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The Challenge Of Retaining Skilled Vehicle Dismantlers.


A quick search on Indeed reveals 17 new job vacancies, posted from all different companies in the last two weeks, looking to recruit vehicle depollution and dismantlers. This isn’t unusual, there are typically a dozen or more of these roles posted live at any one time on the jobsite. If we look a little further back, data reveals that many of these vacancies posted are from companies that have previously advertised the same or similar roles.


Is this just the result of typical push and pull forces within the labour market? People moving around in the job market seeking to improve their prospects, exploring new opportunities, or advancing their careers? Maybe. Or possibly this recruitment cycle could be the sign of an underlying problem. So, let’s address the elephant in the room.


Why are there so many adverts for vehicle dismantling roles? Why is it that we seem unable to keep these vacancies filled long-term? For employers suffering from high staff turnover, this never-ending cycle leaves them out of pocket, short on skills and resources, and unable to realise their business’s full potential. As difficult as it may be to admit, we must also consider that some treatment facilities may be choosing to overlook the problem, rather than tackling it, and in doing so, damaging the long-term viability of that business.


So, if you are the sort of business owner who accepts there may be an underlying recruitment issue and would like to learn more about why it happens and how to address it, join us here over the next few weeks as we delve deeper.


Transforming Employee Turnover into Long term Retention

Fact – Many ATFs experience significant employee turnover, struggling both to recruit and retain their dismantling operatives. If this is true for your business, you are not on your own. Organisations large and small often struggle to admit that they have a recruitment problem, as it damages the brand perception. Never underestimate the importance of being recognised within the industry with a "Best Place to Work" Award. Such accolades strengthen a business's employer brand value and help to attract future talent. Consider also that any business who has previously experienced recruitment problems and successfully addressed them, are unlikely to share the secret sauce that turned their recruitment woes around.

Thankfully the fix is neither elaborate nor expensive, but it does require additional investment. And before you stop reading at the mere mention of spending more money, consider this: The reoccurring recruitment cycle is already costing you way more than it would to invest and address the problem once and for all.


The acceptance of a never-ending cycle of recruitment, hire, fire and rehire, is costing hundreds of thousands of pounds per annum. On average a new starter will need to remain in a fulltime role for six months to pay back the initial investment made at induction. Recruitment expenses, induction training, agency costs, productivity, uniform and PPE, are all typical costs written off when employment prematurely ends. I completely understand why businesses may be hesitant to “overspend” on new employees, especially in those crucial first few months, but withholding investment may be the very reason why your new recruits choose not to hang around.


It is vital that your business makes every effort to secure your new recruits and thus your investment, as there is rarely a second chance. After all, for them, the first few weeks and months are the make or break period where they are most likely to make the decision to remain or up and leave. The honeymoon period should bring employee and employer closer together, not closer to divorce! This is where company loyalty will be either be established or lost forever. If an individual feels they are undervalued, they are not properly supervised, or an employer is holding out on training and development, they are far more likely to walk away in favour of a competitor who isn't. It is ludicrous for a business to lose 80% of their initial investment in a new employee for the sake of withholding the last 20%. I literally have had experienced managers boasting, "I lost our new starter Jimmy last week after three months with us! Its a good job I held back on his Fork Lift Truck training; otherwise that would have been another £500 down the drain!"


The "lets see how they pan out" tactic is most likely going to lead to them to walking away prematurely. Layout your new employee's training programme from the start and share with them, and don't make promises to recruits that are likely to remain aspirational, or you are unlikely to keep. Give them the qualifications and skills to make them the best versions of themselves. This benefits everyone and sends a clear and positive message to your new recruit that you care about their development, as well as ensuring they possess the necessary skills to hit the ground running, and do the job asked of them to the best of their ability.


Next week we will be discussing how Brexit and the pandemic drastically altered the UK Job Market and why we now need to take a different approach to recruitment if we intend to keep job vacancies filled and staff turnover low.



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