Joining as a Manager of a new brand in 2021 I have been able to successfully grow my team from just four people to nine, proudly introducing Merrifield Consultants to candidates and clients. From the moment I joined, I benefited from the training and support provided but also appreciated being trusted to know what my best method of working is. There is no one size fits all mentality, and this has always helped me and my team. I’ve experienced both a very intensive hands-on agency, as well as a hands-off (get on with it) approach, giving me the best of both worlds.

We have a fantastic culture which is highlighted by the way all the teams work together and get along. We celebrate our successes together and this is why I’ve always enjoyed the flexibility of being able to choose how many days I work in the office. 

Personally, I do four days in the office as I like working in the same environment as my team, but I also do enjoy having one day from home to get on with it. The company really cares about everyone’s wellbeing. It’s not an industry where you can immediately secure the right balance between work and home life. But there are always people and places who are there to support you.

I have always felt supported when I needed to hire into my team.  This has helped to lessen the responsibility on my shoulders, and I’ve always been backed by the company which I’m grateful for.

The transport industry constantly adapting its staffing solutions to address challenges, such as inflation, supply chain demands, and trade union strikes that impact service delivery. In May 2023, it was estimated that 3.9 million working days were lost due to strikes within the public and transport sectors, highlighting the ongoing need for a recruitment partner to provide temporary solutions to fill the gap.
In this case study, we will share how Huntress provided recruitment solutions for a global aviation giant seeking ongoing temporary staffing solutions.
 

Our Client
Situated in West London, Air France required staffing support in their UK Reservation Centre and approached Huntress to find ongoing temporary cover to support their operations with bilingual customer service professionals. The professionals were required to be fluent in European languages including, French, Spanish, Scandinavian, Italian, and German to handle a range of responsibilities including complaints management, verbal and written communications, booking modifications.
 

What did we do?
As part of our dedicated offering, Huntress assigned an experienced Account Manager to lead a proactive approach to understanding the unique hiring needs of the client's UK Reservation Centre. To ensure the deployment of high-caliber talent, Huntress established a thorough hiring process that involved face-to-face meetings to delve into business intricacies. This process included a comprehensive assessment for every candidate, including a written task in English and their respective language, followed by a brief telephone interview.
 

The Solution
At the peak of demand for temporary cover, Huntress deployed over 68 temps and played a pivotal role in extending bookings from 6 to 9 to 12 months. By leveraging our in-depth understanding of the business, our team placed 96 permanent employees, contributing to long-term support and business growth.
To improve candidate experience and streamline communication, Huntress introduced "temp surgeries" featuring regular in-person visits. On the permanent side, Huntress facilitated recruitment within various departments including HR Business Partners and Reservations Agents, establishing a lasting partnership that began in 2017 and to this day continues to thrive.

100+
Temps Deployed
96
Permanent Hires
8 Year
Ongoing Partnership
 

The Result
Huntress and Air France formed a partnership that successfully addressed a temporary staffing challenge, resulting in over 100 new hires. From 2017 to the present day, the collaboration has proven fruitful, with temps seamlessly integrated into the company culture and several transitioning to permanent roles. The introduction of "temp surgeries" further enriched the working relationship, solidifying Huntress as a trusted partner in managing critical HR and recruitment needs for Air France and transportation businesses alike.

Huntress has evolved into a seasoned multi-discipline recruitment agency since our inception in 2000, specialising in business support functions across the UK. This case study outlines our 19-year partnership with Scotia Gas Networks (SGN), illustrating our dedication to providing tailored recruitment solutions nationally and delivering exceptional outcomes for clients with volume requirements within the utilities industry.
 

Our Client
Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) are an award-winning utility provider, managing gas networks in the South of England and across Scotland. With over 85 years of experience in leading energy delivery, SGN are experts within their field and consist of over 4,000 employees.
 

What did they need?
SGN are a forward-thinking employer with a strong focus on attracting and retaining the best talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. They were seeking a recruitment partner with the experience to address their diverse and ever-evolving hiring needs and entrusted Huntress with the pivotal role of meeting staffing demands across Southern England and Scotland, encompassing administration, HR, and customer service roles. 
The core objectives were clear: rapid response, on-time deployment of vacancies, and adherence to stringent standards of quality, both in service and calibre of candidates. 
 

