The Big Interview
Recruitment firm’s focus on going the extra mile – and even have the wheels to get you there! From Apprentice to Director, Danielle Cassidy FIRP, of MC Personnel Ltd, talks to Sarah Dale about her focus on nurturing young talent, how the business has overcome adversity, and how they are futureproofing the company to thrive for another 25 years.
D
anielle Cassidy is passionate about Recruitment as well as mentoring people and helping them climb their chosen career ladder.
MC Personnel Ltd, main hub based in Gillingham, are a busy Recruitment Business. At the core of their growth plan, training and development are key. The business offer apprenticeships internally to at least two people per year who are looking to enter the industry. Director, Danielle is especially passionate about this and assisting those looking to get back into work, especially young mothers. “I’m very keen on mentoring people who show willing and helping them to develop their careers” said Danielle, who started at the firm in 2000 on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) herself and became Director this summer. “Getting young people excited about their future career is important to me. As a young mother myself, I didn’t want to have to make a choice between my family and my career. I wanted both! As a nation we are missing out on a huge amount of talent where parents, in particular mums, cannot afford to go back to work due to the cost of childcare or lack of support. Advances are being made, but there is still a long way to go”. “We are very strong on apprenticeships (for all ages!), it’s how I started, and it works. Across our senior and management team, many of these people started through this route. We support our teams with their career and personal development which includes professional qualifications up to degree level should they wish to embark on that journey. Empowering the team with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need is at the heart of how we operate”.
30
The recruitment firm has developed over its 25-year history. Established in 1998, the company was the brainchild of two women who saw a gap in the market for transporting temporary workers to their place of work, often in hard-to-reach places. With a fleet of up to 20 minibuses it is a service they still continue to provide. Historically, they specialise in Industrial recruitment. Engineering, Hospitality, Commercial and Driving Recruitment with expansion into the Exec search and C Suite level have all been added in successfully over the years. They typically service sectors throughout the Southeast, predominately Kent, Essex and London and typically have worked with employers to fulfil temporary requirements, although after just a few years they diversified into permanent recruitment also. They pride themselves on providing a personal service with “real people to talk to” and aim to be an extended arm of their client’s own personnel department. “Even with the continued investment into new technology to make our processes more streamlined, MCP will never lose that personal touch. You will always be able to speak to someone dedicated to your needs”. Danielle is very proud that her team of 25 were able to adapt and helped to provide many Key Workers throughout the pandemic, many of these were part of the chain that ensured the essentials we all needed were available on the shelves. The Cost-of-living Crisis and changes to immigration laws following Brexit has contributed to create “a perfect storm”
of challenges for many in the industry, including MC Personnel. “The increase in National Living Wage in April had a knock-on effect, ultimately, we had to pass this cost onto the end hirer which is then passed on until the increase reaches the consumer. People may be earning more, but we are all paying more for day-to-day items. Increasing NLW alone is not going to help solve the issue, as employers and businesses we have to adapt and think outside the box”. “End hirers have, on occasion had to make the difficult choice to leave their orders unfilled, leaving supermarket shelves unstocked either due to price or a lack of people available. Following Brexit, a huge amount of people left the UK and it is now much more difficult for people to enter and work here”
