Swanstaff Recruitment Candidate information

Welcome to our candidate information hub!

If you are already registered with Swanstaff then this is the place to be! The information below will give you essential information to assist you in your role.

Thank’s so much for choosing Swanstaff as your agency – don’t forget to download our recruitment APP on your phone for latest shift alerts, to send us your availability or submit feedback! If you are not yet registered with Swanstaff for work, visit our temporary recruitment pages for more information.

Refer a friend

Did you know that we offer cash bonuses if you refer your friends? You can earn up to £200 per referral – it’s as easy as A, B, C!

Refer Your friend via the form below or directly with your branch contact

We will contact your friend and ask if they’d like to register with us

Once they are registered and have worked 100 hours you will receive your bonus!

There is no limit to the number of referrals you can make – if you think you could refer regularly you may also want to look at our Ambassadors programme which has even more perks!

What bonus can you earn?

£25 Healthcare Assistant/Support Worker/Warehouse Operative/3.5t Driver

£50 7.5t Driver

£150 HGV Driver (Class 1 or 2)

£200 Nurse

Top Tip! You may have friends that you could refer that don't live near your local branch - you can still refer them to our national recruiting team or one of our other branches and if they register with us you can still claim a bonus.

Ambassador Scheme

As a Swanstaff Ambassador, you always go the extra mile to ensure you are reliable, work to the highest standards and always with a smile! You will be proactive in promoting Swanstaff to other potential workers and make regular referrals.

The benefits of being a Swanstaff Ambassador

Expedited referral fees

Access to our Perks scheme with discounts on high street shopping, travel and leisure, days out, dining out, free mobile phone insurance and LOADS more!

Ambassador Pin

Ambassador Business cards to make referrals easy

Ambassador welcome pack and how-to-guide

Think you have what it takes? Contact your local branch to discuss becoming an Ambassador.

How to get the most out of a job fair

2018-07-24

A group of potential employers and recruiters all in one place and looking to hire? It sounds like a job seekers dream but it is much more than that. It is an opportunity to network and get to know the people you’re applying to work for. So how can you prepare to make the most of visiting a job fair? We’ve broken it down into four stages; before the fair, on the day, during the fair and after it. Before the job fair you will need to: Print enough copies of your CV Depending on the size of the job fair you may want to bring one copy per job stand so that you’re ready. If it’s a particularly big job fair then try to work out how many will be relevant to you and print a few more than that (you don't want to run out!). Your CV should only be 1-2 pages so you should print them double sided if possible. That way you’re only handing them one piece of paper and there’s no chance of the two halves getting separated. Business cards If you have personal business cards then bring them. A business card is not essential but if you have one it will make you look both prepared and professional so make sure to bring enough! Research, research, research A job fair is a fantastic opportunity to speak to the people who will be involved in hiring you so you want to make a good impression. Find out which companies will be there and research the ones most relevant to you. You can use the knowledge you gather on the company to show that you have a real interest in working for them. Typically the first question they will ask is “why do you want to work for us?” so you should be ready with reasons you are interested in their company. On the day you will need to: Dress smartly Making a good first impression is important. You will need to dress smartly, as though you are attending an interview. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes (but not trainers) as you will be on your feet quite a bit. If you want to see more ideas of what to wear to look professional then check out our blog. Remember the essentials This will include a notepad for writing down contact details, a couple of pens, a diary/calendar so that you can schedule meetings whilst you are there and a bottle of water. You will often be given marketing materials so bring a small bag so that you will have somewhere to put them whilst you are speaking to other employers. When you get there: Get your bearings depending on the size of the job fair it may be worth walking around it once to work out the busiest stands. If you are given a map then sit down and circle the stands you are most interested in. This will help you plan a route to make sure you don’t miss anyone. Prioritise ones you are most interested in If you have enough time then it is worth visiting the employers you are least interested in first. This gives you the chance to warm up, practise your pitch and make sure you come across as confidently as possible for the ones you really care about. However, you will need to remember to keep an eye on the time and factor in the potential for waiting to speak with some employers. If you feel like you are running out of time then go and see your top choices as quickly as possible! Take notes When speaking to the employers always ask if they mind if you take some notes. They often won’t and will appreciate that you are taking the initiative to record important information. Write down the company name and the name of the person you spoke to. Ask them for their business card or contact details if they do not have one. You should ask what the next steps are (who needs to contact who and when). If possible find out the dates they plan to interview so that you can keep the days free for this. Ask questions Using your research try to ask questions about the organisation. Some other question you could ask might be: Is there a specific type of experience or training you like applicants to have? How would you describe working here? What can I do to help me stand out from other applicants? How often do you have positions come up? Are there opportunities for progression? After the job fair: Say thank you Using the contact details and business cards you gathered, send a thank you note to the person you spoke to. This could be an email, card or letter. This acknowledges the time they spent with you, creates direct contact and gives them a positive memory of you. Follow up If you were asked to email your CV to a specific person or come along to meet someone then make sure you do this. There is nothing worse than making a good first impression and then letting them down by being late or not getting in touch. If you leave it too long then you risk missing out on the roles they have. Find them on LinkedIn Try to find the people you spoke with on LinkedIn. Even if you aren’t able to work with them immediately they are great to add as part of your network as a long term opportunity. Attending a job fair is a great way to get to know employers and help them find out more about you. Can you think of any other tips on how to get the most out of a job fair? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re looking to meet with experienced recruiters you don’t need to wait for the job fairs. Check out our branch locator for your nearest team and give them a call to find out more about how a recruitment agency can help you!

