Tag - Recruiting

A UK recruiter is set to help tens of thousands of people with mental health problems access life-changing support in 2023 after a series of daring fundraising feats by its staff which raised &pound;30,000 for the mental health charity, Mind.
Colleagues at Acorn by Synergie have spent the company&rsquo;s 30th year in business climbing mountains, running half marathons, getting down and dirty at mud challenges, cycling the length of Wales, organising golf challenges and more.
The money they have raised will go towards supporting Mind&rsquo;s Infoline in answering more than 3,525 enquiries this year or to ensure its &lsquo;Side By Side&rsquo; website can remain an open, safe, and supportive space for more than 642 hours, allowing around 35,010 people to interact on the site in the process.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director of Acorn by Synergie, said: &ldquo;It's been another challenging year for everyone as we emerge from the pandemic only to be hit by the rising cost of living, and the number of adults and young people experiencing mental health problems is unsurprisingly on the rise.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our team felt strongly that no one should have to face mental health problems alone, deserving respect and the best support available, and as such we appointed Mind as our chosen charity during our 30th year in business.&rdquo;
Acorn by Synergie is one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruiters with a global outlook and 40 branches operating nationwide, with mental health awareness and support remaining at the top of the company&rsquo;s wellbeing agenda.
In rolling out associated activities, its Mind fundraising initiative has also helped contribute to Acorn by Synergie&rsquo;s pledge in signing the Mental Health at Work Commitment, which it also achieved in its 30th anniversary year as a demonstration of its intent to actively achieve better mental health outcomes and a genuine longer term positive impact on all employees&rsquo; wellbeing too.
&ldquo;As an organisation deeply focused on the emotional wellbeing of our own employees, supporting this cause has pulled us closer as colleagues whilst also boosting the physical and mental wellbeing of those taking part in the various challenges involved too,&rdquo; Bernard added.
Staff from Acorn by Synergie have raised &pound;30,000 for Mind to help mark the firm&rsquo;s 30th anniversary in business
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re incredibly proud of all of our colleagues at Acorn by Synergie that have joined forces to mark its 30th anniversary in such a poignant and meaningful way, therefore, but more importantly who have raised an incredible amount of money that is going to make a real difference to thousands of people&rsquo;s lives in the process.&rdquo;
It is estimated that only 1 in 3 adults with a common mental health problem are currently getting treatment in the form of talking therapies, medication or both, and around one in six people currently experience a mental health problem of some kind each week in England.
Mind has spent more than 60 years working to improve the lives of all people with experience of mental health problems, through public information campaigns, government lobbying and the 1000+ services Local Mind&rsquo;s deliver in communities across England and Wales.
Rebecca Hastings, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Mind, said &ldquo;We are so grateful the Acorn by Synergie team not only for their fundraising efforts, but also for encouraging one another to have conversations around mental health.
&ldquo;The pandemic, and now the cost-of-living crisis, has had a devastating effect on the nation&rsquo;s mental health, especially for those of us with existing mental health problems. It is vital that everyone has access to the right support, advice and information when they need it. The money raised by staff at Acorn by Synergies will help support our Infoline, and the campaigning we do to ensure that the one in four of us who experience a mental health problem each year, do not face it alone.&rdquo;

£30,000 raised for Mind 

Emily Meredith has been appointed as Group Head of HR at Acorn during a period of ongoing growth for the UK recruiter.
The appointment will help give greater focus to the structure of its HR Division and the organisation more widely as demand for Acorn&rsquo;s services continues to grow.
Emily brings almost two decades of experience working within HR with her to the role and will be working to help future proof Acorn&rsquo;s internal structures and processes as it looks towards a new era of business.
Ms Meredith&rsquo;s appointment comes after the recruitment specialist also recently created an all-new internal recruitment officer role in response to an unprecedented demand for its services, which was taken up by Richard Hilliard.
As a result, Acorn itself has also appointed more than 60&nbsp; new members of staff since summer 2021 as it continues working to address ongoing challenges within the UK workforce arising following Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and more.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn, said: &ldquo;Welcoming Emily into her new position as Group Head of HR here at Acorn is reflective of the crucial position we find ourselves in, as a business poised for the next phase of its development.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The UK jobs market has experienced unprecedented pressures in recent times and the team here at Acorn has worked really hard to maintain flexibility and respond to the needs of our highly valued clients nationwide throughout that time.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We are continuing to experience unprecedented demand from our customers UK-wide for that support to continue, which means making sure our team continues to work well and flourish internally too,&rdquo; Bernard added.
&ldquo;Emily is the ideal person to oversee and steer that ship, supporting colleagues into the future and the organisation as a whole. We are very excited to see what comes next for Acorn with Emily at the helm of our HR Division across the group.&rdquo;

