Star turn for Online recruitment service

A well-established UK systems house has found a ëstarí employee after visiting a Birmingham website that helps the over-40s find jobs. Looking for a simple and effective way to recruit a new payroll trainer, Watford-based Star Computers logged on to the on-line services of recruitment agency Work Box (Recruitment) Ltd.

Jackie Baer, Group HR Manager for Star Computers, which develops, sells and supports specialised software solutions for firms of chartered accountants, including software for payroll bureaux and payroll professionals throughout the UK, said: ìIt was a match made in heaven and our new employee has settled in very well.î

Jackie explained: ìWe needed someone who could provide training services to our clients in the North and Midlands - ideally someone part-time who had computerised payroll knowledge, enjoyed working with people and who could work either from their home base or from our Birmingham office. A candidateís age is immaterial when we recruit ñ ability and personality are far more important factors.

ìWhen I looked through the CVs at www.workbox.co.uk I felt I had found the ideal candidate - a lady in Derby who not only had payroll experience and was available two days a week but was in fact one of our Star Payroll Professional customers, offering a payroll bureau service to clients of her own but who had some spare days and was seeking a part-time role.î

Jackie, who is based at the companyís head office in Watford, took advantage of the paid travel deal Work Box offers as part of its package to interview the lady by video conference from Starís Birmingham office. Jackie said: ìUsing Work Box really saved us time and proved very cost-effective. Its website was clear and easy to follow and its flat fee arrangement worked well.î

Aimed at the over-40s, Work Box is believed to be the first online recruitment agency to arrange placements on a flat-fee basis and to put recruits in direct contact with employees without the need for lengthy, time-consuming and very often time-wasting discussions before actually meeting them.

Bill Field, Work Box Director, said: ìWith government proposals to raise the retirement age, we wanted to streamline the traditional agency led recruitment route and promote the employment of experienced and mature people in the workplace. If the clientís needs are met by the candidate, simply arranging for the parties to agree a meeting date means a lot of time is saved by everyone and the task of employment is streamlined - and at a competitive price.î

He added: ìWe believe our service, launched a year ago, is unique in that it provides free access, free job advertising and flat-fee charges to the employer and at the same time considers the candidate by paying towards their interview travel costs.î

On top of its successful generic service, Work Box is now planning a sector-specific service focusing on key employment areas, beginning with engineering and manufacturing. Said Bill: ìWith the increasing levels of structural change in UK industry, we will be adding a one-stop-service for engineering and manufacturing employers looking to recruit skilled people quickly and cost-effectively.

ìWe would welcome clients in those areas to contact us at www.workbox.co.uk with their recruitment requirements on the basis of a fee-free advertisement listing and free access to a pool of mature, dependable and experienced candidates.î