United Utilities begins summer recruitment drive

United Utilities is taking on 120 new staff as part of a summer recruitment drive.

The company has recruited 100 new customer agents and is now on the hunt for 20 people with unique digital skills to join its digital services team.

During June, July and August, the firm has been working with recruitment partner, Rullion, to interview and recruit more than 100 new customer service personnel for its teams based in Lingley Mere, Warrington and Whitehaven, Cumbria.

A socially-distanced and virtual selection process was used and included an application and CV pre-screen, a competency-based telephone interview, online tests to include numeracy, literacy and call handling and finally a telephone or video interview with a customer services manager. 

Tracy Hands, Rullion client services manager for United Utilities, commented: “It was already clear that the pandemic has resulted in a lot of people sadly losing their jobs but the volume of applications we’ve received for these roles is unprecedented. 

“We started recruiting in June and received more than 1600 enquiries. In the first week alone we took more than 600 phone calls and answered over 1000 emails. 

“The response has meant we had to ensure we carried out a fair and robust selection process at a supersonic pace,” Tracy added.

People from the travel, hospitality, arts and culture sectors – even some budding actors – have taken on a new challenge and joined United Utilities’ customer services team.

The company is also advertising for 20 new digital professionals with a unique set of skills to join its recently restructured digital team.

United Utilities’ digital services and central operations director Simon Chadwick said: “We’re not the old-fashioned infrastructure business you may have thought we were, we’re a FSTE 100 business that’s powered by technology. From the sensors that sit in our pipes collecting over a million signals a year, to connecting our 5000 employees with our customers -  we’re a digital organisation with an industrial past.

“The people who join us need to want to make a positive change in the world through technology. We want a diverse range of people who aren’t afraid to disrupt us. Of course, there are certain technical skills we’re looking for, but more than anything we want business leaders who make change happen.”