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 for another 25 years.

Danielle 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”.

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”

“As an industry we went through a period where candidates were in short supply. Being based in Kent we have always had a large migrant workforce within our borders, and many seemed to disappear overnight! We had to think and adapt quickly.

By working and listening to our clients’ struggles, needs and future plans, we were able to navigate our way through them together. Some solutions included changing working patterns to either extend days, add in shifts, offer more flexible working etc… Parttime workers (such as students) now make up a larger portion of our contingent work force which is ideal for them to gain working experience whilst filing a gap for employers. We increased our marketing budget significantly and following a successful Kickstart placement internally, we now employ our Marketing and

Social Media Manager rather than outsourcing. This gives us full control and she really knows our business and where we need to push advertising etc… Some of the things she can do still blows my mind!

We have worked very closely with local government, job centres, attended jobs and career events more than ever before.”

After a tricky couple of years for the Recruitment Industry, Danielle, who joined the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce over a year ago, is positive of the future of not only MC Personnel but the job market also.

“The demand for temporary staff reduced over the last 18 months however I am delighted to say that has started changing and the outlook for 2024 / 2025 is looking much more positive!”

The demand for MC Personnel’s assistance in permanent contracts has increased by over 100% over the past 5 years and their continued growth within the Events and Hospitality sectors has seen a significant increase over the past couple of years.

The company was acquired 51/2 years ago when the original founders felt it was the right time and in very capable hands. In 2022 the company undertook the task to rebrand and modernise the overall look including a new logo and website.

Next year, this continues following recent investment in new technology to further assist their Recruitment staff to save time on administrative tasks and match even more suitable candidates to vacancies as well as an office refurb to keep in line with the rebrand.

“One thing that we pride ourselves on is being personable”, added Danielle.

“Industrial recruitment has always been at our core and our niche, we have also added many strings to our bow over the years including Events which has really taken off. There are not many recruiters that are able to offer a larger number of staff as well as transportation for them. As an example, we can provide up to 70 waiting staff over the Christmas period to just one venue alone. A lot of people who work in hospitality may be students and don’t have their own transport. If they are working at festivals or at events they may not finish until midnight and can’t use public transport. We can take them there and back and make sure they get home safe and sound”.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary of business, they have had several different events and promotions taking place throughout the year. Recently the Mayor of Medway, Cllr Nina Gurung came along to the office where she spoke to the team at length and enjoyed some celebration cakes and photographs. All the team have been out delivering treats to their clients and work force to say thank you. There is also a special offer running for the rest of the year on permanent placements.

In October, Danielle has organised a company weekend away for the team.

“The team works so hard. Recruitment can be very stressful and throughout it all they all stay so upbeat and positive. I can’t wait to see everyone letting their hair down, they thoroughly deserve it!” she added.

Danielle is proud to be a member of the Chamber calling it “an additional support system in the business hub of Kent”.

“The Chamber has helped to put us in touch with other members. It is not only about picking up additional business though, speaking to people in a range of businesses about what’s happening to them and how it’s affecting employers is so worthwhile” she said. “Because we deal with employers daily, it’s good to know how we can support them further and understand their challenges alongside our own.

“To new members, I would always advise them to check out the Events Calendar. The Chamber held a Social Media course recently which my Marketing Manager attended, and she said it was brilliant, very worthwhile and it was free!”

She added: “There are lots of great Recruitment companies out there, we often work together. I firmly believe that the fact that MCP is a service-led business is what makes us one of the best in Kent. We don’t pretend to always be the cheapest but in the long run we are cost effective. Our service and ability to go beyond the normal or expected is what sets us apart. Standards are non-negotiable if we work together. People are our product so it will never be perfect but it will be an honest and hopefully long-term partnership when you work with us!”