Work with Us tells you about the history of our company, our brands, values, reward structure, benefits and career plan

1. Work With Us
Welcome to the
Aspire Global Network
Our vision is to be a global network of
leading specialist recruiters

2. INTRODUCTION
FROM THE CHAIRMAN
“Only when all parties are truly committed do you get the best result”
This sums up what we call ‘More Together’ the words that define our values as an
organisation and if you join us you will have demonstrated these during the selection
process and expand them further as you develop your career with us.
We are part of a global recruitment
economy that generates over £125b.
In the UK the recruitment industry
generates over £26.5b and supply
over 1.6million temporary workers on
a daily basis. Without the
recruitment industry the economy
would collapse like a pack of cards.
Aspire Global Network’s vision is to
be a ‘global network of leading
specialist recruiters’.
By global we mean physical presence
in Europe, APAC, Americas, Middle
East & Africa
By network - we mean our people, our contacts, our associates
By leading - we mean via performance, reputation, reach, expertise & quality of service
By specialist - we mean marketing communications and associated businesses/disciplines
By recruiters - we mean changing peoples lives; improving business performance
Initially established as Phee Farrer Jones in 1992 and first re-branded as pfj in 2002 the
business has expanded by launching and acquiring new brands. As a result we are now
known as Aspire Global Network. We now employ around 90 people on three cities,
London, Singapore & Hong Kong:
pfj - London
The Graduate Recruitment Company - London
RPCushing - London
Periscope - London
Aspire Asia – based in Singapore & Hong Kong
We have a work environment that reflects the market we serve, strong brands, a state of
the art CRM and some of the best training and development programmes you can find.

3. As always, we are only as good as our people which is why we focus on recruiting and
selecting the best possible talent as well as providing a genuine career path. What sets
us apart from the crowd is our bespoke career development programme – Aspire.
Whatever your role, you can develop your career according to your ambition, skills and
competencies. As a result we hold the Investors in People Gold Award.
We are a Sunday Times Best 100 Company to Work For, are accredited with the
international quality standard IS0 9001 and are winners of multiple recruitment awards.
We have a lot of flexibility towards work and also try to make sure that it is not all about
recruitment which is why we have the Ministry of Fun, an internal group tasked with
putting on monthly events enabling people to socialise out of the office.
But it’s not all about us. I am equally proud that we put something back whether it is
taking an Olympic Athlete to a local school in our capacity as an official Follower of Team
2012 for the London Olympics, buying Christmas presents for Barnados children, making
and distributing lunch packs for the homeless or planting trees for the environment.
In a crowded market I believe we have something genuinely special and different to
offer and I hope you do too.
Paul Farrer
Chairman, Aspire Global Network
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4. ABOUT ASPIRE GLOBAL NETWORK
Aspire Global Network was established as Phee Farrer Jones in 1992, then pfj in 2002
before developing into our current brand. Aspire Global Network comprises of five
brands, all of whom vary in consultant numbers and are organised into specialist teams.
pfj - specialise in Media Sales, Media Planning & Buying, Digital, Content & Creative,
PR, Business Information, IP and Events
The Graduate Recruitment Company - specialise in Media, Digital and Corporate
graduate recruitment
RPCushing - specialise in Market Research, Insight and Analysis
Periscope - specialise in Creative and Design
Aspire Global Network Asia - two offices, Singapore and Hong Kong. Specialises in
Market Research, Creative, Agencies and Digital
pfj, The Graduate Recruitment Company, RPCushing and Periscope are all based in
London.
We offer both permanent and interim (temporary, contract, freelance) recruitment
solutions across all our markets, which are managed by specialist consultants. As you
would expect we have long established and deep relationships with a significant number
of the major employers in our sectors and figure on a huge range of PSLs.
We are unique in the markets we serve as the only recruitment company that is ISO 9001
accredited, a member of APSCo and an Investors In People Gold Award holder. In
addition, we are a Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Company to Work For 2012.
With our brand position and talented network of consultants we are the major force in
the Marketing & Communications recruitment market and well set to develop our vision
of a global network of leading specialist recruitment companies.
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5. MORE TOGETHER
More Together is a set of values that drive how we work at Aspire Global Network.
Commitment at all these levels engenders better relationships with our clients, our staff
and our candidates.
The 4 behaviours:
Flexibility
Consider the options, look for solutions, be
adaptable and embrace change
Accountability
Do what you say you will do. Be honest about
what you can and can’t do. Take responsibility
for your actions. Take a consultative
approach
Performance
Satisfy the needs of your customers, work to a fast pace, be commercially aware of your
decisions
Communication
Listen to and inform your stakeholders (clients, candidates and colleagues)

