LDC Top 50 2023
Reza and Omid Najafian
Founders
Staffscanner
Reza Najafian always knew he’d work in the care sector: “My parents owned a care home. As a kid, I spent a lot of time there.” After training as a lawyer, he opened Silverburn Care Home in Glasgow but soon experienced recruitment challenges.
Together with his brother Omid, he launched Staffscanner in 2019 to connect carers and nurses to local shifts. There are now over 38,000 healthcare professionals and over 2,000 care providers on the app delivering more than 17,000 hours of care a week. Staffscanner employs 65 people directly and is opening two more offices.
We’re big believers in investing in people and we don’t do anything for short-term gain. We’re looking at 30 years, not three years, down the line.”
Q&A
Who has inspired you the most in your career?
Reza: Our work ethic comes from our parents. Our father is from Iran and qualified as an engineer here but couldn’t find a job, so he started a care home business with our mother. He’s in his 70s now and still goes into the office every day. He taught us to have a long-term outlook: do something once and do it right so you don’t have to do it again. We’ve built Staffscanner organically and sustainably. The business is completely debt free. If there are storms ahead, we can weather them.
How are you building an inclusive culture?
Omid: If you invest in people upfront, you’ll get it back tenfold. We actively recruit employees from diverse backgrounds and we’ve created jobs for over 50 people through the Kickstart Scheme, a government initiative to help young people on Universal Credit find work during the pandemic. Last year, we received the Building Futures Kickstart award from the Department for Work and Pensions. We’re proud of our culture.
What are the benefits of running a business with a sibling?
Reza: There’s no hierarchy and we don’t have to gild the lily; we can say things how they are without worrying that the other person will walk away. That kind of brutal honesty keeps us accountable.
