Personnel & Care Bank

After nearly twenty years in the business, independent recruitment agency Personnel & Care Bank is proud of the long-standing relationships it has with its clients, many of whom consider the agency to be trusted partners as well as providers. PCB is also proud of the loyalty it generates from its candidates, who refer to their colleagues and continue to return even after many years for help again.

The company has an ever growing network of locations and associate consultancies throughout the UK. Its successful growth is a result of its focus on delivering results and helping people to achieve their goals both externally and internally. Its attention to detail and its determination to ensure that a selection of the highest quality candidates is available for all their clients, has placed Personnel & Care Bank in the top one percent of recruitment consultancies in the UK.

With such a strong reputation to maintain, alongside its constant desire to exceed expectations, Personnel & Care Bank is very careful about the suppliers it chooses to work with.

The company has always taken a consultative approach to each individual opportunity, carefully identifying the needs of both the client and the candidate. Assessing the skills and competencies of each candidate is therefore fundamental to business success.

Fiona Lindsay, explains: “Our consultants take the time to thoroughly interview, assess and skill test every candidate, who is then matched to vacancies that correspond with their chosen field, abilities, personality profiles and career aspirations. It’s not helpful to the candidate to send them for inappropriate positions, and it’s certainly not helpful to the client to receive lots of unsuitable interviewees.”

The company was going through a process of re-visiting its in-house databases and taking them online. As a result they decided to change their existing assessment supplier to one that could provide online testing modules – and chose Skillsarena. The selection process involved the Managing Director, recruitment managers, branch managers and consultants who would be the main users of Skillsarena. “Their comments were vital to assure us we were selecting the most effective product for our business. As a company we had no hesitations in choosing Skillsarena,” says Lindsay.

“The recruitment industry is fast paced and is currently largely candidate-driven,” she adds. “Inevitably good candidates are placed almost immediately. Having the facility to test candidates before they come for interviews with us, ensures both we and they are spending our time effectively.

“An innovative approach like Skillsarena’s strengthens the level of service that we take pride in delivering. For example, online testing enables us to offer clients the opportunity to test their existing staff quickly and efficiently, and then use these results as an internal benchmark to provide the appropriate temporary cover.”

Although Skillsarena was chosen primarily because of the benefits that online testing brings to Personnel & Care Bank, the agency was also very impressed with the variety of test modules available. The company selected Skillsarena’s assessment suites for Microsoft Office, Call Centre skills, Aptitude and Clerical skills.

Personnel & Care Bank was also very pleased with the different skill levels available on each module. “Although the tests are straightforward to take from home, they do challenge our candidates,” says Fiona. “They really highlight each individual’s strengths, and it stops candidates who have lots of test experience from fooling the system with answers they have learned by heart.”

Following the implementation of Skillsarena’s assessment modules, Personnel & Care Bank have been impressed by the levels of support and service they have received. “The level of service we have received from Skillsarena in the two years we have worked with them has been excellent. Our account is managed efficiently and the customer service is beyond expectations,” comments Fiona.

Although the recruitment process at Personnel & Care Bank has always been effective and efficient, the introduction of Skillsarena’s assessment modules has ensured the company continues to move with the times. As a result it remains receptive to new concepts, products and ideas that would enhance its service and business, and enable it to retain its enviable position in the industry.

“I’m confident that as our business needs change, and as the market evolves, Skillsarena has the necessary flexibility to be able to meet our demands.”