Trades and site staff
The same trades and site roles we place on our own panel every week.
Recruitment for trades, technical and office roles
Hires briefed by people who know the job
For businesses hiring trades, engineers, supervisors or office staff. You get a shortlist screened against a brief written by people who understand the work.
Hiring the wrong engineer or site supervisor costs more than the fee. It costs the weeks spent finding them, the jobs that slip while they settle in and the search that starts again. 3S is a trades recruitment agency for businesses that need people who can do the work from day one, and we fill the office and senior roles that keep the business running too.
We recruit for the roles we know. We place trades on our own subcontractor panel every week and manage buildings and systems for clients, so a brief for an engineer, a coordinator or a contract manager reflects what the job actually involves, not a job description written from scratch.
We are based in South Wales and recruit for businesses across the UK, for permanent posts as well as temporary and contract cover.
Why 3S
- One contract, one point of contact
- A plan within 48 hours
- Photo-verified sign-off against the spec
- Funding available on the work
Recruitment for trades, technical and office roles
Roles we recruit for
Technical and FM roles
Engineers, supervisors, contract managers and facilities managers.
Permanent appointments
Full search, screening and interview support through to an accepted offer.
Temporary and contract
Cover for peaks, absence and short programmes of work.
Office and commercial
Admin, finance, estimating and customer-facing roles.
Executive and senior appointments
A discreet search where advertising the role openly would not be right.
Right-to-work checks
Completed before the start date, so the hire is compliant from the first day.
Onboarding
Contract, paperwork and a first-week plan organised before the new starter arrives.
How a trades recruitment agency should brief a role
Most poor hires trace back to a thin brief. An advert that lists a trade and a salary says nothing about the buildings, the systems, the travel or the clients the person will deal with. We start by writing that down with you: what a normal week looks like, which qualifications and cards are essential, and what would make someone struggle in the first month.
Screening then works against that brief. Qualifications and cards are checked, references are taken up, and right-to-work checks are completed before anyone starts, as the law requires. The candidates you meet have already been tested against what the job needs, so interviews are spent on fit rather than basics.
Permanent or temporary
Temporary and contract staff suit peaks in work, cover for absence and fixed programmes such as a refurbishment or a contract mobilisation. Permanent hires suit roles the business will still need in two years' time. If you are unsure which fits, we will tell you which we would choose and why.
How it works
Three steps, one point of contact
Step 1
Brief
We talk through the role, the team and what the first three months should look like. You approve a written brief before any search begins.
Step 2
Search and screen
We search for and screen candidates against the brief, including qualifications and right to work. You receive a shortlist with notes on each person, not a pile of CVs.
Step 3
Interview, offer and onboarding
We support the interviews and handle the offer. Contracts, paperwork and the first week are arranged before the new starter arrives.
Funding
Spread the cost
Taking on staff means paying wages before the new person has brought in any revenue. Recruitment and payroll costs are a common use for a business loan, which can be arranged through our sister business, Novora Asset Finance™, subject to status and credit approval. Terms, total cost and any fees are set out before you commit.
Evidence
What you end up holding
A written brief you approved, a shortlist with screening notes, completed right-to-work records and a signed contract for the person you hire. If you also use our HR support, the new starter's paperwork goes into the same file as everyone else's.
Questions
Recruitment for trades, technical and office roles: common questions
Do you recruit for roles outside trades and FM?
Yes. Alongside trades, technical and FM roles, we recruit for office and commercial positions such as admin, finance, estimating and customer service, and for senior appointments.
Can you provide temporary cover?
Temporary and contract cover for peaks, absence and short programmes is part of the service. Tell us on the enquiry form how soon you need someone, and we will be straight with you about what is realistic.
Do you check qualifications and right to work?
Yes. Qualifications, cards and references are checked against the brief, and right-to-work checks are completed before the start date. Employers must carry out those checks before employment begins, so we build them into the process rather than leaving them to the first day.
How do you handle a senior appointment?
Senior and executive roles are usually run as a discreet search, approaching suitable people directly rather than advertising. That suits roles where the current post-holder does not yet know, or where the pool of candidates is small.
Where do you recruit?
We are based in South Wales and recruit for businesses across the UK. Many trades and site roles are local by nature, so the search is focused on where the work actually is.
Related services
Often needed alongside this
HR support for small businesses
For owners and office managers who handle HR alongside everything else. You get current contracts and policies, and qualified advice when a situation starts to develop.
Read more →Hard facilities managementFor business owners and facilities managers responsible for a building that has to stay open. One contract covers the plant, the fabric and the testing, with every job evidenced before it is signed off.
Read more →Business loansFor SMEs that need cash for growth, payroll, stock or a gap between committed spend and income. Loans are arranged through Novora Asset Finance™ from a broad UK lender panel.
Read more →