Back in September we were excited to let you know that the Major’s Kickstarters were thriving in their roles! As we hit the last month of the scheme, we thought we’d have a little catch up. We wanted to see how they have found working at Major, and how the experience has been for them.
Kickstarters in the Major Group
We saw this scheme as a fantastic concept; it gave us the opportunity to encourage 16 -24 year olds currently at risk of long-term unemployment back into work. It was a no-brainer for us, any chance we can get to help people back to work we’ll take – it’s what we do!
Since the scheme began, we have put 40 individuals to work across the entire group (including our Equity Partners). We have been able to create roles and even reshape certain roles around the individuals who have joined us. There has been many successes during this time, with several people joining us on a full-time basis. We are even looking to give another 6-7 Kickstarters the opportunity to join the group before the scheme ends.
Let’s talk to their managers
It would be too easy to take our word for the success of our Kickstarters. We decided to speak to some of their direct superiors. This would let us see exactly how they’ve performed and integrated into the team.
John Barron – Area Manager North East took on Jamie Pude
“Jamie joined our business in June last year. He worked 25 hours per week while he got a feel for the business, the role of a resourcer and likewise, we got an understanding of Jamie’s work ethic, commitment, and capability. It didn’t take long for Jamie to settle in and for us to understand his capabilities. Meaning, in August, Jamie was increased to full time hours. Jamie had never worked in recruitment, but quickly developed his skills and competency on all levels asked of him. This has been a huge help to our small team, and we look forward to seeing Jamie develop further in his new, permanent role as Trainee Recruitment Consultant within the Newcastle Healthcare team. We’re already planning to recruit another resourcer which will free Jamie up to develop business and grow his own specialist desk within the team.”
Wendy Cresswell – Head of Group HR took on Shauna Gunning
“As Head of HR I have seen a huge success in the Kickstarter programme. Within the HR team we appointed Shauna in June 2021 as Customer Service Administrator to cover the onboarding process. Shauna came to us with at least 6 years’ experience in customer service and I was really excited to welcome her to the team. She hit the ground running and has been a real asset to the team. Shauna is now a member of the Major family and to show how much we value her; she is currently on a development path to move into a more advisory role, and we are looking to expand the team with a new Kickstarter.”
Gary Rockcliffe – MD of Perigon Associates (Major’s Equity Partner) took on Matucha Todor
“Matucha has been a brilliant success! From the very first time I met with her, she was bubbly, engaging and really did make me laugh. I knew from then she had potential. She made a couple of placements on the temp side but has quickly found the perm market is more for her. She has been working alongside me in the engineering market. We have used the Major Temp & Perm training courses as well as some online training, with a lot of ‘on the job’ learning. Matucha is a natural people person, we love having her in the office and we look forward to having a long and successful working relationship together. We’re planning to offer her a permanent contract, she has earned it!”
Let’s talk to them
As an organisation internal communication is something we are focused on, no more so than with our Kickstarters. From their start dates right up until today, we are in constant communication to make sure everything is going well, they are comfortable in the role, and they have everything they need to complete their tasks in hand. With the Kickstarter Scheme soon ending, we wanted to do a catch-up piece. We thought we’d get everyone together and see how their expectations have been met. We wanted to hear their thoughts on the process, and their overall experiences.
“At Major I’ve felt that it’s much more relaxed and friendly than I first anticipated. Everyone still works towards their weekly and monthly goals but rarely allow the atmosphere to become stressed. Now I know what I’m doing and can help other if needed, I feel that I fit in well”
Holly Gill – Wakefield Logistics Administrator:
“The support from my manager was great! Within the first week I’d already had multiple training sessions and a meeting to see how I was feeling/fitting into the company. My role is currently in the process of changing. I am taking on job boards, in order to cover for my colleague who is going on maternity leave. This is a change from my compliance role and a new challenge to learn.”
Sam Gartland – Compliance Administrator
“I have delved into telesales, when needed, been offered and progressing into social media marketing and payroll roles too. I had said that I would be happy to take on anything and everything to gain new skills and experience! So far, my biggest achievement has to be getting people into jobs through telesales, and when I get loads of candidates, clients and contacts on our database!”
Tia Lowe-Fowler – Edwards Employment
“I’ve had trouble finding work and when I heard about this scheme, I knew it was something that could help me. At first, I was pretty nervous but when I got there it went alright. The job described for me was what I was looking for, and I was very enthusiastic when I learned that I got it! I’ve really improved my excel skills whilst I’ve been here and learned how to use a variety of systems. I want to keep learning new skills that will help me in the future. I’d love to work for Major and help the company improve with my co-workers.”
Thomas Davies – Administrator
“It’s hard to say what my expectations were. This was my first admin role and my first role as a recruiter. I had no clue what either would be like. But I was surprised by how friendly the atmosphere in the office was. I assumed that recruitment offices were competitive (maybe people would be fighting over clients or sales). However, Major is quite the opposite.”
Conor Barrett – Automotive Branch Administrator
“Since I started, I have been given more responsibility. Developing into an advisory role rather than staying as admin. My biggest achievement so far was being told I wasn’t going anywhere after my fixed term and that I was going to be developed into an advisor!”
Shauna Gunning – HR Administrator
“My role has changed quite a lot since I first started. I came into Major as a logistics admin but I’m starting to take on the role of branch admin more and more. Hopefully, I’ll be able to run payroll and free up more time for the consultants to do their job. The toughest challenge I’m still yet to overcome is payroll but I’m picking it up week by week so it shouldn’t be long now.”
Robert Durham – Logistics Administrator
“I pursued the Kickstart scheme because I have had no experience and struggled getting a job. The interview was very calm and relaxed. My first feeling of Major was that everyone working for major is a family. Everyone in the office has helped me, because when I first started, I was extremely nervous, and they have all given me confidence.”
Max Coatsworth – Compliance Administrator
“I chose Major as I liked the company values. My interview was optimistic and focused more on me than the job itself. Major has created a healthy environment in which to work in. The role is challenging yet rewarding, and I love the collaborative and friendly atmosphere in the office increases productivity.”
Jamie Pude – Healthcare Resourcer
How do they find working for Major?
This opportunity to see how people perceived Major could not be missed. With so many new people joining us, some completely new to recruitment, we saw this as a great opportunity. It was a chance to receive a completely unbiased opinion of life at Major. We were so happy with the responses, here are just a few examples:
“It’s not just about working it’s about interacting, and major is more than just an employer they are a family”
“You’ll always feel welcomed. Staff are so friendly; the offices begin to feel like a second home. You’ll meet so many new people! it’s actually amazing how big the company is and how many people you’ll get to know. It is challenging, but there’s nothing more rewarding than helping others”
“Major is very passionate and welcoming; they are very invested in developing their employees and building them up regardless of their role”
We honestly couldn’t ask for anything more! Here’s a look at our Kickstarters having a good time at last years Major awards ceremony – Majorfest! Please don’t judge them from this, apologies guys! :D.
