure the move has worked for both the recruiter and the hiring business.

These practices are why recruiters return to us when they're ready to move again, and why hiring businesses come back when they need to grow their teams. The retained executive search assignments we've completed reflect the same approach: thorough, honest, and focused on the right outcome rather than the fastest one.

The People, Milestones and What Comes Next

The Job Office has always been a personal business. Nicky Rafferty, Jamie's wife of 30 years and the operational backbone of the business, joined full-time in recent years, strengthening our ability to support clients and candidates consistently. Winston, our working cocker spaniel, has somehow become the most popular member of the team and rarely misses an opportunity to greet a visitor or encourage everyone outside for a walk.

The milestones below reflect the growth of both the business and the relationships built along the way:

Founded The Job Office in June 2004.
Completed first placements within weeks of launching.
Reached 100 placements in 2008, the same year Jamie marked 25 years in recruitment.
Celebrated our 10-year anniversary in 2014.
Supported more than 100 recruitment businesses across the UK.
Placed our 500th recruiter in 2023.
Celebrated 20 years in business in 2024.
Expanded our services with the launch of TJO Interims, providing rapid deployment of recruitment professionals.
Launched our fourth-generation website in 2026.

Today, artificial intelligence is reshaping recruitment processes and candidate expectations continue to evolve. Yet the fundamentals remain the same as they were in 2004. People want good advice. Businesses want exceptional talent. And genuine relationships still make the difference. After more than 40 years in recruitment and over 22 years running The Job Office, I still genuinely enjoy picking up the phone, hearing someone's story and helping them make an important career decision. That's what started this business, and it remains the driving force behind everything we do today.

Whether you've worked with us as a candidate, client, business partner or friend: thank you for being part of our journey. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved, and even more grateful for the people we've met and the relationships we've built along the way. I'm excited about what comes next.

Jamie Rafferty, Managing Director, The Job Office Ltd. Rec2Rec Done Properly.

About the Author

Jamie Rafferty. With 40+ years in recruitment and 20+ years as a Rec2Rec specialist, I bring deep industry knowledge and a UK-wide network. Starting as a trainee consultant in 1983, I've held roles from branch manager to MD. Today I partner with agencies to secure top recruitment talent, guided by honest advice, trust, and relationships built over four decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long has The Job Office specialised in Rec2Rec?

The Job Office was established in June 2004 and has specialised in recruitment-to-recruitment for more than 22 years. I started my own recruitment career as a trainee consultant in 1983, so the advice we give today is backed by more than four decades of first-hand recruitment industry experience.

Since launching The Job Office, we've made 500+ recruiter placements and worked with 100+ recruitment businesses across the UK, from independent agencies to established national recruiters.

2. What makes The Job Office different from other Rec2Rec agencies?

For us, Rec2Rec is about more than matching a CV to a vacancy. We start by understanding the recruiter, their motivations, ambitions, earnings expectations and the type of environment in which they're most likely to succeed.

That means we won't recommend a move simply because there's a vacancy available. Sometimes the right advice is to pursue an opportunity. Sometimes it's to stay exactly where you are.

Our approach remains the same as it was when The Job Office started: honest advice, relevant introductions, clear communication and relationships that continue after the placement has been made.

You can find out more about our approach on The Job Office candidate page.

3. Who does The Job Office work with?

We work with recruitment professionals at different stages of their careers, from trainee recruiters and established consultants through to senior billers, managers, directors and recruitment leaders.

On the client side, we partner with recruitment businesses looking to attract people who genuinely fit their market, culture and commercial objectives. Our work isn't about generating CV activity. It's about creating introductions that make sense for both sides.

Whether you're quietly considering your next recruitment move or building a recruitment team, the first step can simply be a confidential conversation. You can also read our guide to how the Rec2Rec process works.