Case Study

Streamlining Recruitment Processes for Headlam’s Nationwide Branch Opening Project

Client Overview:

Headlam is Europe’s largest distributor of floor coverings, boasting a substantial UK turnover of £700 million. With an extensive footprint in the flooring industry, Headlam embarked on a Nationwide Branch Opening (NBO) Project to expand its reach and enhance its service offerings.

Client Challenge:

Headlam sought a reliable recruitment partner to oversee the staffing of their NBOs. Each branch mirrored a similar environment to Paintwell branches, comprising 5,500 square foot units with a small team of three: one Branch Manager and two Sales Assistants catering to trade clients.

Solution Provided by GCS:

Recognising GCS Associates’ expertise in talent acquisition, Headlam engaged GCS to manage the recruitment process for their NBO Project. GCS swiftly identified suitable candidates to meet the specific requirements of each branch, ensuring timely and efficient staffing. Impressed by the success of the initial project, Headlam extended their partnership with GCS for broader recruitment needs.

Client Testimonial:

“We started working with GCS earlier this year (2023), primarily to head up the recruitment for our branch opening project. To date, GCS have delivered on all new branch deadlines and currently have a fill rate of over 95% which is fantastic. As a result of this initial success, we have gone to GCS for the delivery on other roles. It has been a pleasure working with the team at GCS.”
Rebekah Smallwood, Head of People and Organisational Development

Key Statistics:

Offer to Vacancy Ratio: 95.83%
Drop-out Rate: 8.69%
Retention Rate: 100%
69 offers in 10 months

Michael Parry, Managing Director at GCS Associates, emphasizes the strength of their partnership with Headlam: “Our collaboration with Headlam showcases the effectiveness of aligning recruitment strategies with the client’s specific needs. We’re proud to have contributed to the success of their NBO Project and look forward to continuing to support their growth initiatives.”

Conclusion:

The collaboration between Headlam and GCS Associates exemplifies how a strategic recruitment partnership can streamline operations, ensure timely staffing, and drive success in critical projects. By leveraging GCS’s expertise, Headlam achieved exceptional results in their branch expansion endeavors, setting a benchmark for future recruitment initiatives.

National Timber Group serves a diverse customer base including joiners, house-builders, and contractors, and is a favoured supplier of large-scale infrastructure projects.  The Group has combined turnover approaching £300 million, over 1,300 employees and 55 processing and distribution sites from the North of Scotland to London and the South-West.

Aims & Objectives
After a restructure, Arnold Laver had several critical management positions which were needed to ensure not only business as usual but to facilitate growth. GCS Associates were initially tasked with implementing the right calibre personnel into 6 new and existing roles within time frames that ensured no detrimental impact to the business.

Recruitment Fulfillment
GCS successfully fulfilled a National Sales Management position for Arnold Laver at the start of 2021 before going on to recruit for 4 Senior General Management positions within the required time-frame.  GCS continued successfully recruiting for Arnold Laver with the quick appointments of 2 brand new, specialist roles with great feedback from all involved.

Marc Bertrand
HR Director, National Timber Group

“We’ve worked with GCS for about a year and in that time GCS have recruited a number of critical roles for us. Working with GCS has always been a simple, straight forward process; I brief the team on our requirements, and they immediately go and find the right people for our business. They simply know the market incredibly well and have a wide network of contacts within the sector.

In summary, they produce a great shortlist of high calibre candidates, and we always struggle to pick from the great options they present. What more could you want from a recruitment consultancy!” 

GCS have gone on to develop strong working relations with the key stakeholders within Arnold Laver filling several additional critical roles in the first half of 2021. GCS also ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and employment legislation, and manage screening & vetting for every candidate, giving Arnold Laver complete peace of mind.

Patrick Guest
Managing Director, Arnold Laver

“Arnold Laver have partnered with GCS Associates for some time now on a number of key recruitment initiatives. We are very pleased with high level of service & speed when GCS have recruited key roles for us and we look forward to continuing working together in future.”

