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Welsh Recruitment: What are your main roles and responsibilities?

Rick Towers: I oversee business in both our Cardiff and Bristol offices, keeping an ear to the ground for developments, my head above water ensuring everything runs smoothly and my mind doing some serious “blue sky thinking” at all times!

Welsh Recruitment: What projects are you currently working on?

Rick Towers: For our ongoing Community Development Worker campaign, a really hard to fill role as the subject matter is domestic violence and something that definitely could be unappealing to applicants, we’ve been using, rather unusually, adverts depicting a burnt piece of toast. The concept behind this is that a small matter can trigger a large reaction, something that victims are all too aware of. Using an eye-catching concept means that people are inquisitive to find out more and in just a few days, the client had sent out over 70 application packs. For a current Foster Carer campaign, we’ve complemented traditional press advertisements with radio, posters, leaflets and online – broadening the search and raising awareness of the salary and support this position attracts in a different way, but still within the target area.

Welsh Recruitment: What does the future hold for the recruitment advertising agency sector and in particular TMP?

Rick Towers: The future lies in thinking outside the box - gone are the days when a press advertisement on its own is substantial. For TMP, especially since our Management buy-out in 2006, we are continuing to embrace change, challenge clients and provide bespoke, innovative solutions with added value and value for money. And we hope to carry on winning more awards than you can shake a stick at!

Welsh Recruitment: What advice would you give to someone looking to work in the agency industry?

Rick Towers: If you can multitask yet always put clients first, work at 100mph but with impeccable detail, negotiate, demonstrate, placate, and not discriminate, then this is the job for you!

Welsh Recruitment: How has the introduction of the age discrimination laws affected advertising agencies?

Rick Towers: As with any potential discrimination, we have to be on the ball at all times, fully conversant with the legislation and implications concerned and share this information with clients. It’s just the tip of the iceberg ensuring advertisements are not discriminatory; below the surface this needs to extend to application forms, websites and promotional literature.

Welsh Recruitment: What does the future hold for the recruitment sector in Wales?

Rick Towers: Sophistication and innovation in terms of adverts, and local publications and websites really coming into their own as platforms away from national and trade press advertising. Information available in terms of statistics and reporting is becoming more advanced, which will assist with feedback on campaigns and also help significantly with choosing media from the outset.

Welsh Recruitment: What sectors do you envisage will have the biggest demand over the next few years?

Rick Towers: With the current business developments both planned and occurring, retail will definitely come to the forefront, along with catering and hospitality opportunities attached to the Ryder Cup in 2012. Likewise, many large companies are now establishing call centres in Wales due to the potential for development and cheaper costs, and recruitment will eventually have a real predominance as competition for staff begins between organisations.

Welsh Recruitment: The imminent changes within public sector recruitment will have an effect on the media industry in Wales, how do you see this developing over the next 12 months?

Rick Towers: Public sector (and indeed private sector similarly) press advertisements are getting smaller and smaller, due to the advent of signposting applicants to websites for more information, but also due to sheer budget restriction. The detrimental effect this will have on newspapers and magazines will mean that they have to look at ways of supplementing and complementing press, with enhanced online options, supplements and a more digital approach, such as an online version of the publication being available.

Welsh Recruitment: In this issue we cover the subject of disability in the workplace, what advice do you have for employers when placing recruitment adverts?

Rick Towers: By using the “two ticks” Positive about Disabled People logo, this indicates that as an employer, you do not treat disabled people less favourably in recruitment and employment under the terms of the Discrimination Act. Going back to basics, checking font sizes are clear enough for a visually impaired job seeker to read, or informing of larger print versions available is good practice. Publishing minicom numbers and using email addresses also ensure that verbally and aurally impaired jobseekers have a quicker route to obtaining information and applying.

For more information, call Rick Towers on 0117 910 3089 or Sally Morrison on 029 2078 5909 or visit www.tmpw.co.uk