GQR Global Markets

GQR Global Markets

• Rank: 8
• Headquarters: Marina del Rey, CA
• Top staffing segment(s) served –  Engineering
• 2019 US staffing revenue – $35.1 million
• Compound annual growth rate – 47.5%
• Website: www.gqrgm.com

Over the last 11-1/2 years, GQR has focused on hiring and investing in the right people and then creating an environment and building a platform where they can flourish and thrive. It’s this focus on people that makes up the cornerstone of GQR’s growth.

“We always believe that people have more potential than they’ve had the opportunity to exhibit before, that their futures are even brighter than their past,” says Steven Talbot, co-founder and CEO of GQR. “Personal growth is a massive centerpiece for us, so it’s about enabling people to invest in their own development and making sure our platform can provide for that.”

Unlike other recruitment firms where people work independently in a zero-sum game, most of the work GQR does involves collaboration between many people. A vital factor in the company’s growth is its development of a culture of relatedness and innate motivation to work for a collective good.

GQR was founded in 2009 amid the global financial crisis, during which there were universal freezes across its target markets. But starting out in such adverse economic conditions led to the group to foster certain good habits. They learned quickly not to take things for granted, to focus on relationships, and that quality is more important than quantity.

GQR also credits its growth to its best-in-class company culture, an ethos of gratitude and operating by a culture code based on “the three A’s”: ambition, adventure and accountability.

For ambition, the group provides vast opportunities, resources and technology for its employees to excel and develop.

As for adventure, “We encourage our people to be as adventurous as possible and always open to new ideas and possibilities,” co-founder Hugo Sugden says, “… whether that’s identifying new trends or adapting services based on what our clients need, from contingent tactical recruiting through to strategic retainers, and then identifying new fast-paced, ultra-growth markets.”

A big component of that adventurous mindset is “looking to drive evolution through digitization and innovation,” Sugden adds.

But when the pandemic hit, it was the “stress test no one wanted,” Talbot notes. But GQR’s people rose to the challenge, transitioning smoothly into working from home and notching a record second quarter, which the firm attributes to the accountability that the team possesses. Yes, strategy did play a role as did the resilience and collaboration of its people.

GQR feels its trait of accountability has gotten the company through difficult times. Launching during the Great Recession, for instance, may have disheartened some, but the responsibility, resilience and determination displayed by the team drove the company forward, enabling it to survive a tough market and grow. Layer ambition to that mix and the company maximizes the opportunities it has developed for itself, Sugden says.

In addition, having each other’s backs, the GQR crew’s adventurous spirit does not provide space to give up. It’s that characteristic that “future-proofs us to continue to grow even through some of the most challenging times,” Sugden notes. And of course, it makes for some very compelling stories.

Looking ahead, the group plans to launch its Series A at the beginning of the year, notably its first external fundraising since it is self-funded to date, and will further accelerate its growth and innovation plans.