Recruiters are all the same, right? Wrong. We set up Darcy Associates to change the face of the construction recruitment industry and we won't stop until we do it. We've worked with hundreds of clients and registered thousands of candidates. And we're only just getting started.
Looking for your next job in the construction industry?
You're in the right place. Check out some of the great roles we're hiring for right now, including temporary, contract and permanent.
We've worked with more than 200 clients since we launched three years ago: main contractors, shop fitters, trade specific subcontractors, M&E contractors and national house builders.
Here are a few names you might recognise.
In any business - a set of values goes a long way. But is it just a gimmick or do they actually mean anything to the team behind the business? Here at Darcy Associates we think so, so what are our values? Ethical Productive Knowledgeable Trusted Unified Are these just words to make us sound good. We don’t think so. These were made together as a team. All of us had input in what is important and makes us different to the rest. So, what do they really mean to the team here at Darcy? To give an insight I thought I would write this blog on our definitions of the values and why we install these core values in all of our Darcy family. Ethical Our moral compass is not set for making maximum profits. We pride ourselves on paying the correct market rates and charging a fair price for the calibre of trades we supply and the quality service we provide. We offer multiple payment options Limited, CIS and PAYE. This ensures candidates are using their preferred method of choice. Not confused or overcharged by being paid through questionable umbrella companies. To be a responsible recruiter and offer something different. We do this by continuing to up skill the market with additional training. We provide our candidates and clients with free training service that includes critical course such as: Face fit, Asbestos Awareness, Manual Handling and many more. Proactive We are always contactable giving our clients and candidates the best service at all times. Mobiles always on. Action alway taken. We have set processes so tasks are prioritised and completed quickly. This allows us to be a responsive and effective recruiter for our client base. Speedy resourcing that fulfils clients needs quickly. Registering all candidates efficiently and productively so that we have an extremely strong database to call upon. Darcy also has access to multiple jobs boards which aids our continuously growing database. This helps us to fill those hard areas and ensuring we are continually finding the best candidates in the market. Knowledgeable We are a specialist within the construction industry. By having one focus, we have the knowledge of the sector to understand our clients needs. Knowing the market and trade specifics we ensure that Darcy Associates fulfil clients and candidates expectations and requirements every single time. Our knowledge on locations, trades, rates, charges and construction roles are all factors in us proving our Darcy service level that our client and candidates love. To provide the best service, our consultants have specific sectors and areas to service. This maintains knowledge and relationships so that we understand the market that we work in. Trusted Conscious to our clients needs both in quality and service level but also in respect of cost of employment. Reasonable cost giving value for money on the service provided whilst remaining competitive in the market. Changing peoples opinions on recruitment agencies by vetting all candidates correctly including depth referencing so that we provide the best calibre of staff. Our trusted approach improves relations with candidates, up skills market and provides a long lasting relationships with our clients. Unified To work in synergy with our clients - we maintain our service levels at the highest possible standard and provide single points of contact to make it simple for clients. To ease financial pressure from hiring labour by providing payment terms and credit services for businesses that are eligible. We save clients time and money on the entire recruitment process by taking on the time consuming tasks ourselves. That includes sourcing, vetting, referencing, employment contracts and payment to candidates. Could you get any more comprehensive? There are many more things I could add on why I feel that Darcy Associates are a valued support to any business and a trusted recruiter to work with. All in all though the proof is in the pudding! Why not give the office a call and find out more on the service we provide? Call one of our fully trained consultants today! Our offices are open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 17:30pm We have a 24/7 standby team always able to assist Free training services provided to all clients and candidates Credit terms available Single point of contacts Bristol 01172140052 Liverpool 01513175440 London 02039626990 Darcy Associates Limited | Recruiters for the Construction Industry
