Public Sector Recruitment Specialists

Essential Employment is a leading independent recruitment agency with nationwide reach, specialising in permanent, contract, and temporary staffing across both the public and private sectors.

Featured Jobs

Check out the latest job opportunities from leading employers.

Your future, our job!

At Essential, our primary goal is to connect talented individuals with outstanding job opportunities. We currently support the recruitment and staffing needs for hundreds of public sector contracts nationwide, as well as assisting various national businesses with their recruitment demands.

At Essential, we understand that each candidate has unique circumstances and aspirations for their career. We’re here to listen to you and provide professional guidance from our REC-qualified experts. Any decisions regarding your career and job prospects will be made collaboratively, incorporating both our insights and, most importantly, your preferences.

Latest insights

See general news and updates from Essential Employment.

Meet the team

Verity Howson

Managing Director

Verity serves as the most senior recruiter and lead Director in the business, bringing over 20 years of experience in both temporary and permanent recruitment. She began her career in IT recruitment before transitioning to government contracts, sparking her lifelong passion for Public Sector recruitment.

Verity founded Essential Employment in 2006, identifying a need in the market for a more personalised approach to recruitment. Eighteen years later, Essential Employment continues to deliver this people-focused service with a nationwide reach, working with local authorities, fire services, police, central government, charities and housing associations across the country.

In addition to managing the business with her sister, Verity enjoys spending quality time with friends and family and exploring the world through travel.

Bethany Fuller

Director

Bethany started in the recruitment industry after she was inspired by her sister and after her first role in recruitment they both co-founded Essential Employment together.

With over 19 years of recruitment experience, Bethany is deeply passionate about helping people succeed and grow. In addition to her role as a recruiter, she serves as the company’s main internal auditor, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations by coordinating with all key clients.

Bethany also enjoys traveling, planning vacations, and dedicating time to her sons.

Kirsty Meers

Senior Recruitment Consultant

Kirsty has been with Essential Employment since 2007, bringing extensive experience in temporary staffing. Having worked on multiple national contracts, she has developed a strong dedication to both her clients and candidates, treating each day as a personal mission to help as many people as possible.

Kirsty is devoted to her family and has a passion for travel. When not in airport lounges, she enjoys quality time with her children, family, and friends.

Katie Whittaker

Recruiter

Katie has been at Essential Employment since 2019 and has over 5 years’ experience in recruitment. A natural to temporary staffing, Katie has engaged with our public sector clients and candidates nationwide to provide an excellent recruitment service. With a strong passion for staying current on industry trends, Katie ensures her candidates are always informed and up-to-date. As a keen early adopter of AI in recruitment, she plays an active role in the company’s ISO9001 team, helping maintain high-quality standards across the business.

In her free time, Katie enjoys traveling to different destinations around the world and spending quality time with her partner.

Compliant recruitment

At Essential Employment, we have continually proven our ability to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of our clients, consistently delivering exceptional talent while maintaining a high-quality, fully compliant recruitment service since 2006.

With over 20 years of recruitment experience, our in-house audit manager ensures adherence to the highest standards, supported by our ISO 9001 certification and regular external audits.

CREATE A JOB ALERT