Why Hiring Strategy is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Businesses in Yorkshire

 

Across Yorkshire, businesses are facing increasing pressure to attract and retain strong talent. In finance, operations and commercial leadership particularly, competition for high-performing professionals remains strong - and many employers are recognising that salary alone is no longer enough.

The businesses that are standing out are those taking a longer-term approach to hiring: investing in culture, developing people internally and focusing on retention as much as recruitment.

PPS is one example of a Yorkshire business building growth around that mindset. The business has grown steadily by taking a long-term approach to hiring, investing in internal development, and maintaining a clear commitment to its people.

Founded in 1999, PPS remains family-led by Managing Director Joseph Fitzpatrick, Director Becky Fitzpatrick and Commercial Director Jamie Grainger, combining family ownership with experienced commercial leadership.

Robust Teams Start with Intentional Hiring – Not Reactive Recruitment

A key theme for PPS is a long-term approach to hiring. Rather than recruiting to simply fill gaps, each hire is considered in terms of how they will strengthen the business overtime.

For many leadership teams, hiring is still driven by short-term pressure - replacing leavers, managing workload spikes, or addressing immediate capability gaps. While sometimes necessary, this often leads to quick fixes rather than lasting impact.

A more effective approach is more deliberate: hiring not just for the role, but for the future. That means focusing on how individuals enhance the wider team, add long-term capability, and align with where the business is heading.

This is particularly important in functions like finance, where the quality of hiring decisions directly influences decision-making, control, and long-term performance.

 

Building strength through internal development

While much of the focus in hiring is on attracting external talent, building a strong team also depends on how effectively businesses develop the people they already have.

At PPS, internal development sits alongside hiring as part of a broader strategy to build capability over time. Rather than relying solely on the external market, the business identifies potential early and invests ahead of need - creating a pipeline of individuals ready to step into new roles as the business grows.

As one member of the operations team at PPS explains:

“They trained me even when there wasn’t a role there. When the opportunity came up, I was ready.”

For decision-makers, this highlights an important shift. Hiring is most effective when it’s not treated as a reactive process, but as part of a wider approach to team building. External recruitment brings in new skills and perspective, but internal development strengthens retention, builds continuity, and reduces long-term hiring risk.

Importantly, development doesn’t have to mean traditional progression. Expanding responsibilities, building new skills, and giving individuals greater ownership all contributes to strengthening the overall team. The result is a more balanced approach - where external hiring and internal growth work together to create stronger, more resilient teams.

 

Why investing in HR and Leadership is Critical to Hiring Success

We’ve all worked for a boss we didn’t rate or been part of a business where people decisions felt disconnected from reality. And often, that’s what sits behind retention issues. Attracting good people is one thing, but getting candidates to stay, perform, and develop is something else entirely.

At PPS, there’s a clear alignment between leadership and HR, which directly supports hiring and retention. Rather than operating as a compliance function, HR is embedded within the business – working closely with leadership and playing an active role in shaping how people are supported and developed.

As their HR specialist puts it:

“The leadership team trust me to advise them, and that makes a huge difference. People don’t avoid HR here. Everyone talks to each other, and issues get dealt with properly.”

The trust and visibility have a tangible impact. When HR is connected of the day-to-day realities of the business, issues are addressed earlier, communication is clearer, and employees feel supported – creating an environment that people want to be a part of.

After speaking with a variety of finance professionals across Yorkshire recently, it’s clear that candidates aren’t just assessing roles, they’re assessing leadership, culture, and whether the business has the structure in place to support them long term.  It’s no longer enough to offer a competitive salary or a well-defined role – candidates want to understand how they fit into the wider business, how they will be supported, and whether leadership genuinely invests in its people.

What businesses like PPS demonstrate is that strong hiring outcomes are built well before a role goes to market. A clear approach to leadership, an embedded and trusted HR function, and a commitment to developing people internally all play a key role in attracting and retaining the best people.

From a recruitment perspective, this raises the importance of working with partners who fully understand the business behind the brief. It’s not just about filling a vacancy – it’s about identifying people who align with the culture, leadership style, and long-term goals of the organisation.

When that understanding is in place, recruitment becomes far more effective. Candidates are better matched, retention improves, and hiring decisions contribute to the wider strength of the business, not just the immediate need.