As part of Astute’s People Lite recruitment solution, our Power Generation team recently supported MVV Environment in the successful appointment of an Assistant Shift Team Leader at their Energy from Waste site in Dundee, Scotland.
The role was expertly filled by our Recruitment Partner, Kelsey Bakovljev, who worked closely with the MVV team to ensure the right match.
We spoke with Sheena McLullich, Head of Human Resources at MVV Environment Limited, to discuss her experience working with Astute People.
About MVV Environment
MVV Environment is the UK subsidiary of German energy company MVV Umwelt, delivering sustainable and efficient energy from waste solutions for both public and private waste disposal companies, as well as local authorities.
With over 15 years of experience in the UK market, MVV continues to play a vital role in decarbonising waste management across the country.
About the opportunity
We’ve used Astute for a number of years, and the most recent role you’ve helped us to fill was an Assistant Shift Team Leader at our Energy from Waste site in Dundee, Scotland.
MVV Environment operates highly efficient residual waste treatment and power generation facilities. We have three sites in the UK: one in Dundee (Scotland), one in Plymouth (Devon), and one near Sittingbourne (Kent).
So we’re about as geographically spread as you can get!
That’s why it’s very useful having a recruitment agency that can work on a UK-wide basis – we’re literally drawing candidates from across the country.
What hiring challenges were you facing before partnering with Astute People?
The biggest challenge we face is competition.
There’s a shortage of good engineering and operational personnel.
It’s a difficult market right now – good candidates are in high demand.
The Astute People Partnership
Why did you choose to work with Astute People over other recruitment providers?
I’d say it’s because of your reputation in the industry.
I’ve worked with Astute since 2018 when I joined MVV.
You were already our recruitment partner, but over the years we’ve built a really strong relationship with the consultants.
You’ve supported us through several major developments – especially when we crewed up our Dundee facility just before COVID.
We specifically chose Astute for that because of your proven ability to get us the best candidates for the job, which is ultimately what we’re aiming for.
How was the recruitment experience with Astute different from what you’ve used before?
The key difference is the quality of candidates.
That really comes down to your screening process.
When we have a vacancy, we usually speak with Astute alongside the hiring manager to go through the job requirements in detail.
As a result, we receive fewer CVs – but they’re far more relevant.
With other agencies, it’s often a case of receiving any CV that has the job title on it, regardless of whether it’s a fit.
Astute is far more targeted, which saves us a lot of time.
In what ways did working with Astute People help you achieve your hiring goals?
Well, we filled the position – which is ultimately the goal!
So yes, we achieved what we set out to do.
Results & Impact
Can you share any specific success stories or measurable outcomes from working with Astute?
Certainly – going back to when we crewed up our Dundee facility in 2019–2020 (just before COVID), we had to staff an entire new site.
Quite honestly, without Astute, we couldn’t have done it.
It’s as simple as that.
Has working with Astute helped save time, reduce costs, or improve hire quality?
Definitely, yes.
Because we have a longstanding relationship, you know our business and the consultants understand what we’re looking for.
It feels like a partnership – and that’s how recruitment should work.
Final Thoughts
Would you recommend Astute People to others? Why?
Certainly – though maybe not to our competitors!
All joking aside, yes, I would recommend Astute.
We’ve been working with Kelsey recently and she’s an excellent recruiter.
There are plenty of good recruiters out there, but excellent ones are few and far between – and Kelsey is one of them.
She’s very proactive and often answers the question before it’s even been asked.
We’ve had a great relationship with everyone we’ve worked with at Astute, and I hope that continues for a long time to come.