Michael Parry
Managing Director, GCS Associates

“Working with Arnold Laver and the wider National Timber Group has been genuinely a pleasure.  As a recruitment consultancy, we look for those clients where there is mutual appreciation and lines of communication are wide open and transparent.

The sort of relationship we have come to enjoy with Arnold Laver acts as a real driver to be the very best we can.  We are always striving to improve and are looking at ways we provide improved efficiencies and cost savings for Arnold Laver when it comes to recruitment and talent attraction.” 

Huws Gray

GCS Associates and Huws Gray have worked together successfully on various recruitment projects and roles. Most recently Huws Gray have been growing their teams even further, and kindly took part in ‘The GCS Pledge’. GCS started the pledge in December 2020 to help the many people made unemployed due to the pandemic. 

GCS Associates and Huws Gray have worked together successfully on various recruitment projects and roles. Most recently Huws Gray have been growing their teams even further, and kindly took part in ‘The GCS Pledge’. GCS started the pledge in December 2020 to help the many people made unemployed due to the pandemic. 

Michael Parry, Managing Director, GCS;
“GCS were in a unique position last year where we could genuinely help some of those suffering due to Covid related redundancies. We approached Huws Gray late last year to explain the idea behind the GCS Pledge of 21 and we were delighted they took part. If we were able to get a few people back into employment whilst helping fill critical roles for the likes of Huws Gray free of charge, we were happy to be fulfilling our pledge ambitions.”

Michael Parry, Managing Director, GCS;

“GCS were in a unique position last year where we could genuinely help some of those suffering due to Covid related redundancies. We approached Huws Gray late last year to explain the idea behind the GCS Pledge of 21 and we were delighted they took part. If we were able to get a few people back into employment whilst helping fill critical roles for the likes of Huws Gray free of charge, we were happy to be fulfilling our pledge ambitions.”

Terry Owen, Managing Director, Huws Gray;
“GCS reached out to Huws Gray just before Christmas about their pledge to get people made redundant due to the pandemic back into employment.  To offer up their time and resources without charge I found highly commendable and we were happy to support this worthwhile initiative.  I am pleased to say we have our first GCS Pledge candidate due to start with us soon.”

Terry Owen, Managing Director, Huws Gray;

“GCS reached out to Huws Gray just before Christmas about their pledge to get people made redundant due to the pandemic back into employment.  To offer up their time and resources without charge I found highly commendable and we were happy to support this worthwhile initiative.  I am pleased to say we have our first GCS Pledge candidate due to start with us soon.”

Chris Joyce, Area Manager, Huws Gray;
We are very pleased to support such a worthwhile initiative in the GCS Pledge. There aren’t many recruitment companies who are going above and beyond to help people back into work, completely free of charge and we’re proud to support this. We’ve now employed two people into the Huws Gray family via the pledge and are really happy with these new employees.”

Chris Joyce, Area Manager, Huws Gray;

We are very pleased to support such a worthwhile initiative in the GCS Pledge. There aren’t many recruitment companies who are going above and beyond to help people back into work, completely free of charge and we’re proud to support this. We’ve now employed two people into the Huws Gray family via the pledge and are really happy with these new employees.”
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GCS have gone on to continue working with Huws Gray in 2021 and having ties with North Wales, GCS are pleased to be partnering with a business that originated from that part of the UK.  From humble beginnings, the growth of Huws Gray has been fantastic to witness in recent years and with the news announced on the 1^st July about the acquisition of the Grafton brand, it must be the biggest deal of its kind and massive news for our sector. 