6. BONUS SCHEME
BONUS SCHEME - YOU WON’T EARN LESS THAN 30% - GUARANTEED
As a recruitment consultant we know that money is important to you. With the help of
our Non Executive Director John O’Sullivan and much benchmarking with fellow
recruiters, we feel we have come up with a generous and regularly rewarding scheme.
In addition to this, the top biller each quarter receives an extra £500 bonus.
In the last year, Aspire Global Network has paid their employees £1.25 million in
bonuses.
Aspire Global Network spends on average £7,500 in addition per head on benefits.
Our financial year runs from May 1st to April 30th.
Salaries range from £22,000 to £50,000 basic based on competency, proven previous
billings and strong track record.
Monthly Bonus
Once you hit £7,200 you can calculate your bonus as follows:
Revenue Bonus Amount:
First £7,200 5% = £360
£7,201 - 15,500 10% = £830
£15,501 - 20,500 15% = £750
£20,501 - 25,500 20% = £1000
£25,001 + 25% = uncapped
Basically you earn the percentage in each band and then add it up. For example, if you
invoiced £18,000 in a month the scheme would work as follows:
First £7,200 5% of 8,000 = £360
£7,201 - 15,500 10% of 7,500 + £830
£15,501 - 18,000 15% of 2,500 + £375
Total Bonus = £1,565
On top of this a 6 month reconciliation (in October) will offer a guaranteed remuneration
of 30% OTE of your billings. A 12 month reconciliation will be applied in April which is
also guaranteed.
My Reconciliation
We will guarantee you will not earn less than the following amounts:
NDR levels OTE
Up to £140,000 30% £42,000
£140,001 - £150,000 31% £43,400.31 - £46,500
£150,001 - £160,000 32% £48,000.32 - £51,200
£160,001 - £220,000 33% £52,800.33 - £72,600
£220,001 - £249,000 34% £74,800.34 - £84,660
> £250,000 35% £87,500.00
Your pension and all other benefits are in addition to this OTE.

7. BENEFITS
We spend on average £7,500 on benefits every year for each member of staff. These
include the following:
High 5
Every quarter Paul Farrer, Chairman, takes out the 5 highest
billers as a percentage over target, plus 2 others who are over
target and have displayed More Together values. Venues are top
London restaurants such as Sketch, Nobu and Maze. As an
added bonus, the High 5 club don’t have to get into the office
until midday the next day!
Mobile phone
Each consultant is given a Blackberry for work purposes from their first day.
Holiday leave (runs January to December)
Minimum 23.5 days (of which 3.5 days must be taken at Christmas as agreed in the
business). After one years service this rises to 24.5 days and after 2 years it is increased
to 25 days.
Flexible Working
Aspire Global Network offer all staff the chance to manage their own hours through
flexible working. If you start at 8am you can finish at 5pm – or have a lie in, start at
9.30am and finish at 6.30pm. At Executive Consultant and Manager level there is the
option to work some days from home.
Duvet days
You can take one duvet day per quarter, which will be taken from your holiday
allowance. You must tell your manager before 8.30am on the day you intend to take off.
Sabbaticals
After 4 years service you will have the opportunity to take a career break for up to 3
months, at 50% pay.
Relaxed Dress Code
Our sector is not a suited and booted environment so we have a dress code to match.
Travelcard loan
On passing your probation you’re entitled to an interest free loan to pay for an annual
travel card, deducted from your pay in equal instalments.
Pension plan
After 12 months service you will qualify for a contributory pension plan – if you
contribute, Aspire Global Network’s annual contribution will be:
Grade A: 3%
Grade B and C: 5%
Grade D and E: 8%

