Thebestof bolton is all about local products and services for local people so we love this blog written by the team at Good People Services in Bolton who present a realistic and practical view point of how employing local people can be of real benefit to employers.

Local jobs for local people

Hiring local employees sounds a like a great idea.  There are also all kinds of grants and initiatives from public bodies to support those furthest from the labour market. But is it realistic or a just a pipe dream?

Not so long ago a British Prime Minster intoned ‘British Jobs for British Workers’. The phrase ’local people for local jobs’ has a League of Gentleman ‘local shop for local people’ echo, but it is the aim of many Local Authorities and Job Centres.  Bolton’s own William Hesketh Lever created his own worker village at Ellesmere Port to allow Lever Brothers’ staff to live right on the doorstep. The modern reality is that there is little relationship between where people live and where they work.

But hiring local talent will often enhance an employer’s reputation locally and lead to more permanent tenure too.  Although generally it is best-suited towards the semi-skilled jobs where there is often a sizeable cohort of local candidates. 

In addition, the Equality Act can help the employers assist the job chances for locals. ’Positive Action’ allows firms to help those with different needs or with a past track record of disadvantage or low participation to apply for jobs.

However this is not ’positive discrimination’, which the law does not allow, and recruitment must remain on merit.

The key benefits of recruiting local staff:

•For employees it reduces travel time and helps work-life balance

•For employers: you can be seen as part of the community

•Generally: a multitude of labour available at short notice.  It can also be good for business when staff are local too.

Good People recruitment, Britain’s best loved recruitment business, is based in Bolton and can help you with recruitment of local staff.  Contact us for more information  mail@goodpeopleservices.com