Rugby recruiting expert explains how difficulty in finding drivers in town will affect us all

A Rugby recruiting expert has shared his views on the job market in Rugby after a council report revealed that difficulty in finding workers is affecting businesses in the area.

Earlier this week we reported on a county council report which revealed that shortages of staff and supply issues are affecting businesses across Warwickshire.

Councillors noted that the north of the county was an area particularly affected because of its concentration of distribution companies.

Daniel Weston, director of Rugby-based recruitment company StaffZilla, spokes with the Advertiser earlier today, September 24, to share his insight on the situation in the town.

He said Rugby, with its many distribution companies and warehouses, is facing similar issues.

"In Rugby the key issue is managing to get drivers," he said.

"It not necessarily that we're seeing a shortage in drivers, it's that the market is extremely competitive at the moment.

"We've had cases where we've secured a driving job for someone and they will ring on a Friday and say, 'I'm not going in on Monday, I've found something down that road that pays a £1 an hour more'.

"Wages have risen so quickly, it's going crazy.

"Two years ago I was paying drivers in Milton Keynes £12 an hour, and that was considered 'London wages' at the time - now an equivalent driver could be on nearly £20."

Daniel said that on the surface, the race to pay higher and higher salaries might look like a great thing.

"It's a huge amount of responsibility to drive a 44-tonne vehicle full of cargo - you have to be extremely skilled to do it.

"Part of what we do is educating employers on how to get and retain high-quality candidates.

"This will include a discussion about what the average pay for that kind of job in this area is, and if it's needed, we'll advise them to increase the salary accordingly."

But, Daniel added, much of the recent rise in salaries has been fuelled by a 'perfect storm' of current events, including covid - which means that pay is being artificially inflated.

Ultimately, Daniel said, this means that the costs of increased salaries will recouped by businesses around the country passing the cost to the end user.

He said: "This means that things are going to go up in price, so all of us, including drivers, will end up having to spend more."

While this is a longer-term impact, in the short-term Daniel said this is leading to supply issues across the country.

He said: "I think we're all noticing emptier shelves. I love a can of Red Bull in the morning, and it's getting harder to get hold of one every day."

Daniel said StaffZilla, which was formed in July, has managed to help many Rugby businesses to find drivers.

This has been achieved with the company's unique approach which involves meticulously finding a candidate who is perfectly suited to the company - so both employee and employer are happy.

"Our view is that we aim to find someone a job for life," he said.

Learn more about StaffZilla by visiting www.facebook.com/StaffZillaLtdAre you a professional driver? Please feel free to get in touch and share your views by emailing [email protected]