THERE'S MORE THAN just a job on offer at recruitment specialists Randstad Staffing, courtesy of its comprehensive employee development programme. After attending the organisation's induction workshop new hires work in partnership with their manager to develop through tasks, shadowing, formal training, e-learning and face-to-face coaching. Following an intensive six months the training continues for three years and even then, there's plenty of opportunity to move on to the management ladder. As well as its internal management schemes Randstad Staffing runs a "talent camp" for aspiring future leaders. These offer rising stars the opportunity to take on a business challenge, and people also get the chance to learn other new skills from taking part in an aerial adventure to being shown how to make cocktails. Employees, two-thirds of whom are women, find the experience they gain valuable for their future and feel they can make a difference within the organisation, returning positive scores of 76% on both points. The prospects are good, too, given that nine out of the firm's 14 senior managers were promoted to their posts — proof if it were needed that jobs here are good for personal growth (75%) and that the training is of great benefit to people personally (65%). Last year, Randstad Staffing spent almost £430,000 on developing employees. Staff are clear about what is expected of them (75%) and believe they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the organisation (80%). The policy of promoting from within may explain the high regard in which bosses are held. Employees have confidence in the leadership skills of the senior management team (74%), who truly live the values of the organisation (72%). Randstad Staffing's leaders actively promote an open-door policy and spend more time out in the field than they do in their office and in board meetings. Managers lead from the front, too. They care about how satisfied employees are in their job (71%) and are excellent role models (70%). Staff tell us that work is an important part of their lives (78%). Founded in Holland in 1960, Randstad Staffing provides recruitment and human resources services. It operates in more than 40 countries with 28,000 employees working from about 4,000 offices worldwide. The company's 1,000 workers in Britain are based at 157 sites including the Luton headquarters and specialise in a wide range of sectors from engineering, healthcare and education to property, marketing and IT, as well as interim management and the growing areas of managed service provision and flexible labour resource management. There is no time to be bored at Randstad Staffing, which comprises Randstad Employment Bureau, Randstad Care and Randstad Education, and staff are excited about where the business is going (both 74%). With its extensive branch network and geographic locations, the organisation uses webinars, conferences and road shows to spread the message on its vision and values as well as new business strategy. Social events play a large role in employee engagement, as do team-building activities such as a recent off-site event for the marketing department following the merger of three departments into one centralised facility. Initiatives like these further boost camaraderie. Staff, who get a buzz out of working with colleagues, feel a strong sense of family in their team (both 73%). The average salary of a recruitment consultant is £21,735 a year and they are among almost 60% of workers who earn between £15,000 and £25,000. Benefits include share options, the opportunity to buy five days' extra holiday and a contributory pension. Bonus schemes and sales incentives allow managers to recognise achievement. A new Randstad Stars scheme has seven different reward levels ranging from £25 to £1,000 in the form of vouchers redeemable against gifts and experiences. www.randstad.co.uk
