Follow the 4-Step Process When Crafting the Perfect Name for Your Recruitment Agency
Embarking on the exciting yet daunting journey of establishing and running your own recruitment agency is a remarkable feat. Kudos to you, and I wish you the best of luck.
One critical yet often perplexing question you'll encounter is what to call your recruitment enterprise. I encountered this very dilemma during the inception of my first and second businesses. Interestingly, naming a business can simultaneously be straightforward and complex.
Why is a name so significant?
Business names serve as the embodiment of your services, values, and deliverables. When it comes to recruitment agencies, names typically fall into four categories: Personal, Location, Occupation, and Recruitment-oriented.
- Personal examples include Reed, Micheal Page, Holden Jones, and Mason Blake.
- Location-related names might look like Aberdeen Appointments Agency.
- Occupation-related names include Driver Hire, FinTech Rec, Trade Team, and IT Recruit UK.
- Recruitment-centric names comprise agencies like StaffForce, Staff365, NGR Resourcing, and Now Careers.
Occasionally, you'll find names that are ambiguous, with the brand and consultants adding depth and meaning to the name. This is quite rare but Indeed serves as a prime example in the recruitment domain.
Despite your agency's name being witty, relevant, or creative, remember it isn't everything.
The Value of a Name
An innovative and distinct name alone won't guarantee the success of your recruitment agency. But a competent name, coupled with exceptional service and an excellent candidate pool, can significantly boost your agency's potential.
Outlined below is a systematic approach to brainstorming your recruitment agency's name, influenced by my personal journey.
Crafting Your Agency's Name: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Understand Your Business
Before you begin, you need to deeply understand your business's foundation and future aspirations.
What is your target market?
What is your geography and location?
What is your overarching goal for your recruitment agency?
Answering these questions will equip you with the necessary context for the brainstorming phase.
Step 2: Brainstorming
The concept of brainstorming is straightforward: jot down every potential name, word, or idea that comes to mind. You can list complete names or singular words. Once you've exhausted your initial list, write them all down again, separate each word, and mix them up.
Combine and vocalize these words, listening for any compelling combinations. Any promising ideas should be added to a shortlist for the due diligence stage.
Step 3: Due Diligence
Performing due diligence on your potential name is critical. You wouldn't want your brilliant name already claimed by another.
- Check domain availability with providers like Go Daddy.
- Google the name to ensure no existing agencies bear it.
- Check the Companies House and Trademark registry, including struck-off company names.
- Verify social media availability. If taken, you can use handles like "We Are xxx."
- Confirm with friends and family that the name doesn't sound silly. But remember, this is a sanity check, not a definitive decision-making tool.
Apply these checks to your shortlist and discard any names that don't pass muster.
Step 4: Decision-making and the Golden Rule
Review your list of names three times. Take a refreshing hour-long walk. When you return, write down the name you've decided on.
Remember the golden rule for naming a recruitment business: Could you tolerate saying the name 30-50 times a day? Test it. Speak it aloud repeatedly.
This final step is crucial.
Can you handle repeating the name multiple times daily?
My Journey
Naming my first business, I opted for "Political Careers." However, the name closely resembled a job board, prompting me to switch to "Westminster Search." The names effectively reflected my business's focus on assisting individuals transitioning from politics to other employment sectors.
For my subsequent recruitment venture, I selected "RecSurance" (Insurance Recruitment). The title cleverly plays on words, and aptly depicts the industry focus, while establishing a distinct brand identity.
The above process led me to these conclusions, punctuated with bouts of trial, error, and brainstorming.
I'm curious, if you have started your own recruitment agency, what inspired your chosen name?
If you're contemplating beginning an agency, what potential names are you considering?