How to get the best from your Recruitment Agency and PSL
Getting the best from a recruitment agency can often seem like more luck than skill. Here at Net Temps we’ll show you how to maximise your PSL. Of course, the best way to maximise your labour requirements is to contact us directly on 0115 940 0968, or get in touch here. However, if we’re not an option, try these tips. Here are ten considerations for the next time you have a requirement:
1. Location of the site
Are you working on a site that Royal Mail hasn’t allocated a postcode? Think about how you can communicate the location of your site to a third party so they can find it. Are there any landmarks that you can refer to or provide a map or the name and contact number of someone who can assist on the first day of the assignment? Being clear with your recruitment agency can save headaches later on when inducting new workers.
2. Parking
What are the local amenities like? If there is no on-site parking, what facilities are available locally? Proving this information is one factor that helps to ensure that your temporary worker will attend the site on time each day.
3. Inductions
Will temporary workers need to complete a pre-induction process electronically prior to being received on-site? Can you provide access to this online induction? If an induction will take place on the first day of the assignment, what is the name of the person the temporary workers should report to?
4. PPE Requirements
What are the minimum requirements for PPE? What will be provided and what will they need to bring?
5. Face Fit, Manual Handling, Asbestos Awareness, Drug and Alcohol Tests
Do you need workers with these certifications? Who will be carrying out the assessment and when?
6. Tasks and Duties of the Role
The easiest temporary roles for us to fill are those that we can describe in detail to prospective workers. A good description allows both the recruitment business and the temporary worker to make a confident assessment as to whether the temporary worker will be a good fit for the role.
7. Machine Drivers
To secure the best drivers, it’s helpful if you can indicate what type of machine they will be driving, given that drivers have a preference for some machines over others due to the location of controls in the cab. It’s also essential that your recruitment consultant knows whether a driver is required with a ticket above or below a certain tonne or has a ticket with a particular boom requirement. Do you have a particular preference for CPCS Cards over NPORS or are both equally acceptable?
8. Worker Payment Methods
When communicating an order for temporary labour, it’s helpful if you have assessed whether a particular role will be under supervision, direction or control (SDC) or whether you wish to retain the right of SDC during the assignment. If SDC is present during an assignment, a worker must have their payment processed PAYE to avoid ramifications regarding underpayment of tax with HMRC. It is therefore important that you assess this issue when placing an order. We are happy to guide you through your options to ensure that you make the right choice for your business.
9. Last-Minute Orders
Whilst some orders late in the day can’t be helped, there will be a smaller pool of temporary workers available to choose from, because the best temporary workers tend to put plans in place for their next assignment mid-week. Last-minute orders can lead your recruitment agency to rush causing incomplete vetting, referencing and licence checking of workers, increasing your risk on site. According to our in-house statistics, you are more likely to be let down by a worker not turning up for a last-minute role. Orders placed in good time, allow a recruitment agency to complete their normal recruitment processes which will include identifying candidates for a potential refill pool.
10. Cancelling Orders
Clients tend to lose credibility with a recruitment agency when they cancel orders for labour that have been filled because either multiple agencies have been instructed to fill the same order or there is disorganisation in labour forecasting requirements. Rather than engaging multiple recruitment agencies, develop a good working relationship with an agency that demonstrates a consistent and reliable service delivery and who knows the labour market well enough to manage your expectations and advise when it might be a good idea to engage another recruitment business to assist with a trickier role. Review temporary labour requirements frequently and provide your recruitment business with regular updates as to your needs.
If you are interested in engaging our services as a result of this article, you can find out more about our service delivery offering by visiting our client page. Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0115 9400 968 and speak to one of our dedicated team.