Blog by Nick Hazell Many people think those work in offices jobs have it easy. After all, we can be at the desk all day. If you are in an office-based position you will understand that it is not all cupcakes and rainbows - especially in recruitment as it simply never stops. Before I started my position at Darcy Associates, I worked as a mechanic and I myself thought that an office job would be a nice change of career as I would be in a nice warm office all year tapping away on a computer. Little did I know the amount of hard work and stress that comes with a job in the construction recruitment sector. That’s not to say I don’t love it. Since starting my position in February 2017 as a Trainee Consultant; I have given my all to progress to where I am today. I have had struggles and been in positions that you can’t see a way out of – but I have always pulled through and offered the best service I can to both clients and candidates. I have always believed that if you try your best at everything, you can rarely go wrong. Being busy all the time and trying so hard to offer such a great service; I found myself struggling to switch off when I got home. I would lie in bed with the worries of candidates no-showing the following day (which can sometimes be out of my control). This situation isn’t good for anyone so I needed to find something to do that would help me switch off and enjoy my time out of the office. I found walking was the solution to clearing my mind. YES -WALKING! Believe it or not - it can be massively enjoyable and relaxing. It may be simple and best of all free but I have found being outside and taking in the sights of the great outdoors broadens your mind and it certainly is a much better than the four office walls (although our office has some extremely bright Pink and Blue walls). Since going on my first serious walk with the family, we got hooked. Everyone enjoyed it. It started as walks around local woodlands with the Dogs but soon developed. After someone mentioned walking Pen-y-fan, we took the idea on board. Soon after completing the Pen-y-fan, we started looking into other local Peaks as the views from the Summit are truly outstanding. We printed a list and since have been trying to get one under our belt each month. It is not just a great time to escape and clear your mind – its suitable for the whole family. Even my 4-year-old Son loves it. It also stops my children getting square eyes from the world of technology that our current generation is growing up in. If you are looking for an escape from day to day life - I would recommend taking a walk and see if it can benefit you as much as it has myself. Even if you’re not a big walker, if you set challenges for yourself you will realise how easy they are to achieve. Walking is proven to relieve your day to day stress and can make you feel good as like any other cardiovascular exercise. Brisk walking boosts endorphins which can reduce stress hormones and alleviate mild depression. Regular exercise through the production of feel-good endorphins, can improve mood and self-esteem. Stress is often a contributing factor to anxiety and depression, so anything you can do to help relieve stress has got to be worth a shot. Hiking/walking definitely fits this bill, as it not only provides great exercise, but it takes place in gorgeous natural settings that you might have just missed during your day to day life. What are you waiting for get your boots on and give it a shot, you may be surprised?
As a recruitment consultant at Darcy Associates, I still struggle resourcing for positions that require Safety Critical Medicals. Whilst I understand it has never been a big requirement, times are changing. More contractors than ever are requiring Safety Critical workers to operate plant machinery on most building sites including carrying out rail and road works and even in confined spaces. While many will see the Safety Critical Medical as a deterrent there will soon be no option but to get checked. It is quite quickly becoming the norm for Health & Safety on site to prevent injuries and avoid accidents that can be caused by ill health. In simple terms, if an operative lost consciousness while operating a 35 tonne Excavator, ADT or a Dozer - the results could be catastrophic which makes operating machinery a safety critical position. Some of the positions within the construction are recognized as Safety Critical and a small amount of information and these include: All mobile plant operators High-speed road workers Rail track side workers Asbestos licensed operatives Tunnelers, or those working in a confined space Tasks carried out at heights Others as identified by the risk assessment process Safety Critical is important as ill health could compromise the ability of the worker to undertake tasks safely, thereby posing a risk for their own health & safety and others whom they work with. Workers in these critical roles should not be suffering from medical conditions, or be taking medical treatment that is likely to cause: Sudden loss of consciousness Impairment of awareness or concentration Sudden incapacity Impairment of balance or co-ordination Significant limitation of mobility These tests are not a form of medical selection or disability discrimination. They are to keep the safety of others at the top of the priority and reduce accidents on site. Failure to meet the medical standards will require a review with an occupational physician and an operational risk assessment before being permitted to continue to work in a safety critical role. This could be temporary restriction allowing further investigation and testing - depending on symptoms and clinical opinion. If you would like helping securing your medical - we would love to help you. Darcy Associates has many contacts in the assessment industry and can help get your medical complete at a reasonable cost. Call the office and speak to Nick Hazell for further help BRISTOL 01172140052 LIVERPOOL 01513175440 LONDON 02039626990 RECRUITERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AGENCY
