Jackson Hogg: High-class delivery for temporary solutions

temporary, adj. & n. Lasting for a limited time; existing or valid for a time (only); not permanent; transient; made to supply a passing need.

In the world of recruitment, temporary, as defined here by the Oxford Dictionary, is an essential term and an increasingly necessary path for employers and employees.

Specialist recruitment and outsourced talent services partner Jackson Hogg has been delivering staff for a host of roles for more than a decade, and has rightly earned a sterling reputation across the globe for its recruitment, HR and training support.

And since Richard Hogg founded the company, his team – now numbering more than 100 – has helped businesses find staff for a wide range of roles, from chief executives to chief technology officers and development and research posts.

In September 2022, the company, which is headquartered at Wallsend’s Cobalt Business Exchange and has sister bases in Billingham and Leeds, branched out to create Jackson Hogg Industrial to better serve STEM clients, specialising in temporary and shopfloor recruitment for manufacturing companies.

The aim was to provide high-quality and innovative recruitment support and people services solutions for the growing number of companies aiming to unearth, train and retain new staff – even if that might be on a temporary basis.

Keeping talented staff is one of the key challenges for manufacturing companies, and it will come as no surprise to discover that Jackson Hogg is already making a positive impression with clients, tailoring its personal operations for industry and production.

Mathew Johnson, who is team leader – industrial, joined Jackson Hogg a little more than a year ago, and has been overseeing the expansion into the industrial world, seeking out employers and employees from the more traditional blue-collar environs.

And while it may have been a venture into the unknown initially, Jackson Hogg has more than found its feet.

Mathew says: “We’re working with countless manufacturers, and there’s no doubt there is increasing demand for temporary workers, whether that’s down to the cost of living affecting business, or whether they’re looking to cut costs or reduce when they need to produce.

He says: “It might be the type of manufacturing that is scalable, so they can bring in staff when they need them and have that flexibility and say, ‘we’ve got a downturn in business, we don’t need 30 or 40 people on the shopfloor’.

“We’ll register and screen candidates, process payroll and at the end date, we liaise with the candidates and look for alternative roles.

“And for the employee, it gives people a bit of luxury with flexible work to demand a higher fee, take a contract, work for six months and take a break, especially in the more skilled blue collar roles such as platers, welders or fabricators.

“For us, it’s more about supporting in the long term, whether they’re start-ups or established businesses, and building a relationship and partnership.

“We want to partner with the right businesses, and do things ethically and morally for both candidate and client.”

One example of that is Gardner Aerospace, in Consett, County Durham, which makes components for Boeing.

It approached Jackson Hogg when it directed contracts into the North East from its Derby plant.

Mathew and consultant James Dexter toured the factory – one of 13 sites across the world – and also spent valuable time researching Consett and its surrounding area.

He says: “It’s a bit of a trial period for them, but we’ve got 16 employees in there at the moment, and it works because we have that relationship.

“They redirected one element of production from Derby to Consett and asked us to assist in fulfilling this demand.

“Initially, that came with a requirement of eight new staff members, which has since doubled in size.

“It’s an ongoing partnership, with open dialogue from both Gardner and Jackson Hogg, and that’s when these partnerships work at their best.

“It’s about meeting clients, engaging with them with confidence and establishing a clearly defined way of working together.”

Recruitment is one of the biggest challenges manufacturing companies are facing.

The North East may have been built on shipyards and coalmines, but back then dock managers and pit bosses didn’t have to compete with an Amazon warehouse and local supermarkets’ superior wages and working conditions.

The influx of new investment on Teesside – and with it new jobs – is already keeping Mathew and James busy, with demand expected to soar over the coming years in the area as Teesworks and other projects gain momentum.

As companies aim to expand and stay relevant, and the new-look Teesside takes shape, the Jackson Hogg team – which stretches across eight European countries, plus the US and Canada – will be hands-on to find the people to build and maintain it.

Mathew says: “Sometimes it might be a difficult conversation with a client or candidate, to highlight the pitfalls in their processes, and it’s important to be objective in relaying that feedback and providing a solution to increase talent attraction.

“Doing the right thing is about being as honest as you can be with a client.

“We’re keen on building and giving people an idea of what the market’s actually like, and being really consultative and honest in our approach.”

He adds: “We provided salary benchmarking for a company in Newton Aycliffe, for example, which needed that resource and a bird’s eye view of the local job market.

“We were able to map out its competitors in terms of attracting talent, and what the market looked like in terms of salary, benefits, shift allowances and shifts.

“That led to an internal review and increase for current staff and future staff, ultimately reducing attrition and increasing attraction of talent.”

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