Chris Holland meets the Bradford-born boss of a recruitment firm which has overcome the odds to celebrate its 25th anniversary

"My glass is always half full," says Craig Burton.

That sums up the ebullient optimist who has carved out a successful business career in recruitment - and overcome his fair share of setbacks along the way.

Craig launched The Works recruitment agency from a small office in Chapel Street, Little Germany, during a recession after working for a local agency for eight years.

He became an entrepreneur after losing his job - in spite of being one of the top performers - after some colleagues took exception to him being gay.

"I took it to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal but still ended up without enough money to pay the mortgage. I tried selling T-shirts on a market stall but it rained and I didn't sell any. It was my parents who urged me to stick to what I knew," Craig recalled

With the help his accountant brother-in-law Craig drew up a business plan for his own recruitment agency and then applied for a £1,000 Enterprise Allowance grant and £45 a week for six months from the Bradford Training and Enterprise Council.

Craig said: "At first I was turned down as the policy was that the allowance was only for creating direct employment in manufacturing businesses. To their eternal credit, they accepted the point that I would be creating employment opportunities for people in manufacturing and thankfully changed their approach."

Starting as a one-man band, Craig decided to specialise in the trades sector where he had previously operated and put advertisements in the Telegraph & Argus for electricians , plumbers, painters and decorators and built up a list of candidates.

Craig said: "The phone started to ring off the hook and I noticed that the least response was from electricians which told me there was probably a greater call for them so I started working through the directory calling electrical contractors.

"It was very tough and I had to be tenacious but eventually J Wright Electrical in Bradford said they needed three people for a lighting job. I can still remember the names of the three candidates and have kept the original invoice.

"I only had a telephone - there were no computers or internet then - and it took me nine weeks to build up. Within nine weeks to get a critical mass of 42 people out working on temporary contracts. including at refrigeration specialists George Barker in Idle who are still a client, Other major employers such as NG Bailey and what is now Pitts Wilson started taking on our candidates.

"I still show that list to new employees to underline the importance of sticking at it and not being put off."

The Works grew steadily and Craig hired a former colleague to run the payroll for temporary workers - something it still does which is a rarity these days. The business retained its focus on trades people and became a leading recruiter of engineering workers .

By 1996 it had eight staff and the operation has remained compact with just 14 employees today.

As Bradford's economic landscape changed, The Works focused on call centres, and secured the former National & Provincial Building Society as its first client in this field.

"I remember N&P was using a new fangled thing called Word for Windows and it was a new area for us. At that time we were growing quickly as Bradford was a great market for temporary staff," said Craig.

Ove the years The Works has operated in various locations, including a former bank in Laisterdyke, Heckmondwike and is currently based in central Leeds, with a satellite office in Bradford.

But Craig is seeking premises to return the operation, which concentrates on four sectors - commercial, engineering, construction and manufacturing- to its Bradford roots.

"Sixty per cent of our business is still in Bradford and I spend most of my time here . Bradford is definitely on the up again and I'm hoping to have moved the business back before Christmas, " he said .

The Works now has a £6.5 million turnover and 250,000 registered candidates. It places around 15,000 people a year in both blue and white collar roles .

But all this was put in jeopardy with the financial crash of 2008

" It was a hairy time and threatened the future of The Works. To reduce overheads we moved into the Heckmondwike building which we owned . The 2008 crash tore the heart out of the business and many big recruiters went under.

"Clients had stopped hiring and after doing the sums everyone agreed to take a 20 per cent pay cut and the directors took no money for three months. This enabled us to survive until things began to pick up and we also diversified into other sectors, such as food manufacturing and logistics which we identified as being recession proof.

"Business was also won and retained through our philosophy of loving the client and looking after them. Good recruiters work closely with employers and candidates and provide a range of support. Sadly, most agencies treat candidates like a butcher treats animals.

"Our committed enabled us to repay our staff their lost wages with interest as we had promised," said Craig.

The latest scare to The Works' survival came in 2014 when a big company failed owing it around £500,000.

Craig said: " It was a big challenge to get over that but we have managed to get back on our feet through a lot of belt tightening and operating as a leaner business. We are profitable again and hiring people."

Following the retirement of his long-standing chief executive, Craig, 50, has returned to run the business after three spells of retirement at his home in France.

"I really like working and the buzz of running a business with all its frustrations and challenges. I'm proud that The Works is one of oldest privately owned recruitment businesses in the North of England.

"I love Bradford and Yorkshire and am back to stay," he said.

Craig is a familiar face on the local business scene and is happy to use his experience to mentor other SMEs .

He has an MBA from the University of Bradford School of Management; attended the Goldman Sachs business growth programme at Leeds Business School and is an active Rotarian. A member of Bradford Bronte club, he was the UK's youngest Rotary president at the age of 29.

With an extensive contacts book he also tries to influence business' thinking about the changing face of employment.

" Firms need to be more flexible. Youngsters these days don't want to be forced to work 9-5. Many are more interested in lifestyle than career progression and it's something employers need to take on board.

"Improving skills is another vital challenge There ls a train coming and unless we address the skills issue we will get hit by it.

"Bradford is bonkers for skills and its imperative that we get more young people interested in engineering, which isn't sexy and get more women and girls into science and engineering related jobs.," Craig warns.

He also believes that today's young people are more likely to launch a business than any other generation.

"In a recent survey 80 per cent of young people saw themselves as being self employed against only 20 per cent a few years ago.

" An entrepreneur is not someone who invests in a business but someone who will have a go, probably several times and has no fear of failure. This is only a fairly recent phenomenon n UK but one that is growing," said Craig.

Someone like himself perhaps?