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QUEENSTOWN BASED NEW ZEALAND MEDRECRUIT EYES AUSSIE

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November, 2010

Queenstown-based business success story MedRecruit is breaking into Australia, set to open its first overseas office on the Gold Coast early next year.
Managing director and qualified doctor Sam Hazledine, 31, whose business was named the second-fastest growing company in New Zealand last year, said most of the medical recruitment company's business was coming out of Australia.
MedRecruit, which places locum doctors in jobs throughout Australia and New Zealand, recorded more than 800 per cent growth in its first few years, after Dr Hazeldine launched the business with his wife, Claire, in August 2006.
It was named the fastest-growing business services company in the country at the Deloitte Fast 50 awards last year.
Dr Hazledine said the company has experienced about 2200 per cent growth in its first four years.
With demand continuing to spiral, especially in Australia where 70 per cent of the company's placements were made, it was time to open an Australian base.
"Given that's where most of the business growth we see is. The Gold Coast is similar to Queenstown and that's why we're successful here, it's a location people want to be in so it's easy to attract staff there."
Thousands of doctors have been placed in work by the company, hundreds every year, either online or by phone.
"It's about helping doctors find a lifestyle and a career."
The company placed a lot of locum doctors, ranging in age from 27 to 32, and also a lot of consultants aged anywhere from 40 to 55 and 60 years, when many consultants are getting back into locuming again. Placements ranged from a weekend to a year.
There was a shortage of doctors in Australia, with thousands of jobs vacant at any one time. Most of the placements were Australians doing locums in their home country, although MedRecruit placed doctors from around the world.
Initially, the Gold Coast office would open with six staff. The company's Queenstown staff numbers had already climbed to 16 from five in 2008.
Dr Hazledine was looking at opportunities for offices in Europe and North America and would decide on that next year. He was also exploring the possibility of launching a separate recruitment business, specifically for nurses.
MedRecruit was not just a corporate company it was about knowing what doctors wanted and not "pigeon-holing" them.
"It's about a lifestyle and a career of choice it's easy and quick. We support their career goals."
Dr Hazledine this week returned from a trip to Israel as part of a "platinum partnership" with American self-help author and success coach Tony Robbins. The focus was on conflict and the group met the people on the frontline were dealing with that, both Palestinians and Israelis.
"We had to have bulletproof buses into Israeli-occupied Palestine."
The trip was all about learning and growing his business and staff.
"It was amazing and a brilliant trip that growth is critical, if you're not growing, you're dying," he said.