Member Article

New approach to recruitment

A Darlington recruitment firm has launched a new initiative to encourage cash-strapped companies to take on staff.

Beaumont Recruitment will be hiring out blue-collar workers from just £1 per hour - £4.73p below the minimum wage for workers aged 22 and over - and making up the shortfall in wage packets itself.

The scheme will target up to 200 staff and could add as much as £600,000 to Beaumont’s costs - meaning it would run at a “massive loss”. The firm generates annual revenues of around £500,000-£750,000.

Manager and director Shaun Connolly said: “This is surely the cheapest labour charge rate in the UK - if not Western Europe. We are looking at this as an investment in the future.”

Under the scheme, he will guarantee the £1 per hour rate for the rest of the year if companies sign up to a five-year service agreement.

Mr Connolly launched a similar initiative last year, charging out staff at £5.55 per hour - but only 15-20 companies took advantage as the recession began to bite and demand for staff dried up.

A former bricklayer, he has trialled several unusual ideas - most recently advertising his four-bedroom property on beer mats and football cards after ditching his estate agent.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .