News
Keeping informed of events and changes in the industry is a key part of any HR professional's career.
Below you will find various articles bringing news on events at Independent, at our clients and also from the HR and Recruitment industry.
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Mar 2010Coaching programme benefits retail sector
As part of its ongoing partnership with a leading UK retailer, Independent Ltd is now providing a complete range of coaching services to benefit store managers across the country. The programme is focused on performance enhancement and talent development and will generate a new style of leadership rooted in business results.
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Mar 2010New onsite RPO contract within energy industry
Independent Ltd has installed an onsite recruitment team with one of the UK's largest energy companies. The team will be focused on managing resourcing for the construction of four new nuclear power plants in the UK.
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Mar 2010Double the recognition as Independent is an Awards finalist twice!
Independent Ltd is a finalist at the Recruiter Awards for Excellence 2010, in the Best Embedded Recruitment team category. Independent is being judged for its work with Wm Morrisons supermarkets where it was engaged to support Morrisons' HR and Talent agendas and shore up its in-house recruitment team.
Parachuted into the organisation during a period of significant change, the team delivered on some of the highest profile recruitment projects in retail before transitioning to internal staff in August 2009. The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on April 14th at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
Independent Ltd is also one of three finalists in the Business of the Year category for the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards 2010. The awards are held in association with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on the 11th May at the Ricoh Arena.
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Mar 2010Independent Ltd wins international RPO business with global manufacturer
A global provider of integrated power systems for land, air and sea, has appointed Independent Ltd to deliver an outsourced recruitment programme in response to significant growth within its nuclear services division based in France.
This is Independent's first non-UK RPO service and will see the team delivering operational and strategic improvements to the recruitment process in a very different marketplace.
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Feb 2010Independent Ltd grows local business
A leading contract caterer, also based in Leamington Spa, has engaged Independent Ltd to support its recruitment activity. The company supplies food for employee restaurants, cafes and delis around the country.
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Jan 2010Independent Ltd completes major global restructuring project
Independent Ltd has completed a restructuring and consultancy project with a global media and entertainment company.
This involved the substantial restructuring of the organisation and the introduction of a new Performance and Reward programme as well as an innovative, worldwide approach to Talent Management. While Independent continues to provide reward and coaching services, its delivery of the restructuring programme has resulted in major cost savings and provided a platform for the future direction of the business.
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Nov 09Team expands
Independent Ltd has appointed Lee Lapsley to its Business Development team. Previously with the Mark Allen Group, Lee will be focusing on raising Independent's profile in the marketplace and adding to its growing roster of clients.
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Nov 09New Outplacement service targets factory floor as well as executives
Independent Ltd has kicked off the launch of its Outplacement service with a comprehensive package of re-employment initiatives for recently redundant factory workers.
Working closely with a large, Northern-based employer to understand the skill sets of its employees, Independent met with staff on an individual basis to assess requirements, build confidence and prepare them for a recruitment fair, also project managed by Independent. Here, local employers with live vacancies for employees with similar profiles were invited to attend free of charge. Independent Ltd also liaised with relevant statutory authorities such as Job Centre Plus, local training providers and the Debt Advisory Service, to ensure their attendance at the fair. By linking between the different support networks, Independent was able to establish a joined up, effective approach that catered for the needs of each individual.
In order to give redundant workers the best chance of re-employment, including those where English is not their first language, Independent Ltd also offered one-to-one guidance in CV writing, filling in job applications and online job searches. The possibility of transferable skill sets were also explored, in addition to sign-posting opportunities for up-skilling, re-skilling, higher education and interview preparation.
Independent Ltd's Outplacement Project Manager, Kath Bridger commented,"While redundancies are often an inevitable consequence of recession, socially conscious employers can take positive steps to mitigate the impact. With demand for traditional manufacturing continuing to fade, there is a much greater need to up-skill workers for newer, more technology oriented manufacturing roles and more service focused industries. By providing an end-to-end Outplacement service that can be tailored to each employee depending on their requirements there is a much greater likelihood of securing positive outcomes for those affected, whether this is up-skilling, re-employment, re-training or moving on to higher education."
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Oct 09New contract moves Independent Ltd into financial services sector
Independent Ltd is working with the UK's largest retail bank to develop resourcing for a new international integration programme. An onsite team of consultants will be working with the in house HR leadership team based in London to support the creation of a world class resourcing model.
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Oct 09New address for Independent Ltd
Independent Ltd has moved into newly refurbished Regency offices on Warwick Street in Leamington Spa - only a stone's throw from its previous location. The new premises are centrally located at:
17 Waterloo Place
Warwick Street
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
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Aug 09Leading medical equipment provider appoints Independent Ltd to overhaul its recruitment processes
Europe's largest provider of managed diagnostic imaging services for MRI, CT, PET and Ultrasound, has engaged Independent Ltd to overhaul its recruitment processes.
Following an in-depth Resourcing audit, Independent is working closely with the company's Senior HR team to re-organise roles and responsibilities within the HR function, provide tailored coaching, enhance employer branding and implement cost-effective technologies to drive process.
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May 09Independent Ltd employee participates in Leeds Ahead's Business Enterprise initiative for schools
Charly Stephenson, an Independent Recruitment Office Manager currently seconded to Kingston Communications, has taken part in a business enterprise programme designed to help school children in some of the most under-privileged parts of Leeds.
As a volunteer 'Company Advisor' Charly guided 12 Year 9 and 10 school girls from Parklands School in Leeds through a challenging money management game. The game helped students to develop their communication, problem solving and teamwork skills; encouraged risk taking, innovation and money management and demonstrated some aspects of the Economy. The exercise also highlighted the importance of qualifications and training.
