A Bradford recruitment agency is celebrating a successful first ten years.

The Works, started as a two-man operation in the recession, has grown rapidly to open offices in Bradford, Manchester and Leeds.

The firm now has 28 staff and in 1999 won the prestigious Investor in People Award.

Founder and managing director Craig Burton, reflecting on a decade of achievement, said: "It was difficult in the beginning, we had to make do with a £35 a week enterprise allowance, second hand desks and a borrowed PC and phones.

"But hard work and determination have built The Works into the company it is today, and with confident planning I'm sure we can sustain the growth we are experiencing and build on the success of the past decade."

The Works' turnover was £395,000 in 1991 - last year it was £3.5 million and the business is predicting £4 million for 2002.

Mr Burton has seen employment trends come and go over the last decade, with a shift in recent years away from service industry jobs to communication, IT and telecommunications positions. As for the future, he believes it's time companies abandoned outmoded methods when it comes to selecting new staff.

"I would say 'recruit for attitude and train for skills'. Too many employers are blinkered in their recruitment processes, putting too much emphasis on easily taught competencies.

"But psychometric testing and emotional intelligence studies prove that, providing people have the ability and desire to succeed, they should be given a chance."

Mr Burton predicts increased demand for jobs in advertising, marketing and PR - the 'growth industries of the future' - in the next few years. It's a development he feels The Works is well equipped to deal with.

"We've overcome the peaks and troughs of the last ten years in business and now we are looking forward to the next ten," he said.