Scott P. Arroyo 
One of the UK’s largest recruitment agencies, Smart Solutions Recruitment, has partnered with senior recruiter Lewis Fawsitt in a joint venture to launch Sophic Associates.
Smart Solutions Recruitment, which recently opened a new central office in Coryton as part of its rebranding and launch of its joint venture partnership strategy, partnered with Lewis Fawsitt to launch its permanent specialist recruiting company , Sophic Associates.
Sophic Associates will provide tailor-made global solutions to companies recruiting permanent positions and facing current recruiting challenges.
Sophic MD and co-founder, Mr. Fawsitt has 25 years of cross-industry experience in recruiting and his most recent roles have been as Director of Corporate Sales at Acorn Recruitment and Director of Acorn Global.
He has extensive expertise in recruiting services as well as in advisory roles and states:
“There is a lot of transactional recruiting out there. Our goal is to offer a solution that goes beyond a simple transactional relationship. The use of technology is crucial, as is maintaining the human element of service delivery, both nationally and internationally. At Sophic Associates, we are very accustomed to moving people across borders, as part of our international offering.
Mr. Fawsitt’s clients include General Dynamics, Codan Communications, Perkin Elmer, Valeo Foods Group, Mineral Resources, NHS, Australian Submarine Corporation, DWP, Downer Mining Corporation, BIS Industries, Minelab, TATA and the House of Commons, Transport for Wales and Welsh Government among others.
He said:
“The recruiting industry is currently facing many critical challenges. A combination of Brexit, IR35 and the pandemic have all come together to disrupt the normal order of things.
“We are focusing on a hybrid approach – we will help solve the problem of the current recruitment crisis, but we must also prepare for the future.”
Rob Webb, CEO of Smart Solutions, added:
“This latest launch is a key development in our strategic growth plans.
“Diversification into specialty sectors is crucial for Smart’s continued expansion and the launch of Sophic Associates demonstrates our commitment to innovation and the evolution of our brands. Recruitment is an extremely competitive market – never more than today – and we are continually aware of the need to differentiate ourselves from other offers.
“Sophic Associates offers real added value to our new and existing clients. We are delighted to add to our extensive services.
Sophic Associates will provide the full range of recruiting solutions in the market, including executive search, international recruiting, talent acquisition strategy, recruitment process outsourcing, specialist contractors, management solutions. temp work and quick response recruiting solutions. This will complement the group’s existing range of services.
Mr. Fawsitt has served on several industry advisory bodies and says:
“Recruitment is a congested market. There has been a radical change in working methods and, in some cases, in priorities.
“With that comes an increased demand for skills. More and more people are working remotely, which means their access to opportunities is potentially wider and many employees are passive and not actively looking for new opportunities.
“Thanks to our approach, we are able to reach more of these potential candidates and offer them a choice of employers and roles. Having a strong recruiting partner has never been more important for companies, so that they can access this pool. We started working on the ground, tackling the main issue at the moment, which is the availability of talent, from entry level to management positions. “
