Elior UK has given a ‘life changing’ opportunity to 10 previously long-term unemployed people – getting them back into work at one of its Tesco café sites in Scotland.

Working in partnership with recruitment specialist Ingeus, Elior has trained the new recruits as front of house staff responsible for delivering a first class service to customers.

The initiative has been so successful that Elior is planning to roll it out to other sites in the area.

Arran McDowell, HR director, Elior UK, says: “Ingeus has helped us find ten committed and loyal employees for our Tesco site in Galashiels. The quality of candidates has been outstanding, so much so, that we’re committed to working with Ingeus to fill future vacancies.

“We’re delighted to have helped 10 people get back into work and hope that over the next year we can assist many more.”

Case study: Sarah’s story

Sarah Logan, 29, from Galashiels, was unemployed for seven years after taking time out to nurse her then seriously ill son. She was delighted to be offered a customer service role at Elior just three days after being referred to Ingeus, and has quickly progressed to become a supervisor in the Tesco staff café.

For many years however, Sarah struggled to even get a response to job applications, despite having a wealth of past work experience.

Sarah says: “I applied for hundreds of jobs but got nowhere. Employers can’t judge your personality from an online form, but that’s where Ingeus came to my rescue.

“On my first visit we rewrote my CV to highlight more of my skills, then they told me about the Elior vacancies and recommended me. It all happened so quickly. It’s been totally life-changing getting back to work and I can’t believe I’ve been promoted already.”

Ingeus Employer Partnership Coordinator, Moira Wilson, gave Sarah the initial interview and, seeing her potential, was able to recommend her to Elior.

Catering manager at Tesco in Galashiels, Paul Gailley, says: “Moira knew the qualities we were looking for in our new recruits and saved me so much time, money and hassle by pre-interviewing the applicants.

“Elior has a strong customer service focus and so finding the right staff is vital. It is important that we give opportunities to local unemployed people and it’s been great to see everyone’s confidence grow and personalities shine as the new recruits settle in. Sarah, and the other Ingeus recruits, are a real credit to the team.”