For businesses that are looking to expand their workforce or are looking for new approach to recruitment you can access the no cost services from your local job centre including:
- Their recruitment service can match your vacancy with people looking for work with the skills you need.
- Most jobcentres can offer direct recruitment where you can come and interview people who fit your criteria.
- A named Employer Advisor will work with you to gather the details of the vacancy and together you can decide which is the best tailored offer for your business.
If you’re unsure and would like to test out your potential recruit there is also the option of a ‘Work Trial’. A work trial is a short period in work that you can offer following on from interviewing them for a specific role, giving you both an opportunity to test for fit, skills and suitability. The recruit as part of their ‘jobseeker benefits’ support would volunteer for a work trial, and they get to keep their benefits whilst they are undertaking the work trial in your business, with no wages needing to be paid by your business.
If you have several vacancies a sector-based work academy can help you to create a skilled workforce. Sector-based work academies help prepare those receiving unemployment benefits to apply for jobs in a different area of work. Placements are designed to help meet your immediate and future recruitment needs as well as to recruit a workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow your business.
If you are a business and interested in supporting people who are looking for work, you could also offer a voluntary work experience opportunity. This can help those who have no experience of work gain some work experience, or perhaps a great way to provide someone who has worked in a same career all their lives and is looking for a change of direction.
Having a diverse workforce has many advantages, including bringing different ways of thinking, new ideas and helps your business’ wider reputation as an inclusive employer that people want to work for, providing your business with a much larger talent pool. Through your local job centre you can pledge to become a Disability Confident Employer or Sign the Age Employer Pledge to show prospective candidates you welcome their applications.
If you wish to speak to a skilled Employer Advisor about any of the above please complete the ‘recruitment services’ form and someone from the employer engagement team at the Job Centre will get back to you to further explore how they can help your business.