"I found the day very valuable and I think it was eye-opening for both sides," commented Charly.
"Many of the girls were really struggling with low self-esteem and had a lot to deal with at home. Guiding them through the tasks, giving them an insight into how the world of business operates and helping them understand what opportunities are out there if they work hard at school was incredibly rewarding. I'm looking forward to getting involved again in the future."
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May 09Re-brand initiative sets Independent apart
Independent has been given a fresh new look with a corporate re-brand that emphasises its independent USP with the strapline 'Totally independent HR solutions' and effectively distinguishes between the different specialist strands of the business.
As revealed on the newly designed www.independentltd.com - the five sub-brands are: Independent HR, RPO, Interim, Contractor Management and Coaching & Outplacement. In addition to exploring the services provided by each of these departments, visitors to the website can also view the wide range of Independent case studies available including Morrisons, EMI, British Energy and Kingston Communications.
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Apr 09Independent launches Contractor Management division
The provision of contractor and temporary labour into any organisation is a complicated and time consuming process, leaving companies open to liability and risk.
In response, Independent has launched a Contractor Management division to provide either a standalone audit service or a complete, managed service to its clients with both models identifying cost and process savings. For the latter model, ICM's on-site account managers take complete responsibility for the process, from building relationships with the hiring community to supplier management.
"As most contractor managed service providers are large recruitment agencies," commented Independent Director, Phil Clarke, "they don't provide a vendor neutral service. In contrast, ICM's independence and expertise means that we can negotiate better contractor rates, benchmark contractor pay rates and provide a much more cohesive overall approach that delivers substantial cost savings to our clients."
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Mar 09Ex-Board member for Rover Group, GEC Marconi and British Nuclear Group joins Independent as Non-Executive Director
Rob Meakin has joined Independent as a Non-Executive Director, bringing a wealth of experience from HR Director and Board Member roles at BAe Group, GEC Marconi, ITV and British Nuclear Group.
As Personnel Director of BAe Group, Rob established the BAe University and with the CEO created the Benchmark Programme to ensure the organisation became the standard for the aerospace industry through its cultural change and performance management agenda. Rob later worked at Granada to drive the successful integration of Granada and Carlton to form ITV. He was also Chairman of the DTI's Education and Training Export Group and a Director of Young Enterprise.
"This is a really exciting time to be joining Independent and I'm delighted to be on board," commented Rob. "It's a progressive and ambitious company that can boast genuine independence, unlike many of the bigger players in the HR marketplace. It's why firms like EMI, Morrisons and Kingston Communications continue to come back for more. I'm very much looking forward to taking an active role in Independent's continuing growth and development."
Independent Director Harry Dunlevy added, "Rob's reputation as a heavyweight in this industry precedes him and we're very pleased he's agreed to join us. I have no doubt that his strategic involvement will be a real asset as we look to broaden our reach and build the business."
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Feb 09New offices for Independent as company expands
In order to accommodate its growing team of staff, Independent has re-located to more central and spacious premises in Portland Street, Leamington Spa.
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Feb 09 Independent appoints Interim specialist to drive new division
Independent has appointed Interim expert Claire Hain to head up its new Interim division, supplying Leaders to a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, financial services, public sector, FMCG, IT and technology.
Claire joins Independent from Praxis Executive where she spent nearly ten years developing a network of dedicated, professional Interim Managers operating at Head of Function, Board and Senior Board level in FTSE 250 organisations including E.ON, HBOS, Siemens and Vodafone.
Independent Director Phil Clarke commented, "We're delighted to have someone of Claire's experience spearheading this critical function. The Interim market is extremely buoyant right now as many organisations undergo extensive restructuring and change during the downturn. As a consequence they're looking to pull in guidance and expertise without long term financial commitment. Claire's role is to capitalise on this, delivering a flexible, open and highly responsive service to both our clients and the Interim Managers we engage."
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The Yorkshire HR Leader's Forum
34 delegates attended the HR Leader's Forum on Wednesday the 31st of October 2007.
The Harvey Nichols hosted event took place on the 4th floor restaurant in Leeds City Centre.
Delegates enjoyed networking with their peers and a full English while Norman Pickavance Group HR Director for Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC lyrical on the topic of Talent Management: A Strategic Imperative for Business Success.
The feedback has been outstanding and the event has been viewed as such as success that plans are already underway for the next forum in early 2008.
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Choosing A Recruitment Process Outsourcing Partner
This article first appeared in Personnel Today magazine 10 July 2007
Leigh Hunt is an advocate of recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). As group head of resourcing at UK technology firm Kingston Communications, she has seen the benefits it can bring.
Since hiring RPO providers Independent last August to manage the bulk of the company's recruitment, Hunt says the time to hire candidates has been reduced from 30 days to 20, and the cost per hire has been trimmed by around £1,000 - mainly down to using recruitment agencies less often.
Hunt says she looked into Independent because she found herself in a situation that many HR professionals will be familiar with. "We were on a recruitment drive but lacked the expertise to run it efficiently in-house, and were therefore spending a great deal on recruitment agencies," she explains. But it was a chance meeting at an industry event with Independent's chief executive Phil Clarke that convinced Hunt she had found the right recruitment partner for her company.
What our clients say
" Places for People needed an impartial view of the strength's and weaknesses of our recruitment process. Independent provided us with clear and specific information on our main areas of focus. "
Group Head of Human Resources, Places For People