Category Archives: Recruitment News

News, Recruitment News

Hiring Hub and hireful link up to power growth

Recruitment marketplace Hiring Hub has struck an agreement with technology provider hireful to power growth for both companies and help more employers find the right candidates to fill job vacancies faster.

The partnership and platform integration will allow users of hireful’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to post roles directly on to Hiring Hub’s platform and gain access to its rated and reviewed network of specialist recruiters.

Headquartered in Strixton, Northamptonshire, and with offices in Spain and South Africa, hireful supports more than 400 organisations with its ATS software, recruitment workshops, training and recruitment process audits. The company, which has 60 staff, works with clients including Heron Foods, Kidney Research UK, Haribo and Fulham FC.

Its technology streamlines and automates the recruitment process, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks such as advertising jobs, scoring and shortlisting of candidates, interviewing and onboarding new hires.

It also includes a variety of features as standard to help support employers’ diversity and inclusion goals, including diversity capture, anonymised and disability-confident applications and ongoing performance monitoring.

The platform is designed to make life easier for employers and provide organisations of all sizes with the tools, insights and capability to compete with larger rivals in their sector.

In December, hireful secured a seven-figure funding package from SME Capital, facilitated by Leyton Capital Advisors, to support its growth strategy and expansion plans.

Hiring Hub, which is based in Manchester and operates across the UK and Europe, connects businesses with boutique recruiters through its marketplace platform to help employers find quality candidates quickly.

Companies post their vacancies on the platform and set the fee they are willing to pay a recruiter, and recruitment agencies pitch to work on them. This enables employers to manage recruiters centrally online, widen their candidate search and swiftly find off-market talent via specialist head-hunters.

The platform is used by employers such as Dodd Group, Sega Amusements and industrial and consumer goods company Henkel.

Simon Swan, founder of Hiring Hub, said: “The team at hireful are dedicated to making the lives of HR and in-house recruitment teams as simple and straightforward as possible, an ethos that very much aligns with our own.

“This partnership is a great fit for us as an organisation and, more importantly, it will deliver real value for the users of both our systems. It will increase the options available to employers using hireful when they are looking to quickly widen their candidate search, fill a specialist role or have a vacancy that has proven particularly challenging to fill. That is when we can add real value.

“We are looking forward to helping hireful users to find and hire quality talent using our award-winning recruiter marketplace.”

Adrian McDonagh, co-founder of hireful, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Hiring Hub.

“By combining hireful’s technology with Hiring Hub’s expansive recruiter network, we aim to set a new standard for efficiency and effectiveness in connecting employers with top-tier talent. Recruitment has always been about hiring first-rate talent, and our customers will benefit from the support of Hiring Hub’s network.”

Hiring Hub is backed by Manchester-based private equity firm MonacoSol, which last year invested a multimillion-pound sum to scale its sales and customer operations in the UK and overseas. MonacoSol is the private office of software and technology entrepreneur Richard Beaton.

News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Global Survey Reveals Front End of Business Recruitment Challenges Outpace Staff Retention Concerns Among Senior Employers

In a comprehensive study conducted across 44 companies worldwide, results have shown that employers face greater challenges in recruiting sales, business development, capture and bid management staff compared to retaining them. The research, from a multinational professional services firm Shipley, sought to understand the dynamics of staff retention and recruitment within the global business winning landscape.

The project featured a diverse range of respondents, including a significant presence from the United States (41%), followed by Australia and New Zealand (20%), the UK and EU (16%), Korea (12%), India (4%), and the Middle East (2%). A majority of these companies hold an annual revenue exceeding $100 million. 57% of respondents were at Executive Leadership level in their company, 39% were Project Managers and 4% were listed as Individual Contributors.

According to the survey, when it comes to retaining top talent, over half of the employers (53%) reported minimal issues. However, the recruitment of business winning professionals appears to be a significant obstacle for many businesses.

Just 32% of respondents reported having minimal issues in this area, with a significant 34% disagreeing, and an additional 7% expressing strong disagreement.

The study also found that 25% said staff were potentially not reaching their career potential.

Shipley UK Board Director Paul Deighton and study author commented:

“These findings illustrate the challenges faced by companies of all shapes and sizes particularly on recruitment. Staff retention appears to be a manageable aspect for a large majority, the challenge of recruiting valuable personnel remains prevalent.

“The insights discovered in this research underline the urgent need for new and innovative strategies in attracting skilled professionals – this is felt in all industries, with anecdotal evidence reinforcing this position.

“Another critical area highlighted is the need for improvement in enabling employees to achieve their full potential, with one quarter believing that this was potentially not currently happening. We have suggested four leadership recommendations:

• Give people the authority to prioritise their work and make their own decisions.
• Provide opportunities to develop expert, or master-level skills.
• Encourage a sense of belonging and teamwork.
• Create environments where people can safely learn from mistakes – which is not easy when mistakes may lose their employer contracts

“Businesses should use this information, even if they’re not facing these challenges today, in order to develop strategies to prevent potential issues arising.”

Disability, Disability at work, Diversity & Inclusion, Midlands News, News, Recruitment News

Birmingham businesses invited to meet disabled jobseekers at accessible job fair

18 April 2024 – Local businesses, including employers and recruiters, are invited to meet disabled job hunters and career switchers at Sense’s Pan Disability Job Fair in Selly Oak next month.

The annual job fair, which has been running since 2022, provides an accessible, supportive environment for employers to meet disabled jobseekers. National disability charity Sense, which runs the two-day event, will provide communication support for all attendees, including BSL interpreters, scribers and sight guides. Employers and recruiters will also be supported through training on awareness and accessibility, including how to ensure your stand is as accessible as possible. The event is free for both employers and jobseekers.

The job fair will be held at Sense TouchBase Pears, as part of the charity’s mission to support more disabled people into work and defeat the 29 per cent employment gap* between disabled people and the overall population.

Last year, more than 30 employers exhibited at the job fair, which was attended by more than 230 jobseekers. One of those exhibitors was Starbucks. Lindsay Townsend, Store Manager at West Bromwich Starbucks Store said:

“Last year, our West Bromwich and New Street Store teams attended the Sense Pan Disability Job Fair to help disabled jobseekers find meaningful employment in the local community. This forms part of our wider commitment to creating a culture of warmth and belonging in our stores, providing an environment that is accessible for everyone. Our store team members spent the day talking to attendees about job opportunities at Starbucks, supporting people to secure employment last year. We are attending again this year and we look forward to supporting more people to find meaningful employment in local businesses.”

Electrical and digital infrastructure company Legrand also attended the job fair last year. Monique Fearon, Regional HR Manager at Legrand, said:

“Legrand’s participation in the Sense Pan Disability Job Fair last year not only helped us connect with disabled jobseekers and build relationships with companies such as Queen Alexandra College and the DWP, it also gave our brand significant exposure to a new talent pool, further enhancing our reputation as an inclusive and socially responsible organisation. This is such an invaluable event for everyone involved, and we look forward to participating again this year.”

The job fair is hosted by Sense’s employment team, who run a specialist employment service helping people with complex disabilities and those who are deafblind into work. The team recently ran its first ever accessible job fair in Leicestershire, in Sense’s new hub in Loughborough. Employers in attendance included Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, Loughborough University and Leicestershire Police.

Zoe Bates, Employment Co-Ordinator at Sense, said:

“Sense’s Pan Disability Job Fair is a fantastic opportunity for employers to engage with disabled jobseekers, and to see the amazing potential that they have. This will be our third year running the event, and in the past two years we’ve had hundreds of disabled jobseekers through the doors. Jobseekers have built some great connections with local employers, securing opportunities like voluntary work experience and paid work too.

“Employers have fed back to us that they really appreciate the opportunity to engage with local jobseekers and that our service helps to bridge the gap between disabled jobseekers and employment. We’re warmly welcoming applications from employers to attend the event so please get in touch if you’d like more information.”

The Pan Disability Job Fair in Birmingham will take place on 14-15 May 2024, from 10am-3pm. Registrations for employers are open with more information on the charity’s website: https://www.sense.org.uk/our-services/education-and-work/employment-support-people-with-complex-disabilities/pan-disability-job-fair-2024/  

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References:

*According to OS Data, Employment of disabled people 2023, published 26 October 2023, the disability employment rate was 53.6% in Q2 2023, compared to 82.5% for non-disabled people.

