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News Release from: JobCentrePlus | Subject: Jobcentre Plus employment support
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 10 December 2004
Employment practices should be reviewed
often
Even though an employer has successfully worked with its local Jobcentre Plus for many years, it is always important to review practices and keep things fresh.
Even though an employer has successfully worked with its local Jobcentre Plus for many years, it is always important to review practices and keep things fresh Orion Electric UK is one company that benefited from a review of its recruitment methods
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 15 Dec 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Based in Port Talbot, South Wales, Orion assembles TVs, video recorders and DVD players for the UK and European markets.
Between June and December every year Orion creates 200 vacancies alongside its 350-strong workforce to deal with the pre-Christmas rush.
Jobcentre Plus' field account manager Lee Morgan began analysing the effectiveness of this long-established recruitment procedure and decided that further improvements to their recruitment practices could be made.
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Firstly, Orion usually employed more than 400 people to fill the 200 short-term vacancies each year, as some temporary employees only stayed for a few days before leaving.
"It's generally accepted that short-term workers are more likely than permanent workers to leave their jobs with little or no notice.
They don't have the time (or sometimes the inclination) to fully integrate themselves with their employers' culture and business targets," Morgan explained.
"Consequently, Orion has always had to process large numbers of new workers during its busiest time of the year." As well as causing headaches for the Jobcentre Plus team and Orion's HR department, these early leavers can also make it more difficult for the company to meet its production targets.
Secondly, Morgan predicted that over time the local labour market would struggle to meet Orion's short-term requirements, as there would simply not be enough people available and willing to work six months every year.
Consequently, she recommended that Orion should employ additional permanent personnel because she believed a more static workforce would improve the business's performance and generate financial savings.
So, in December 2003, Orion and Jobcentre Plus teamed up to recruit an additional 200 permanent workers, bringing the total headcount to 550.
The benefits of this decision are already being felt, according to Angeleen Rees, Orion Electric UK's HR Manager: "Since the beginning of 2004, we've noticed that our work production and employment retention rates have improved," she said.
"Our absenteeism levels have also fallen during the same period." Other long-term partnerships with Orion are also benefiting the local community.
For example, Orion has consistently supported the Pathway to Work pilot scheme in Bridgend that creates job opportunities for people on incapacity benefit.
The firm interviews everyone referred to it via this programme and has subsequently taken on 10 new employees.
In addition to providing subsidised transport for workers to and from its factory, Orion has also supported Jobcentre Plus in its Action Team areas where poor public transport links can make it difficult for people to find and retain jobs.
Jobcentre Plus's Action Teams are deployed to areas of high unemployment and depravation.
All of these initiatives underpinned Orion's success at the South Wales Employer Awards in April 2004.
In addition to being recognised as the best employer within its own region, Orion was also named as the overall winner.
"Jobcentre Plus has access to a vast pool of labour and good knowledge of its availability which provides the most cost-effective and efficient recruitment service for any employer," said Rees.
"Our continuing partnership with Jobcentre Plus is fundamental in meeting the ongoing recruitment demands within our business." "Thankfully, Jobcentre Plus' excellent working relationship with Orion, combined with our in-depth understanding of their business and personnel requirements, meant we were able to provide the people they needed at short notice," Morgan concluded.
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