Month: May 2022

I had been in hospitality since leaving University, I was part of the management teams for the Harvester Restaurant brand as well as for the Spirit pub company. I wanted a change and it came by chance when I had a conversation with a manager of a company called HIT Training, they were a training provider to the hospitality industry. Unfortunately, this was not the right career move and less than a year later I knew I needed to find something else.

I remember reading the advert and applying for the Trainee Recruitment Consultant at Igloo and I was invited to give a 15-minute presentation to the two Directors at Igloo’s Head Office in Hinckley. Although very nervous I enjoyed the experience, and I was invited to a second interview with the two Directors and the companies Operations Manager. It was very icy when I pulled up in the car park, I had shoes on and within a yard or two I slipped over, as I looked up I could see the people I was due to meet with laughing, not the best start to the interview, however we all had a laugh about it and the final words from them was to take care in the car park. Needless to say, I slipped over again on my way back to the car much to everyone’s amusement at the time and still to this day. I am not sure if it was my presentation, the way I came across in my second interview or the fact they felt sorry for me for slipping over not once but twice in the car park, but I got the call and a job offer which I accepted straight away.

A month later, the 25^th of February 2013 I started at Igloo, there was about 6 of us that all started in the same role that week and we were put straight onto a week’s training course which gave us the confidence and the skills to succeed in our new careers.

Once the training was out of the way we cut our teeth for the first few months making cold sales calls to companies within the sectors Igloo specialise in, we had to generate our own leads as well as using the companies’ databases to call through.

After a few months I joined the automotive recruitment team and started to recruitment for skilled automotive staff. I was given full support and training so I could understand exactly what I was recruiting for, and the skill sets involved. I was taken to sites and shown around, I saw first-hand how a bodyshop operates and got to speak to staff in all areas of the business and built my knowledge of the industry from there. I would complete site visits to have meetings with our client’s management teams, as well as our teams working for us. We would share the 24/7 emergency phone between the team to deal with any emergencies or problems outside of the usual office hours.

In 2017 I migrated away from the recruitment side of the business and was responsible for the installation of a biometric clocking in and out system across our clients’ sites and the setup of rules in the back end of the system. From here my role at Igloo evolved and a compliance and business support team were built providing crucial support to the operations teams within Igloo. Since the birth of the compliance and business support team we have had two very successful inspections from the Government’s Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, the last inspector stated that Igloo go above and beyond with their compliance and that it was one of the best inspections he had done.

Within my role and the compliance and business support teams remit we also place all adverts and receive all the ad response to distribute to the relevant teams, we report on this data to the director and senior managers in the business. We also manage the social media platforms for the business and parts of the website content. I have also supported with office moves and setting up IT equipment for colleagues to work on and with.

We often get questions regarding our application process so thought it would be best to answer them all in one go.

What happens after I register my interest and/or apply for a role with Igloo?

After you have registered your interest with us, our experienced consultants will sort through all the applications that we have received. Where possible, everyone will be contacted to go through the interview process.

If we feel that you are not suitable for this specific role, we will try to find you something more suitable elsewhere.

If we believe that you are suitable, you will be asked to complete our application process and send in your identification (ID) and references. Once you have completed this process, we will put you forwards to our client.

What is a ‘proof of right to work’?

A ‘proof of right to work’ is documentation that proves that you are legal to work in the UK. Everyone will have to provide this, even if you are a British citizen.

What references do I need?

We ask for two references from your previous employers. We will ask for you to provide either their contact number or email address and we will contact them from there.

I’m not too sure what job I want, can you help me?

Of course! We are here to help make your job search process the easiest that it could be. We will go through your work history and find a job suitable for you.

I already have a job but I’m looking for some extra work, can I still apply?

Yes!

Once I have completed your registration process, how long is it before I can work?

We will work to get you started ASAP!

To close off Mental Health Awareness Week, we thought we would touch on mental health in the workplace.

According to Mind, ‘at least one in six workers is experiencing common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression’.

Here’s our 5 tips:

Work smarter, not harder

We understand that we sometimes have to work overtime to meet a deadline, however, don’t make this a regular occurrence. Working overtime constantly will start to take a toll on your concentration, productivity, accuracy, and health.

Don’t mix business with pleasure

If you bring your work home, we recommend designating a ‘workplace’ area to separate your work life from your personal life. If you see work, you will think about work.

Get organised

At the start of each day, create a ‘To Do’ list of tasks that need completing.

Take your lunch break

Breaks are important! Even a short break of 30 minutes can help you work more effectively throughout the day.

Check out our article, How To: Make the Most of Your Lunch Break

Ask for help

If you feel that your workload it too much, speak to your manager or supervisor. If you are unable to solve the issue this way, talk to your HR department, trade union representative or other relevant members of staff.

Read our other articles on mental health:

World Mental Health Day 2021

To speak to someone at Mind, CLICK HERE.

To make a donation to Mind, CLICK HERE.

‘Mental Health Foundation announces, ‘loneliness’ as the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022’.

Mental Health Awareness Week is taking place from 9^th – 15^th May 2022.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, research has found that loneliness has been amplified by the COVID pandemic. As a result of this, loneliness is a fitting theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. ‘Reducing loneliness is a major step towards a mentally healthy society’.

‘Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic.  That is why we have chosen it as our theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022.  Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health so we much find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.  The week is also an invaluable opportunity for people to talk about all aspects of mental health, with a focus on providing help and advice’’.’

To find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week, CLICK HERE.

To get help, CLICK HERE.

To make a donation to Mind, CLICK HERE.