8. BENEFITS
Life Assurance
4x base salary – entitled from the day of employment.
Private health cover
Grade A After 2 years Individual
Grade B After 12 months Individual
Grade C After passing probation Individual
Grade D and above After passing probation Individual and Family option
Free Flu Jabs
We provide a free vaccination service every year for those who would like to help
protect themselves against flu.
Free Breakfast and free Fruit
In addition to our own café style kitchen where you have access to free hot and cold
beverages all day, we also offer free breakfast (cereals & toast) and free fruit.
Voucher scheme
For those employees who have children Aspire Global Network is in partnership with the
childcare voucher scheme - Edenred www.edenred.co.uk. This means that all employees
can pay their childcare provision via a voucher scheme. Aspire Global Network gives an
additional contribution to working parents by giving a pro rata contribution of up to £243
per child.
Massage
Every employee is entitled to a free monthly 20 minute back and shoulder massage in
our offices.
Bike to Work scheme
You can purchase a bike tax and NI free. All you need to do is go to a cycle shop that is
part of the scheme, choose your bike and helmet etc and then they will invoice Aspire
Global Network. You will then repay the cost of the bike over 12 months with an interest
free loan.
Prizes and Awards
We have Annual top biller prizes, Quarterly Prizes for top biller, Monthly Cups,
Millionaires Club and various incentives running throughout the year.
Club Wembley
Whatever the entertainment from sport to music, there are opportunities to attend in
our own Club Wembley seats.
No Tax on Incentives
Many companies pass the tax on incentives to their employees. At pfj, the tax is paid for
us, not by us.

9. BENEFITS
Long Service Awards
We reward staff members with long service awards. At 5 years of service you will receive
a £500 cash reward and at 10 years you will receive a £1,000 cash reward.
Boardroom Bucks
It is the opportunity for anyone in the business to get an Aspire
Global Network bursary towards something to do with your own
personal growth. It is held twice a year – March and September
and in a year there is £2,000 or equivalent up for grabs.
Healthshield Annual Cash back benefit scheme
Benefit Amount Annually
Dental £50
Optical £50
Physio, chiropractic, osteopathy, acupuncture,
homeopathy
£150
Specialist consultation £200
Chiropody £50
Health and wellbeing £70
Health screening £100

10. WELLBEING
Aspire Global Network takes an active interest in the well being of our employees –
happy and healthy staff with a good work life balance are more productive.
As well as the monthly massage, Healthshield membership and free daily fruit for all of
our employees, we also run a quarterly Wellbeing week. This involves fresh fruit juice or
smoothies for breakfast and healthy afternoon snacks provided.
We have an on site reflexologist for subsidised appointments, as well as a doctor for full
health MOTs.
Weather permitting, we also hold outdoor activities such as running club and softball
evenings.
80% of employees rated our last Wellbeing week as being either ‘excellent’ or ‘very
good’.
A ‘Wellbeing’ committee meet monthly to discuss other well being initiatives.
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11. MINISTRY OF FUN
The Ministry of Fun is Aspire Global
Network’s social committee who
organise regular company events for the
whole company to enjoy.
Recent events that the Ministry of Fun
have put on include our Speakeasy
themed Christmas party, Summer Rounders in the park, High School Prom themed annual
company party and strawberries and cream for Wimbledon. The committee is changed on
an annual basis so anyone that wishes to be can get involved!
Speakeasy themed
Christmas party
Rounders in the park
High School Prom themed
company party

12. ASPIRE
Aspire is a bespoke career progression programme, based
on both performance and competency, in the form of six
monthly appraisals.
Aspire shows you where you fit into the business and gives
you clear objectives to progress your career here with
us. Aspire will assist you with your personal development
plan and it really gives you the choice of where your
career goes.
At Aspire Global Network there are three paths to choose from, each enabling you to
move up the career ladder. We invest heavily in our most committed staff to make this
happen.
Aspire to consult
At Aspire Global Network we recognise that not all successful fee earners want to
become managers but they do want to enhance their career. With the ‘Aspire to consult’
route you can move through the ranks as a successful biller to director level, developing
your key account management skills.
Aspire to manage
You have been a successful biller and now you want to develop and nurture a team.
Again at Aspire Global Network you can work towards becoming a director on this route.
Aspire to support
You are in a support or functional role but are just as interested in progressing your
career with us. With this route you can explore your options and again work towards
becoming a director.
You will be given a full
introduction to Aspire once you
have passed your probation with us.
“A clear learning and development
strategy based around the ‘aspire’
performance management and
development process; this process
provides a clear and structured
development plan for individuals.”
“People across the organisation talk
very positively about their
experiences of the ‘Aspire’ process
and how it has helped to improve
both their performance and
develop their skills and
knowledge.” IIP Gold Report