The Solution
To meet SGN's unique requirements and address previous hiring challenges, Huntress crafted a tailored recruitment solution that ensured geographical coverage across the UK, consistently delivering CVs within 2 business days. 
Our dedicated Account Management team invested time on-site with every hiring manager, to gain an in-depth understanding of both hiring needs and team culture, and this has built a strong working partnership and a solid foundation of consistency and trust. 
With a particular focus on wellbeing, we developed a specific support programme for SGN temporary workers, that includes a dedicated Mental Health First Aider plus access to tools and resources to help support good mental and physical health. 
Our finance team worked closely with SGN to build our back-office functions which support high-volume, multi-site payroll to ensure our temporary workers get paid fast and correctly, and client invoices are at the highest levels of accuracy. 
Over our partnership, we have supported SGN through challenging times including the pandemic, in which we played a vital role in helping SGN retain its temporary workforce. This support encompassed regular engagement with affected staff, virtual meetings to maintain team cohesion, sharing information on additional support resources, and offering mental health counselling.
 

The Result
Our partnership with SGN has produced remarkable results: 
Over the past 6 years, we have consistently delivered an average of 100 temporary workers each quarter, and an impressive 95% of Huntress temporary workers chose to return to SGN following the furlough period. Our team has successfully placed a total of 1211 temporary workers and 79 permanent employees within SGN within the last five years and has regularly gained candidate referrals due to the level of service and support we provide. 
Huntress have grown to be a consistent and reliable recruitment partner to SGN, attuned to their strategic objectives and the unique challenges within their operations. Diversity and inclusion are seamlessly integrated into the recruitment process, ensuring that selected candidates align with SGN's core values. 
1,200
Temps placed & 79 perm hires
95% 
Temp retention
19 year
Strategic partnership

By choosing Huntress as their recruitment partner, SGN have gained access to decades of experience, dedicated support tailored to their distinct business objectives and a recruitment partner they can depend on for a steady supply of high-calibre and committed workers at short notice. In an industry such as utilities where essential services are provided to homeowners and businesses, often in emergency situations, having the right levels of staff is vital, and having a recruitment partner to rely on is imperative.

Our client
Lendable is a leading fintech company offering innovative, technology-driven financial solutions. Known for their user-friendly platform and transparent lending process, Lendable has rapidly grown in the UK market by providing personal loans that are fast, fair, and flexible. As part of their expansion strategy, the business set out to strengthen their customer support infrastructure to ensure service excellence as demand increased.

What did they need?
Urgent Recruitment Upscaling
Lendable was in the process of establishing a new call centre in Maidstone, with plans to relocate operations to Chatham shortly thereafter. With this in motion, they required urgent recruitment support to scale their frontline operations. Within a 10-week window, Lendable needed to recruit a high volume of Collections Consultants, Financial Support Consultants, and Customer Service Representatives.
These roles were critical to Lendable’s ability to uphold their service standards, support their rapidly growing customer base, and meet performance metrics such as call resolution times, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), and collections efficiency. The recruitment strategy needed to align with their business objectives: scaling rapidly while maintaining quality and cultural fit.

The Solution
Huntress’ Recruitment Strategy
Huntress responded immediately with a dedicated account/resourcing team and a tailored recruitment plan. Understanding Lendable’s fast-paced environment and commitment to excellence, Huntress devised a solution that was both agile and comprehensive.

