Jobhunters swamp Telford firm after Star plea
Thursday 10th November 2011, 5:08PM GMT.
Hundreds of people have rushed to apply for jobs at a Telford firm – 24 hours after bosses revealed they had been unable to fill 30 vacancies despite advertising them for almost a year.
Yesterday the Shropshire Star revealed Unique Copiers, in Donnington, was struggling to fill new posts despite offering training and salaries ranging from £12,500 to a possible £60,000.
Bosses at the firm, which deals in photocopiers and printers, said they had only filled 10 out of 40 vacancies since January.
But now the firm has been swamped with people trying to secure a job, receiving 250 emails and 100 applications and 30 people visiting its site in person thanks to the appeal in the Shropshire Star.
Managing director Adrian Casey, 44, this afternoon said the response had been fantastic and praised the Shropshire Star for highlighting the problem.
Mr Casey said the response had been so huge bosses would now have to organise block interviews.
Staff member Laura Robertson said the phones started to ring at about 12.15pm, shortly after the Star hit the streets, and ‘never stopped’.
She said: “It has been manic ever since. I arrived at work today and could not turn my computer on for at least 20 minutes because the phone never stopped ringing. It has been constant.”
Regional manager Jason Hill said he arrived at the firm, on the St Georges Road Industrial Estate, at 7.30am today and spent the first two and a half hours dealing with inquiries.
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So, we had to put up with all this political grandstanding, but it turns out the lazy firm hadn’t been bothered to advertise the jobs. I’m surprised they didn’t fill this article with more tory bile too.
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Well nothing like free advertising for Adrian Casey, thanks to the Shropshire Star eh!!
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I have to say that if indeed these New Vacancies have been available for so many months, then what in Heavens name has the job center staff been doing about it, and more so, how many other prospective employers have just given up trying to get staff?
Something seems to be very wrong here I feel!?
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Eh??? Very clever MD getting free recruitment advertising in Shropshire Star, bypassing need to pay agencies or advertising costs? A hopeless MD who can’t seem to give jobs away in this current climate? MD in cahoots with Shropshire Star with a novel advertising campaign? A company that nobody wants to work for (unlikely given many peoples position)? I really do hope 30 people find a decent job with this company but something ain’t right. This paper reported 900 applicants for 33 jobs in the new Shrewsbury Waitrose six months ago.
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I hope he retracts his statement that Telford people are lazy now
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Something seems not quite right, I am an engineer and applied for one of the vacancies.
On phoning for further information I was informed ‘no vacancy existed’ and subsequently I did not receive a response to my application.
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How come the firm survived without filling these 30 vacancies?
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I hope the Shropshire does a follow up and sees that this company has indeed “filled” 30 “fulltime” and not temporary Jobs at that.
So come on Shropshire a follow up in 4 to 6 weeks please.
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Yes Ron good Idea, I vote for that. I need to satisfy my interest in this story.
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I remember back in 1982 and on the old king cole i applied for a job at a telford firm who took a big add out in the paper.
I turned up for interview with 25 others many were desperate i had only been unemployed for a week so not as desperate.
They gave us an interview on mass told us all how woopy doo successful they were flash cars , good money etc basically we were sales reps however forgot to mention it was commission only.They then asked us to FILL OUT TWO PAGES OF NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF PEOPLE WE NEW IF WE COULDN’T THEN WE WERE NOT FOR THEM??? , it was a scam of course to get leads i sussed it in the first few minutes but went through the motions etc and gave them three pages of names and addresses most were fake and a few of people i new hated cold callers.
Best bit was bumpimg in to one of these guys in much wenlock looking for one of the addresses i had given and it dawning on him he had wasted a day looking for fake addresses.
Not saying this company is the same but somthing does not add up.
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Funny story Andrew, its nice to think that they had what was coming to them but unfortunately these type of people have no concience and dont give a monkies about anyone other than themselves howerever I am sure that they sleep very well at night!
A couple of important things that are factual that might put to bed a few misconceptions during the paper headlines!
My salemen are employed on a basic wage plus benefits.
I did not contact the paper or indeed neither did my marketing Company, it was in fact an employee of which the reason will become obvious soon as the paper dropped that story to deal with my frustrations at finding staff.
I look for long term staff infact I have employed one engineer for 23 years now.
I do not pay peanuts, I look after people like family but only those that are loyal, hard working and honest. Only employees that fit that criteria and have been with me for some time would be able to confirm that and gladly there are a few of those.
The vacancies are real and since the article I have been overjoyed at the interest.
I do feel very passionately for those out there that are really trying to get jobs and better themselves however the job enquiries that we have had (and are still processing) do not warrent an apology from me as its a fraction of the amount of unemployed in the area and it was fact that loads of people when we went flyering in Telfod Town Centre said that they were not interested in any job as they were on too much money on the dole.
I would welcome you to come to my offices and I will show you the type of CV’s that I am getting, this may surprise you.
Finally, our adverts for jobs have been with the Job centre for over a year and we have and do continue to work with various goverment bodies in order to give local people jobs as I am a great believer in helping the local area in many ways. I buy products from local Companies when I can and I give extra discounts to local Companies when supplying them.
Thank you for reading.
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