Meet Adam Calderwood: Building Probus Recruitment from the Ground Up

In the world of recruitment, experience, resilience, and a deep understanding of the market are key. Few embody this better than Adam Calderwood, founder of Probus Recruitment. Specialising in temp, perm, and contract recruitment solutions for the power, energy, manufacturing, civil infrastructure, and construction sectors, Adam has spent decades honing his craft. But his journey from apprentice plant fitter to business owner has been anything but conventional.

From Fixing Diggers to Placing Top Talent

Adam’s career started in the trenches—quite literally. After an apprenticeship as a plant fitter, he realised that spending his days in the mud wasn’t for him. A brief stint at college led to an unexpected opportunity: walking into a local recruitment agency looking for work and leaving with a job offer to become a trainee recruitment consultant.

That first role—focused on industrial recruitment—was a baptism of fire. “You’re getting phone calls at 4:30 in the morning because a driver hasn’t turned up, scrambling to find a replacement,” Adam recalls. But it taught him the fundamentals of recruitment: work ethic, problem-solving, and resilience.

Keen to explore more professional sectors, Adam moved to Primetime Recruitment (later acquired by Cordant), where he climbed the ranks. Over two decades, he progressed from consultant to Head of Nuclear Power and Process Division, overseeing major projects for nuclear power stations across the UK. He later became Head of Key Accounts, managing high-profile clients like ABB, a global leader in robotics, power transmission, and distribution. At one point, he and his team were handling 70–80 vacancies per week—a testament to his expertise in scaling recruitment operations.

The Leap to Entrepreneurship

Then came the pandemic. As the world shut down, Adam and two long-time colleagues—Matt Devine and John Parker—faced an uncertain future. Both Matt and John were made redundant while Adam remained at Cordant. With a baby on the way, it wasn’t the right time for him to move.

But the idea of going it alone didn’t go away. John later approached Adam with an offer to help build a contract business within I Supply. It was a stepping stone, but ultimately, the trio believed they could do better by launching their own firm. And so, Probus Recruitment was born.

The Challenges of Running a Business

“Going from a corporate environment where everything—from HR to accounts—is handled for you, to suddenly wearing every hat yourself is a big shift,” Adam says. Scaling while maintaining quality has been one of the biggest challenges.

Another hurdle? Bad debt. “We’ve had clients hit financial trouble, which meant dealing with administrators and taking some hits.” Despite this, Probus has remained profitable. “It’s been tough, but we’ve stayed lean and focused on building strong client relationships.”

Proudest Moments & Giving Back

For Adam, hitting over £400,000 in turnover in Probus’ first year was a major milestone. But success isn’t just measured in revenue. A passionate rugby fan, he’s used the business to give back to his local community. Probus sponsors Eccles Rugby League’s U16s and provides kit and training gear for Eccles Rugby Union’s junior teams.

“It’s nice to put something back into the community,” Adam says. “Seeing the Probus name on the kids’ kits is a real proud moment.”

What’s Next?

After a strong start, 2023 saw Probus grow rapidly—perhaps too fast. “We hired too quickly, and some hires didn’t work out,” Adam admits.

“We tried to do too much, too soon”

The focus now? Sustainable growth. Rather than chasing aggressive expansion, Adam and John are focused on steady, profitable progress. “We’ll be looking at adding a couple more staff next year, but for now, it’s about keeping things lean and ensuring we hit our targets.”

How Probus Can Help You

With 20+ years in recruitment, Adam and John have a deep understanding of hiring strategy, talent acquisition, and navigating employment markets. If you need help with scaling your team, finding specialist talent, or understanding the recruitment landscape, they’re happy to share their expertise.

Having also navigated business challenges like bad debt, Adam is open to offering guidance to other entrepreneurs who find themselves in a similar position.

What Help Does Adam Need?

While he’s a seasoned recruiter, Adam is always keen to learn from fellow business owners. He’s already gained insight into AI’s impact on recruitment from MoW members and is looking at leveraging new tech for lead generation.

“I’ve already seen the value of being part of this community,” he says. “From mortgage advice to AI strategies, there’s always something new to learn.”

Outside of Work

These days, Adam’s life revolves around family, rugby, and the occasional Guinness at the rugby club. With a young daughter, weekends are mostly spent acting as a taxi driver for birthday parties and swimming lessons—a role he fully embraces.

Best Advice He’s Ever Received

“I used to overthink everything,” Adam admits. “But someone once told me: whatever is happening in that moment, it’s temporary.”

“Take a breath, deal with it head-on, and move forward”

How to Get in Touch

From starting out fixing diggers to running a highly successful recruitment firm, Adam’s journey is a testament to hard work, adaptability, and taking the leap into the unknown. If you’re looking for hiring expertise, recruitment insights, or just a great rugby chat, you know where to find him!