GCS have gone on to continue working with Huws Gray in 2021 and having ties with North Wales, GCS are pleased to be partnering with a business that originated from that part of the UK.  From humble beginnings, the growth of Huws Gray has been fantastic to witness in recent years and with the news announced on the 1^st July about the acquisition of the Grafton brand, it must be the biggest deal of its kind and massive news for our sector. 
GCS have gone on to continue working with Huws Gray in 2021 and having ties with North Wales, GCS are pleased to be partnering with a business that originated from that part of the UK.  From humble beginnings, the growth of Huws Gray has been fantastic to witness in recent years and with the news announced on the 1^st July about the acquisition of the Grafton brand, it must be the biggest deal of its kind and massive news for our sector. 
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Sunbelt were looking for a select number of recruitment partners that they could trust. Sunbelt are a large organisation and due to volume, timescale and specialist focus they use GCS to help attract the right talent within tight deadlines. GCS became Sunbelt’s trusted recruitment partner by forging genuine relationships and bringing in time and cost efficiencies by successfully finding talent, quickly and efficiently.

Sunbelt were looking for a select number of recruitment partners that they could trust. Sunbelt are a
large organisation and due to volume, timescale and specialist focus they use GCS to help attract the
right talent within tight deadlines. GCS became Sunbelt’s trusted recruitment partner by forging genuine relationships and bringing in time and cost efficiencies by successfully finding talent, quickly and efficiently.

Tracy Edwards, Recruitment Manager, Sunbelt Rentals;
“When we tendered for our new PSL, quality was the most important aspect and selecting suppliers who would be our trusted partners, supporting the Sunbelt Rentals employer brand. GCS have worked with our hiring managers over several years to develop an in-depth understanding of our business and culture, ensuring that they place the right person in the right role. We have great relationships with the GCS team and confidence that they will deliver where we need their support in sourcing the best talent, including some of our most challenging vacancies to fill”

Tracy Edwards, Recruitment Manager, Sunbelt Rentals;

Working with Sunbelts internal recruitment function, GCS used the internal processes during
recruitment drives; resulting in increased communication, consistent candidate engagement and decreased time to hire. GCS also ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and employment legislation, and manage screening & vetting for every candidate, giving Sunbelt complete peace of mind.

Working with Sunbelts internal recruitment function, GCS used the internal processes during

recruitment drives; resulting in increased communication, consistent candidate engagement and
decreased time to hire. GCS also ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and employment legislation, and manage screening & vetting for every candidate, giving Sunbelt complete peace of mind.

Phil Leahy, Managing Director, Sunbelt Rentals:
“GCS have been working with Sunbelt Rentals for some time now on a number of key recruitment initiatives and we are very pleased with the outcomes. The team at GCS have a high level of integrity, show a genuine passion for people and, on several occasions have gone above and beyond in terms of their service offering to Sunbelt and we look forward to it continuing well into the future”

Phil Leahy, Managing Director, Sunbelt Rentals:

GCS have a recruitment fulfillment success rate of 92% across all roles including Sales, Management and Engineering roles as well as support and senior roles. GCS Associates’ expertise in directly sourcing candidates quickly has enabled the Sunbelt to not only achieve significant cost savings but has resulted in several critical hires for key projects.

GCS have a recruitment fulfillment success rate of 92% across all roles including Sales, Management
and Engineering roles as well as support and senior roles. GCS Associates’ expertise in directly
sourcing candidates quickly has enabled the Sunbelt to not only achieve significant cost savings but
has resulted in several critical hires for key projects.

Neil Driscoll, Regional Director, Sunbelt Rentals;
“GCS Associates played a key role when we were recruiting within my region. To date, they recruited several roles for us and saved myself & my managers considerable time and money by providing great candidates who were right, not only the role, but for our business culture too. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend GCS if you have any recruitment requirements”

Neil Driscoll, Regional Director, Sunbelt Rentals;

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David Payne, Service Centre Manager, Sunbelt Rentals;
“Sunbelt have enjoyed a strong partnership with GCS Associates for many years. GCS have supported our recruitment drives and have brought significant improvements to the hiring process, producing excellent talent for us at different levels of the business. GCS is a recruitment partner we can really trust to get the job done, they thoroughly vet the candidates, fill our vacancies quickly and have great communication. If you are looking to recruit I can 100% recommend GCS Associates”

