A national shortage of HGV drivers has led a recruitment firm founded by a young entrepreneur to expand and take on further workspace at a thriving business hub in Portsmouth. Founded by Adam Hardy, 26, Sourced Recruitment originally started from his flat in Fareham. Having grown to employ four staff at Portsmouth Technopole, Adam is now looking to double the size of his team by December.
The business, which moved into the landmark serviced offices building in February 2018, is a permanent recruitment and headhunting specialist, focusing on positions in logistics, waste management, engineering, IT and contact centres.
Founder-director Adam is supported by Dale Richards, head of logistics and engineering, and company administrator Misha Harding, with a trainee recruitment consultant due to start in April.
According to the business the widely reported national shortage of HGV drivers in the UK has resulted in approximately 50,000 vacancies being reported by some. Due to this, Sourced Recruitment has become a trusted recruiter for filling cab seats.
“Without qualified drivers to draw upon, companies can become unstuck, unable to fulfil orders for customers, whether that’s a scheduled haulage job two months down the line for a motorway repair job, or a private hire coach trip booked as a part of someone’s holiday package,” says Hargy. “With Brexit, there is potential for supply chain disruption, causing more challenges for the transport and logistics sectors.”
According to Adam, industry recruitment issues include a skills shortage, an ageing HGV driver population – reportedly significantly older than the national average – and a reliance on overseas labour.
“It is against this background that HGV drivers, and mechanics, are becoming increasingly hard to recruit, especially with UK employment at a record high.” Adam added: “The labour shortage means that qualified drivers are coming to us in droves as they know we are the eyes and ears of the sector, identifying placement opportunities in double quick time because it is a job-seeker’s market.”
