Velda Sosah is a demanding lady - she has to be. She is Senior European Tax Manager for Hines, an international property group. So the staff she hires have to be from the top drawer, part of a small team, yet thinking on an international scale.

Hines don't have a UK HR department, so when Velda needs a new team member she has to do the recruiting herself.

'I have access to a couple of big agencies,' says Velda, 'but I also like to have a more personal service from a smaller agency. I need someone who completely understands our company, our market and the best sources of candidates.

'I had previously used Simon Godley to recruit someone and he found me a wonderful candidate - so good, in fact, that this person recently got poached! So I asked him to find me another, but I soon learned that times had changed and it was now a job seeker's market with lots of demand for good candidates.'

'We had an added difficulty - because we operate as a small team, matching personalities is vital,' continues Velda. 'Simon knows us well and listens very carefully to what we want.

'Also, he is very honest and upfront about people's suitability, strengths and weaknesses. I know he has wide sources for good candidates yet takes great care to pre-filter them. Hence he doesn't waste my time with any old candidates who might be on his books.

'I have found Simon to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable in other areas such as salary surveys and career management. It's nice to have access to such a personal service when you need it from a small but professional agency.'