The UK employment market has enjoyed high levels of employment in recent years, with unemployment rates falling as low as 0.5% in some areas of the country. Many industries have found difficulty in recruiting UK staff to fulfil their vacancies.
Grafton Recruitment founded in 1982 in Ireland now has 55 operational divisions in 15 different countries, including Austria, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, UAE, and the UK.
Grafton Recruitment has implemented a dedicated team to assist in a major International project where by recruiting bus drivers and engineers to work in the UK with First UK bus. To date 240 bus drivers have been recruited.
ìLike many companies in the UK, low levels of unemployment have made it increasingly difficult to find potential employees from the United Kingdom,î commented Austin Birks, Head of Recruitment for First UK Bus. ìWe welcome applications from anyone who can legally work in the UK ñ and with the enlargement of the EU, we have been able to recruit from countries such as Poland, where there is very high unemployment. Of the 240 bus drivers we have currently recruited, only 5 have left the company. The project has been very successful and has delivered 98% retention.î
A thorough recruitment process has been established in order to make this project successful. Candidate care is of the utmost importance states Director John Callagher of Grafton International. A language assistance for non native English speakers has been established, a welfare process for pre and post arrival including all medical checks which are completed prior to the candidates departure from their natural home of residence.
The language school close to Warsaw, will take potential employees for a two-week language-training course, culminating in an English language test. Those who pass will be offered a contract to work for First in the UK.
With an unemployment rate of 19.5% in Poland, and a 20-30% attrition rate of bus drivers in the UK, finding recruits is not difficult. Alongside the language school Grafton can also offer 100 hours intensive training over a 2 week period, and secondly candidates who have basic English a 100 hour course which takes 3.5 months to complete. This is all completely free to the bus driver.
The second part of Grafton Recruitmentís candidate care programme addresses Welfare Assistance and incorporates a pre-arranged apartment in the UK, worker registration papers, a UK bank account and National Insurance number. On arrival each new First recruit living in the UK is advised a regional welfare integration contact number if they have any questions.
The recruitment programme has recently been heralded as an example of ëBest Practice for Overseas Recruitment in the UKí by EURES.
To find out how Grafton Recruitment can assist your company requirements please contact our team in London
Grafton Recruitment hiring CEE Nationals to work in the UK
The UK employment market has enjoyed high levels of employment in recent years, with unemployment rates falling as low as 0.5% in some areas of the country.