10 ways we support our employee’s mental health (that you can use too!)

2018-01-23

As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week we thought we would share some of the things that we do here at Swanstaff to support our staff’s wellbeing and mental health. Hopefully some of these ideas can inspire you. An open and fun company culture Whilst it’s great to be productive, it’s also good to break things up by doing something fun or silly in the office. This can be anything from chair races (making sure to double check with whoever looks after your health and safety!) to building a human pyramid or having a hula hooping competition! It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time but getting people laughing is great for morale and a positive mental attitude. Open door policy with management Our brilliant management team have an open door policy, meaning you can go to any of them for advice with your issues or concerns. Our brilliant HR team are also there to answer any problems or questions you might have. They are always there to support, only a phone call or email away. We really encourage staff to open up and let someone know if they’re struggling or need additional support. Wellbeing week We hold regular “WOW” events – the Week Of Wellness are full of wellbeing activities for all staff. To find out more about what these involve, click HERE. Great office space Our offices are amazing (if we do say so ourselves!). They incorporate large open plan areas where the majority of staff work, alongside glass offices for managers to emphasise the openness of the culture. We also have a number of quiet areas such as the bean bags meeting area, separate meeting rooms and a snug little room known as the library. We also have the more communal “Swan” which is our staff room. It includes a TV, fully fitted kitchen and bar. This is great to encourage our staff to really relax away from their desk on their breaks to make sure they come back from breaks feeling rested! Regular meetings 1 on 1 with manager An opportunity to highlight issues you may be having that you haven’t felt confident bringing up at other times, also an opportunity to discuss progress and development you might be interested in within your role. Buddy scheme Here at Swanstaff we run a buddy scheme for new starters which pairs them up with someone else doing the same role but at another branch within the company. This gives them the support of being able to speak to someone they don’t see every day to discuss anything that might be worrying them about their job role or to simply brainstorm ideas that can help them in their role. Perk Box Our Perk Box system gives all our employees access to hundreds of fantastic codes and vouchers to get them money off a variety of things such as meals out, gym, wellness classes and family activities. This really helps to support their emotional wellbeing outside of work. Be positive If an employee has to take time off due to ill health or stress then our HR team have open communication with them to ensure we are doing all we can to support them. This can include a phased return to work, with reduced hours or duties to ease them in. For us it is important to focus on what employees can do, rather than what they struggle with to build their confidence and get them back into their original role at a pace that is set by the individual. Social events We have a number of social events, including Christmas and summer parties which everyone is invited to. We also go to awards evenings and everyone is given the opportunity to go to these. This is done by putting the names of everyone who wants to go in a hat to give them all a fair chance at getting one of the tickets. Charity As a company we organise and take part in events to support a variety of charities and causes. This is great for giving everyone a real sense of achievement and making them feel good which aids positive mental health. Tracey Isom, HR Advisor at Swanstaff said: "Mental Health is a taboo subject despite it affecting 1 in 7 people in the workplace. Taking care of mental health is so important, not only for employees own wellbeing but to enable them to be productive and efficient at work. At Swanstaff we take mental health seriously and strive to ensure our employees happiness and wellbeing comes from within!" What are your company doing to aid a positive environment for good mental health? Let us know in the comments below If all of this sounds like the type of company you would like to work for then please get in touch with our Talent Team on 01322 473 157.