About Sense:

Sense is a national disability charity that supports people living with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, to communicate and experience the world. Sense supports children, young people and adults in their home and in the community, in their education and transition to adulthood and through its holidays, arts, sports and wellbeing programmes. In addition to practical support to families, Sense also offers information advice, short breaks and family events, and campaigns for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life. For more information, please visit http://www.sense.org.uk.

 

News, Recruitment News

Senploy Expands Portfolio with New Client Win

Cheshire-based, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) job board and career portal Senploy has expanded its client roster by adding The Denbigh Alliance, a Milton Keynes multi-trust academy, to its flourishing portfolio following a successful pitch. 

The partnership between Senploy and The Denbigh Alliance, signifies a collaborative effort to enhance recruitment within the SEND sector.  

Senploy will use its expertise to help The Denbigh Alliance find teachers suited for the SEND sector, focusing on individuals passionate about supporting students with special needs.  

For The Denbigh Alliance, an accomplished and growing multi-academy trust that is boosting efforts to support its diverse study body by ensuring it’s providing tailored support for SEND pupils, this new partnership means it has access to a pool of candidates aligned with its vision and ethos, ensuring it is getting the best possible education for its SEND students.  

Amy Allen, founder and managing director of Senploy, explains more about the partnership with the new client: “SEND staffing has always been challenging, but finding the right people can make all the difference. Unlike other job boards, Senploy offers sector-specific expertise to attract like-minded individuals with a shared interest and common goal. 

“Senploy will be supporting The Denbigh Alliance in finding the best teachers who are suitable for working in the SEND sector. We understand the key to filling SEND vacancies with long-lasting, hard-working team members comes down to reaching people who understand and feel passionately about the industry and the people they support.”  

Sophie Roberts, recruitment coordinator at The Denbigh Alliance, added:  

“We’ve partnered with Senploy to elevate our recruitment efforts for our associate staff vacancies across The Denbigh Alliance. Our aim is to attract a dynamic pool of candidates who are not only highly skilled but also harbour a genuine passion for championing the diverse needs of our students. We’re excited to see what this journey brings and look forward to welcoming individuals who bring talent, empathy and dedication to our team.” 

Senploy was designed to give the SEND sector a much-needed boost, allowing job seekers to find the exact type of work they’re looking for while also giving employers the chance to connect with their ideal candidates.   

To find out about how Senploy can help your business visit https://www.senploy.co.uk/  

Charity & CSR, Charity News, News, Recruitment News

Health Company Cygnet Joins Tent UK

Cygnet has joined Tent UK, a new coalition of 70 major companies that are committed to helping refugees become job ready and secure employment in the UK.

Cygnet has been a longstanding member of the Tent Partnership for Refugees – a global network of companies committed to helping refugees access labour markets. To date, Cygnet has hired over 300 refugees and where appropriate has provided tailored training opportunities to support their career development.

Other companies joining the coalition include the likes of Amazon, Deloitte, McDonalds, Microsoft and Virgin.

Ben Hopewell, Head of Resourcing at Cygnet said: “Tent is an organisation that supports individuals in the UK who are under a refugee status in finding work, whether that be in their previous profession or a new career. We’re extremely excited to be partnering with them, to provide opportunities to skilled individuals, expand our talent pools and develop our knowledge and understanding around refugees within the UK.”

In recent years, the UK has welcomed more than 500,000 refugees with approximately half hailing from Ukraine and the remaining half from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Syria, and elsewhere – yet many have been unable to find formal employment. While they have the legal right to work, refugees are over 20% less likely to be employed than Brits, with this gap widening to 30% for refugee women, according to the UK government.

At the same time, the UK is experiencing labour shortages, with almost one million job vacancies, across key industries such as hospitality, food service and others including manufacturing & healthcare.

“At a moment when UK employers face significant labour shortages, yet refugees across the country struggle to find decent employment, we see an extraordinary opportunity for our work,” said Gideon Maltz, CEO of Tent. “The coalition of companies that has come together to launch Tent UK understands that we need to act at scale to help hundreds of thousands of refugees in the UK secure jobs, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their new communities. Tent is uniquely placed and ready to help companies develop ambitious programmes to include refugees.”

