Building a high growth contract desk
Sarto Thomas was created in 2022 with a clear intention: to raise the bar in recruitment by prioritising quality, integrity, and genuine partnership. Founders Rob Woolcock and Jon Taylor entered the market with deep expertise across infrastructure verticals and a belief that recruitment works best when client and candidate experiences are treated as the highest priority.
From the very first conversation with 3R, it was clear values aligned. Sarto Thomas’ commitment to creating tailored, high‑touch services for its specialist communities resonated with 3R’s own philosophy of long‑term, relationship‑led support. Rob captured this alignment perfectly:
For a growing recruitment business, clarity is power. Sarto Thomas’ team use 3R’s back‑office platform every day - not just as an operational tool, but as a source of insight and confidence that enhances client and contractor relationships.
Jon explains the impact of having accurate information instantly available: “We have real time pay and bill visibility within just a few clicks - which enables our Consultants to provide accurate updates to our clients and contractors when needed. Secondly as business owners we can see this in real time too.” This level of visibility helps Jon and Rob make informed decisions, spot growth triggers early, and understand where to invest next.
Rob highlights how simplicity and clarity translate into real operational efficiency:
The back-office functionality is amazing. We have a clear view of everything in a manner we want to see it – very straightforward and easy to use. And that’s what you want, you don’t want anything overly complicated.
For a contract business, having certainty across every moving part is invaluable. “The clarity of knowing where you are with every timesheet and every contractor is absolutely fantastic. Not only do you have visibility on whether a timesheet has been drafted, submitted, approved, and invoiced, but you also have insight into your payment status with the end clients” said Rob.
This combination of transparency and ease of use empowers Sarto Thomas to operate with confidence, keep service levels high, and focus their time on what drives growth - relationships, delivery, and performance.
As SartoThomas has grown, efficiency has become essential. With 3R providing the operational backbone behind the scenes, the team can work with confidence — without being buried in admin. Jon captures the impact clearly:
The accurate pay and bill processes, is slick. It requires little management time from us, it just works how it should every time and the majority of admin is fully supported by 3R.
Beyond the technology, Sarto Thomas value the ability to get answers quickly. “The communication from 3R has always been really good. For instance, in recruitment you always get an odd question from your candidate or end-client, and being able to have a quick call with 3R and have it all explained is really valuable.” Said Jon. He describes it as having the convenience of an internal back‑office team, without the same overheads.
Credit control has also delivered a big shift for the team says Jon “The credit control from 3R, in particular, has been quite seamless and smooth. In my previous role within an agency, the credit control function was an area we were quite ignorant of. It was all about ensuring our contractors were paid and receiving commission but you forget that's all dependent on prompt payments from the end client.”
Behind the scenes, 3R now manage the detail - monitoring payment cycles, managing reminders, and ensuring nothing slips through the net - giving Jon and Rob the headspace to focus on value‑adding recruiting and leadership work.
And the reassurance of proactive action matters to Jon “As a business owner, I'm well aware that some of our clients take their time to make payments, which can cost everyone in the recruitment supply chain money, but 3R is always on it.”
For Sarto Thomas, efficiency isn’t just about speed. It’s about creating a business where every consultant, every contractor, and every owner has the clarity and support they need to perform at their best.