Step up to silver with support of the Armed Forces Covenant

Gi Group-owned recruitment agency, Encore Personnel, is renewing its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant for another year as it steps up to Silver accreditation, thanks to its dedication to supporting ex-service men and women to find work.

Encore, which has 10 branches across the region, including its head office in Leicester and offices in Nottingham and Derby city centres, employs more than 200 staff and specialises in warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, driving and engineering recruitment.

The business first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in May 2021, when it achieved a Bronze award which recognised its commitment to supporting the military community. Over the last year, Encore has placed a real emphasis on helping ex-servicemen and women find employment and is proud to have found jobs for more than 50 members of the ex-armed forces community.

This year, the recruitment agency is aiming to achieve Silver status in which it will be doing even more, including introducing new HR policies and guaranteed interview schemes to demonstrate and advocate their support to help ex-servicemen and women find their feet in a new world of work.

Headed up by Business Development Consultant at Encore James Simpson, who joined in 2020 after serving five years with the 26 Regiment Royal Artillery, 159 Battery (Gutersloh, Germany) and 132 Battery (Newcastle), the latest pledge aims to showcase the work that Encore is doing in practice.

James comments: “We’re making real progress, with more ex-service personnel joining our team than ever before. Having the right support in place is crucial for ex-service people. I know how hard it is to step out of the routine of military life into the working world, but Encore really go the extra mile to ensure that you are supported. They are so accommodating and understand that it takes time to adjust to changes.

“Since I first suggested signing the Covenant, Encore has been hugely supportive and I’m proud to be leading on something I’m extremely passionate about. We can really help change people’s lives.

“We’re also raising money this year for the Blind Veteran’s UK charity, which is another huge thing for us. It’s nice to be able to give back in one way or another and that’s one of the reasons why we’ve chosen to fundraise for the charity.”

Encore aims to make a real change within the recruitment industry to help more ex-service men and women find jobs suitable to their needs without any discrimination. With only 0.5% of registered recruitment agencies having signed the Covenant, Encore are leading the way for others.

Andrew Fletcher, Encore Logistics Area Manager, added: “We’re very aware of the importance of helping where we can which is why we introduced the guaranteed interview scheme for all ex-service men and women as well as flexible working hours for those that have military commitments, like drill days. This helps ensure that all British Armed Forces personnel are treated with fairness and are at no disadvantage because of their service.

“The signing up process only takes a couple of minutes, so there really is no excuse. It’s the least we can do. We hope that our efforts don’t go unnoticed, and we can move up to the Silver award.”

Encore will continue to honour its commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant and provide actual benefit to the Armed Forces community.

Note – Encore Personnel was acquired by Gi Group Holding in October 2022