Stacey’s Bakery managing director David Stacey has offered up advice to fellow craft bakeries looking to recruit after adding two new members to its team.
The Derbyshire-based family bakery, which has two branches in Ilkeston as well as ones in Eastwood and Heanor, has recently hired two new bakers – Kevin Byrne and Dinesh Heenatigala Gam Acharige.
Byrne has 16 years’ experience in the baking industry having started out in supermarkets – first in Sainsbury’s progressing to confectioner baker, and then Tesco where he was a bakery manager. After some time out and working in roles including hotel manager and as an Aldi deputy manager, he decided to return to the baking industry for a better work/life balance.
Heenatigala Gam Acharige, meanwhile, previously worked as a baker in hotels in his native country, Sri Lanka, where he qualified. He then worked for First Choice Bakery in London for 10 years before moving to Derbyshire last December.
We tried to be honest in our job advert – the job isn’t for everyone. The hours are difficult, but we do value our staff
Both are working on a range of products including bread, sausage rolls, cakes and doughnuts, and will have the opportunity to step up to help run and decide on production schedules in the future.
They have joined a team of four other bakers as well as other staff who work in the bakery but don’t have full baker training or experience. MD Stacey is also described as a hands-on baker.
Top tips for recruitment
Stacey admitted recruitment was “extremely difficult” and it has taken some time to find the bakery’s new recruits, with some disappointment along the way.
“We have had people turn up, do one shift, and then disappear without any further warning. We have used specialist recruitment agencies in the past and have found them to be disappointing, and to have been charged a large fee,” he said.
“This time, Lucie Stacey used the Indeed job website, but with quite a specific job ad, including deal breaker questions such as ‘must be willing to work the busy Friday overnight shift’. Then she vetted and scrutinised the responses very carefully. We tried to be honest in our job advert – the job isn’t for everyone. The hours are difficult, but we feel that as a small family business, we do value our staff, and the job is varied, because we like people to be able to turn their hand to most things. Staff don’t just work on one product line.”
He added that in-house recruiting had proved to be more lucrative than that managed by agencies.
“Recruitment agencies often have a great initial meeting, but then the candidates they send over just don’t seem to be up to scratch,” he noted. “Sometimes it is better to do your own recruiting as you really know what you want, how they will fit into the business, and if they will be able to work alongside other existing staff.”
The advice comes as many businesses in the baking industry struggle to recruit. A survey by the Craft Bakers Association earlier this year reported that nearly half (48%) of its members expect to be affected by a shortage of skilled bakers while research undertaken by fellow trade body Scottish Bakers revealed a similarly challenging picture, with 75% of members reporting persistent problems in filling vacancies across all job roles and grades.
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