Training

RECRUITMENT IN THE ELECTRICAL TRADE — WHY PAY FOR YOUR TALENT?

Mick Fitzgerald, Director at Options Skills, discusses the benefits of recruiting trainees and the value they can bring to your business to help you meet your business goals.

The past year has bought about financial challenges for every business. Many business owners have had to put the hopes of growing their business on hold whilst the financial situation settles, with the cost of recruitment feeling out of reach for many as work picks up again.

On average, the cost-per-hire in the UK is £3,000. The cost of using a recruitment agency can be higher than this, with the fee often being around 20-30% of the final salary of the new employee. With COVID-19 tightening the budget for many electrical businesses, the engineering sector saw a 74.2% drop in recruitment in 2020.

Those who have traditionally relied on apprentices or recruitment agencies to source their junior team members are slowing down the process of expanding their teams, leaving existing employees overworked.

However, recruiting through an agency, apprenticeship scheme or advertising through online job forums isn’t the only way you can expand your team and find junior team members. You could recruit a trainee.

Recruiting an electrical trainee

Electrical trainees are often people who have wanted to pursue a new career path, and they are looking for experience in the electrical trade to build their portfolio.

Many training providers will be happy to match you with the perfect trainee for your business, exactly as a recruitment agency or apprenticeship scheme would, but without the associated fees.

How do you know it’s time to recruit a trainee?

If you’re looking to expand your electrical business or have retirement in your sights, it may be a good time to take on a team member to allow you spend less time ‘on the tools’, and more time working on the business rather than in it.

As well as saving costs on recruitment, recruiting a trainee has a variety of benefits for you and your business, helping you to:

• Find the right cultural fit Finding the right person who fits in with the culture of your business can be challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring a potential team member has the right soft skills to succeed.

Trainees will often have a whole host of soft skills, not just the technical skills required to complete the job, with many training providers including soft skills as part of the curriculum.

• Find someone committed to growth By investing in electrical training, trainees display a clear commitment to their professional growth and route to a successful career. This means they will prove to be a reliable and dedicated member of your team, eager to learn and grow with your business.

• Spend less time ‘on the tools’ As a seasoned and highly experienced electrician, you may feel reluctant to spend too much time on menial tasks. By recruiting an electrical trainee, you can focus on putting the tools down and managing others and growing your business instead.

On average, the cost-per-hire in the UK is £3,000

• Build your business A trainee can help you to expand your business. By having a bigger team, you can grow your reach and delight more clients with your services. Expanding your business can allow you to increase your income and continue to invest in growth to build the story of your business.

• Leave a legacy Recruiting a trainee allows you to leave a legacy through training the next generation of tradespeople and become a mentor. As an experienced electrician, you know your trade inside and out, giving you the ability to teach it thoroughly and provide trainees with the crucial ‘on the job’ skills they won’t learn through training courses.

Why pay for your talent?

Expanding your team by employing trainees is a great way to save money and cut costs on recruitment. It also helps you to build the story of your business and leave a legacy through teaching the next generation of tradespeople.