FOCUS ON: RECRUITMENT & HR Choose the
right people
Selecting the best staff and then hanging on to them is one of the most vital elements in running a business. Investing time and effort to get it right will pay dividends.
E
ven at times of economic downturn, it will be inevitable that staff turnover will mean that new people will have to be recruited. And as things start to improve it will become even more commonplace as businesses expand once again.
There is a wide range of considerations to take into account when it comes to selecting the ideal candidate to join a team but there are new ways in which it is possible for a business to widen the pool of talent from which they can draw.
For example, the Education and Employers Taskforce has launched a campaign called “Inspiring the Future” which aims to get 100,000 people from all sectors and professions into schools and colleges to talk about their jobs, careers and the education route they took. It sounds like a great idea, but it will place significant demands on businesses when it comes to finding the time and the people to undertake the visits.
An alternative way of creating sustainable links between young people and businesses has been launched by Celia Middleton, founder of
Careers4u.tv, who is developing a video library to be used for careers and business education in schools and colleges. Each interview is supported by links to the interviewee's organisation and reliable sector information. Business West members Arup, BAM Construction, Future Publishing, Bristol International Airport, Burges-Salmon and Airbus are amongst the larger local organisations already featured. “While there is nothing to beat the impact of meeting an inspirational person face-to-face, that is not always possible,” explained Celia. “So
Careers4u.tv gives more students a chance to learn about a wider range of jobs and gives the businesses interviewed far greater exposure to the future workforce. We are also able to include interviews with smaller organisations and entrepreneurs who simply don't have the time to visit schools but recognise the need to help students make better informed career and education choices.”
‘By removing the red tape, up front recruitment fees and addressing the basic work readiness issues, we are reinventing the concept of Apprenticeships’
12 Business West Update SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
CELIA MIDDLETON FOUNDER
CAREERS4U.TV
KARL ELLIS DIRECTOR
ESSENTIAL BENCHMARKING AND REWARD SOLUTIONS
An apprenticeship could work for you
The historic term, “apprentice”, traditionally had noble connotations, in which a young person was trained over a number of years by a master, emerging as an accomplished craftsman in his own right. But in recent years it has taken on a less attractive reputation with many business people developing a negative preconception, which Mark Corden, chief executive of People Incorporated Ltd, is determined to change. He says: “We have launched our
Youth.Inc programme in central Bristol which provides a three-week intensive work readiness training programme to get ambitious 16-18 year olds ready for work. Through testing, coaching and personal development, these young people prove themselves to be employable. By removing the red tape, up front recruitment fees and addressing the basic work readiness issues, we are reinventing the concept of Apprenticeships which could provide a real shot in the arm for our local economy.”
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