Everyone is a winner with agency’s policy (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Recruitment firm’s new approach is of benefit to its clients and their employers

10:00am Tuesday 7th August 2012 in News By Chris Holland, Business Reporter

A Bradford-based recruitment agency has nailed its colours to the mast as a ‘destination employer’ for those who want both a career and family life.

Relay Recruitment boss Steve Street, who built up the business into a £9 million operation before it joined the UK-wide Stafforce Group last year, believes that supporting employees through key life changes is a good way of doing business and enables the firm he founded to hang onto good consultants.

The agency provides 750 staff a week to around 70 firms, including local clients such as Princes Foods, Borg Warner, N G Bailey, Pace , Seabrook Crisps and the Harden -based Valley Group, applied its enlightened approach to Eliza Regan, who recently returned to work after a year away following the birth of her twin boys, Oscar and Lucas.

Steve Street said: “We believe it is important to try and accommodate the needs of both staff and the firm as far as we can. Enabling staff to achieve a work-life balance is in the interests of all parties – it’s good for business, enabling us to retain and develop staff and also helps individuals at key points in their lives.”

Eliza Regan has benefited from the policy. She was on Relay’s fast-track management training scheme when she became pregnant and Relay made arrangements for the interruption to be minimal and helped her maintain as much momentum as possible.

Eliza, from Bradford, was taken on by Relay in an administration and business support role and later joined the Relay Academy scheme to enable her to move up to a client-facing role.

With guidance from senior business manager Laura Cousins, Eliza developed her skills and was about to be promoted when she discovered she was pregnant.

Relay enabled Eliza to maintain her career and in the run-up to maternity leave she started her new job as planned and continued to attend the Relay Academy.

She had regular meetings, briefings and ‘catch-up’ days in the office while on maternity leave to enable her to stay informed about changes to employment law, client news and developments at Relay where she was appointed client relationship manager at Relay Bradford Industrial.

Laura Cousins said: “Reconciling the demands of year-old boys and an executive job is a challenge, and some disruption was unavoidable, but we have done all we can to make it as smooth a process as possible for Eliza.”

Eliza said: “I have been able to remain part of a successful business where I can look forward to developing through the Relay Academy and progressing my career further.”