-
Written by - Davinia Farr
Start a career in Recruitment
Do you want a chance to have a career in Recruitment, working out of a vibrant office in the centre of London? We are recruiting new M&E Resourcers for our London (City) office based in Farringdon. You need an ability to communicate well - the telephone will be your best friend! But all of your communication skills, such as being able to construct a job advert, correctly send emails messages and be a part of the team, will make you a success in this role. So if you are interested in working for 1st Step, don't hesitate to get in touch to find out more! Call us on 0207 760 7622 and ask for Davinia Farr.
Read more -
Written by - Davinia Farr
Anna-Marie Warren - She's one of our own
I will never forget the day I met Anna, she turned up at Chelmsford Railway station with a mass of curly hair, big hoop earrings and a smile that would light up a room. From the day she started Anna has been one of my most loyal team members. Initially starting in an office Admin position Anna quickly demonstrated a real flair for recruitment, and alongside the office admin duties started to source Site Administrators and Document Controllers to go and work for our clients. This “side-line” Anna started quickly grew and grew, and soon she was focused on recruitment full time as a Delivery Consultant and then a Consultant. Over the 4 years Anna has been in my team one thing has never changed and that is the passion she shows for finding her candidates the right job for them. For Anna, it’s not about where will make her the most money or who will she hit her target with; it’s all about finding the perfect job for her candidates who she cares so much about. Anna’s passion for 1st Step Solutions has stood out since her first day. She is a real team player and works as tirelessly for the good of her team as she does her candidates and she makes me immensely proud every day when I watch her conduct herself with so many of the morals that 1st Step stands for; she is honest, has integrity and above all she simply cares. Over the four years Anna has been with us her desk has grown from just Site Administrators and Document Controllers to also recruiting for PA’s, Office Managers, Technical Coordinators, Commercial / Estimating Administrators, Accounts Administrators, Purchase Ledger staff to name just a few. I cannot thank Anna enough for her unwavering support and hard work and would like to assure any candidate looking for work in Business Support with M&E and Construction that they are in very safe hands with Anna.
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
Max White - Three Years On
Three years ago today, August 17th 2015, Max White passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. An inspirational man, who was a unique character that you rarely find in life. As a colleague, he was much loved and respected by everyone in 1st Step. It is not often you can say nobody had a bad word to say about someone and know it is true – but Max was one of those guys. Personally, he was a great Father to Ellie and a fantastic friend to those around him, too. His influence inside 1st Step was one thing, but the impact of his personality, professionalism and class in dealing with people reached far beyond the doors of West Hill House in Dartford and our offices that he helped to grow. You can ask many of our clients and industry experts that dealt with Max and they say the same thing – what a great man! Just look at the fundraising his friends and colleagues have undertaken for Live Life to the Max – the generosity and will of countless people to fundraise in his name is an astounding testament to his life and memory and a source of much-needed funding for Cancer Research UK. When Max found out about his cancer, he took it in his stride and fought it. He did get frustrated by the system, but he did it with a positive heart and mind. Dignified in his battle, he started the Live Life to the Max campaign that is still going strong today. He remained a good person to talk to – frank and honest in his opinions but with a heartfelt desire to give the best advice. Genuinely, not a day goes by for us at 1st Step where his name isn’t mentioned in some way. Over half of our colleagues didn’t meet him. But every person has heard about him and understands what he stood for because his values shaped what 1st Step stands for. Honest and loyal confidants that you can rely on. Three years haven’t made it easier to take that he has gone, but his legacy makes his family, friends, colleagues and industry peers from all walks of life remember that there is a right way to be with people. Live Life to the Max
Read more -
Written by - Stuart Wallis
Working at full speed
We have so many vacancies on our books at the moment, that is easier to tell you what we are not recruiting for; we don't need astronauts right now. Our teams are working the phones so hard that they make a Comic Relief night telephone operator look like they are on a go-slow! We have vacancies for temporary and permanent placements at a whole range of clients, and we are looking for candidates in every field, be it trades and labour or Project Managers, and everything in between. So what are you waiting for? Visit https://www.1ststepsolutions.co.uk/contact-us/head-office and find the office nearest to you, and give them a call! Your next move and career step is only a call away.
Read more -
Written by - Mike Elliott
More than just a Project....
The Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre - Stanford Hall Estate While each Recruiter will have his/her opinion on projects, clients and candidates, what we all have in common is that common goal of providing an excellent service to all. Some, like myself, started a career in recruitment for job satisfaction and knowing you have aided people seeking employment to the clients who rely on our services daily. Having served in the military for over 14 years, I initial joined 1st Step Solutions due to their impending contract to supply a large M&E contractor on a new state of the art Rehabilitation centre for the Military’s injured and wounded soldiers with a national capacity. This project is something I really wanted to be part of and watch the project develop from a piece of land to a brand-new purpose build facility that some of my old colleagues and friends will be using. From early 2016 1st Step Solutions had tendered the supply of tradesman to SES (Engineering Services). Having successful been chosen, I would assume the role as the onsite Recruitment consultant. This would involve visiting the site at least once per week, which would increase during busier periods, walking around site visiting the supervisors and candidates weekly, liaising with the senior project team to ensure we could be more pro-active and understanding their labour plan early on. This also included dealing with any issues that may arise from both the supervisors or the candidates throughout the entire project, managing absences, holidays, occupational health assessments and completion of the timesheets each week. The initial order of a 2 CPCS Slingers quickly turned in to 2 Electricians, 2 Electrical Improvers followed by another order just before the Christmas break. Returning to the site in January, another large order was placed which our team had successfully sourced and supplied another batch of high-quality tradesman in a timely manner. Due to the project being of such magnitude with at peak over 800 tradesmen on site, certain areas of the project were not ready for the M&E installation. This resulted in the labour fluctuating which needed to be managed from the outset. Having supplied and managed the labour requirement since 2016, we have a built up a great rapport and relationship with both SES (engineering services) its supervisors and staff and all the candidates we have supplied. Watching this project from a grassland to a huge building site to now walking around site seeing the little things like door name tags, the walls all painted and rooms fully complete ready for the patients to move in including that brand-new smell, really brings home the work that all the tradesman have done. Some of this work is amazing like the brickwork, M&E Installation (that’s visible), painters, groundworks, windows and doors and behind the scenes that most will never know to exist are the designers and architects, all supporting staff that managed the designs, site associated paperwork, administration roles that are key to help move the project forward etc have all been instrumental in the whole DNRC project. This project will be a lasting legacy in the area of Loughborough and I’m very proud to play our part in it, however small it may seem. Being a recruiter has it’s up’s and downs and being the ‘middleman’ we can receive the pressure from both angles, however that said, this project has really made me and my team fully understand that we are not just supplying an electrician, a slinger, a labourer, a supervisor or a plumber, we are supplying candidates that will and do make a difference not just to the client but to the end user and in this case, our injured troops. Although this project has been officially handed over in July 2018 to the Prime Minister in the presence of His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, the facility will not fully open until later this year with the first patients looking to move in circa early October 2018. I will be looking forward to seeing this project fully open and take the opportunity to visit some friends. Don’t take my word for it, take a look for yourself and see the incredible work to date and to find out more information visit the DNRC Website https://www.thednrc.org.uk/
Read more
TAKE YOUR 1ST STEP TO A NEW CAREER
Find out more about joining the 1st Step team...
- find out more
