NEWS

NATIONAL AWARD HAT-TRICK FOR DRIVER HIRE

For the third year in succession a Driver Hire driver has won the ‘Agency Driver of the Year’ category in the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s (REC) ‘One in a Million’ competition – a national award covering the whole of the UK. This year’s winner is Malcolm Davidson a category C+E driver who lives in Dover and works for Driver Hire’s Ashford office. 

The competition was the highlight of ‘National Temporary Workers’ Week’ which took place from June 4th – 8th. Malcolm joined the thirteen other category winners at the House of Commons for a Reception where he was presented with his award.

Over the past seven and a half years, Malcolm’s willingness to go the extra mile has won him much praise from Driver Hire’s clients.  For example, when there was a heavy fall of snow earlier this year, Malcolm realised he might have problems getting to work the next day. So he set his alarm for an early start. The following morning, having checked the conditions, he travelled to the client’s depot to collect his vehicle. He then completed his scheduled round of deliveries and collections. It was only when he returned to base at mid-day that he discovered that neither of the client’s permanent drivers had made it to work. So Malcolm then took out further loads to try and minimise the loss of business caused by the shortage of staff.

“Because I’m a temp I feel that I have do that little bit extra to prove myself,” says Malcolm who was in the Army and served in the first Gulf War before starting his driving career. “Winning the award is a real pat on the back and I really enjoyed going to the Houses of Commons. It’s not the kind of thing I normally do on a Wednesday afternoon!”

The flexibility offered by agency work is one of the reasons Malcolm has always turned down offers of regular, full time work. As well as being a lorry driver he’s also a fully qualified Alpine and Adaptive ski-instructor. The latter enables him to teach skiing to people with disabilities. Malcolm works for two charities; The British Ski Club for the Disabled and Disability Snowsports UK. Two of the paraplegic skiers Malcolm has worked with have gone on to be part of the British Para-Olympic team.

His boss at Driver Hire Ashford, Andrew Padgett said, “We never get complaints about Malcolm. No matter how big or small the job, Malcolm always approaches it in the same professional manner, delivering service of the highest calibre to our clients. Once Malcolm is booked onto a job we know that it is in safe hands. He’s never had a ‘no show’ and his records reveal that he’s never had a day off due to illness in the seven and a half years he’s worked for us. His award is well-deserved and we’re delighted for him.

Driver Hire’s Chief Executive Chris Chidley added, “The fact that one of our drivers has won this coveted title for the last three years speaks volumes about our recruitment procedures, quality systems and the ongoing training and development of our drivers. We recruit the best drivers, offer them training for new vocational skills and keep them up to date with all the changes in legislation. My congratulations go  to Malcolm and, of course, our previous winners in 2005 and 2006.”

AWARDING STORY FOR ABERDEEN RECRUITMENT MANAGER

Aberdeen recruitment manager Fiona Mackay is one of the top recruitment managers in Scotland. Fiona, who works for Driver Hire Aberdeen, was a finalist in the inaugural Scottish Recruitment Awards. Created by Scottish Business Insider and the Daily Record newspaper and in association with My Key Pay, the awards pay tribute to the industry’s top achievers and showcase the outstanding achievements of recruitment companies across Scotland.

Fiona joined Driver Hire from university. She’s been their Operations’ Director for the last six years during which time she’s also completed an MsC in Management. Now responsible for nine people, together they provide employment for over 700 drivers and other logistics-related staff. Fiona oversees driver recruitment, their training and development, as well as the development of the business as a whole. Under Fiona’s management, during the past year, Driver Hire has grown its customer-base by 27% and achieved a 30% increase in profitability.

“I really enjoy my job – and working in recruitment,” says Fiona. “The key to managing for success is creating the right environment in the office. That means the team all working toward the same goals and having some fun along the way. It was a real shock when I heard that I’d made it to the finals in Glasgow. If I win the award it’s one for the whole team because to achieve the success we’ve enjoyed over the past few years, we all work very hard together.”

Commenting on Fiona’s nomination, Grant Wilson the owner of Driver Hire Aberdeen said, “In Fiona Mackay we have a manager who not only understands the unique requirements of the transport and logistics sector, she ensures that every customer and every candidate receives the highest quality service at every stage of the recruitment process. In an industry where meeting delivery deadlines efficiently and promptly is key to success she leads the team to ensure best practice every time.”

Michele Aaen, Event Sales Manager added, “The Scottish Recruitment Awards recognise the exceptional achievements of the industry. It provides employment for 4,000 people and, annually, puts 1.3M jobseekers into temporary employment and finds permanent work for 750,000 workers. The awards ceremony brought together the great and the good from the industry to celebrate the individuals and the companies who have excelled in the marketplace and stood out from the crowd.”