Key Actions Taken:

• Local Market Insights: Huntress used detailed employment market insights to identify candidate hotspots in Maidstone and surrounding areas, ensuring a strong pipeline of talent ahead of Lendable's relocation to Chatham, ensuring candidates’ ability to commute to both areas. 
• High-Volume Recruitment Campaigns: Coordinated advertising, CV sourcing, and talent pooling across multiple platforms (such as various job boards, LinkedIn Recruiter, advertisements and our preexisting database) to quickly generate a pool of highly competent, available and qualified candidates.
• Temp-to-Perm Model: To onboard staff quickly while providing both Lendable and candidates with flexibility, Huntress introduced a temp-to-perm recruitment model. This enabled Lendable to access talent at speed while evaluating performance and fit in real time. A free transfer after a set period was built into the model, giving the client a cost-effective and low-risk route to permanent hires.
• Onboarding Support and Scheduling: Managed all stages of the process including pre-screening, written skills testing, interview scheduling, onboarding logistics, and candidate aftercare.
• Consultative Partnership: Huntress worked closely with Lendable to shape job descriptions, advise on salary benchmarking, and provide regular market feedback to refine the hiring criteria.
   

Challenges Overcome:

• One of the main challenges was navigating the shift between two locations (Maidstone to Chatham) while maintaining consistent candidate engagement. Huntress overcame this by clearly communicating the move to all candidates from the outset and ensuring Lendable’s employer brand was presented attractively to reassure potential hires.
• Additionally, hiring at such volume in a compressed timeframe presented a logistical hurdle. Huntress overcame this by increasing internal resource allocation and using rolling assessment days to manage bulk recruitment efficiently.
• The temp-to-perm strategy was particularly effective in maintaining flexibility while ensuring Lendable’s service centre could go live with a full, functioning team.

Full Go-Live Success
50+ Candidates Placed
Temp-to-Perm Triumph
 

Business Outcomes

• Over the 10-week campaign, Huntress successfully placed a full cohort of collections and customer service professionals, ensuring Lendable’s new support centre launched on time and with a highly capable team.
• Lendable met their operational go-live date without delay.
• The temp-to-perm approach allowed for rapid scaling while ensuring a strong cultural and performance fit for long-term hires.
• The newly built team contributed to improved response times, increased customer satisfaction scores, and stronger internal team performance.
• Feedback from hiring managers highlighted the high quality and preparation of candidates, resulting in low attrition and strong cultural alignment.

In a competitive market, customer service plays a vital role in shaping brand reputation and driving long-term success. At Huntress, we've partnered with over 100 clients in the Logistics and Transportation sector, including national organisations like Evri, whose continued expansion, recently bolstered by major investment, is set to create 10,000 new jobs across the UK this year.
Our partnership with Evri began over a decade ago, when our regional Huntress team worked closely with their Head Office to support high-volume temporary recruitment. Starting with temporary roles in their Customer Service department, we introduced complimentary temp trials and developed a tailored, scalable process to consistently deliver quality candidates during peak periods.
 

Our Client
Evri, formerly known as Hermes, is a distribution giant and the UK's biggest dedicated parcel delivery company working with major global retailers. 
Their company includes a team of over 18,000 couriers and over 8,000 Parcel shops, as well as evolving their ever-growing network of hubs and depots across the UK.
 

What did they need?
Within the transportation and logistics industry, the lead-up to the Christmas period requires increased internal support to meet the demands of the peak season. To this end, the company consistently relies on high-volume temporary workers sourced through recruitment agencies, ensuring the implementation of a streamlined and efficient volume acquisition model.
 

What did we do?
Our partnership began a decade ago when our regional Huntress team engaged with the Head Office to tailor our services to meet Evri's volume temporary recruitment needs. Initially requiring temporary support within the Customer Service department, we executed complimentary temporary worker trials and established a process for consistently providing quality candidates to cover their peak business season.
Ensuring personalised service, our Huntress team introduced weekly temp surgery check-ins at the Head Office. Through these check-ins, our consultants delved deeper into Evri's business needs and processes while maintaining a personal, face-to-face service—a practice that continues to this day. These regular interactions, coupled with our understanding of the business, have built rapport with various company leaders, forging a close working partnership with our Huntress Account Manager. Over the 7 years of working with Evri, our dedicated Account Manager has provided dedicated support to many of the business leaders.
 

