Signet Group plc Selects StepStone to Manage Online Recruitment

The speciality retail jeweller implements StepStoneís i-GRasp to underpin its entire recruitment process for retail management and head office vacancies

StepStone, a provider of e-recruitment software and services, today announces that Signet UK, the UKís speciality retailer of fine jewellery, has selected StepStoneís i-GRasp to process and manage all applicant information for retail management and head office vacancies.

Signet operates 583 stores in the UK, including the high-street chains H.Samuel, Ernest Jones and Leslie Davis. With an approximate 17% share of the 3.4 billion total jewellery market, the Signet UK division employs over 5,500 staff nationwide.

Signet has implemented i-GRasp to act as the ëengineí of its careers portal and to provide a database where all applicant information can be centrally stored. i-GRasp enables both large and small organisations to achieve a more structured and effective recruitment process.

Operating in a highly competitive sector, Signetís UK division has selected i-GRasp to increase the efficiency of its recruitment process, streamline reporting and make the candidate experience more user-friendly. i-GRasp will also help Signet UKís Human Resources (HR) team to improve time to hire and reduce recruitment agency and newspaper advertising spend.

ìAs the UKís leading speciality jewellery retailer, we are committed to customer service, maintaining our competitive edge, and increasing brand awareness. Weíve chosen StepStone to help our team contribute to achieving these goals,î explains Tracey Norris, HR Service Centre Manager for Signet UK.

ìAlthough weíve been using i-GRasp for a relatively short period of time, we are now receiving a greater number of quality CVs than ever before. Weíre already saving time spent on administration due to improved reporting functionality. Another major time saving has been achieved through the automation of some applicant correspondence. In addition, candidates have provided feedback that they find the system very quick and easy to use, which helps protect and promote our employer brand.î

Where once Signet UK may have received up to 30 calls per day from numerous recruitment agencies, in the future all of the companyís preferred suppliers will have to use i-GRasp as the primary method of submitting CVs, thereby ensuring a more time efficient means of communication with the HR team.

Another benefit for Norris of using i-GRasp is that it now provides Signet with a system for recording all interaction with applicants, an important asset for compliance with the Age Discrimination legislation, which has recently come into effect. ìWe receive thousands of applications every month and now we have a way to track exactly how each candidate was progressed. This data will be of importance should we ever receive any queries relating to the new law.î

Matthew Parker, Managing Director of StepStone said: ìThe retail industry has always been extremely competitive. Finding and retaining the right staff for your stores is critical to maintaining a competitive edge. Therefore, the ability to effectively manage and automate elements of the recruitment process thanks to software such as i-GRasp is not only attractive from an efficiency perspective but can also be very cost effective.î

StepStone was recently named as the leading supplier of e-recruitment software for the retail industry . Other StepStone retail customers include: First Choice, Orange, Fat Face and Whitbread Group.