Screwfix supports store growth with e-recruitment

Screwfix, a division of the Kingfisher group, has said the success of moving to new online recruitment systems last year has been instrumental in helping to realise its retail growth ambitions.

Recognised as being "where the trade buys," Screwfix is the UK's largest supplier of building, maintenance and refurbishment materials. In recent years it has grown its online business and expanded its network of Screwfix Direct trade counters to 90.

Screwfix is looking to extend the benefits of Logical Innovations' TalentTracker online recruitment system it implemented in February 2007 to support further openings planned throughout the UK, by recruiting staff that can deliver high levels of customer service.

Emma Bateman, Screwfix talent manager said that, going through its recent period of expansion, the company could not have employed successful recruitment processes without the new system.

"It's been absolutely critical to our success," she said. "The system is simple and easy to use both for our candidates and my recruiters and helps us to manage high volumes of applications efficiently."

The system provides the company with a customised Jobs Board to let candidates search and apply directly online. A detailed screening and selection process was developed to meet Screwfix's specific needs and ensure a high volume of candidates could be filtered while accurately assessing key skills.

Benefits reported include reductions in application costs per candidate of 50 per cent and recruitment administration time of 20 per cent. The retailer has also cut the time taken to recruit each new staff member by at least one week and has seen an increase in the number of suitable candidates in line with an improved level of service to potential recruits.

Miya Knights

A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.

Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.