Yorkshire-based entrepreneur Paul Evans proves that putting people first isn’t just good values—it’s good business.

The Founder and Managing Director of PJ Staffing, Paul Evans, has grown his business from a one-man operation launched just months before the pandemic, into one of the North’s leading names in event and commercial recruitment, serving some of the region’s largest venues and securing multiple national accolades in the process.

With over a dozen years in the industry, Paul saw first-hand the problems plaguing traditional recruitment. “Too many agencies were treating staff like numbers and clients like cash machines,” he says. “I knew there had to be a better way that was built on reliability, respect and relationships.”

In 2019, he put that belief into action and launched his own agency. But just months later, the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to undo everything. Events vanished. Bookings dried up overnight. Yet instead of cutting ties, Paul stayed close to his clients and close to his team, supporting candidates through uncertainty and preparing for recovery.

Paul Evans and volunteers at Total Warrior.

placeholder image — Paul Evans and volunteers at Total Warrior.

His commitment paid off. Today, PJ Staffing provides hundreds of trained, dependable staff across hospitality, events, and more recently, the commercial sector. Following a major rebrand in 2024, the business now supplies year-round staff to a growing number of administrative roles, and is on track for national expansion within the next three years.

It’s not just clients who are seeing the benefits. Paul has built a culture where staff are paid weekly and supported into careers beyond the agency, from teaching to logistics to management. “If you look after your people, they’ll look after the business,” Paul says. “That’s how we’ve grown, and that’s how we’ll keep growing.”

This people-first ethos is echoed in the company’s wider impact. Paul has helped raise over £7,000 for the Candlelighters Trust through recent initiatives including the Pink It Up Weekender, during which he lit up iconic Leeds buildings in pink, winning the Candlelighters’ corporate competition in the process. He’s also volunteered with Total Warrior, earning a £1,200 donation to the same cause, and recently sponsored an under-12s grassroots rugby club.

This summer and Autumn are shaping up to be PJ Staffing’s busiest yet, with a minimum of 400 staff set to work across festivals and major race days, including York Races this October. The company was recently featured in Corporate Vision magazine’s June 2025 issue, following a sweep of recent awards:

Paul Evans and volunteers at the Pink It Up Weekender

Best Temporary Staffing Agency – 2024 SME News Northern Enterprise Awards
Client Service Excellence Award – 2024 Yorkshire SME News Awards
Leading Temporary Staffing Agency of the Year UK – 2025 Corporate Vision HR & Employment Awards

Through growth, change and challenge, Paul’s belief remains the same: “Recruitment should be about people, not just placements. That’s what makes PJ Staffing different, and that’s what keeps people coming back.”