BlueArrow UK

ADDING VITAL LINKS TO THE CHAIN: staffing a distribution centre in 45 days in an area of low unemployment.

Exel is the global leader in supply chain management, providing customer focused solutions to a wide range of manufacturing and retail industries. It is a UK listed FTSE 100 company, has a turnover of over £4.5 billion and employs more than 60,000 people worldwide.

THE CHALLENGE

Exel won a contract with a leading UK retailer that required a new client-dedicated distribution centre in an area with some of the UK’s lowest unemployment rates, exaggerated by an exceptionally high demand for logistics staff. Exel needed their management to focus less on recruitment and more on operating the new centre. Blue Arrow was called in as an established and innovative supplier of tailored recruitment services.

THE SOLUTION

A Project Resourcing Team was created to design an innovative "start-up" outsourcing model to fit within Exel’s existing budget. The team handled all Exel’s recruitment functions from candidate attraction to the screening and interviewing of candidates, as well as the supply of detailed Management Information at each stage of the recruitment process.

Innovative integrated advertising generated considerable interest in the local area. This interest was maximised by the use of our dedicated response centre which was able to capture responses 7 days a week. The recruitment project was also supported by the deployment of Mobile Recruitment Centres (MRC’s) to generate additional interest for the vacancies in the local towns.

The Mobile Recruitment Centres allowed us to seek out the best candidates and recruit them on the spot. The MRC’s are fully equipped with the latest recruitment software, with dedicated consultants on-hand to carry out interviews and manage the recruitment process.

THE RESULTS AND BENEFITS

• In one month we were able to;
  • pre-screened over 1000 responses
  • 1st interviewed over 500 candidates
  • put 150 candidates forward for the initial
  • 80 warehouse and 20 driving positions.
• Our response centre ensured all ad response was maximised, resulting in the placement of only three of the four planned press advertisements, further reducing costs
• Exel selected two out of every three candidates put forward by Blue Arrow for permanent positions and have supplied temporary workers to the site implementation in October 2001
• Hitting targets – by successfully recruiting over 100 staff, we helped Exel meet the deadline for opening the site on time
• Time equals money – their management spent less time on the recruitment process, allowing full attention to be given to operational tasks
• Whatever you want – we developed an innovative low cost charging system that allowed Exel to outsource volume recruitment within existing budgets
• Less is more – no additional agencies were required, allowing Exel greater control of costs and time
• The value of experience – the implementation was one of the smoothest experienced by Exel in recent years
• Informed decision-making – Blue Arrow Management Information was supplied to support strategic development decisions and control cost.

What Exel said about us

"The quality of people supplied and service provided during implementation by Blue Arrow was outstanding. We developed an excellent working relationship with the local branch, cemented by regular contact, support and improvement reviews."