13. TRAINING
Aspire Global Network has held the Investors in People Award since 2000 and were
awarded a Gold award in 2012. This is because we take our training and development
extremely seriously.
The more skilled our people, the better
our performance. The better our
development plans, the easier it is to
retain talent.
All our management staff have been
trained to train which enables us to
deliver training across the business on a
continuous basis as the demand arises.
We also use external trainers for
developing our skills in areas that are
new to us. Recently, our external
trainer Jeremy Snell has given training
on LinkedIn and Twitter, and the whole business has participated in NLP training.
On joining Aspire Global Network, you will have a one to two week induction course
where we will demonstrate to you the key skills to do the job. There is a lot to learn and
it lays down the foundations for the future. After induction training you will receive
ongoing training and development, delivered as and when requested. Needless to say
those that put the training into practice seem to do the best. All our training is
evaluated by each delegate and the delegates are evaluated by the trainer. This way we
can constantly improve the quality of the training we deliver.
Early on in your career with us you will
be given a clear set of objectives to
achieve in your initial three months.
This enables you to keep track of your
own progress and is used as a
reference for discussion in your weekly
one to one sessions with your line
manager. Out of those meetings,
training and development issues will be
raised that we can then address. We
also have morning meetings for each
team, and company wide meetings on a
Friday afternoon.
Consultants are also given the
opportunity to develop themselves and
can access further training modules
on the intranet. We also hold optional
Modelling Excellence Masterclass
sessions, run by our own top
consultants.
“There are clear strategies in
place to ensure that staff across
the organisation are equipped
with the necessary knowledge,
skills and behaviours they
require to deliver the
organisation’s aims and
objectives.”
“People believe that the
company’s flexible approaches
to learning anddevelopment has
helped them individually and as
a team as a whole.”
IIP Gold Report

14. TESTIMONIALS
“I joined the Aspire Global Network in September 2009 as a
Senior Consultant on the Media Planning and Buying team.
Having previously worked for three years at another
recruitment agency, I thought I would be doing a similar
role- that is taking on roles and filling them! Whilst this is
a large part of my role, I have also been heavily involved in
many other areas that have greatly improved my overall
business acumen and I frequently receive excellent training,
both internally and from external training companies. It is a
bold statement but The Aspire Global Network listens to its
employees and genuinely does take on board any
suggestions made. I have constantly been encouraged to
think outside the box and broaden my skill set. I am very ambitious and often ask myself
“where can I go from here?” The options and different career paths you can take here at
the Aspire Global Network are plentiful and varied. With constant support from my line
manager and the Board, I successfully achieved all objectives we had set and was
promoted to Executive Consultant in 2011. If you want to forge a successful career
within recruitment and want to work within a supportive company then I could not think
of a better place to be.” Gemma Aherne
“Our bespoke offices at New Cavendish
Street are truly inspiring and provide a
fantastic high-specification working
environment for all employees in the
business. We’ve created a bright and airy
office space that has been warmly
appreciated by each and every team, as the
integration between management,
fee-earners and support staff has also
enabled an open and flexible team culture to
flourish. We are able to provide extremely
well equipped interviewing and training
facilities for candidates and clients alike, which can be tailored to specific requirements
at short notice. In addition to our spacious designer kitchen, integrated shower rooms
and superb break-out areas we’ve also invested in specially commissioned IT systems
that have been tailored with our current and future growth in mind. Did I mention the
free breakfasts and flexible working hours too?!” James Dawes

