Is the Job Centre a good place to advertise a job?

[deniser]

We are about to advertise for our first permanent full time staff member.

Is the local Job Centre a good place to start advertising?

 

We've recrioted some good staff over the years through jobcentres.

I think they have centralised it now, so you have to speak to a call centre in Scotland.

My advice is to keep ringing until you get through to one of the brighter operators. (There are some...)

 

[Mister B]

Bearing in mind the fact that it's free and most of the unemployed do go through there, then it could be worth a punt.

The only downside is that you're limiting your net to those that are unemployed. There may be others who are currently employed who may fancy coming to work at an outlet such as yours, as well as the mothers about to go back to work and college leavers who will never venture into Jobcentres.

If it were me, I would probably have a small ad in the local paid for newspaper as well as a notice in te Jobcentre.

Mister B

 

[genuinegraphics]

Yeah down in my area there are loads of people heading at job centres everyday and especially in this economy people will always be looking. As mentioned above advertising in local newspapers will help alot. You could maybe even put it up on shop windows etc

 

[coxdabd]

Almost every unemployed person or indeed someone looking for something different usually trawl through the job centre site. Other good sites are JobSite and Gumtree for your local area. All I believe are cost effective.

 

[business123]

I've found some good staff from the Job Centre and as the jobs are put on the Job Centre website these days, you generally more employed people applying for jobs. If the job advert's good, expect a lot of replies!

 

[Alicatt]

I'd certainly start with the job centre. People do search the website - these days there is no need for anyone to actually walk into the centre.

Although you notify the vacancy through the call centre, you may well get a call from the local office. They do like to find out a bit about new employers.

 

[deniser]

Thanks everyone. The Job Centre is only a short walk away; would they deal with me face to face if I just walk in do you think? I will need some help with the job advert!

 

[Beachcomber]

As has been mentioned, it's worth using as most people looking for work / a change of job search the site.

Just be prepared to have some timewasters who apply only to have something to stick on their records to keep their jobseekers allowance coming in.

 

[Frankus]

Bearing in mind the fact that it's free and most of the unemployed do go through there, then it could be worth a punt.

The only downside is that you're limiting your net to those that are unemployed. There may be others who are currently employed who may fancy coming to work at an outlet such as yours, as well as the mothers about to go back to work and college leavers who will never venture into Jobcentres.

If it were me, I would probably have a small ad in the local paid for newspaper as well as a notice in te Jobcentre.

Mister B

Patently NOT so. There are a great many people already in work who, either facing 'downsizing', redundancy, or even just trying to find a better job. They will come home from work and surf the Job Centre Plus website looking for what's available.

There are some very good potential amployees out there too.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Aye,just be careful with your ad wording.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ers--discriminates-unreliable-applicants.html

 

Aye,just be careful with your ad wording.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ers--discriminates-unreliable-applicants.html

You sure you are allowed to mention work.?:|

Fun down on the funny farm init peeps.

Earl

 

[deniser]

Aye,just be careful with your ad wording.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ers--discriminates-unreliable-applicants.html

Ha, next we'll be getting the Unreliability at Work Discrimination Act!

 

[David Earle]

I stopped advertising at the job centre because I got sick of my phone ringing off the hook all day. Some real idiots who hadn't even bothered to read the job ad properly etc. And a lot of those seemed to be just pretending to be interested so they could keep on claiming benefits.

If you really have time to field a high volume of job applications then by go for it!

 

[Tabbie]

As a recruitment agency, I tend to avoid wherever possible using the job centre. The amount of candidates that I have call from there being very upfront saying that the job centre gave them the details and told them they had to apply or they would loose their benefits.

Yes, there are some good staff come through there but the majority I have either 1. havent read the details of the vacancy 2. dont have any of the experience outlined in the ad or 3. are phoning because they have to.

I advertise on average 40-70 jobs per month and cannot remember the last time I placed any one using this method. But also region, type of position and other factors do come into play

Just thought I would ad, dont waste your money on press advertising - we recently surveyed 4500 registered candidates, 93% dont look int he press anymore. Try reed.co.uk you can register for a free posting. they are quite good for free

 

[movietub]

On the plus side the last time we used them we got 300 applicants in a fortnight - scary to think of that many people wanting a min-wage packing job!

On the down side, they called me twice to ask if I would verbally confirm on the phone that I was an equal opportunities employer. Since this is a legal requirement, I felt they were basically asking me if I was a law-breaking racist biggot. That seems quite a rude thing to ask someone, so I refused to take the conversation any further!

It's the equivilant of the police calling to confirm that you hadn't stolen anything recently :|

 

[MikeJ]

We've always found them really helpful. I don't recall getting any phone calls, and we ask for all applications to be in writing.

Last job had about 50 applicants for an industrial chemist's position. Do expect a lot of applications, many will be junk. We did ours over the web on the job centre plus site.

 

[The Panda]

Some time in the not too distant future I will be looking for fitters. They will be self employed and no way on gods green earth would I advertise it in either the local press or a job center. I just would not have the time to sort the wheat from the chavs.
Word of mouth or a small add on the front of my web site will suffice me thinks.

 

[movietub]

Some time in the not too distant future I will be looking for fitters. They will be self employed and no way on gods green earth would I advertise it in either the local press or a job center. I just would not have the time to sort the wheat from the chavs.
Word of mouth or a small add on the front of my web site will suffice me thinks.

Good thinking. There is no bad place to advertise a job in the current climate. A discrete ad, as you suggest, will be found by one of the many desperate for employment. And if it's harder to find, less idiots will apply!

 

[deniser]

I stopped advertising at the job centre because I got sick of my phone ringing off the hook all day. Some real idiots who hadn't even bothered to read the job ad properly etc. And a lot of those seemed to be just pretending to be interested so they could keep on claiming benefits.

If you really have time to field a high volume of job applications then by go for it!

I have left the phone number off and it says applications by post only. Fingers crossed that works.

 

[deniser]

And if it's harder to find, less idiots will apply!

LOL!

I think applications in writing will weed out some of the timewasters.

I'm not putting up a notice on the premises - we got some real weirdos ringing the bell last time! Having said that it did result in one neatly typed CV from someone whom we have since employed.

 

[plymgary]

I didn't have much luck with the job centre. In fact, I don't think anybody local wanted to apply!

I found my employee by talking to my hairdresser that knew someone who was looking for a job. You could try asking around or, I think an ad in the local paper would get better results.

 

[deniser]

I have tweeted it too - Twitter is always amazing for local stuff - problems usually sold within 5 minutes!

 

[euphoman]

I would say YES. Some 33% of all advertised vacancies are on the site(2009 figures) which is now accessed via DirectGov. As well as running a part time business i actually work for a JobCentre !

Best bet is to contact the local JobCentrePlus and ask for the LMRA. They can place the ad for you. Also ask them about Work trials, especially if you are taking on someone unemployed.

 

[deniser]

Just a quick update.

Registered the job with the Job Centre. Got 40 applications of which 4 were very well suited. Interviewed the 4 plus one wild card. 3 were great (wild card wasn't) from which we chose one. Job accepted, starts next week.

All went very smoothly.