Following a review of its future recruitment needs, BAE Systems has appointed Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS) to provide specialist permanent recruitment services for its UK business.  

The recruitment process outsourcing firm replaces current provider, Xchanging, which will now focus on other HR services at BAE, including the recruitment of around 600 graduates and apprentices in 2009.?AMS will handle recruitment all other recruitment across the UK business, from engineers, marketing and sales and admin. 

Over the last nine months a cross-business working group carried out a detailed study to assess BAE Systems future recruitment needs.

Group director of HR at BAE Systems, Alastair Imrie, says: “Recruitment is a vital key capability for BAE Systems in the UK, particularly to support the resources needed to deliver some of the biggest defence programmes in the world across our air, land and sea sectors.

“As the company grows across all its businesses, it’s vital we increase our focus on specialist recruitment. The appointment of Alexander Mann Solutions is an excellent move that will underpin our future recruitment needs and enable BAE Systems to continue to access the skills base we need to support and develop our business going forward.” 

AMS will be embedded on sites across the business with increased emphasis on direct sourcing and will help BAE Systems build a talent pool which it can draw on in the future.

Steve Leach, client services director at Alexander Mann Solutions, told Recruiter that instead of acting solely as a channel manager for a range of third party recruiters, like Xchanging, the key tenet of AMS’ business is to enable its client brands to work towards a self-sufficient recruitment function in the marketplace.

“We will help BAE System build longer and closer relationships with candidates,” says Leach.

“Effectively we manage the recruitment supply chain. There are a number of different routes to market to fill vacancies: internal incumbent workforce, referral schemes, refer a friend scheme, maintaining a talent pool of candidates interested in BAE Systems. The last stage we go to is third party agencies if it is a particularly niche role,” he adds.

BAE Systems aims to complete the transition to AMS by the summer.