The Solution
Our partnership began a decade ago when our regional Huntress team engaged with the Head Office to tailor our services to meet Evri's volume temporary recruitment needs. Initially requiring temporary support within the Customer Service department, we executed complimentary temporary worker trials and established a process for consistently providing quality candidates to cover their peak business season.
Ensuring personalised service, our Huntress team introduced weekly temp surgery check-ins at the Head Office. Through these check-ins, our consultants delved deeper into Evri's business needs and processes while maintaining a personal, face-to-face service - a practice that continues to this day. These regular interactions, coupled with our understanding of the business, have built rapport with various company leaders, forging a close working partnership with our Huntress Account Manager. Over the 7 years of working with Evri, our dedicated Account Manager has provided dedicated support to many of the business leaders.
 

The Result
Our partnership with Evri has not only facilitated adaptation to trends and working developments, such as the shift to hybrid working during the pandemic but has also led to increased candidate attraction and a continued offering of remote working options. Our legal team and consultants played a pivotal role in supporting the transition, ensuring necessary legal documents for remote work, systems integration, and adaptations to the evolving business landscape.
 

1,871
Temps placed since 2018
300+
Active temps in Q4
600+ 
Candidate referrals
 

Beyond flexible working recommendations, we've consistently provided competitor analysis and market insights that have led to informed business decisions, including salary benchmarking. Our assistance extends beyond market trends to technological advancements in Customer Service. From primarily phone-based roles to email support and chatbots, we've helped Evri embrace technological changes. As a result, our temporary workers now extend to the claims department, enhancing comprehensive service coverage across multiple business areas.
What began as an 80-customer service temp requirement during peak periods has evolved into Huntress providing over 300 working temps in Q4 of last year, with a total of 1871 temporary candidates placed in Evri since 2018. While support volume naturally surged with business growth, we maintain a year-round pool of temps for Evri and rapidly source quality candidates to join the workforce.
Our dynamic partnership is reflected in the synergy between Huntress and Evri. The collaboration demonstrates our adaptability to evolving client needs, along with strategic insights that have been instrumental in their operational success. Evidenced by over 600 candidate referrals to join Evri, our partnership underscores our ability to understand and accommodate our clients’ dynamic requirements.
 

Procurement is a crucial part of any business operation that involves acquiring goods and services. The primary goal of procurement is to obtain these goods and services at a competitive price while ensuring that the organisation gets the most value for its investment. 
Effective procurement is fundamental to the success of any organisation. It can lead to significant cost savings, improved quality of goods and services, and better supplier relationships. By optimising the procurement processes, businesses can ensure that they not only save money but also benefit from a reliable and trustworthy supplier base that can help them achieve their goals efficiently.
Due to the growing importance and influence of procurement and supply chain professionals across various industries, Huntress has developed a specialised procurement and supply chain team. This case study emphasises the value of utilising industry experts to ensure that your organisation not only recruits the best talent but also develops an efficient internal business function, resulting in improved processes and quicker.
 

Our Client
Our client is a well-established school trust that operates state-funded, non-selective schools in the East Midlands, London, and the Thames Valley, serving over 8,000 children across 16 schools. They aim to create successful schools where every child can thrive. As a multi-academy trust (MAT), they are responsible for the efficient use of public funds to provide quality education to their 11 primary and 5 secondary school students. In 2023, we introduced them to our specialist team, and during our discussions, they expressed their need for a Procurement and Contract Manager to oversee this important business function.

The Brief
Following the resignation of a long-standing employee, the client required urgent support in filling the Procurement and Contract Manager role after struggling to fill this role themselves. With budget constraints to contend with and the skills gap in the labour market, a strategic approach was required to source the top talent for this role.
The nature of replacing a trusted employee meant the chosen candidate would need to smoothly transition into the business, confidently taking the lead in overseeing and supervising the procurement strategy for the trust. Therefore, the client specified the need for an experienced candidate who would run procurement practices, be responsible for contract and supplier management, work with other business function projects, and have education-specific procurement understanding. These requirements, in combination with knowledge of the UK procurement regulations, would ensure complete compliance and optimisation of the Procurement function within the business, ultimately driving service levels and improved results.
In a labour market, where more than half of UK businesses have struggled with the skills gap, our team developed a flexible approach to attract candidates with highly sought-after procurement skills. Procurement and supply chain roles now require a broader skillset with soft skills such as good communication skills (51%), supplier relationship management skills (49%), and internal stakeholder management skills (43%) becoming increasingly important in the hiring market. Due to this, candidates with these skill sets are harder to secure, creating a need for a competitive job package to attract top talent.
 

