Paper-free: Rod Harlow, founder
of OPeople Ltd, of Charfield

Rod Harlow, OPeople
Winner of The Best Corporate Citizenship Initiative

Ethical approach pays off

ROD Harlow set up his own recruitment consultancy as a result of the fast growing interest in organic and ethical values.

He launched his specialist company in a converted barn in the Cotswold countryside two years ago last month.

Since then OPeople has recruited staff for companies in the ethical trading, organic and fair trade world. Placements have ranged from finding a job for a chef in an organic restaurant to placing employees in an eco conference centre.

Mr Harlow’s consultancy is believed to be the only one of its kind in the country and the growth of work has led to a second office being set up in Bristol.

“Before branching out on my own I had worked in the recruiting business for 16 years. At various times I was with local, national and international firms” he said.

“The story of how I came to set up my own business is quite simple. I was with a company that was not ethical and that’s what inspired me to launch OPeople .

“Recruiting has become a big business and there are some agencies which are notorious for the way they treat people” said Rod.

His firm provides an unusual benefit for the community each time OPeople puts someone in a job.

“To mark the occasion we plant a tree” he explains. “Last year we planted 30-odd trees in Gloucestershire. So far this year we’ve planted more than 100.”

“They’re organic fruit trees and they come from a nursery in Worcestershire. This year the trees are being given to the Soil Association which is part of the Food For Life programme in local schools. It means that each tree will be planted in a school playground”. Each individual who gets a job also gets free gifts, he says. “This is free membership of the Soil Association for the first year and a paid subscription for the first year to Organic Life magazine.”

Rod prides himself that his office is virtually paper-free. “We do as much work as we can on the computer. We have a very low usage of stationery but the paper we do use has been recycled. The print we use for things like cartridges is vegetable-based,” he said.

He says he firmly believes in supporting local businesses by purchasing office supplies from them wherever possible. “The things we do on the citizenship front allows us to invest back into the local community” said Rod. “This is a very much an important part of our business ethic”.

Efforts to help others are being highlighted by the Corporate Citizenship initiative category in the Evening Post Recruitment Awards which has been won by OPeople.

Michael Bothamley, regional senior partner at law firm Beachcroft, which sponsored the category, said: “A company’s contribution to society also plays a vital role in attracting and retaining staff.”

He said a firm which puts something back into the community is fast becoming a key priority for people seeking jobs.

The Recruitment Awards judges were looking for “examples of innovative corporate citizenship initiatives that have not only enhanced the local community but encouraged the brightest and the best into the profession”.

Rod Harlow set up Opeople with its headquarters at Charfield two years ago last month and says he hasn’t looked back. The growth of work has led him to set up a second office in Bristol.

“We’ve grown over the last years to provide the very large organic sector with their staff he said. His ways of running the business may seem unconventional but he believes that in time they will become fashionable.

The firm’s Resources Manager said: “We actively support the Soil Association and climate change organisations with the aim of making a positive difference in the environment in which we work.“We treat candidates like human beings and assets, and the firms which ask us to find staff are always impressed with out ethics and professionalism.”

Recruiting has become a big business and there are some agencies which are notorious for the way they treat people The story of how I came to set up my own business is quite simple. I was with a company that was not ethical and that’s what inspired me to launch Opeople.