Leicester’s inclusive business community

Leading locally, ER Recruitment are keen advocates of supporting and matching local people and employers and are very aware of how an inclusive approach can benefit all. The team tells us more

DMU – SURAYA, HSBC, KATIE, SCARLETT, SCOTT & AYO (BRIGHTER FUTURES)

The goal of Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is to create a resilient, adaptive workforce from which all local residents have access to skills and career progression.

As a business born in Leicester, one of the key factors underpinning the success of ER Recruitment over its first eight years has been the inclusivity of its community. Not just in our local environment, with the support of like-minded businesses and professionals who have utilised our services and referred us to others, but through wider industry partnerships that have enabled us to grow. But there’s more.

Leicester is one of the largest cities in England, yet has the welcome advantage of a business community that is compact enough to thrive on positive relationships and word of mouth. The Good Growth for Cities Index this year named Leicester within its top 14 cities in which to work. Yet, in terms of job opportunities, Leicester is still considered a small city in comparison to larger cities within the UK.

We often hear about top talent choosing to relocate or commute to roles elsewhere. So it makes sense to read an LLEP plan for inclusivity that identifies the importance of local qualifications and employability, and career progression through jobs and skills. The value is clear in improving the quality of jobs, in-work progression, pay, and access to opportunity – it will help to retain our best and brightest people and add value to our economy.

By retaining a skilled and enthusiastic workforce, we continue to grow a vibrant city of thriving SMEs and corporate organisations, providing a pipeline of new talent for high profile brands such as Everards Meadows, PPL/PRS and Flogas Britain – each of which works in partnership with ER Recruitment.

Alongside these established names, there are, of course, a huge number of smaller independent employers (including ER Recruitment itself) which underpin the local economy. The LLEP put the SME total at more than 42,000 earlier this year.

ER Recruitment prides itself on its ability to attract and retain talent on behalf of all of our clients. But we want to do more to ensure that we support the region’s goal of continuously developing and retaining future talent. One way of doing so is by addressing the perception of work in Leicester being about manufacturing roles. That was why we developed BrightER Futures, one of many local schemes that promotes Leicester as a fantastic place to live and work.

Leicestershire is home to three world-class universities that contribute 17,000 skilled graduates to the workforce every year. Eileen Perry MBE DL is a Pro-Chancellor at De Montfort University and works with its careers support service DMU Works to create local work experience opportunities for third year students. This is a win-win in terms of talent retention.

Playing a part further strengthening our city’s economy by connecting talented professionals and students with reputable local business is #PartOfOurDNA. We’re excited to be playing our part in Leicester’s thriving future.

ER Recruitment offers Niche readers free recruitment advice. Email hello@eileenrichards.co.uk for a free consultation.

LEICESTER IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN ENGLAND, YET HAS THE WELCOME ADVANTAGE OF A BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT IS COMPACT ENOUGH TO THRIVE ON POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND WORD OF MOUTH

Simple ways to attract and retain talent

1 Promote yourself as an employer of choice, highlighting your business’s CSR impact within our connected community 2 Offer flexibility or hybrid working to attract candidates who have moved from other cities to improve work-life balance 3 Encourage your employees to grow their own personal branding by involving them in events and networking groups