The Solution
Based on our analysis of the local job market and taking into consideration the clients' preference for hiring a candidate near Lincoln, our consultants recommended a flexible approach to location and adopting a flexible working model. 
This would help attract a diverse pool of candidates while still adhering to a strict hiring budget.
This approach has become increasingly common as 27% of employers have widened their hiring location to counteract the skills gap. Additionally, 60% of candidates prioritise location and flexible working when considering a new job in 2023. By adopting a flexible working model, our consultants were able to headhunt candidates based on their skills and experience, which were crucial for this senior position.
 

The Results
Our consultants successfully recruited quality candidates for a role with an urgent hiring requirement. The hiring process included an initial Teams call and a round of carousel-style interviews to ensure that unsuitable candidates were screened out. Three out of four candidates presented were invited to an interview, and the client was able to successfully make an appointment within 2 weeks of contacting us. 
After completing thorough compliance checks and a successful onboarding process, the client now has an experienced Procurement lead who has effectively managed supplier contracts, procurement strategy, and cost-savings. Our team has formed a lasting working relationship with the client, ensuring that their procurement and supply chain hiring needs are met.
 

2 Weeks 
Procurement managers hired swiftly
75%
Shortlisted candidates progressed 
34%
Businesses now use agencies
 

As Procurement and Supply Chain functions continue to provide financial benefits and optimise business processes, the demand for recruitment support in these areas is increasing. In 2023, 34% of businesses increased their use of recruitment agencies to support their specific hiring needs. To fully utilise a smooth procurement process, you need the best people pushing this, meaning , a strategic approach to hiring is fundamental to secure the best talent due to this skills gap in the competitive market.

Procurement and supply chain functions are crucial for the success of any organisation. These functions can bring significant cost savings, improve the quality of goods and services, and establish better relationships with suppliers. By streamlining procurement processes, businesses can save money and benefit from a reliable and trustworthy supplier base, which can help them achieve their goals more efficiently. 
This is particularly important in the public sector, which faced significant recruitment challenges in 2023. These challenges were primarily budget constraints (54%), supply chain risk management (53%), and attracting staff with the right skills (51%). At Huntress, our procurement and supply chain team specialises in helping public sector organisations find the best talent in the market and support the growth of their procurement functions. This case study highlights how the value of procurement and supply chain professionals can ensure business-wide goals are achieved and efficient processes are developed with the help of these specialist recruitment experts.
 

Our Client
A UK-based NHS organisation that provides support and transformation services to Integrated Care Systems, NHS Trusts, and local authorities.
 

The Brief
Our client had several important business projects that need to be completed before the end of the financial year. To meet the deadlines, they urgently needed to fill eight Senior Procurement Interim positions within two weeks. All candidates needed a background in the public sector, preferably within the NHS, due to regulations. To assist the organisation, our team of Procurement Consultants has been exclusively introduced through the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Non-Clinical Staffing framework.
 

The Solution
To kick off the recruitment process, our Procurement and Supply Chain team conducted a thorough market rate analysis showing that the public sector interim day rate had increased to £526, and London salaries in particular had increased by 9% since the previous year. This helped our client to evaluate the available talent pool within their budget. To provide our clients with a better understanding of the level of experience they could attract with their set rates, we presented them with examples of anonymous candidate CVs. We then agreed on flexible working patterns and remote work within these roles, which allowed the client to stick to budget restrictions on day rates and attract quality candidates in a market where flexibility is a top requirement. 
In 2023, working from home was one of the most desired benefits for procurement professionals, with 58% seeking this option when considering a new role. Therefore, this strategic decision helped to quickly attract candidates to the job openings. 

