Northampton business 'honoured' to sign pact which helps ex-armed forces find work

A Northampton recruitment agency has signed a pact with the armed forces to support ex-service men and women find jobs and thrive in the workplace.

Encore, which has 10 branches across the East Midlands, including one in Northampton town centre, employs more than 200 staff and specialises in warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, driving and engineering recruitment.

The company has signed the Armed Forces Covenant an agreement which states that a business will do all it can to ensure ex-military do not face discrimination.

The commitment was inspired by James Simpson, who joined Encore in 2020 after serving five years in the armed forces.

James said: “Having served in the forces, I know first-hand how it feels to step out of the routine of military life into the working world. It can be unwelcoming and daunting for some. Encore’s senior team have done everything they can to make my transition into civilian work-life enjoyable and rewarding.

“So, I pitched the idea of signing the Armed Forces Covenant to the board of directors and they were all in positive unison – it was signed straight away. It basically means that we will do our utmost as a business to give a fair shot to people who’ve left the forces, be that as candidates for our customers or new recruits to our own teams.”

James said that there was likely to be a large uplift in the number of ex-military looking for work in the coming years as the army scales back its numbers as a result of the recent Defence Review.

He added: “I was astounded to learn that less than 0.5 per cent of all registered recruitment businesses in the UK have signed the covenant. It would be fantastic to see more agencies follow our lead.”

Managing director at Encore Pete Taylor said: “We’re honoured to be supporting armed forces leavers and their families by signing this covenant.

"It really was a no-brainer for us, a simple and very effective way of both showing gratitude to ex-service men and women for the sacrifices they have made for our country and our collective safety, as well as furthering our commitment to equal opportunities and a level playing field for all candidates and our own teams.”

Anyone can get involved in the Armed Forces Covenant - find out how you can support the armed forces community here.