“Tent is immensely proud to have brought together 70 leading businesses resolved to connect refugees to meaningful employment,” said Jen Stobart, UK Director at Tent.

“Refugees face numerous barriers to formal employment, such as lower language proficiency, transportation issues, lack of childcare options, as well as a lack of social and professional networks. These hurdles require particular attention from businesses, who – by making small upfront investments and tailoring their hiring practices – can level the playing field and give a fair chance to the many refugees still looking for a job in the UK.”

Tent UK will offer participating companies a host of services free of charge including: resources and trainings for HR teams; the sharing of best practices and ideas distilled from Tent’s global network of over 400 major companies across a dozen countries who are hiring and integrating refugees into their workforces, as well as tailored programmes and insights to the UK market context; regular convenings and workshops with other Tent UK member companies for peer-to-peer learning; and introductions to best-in-class partners across the UK that can source refugee talent based on the type of roles, the location, and their past performance.

Business Advice, Recruitment News

Your Guide to Matching Candidates to Company Culture

Before you try to match your candidates to your company culture, you need to understand what it is. Of course, making a note of the company’s values, acceptable and preferred behaviours, as well as its vision or mission, could prove a useful prompt when you’re performing the interview.

Once you have this information, you have the difficult job of ascertaining whether the candidate in front of you shares those beliefs, and can work within those practices and restrictions, and there’s more than one way to approach this.

 

#1 Ask the candidate questions

You can ask the candidate pointed questions that will leave you in no doubt if the potential employee will fit in or not. However, it’s imperative that you watch their body language and listen carefully to the response given to every question.

Some candidates will come over as being incredibly eager in the interview room, which the majority of interviewers could see as a highly motivated candidate. This may not be the whole story, though, and their responses could be a way of masking feelings or merely saying what the interviewer wants to hear in order to get the job offer that’s on the table.

 

#2 Understand their motivation for applying for the role

Often, you may find that the candidate’s motivation for applying for the role actually comes in line with the core values or mission of the company and they’ll, therefore, fully embrace the working culture in their new employment.

For instance, a candidate looking for new challenges, improving their knowledge base, or working within a bigger team can have them answer the question of whether they’ll be a good fit with your company’s work culture.

 

#3 Follow up on references

On top of this, you should follow up on the references that the candidate has supplied you with, as they could prove to offer a wealth of information if you ask the right question. Although it isn’t compulsory for a past employer to provide you with anything other than the most basic ‘yes, they worked here,’ it’s important that you don’t read too much into any curt replies that you happen to receive.

In saying that, they’re also not allowed to lie, so you may find that it’s prudent to ask a few pointed questions, especially to their most recent employer, as the person is likely to be still very fresh in their memory.

This will inevitably take time, so you may find it a good idea to invest in some recruitment software such as that offered by occy.com. You’ll then be able to automate your background checks and the process of contacting the designated references for each candidate.

 

So, to wrap it all up

It’s very important to ensure that your new employees fit in with the teams that they’ll be working with, share the company’s core values, and adapt to what’s seen to be acceptable and preferred behaviours. This will ensure the company’s equilibrium continues to remain a comfortable environment for everyone working there.

Hiring a candidate who’s perfect for the job but doesn’t share the company culture can be a less-than-desirable experience for everyone concerned, and you’ll soon find that they’re leaving your employment by either their decision or yours.

 

News, Recruitment, Recruitment News, Shropshire, Veterans

Recruitment firm pledges further support for veteran community

A Midlands-based recruitment firm with an international reach is continuing to fly the flag for the military veterans community this year with more employment support, a new accreditation pledge and even climbing the Wrekin 100 times.

Jonathan Lee Recruitment has helped hundreds of ex-service personnel adjust to life after the military, through securing job roles, providing career advice and supporting with CVs.

After signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant and achieving the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme bronze award, the firm will be taking it to the next level this year by applying for the silver award.

This will further cement the company’s commitment to ensuring veterans and their families are treated fairly and do not face discrimination as part of recruitment and selection processes.

While everyone in the business shares this passion, leading the troops is Principal Consultant Peter Heap, who joined Jonathan Lee after his own 20-year career in the military.

