Six key staff have left Richmond Recruitment, the largest privately-owned recruitment firm in the Republic, to set up their own company, Eden Recruitment.

The new company will begin trading on September 13th from offices in Baggot Street. It aims to become the biggest privately-owned Irish recruitment firm in each of the areas in which it operates within 18 months.

The company says it will adopt a distinctive approach to the recruitment business, interviewing and assessing candidates for jobs of interest to them and not just jobs on the agency's books.

Among those who have left to set up the new company are Richmond's Dublin branch manager, Mr Ken Lee, who will be managing director of the new firm.

Mr Lee left Richmond "several weeks ago", according to Eden, along with information technology manager, Mr David Doran.

They were joined yesterday by four of Richmond's senior staff, Ms Maria Ryan, Ms Rosie Zubo vic, Mr Brian McCarthy and Mr Paul Mullan, all of whom will become directors of the new company with responsibility for different areas.

Mr Sean Finnegan, one of four directors of Richmond and part of the management team which left Marlborough to set up Richmond 10 years ago, said such defections were part and parcel of the business.