Acorn appoints Group Head of HR amid ongoing growth

Richard Hilliard has been appointed as the first ever internally focused Recruitment Consultant at leading UK recruiter, Acorn.
Mr Hilliard takes the newly created role of Talent Scout within its Human Resources department in response to an unprecedented demand for its services, and on the UK recruitment sector as a whole.
Acorn itself has appointed more than 60 new members of staff since last summer as it continues working to address ongoing challenges within the UK workforce arising following Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and more.
With a long-standing background in the recruitment industry, and having owned his own business within that time too, Mr Hilliard is more than well-placed to support Acorn in further strengthening its own workforce for the continued prosperity of its clients.
Mr Hilliard said: &ldquo;I am over the moon with my new appointment and I&rsquo;m looking forward to making a real impact on organisational growth, especially with the candidate landscape changing so dramatically over the last 12 months.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in recruitment for over 20 years and always enjoyed working with external clients by assisting their own HR teams with their needs, so when this opportunity was created internally, it felt like the logical progression for me - it&rsquo;s exciting to still be challenging and developing myself professionally after more than two decades in the recruitment industry.&rdquo;
&nbsp;&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been in recruitment for over 20 years and always enjoyed working with external clients by assisting their own HR teams with their needs, so when this opportunity was created internally, it felt like the logical progression for me - it&rsquo;s exciting to still be challenging and developing myself professionally after more than two decades in the recruitment industry.&rdquo;
Having previously worked for Blue Arrow and Gap Personnel, Mr Hilliard went on to launch his own personal training business before re-joining the recruitment industry as an Account Manager for Newton Abbot and Plymouth with Acorn in 2015.
Since then his presence within the team and his role in driving the company forward has continued to prove significant, his most recent position being Project Manager for the South West region before taking on his new position as Talent Scout.
Emily Meredith, Head of HR at Acorn, said: &ldquo;This is a brand-new role and something we deemed essential given the current labour market.
Having a dedicated resource will give our own hiring managers the consultative and professional support they need to recruit new members of staff and add real value to the service our teams in turn are able to provide to our clients.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Richard is the perfect appointment as he has experience of working in many different recruitment roles and recruiting permanent heads for our client companies.&rdquo;

Acorn appoints Richard Hilliard as its first ever Internal Recruitment Consultant

Acorn awarded place on public services supplier framework

<h5>Acorn by Synergie, one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruitment firms, has appointed Victoria Holloway as its new &nbsp;Sales Director.</h5>
Victoria has extensive experience in staffing and recruitment, having served as an On-site Division Director and National Sales Director. Her strengths lie in her negotiation skills, operations management, and managed services solutions acumen.
Victoria's responsibilities at Acorn by Synergie will include leading dynamic sales growth as well as defining and implementing strategies for the Managing Services division. Her expertise in logistics and supply chain will also be an asset in supporting the other divisions of the business.
&nbsp;
On her appointment, Victoria said: &ldquo;I began my professional career 20 years ago and am thrilled to be joining Acorn by Synergie for the next stage of my working life. It is great to be part of such a well-respected, UK-wide business that is experiencing exceptional growth and development.
<blockquote>
<h5>&ldquo;I have been impressed by the positive energy and vision for the future the business and am excited to support its ambitious growth plans, working alongside Managing Director Bernard and his senior management team. I am looking forward to using my industry network to strengthen the division and am looking forward to meeting more of the team in the coming weeks.&rdquo;</h5>
</blockquote>
Acorn by Synergie is a multi-specialist recruitment agency that has been named top recruiter in Wales and ranks in the top 1% of all recruitment firms in the UK.
<blockquote>
<h5>Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn by Synergie, said: &ldquo;We are excited to welcome Victoria to our team at Acorn by Synergie, and I can&rsquo;t wait to see how she leads from the front with this Sales Director role and make it her own. Given her extensive knowledge and experience, we are confident that Victoria will lead the division and help the wider business continue to go from strength to strength.&rdquo;</h5>
</blockquote>
Acorn by Synergie has received multiple awards for its outstanding services. It's been recognised as the Best UK Recruitment Firm, and more recently won Wales Business Award for Wellbeing at Work. Since its establishment in Newport, South Wales, in 1992, Acorn by Synergie has successfully placed approximately 2.7 million individuals into jobs.

