Meet the Team

Our team is made up of the very best, experienced recruitment professionals with a combined recruitment experience of over 85 years. Each branch has a specialised division for driving and industrial.

A typical branch of Pure Staff will have up to 8 consultants and 5 support staff. See below and find out more about our Directors, Managers and support staff here at Pure Staff Ltd.

Directors, Managers and Support Staff

David Whitehouse ↓

Luke Bartlett ↓

Operations Director

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When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I first entered the industry in May 2005

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

Like many people who now work in the recruitment industry, I stumbled across it by accident. After initially starting out as a branch administrator for a small agency in Bournemouth (where I lived for 4 years), I decided to move back to my hometown in Birmingham and apply for a trainee sales consultant role for a large industrial and Driving agency. This is where I met John Sutton and David Whitehouse who a few years later launched Pure Staff and it was only a matter of time until I joined the vision.

What is your favourite quote ?

“You make your own good luck”

Anthony Sidebottom ↓

Finance Director

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When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I started in recruitment the day I started at Pure Staff in April 2012. I came from a manufacturing background so recruitment was a refreshing, yet challenging, change for me.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

I have been part of the company right from the start back in 2009 as the company was co-founded by my brother-in-law. I always told them that when they are big enough they can get me in full time as their FD. That came about a lot sooner than I expected!

What is your favourite quote ?

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain”

Emma Mansell ↓

Payroll / Admin Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I have worked in the Recruitment industry since 2005 and started as a receptionist working up to a Recruitment Consultant.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

I started working for Pure Staff in November 2009 as a Branch Administrator, I focused more on payroll and progressed quickly to Payroll Supervisor and then to my position now as the Payroll / Admin Manager

What is your favourite quote ?

“Good things come in small packages”

Claire Collins ↓

Compliance Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I started working in Recruitment in April 2013.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

I was working in recruitment for a National Recruitment Agency looking after compliance when the opportunity came up with Pure Staff with the benefits of being local to home and working in the Midlands.

What is your favourite quote ?

“Regret the things you do, not the things you don’t.”

Carl Howarth ↓

Worcester and Redditch Senior Branch Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I started within the recruitment industry in August 2011 as a trainee Driving Consultant, after 1 year on the driving division I moved onto Industrial and this is where I spent the next 3 years of my career.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

I was head hunted by Pure Staff to further my career and help to grow their Worcester Branch even further. The career opportunity and offer to be a part of such a great forward thinking growing company like Pure Staff were too good to miss and didn’t hesitate to accept.

What is your favourite quote ?

I quickly learned in recruitment you can receive a lot of knock backs and challenges on a day to day basis but I always said to myself “never give up” persistence is the key to success and you create your own luck. If you don’t pick up the phone you could miss an opportunity.

Salvatore Naccarato ↓

Bilston Branch Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

My first day in recruitment was a real eye opener, a date I will always remember 09/01/2012. It’s a strange feeling knowing from the off that this is going to be an industry I am going to love. A complete career change for me moving away from retail management and promotional services, a decision I am very happy I made.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

After feeling undervalued in my previous company I decided to look for new opportunities, I was told to look at a company called Pure Staff by a friend and Rec to Rec business. I came to see the Bilston branch met the Regional Manager Luke Bartlett, where his passion for the company and enthusiasm made me feel confident this was a company I wanted to be a part of. It’s been a very successful and rewarding journey and long may it continue.

What is your favourite quote ?

“Regret not what we have done, But that what we haven’t.”

Chris Cooper ↓

Birmingham Industrial Divisional Manager

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When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I came into the recruitment industry in December 2003, working for another large industrial recruitment business where I remained for over 9 years.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

After leaving the recruitment business where I spent over 9 years at I worked for a number of agencies and never felt quite at home. Various systems and the ways in how companies work didn’t feel right. After a conversation with a well-known headhunter, I agreed to attend an interview with Luke Bartlett and Chris Thomas. As I had previously worked with a number of the people that both work and set up Pure Staff, I knew it was right for me. As soon as I came into the building I immediately felt the vibe was right and catching up with Chris and Luke was great. Pure Staff seemed to offer everything I was looking for in an employer.

What is your favourite quote ?

“Going one more round when you think you can’t – That’s what makes a difference in your life”

Josh Clover ↓

Birmingham Driving Branch Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

First got in recruitment in September 2012 – Finished a degree in Criminology (2:1) in July 2012 and then started a job in recruitment! Bit of a change but I had friends in recruitment and was always interested in it.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

From Essex originally, moved to Birmingham to move in with my partner (who I met at Uni) – I was head hunted by Pure Staff and offered a managerial role in September 2015 after doing well at a previous agency – which I jumped at the chance for!

What is your favourite quote ?

“where there’s a will, there’s a way”

James McLaren ↓

Head Of Permanent Recruitment

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I started in Recruitment in October 2015.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

After a very brief stint with another recruitment agency I decided to join Pure Staff in March of 2016, initiated by a very convincing phone call. I knew recruitment was something I could excel at and knew straight away that Pure Staff was the right “fit” for me. The rest as they say, is history…

What is your favourite quote ?

If you know me, you’ll know that I’ve got lots of little quotes/quips/mantras that I live my life by (well, at least I try to) but one of the one’s I find myself using a lot recently is “If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together”

Alex Cookson ↓

Worcester Industrial Divisional Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I first got into recruitment when I was at college my sister was a branch manager for an agency based in Blackburn so I actually used to do some temp work in the summer I worked in numerous industrial companies from packing sweets to making scuba diving equipment! So I learnt first-hand about recruitment & how the process worked at an early (ish!) age. I then went to University in Liverpool and got a degree , I was out of work so applied for a few office roles until I found a role relevant to my degree and was offered a trainee position working for an agency in Blackburn developed to a consultant there through growing the division & I’ve been in recruitment ever since !

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

I joined Pure Staff in 2014. I relocated to Worcester with my partner and had numerous interviews at local agencies, as I was new to the area I wanted to make sure I made the right choice. I had a gut instinct with Pure Staff as the Worcester office had only been open for around a year at that time so I knew there was a lot of potential to help grow the division. I liked the ethos and transparency of the company & felt it was the best fit for me personally 5 years later it certainly was the best decision as I’ve been a part of the Worcester branches growth & also been a part of the company growth which is a great feeling!

What is your favourite quote ?

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.”

Chris Thomas ↓

Business Development Manager

When did you first get into the recruitment industry?

I first started in recruitment in 1998 by visiting a local agency for any type of temporary admin work, after a brief chat they must have seen something within me as they offered me a position direct within the agency working on credit control. I then worked my way up within the recruitment industry and never looked back.

How did your journey start with Pure Staff Ltd and why ?

Over steak and chips in the plough and harrow with my good friends John Dave and Luke, they offered me a proposition I couldn’t refuse coupled with the long standing personal relationships I already had with the Directors, even though it was the start of great things to come, It felt like I was coming home.

Pure Staff