Parcel firm creating 621 jobs across Yorkshire

The independent parcel carrier is set to recruit 124 directly employed drivers who will be provided with Yodel branded uniforms and a liveried van.

In addition to the directly employed drivers, Yodel is also looking for 183 owner drivers, who will be required to provide their own vans. Both sets of drivers will be based at their local service centres and provided with hand held computers to help plan their routes and scan parcels as they go on their delivery and collection rounds.

A further 258 self-employed couriers, will also be joining the company, using their own cars to deliver and collect smaller parcels from customers. Self-employed couriers are based from home and carry out deliveries in their own neighbourhood. Couriers’ hours are more flexible, making it the ideal choice for anyone who requires a job that can fit around other commitments, such as child-care, hobbies or other part-time work.

The news of Yodel’s recruitment drive, which is looking for over 7,000 people nationwide, comes at the time when UK unemployment has risen for the second consecutive quarter, with the number of people out of work increasing by 25,000 to 1.85 million.

While these are seasonal positions for the peak period, many of the roles are expected to become permanent thanks to the number of new retailers joining Yodel, and the continued growth in parcel volumes.

Yodel’s training programme will ensure that all couriers and drivers are fully prepared for the peak period and includes tuition on Yodel’s policies and processes as well as basic health and safety. For the courier and owner driver roles, Yodel also offers support in the form of insurance and vehicle lease packages, as well as guidance on the paperwork and benefits associated with being self-employed.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said: “Our recent research has shown that the 2015 Christmas period is set to break the mould once again, with nearly four times as many people planning to take advantage of the Black Friday online promotions. Our recruitment and training will support this demand and ensure that both our retail clients and their shoppers have an enjoyable Christmas.

“Many of the vacancies are flexible and perfect for those who want to fit work around families, or who have retired but want to remain active and earn some extra cash. Other roles are full-time and we expect many posts to become permanent after the Christmas season. Whatever the job, we’ll be giving everyone working for us the tools they need to deliver a top service.”

In addition to the new roles, Yodel has spent the first half of 2015 optimising its network to cope with the Christmas demand, including opening new strategically placed ‘super’ service centres, one of which is in Selby. It has also made significant investments in IT, mechanical handling, storing equipment, training and fleet to improve operational processes and efficiency.

Further details of the vacancies can be found at: http://careers.yodel.co.uk/