Miranda Allard, the founder of Spa Staff.com, has spent the best part of the last 10 years trying to resolve the dilemma of employers finding it so hard to source good quality staff while job seekers are struggling to find work. A solution which is fast, efficient and affordable is desperately needed.

Recruitment is a constant aggravation for employers. Whether a 5* spa or high street salon it is important the new team member is well suited to their working environment while having the practical and personal skills to blend in with the needs of both clients and colleagues. Finding the right person who is seeking work in the right place and at the right time is far from easy.

Agencies are free to job seekers but employers incur large fees for successful placements - a less popular option these days with limited budgets. Advertisements are not only costly but can result in a pile of CVs from unsuitable candidates consuming time and money to examine. There is always the hope that a bright job seeker may put their CV through the door at an opportune moment..

Spa staff usually know what they are looking for - where, the type of workplace and at which level within a team to pitch themselves. But what are their options? They can send in their CVs directly and hope that the timing is right for spas to be looking for a new member of staff just like them. But that relies on the hope that the few they approach are actively recruiting. They can contact agencies - but they know their CV will only be forwarded to employers who are prepared to pay large fees - a rarity in this time of budget trimming. As a last resort they can promote themselves in industry related media opportunities and hope they are spotted. So the thousands of spa staff out there looking for work really have a hard time just to be considered!

Within 2 years of launching Spa Staff.com in 2001, Miranda realised something had to change. The way forward should be for both sides to have free access to a global interactive website - directly connecting job seekers with interested employers. The only cost would be to employers - a relatively modest fee for the contact details of a chosen candidate - but only after the candidate in question had confirmed reciprocal interest in the position. The problem then, back in 2003, was that CVs were arriving at her office via the postman, to be filed and photocopied and then faxed to employers! Now the internet enables instant access from far and wide, while the impact of the present recession means the time has come for a twenty-first century solution - the wait is over!