The Wrekin 100 Challenge

As well as making sure all policies and processes are in place for the silver award, Peter is taking on his own personal challenge of climbing the 1,334ft Wrekin Hill in Shropshire 100 times this year.

He’s raising money for Telford Mind’s Veterans Café, which brings ex-forces personnel of all ages together twice a month where they can talk and access any support they might need.

Wrekin challenge montage

Peter said: “The café is a fantastic service offered by Telford Mind, and as a veteran myself, it’s great to have a place where you can talk to someone who just knows and understands.

“As per Jonathan Lee Recruitment’s pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant, it’s important to give something back for the veterans and to support them and their families where possible.”

Peter’s experience has also been welcomed by job-seeking veterans because it’s given him a unique understanding of their relevant skills and capabilities, and how to communicate those with the right employer.

Read more about Peter’s Wrekin 100 Challenge on his JustGiving page.

Opening doors for veterans

“It’s all about opening doors for veterans,” Peter said. “This means highlighting their skills and where to pitch them, career advice about the sort of roles to go for, tailoring CVs, educating candidates about different industries, motivations and terminology.”

Peter spent the first 15 years of his military career in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers (REME), including operational deployments in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. He then moved into a role within military recruitment based in Boston ACIO, Lincolnshire, where he found his niche.

This military recruitment insight and his engineering background helped set Peter up perfectly for his current position at Jonathan Lee Recruitment.

Peter said: “The recruitment role was what we referred to as a ‘civvy job in uniform’, so it did help me with that transition to civilian life, but not everyone finds it that easy and some negative perceptions do still exist which can make it challenging for some. That’s why it’s so important to do everything we can to help veterans secure the opportunities and the jobs they deserve.”

Jonathan Lee Recruitment Associate Director, Matthew Heath, said: “There is a lot of growth in the defence sector at the moment across product development, engineering and manufacturing, whether for military vehicles, batteries for submarines, UAV technology, military jets and satellite communication systems, or cyber protection.

“We’re finding a lot of clients are looking for someone with that military background, but candidates from the services tend to see themselves as having a narrow field of expertise. That’s where it’s hugely beneficial having someone like Peter, who is the Forces Champion, on the team, because he can help candidates and clients see beyond what the CV tells us on paper.

“Someone might not have industry experience, but if you give them a chance, you’ll be getting all the positive attributes you look for in a team member. A big part of our success is in our selection process, and we’ll never recommend a candidate who we don’t think is right for a job, but we will encourage employers to consider someone they might not look at based on their CV alone.”

Jonathan Lee Recruitment has a 45-year history in sectors including defence, manufacturing, engineering and energy, and has directly employed several forces veterans and reservists in that time, including Peter.

Adapting to life beyond the military

Among those placed in new roles by Jonathan Lee Recruitment is Pete Keith who spent 33 years in the Royal Navy as an avionics technician.

He was put forward for a role at Centrax Gas Turbine Technology in Devon where he was quickly promoted from practice engineer, to engineer, to senior engineer.

The 60-year-old father-of-two said: “I was approached by Peter Heap at Jonathan Lee who took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for. It wasn’t just about the job itself; as a family we wanted to move back to the seaside, fresh air and the moors. Peter had a massive appreciation of my skillsets and represented me for this job at Centrax. I knew from the first interview that it was the right environment for me.

“The job suits me perfectly. It involves travel, which I don’t mind, having been in the navy. Although I found my military experience was an advantage because you’re trained to a high standard in the forces, the main thing I struggled with was the whole job hunting process as it had changed so much in those three decades.

“Having the support of a recruitment consultant like Peter, who had been through it himself, really helped narrow down the search and get me in front of the right people.”

Former Royal Navy SONAR and sensor systems lead, Will Gould, was in the forces for over 13 years before being placed at Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land in Telford, where he works as an electronic systems integration engineer.

He said: “After serving 13 years, including multiple operational deployments, I decided I wanted to try something new and challenge myself in other ways, including continuing university study and moving home,” Will said.

“While my qualifications and experience guaranteed a good career outside the forces, I was mostly concerned about finding a job which met all of my desires around things like travel, location, salary and supporting further study.

