About KCA People
who we are, and why we do, what we do


Our Purpose

To work collaboratively with our clients, enabling them to excel in their people aspect. We support businesses and their HR functions to be outstanding in all areas of talent; attraction, engagement, and retention, enabling their people to professionally and personally grow and flourish.
Our Vision
To be the ‘go-to’ people services business for SMEs in the Northwest
Our Mission
To support our clients to perform and grow through their people
Values

Who we are

At KCA People we support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in expanding their businesses by unlocking the potential of their workforce through talent acquisition, management, and development services. We understand that SMEs often face significant challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining skilled employees. Our solutions are designed to help SMEs overcome these challenges and succeed in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

At the core of our services is talent acquisition, which involves identifying and hiring the right candidates for the job. We have a proven track record of helping our clients identify and attract top talent, even in highly competitive industries. We leverage cutting-edge technology and industry best practices to ensure that our clients have access to the best possible candidates.

Once we have helped our clients acquire top talent, our focus shifts to talent management. This involves developing and implementing strategies to maximize the potential of their workforce. We work closely with our clients to identify their unique needs and goals and develop customized plans to achieve them. Our expertise in talent management ensures that our clients are able to build high-performing teams that are aligned with their business objectives.

Finally, we provide talent development services to help SMEs nurture and grow their employees’ skills and capabilities. We understand that investing in employee development is critical to retaining top talent and ensuring long-term business success. Our solutions include training and development programs that are tailored to the specific needs of our clients’ employees. By investing in their workforce, SMEs can create a culture of learning and growth that will drive business success for years to come.

Our services are designed to help SMEs overcome the challenges of attracting, managing, and developing their workforce. By partnering with us, SMEs can unlock the full potential of their employees and achieve their business goals.

The Team

Introducing the KCA People team. Click on the individual pictures to learn more.

Kirsty Craig

Managing Director

Rachel Hough

Director of Operations

Miles Lloyd

Strategic Business Advisor & Leadership Mentor

Kay Crayford

Business Support Administrator

Back Story

Kirsty Craig Associates was originally established by Kirsty Craig in 2011 Since then, the company has grown significantly, expanding its partner network, and diversifying its range of services in response to the ever changing employee/talent landscape. As a result, the business has undergone an evolution and recently rebranded as KCA People, to better reflect its core focus on supporting talent acquisition and management within our client businesses from every angle.

With the continued growth of the company, KCA People has evolved to encompass a wide range of highly skilled professionals operating under its umbrella. This has enabled the company to offer a more comprehensive suite of services to its clients, all focused on connecting businesses with the right talent and helping them to then manage and develop that talent for everyone’s benefit, not least the bottom line!!

Under the leadership of Kirsty Craig, KCA People has become a recognised leader in recruitment and talent management, providing exceptional value to businesses of all sizes and industries but in particular SMEs who don’t always have the infrastructure or skills inhouse to manage these business critical aspects of running a company. The company’s success and reputation is a testament to its commitment to being the very best at what it does and its focus on building strong long-lasting relationships with its clients.

Kirsty Craig

Managing Director

With more than three decades of experience as an SME owner and employer, Kirsty knows first-hand the crucial importance of having the right people in the right place, doing the right things at the right time. As such, she is a strong advocate for implementing ‘best practice’ HR systems and people processes across all types of businesses, from small start-ups to larger corporations.

Kirsty’s expertise extends beyond just recruiting and managing employees, however. As a qualified professional recruiter since 1995 and a ILM level 7 qualified business mentor and coach since 2015, she also understands the importance of creating an interesting work environment for employees to thrive in which inevitably feeds into business success.  

In addition to her extensive experience and qualifications, Kirsty is also a NED of TEAM UK, a national organisation of independent recruiters operating across all sectors of recruitment. This gives her unparalleled access to a wide range of skills and expertise that can help businesses of all sizes find and attract top talent in their own particular field.

Rachel Hough

Director of Operations

Rachel holds a degree in Psychology and has built a successful career as a qualified recruiter. With more than 25 years of commercial experience, including director-level expertise in leading and managing teams, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work.

A qualified trainer, LifO assessor, and ILM Level 7 Executive and Leadership coach, Rachel is passionate about helping individuals and teams develop their full potential. She believes that investing in your people is essential to achieving increased success for your business and so works closely with clients to analyse their current HR practices, deliver high-calibre recruitment solutions, and supports the training and development of their employees.

Rachel’s dedication to empowering managers and teams has led her to create Clarity7, a range of Management Masterclasses. She recognises that people usually leave managers, not jobs, and that making the transition into management can be a significant business risk without the right skills and support. Through Clarity7, Rachel aims to equip new people managers with the tools and knowledge they need to be successful from day one in their new role.

Miles Lloyd

Strategic Business Advisor & Leadership Mentor

With over two decades of experience providing business consultancy to organisations across the Northwest, Miles is a seasoned professional who excels at helping business leaders and their organisations reach their full potential. As an experienced Chair, NED, and advisor, he has achieved real success in both CEO and CCO roles, with a particular focus on strategy, performance, growth, and leadership coaching and business mentoring. 

In addition to his expertise in these areas, Miles also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the staffing, recruiting, and talent management sector. He has a proven track record of providing effective solutions to a broad range of clients, from large corporates to ambitious SMEs. With his deep understanding of the talent landscape and his ability to develop effective strategies for attracting, developing, and retaining top people, Miles is an invaluable resource for any organisation looking to build a high-performing team.

Kay Crayford

Business Support Administrator

Kay has been working in the recruitment industry for over 20 years, during which time she worked alongside Kirsty in a previous agency. Since then, she has continued to pursue a career in the industry and has worked within various agency environments, gaining valuable experience and knowledge. 

In October 2018, Kay joined us as a Business Support Administrator. She understands the importance of efficient recruitment processes and high-quality skills development programmes, and her role involves producing training presentations and HR documents, as well as advertising jobs and events across various media.

Kay is committed to ensuring that KCA People provides the highest standards of service to all its clients. She takes a lot of pride in her work and is dedicated to supporting the team in delivering exceptional results. Her experience and expertise make her a valuable member of the team, and she is keen to continue to develop her skills and knowledge in the ever-evolving fields of recruitment and HR.