Imperial looks ahead to more success
RECRUITMENT
WORDS : PAUL FRASER PICTURES : CHRIS BOOTH
What a year in recruitment !
Imperial looks ahead to more success
As Christmas approaches , the Imperial Recruitment Group calendar becomes busier than at any other time of the year . And 2023 has been some year .
The Darlington-based firm is reflecting on whether it has achieved what it set out to achieve last January – and it has .
Despite a testing period in the recruitment world , Imperial has successfully engaged more with local communities and networked in business forums to help manage the challenges everyone faces .
These have included sponsoring and attending numerous events , including a Middlesbrough College charity football match in March that raised more than £ 4,000 for the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation .
Imperial , sited on Grange Road , Darlington , is a strong supporter of Middlesbrough FC , including the women ’ s section , and as part of that relationship the business provides temporary hospitality staff to the club on matchdays . Patricia Dodsworth , the group ’ s finance director , said : “ Even though we weren ’ t very good at football on the day , that tournament reaped the rewards for us as a great team building exercise .
“ Similarly , we were keen to support a charity golf day laid on by Teesside ’ s critical infrastructure specialists Durata later in the year and that brought in thousands for the charity too . We love being part of such fundraisers .”
Imperial has attended various expo and career fairs , sponsored by local councils , to provide a valuable platform for job seekers to come and see what opportunities exist .
And Imperial is now proudly associated with NEPIC , a not-forprofit organisation that promotes the needs and interests of the North-East processing sector .
Patricia said : “ We do so much across the community as a business and this last year proves that . One of my own personal favourites was supporting the
Stockton Town Football Club fun day . “ We hosted a brilliant ‘ keepy-up ’ competition . Our directors at Imperial think they are decent footballers , but no one could match the winner – a 14-yearold playing for Stockton Town Juniors . He managed to record 715 touches without the ball hitting the ground . Amazing ! I ’ m sure we will see him in a future professional team .”
Imperial ’ s hectic period also included plenty of engagement with peers . Anthony Antoniou , the managing director of the County Durham business ’ s professional arm , shared a Tees Business LIVE panel stage in April .
Anthony discussed the challenges in recruitment alongside Grant Glendinning ( the CEO of Education Training Collective ) Frans Caljé ( CEO of PD Ports ) and Jos Visser ( site director of SABIC UK Petrochemicals ).
Anthony said : “ It was a fantastic opportunity and platform to raise the profile of Imperial . The consensus from the panel was the need and ability to embrace change in the workplace .
“ Here we have actively changed our strategies in recruiting for our external partners and for our own internal recruitment . We recognise the candidate ’ s need for improvements to work-life balance and diversity .”
As Tees Business partners , Imperial ’ s managing director of the industrial workforce arm of the business , Jason D ’ Silva , and Patricia engaged in a roundthe-table discussion at the publisher ’ s Platinum Club . Imperial described ways of helping to fill various gaps in Teesside employment .
Jason said : “ Simply put , since Brexit we have a lack of entry level / volume workers and since Covid we have a skills shortage . Neither issue has a quick
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