“Peter at Jonathan Lee contacted me after I registered on the website and identified job opportunities I could apply for, as well as educating me on how to tailor my CV to be more focused to the job specifications. He maintained communication and supported me throughout the application process and negotiation of contracts. I’d definitely recommend it.”

For more information about recruitment and support for veterans and their families, contact Peter Heap at Jonathan Lee Recruitment on 01384 446127 or email peter.heap@jonlee.co.uk.

Recruitment, Recruitment News, Tech, Technology

New research reveals flaws in tech recruitment process, with one in four candidates being hired without required skills

  • 74% of businesses failing to conduct competency tests for technical hires
  • Ineffective recruitment practices exacerbate UK’s tech skills shortage

 

While worrying UK tech skills shortage headlines continue to dominate the news agenda, a survey released today reveals that a fractured recruitment process is hindering businesses’ access to the right tech talent; 74% of businesses are failing to complete any relevant testing and a further 32% are relying on non-technical specialists to hire tech talent. One in four (24%) candidates are also being hired without the right tech skills.

The research – conducted by Mobilunity, a global provider of remote dedicated development teams – surveyed senior decision-makers across UK startups, scaleups and enterprise businesses industry-wide. Key findings revealed that applications for technical roles are healthy – with firms across the board receiving an average of 15 applications per role, with startups topping the average at 18 per role. But despite this, the process to filter relevant candidates and validate skills is failing – 34% of decision-makers reveal they do not have a separate recruitment process for technical hires.

 

Additional key survey findings:

  • Over a quarter (27%) rely on standard interviews, which fail to assess candidates’ aptitude and technical skills for a role
  • 59% of technical hires can take over a month to complete, while one fifth of technical hires can take up to 6 months; the technical hiring process is too lengthy for firms that need to deliver at pace.
  • At least half (50%) of businesses are putting up to 60% of technical candidates through to the next stage of interviewing; a process that’s wasting time and money
  • Only 7% said that new technical hires can hit the ground running and deliver value immediately, while nearly half of new hires (45%) demonstrate they don’t have all the right skills, with businesses having to invest further in them once hired.

While the Government’s most recent Employer Skills Survey (2022) confirms 10% of UK businesses do in fact have a skill-shortage vacancy, up from 6% in 2017, these findings from Mobilunity’s report suggests that poor recruitment practices may hold back employers from identifying the right skills for the right role when it comes to technical hires.

 

Cyril Samovskiy, Founder of Mobilunity, said: “The fact that nearly half of candidates impress at interview stage, but underperform once in the role, is no surprise given the apparent absence of testing and skill-validation. There’s clearly an urgent and growing need among businesses for tech expertise, and our survey findings suggest that the reasons behind the much-documented shortfall may not be as simple as saying ‘talent is lacking’.

“The results highlight that companies are not utilising technical specialists to validate skillsets, with many bypassing any testing beyond a standard interview and putting an excessive amount of candidates through to the next stage. The result of this? They are  taking too long to recruit technical hires, who are then unable to deliver quickly on projects, risking their bottom lines and competitiveness in the market. Yet another worrying risk to business is recruiting the wrong people for the wrong roles. It’s a broken process costing businesses critical time and money. Especially in unpredictable economic times, where the trend for project work is overtaking retained work, change in the processes for hiring technical talent is long overdue.”

 

Offering advice to businesses looking to recruit tech talent, Cyril adds: “To avoid the pitfalls, those in charge of technical hires must have a dedicated approach to recruitment. This means a combination of technical platforms that assess and matchmake skills relevant to needs, and interviewers who know the right questions to ask.

“By putting in smart steps to validate the competency of candidate skills and really getting to know your projects and roles required before you start the process, you can massively improve the process, and deliver accurate hiring outcomes that will deliver value from day one.”

News, Recruitment, Recruitment News, Tech, Technology

Leeds tech firm sees revenue double

A Leeds technology recruitment firm has seen revenue leap from £3.3m to £6m over the last 12 months. SPG Resourcing’s team grew from 11 to 16, and it launched a US division as part of its growth plans.

SPG Resourcing helps companies and organisations across the digital sector find the talent they need. It operates internationally from offices in Leeds and Newcastle.