David Payne, Service Centre Manager, Sunbelt Rentals;

“Sunbelt have enjoyed a strong partnership with GCS Associates for many years. GCS have supported our recruitment drives and have brought significant improvements to the hiring process, producing excellent talent for us at different levels of the business. GCS is a recruitment partner we can really trust to get the job done, they thoroughly vet the candidates, fill our vacancies quickly and have great communication. If you are looking to recruit I can 100% recommend GCS Associates”

Sitemark needed to expand their sales capacity and recruit a Senior Sales role into their existing team to promote the growth of the business. Whilst based in Worcestershire, Sitemark have employees working on a flexible basis across the whole country and therefore wanted to search across the whole of the UK to find the best talent.

Sitemark needed to expand their sales capacity and recruit a Senior Sales role into their existing team to promote the growth of the business. Whilst based in Worcestershire, Sitemark have employees working on a flexible basis across the whole country and therefore wanted to search across the whole of the UK to find the best talent.

GCS Associates managed the whole process for Sitemark. Sourcing the candidates, arranging time slots for interview and most importantly, providing Sitemark with quality, rather than ‘quantity’ applicants. GCS were thorough, swift, and supported Sitemark – advising through every stage of the recruitment process.

GCS Associates managed the whole process for Sitemark. Sourcing the candidates, arranging time slots for interview and most importantly, providing Sitemark with quality, rather than ‘quantity’ applicants. GCS were thorough, swift, and supported Sitemark – advising through every stage of the recruitment process.

Mike Boxhall, Managing Director, Sitemark commented;
“Our experience of working with GCS was excellent. We would have no hesitation in working with GCS Associates again in the future – they were thoroughly professional in every way.”

Mike Boxhall, Managing Director, Sitemark commented;

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“Our experience of working with GCS was excellent. We would have no hesitation in working with GCS Associates again in the future – they were thoroughly professional in every way.”

From the shortlist GCS Associates provided, Sitemark decided to hire 2 candidates. Here’s what the successful candidates had to say:

From the shortlist GCS Associates provided, Sitemark decided to hire 2 candidates. Here’s what the successful candidates had to say:

“GCS took a genuine, supportive and knowledgeable approach throughout the process. GCS guided me through the interviews and were very helpful and professional. I am incredibly grateful to GCS for helping me secure a new role with a great company. Highly recommended”

“GCS took a genuine, supportive and knowledgeable approach throughout the process. GCS guided me through the interviews and were very helpful and professional. I am incredibly grateful to GCS for helping me secure a new role with a great company. Highly recommended”

“GCS were very friendly and professional and kept frequent contact during the interview stage. Thank you for finding me such a great job! It’s probably the best experience I’ve had working with a recruiter”.

“GCS were very friendly and professional and kept frequent contact during the interview stage. Thank you for finding me such a great job! It’s probably the best experience I’ve had working with a recruiter”.

Michael Parry, Managing Director, GCS Associates commented;
“It was our first foray into the world of Facilities Management and Sitemark were a new client, so we had to make sure we understood the culture of the business and what type of person would be a fit for the role and their organization. In addition to this we had to have a crash course on the world of FM.

Michael Parry, Managing Director, GCS Associates commented;

“It was our first foray into the world of Facilities Management and Sitemark were a new client, so we had to make sure we understood the culture of the business and what type of
person would be a fit for the role and their organization. In addition to this we had to have
a crash course on the world of FM.

There was a great deal of interest in the role and the hardest element was deciding on the final shortlist. Ultimately, two great people were employed by Sitemark and we established a new relationship with a fantastic business that has an exceptional product and service offering.”

There was a great deal of interest in the role and the hardest element was deciding on the final shortlist. Ultimately, two great
people were employed by Sitemark and we established a new relationship with a fantastic business that has an
exceptional product and service offering.”