FEATURE: RECRUITMENT
WE’RE PUTTING IN THE NEXT COMMUNICATION NETWORKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE FOR GENERATIONS, AND PEOPLE CAN BE A PART OF THIS NO MATTER THEIR ROLE, BECAUSE WE NEED THEM
covid-related and also, Brexit in the UK. In short, we need to bring people into the industry and also upskill the people we already have in the industry.’ Some of the solutions being investigated
include local authority partnerships, apprenticeships, the armed forces covenant and career pathways within the companies looking to recruit. ‘I think that will atract more people,’ said Atkins, ‘so they can see how they will progress. I think it’s important people can see – as well as an upward career pathway – that they could move sideways into different roles and opportunities as well.’ Diversity is also crucial when it comes to
quality and relevance of applications coming in, even from just a year ago. ‘Te number that we would get, say, for a project manager role, was around 10-12 people, now we are geting one or two, so for an agency, it is much more about sourcing and atracting those people in from across different areas and working with clients that can see where there are transferable skills.’ Te crucial factor here is the telecoms
industry itself, and ensuring that people see it as an industry in which they would wish to work. ‘People don’t always think of it as an industry they wish to join. Tey might, on the engineering side, but when you look at other roles such as HR, project managers or quantity surveyors, for example, telecoms isn’t necessarily the first port of call. What we are working on over the next 12 months is how to raise the brand of telecoms and how exciting a place it is to be. We’re puting in the next communication networks that are going to be there for generations, and people can be a part of this no mater their role, because we need them.’ Another challenge is the number of people
looking to change roles or change industries has reduced. ‘Despite telecoms thriving right now and there being so many jobs, people are reluctant to change and I think that’s partly
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bringing skilled people into telecoms roles, and Atkins was one of the founders of the UK Women in Fibre Initiative (WIFI), which aims to help close the gender gap in the industry. ‘Te average is around 14 per cent women in the industry across the board in the lower-paid jobs,’ said Atkins, ‘and it goes up to about 25 per cent in the more senior roles. To me, that’s just crazy! Women have a lot to bring and companies are seeing that now.’
Policy overhaul One piece of advice offered by Atkins is to look at company policies and make them more atractive to women. ‘Tat, in turn, does benefit everyone else who works in those companies who can utilise those policies as well,’ she said. Another vital aspect of the recruitment
process, said Atkins, is the candidate experience. ‘Tis is where we can see people get lost in the pipeline,’ she explained. ‘It’s important for companies to have an established recruitment process. Who is interviewing? How many interviews? When can candidates expect feedback? Tis needs to be in place so there are no surprises for the candidate half way through the process. It needs to be transparent and as seamless as possible because, if you don’t have it, your competitor will, and that’s where the candidate will end up going.’ Te feedback Atkins mentioned is something
that companies need to get right. ‘CV feedback, even if it is a “no” is so important,’ she said. ‘You want to be able to give that to a candidate who has spent the time applying and geting to know the company, so they can learn from it, and it’s just a polite thing to do.’ When it comes to a successful candidate,
Atkins advises a strong onboarding policy is also put in place to cover all information they might need. For example, in today’s more flexible working environment, a successful candidate would need to know if they are able to work from home, and if so, on which days and will they be provided with equipment and IT support? ‘Whilst those candidates are in their notice period there are always going to be other companies recruiting for that same role,’ she explained. ‘Keeping people engaged and onboarding is key.’
A helping hand A good example of a government scheme to help recruitment is the UK’s Kickstart Scheme, which launched in 2020 to provide funding to employers to create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit. UK wholesale network provider, FullFibre, is currently using the scheme to create vacancies for young people over a six-month placement, with 10 jobs open for applications across the company’s four sites in Exeter, Ledbury, Telford and Derby. Successful applicants will benefit from comprehensive support and training to help strengthen their skill sets and put them at an advantage when applying for full-time roles in the future. Alongside this, they will be paid 100 per cent of the National Living Wage for 25 hours-per-week for a total of six months, with the potential of a full-time position aſter this six-month period. Angela Shek, resourcing co-ordinator at
FullFibre, shared the company’s experience. ‘Employers need to be more adaptable in this new age, and that’s where I think Kickstart really fits in, and we’ve been very excited to work in collaboration with Job Centres to bring the scheme to life. Te individuals will get hands-on working experience and a personalised training plan with FullFibre. We completely believe that everyone is from all walks of life. Tey could be, say, a 16-year-old who maybe has quite minimal experience in the working industry, or someone who has done various jobs, so our training plan is catered to individuals.’ Te Kickstart scheme is due to conclude
in March this year, and more than 1,000 placements have been made so far. Shek said: ‘We’ve seen quite a lot of benefits to the business, certainly from speaking to the general public, telecoms is not the first thing people think of and I believe that Kickstart is such a benefit in introducing individuals to the sector itself. It’s all about investing in the next generation and bringing about a more diverse workforce.’ Te scheme is of particular benefit to smaller
or medium-sized businesses, according to Shek, particularly during more uncertain times, such as the pandemic. She said: ‘It will help them assess whether they are able to support an extra head in the business and it is a good opportunity to
Issue 35 n Spring 2022 n FiBRE SYSTEMS 21
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