The company also made a key hire in January to support expansion in 2024, with Harrison Foster joining the group as a business development manager.

Commenting on the expansion, Sam Hameed, co-founder and managing director of SPG Resourcing, said: “There is no doubt that the current business environment is challenging, but the team at SPG has helped to deliver strong growth by focusing on the needs of clients taking a holistic approach to the technology challenges they face.

“Our new team members will help accelerate our plans to grow in the UK and globally. Companies worldwide are seeking more flexible ways of working to achieve their goals, and we are ideally placed to support them.”

SPG Resourcing is part of the Solution Performance Group, a technology change organisation which includes SPG Transformation and SPG Software. The group structure allows the company to tackle complex technology challenges by providing planning, talent acquisition and development capabilities under one roof.

The company works with a wide range of businesses, from financial services to healthcare and legal sectors.

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Pictured: Sam Hameed.

International News, Marketing, PR and SEO, Recruitment, Recruitment News, South East England News, South West, USA, Web Design, Wiltshire News

Recruitment expert aided in US expansion by creative agency’s new brand and website project

NOTTINGHAM-BASED recruitment agency Distinct has been aided with a push into markets further south and in the US by a redesigned website and an updated brand.

Distinct, which specialises in recruitment for roles within finance, HR, marketing, IT and office support and supply chain and procurement, is opening an office in London to mount an expansion into the south and is about to open another in Boston to capitalise on its rapid growth in the North American market. It turned to Wiltshire design agency Milk & Tweed for its new brand look and an upgraded website with functions to help both clients and job hunters.

Milk & Tweed, which has offices in Chippenham and Brighton in Sussex, is building a reputation for excellence in website, brand and logo design and digital marketing.

Distinct Marketing Director Amy Robinson-Nunn said: “We’ve got exciting expansion plans in both London and North America, whilst also pushing to stand out in quite competitive markets. So, one of the things we wanted to do was make sure that our brand and our website supported this strategy.

“We wanted something that was fresh, confident, clean and modern, whilst still retaining the core of what the brand has always been – I think that’s been achieved here.”

Milk & Tweed’s design team refreshed the Distinct logo to give it a more modern feel, sharpened the colours and used cleaner typography. “While it’s not been radically transformed, these changes have made it look totally different,” said Ms Robinson-Nunn.

The agency’s website has been redesigned and features two new user-friendly tools. “For a candidate being offered a job, one of the first things you want to do is work out your take-home pay, so we’ve got a salary calculator where they can insert their wage and then the tax, student loan and pension deductions are calculated to leave the exact amount they’ll receive in their bank account,” said Ms Robinson-Nunn.

“On the flip side for our clients, we’ve got a wage insights tool which uses live data from the last 12 months, so if they are advertising a job in a particular area, the tool will display the going rate for that job title in their chosen location.”

She said the agency is delighted with the new site. “The development team in particular have been incredible,” she said. “Milk & Tweed’s Web Manager Jon Mynette has been leading the way for us from a development point of view and he’s been fantastic to work with.

“I think they’ve created something that I am genuinely proud of and would recommend them to others.”

She said the new website is particularly important, given Distinct’s ambitious expansion plans. “We’re really taking hold in the US and we’re working in roles within the public accounting and legal sectors,” said Ms Robinson-Nunn.

“We started off in New York and have since moved into Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Illinois, Florida, Connecticut and Ohio, so we’re opening an office in Boston to further strengthen our operation in the US.

“Our refreshed brand and new website help us to stand out from our competitors and will certainly support our new strategy and exciting expansion plans.”

Milk & Tweed Web Manager Jon Mynette said: “The project was amazing to work on and the team at Distinct were great to work with because they were so organised, driven and ambitious. It really pushed us as a team and I’m very proud of the work we’ve done and the results we’ve achieved.

“Distinct had some amazing ideas around how they wanted their site to be presented and perform. It meant we had to push the boundaries of how we usually build, which I always enjoy. I must give a special mention to the lead designer Jon Francis and lead developer Sam Jones, who have both done fantastic work on the project. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have.”

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Pictured: Recruitment agency Distinct turned to creative agency Milk & Tweed to help prepare it for an expansion into the south of England and further into North America