Acorn by Synergie appoints new Sales Director 

Its new offering will sit alongside the UK recruiter&rsquo;s existing services and follows on from its decision to rebrand as Acorn by Synergie earlier this year, further reflecting its position in the UK as part of an international group of companies offering resources management and development services in recruitment globally.
S&amp;You will focus predominantly on permanent specialist recruitment, as a specialist team of dedicated consultants sourcing exceptional talent for businesses looking for high-level employees.
Paul Anscombe, who will be heading up the new brand, said:&nbsp;&ldquo;The landscape for recruitment has changed significantly in the past few years, which has in turn affected the way Acorn by Synergie, as one of the leading recruiters in the UK, now operates too.&rdquo;
&ldquo;A lot of boundaries businesses faced previously in recruiting talent have shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, and we have been compelled to change the way we work in order to best support our highly valued clients looking to spread their search further as a result.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our consultants have a genuine desire to positively shape the futures of individuals we engage with and maintain a focus on helping our clients build successful, sustainable businesses via the recruitment of exceptional talent,&rdquo; Paul added.
&ldquo;S&amp;You will help us achieve this for our clients by drawing further on our position as an internationally renowned organisation with a global reach, entirely focused on the recruitment of niche and top-level talent.&rdquo;
S&amp;You will take care of Specialist Recruitment and Executive Recruitment specifically for clients operating in accountancy and finance, technology, legal, health and life sciences and other premium sectors.
The new brand will build on Acorn by Synergie&rsquo;s existing relationships to gain an in-depth understanding of the cultural and hiring needs of a wide range of existing and new business clients looking for strong applicants at the top of their game professionally.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn by Synergie, said: &ldquo;The demand from our clients to support them with their executive recruitment needs has grown in recent years to the point where the work required of us has become greater than our current business model allowed.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We have taken the decision, therefore, to separate the work we do for clients seeking higher levels of expertise on an increasingly international scale out and deliver this area of the business under an entirely separate brand.&rdquo;
Acorn by Synergie is one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruiters with a global outlook and 40 branches operating nationwide, with its own CSR and sustainability strategy in place too. It was also recently recognised for its commitment to supporting the emotional wellbeing of its employees as winner of the Wellbeing at Work title at this year&rsquo;s Wales Business Awards.
Bernard added: &ldquo;We know from experience that partnerships thrive on honesty and transparency, and the foundation of our success to date lies in those strong, long-lasting relationships we have worked so hard to forge over the years. The launch of S&amp;You is yet another way we are working to maintain clarity with our highly valued clients and adapting the way we work to better suit their ever-changing needs.&rdquo;&nbsp;
For more information on S&amp;You and the services it provides, visit&nbsp;www.sandyou.co.uk&nbsp;

Acorn by Synergie launches new brand S&You

Pupils at Llanmartin Primary School are being supported by the recruiter to trial a new online learning tool called Our Classroom Climate, created to inspire students on the importance of sustainability in their local communities.
As a result, Llanmartin students now have access to a year long climate change programme providing them with practical experiments and curriculum-based lessons that have the potential to make their school, and others across the UK, carbon neutral.
Victoria Curtis, Head Teacher at Llanmartin Primary, said: &ldquo;The Our Climate Classroom programme feeds perfectly into wider curriculum aims laid out to ensure that the issue of climate change is firmly embedded within the learning experiences of our children and young people nationwide.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Our pupils have found the whole experience thoroughly engaging and we&rsquo;re really grateful to the team at Acorn by Synergie in helping us to become one of the first schools to try out this new technology, therefore.&rdquo;
As part of the partnership, children at Llanmartin also received a visit from one of their own, former pupil Tania Cummins, who now works at Acorn by Synergie&rsquo;s UK headquarters in Newport as its Head of Compliance.
Tania said: &ldquo;Education plays such a vital role in helping to tackle climate change, and programmes like Our Classroom Climate are set to play a crucial part in creating a better, greener world for the next generation and beyond.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The course itself is also designed to help meet government aims in helping schools to meet its sustainability and climate change targets, and is really engaging and informative too.&rdquo;
&ldquo;So, it&rsquo;s been a real pleasure to have made a return to my old primary school and relive a key part of my past as part of a hugely positive project that has been designed to create a brighter future for us all,&rdquo; Tania added.
Acorn by Synergie is one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruiters with a global outlook and 40 branches operating nationwide, with its own CSR and sustainability strategy in place too.
As part of this work, and following the trial with Llanmartin Primary pupils, it now aims to support this strategy further by rolling out use of the Our Climate Classroom programme across its wider network of branches and clients UK wide too.
Mark Douglas, who founded our Climate Classroom in partnership with Cardiff University, said: &ldquo;We were delighted to inform the wonderful school team at Llanmartin that Acorn wished to fund them to receive our climate change education programme.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The local Acorn team were given a very warm welcome at the school and even got involved in some climate change lessons including capturing Carbon in the classroom - it was so good to see local companies adding real social value.&rdquo;