The client needed all eight roles filled within a short time frame of two weeks. To ensure efficiency in hiring, we agreed to a one-stage hiring process. Our consultants were able to speed up the recruitment process by utilising Huntress' extensive network of candidates. Within 24 hours, we sent the initial batch of CVs, and five of them resulted in successful hires. We were able to fill all positions without advertising and in complete compliance with NHS regulations.? 
Huntress provided valuable market insights, a pool of viable candidates to choose from, and clear communication throughout the hiring process. We scheduled weekly meetings to discuss current CVs and interviews lined up.
 

The Result
Our client was able to meet their end-of-year project deadlines successfully, thanks to the support of eight highly skilled procurement interims. These professionals implemented optimised processes across the business, providing extra assistance during the peak business period. As a result, an efficient Procurement function supported the overall business objectives, with better processes in place to maximise output. The client expressed high satisfaction with the candidates hired into the business, and the candidates themselves reported being happy in their new roles, especially with the option to work remotely. Our team's expertise allowed us to hire suitable candidates within strict budget constraints and a short timeframe, thus fulfilling our client's hiring needs and building a working relationship where we can offer ongoing hiring support.
 

8 Roles
Filled in 2 weeks
0 
Advertising required
24hr 
CV turnaround
 

Procurement and supply chain roles are currently in high demand due to the benefits organisations reap from cost savings, efficient processes, and reliable suppliers. However, 72% of organisations have struggled to hire the right talent due to salary expectations and the sector skills gap. This has resulted in 34% of organisations increasing their use of recruitment agencies to ensure a strategic hiring approach, and 28% of organisations hiring temporary and contract workers to increase the resources within procurement functions without committing to permanent hires. 
When hiring temporary procurement staff, we have discovered that the benefits they bring to an organisation can offset their costs. By hiring interim staff, businesses can achieve greater savings while maintaining high service standards and adhering to budget constraints. This is particularly beneficial for public sector organisations that require solutions to hire additional resources, and quickly meet their service demands. 

Our Client
STA is a leading outsourced collections agency known for managing high-volume, high-value ledgers on behalf of a broad range of commercial and financial services clients. With a reputation for performance and compliance, STA provides tailored debt recovery services that are efficient, sensitive, and results driven.
 

What did they need?
Specialist Staffing Support for National Expansion
Following the award of a significant new contract, STA needed to expand operations across their sites in Kent and Glasgow, requiring a rapid and compliant workforce ramp-up to meet demanding client SLAs and KPIs. STA required multiple hires across administration, tracing, and litigation. The recruitment strategy needed to be agile, scalable, and the compliance obligations tied to their client’s sector.

To support the new contract, STA required an increase in headcount at both locations. Recruitment had to be completed within tight timelines and to strict specifications, including:

• Experienced collections professionals with proven success in fast-paced recovery environments
• Multilingual candidates to support diverse customer demographics
• Onsite-only roles, with full attendance required at designated office locations
• Adherence to strict client compliance protocols, including enhanced background checks and clearances
• Ability to perform under specific SLA metrics such as contact-to-collection ratios, call handling times, and recovery rates
   

The Solution
Huntress’ Recruitment Strategy
Huntress quickly mobilised a dedicated recruitment team across both regions to implement a high-touch, consultative hiring model. Our strategy focused on four key pillars: speed, compliance, quality, and cultural fit.
Key Actions Taken:

• Bespoke Talent Campaigns: Regionalised job campaigns were launched in Kent and Glasgow, supported by multilingual outreach where needed. We tapped into passive and active talent pools through job boards, local networks, and targeted sourcing strategies.
• Enhanced Compliance Screening: Due to the nature of STA’s client, enhanced compliance checks were non-negotiable. Huntress implemented a rigorous pre-employment process that included:
• Right to Work checks
• Enhanced DBS checks
• Credit checks
• Employment history verification covering the previous five years

These checks were managed end-to-end by Huntress to alleviate administrative pressure on STA’s internal team.

Customised Role-Specific Testing:

• To ensure all candidates met both technical and client-specific expectations, we introduced a bespoke testing process covering:
• Collections scenario testing
• Soft-skills simulation (e.g. objection handling, call empathy)
• Language proficiency assessments for non-English speaking roles

For the tracing and litigation positions, Huntress identified candidates with niche skills in investigation, case handling, and legal support, helping the client build out these specialist teams quickly and effectively.

