G4S becomes founder member of The Social Recruitment Advocacy Group

Social recruitment is an approach to hiring that positively impacts every part of society and the economy by moving unemployed people, who are furthest away from the labour market, into sustainable jobs.

Disadvantaged groups include people from within BAME communities, young people ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET), unpaid carers, ex-offenders, those in low socioeconomic groups and also individuals with long-term health and disability challenges.

Becoming a member of The Social Recruitment Advocacy Group will underpin the ‘people’ pillar of the G4S social value programme and, as part of the affiliation, G4S has been accredited to silver status. This means G4S can demonstrate an open recruitment policy that encourages individuals from underrepresented groups to apply for roles.

In addition, G4S is required to evidence active partnerships with local and national organisations that exist to support the employability of those individuals who face barriers in the labour market.

Social value initiatives

Working with its Social Value Partner, namely PeoplePlus, G4S already has a number of social value initiatives underway. These include:

*the successful appointment of dozens of unemployed people into G4S roles in the last two months

*strategic partnerships with pre-employment training providers to feed into recruitment activity and the development of sector-based work academies.

*working collaboratively on solution design for new security bids in order to evidence social value as part of the overall proposition

*consultancy services to assist with the embedding of social value within the G4S approach to security operational delivery 

*providing mid-life services to the G4S workforce in the North East, assisting with planning for retirement and financial resilience and taking stock of skills and health

Key thread

Bridget Brookfield, director of Human Resources for G4S Secure Solutions (UK), said: “Social value is the key thread that runs through all of our recruitment activities. It’s critical for our talent and acquisition strategy. Social recruitment enables our business to create long-term learning and future growth opportunities through local Government events supporting local, sustainable and environmentally ethical suppliers.”

Brookfield concluded: “We are committed to improving social value to benefit local communities by supporting local people into employment. This stance reflects our values in maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

Over the coming weeks and months, G4S will be celebrating some of the individuals who have begun a career in security as a result of the social advocacy recruitment programme.

*Further information on G4S careers is available online at www.g4s.com/en-gb/careers