HR GO plc is a family business. The Group was founded in 1957 by Betty Parkinson, and we still take great pride in being a close-knit, family working together today.
Betty launched the business having narrowly avoided a train accident by catching an early train home after working in London one day. Following the accident she was unable to get to work, so found temporary work locally. Her new employer, the local paper mill, needed more staff so Betty made it her mission to find them, and our business, originally named Parkinson Staff Bureau, was born.
Betty’s son, Jack, joined the business in the 1970s and pioneered joint ventures as a successful way of growing the business. The idea was simple but very effective – partner with entrepreneurs to create specialist recruitment businesses. The first JV, Refrigeration Recruitment, was formed in 1977, capitalising on Jack’s refrigeration and air conditioning expertise.
Today the HRGO Group is owned and run by John and Sydney Parkinson, Jack’s children and the third generation of the Parkinson Family. They are focussed on growth and expansion of the Group and building a business driven by technological innovation to better the world of recruitment. The Group currently employs 130+ people in the UK, Poland and Australia.
Ever since the business was formed, we have held the belief that great recruitment depends on great service for both candidates and clients. Our Joint Venture approach has helped create new businesses and allowed them to flourish within the supportive Family Office environment. We are now looking for new entrepreneurs to join us, work alongside us and be part of a thriving and growing team.
John and Sydney Parkinson
John and Sydney are the third generation of the Parkinson Family to run the HRGO plc business. They follow in their father, Jack’s and Nanny Betty’s footprints, with their entrepreneurial spirit and flair for change and pushing boundaries in the pursuit of revolutionizing recruitment. John joined the business in 2014 and is responsible for the digital transformation and digital strategy of the Group, aiming to use technology to enhance efficiencies and improve the experience for both candidates and clients. Now CEO of HRGO Recruitment, John is focused on developing cutting edge technology which is winning blue-chip clients.
Sydney joined her brother in the business in 2020 and brings with her a wealth of experience in project management and structuring processes from an early career in the civil service. This attention to detail has transformed the Group business enabling strategic focus on core business, whilst also affording the Joint Ventures of the Family Office the dedicated resource and support required to enable the niche, boutique businesses to flourish.
Meet the team
Whether you have an established business and are looking to sell or an entrepreneurial recruiter seeking a Joint Venture start-up, we have a ‘blank sheet of paper’; we can get a deal done in anything from 7 days to relationships built over years.