I can hazard a guess that if you’re a tradesperson or a construction company, you’ve probably had some dealings with agencies in the past. You may have heard the phrase from some agencies that they are different from the rest. It’s very well believed that all agencies are the same, and it’s all about pulling out every trick in the book to get a sell. But we believe that’s not always true. There are many brilliant agencies out there – and we try extremely hard to be one of them. Ask any one of my colleagues in the office what motivates, and it may surprise you. Anyone who tells you that recruitment isn’t about earning money wouldn’t be telling the truth. It’s a business and a career – who works for free? But making money honestly and ethically is extremely important and one of the reasons why Darcy Associates is such a fantastic place to work. Valuing the people who work for us and ensuring our clients get exactly the skills and knowledge they are after is truly at the utmost importance to us all. In fact, it’s what helps us build long term relationships. So what else makes us different? Why do we proclaim to be the ones to stand out in this industry? It’s all about attitude – we’re not the kind of guys to hound you with the ‘hard sell’ or shoe horn anyone into a job that we wouldn’t do ourselves (and believe me, we’ve got our hands dirty many of a time for our clients). Passion goes a long way in this job and we have it in abundance. I, myself for example, have an enthusiasm when speaking to candidates on a daily basis. I come to work and ensure that everyone I speak with feels confident and enthusiastic about the opportunities I am able to provide. Some of the key areas I think make us stand out from the crowd are – Transparency – We are as open as they come. We don’t lie about site durations. We don’t make up information that quite frankly isn’t true. We close our job adverts as soon as we fill them (no CV collecting here). This transparency is for our clients too. We tell them the market rates, tell them our candidates’ skills and work collaboratively with them to get the best solution. Knowledge – Each one of us at Darcy go above and beyond to learn everything we can about this industry. The courses that we provide to our candidates and clients – we’ve completed them ourselves! It’s important to put ourselves in the shoes of those on-site so that we can understand the reality of working on-site. Pride – Myself and all of my colleagues are extremely proud of the relationships we have been able to build with our clients and candidates. It really sets us apart. Nothing makes us happier than being able to make a difference to someone’s day. I have worked for a few agencies over the years and I can tell you that working at Darcy is a breath of fresh air. Everyone is treated as an equal, from the bottom to the top. We are all like-minded, energetic people who love to work hard and make a difference. I believe this really reflects on the standard of service we provide. Why not give us a try?
“Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – But you have to play the ball where it lies.” Bobby Jones There is so much theory behind having the perfect round of golf and everyone is striving to walk off the course ready to have a drink in the clubhouse and say that was the perfect round – this rarely, if ever happens. It is the same as when the 6am alarm goes off ready for a day in recruitment. So many thoughts run through your head, such as I have this starter today – will they be on site? I have the perfect candidate (who I have spent four weeks finding) – will they go to interview? Then there is the thought of the untapped potential business out there in the world. I have made some brilliant progress with this client and will this be the day that they finally give me a chance to highlight my skillset and start working with them? Now let me take you back to the golf course – again it’s an early start and the alarm wakes you up at 6am. You look outside, check the weather app on your phone – you are thinking it’s a South Westerly wind and with this thought in mind I know this is your day, the round then unfolds in your head. You have a shower, put your favourite outfit on, grab a bite to eat, say bye to the wife who is wrapped up warm in bed. Then you divert the smell of coffee, bacon rolls and head straight to the range. Again, like recruitment this is the planning that goes on behind the scenes in the weeks of your biggest billings. You then step in the office and plan your day out thinking I going to get a booking of this client and this candidate will call me saying his assignment has been extended by four weeks. Now the preparation has all taken place it is you against the golf course, you feel totally prepared and ready for the perfect round. However, your first tee shots goes a little left, doesn’t seem too bad but you are against a tree and the only option is a chip out sideways. You then play the shot of your life to three feet, hole the putt for a beautiful par. It is just like that all-important call to the client when you are thinking this is the one that will change my desk, then their hiring manager mentions they have scrapped their recruitment plans in the back of your mind you are thinking I have the perfect candidate for you. You pitch this to the client and they say we just haven’t got the budget. So, you revert back to I’ll keep in touch and do call me when you have the requirements. In both golf and recruitment, you definitely have to take the rough with the smooth. However, if you put the effort into both golf and recruitment you will definitely see the rewards.
