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.
-
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.
-
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."
-
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."
-
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.
-
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."
-
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.
-
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