Open days succeed for Safeway
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m Safeway has beaten the driver shortage with a two-day recruitment blitz including open days, presentations and a telephone hotline.
The Swan Valley depot near Northampton trebled its driver force by taking on 90 staff after flagging up its two open days in local press and radio adverts and doordrop fliers.
Paul Nicholls, Safeway's transport controller, says the supermarket's network has been handling 9,000 pallets a week in Northampton, up from 5,000 pallets last year.
"The only way to attract drivers is to sell yourself and have a modern approach," he adds. "First-rate drivers don't grow on trees and it's unusual to get so much interest."
I-us company spent £8,000 on the campaign and teamed up with BRS Taskforce, the distribution and warehouse staff agency, for the weekend event.
"You can pay £3,000 for a press advert and get little response," says Nicholls. "Our managers could concentrate on handling the increased work while BRS devoted time to recruiting."
Driving asses
sors and recruitment mamai handled enquiries from 180 vers over the weekend es Each interview lasted six ht and included driving tests. telephone hotline took 250 in the first week.
Jackie Jackson, recruitn consultant for BRS Taskfo reports that this was the r hard-hitting recruitment c to date and used several fr because "individual meani advertising have not c so well".