As part of our February focus on Partnerships, one of ResourceBank’s four key pillars alongside Community, Hi-Tech and Hi-Touch, we’re highlighting the long-term relationships that define how we work.
Few examples demonstrate the power of a true recruitment partnership better than our collaboration with World Duty Free.
Heathrow Terminal 5 - 2007
Our relationship began in 2007, when ResourceBank was appointed to support recruitment for the launch of Heathrow Terminal 5. What started as a high-volume hiring project has evolved into a strategic, 19-year recruitment partnership spanning World Duty Free’s UK airport retail estate.
In 2024, this long-standing collaboration was recognised when ResourceBank and World Duty Free won the Long-Term Talent Solutions Partnership Award at the Tiara Talent Solutions Awards, celebrating the sustained impact and value delivered over nearly two decades.
From Terminal 5 to Nationwide Retail Recruitment
World Duty Free operates in a uniquely complex hiring environment: airside security clearance requirements, fluctuating passenger volumes, seasonal peaks, and intense retail competition.
By embedding structured assessment processes and developing a deep understanding of the organisation’s culture and service standards, we have ensured recruitment consistently aligns with operational demands and customer experience expectations.
This is recruitment partnership in practice: shared accountability, long-term alignment, and consistent delivery.
Scaling at Pace: 1,000 Hires in 6 Months post Covid
The resilience of a partnership is often tested during disruption.
When international travel resumed post-Covid, World Duty Free needed to rebuild teams rapidly across the UK. Working in close collaboration and leveraging the Avature platform, ResourceBank supported the hiring of 1,000 staff in just six months.
This was achieved through:
- Rapid reactivation of talent pipelines
- Streamlined screening and assessment workflows
- Clear hiring manager visibility and communication
- Structured, fair and high-quality candidate evaluation
The result was controlled, high-volume recruitment delivered at pace without compromising on quality or candidate experience.
Continuous Improvement, Year After Year
A 19-year recruitment partnership does not stand still.
Each year, we review performance data, candidate and hiring manager feedback, and operational challenges together. From refining assessment methods to enhancing digital workflows and introducing AI-enabled tools, the focus has always been on continuous improvement.
By treating recruitment as an evolving strategic function, not a fixed process, the partnership has remained scalable, efficient, and aligned with changing business needs.
A True Outsourced Recruitment Partnership
This 19-year relationship exemplifies what we mean by Outsourced Recruitment Partnership (ORP).
It is not simply about outsourcing a recruitment process. It is about shared responsibility, long-term trust, continuous evolution and the ability to scale together through growth, disruption and recovery.
As we celebrate Partnerships Month this February, our recruitment partnership with World Duty Free stands as a powerful example of what sustained collaboration can achieve.
