Punch sets recruitment record in East Midlands

The East Midlands is proving a recruitment hotspot for leased and tenanted pub operator Punch Pub Company.

The Burton based pubco has signed a record number of leases on licensed retail premises in the region, with 12 separate agreements being completed in just a single week.

Recruitment and training manager Stuart Plant said: ìMore and more people are recognising the licensed trade as a viable route towards setting up and taking on your own small business.

ìThere has been a dramatic upturn in enquiries since January, partly because it is traditionally a time when people think ëNew YearÖnew startí and look at changing careers, but also thanks to improved marketing techniques for our vacancies.

ìWe have developed better web links to help drive traffic to our recruitment website www.punchpubs.co.uk and forged links with the Job Channel to promote business opportunities via digital television and WAP mobile phones.î

Stuart added that an increase in acquisitions activity in the East Midlands meant that prospective licensees had a better choice of pubs to run.

ìCompleting 12 leasehold and tenancy agreements in one week is certainly an achievement our team of business development managers can be proud of. It smashes our previous record of eight set last Easter,î he said.

Across the UK, Punch Pub Company has let more than 100 pubs since January 2003. Almost 530 applications for vacant pubs were made during February, 28 per cent of which were made online.

Stuart said: ìThe Internet has become our most widely used recruitment tool because it is accessible 24 hours a day and contains all the latest vacancies.

ìUsers can also read all about the exact requirements for leasing and our award winning training programme for new licensees.î

Punch Pub Company is one of the UKís largest operators of leased and tenanted pubs with 4,400 outlets.