Salford car leasing business Leasing Options has taken on an additional 12 employees after taking part in a special workforce development programme run by Business Growth Hub.

Leasing Options, which was established in 1990, has grown in recent years and in 2015 identified a need to overhaul its human resources and employee management strategy with a view to developing a more employee-focused culture.

It also wanted to identify ways to potentially increase the number of employees, then at around 45, and develop more opportunities for young people from the local area.

Leasing Options appointed Business Growth Hub, which it had previously worked with, to assess where improvements, efficiencies and more employee development policies could be introduced to help drive growth and more create jobs.

Subsequently, they have recruited an additional 10 full-time employees and two new apprenticeships, with nearly all the new employees coming from the local area.

Andy Houston, sales director at Leasing Options, said: “We accessed a tailored package of support that has revolutionised the people management within our business and has helped us grow our workforce by more than 20% in the past 12 months.

"We’ve also increased our employee retention levels and have experienced a boost in morale across our team.

“We’re looking to continue to develop and increase our market share, but our bigger goal is to become the employer of choice within the sector, and a business that offers a dynamic, supportive and people-centred place to work. Equipped with the tools and expertise gained via the Hub we are now very well placed to do this.”