Blog by Chris O'Grady Mental health is a concern for working people, especially with the increased stresses of modern life. It is important to be aware of your own mental state and ensuring you have the right balance between work and home life. Day to day – like many of us – I work hard and am committed to my job. Providing an excellent service to my clients and candidates. I would like to see myself as someone who always goes that extra mile to ensure high standards are always met. What can I say I am a good guy. Recruitment is a particularly tough industry – it’s not a 9 to 5 job as many think. It is often something you do outside of work, just as much as inside work. Fortunately for me - my fiancé is extremely understanding and appreciates how seriously I take my job. That being said, it’s really important for everyone to remember to put the phone down and enjoy life as it is, putting work aside. Outside of work you will find me enjoying downtime with my fiancé and my two boys. I live in Glastonbury and am blessed with the surrounding nature and beauty of Somerset. As a family, we enjoy nothing more than letting the kids run wild – enjoying the outdoors as it should be. Sport is also a great get away from the hustle and bustle of working life for me and my family. On Sundays, we enjoy supporting my eldest boy who plays rugby with his team at TOR RFC Under 8’s. One of my biggest passions in life is fishing. I love all things fishy. I love Carp, Pike and Course angling but as long as I have a rod in my hands – I am a happy chappy. Juggling family and work to maintain the correct balance is tough which means I don’t always get as much time on the bank as I used to. But when I do, I am more excited than ever and appreciative of the time to relax whether fishing on my own, with my friends or with the family. Its great if I can drag my Dad along who is responsible for starting my obsession with fishing – but he himself is also a very busy man in work. Fishing is a great way for me to reset and switch off from the day to day. My biggest piece of advice to everyone who works hard all week, it would be to set aside enough time for you and your loved ones to enjoy life. Set goals in and out of work and challenge yourself to be the best you. Darcy Associates is a great place to work and is built around a fantastic team who are all likeminded people. While work can be stressful at times, having a great team around you helps you realize that sometimes there is more to life than working. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, if you would like to chat more about what I can do in work for you (exceptional recruitment for the construction sector) or even a good chinwag about fishing – give me a call in the office on 01172140052.
At no extra charge to our clients or candidates, we provide free training to all of our workers. Having skilled staff and operating in a safe working environment is incredibly important for everyone in Construction and our training services is one of our key unique selling points. We work extremely hard at Darcy Associates setting ourselves apart from our competitors and providing the best possible candidates for all our jobs. Building relationships between us, our clients and candidates is of the utmost importance for us and providing excellent customer service is one of the values that we always stick to at Darcy. We aim to instill peace of mind that everyone on our books - across all spectrum of jobs we fill - is working to the same high standards. This is invaluable to us. Being fully trained can be an extra advantage for placing our younger candidates who are up against more experienced workers who could be less qualified. Some of our training is completed on-site. Complete free. All our consultants are qualified Face Fit RPE trainers and can visit your projects to complete the training. We come to your office or site and train whomever you need to be trained. As a proud supplier of Moldex PPE - we provide exceptionally high quality Face Masks, Filters, Ear Protection and PPE for the Construction sector. Here is a comprehensive list of all the training we provide at Darcy Associates: Asbestos Awareness Abrasive Wheels COSHH Awareness Electrical Safety Fire Marshall Advanced Manual Handling Noise Safety Slips, Trips and Falls Working at Height Work Equipment Safeguarding Face fit RPE Asbestos awareness is a particularly popular training course for our clients and is especially popular with the demolition or refurbishment sector, Although within the UK importation and use of Asbestos has been banned since 1986 and 2005 in the EU - there are of course buildings where it can still be found today. Asbestos can be in any building ranging from houses through to factories and hospitals built before 2000. It is particularly common in our hospitals which many areas have awareness stickers placed to avoid disturbance. It is the single greatest cause of UK work-related deaths, hence why the training programme of Asbestos Awareness has become extremely important in our sector. So why not take advantage of our free training platform which provides these importance training courses? Get your staff trained up! Call one of our fully trained consultants today! Our offices are open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 17.30pm We have a 24/7 standby team always able to assist Free training services provided to all clients and candidates Credit terms available Single point of contact consultants Bristol 01172140052 Liverpool 01513175440 London 02039626990 Darcy Associates Limited | Recruiters for the Construction Industry