Acorn by Synergie supports Newport’s Llanmartin Primary 

<h5>Acorn Recruitment, one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruitment agencies, has today announced that it has renamed as &lsquo;Acorn by Synergie&rsquo;.</h5>
The rebrand has been implemented to better reflect Acorn&rsquo;s position as part of Synergie, an international group of companies and institutions offering global human resources management and development services in recruitment, temporary employment and permanent and executive solutions.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director of Acorn by Synergie, said of the rebrand:
<blockquote>&ldquo;Since this business launched some 30 years ago, Acorn has grown to become one of the most recognised, trusted, and ambitious recruitment partners in the UK &ndash; in fact, it is ranked within the top 1% of all leading UK recruiters.&nbsp;
<h5>&ldquo;And today, Acorn by Synergie is now a multinational organisation with globally renowned foundations, an international perspective and an turnover of around &pound;2.billion. The work of our long-established and highly esteemed branches throughout the UK is complemented by Acorn by Synergie colleagues based as far away as Australia. The working world that we operate in, and the client and candidate base we are able to reach &mdash; not least since the Covid-19 pandemic &mdash; has grown significantly since our business started too.&rdquo;</h5>
Bernard added&nbsp;&ldquo;Acorn origins will always belong here, in Wales, and the local and highly personalised levels of knowledge, expertise and overall service that our clients, candidates and colleagues have come to expect from us remain an integral part of who we are, and what we do. There will be no change operationally to any of our existing divisions or branches, and we will remain visible on high streets up and down the UK.&ldquo;In becoming Acorn by Synergie we are also acknowledging the fast-growing and continuously developing nature of our workforce, there is much to be celebrated when it comes to our achievements in the past 30 years, but also much more to come for us as Acorn by Synergie too.&rdquo;</blockquote>
&nbsp;

Acorn Recruitment rebrands to Acorn by Synergie

Louise Bevan has been appointed as the Director of Operations for the Public Sector at one of the UK&rsquo;s leading recruitment firms, Acorn.
The all-new role has been created to support further growth within its public sector division and is the first of its kind to be introduced within the organisation.
Formerly a manager with Blue Arrow, Louise has developed a specialism for working on large-scale public sector projects during her time in the recruitment industry.
Louise said: &ldquo;Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors affecting the UK labour market today, the public and private sectors have never had to work more closely for the sake of the greater good than they have in recent years.&rdquo;
&ldquo;The Public Sector market is very much a key feature of the UK recruitment landscape at the present time and with it comes new opportunities for Acorn to grow and develop in response.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We are working harder than ever to support existing and new client projects in line with a range of service providers including the NHS, universities, councils and other public sector bodies based in Wales and across the UK,&rdquo; Louise added.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m delighted, therefore, to have been given the opportunity to focus more fully on the public sector area of Acorn as a business and I&rsquo;m excited to see what more we can achieve through the long-standing relationships we have built up with public sector organisations UK-wide over the years.&rdquo;
Multi-specialist Acorn is the leading recruiter in Wales and is in the top 1% of all recruitment firms across the UK, with offices and business operations UK-wide.
A specialist in Crown Commercial Framework and Compliance for non clinical staff within the NHS and Public Sector as a whole, Ms Bevan will support further growth within Acorn&rsquo;s Public Sector division as it continues to break into new markets and achieve further growth overall.
The company supplies the NHS and other wider public-sector bodies with approved temporary recruitment solutions through its dedicated NHS and Public Sector team based at its headquarters in Newport, Wales, and through local support via its network of 40 branches based UK-wide.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director at Acorn, said: &ldquo;We are absolutely delighted to welcome Louise to the company and into this new role for Acorn, and we&rsquo;re extremely excited to see what else can be achieved in our Public Sector division as a result.&rdquo;
&ldquo;She has an excellent track record in providing large-scale public service providers with the support they need in order to meet the needs of a nation, and we look forward to watching our Public Sector division grow and develop further under her watchful eye.&rdquo;
Acorn has received many awards over the years, including Best UK Recruitment Firm, and it has placed some 2.7million people into jobs since its first branch opened, in Newport, South Wales in 1992.

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