Skilledpeople.com

 

 

 

Skilledpeople.com innovates employment options for SMEs with launch of ‘Project Assignment’ service

• New fee-capped short term projects will help  SMEs fill management skills gaps at reasonable cost
• Website supports Government aim of driving business growth and providing employment opportunities for 50+ age group

London, January 12:Skilledpeople.com, the online recruitment service that matches experienced candidates, typically aged over 50, with SMEs, has launched an innovative ‘Project Assignment’ service. This recruitment option allows small companies to think big with a small budget, by employing experts at modest cost.

A daily rate not exceeding £185, is agreed upfront between the parties for short term project work. This enables businesses to hire skilled people, for periods from one to 20 days, to undertake specialist tasks with a cap on costs.  Filling their skills gaps in this way adds real value to a business and allows it to develop in a planned and professional way.

Skilledpeople.com spotted a gap in the market for SMEs that require well qualified and experienced people to undertake short term business assignments, enabling their businesses to develop at a faster rate and lower cost.

Chairman, David Hiddleston, who launched the site with a colleague after retirement commented:

“We felt there was not much in the recruitment market aimed at older people who had retired early, been made redundant, needed extra income to top up a pension or were just bored being at home. It seemed obvious to us that their skills and experience could be most of benefit to SMEs and start-ups.”

One of the key barriers to SME business growth is access to experienced affordable people who can undertake required projects in areas ranging from business planning, marketing, health and safety, and HR.  Skilledpeople.com helps SMEs meet this need from its growing UK wide database of 12,000 people.

John Walker, National Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:

“We know that almost four million people aged 50-64 are out of work, and with the removal of the default retirement age, there are more older skilled workers that could be looking for work

“Initiatives like this will help older workers who still want to contribute to the economy to find new job opportunities. Small firms also find it hard to find skilled workers: this service could help them grow and take on new contracts using experienced and knowledgeable people.”

The Project Assignment service gives access to candidates with typically 25 years or more career experience that have the skills and know-how to engage with a business instantly. As a UK wide organisation skilledpeople.com can match people in different locations and will be of particular help to those in rural and remote areas not generally available locally from anywhere in the UK.  For example a business in rural Devon could have a Business Plan prepared by someone in London without ever meeting face to face.

Behind skilledpeople.com is database matching technology which allows employers to identify appropriate candidates using ‘sniper’ techniques rather than the ‘shotgun’ approach of generalist recruitment sites, where any given job or assignment posting can return hundreds of unsuitable replies.

Skilledpeople.com makes candidate selection and recruitment more time efficient because SMEs can search the CV database before placing a job advertisement to confirm if candidates suit their needs, making it a much more accurate and efficient recruitment process.

The site believes that small businesses need support to move the UK out of recession and equally that there is a danger of losing a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience from people aged over 50 who often find themselves under-employed.
ENDS

 

 

 

Government failing SMEs:
70 per cent of small business owners feel Government is not doing enough to help them
 

London, November 14th : A survey of small businesses, commissioned by skilledpeople.com,  reveals that 70 per cent of those polled do not feel that the Government is doing enough to help them despite the fact that the ‘Start-up Britain’ initiative places start-ups and small firms at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery.

According to the research, small businesses want to see a range of changes to help them grow. Some 44 per cent would like to see more flexible employment laws introduced; 38 per cent would like to see business rates reduced; 30per cent would like the Government to introduce lower levels of corporation tax, while 29 per cent of business owners want to see the Government provide tax breaks to employ unemployed people.

Staff shortage and employment difficulties repeatedly cropped up in the research findings. Of the 20 per cent of firms surveyed who indicated they had received an order or request for a short term project in the past year but had been concerned that their business would be unable to deliver, 80 per cent gave capacity issues or skills shortages as reasons for this.

Worryingly, many small businesses have limited ambition to win large contracts and compete against bigger companies. Around 27 per cent say they would not compete against a large competitor as ‘it’s not worth their time’ and 10 per cent cite skills gaps as the reason why they can’t compete effectively.

David Hiddleston, Chairman of skilledpeople.com said:  “With the economic clouds darkening once again, it is an urgent priority that Government supports the small business community by providing the tools and infrastructure to enable the enterprises to grow.”

The research was conducted by Opinium Research, who interviewed 311 UK small business (sole traders to businesses with up to 49 employees) owners, partners and senior decision.