Westcliff's newly-opened Savers Health & Beauty store certainly looks beautiful to its 13-strong team of new  assistants. They were all previously unemployed. 
The toiletries chain teamed up with Southend employment specialist Ingeus to recruit its new colleagues, all of whom have helped launch the new store.  Initially twelve vacancies were available at the Hamlet Court Road store. However, when Savers’ recruiters met Ingeus applicants during two days of interviews, 13 positions were offered, including two supervisor roles. 
Store manager Lainey Hurren said: “Savers created the extra role because everyone was so impressed with the energy and enthusiasm of the applicants.” For new supervisor Wendy Evans, her recruitment is “the best news in the whole world” and brings an end to eight years out of work. 
Mum-of-four Wendy, 54, from Southchurch, overcame personal tragedy and severe depression to begin her job search with Ingeus. 
As an ex-Army cadet leader and with a wide range of past work experience, Wendy’s management talents were soon spotted at her store assistant interview, and she was offered a higher responsibility role as a supervisor. 
She said: “I am so proud to be back in work and I feel like my career is finally back on track. I have loved setting up the store ready for opening, and getting to know the rest of the team. 
As manager of the new store, Lainey Hurren is proof of the many opportunities available at the rapidly expanding retailer, which operates more than 230 stores across the UK. 
Lainey began her Savers career as a part-time store assistant. 
She said: “It is great to have a team recruited from the local community in Southend.”
The partnership between Ingeus and Savers has seen more than 150 previously unemployed workers recruited into stores nationally. 
For the Westcliff recruitment, Ingeus arranged for the applicants to be briefed, shortlisted and given mock-interviews, before setting up interview and induction sessions for Savers’ recruiters at Ingeus’s Victoria Avenue branch. 
The recruitment was overseen by Ingeus employer partnership coordinator, Andrea Willson who provides a fee-free recruitment service to employers looking to recruit unemployed people.