The s1jobs Recruitment Awards will take place on Thursday, 14 April and once again this annual event for the HR sector will highlight the individuals and organisations that are doing outstanding work in the field of opportunity and recruitment.
From education and development to supporting early careers, the awards will throw a spotlight on the levels of dedication and professionalism that are involved in placing the right people in the right jobs.
Emphasis will be placed this year on the recruitment journey and on the best creative ideas for attracting high quality candidates, something that is of great importance during this current period of acute skills shortages.
And amongst the honours being handed out on the night will be the Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Achievement, a singular honour which will be given to one individual who has made a unique contribution to this hugely-competitive sector.
Last year that award went to Hilary Roberts, CEO of HRC Recruitment, the company which she formed in 1995 and which has become a major player in Scotland, with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee and an established reputation for delivering results for both candidates and those seeking to hire them.
Winning the award was, says Hilary “a great honour”, particularly as she received it during a time in which her industry is facing some of its biggest challenges.
“It was a delightful surprise to be given the accolade, particularly when you consider the standard of people that work in the industry today.”
The fact that the Scottish recruitment sector has such a strong reputation is down to the pioneering work of Hilary and her contemporaries, who have brought a level of rigour, professionalism and creativity to the process of hiring. And it is a legacy that is now paying dividends, at a time when the demands placed on consultancy firms and HR departments is greater than it has been fora very long time.
“The current conditions are like nothing I have ever experienced,” says Hilary.
“When the pandemic first took hold, things effectively shut down and many staff were put on furlough, but then it began to change very rapidly and now we are facing unprecedented levels of vacancies and potential candidates who are being hired, then falling out of the process, because they have decided instead to accept one of multiple other offers.”
The key to keeping candidates on track, says Hilary, lies in speed of service and effective communications with clients and companies.
“And we are achieving this at a time when our own working practices have changed rapidly.”
Moving to a home-working model almost overnight was a major test for the industry, and now negotiating the hybrid-working requirements of both employers and candidates is yet another test of her own staff’s capabilities.”
“I am fortunate that I work with some exceptional people, across the whole team, who have responded quickly to the fresh demands placed upon them.”
Like others in her position, Hilary has found herself considering the welfare, both mental and otherwise, of her own staff and has been helping clients to do the same for their employees.
And she has changed the model of recruitment.
“In order to provide the service that we are proud of, we now work with fewer clients but in a more targeted way, giving each one more attention so that we can focus our efforts and keep delivering the staff that they need in what is a very competitive market.”
HRC have also been helping clients to improve their visibility in the employment market and to highlight what they can offer to potential employees.
“We demonstrate their need to be proactive and assist them with videos that can spread the message about their standing in the workplace.”
Through measures such as this, Hilary is herself showing the same proactive traits that have led her to being such an important senior figure in the recruitment industry and demonstrating why she was such a worthy winner of last year’s Chairman’s Award.
Sponsors of this year’s awards include Volvo and Zonal Retail Data Systems and the deadline for entries is Thursday, February 24. The awards ceremony itself will take place on Thursday, April 14 and full details of categories and how to enter can be found on the event website.
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