15. “I started at The Graduate Recruitment Company in
February 2010 as a consultant having done a year in
media sales and not having any idea what
recruitment would have in store for me! In less than
three years I have had three promotions and
increased my basic salary by 50%. I am now
Manager of the Graduate Recruitment Company
digital team and Account Director of two major
media organisations for the whole of Aspire Global
Network. These promotions have come about the
because of the ‘aspire’ programme or personal development plan which every member
of staff in the business goes through- even our Chairman Paul Farrer!” Clare Benson
“I’ve been working for Aspire Global Network for 10
years. I started as a junior receptionist and I have
progressed to Senior Receptionist & am currently
completing the internal management course. I’ve loved
my time here and have no desire to leave. It’s one of the
best companies I’ve worked for hence my longevity &
loyalty. Here’s to another 10 years!”
Natasha Leon-Davies
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16. TESTIMONIALS - RECENT RECRUITS
When I first joined The Graduate Recruitment Company, the
company environment could not have been more welcoming – both
in terms of the team I became part of and the wider staff. It was
great to start work somewhere I immediately felt valued and at
ease. Having had only a small amount of recruitment experience,
there was an intensive training course to ensure I knew the
company inside out in terms of our different divisions, company
values and how we go about making ourselves the best recruiters
out there. The monthly massages, free breakfast and flexi-hours
made settling in all the easier along with regular training and
development opportunities! I’ve been at Aspire Global Network a year now and have
already had a pay rise and am, fingers crossed, nearing my first promotion! I couldn’t
recommend this company highly enough for the culture, benefits and the amount of
investment they put into their staff. Zoe Jeanes
Before I started at PFJ, I worked for some nightmare companies!
The only benefits I’d received were statutory holiday pay, the only
perks were that I got to go home at the end of the day!
However within a week of joining PFJ I was invited to the Sunday
Times top 100 companies awards! Since joining the Editorial
recruitment team I feel like I’m actually a valued member of staff.
From regular free nights down the pub and monthly massages to
free fruit and breakfast, it’s the little things that make the
difference. On top of that I get the feeling that the management
team are genuinely interested in my future and invest their time
and expertise into developing me as an employee and as a person. In short, I’m a lucky
sod to have landed a job here and am proud to say I work for a
genuine market leader! Ben Hewis
I joined PFJ after working for a smaller competitor
agency, and immediately knew that I’d made the right
move. There’s a real positivity to the people here, it’s
where the best consultants seem to have gathered to
serve the best clients in media. We’re treated like adults,
challenged all the time and we’re well looked after. I like
the fact I have a transparent career path; we know
exactly what we need to do to get pay rises and
promotions. It’s the first recruitment agency I’ve worked
for where I really admire my managers and I feel like they really add something to my
personal offering. I learn something every day and I’d been in recruitment for six years
before I joined. Phil Blaydes

17. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Aspire Global Network take our responsibilities seriously, whether it is our policy on
environmental issues or supporting our people and our clients through charitable
ventures.
Over the last year, our chosen charity was Macmillan. Each team was given a fundraising
month, and we set ourselves a target to raise £20,000 across the year. We achieved that
due to the hard work of our employees - running, baking, organising and cycling to name
just a few!
This year our chosen charities are Help a Capital Child and Chase Hospice.
We support Trees for Cities, planting a tree for every 10 placements we make, and staff
are able to go along to the planting.
At Christmas, we support Barnardos by donating Christmas gifts suitable for children, and
we also support Shelter at this time of year, organising lunches for the homeless.
We are involved with Age UK, with some of our staff visiting an elderly person each
week.
We were also supporters of Team 2012, sponsoring Team GB athletes to help them on
their way to such great success at the London Olympics.

18. OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS
The recruitment process to join Aspire Global Network is as streamlined as we can make
it when allowing for the element of thoroughness that career decisions deserve.
After an initial conversation where you declare an interest in Aspire Global Network, you
will be able to assess us and we can assess you in a 2-3 stage process.
The first interview will be with a director. Your second interview will be with a Aspire
Global Network manager and director and will include a presentation, role plays and a
Q&A.
We may then ask you to do some work shadowing or have drinks with the team.
Best of luck!
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