Cast UK promotes Gareth Steggles to Managing Consultant

Specialist recruitment company, Cast UK, has promotedGareth Steggles to the role of Managing Consultant for its Logistics North division.

Cast UK, which specialises in recruitment for procurement, buying, supply chain and logistics, operates nationally out of offices in Manchester, Birmingham and London.

Gareth, who joined the company’s Manchester office in 2010, will lead the strategic development of the northern logistics team, covering a region spanning Birmingham to Scotland.

With the ambition to create a ‘best in class’ team delivering the highest standard of service in permanent, temporary and interim recruitment, Gareth is keen to play an integral role in driving the growth of his division as part of the company’s wider success story.

He will be responsible for overseeing a team of consultants and leading the business development programme through the management of key accounts within the logistics sector.

Commenting on Gareth’s promotion, Managing Director of Cast UK, Wayne Brophy, said: “As a valued member of our team Gareth is an excellent leader with a proven track record and an in-depth knowledge of the sector, which ensures he fully understands the needs of both clients and candidates.

“Logistics is a growth industry and our team of professionals at Cast UK have the market knowledge and sector experience to provide the best resourcing advice, with access to exceptional talent within this area. This is a great opportunity for Gareth to lead the team through the next phase of growth.”

Gareth, from Bolton, is a keen distance runner and cricket player outside of work.

Cast UK welcomes Alison Humphries as Non-Executive Director

Specialist recruitment company, Cast UK, has appointed Alison Humphries as a Non-Executive Director.

A leader in her sector, Alison’s career history includes Director roles at Hays Plc, Robert Half International, Barkers Norman Broadbent Plc and Penna Plc. Her appointment to the Cast UK Board is a key milestone in the recruitment company’s continued growth curve.

Cast UK, which specialises in recruitment for procurement, buying, supply chain and logistics, has offices in Manchester, Birmingham and London and operates across a number of sectors, including FMCG and retail, manufacturing and engineering, logistics, public sector and professional services.

Alison, a self-confessed recruitment ‘lifer’, currently holds Director roles at Recruitment Leadership Ltd and Elite Recruitment Network Ltd and is the Chief Examiner of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). She will work with the Directors’ team at Cast UK to help drive the company’s growth strategy.

Commenting on her new role, Alison said: “Cast UK is an ambitious company with a clear appetite for growth and a skilled team who are acutely focused on where they want to be. This is a great opportunity to help harness that potential and play my part in the Cast UK growth story.”

Wayne Brophy, Managing Director of Cast UK, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Alison to our Board as someone with an outstanding track record and incredible sector experience.

“We’re looking forward to working with Alison to realise our goals and embark on the company’s next critical chapter of growth.”

Cast UK sees the importance of nurturing lasting client relationships

Specialist recruitment company, Cast UK,  recognises the positive effect client relationships has on placement success, as the company has been analysing their  extensive database and found that the rate of successfully placing candidates increases to a staggering 80% if they involve a face-to-face client briefing meeting.

Cast UK puts this success down to developing strong relationships with clients which are substantially strengthened through on-site client visits, allowing them to gain an in-depth understanding of the sectors in which it operates, and more importantly the company’s culture.  By doing this, Cast UK can understand and even anticipate the needs of employers and match candidates that will best suit the job.

The company’s commitment to exceptional service and building rewarding and lasting relationships is why over 70% of its business is repeat business.

Employee retention, especially within the first year of employment, is vital to businesses. Cast UK believe the key to ensuring a successful placement is finding a good culture fit between company and candidate. When someone leaves it has a detrimental effect on the organisation’s finances and ability to perform, as it’s a loss of knowledge and skills and can cost anywhere between a third and three quarters of a person’s annual salary to turn over a position.

Sir Richard Branson discussed the importance of employee retention in Entrepreneur magazine: “Don't wait until an employee comes to you and says they are ready to leave before you start thinking about what their goals are and what keeps him happy – this should be part of your hiring decision. Before you make a prospect a job offer, be sure to consider how their plans for their career fit with your company's. If there's a real mismatch, it's unlikely you'll be able to work together long.”

Commenting on the importance of thinking about employer retention strategies right from the outset, Managing Director at Cast UK, Wayne Brophy said: “Personality clashes and not feeling valued by an employer are the top reasons people leave their jobs.

“We want to ensure that the candidates we place are happy and remain in their jobs way past the initial 12 months, because that ensures a mutually beneficial relationship between client and employee. It’s a clear win-win. We work with a broad client base, from SMEs to the majority of FTSE 500 companies in the UK, so getting the right fit for a candidate is crucial to our client relationships. We firmly believe our success rate is a testament to our passion and commitment, coupled with expert knowledge and experience in the sectors in which we operate.”

Cast UK congratulates St Marie’s Vikings’ June player of the month, Chris Lunt

As sponsors of St Marie’s Vikings RLC, specialist recruitment company, Cast UK would like to congratulate Chris Lunt as June’s player of the month for the Widnes-based Rugby League team.

Cast UK is proud to support the local sporting community and recognise outstanding team players.

To support the Vikings’ squad, team members at Cast UK attend games throughout the season as well as attending its end of season awards presentation and taking part in the club’s annual golf day.

Winners of the Widnes Cup for five years in a row, the Vikings are already on the path to becoming champions again with some excellent performances in league.

Avid St Marie’s Vikings supporter, director at Cast UK, Gary Robinson, said: “We feel that it’s important to get involved with local clubs and sport because it plays an important role in engaging with young people and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

“We are pleased that we can help the club and provide support that will help pay for the new kits, training, trophies and community programmes.”

St Marie’s Vikings club chairman, Mike Pile, added: “Support from local businesses is vital to helping us continue outreach in the area and we are delighted to partner with Cast UK.”

Gary Robinson says thank you to medical staff at Warrington General Hospital

Following on from our previous blog post, Gary Robinson, director at Cast UK, has reunited with the medical team at Warrington General that saved his brother’s life to present a cheque of £1000 as a result of his fundraising earlier this year.

In February, Robert Robinson, Gary’s brother, suffered cardiac arrest in the early hours of the morning. After family and paramedics performed CPR and managed to get him breathing again, Robert was taken to the resuscitation and critical care unit at Warrington General where he remained in a coma under the vigil watch of nurses and doctors for 36 hours.

Robert awoke and, with no signs of permanent brain damage, five months later has made a full recovery and is hoping to return to his job as a physics teacher at Birchwood High School in Warrington.

Commenting on Gary’s fundraising efforts, managing director at Cast UK, Wayne Brophy said: “We are all really proud of Gary and delighted that he has reached his fundraising goals. Gary and his brother Robert are both an inspiration.

“The team at Cast UK wishes Gary all the best for future fundraising and training, as we hear another marathon is on the cards!”