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EXCITING NEW ALLIANCE WITH HAMMONDSDIRECT
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April 2007
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AGENCY PANEL USHERS IN CHANGE
Market leading law firm, Hammondsdirect of Bradford and Manchester, is benefiting from human resources efficiencies delivered by a new, streamlined model, Recruitment Outsourcing.
Pictured from left, Laura Cousins, Relay Recruitment; Deborah Austin, Elite; Marisa Jerrison, Hammondsdirect; Jo Wells, Top; Jane Vincent, Horizon; and Gemma Hey, Elite.
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Currently enjoying exceptional growth and an increased workload caused by the imminent arrival of Home Information Packs (HIPs), the conveyancing specialist needs to recruit and train over 60 professionals quickly, without any compromise on employee quality.
In response, it has appointed preferred supplier, Relay Recruitment, to head up a panel of leading recruiters, including Pertemps and Reed.
Instead of dealing with multiple agencies, the firm’s sole point of contact is with a Relay team that manages the outsourced supply of permanent staff. It is not a sub-contractor arrangement, as agencies do not supply to Relay but report to it as it co-ordinates the client’s entire recruitment function. Among the other agencies involved are Horizon, Elite and Top.
Said Marisa Jerrison, Hammondsdirect head of human resources: “This is an exciting development for us, which will produce superior recruitment standards whilst meeting stringent targets.
“Behind it was the need to make HR more cost effective, to improve its services to the company and to address the key strategic drivers of the organisation. Now that Relay is handling relationships with a panel of suppliers, we simply detail our requirements and arrange terms with one team.
“This avoids copious records, multiple accounting runs and many separate exercises to monitor quality levels, due diligence and legal compliance.”
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Steven Street, (left) Relay Recruitment managing director.
It is expected that the new method will become more popular as employers demand quicker processes, streamlined communication and more accountability. Regular detailed reports on resource supplied, performance levels and costs ensure complete transparency.
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Said Steven Street, Relay managing director: “Recruitment Outsourcing has the advantage over traditional sole supplier agreements, since service levels are raised by the competition element, which is absent from such arrangements. Also, the client’s exposure to risk, posed by varying performances across branch networks, is eliminated.
“Instead, employers benefit from agencies’ commercial dependence. They must compete for account share on their ability to consistently provide the best candidates to agreed service levels and key performance indicators. Whoever does this most often, will win the most business.”
Deborah Austin, managing director of Elite Personnel Services endorses this view: “It is an excellent, flexible system that ensures recruiters work to place the best staff. Not only does the client benefit but so do the most suitable candidates, since the top players will be appointed. We are very keen to participate in any project that meets an employer’s exacting standards.”
Relay constantly monitors and reviews performance, which means that the best current consultancies - the ones extending the top staff and service levels – are retained, rather than those who pitched the lowest rates a year ago. This process rules out complacency and ‘comfort zones’.
Adds Street: “With all logistics, liaison, benchmarking, auditing, due diligence and legal compliance managed by a single project management team, HammondsDirect’s HR department enjoys the dual benefits of high quality staff supply and rationalised communications and administration. This allows it more time for vital areas, such as business strategy and raising service levels for the firm’s clients.”
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Deborah Austin, Elite managing director (left), with Marisa Jerrison, Hammondsdirect head of human resources.
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