Jollyes, The Pet People invests in enhanced employee support package
Jollyes, the award-winning nationwide pet superstore, has introduced a raft of new support measures for new talent and longstanding colleagues as it looks to be one of retail’s best employers.
The discount retailer, which is now trading from over 100 stores across the UK with over 1,200 employees, is also launching an innovative programme called ‘fur-st impressions’ that lets those looking for their dream job working with animals to bring their pet with them to their interview.
Jollyes people are passionate about pets – in fact, a whopping 96 per cent of colleagues in the business are pet owners themselves.
The passion and expertise this brings is part of the secret behind Jollyes’ reputation for service – a key building block of Jollyes’ plans as it prepares to more than double its retail pawprint to 250 stores over the next five years.
After a pilot, Jollyes believes making pets part of the interview experience eases the tension of job interviews and creates a more comfortable, authentic environment for both the interviewer and the candidate.
Frank Liddy, Director of the Belfast Mindfulness Centre was supportive of the Fur-st Impressions initiative:
“Bringing your pet to an interview request showcases your authenticity, breaks the ice, and highlights your ability to nurture relationships – qualities that can translate into a warm, collaborative work environment”.
Jollyes has also launched a dedicated recruitment and careers website, which makes its application process and business benefits more transparent for applicants.
Job interviews can be a daunting prospect, and Jollyes wants to give potential new hires the best chance to succeed. That’s why its new recruitment portal shows applicants what to expect in the interview process, as well as a steer on the types of questions they can expect.
Job applications have skyrocketed to over 4,500 in its first few weeks following the pilot launch of this new portal – the same level received in the previous three years.
New perks have also been introduced for current Jollyes colleagues, including a ‘career paws’ scheme, which will run across the business.
Under the scheme colleagues will be entitled to take a career sabbatical of up to six months, while having an equivalent role within Jollyes retained for them to take up upon their return.
Career paws is the latest in a range of benefits for employees - and Jollyes is constantly looking at new ways to attract the talent it needs to grow at pace.