Go Furness

On the look-out for local talent

Graham Servante, Managing Director of CGP Publications, answers some searching questions on what he looks for when recruiting for his fast-growing and successful business.

What do you look for when recruiting new people?
There are a number of qualities that we look for in all potential employees of CGP. They must have a really positive attitude, be hardworking, inquisitive and self aware. We want people who are resilient and willing to take the initiative. We’re great believers in being “open and honest” so naturally we look for people who are happy in this sort of environment.
What kind of jobs do you offer?
We have quite a range of roles. On the whole our editors are graduates, often starting out on their career. Other roles are customer facing and some are more of a supporting nature, for example IT, Finance and HR. What’s important is that everyone plays a part in making sure our books are of good quality and that our customers get superb service.
How many people do you recruit from the local area, compared with nationally?
We prefer to recruit locally but there’s quite a mix really depending on the role – our editors have tended to come from all over the country, but we also employ a number of local people at our Millom customer service and distribution site and across our administrative and support functions such as Marketing and Facilities.
What kind of training do you provide?
We believe our employees can do their job better if they’re given the proper tools, and this includes training; but training is only worthwhile if it’s relevant to the job or preparing someone for the next role. It’s all about practising what you’ve learned.
Can your staff work from home as well as from the office?
Some can and do, depending on their job. That said, teamwork is critical to ensuring we always give our customers great service and it’s important for staff to spend time together building relationships.
What is the interview process at your company?
CGP will stand or fall according to the quality of our people. Mistakes are expensive for the business so our interview process is pretty intense, but we think it’s fun too. We tend to develop in-house exercises which we use to test candidates’ skills for the job, both at the initial interview and at the second stage, which is usually a full assessment day. We believe this helps both the company and the candidate ensure it’s the right role, and we regularly receive positive feedback on the process – even from those who haven’t been successful!

Posted by Kay Hebbourn on 13th June.