Onboarding Support and Scheduling: Managed all stages of the process including pre-screening telephone calls, video interview pre-screening, interview scheduling, onboarding logistics, and candidate aftercare.

Continuous Consultation and Market Insights: Huntress advised STA on salary benchmarking, candidate availability, and market conditions. We also provided weekly reports outlining recruitment activity, candidate pipeline status, and forecasted fulfilment against hiring targets.

100%
Fulfilment in all roles
Zero 
Compliance Issues
Specialist 
Teams built
 

Business Outcomes
Huntress successfully delivered 100% fulfilment across both Kent and Glasgow within the required timeframe. Each placement met STA’s compliance, experience, and language criteria, enabling STA to meet all go-live deadlines for their client.

• Fully staffed collections teams delivered on performance KPIs within the first month
• SLA targets were consistently achieved across both sites
• Enhanced compliance requirements were met with zero onboarding issues or delays

Huntress has evolved into a seasoned multi-discipline recruitment agency since our inception in 2000, specialising in business support functions across the UK. This case study outlines our 19-year partnership with Scotia Gas Networks (SGN), illustrating our dedication to providing tailored recruitment solutions nationally and delivering exceptional outcomes for clients with volume requirements within the utilities industry.

Our Client
Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) are an award-winning utility provider, managing gas networks in the South of England and across Scotland. With over 85 years of experience in leading energy delivery, SGN are experts within their field and consist of over 4,000 employees.

What did they need?
SGN are a forward-thinking employer with a strong focus on attracting and retaining the best talent from a diverse range of backgrounds. They were seeking a recruitment partner with the experience to address their diverse and ever-evolving hiring needs and entrusted Huntress with the pivotal role of meeting staffing demands across Southern England and Scotland, encompassing administration, HR, and customer service roles. 
The core objectives were clear: rapid response, on-time deployment of vacancies, and adherence to stringent standards of quality, both in service and calibre of candidates.
 

The Solution
To meet SGN's unique requirements and address previous hiring challenges, Huntress crafted a tailored recruitment solution that ensured geographical coverage across the UK, consistently delivering CVs within 2 business days. 
Our dedicated Account Management team invested time on-site with every hiring manager, to gain an in-depth understanding of both hiring needs and team culture, and this has built a strong working partnership and a solid foundation of consistency and trust. 
With a particular focus on wellbeing, we developed a specific support programme for SGN temporary workers, that includes a dedicated Mental Health First Aider plus access to tools and resources to help support good mental and physical health. 
Our finance team worked closely with SGN to build our back-office functions which support high-volume, multi-site payroll to ensure our temporary workers get paid fast and correctly, and client invoices are at the highest levels of accuracy. 
Over our partnership, we have supported SGN through challenging times including the pandemic, in which we played a vital role in helping SGN retain its temporary workforce. This support encompassed regular engagement with affected staff, virtual meetings to maintain team cohesion, sharing information on additional support resources, and offering mental health counselling.
 

The Result
Our partnership with SGN has produced remarkable results: 
Over the past 6 years, we have consistently delivered an average of 100 temporary workers each quarter, and an impressive 95% of Huntress temporary workers chose to return to SGN following the furlough period. Our team has successfully placed a total of 1211 temporary workers and 79 permanent employees within SGN within the last five years and has regularly gained candidate referrals due to the level of service and support we provide. 
Huntress have grown to be a consistent and reliable recruitment partner to SGN, attuned to their strategic objectives and the unique challenges within their operations. Diversity and inclusion are seamlessly integrated into the recruitment process, ensuring that selected candidates align with SGN's core values.
 

1,200
Temps placed & 79 perm hires
95%
Temp retention
19 year
Strategic Partnership
 

By choosing Huntress as their recruitment partner, SGN have gained access to decades of experience, dedicated support tailored to their distinct business objectives and a recruitment partner they can depend on for a steady supply of high-calibre and committed workers at short notice. In an industry such as utilities where essential services are provided to homeowners and businesses, often in emergency situations, having the right levels of staff is vital, and having a recruitment partner to rely on is imperative.