According to the construction index the UK construction workforce is ageing: ‘Between 1991 and 2011 there was a 13% increase in the numbers of construction workers aged 45 years and over. However non-UK nationals are younger – only 18% are over 45, while 47% of native UK construction workers are over 45 years old.' So the question is - what is so unattractive about working in the construction industry as a young person in the UK? Is it the case that we have simply lacked education to the younger generations about construction? Here we have an abundance of labourers registering with us daily. This number is increasing day by day. It is the case across the whole of the UK – From Cornwall to the top of Scotland. Why is this the case? Why aren’t more varied trades registering in their droves? Are there enough apprenticeship schemes across all trades in the industry? Popular trades such as Electricians and Plumbers seem to be well catered for with a vast number of schemes available from when people leave school. This is not the case with what is deemed to be "less attractive jobs" such as 360 Operators or Bricklayers. But are they "less attractive" as people are left to believe. We believe not. Did you know over the last year - we have seen the largest increase in pay rates for the more niche trades like Bricklaying. Just check out this article in the Sun that was posted earlier this year: https://goo.gl/iizbH1 Up to £90K. Fantastic. With the touchy subject of Brexit, how can we bridge this gap if according to statistics - most of our younger workforce is coming from non-UK nationals. We need to be attracting more young people into this sector! Construction is a stable career and this should be appealing as there will always be jobs available. Domestic and Commercial builds are being planned and built every single day. What is the heavily funded CITB doing to attract people into the younger generation? We don't think much. Are we targeting the youth in schools? Are we talking about the varied job prospects in construction? Are we letting people know about the earning potential? We need to be securing the future of our industry. Sean Rice, Resourcer at Darcy Associates is working hard by registering as many Under 30s as possible. Attracting talent is always a challenge but by remaining transparent, honest and approachable - we are setting a new image for the recruitment sector and giving the younger generation opportunities. Darcy Associates is a young business that is always looking to lead the market. We advertise through LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Social Media is an excellent platform for the younger generation to find job opportunities. Experience and qualifications come with time and effort - you really do have to be in it to win it. Pick up the phone and talk to our extremely knowledgeable consultants. We can help you start your construction career today! Our offices are open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 17.30pm We have a 24/7 standby team always able to assist Free training services provided to all clients and candidates Credit terms available Single point of contact consultants Bristol 01172140052 Liverpool 01513175440 London 02039626990 Darcy Associates Limited | Recruiters for the Construction Industry
Reliability in the recruitment industry is everything. It can be our biggest disappointment at Darcy when we spend time vetting candidates thoroughly and they let us down. This is bound to happen on occasion and we appreciate things can crop up - however not everyone in the recruitment world is as honest as we are. It certainly doesn’t help our clients who are expecting people on site and have deadlines to work too. Managing this headache when it occurs is part of our service. It is frustrating for us when it happens because our customer is let down and in turn our reputation is tarnished. And we have been given every excuse in the book from some people. The hardest thing to manage is when someone says they are up for a job, has a wealth of experience and does not show up. As part of our service for both customers and candidates we ring all of our starters on the morning they go in - ensuring they have got to site and are happy with the job. On the odd occasion they do not show up, we have a contingency plan in place. Our team gets back on the case for a replacement immediately as a matter of urgency. We are operational 24 hours a day and open the office from 7:30am. That makes us ready to help our clients and candidates as early as possible. As a rule of thumb we shortlist a number of candidates per job but only ever offer the correct amount of candidates the work. We always inform anyone who was unsuccessful they will be kept in mind for a back-up. This keeps with our values of being ethical. Sean Rice, Resourcer at Darcy Associates comments on let downs: "The recruitment industry is tarnished with a reputation of unreliability. Darcy Associates is looking to change this image. While we have no control on people whether they turn up for work or not - one thing we can do is to vet candidates properly. Sometimes it can be hard not to take let downs to heart but having a strong team behind you to help resolve issues for our clients really makes us stand out" We use the latest technology and CRM system to get the best pool of candidates for the job. There is always a plan and process in place to be on standby with resolutions happening as quick as possible for our clients. In an ideal world we try for a same day replacement so the job is not disrupted. If you are looking for a recruitment agency that cares about its clients and candidates, vets applicants strictly and always strives to be number one - give us a call. Our offices are open Monday to Friday 7.30am to 17.30pm We have a 24/7 standby team always able to assist Free training services provided to all clients and candidates Credit terms available Single point of contact consultants Bristol 01172140052 Liverpool 01513175440 London 02039626990 Darcy Associates Limited | Recruiters for the Construction Industry
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