December 2023

NFRC Roofing Talk
ECO PROJECT: ACCESS SUPPORT
FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Ruth Scarrott, Head of Careers at NFRC, tells readers that the support is there to help make
a success of the recruitment process, as well as those crucial first months for new recruits…
Making roofing and cladding
a desirable and rewarding
career is central to
ensuring the industry can recruit and
retain enough staff – that is, bringing
people on board and then keeping
them on for a significant period of
time.
NFRC now has an offering to help all
roofing and cladding
contractors meet this
challenge. Via CITB
funding, the ‘ECO’
Project enables us to
guide employers in
England through the
entire recruitment process,
from the first job advert until your new
team member is six months in post. We are now
also able to help employers of roofing apprentices
in Scotland with the equivalent programme.
To be eligible for us to provide this support, your
new starter needs to be new to construction, or
returning to the industry after some time away.
So, what will this actually look like?
Taking on someone new
We can start by helping you plan your recruitment
and interview process. This can include talking
with you to help define what you’re looking for,
and give pointers on the best way to advertise
and find the right person.
It may also be planning what’s best to ask in the
interview, and then getting a contract of
employment in place when you have found your
new starter and they have accepted a job offer.
We can also link you up with organisations that
“This programme means that
if there is a point in the
hiring process where you are
not sure what to do, you have
help on hand” – Ruth Scarrott
source candidates, like Jobcentres. Essentially,
this programme means that if there is a point in
the hiring process where you are not sure what to
do, you have help on hand.
The first few months
The journey doesn’t end once someone has been
employed. Your first day on site or in the office
will have been scary, and you won’t have got
everything right first time.
Once you have secured a new starter, we can
help you offer them one-on-one support, for
example by giving you or other experienced
colleagues some support to become great
informal mentors for newcomers.
The new starter can access pastoral support
through this programme, meaning that if they are
feeling worried about starting work, what’s
expected of them, or their ability in their new role,
they can speak to someone outside the workplace
and be guided in the right direction.
Equally, if they are struggling with
behaviour or are not recognising the
standards they need to meet at work,
that can be addressed. More broadly,
if they have a training need, we can
help you source that learning, for
example finding a local site-readiness
course.
Preparing for progression
It can be helpful to show a new starter
what their trajectory will be once
they’re in your business. We can
assist you to draft an ongoing training
plan for them: having a short
document that points out how you
plan to develop their skills and
qualifications means that you can keep on track
with making sure that they are maximising their
potential, and your employee knows that your
company is a place they will learn and progress,
not see a dead end.
This could be as simple as setting out that your
employee will gain a specific qualification and
complete particular short courses in a set period
of time.
Even if you have hired new people before and just
want to know what you can do better with your
next staff member, it’s worth a chat. If you’d like
more information or to access this support,
please get in touch with me directly at
careers@nfrc.co.uk.
Contact NFRC
020 7638 7663
www.nfrc.co.uk
NFRC
12 TC DECEMBER 2023