Former rugby international to help York's businesses tackle staffing issues

York businesses are being invited to hear from experts and peers at an event focusing on innovative approaches to employee recruitment and retention.

Organised by City of York Council’s Economic Growth team, Recruitment and Retention Reimagined will take place in York’s Priory Street Centre on Thursday 5 October from 9 am – 2:30 pm.

The keynote speaker will be Tony Underwood, who successfully transitioned from a career playing rugby for England and the British and Irish Lions, to captaining an Airbus A380 as a pilot for Emirates, before turning his hand to a career in consultancy.

Tony now supports leaders seeking to nurture high-performing teams and will draw on his many experiences of teamwork and leadership to share his lessons with York’s businesses.

Tony commented: 

“Recruitment and retention entail working hard to cultivate a culture where no-one wants to leave; an environment where you’ve earned commitment from your team, not just compliance - where you’ve engaged with them by talking to the heart not just the head.”

HR experts from across the region will join Tony to explore how York’s businesses of all shapes and sizes can improve their staff recruitment and retention processes in cost-effective and innovative ways.

The day’s packed schedule also features talks on the positive impact of employing groups that are too often overlooked in the workforce, from highly skilled former military personnel to neurodivergent people and ex-offenders, to name but a few.

Attendees will hear first-hand from local businesses, including the Grand Hotel, about the benefits of being inclusive employers, while Jenny Herrera, CEO of the Good Business Charter, will discuss how becoming a GBC-accredited business can help you attract and keep great staff.

There will also be plenty of opportunity for attendees to network over free refreshments.

Councillor Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Transport at City of York Council, said:

“Job vacancies remain at high levels, and businesses in many sectors are finding positions difficult to fill, requiring them to think outside the box to find solutions.

“We hope that this event will provide York’s business community with a great opportunity to hear from leading recruitment experts, as well as some local businesses who have overcome staffing challenges. I’d encourage all York businesses to come along and share their experiences and ideas at what promises to be an informative, useful and thought-provoking event.”

This event forms part of the council’s business support offer, which has received £130,000 for 2022/23 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

This event forms part of a season of events supporting York’s businesses to be ambitious about employment for all. The series of events kicks off on Thursday 28 September with the launch of the York Inclusive Employer Network at Delta Hotels by Marriott, York from 9:30am to 2:30pm. 

You can read more about the Inclusive Employer Network launch here.

To book your free tickets to Recruitment and Retention Reimagined, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/recruitment-and-retention-reimagined-tickets-703195997157?aff=oddtdtcreator