Eight Recruitment was established in 2011 with a clear purpose, to turn the sector on its head.
Ten years later Eight continues to be one of the region’s go-to recruitment agencies in the Hunter region.
For the Founder, Nadene Barretto, it was working in an industry that didn’t cater for flexibility that led her to establish a company that challenged the status-quo.
“Having worked in the industry for more than a decade, I knew it needed a little shakeup. Having three kids all under the age of three, I found it hard to navigate the balance that so many companies encourage but not many enforce,” Nadene said.
For the first four years, Nadene worked by herself specialising within the mining industry.
Now, Eight Recruitment has seven dedicated staff recruiting across a wide range of industries across New South Wales with plans to expand.
“Both my husband Steve and I put our staff at the forefront of everything we do. The majority of our staff are working mums and we wanted to create an environment that was flexible and would cater to their needs.”
“Nadene ensures that our staff, clients and candidates not only succeed but have fun doing so, her wild antics and loud laugh combined with her dedication, ensure all involved are having fun whilst achieving their goals,” Steve said.
Over the last decade, Eight Recruitment has not only been dedicated to their clients and candidates but also the wider community.
“The community has shown so much support for us and we wouldn’t be where we are without the help of the Newcastle and Hunter community, which is why we think it’s crucial for us to support them,” Nadene said.
Eight have been huge supporters of local sports, from sponsoring the women’s rugby division to bring parity in prize money, to supporting the Hunter Wildfires as they represented our region in the Shute Shield competition for the first time in 22 years.
Westpac Rescue Helicopter CEO, Richard Jones has watched the business grow from the beginning and been amazed by the impressive team they have built.
“I love their passion for the community, they are a small business who do big things for their community, at all levels of sport and for a lot of different community organisations,” he said.
When Nadene reflects on the last ten years of Eight Recruitment she is proud of the adversities herself and her team have overcome and cannot wait to see what the next ten years hold.
“I still have the same drive I had ten years ago when I started Eight Recruitment.”
“The drive to ensure my staff, clients and candidates feel valued and to ensure we give back to a community that has lent so much to us. Whilst you give up a lot to run your own business, I wouldn’t change a single thing,” Nadene concluded.
IMAGE | Eight Recruitment team celebrate a decade of recruitment service in the Hunter.
