08/09/2026
14 Years In: What We Changed, Why It Matters, and What Still Drives Us
We’ve just marked 14 years in business, built on the four years I previously spent as a business manager for a national recruitment firm. That experience shaped the direction we took with Six Degrees: locally rooted, commercially disciplined, and focused on long‑term partnerships across Cumbria’s mid–senior market.
One of the biggest shifts came from stepping away from the numbers game. In the national model, after internal meetings, staff coaching and report writing, you could be carrying 15 roles at any one time — giving each somewhere between an hour and two of genuine attention.
We changed that from day one.
We set a hard limit of five roles per consultant. We cut internal meetings to the minimum. We collaborated rather than competed.
And we built a process that ensured every role was clearly defined with the hiring business — not just in terms of responsibilities, but in terms of the outcomes the successful candidate needed to deliver in their first 12 months.
Candidates were fully briefed before agreeing to meet a client, with a clear understanding of the role, the expectations and the environment they were walking into. Clients were advised, challenged where necessary, and supported in making decisions that would stand up over time.
Over the years, that approach has turned us into trusted advisors. We’ve guided businesses through critical hires, succession planning and organisational change. And we’ve acted as long‑term career partners for countless candidates — often becoming the sounding board for roles we’re not even engaged on.
Because the principle has always been the same: we’re here for a person’s career lifespan, not for the fee.
Our work has predominantly centred on Cumbria — deliberately. Protecting and strengthening the regional economy matters. We do that by enabling businesses to grow through people. People are a company’s biggest asset, and understanding who will thrive in a particular organisation — and why — is the difference between growth and stagnation.
We’ve also shared the challenges local businesses have faced over the years, alongside our own. Those experiences continue to shape and strengthen us: making us more honest, more compassionate, more reasoned, more personable and more inventive. They’ve pushed us to adapt as the landscape changes and to keep providing meaningful value to both clients and candidates.
Fourteen years in, the commitment is the same as it was on day one: do the work properly, stay rooted in the region, and put long‑term outcomes ahead of short‑term wins.
And sincerely — it’s been a blast.
The last few weeks have brought a wave of messages, calls and notes of support. We’ve read every one of them, and we’re genuinely grateful. This business has always been built on relationships, trust and shared graft, and the appreciation we’ve received reminds us why we do what we do.
Here’s to many more years of supporting Cumbria’s businesses, guiding careers, and continuing to grow alongside the region we’re proud to serve.
