Globally, industry and trade has been impacted by the spread of COVID19, forcing workers and employers alike to adapt and overcome in these challenging times. Moving from busy offices to work from home, socially distancing and utilising technology to catch up with colleagues over webcam and phone, we are all doing our bit to support each other in the midst of this worldwide pandemic.
In these unpredictable times, we’re also seeing examples of businesses innovating to confront these challenges: Dyson are setting up a production line to manufacture 5000 ventilators for the NHS, BrewDog has begun making hand sanitiser amid shortages in UK, and in response to global shortages Fiat has converted one of its car plants to start making one million masks a month. But of course, you don’t need to be an international company to make a difference, as individual KEY WORKERS make all the difference in industries crucial to the UK economy.
At D R Newitt, we have followed the advice of the government, and all our employees are self-isolating and working from home. However, this will not impact the high level of service we deliver to our clients and candidates, especially when industries require staff now more than ever. We are committed to providing Key Workers within the food and drink manufacturing industry including those involved in production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of goods.
With this in mind, we hope these questions and answers can provide clarity:
Q. Can I still recruit within the food industry?
A. Absolutely! If you need staff the time to recruit is NOW. Now more than ever workers are needed to fulfil demand.
Q. Can I attend interviews?
A. You are free to travel in the UK to attend an interview within the Food Industry as those employees have been designated as KEY WORKERS.
Q. I do not want to interview face-to-face at this time, what can I do?
A. There is a great deal of technology available to assist. At D R Newitt we are using ODRO (a video technology platform) to meet prospective candidates, so there’s no need to cancel or delay an interview.
Q. What if I need to interview with multiple team members?
A. ODRO has capabilities to hold conference calls – so get dates in the diary!
Q. What other precautions does D R Newitt have in place?
A. D R Newitt are pre-screening all candidates with a health check form prior to them being put forward for face to face interview.
Q. We cannot meet new starters in-person due to restrictions; how can we ensure they are onboarded appropriately?
A. There are many innovative solutions companies can use when it comes to onboarding new employees. Ensure new colleagues are adequately setup to work from home (laptop, telephones etc. delivered to them if necessary) and that they can communicate with IT Support. Plan! Set time aside that new starters can be trained by live video, keep in contact with them – or set them up with a supportive colleague. Schedule in group video sessions so that they can meet the whole team.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with get in touch with a member of our team.