Adecco explain to City AM their thoughts behind the well publicised Adecco / London Olympics ties up.

1. Source: City A.M. {Main}
Edition:
Country: UK
Date: Wednesday 28, September 2011
Page: 24
Area: 875 sq. cm
Circulation: ABC 103467 Daily
BRAD info: page rate £8,000.00, scc rate £33.00
Phone: 020 7015 1200
Keyword: Adecco
Building the Olympic family: Adecco
has its whole team at work on 2012
Q&A
COUNTDOWN
TO THE LONDON
2012
OLYMPIC
GAMES
303 DAYS TO GO
Steve Girdler lays out
the business case for
becoming the official
recruiter for London’s
organising committee
recruitment business is very fragmented –
WHAT WAS YOUR BRAND’S PRIMARY
Q. REASON FOR BEING INVOLVED WITH
THE GAMES?
the top five firms are barely 20 per cent of
the market – so it can be hard to get your
business’s nose above the parapet. This
was an opportunity for us to have a unique
A.
We’ve been involved in a number of voice. Secondly, the world of recruitment
Games in the past. In this one we’ve is sometimes not seen as important as
taken a step up – as a Tier Two spon- some others in business, but in reality
sor, it’s the biggest Olympic commitment we provide people – the most
Adecco has ever made. There are a number important part of any business.
of reasons we’ve done it. One is that the This was a way to demonstrate
i b i i f d
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2. Source: City A.M. {Main}
Edition:
Country: UK
Date: Wednesday 28, September 2011
Page: 24
Area: 875 sq. cm
Circulation: ABC 103467 Daily
BRAD info: page rate £8,000.00, scc rate £33.00
Phone: 020 7015 1200
Keyword: Adecco
that we could recruit all t
people who are going to put OCOG team we have onsite there. I head
on the greatest show on he Olympic partnership up, but we use
earth – the biggest post-war existing departments to deliver the pro-
mobilisation of labour the rammes so there’s not a separate team
UK has seen – and just by tak- and everyone else feeling a little disassoci-
ing on that role we can
demonstrate a strategic role
ated. We haven’t set up a separate struc-
ure other than me. “We’ve been
for a business with our expert-
ise and skill: if we can do that for HOW DID THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT
Weve been
the Olympic Games, just think
what we can do for other businesses.
YOU WERE INVOLVED AFFECT YOUR
BUSINESS?
able to build
HOW DID YOU STRUCTURE THE CASE relationships
Q. FOR INVOLVEMENT TO THE BOARD?
A.
Right from the 2009 announcement
there’s been a significant reaction
from employees – it’s very exciting
for us all to be part of this once in a life-
with other
sponsors that
A.
I wasn’t there at the time, but it’s a time opportunity, and as I say, that’s why
hard-nosed business decision. We
had to quantify the incremental
we’ve set up a structure that means every-
one can be part of London 2012. In terms
will continue.”
business we could get, both during the of business opportunities, we’ve been able
Games and post-Games. It was a chance to to build relationships with the other spon-
demonstrate that we can deliver this most sors, and that’s one of the real positives –
complex of projects and tear it all down you start to look at areas you can work
again, but it was also good for internal together on. Adecco’s a global organisa-
engagement. We’ve been through two tion and so are many of the others in this
acquisitions since signing up, Spring Olympic family, and we’re building strong
Group in 2009 and MPS Group in 2010, business relationships that will last
and this is a common cause that our peo- beyond the Games. We’re involved in plan-
ple can feel proud of and feel a part of. We ning for Sochi in 2014 and Rio 2016 and so
have volunteers, ten torchbearers will be
representing Adecco – there’s a massive are many of the others, so those relation-
&
amount of internal engagement. We’re ships will continue.
holding an Olympic-themed conference in
HOW WILL YOU LEVERAGE YOUR
Q.
February, and we’ve purchased tickets for
internal competitions and incentives. SPONSORSHIP AFTER THE GAMES?
WHAT WAS THE
Q. BIGGEST
SURPRISE?
A.
It’s not just about the employment
opportunities at LOCOG. It has said
there’s some 200,000 roles that will
be delivered as part of the Games and
A.
We didn’t go in thinking diversity
was going to be such a major part of that’s our bread and butter – we wanted
what we were going to do, but we the opportunity to be part of that from a
realised early on that this was such an recruitment perspective. And we want to
important commitment of LOCOG’s – to make sure the talented, diverse, local
make London 2012 the most inclusive workforce we bring together for the
Games ever – and we saw too that there Games isn’t lost afterwards. We’re work-
was a chance for us as an industry to use ing with the six host boroughs and the
the creative spark of the Games to improve Olympic Park Legacy Company to ensure
and develop practical tools to allow us and that happens, and we launched
our clients to deliver a more diverse work- jobsforthegames.co.uk, the official jobs
place. I believe that will have a legacy for board for the Games, earlier this year and
us and help make UK business stronger that will continue for the foreseeable
and more competitive in the marketplace. future. The Olympics is a huge opportuni-
ty and companies should be embracing it
HOW HAVE YOU STRUCTURED YOUR and gearing up now.
Q. BUSINESS TO MAXIMISE
OPPORTUNITIES?
Steve Girdler is director of the London 2012
partnership for Adecco.
A.
Perhaps differently to a number of
others, we haven’t put an Olympic
team together apart from the
Reproduced by Durrants under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further
copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright
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Article Page 2 of 3
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3. Source: City A.M. {Main}
Edition:
Country: UK
Date: Wednesday 28, September 2011
Page: 24
Area: 875 sq. cm
Circulation: ABC 103467 Daily
BRAD info: page rate £8,000.00, scc rate £33.00
Phone: 020 7015 1200
Keyword: Adecco
Reproduced by Durrants under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further
copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright
owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd.
Article Page 3 of 3
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