A NEW recruitment company has been launched with a pledge to help businesses and workers affected by Covid-19.

Bournemouth-based Pineapple Recruitment is focused on delivering customer service and call centre clients across Dorset and Hampshire.

It says it will place for free anyone who has been affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Co-founder Marc Linley said: “We really feel that it’s our duty to help people during these challenging times as much as possible. So we want to help our local area as much as we can by placing people that have been affected by COVID – 19 for free.”

The move is a recognition that businesses might have a need for staff but be held back by cash flow and operational challenges, he said. He aims to source candidates who will offer longevity and skills to help businesses return to normality, he said.

The company is working with industries including finance, retail and utilities.

Mr Linley is an experienced recruiter and call centre manager who has run award-winning customer care teams in the finance industry. His team of consultants have experience with some of the UK’s best call centres, he said.

Pineapple Recruitment offers a training programme of workshops and tests to ensure candidates understand the skills required for customer service – and it runs a grading system to enable employers to understand a candidate’s experience and skill level.

Mr Linley said: “Running an efficient customer care team relies on hiring a well-balanced team of employees. Pineapple Recruitment offers this programme for candidates and businesses alike to better understand the employee’s skill set and value they can bring to a company.”

The company’s website was designed and developed by Bournemouth digital marketing agency Big Golden Pineapple. Jobseekers can register at no cost.

Mr Linley added: “This year our aim is to amass a group of top local talent to further establish our reputation and value to the nearby businesses. We’re building a recruiter based on specialist insights and an unrivalled work ethic to produce amazing candidates and improve companies’ customer service capabilities.”