Exclusive Interview: Trade Staff Direct

Seven months ago Barrie Hicks launched Trade Staff Direct – an innovative free-to-use recruitment website and app with the potential to revolutionize the procurement process. Offering unparalleled flexibility, Trade Staff Direct allows contractors to search for and employ skilled workers at a moments notice, without the need for cumbersome CVs or full-time commitments.

UK Construction Media spoke to Barrie about the origins and advantages of the platform and how his own experiences in the industry helped to shape the website.

Could you provide our readers with an introduction to Trade Staff Direct? What specific services does the Company provide?

Trade Staff Direct is a free recruitment site that enables contractors and subcontractors to work directly with one another. It works using a live calendar which is very useful, even in my business. I manage a landscape gardening company, Hollyoaks Gardens, and it can be difficult to commit to staff when you have jobs of differing size. We have three part-time staff working for us and, by using the live calendar, they are able to look at the remaining two days that they are available and find another company to work for. This benefits both businesses as we can have a member of staff without having a full-time commitment, while the member of staff is happy because they have a full-time job.

How can the Business benefit contractors, sub-contractors and clients in the construction industry?

For the contractor, its zero hours. There are no contracts and everyone is rated by their previous employer, which enables the contractor to find good quality staff whenever they need them, all without the need for CVs.

Trade Staff Direct also cuts out age and race discrimination. If a worker has good ratings and they are verified then why shouldn’t they be hired? These are issues that persist today. Companies can often be quite funny about taking on foreign workers or the young and old. Here the proof is in the pudding – you know that you are going to get a good member of staff irrespective of age or race.

Trade Staff Direct marks an innovative new approach to construction employment. How did you identify the potential for a web/app-based service that allows employers to look for skilled workers?

I’m a problem solver. I have been that guy walking the street, looking for work. People would say ‘Listen Barrie, I know you’re a good worker but I can only give you a couple of days’ and I don’t think that’s good enough when you have bills to pay.

I’ve also been the guy who runs quite a respectable business but is unable to find staff when they are needed. It was just a matter of putting two and two together to come up with the idea and I’m very surprised that it hasn’t been done before because it is a very simple and effective solution.

Approximately how many organisations are currently registered with Trade Staff Direct?

We’re doing very well – it’s actually averaging 300 per day. It’s all about brand awareness at the moment however as it is such a new thing and people might otherwise think us another recruitment agency. We have to get the idea across because it is such a great solution.

Given Trade Staff Direct’s success, do you think the construction industry has been guilty of over-complicating the employment process in the past?

I think it’s quite black and white really. Recruitment companies often take the Mickey with people like me – small businesses. I was after a worker for one of my gardening teams some months back and I was quoted £1,000 for a single ad. You then have to scour through tens, possibly hundreds of CVs – a time-consuming process that might ultimately prove pointless if the applicants aren’t suitable.

Recruitment companies also charge 15% – 25% of an employees annual salary, which I find incredible. I think enough is enough, the greed has gotten too much and I’m hopeful that Trade Staff Direct will be able to help companies in a similar position to myself.

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