Given a Fair Chance, Abdul proves the perfect fit
As a Fair Chance Employer, Rugby-based Exact Logistics have shown their commitment to recruiting the best people regardless of complex backgrounds or needs. This has led to their appointment of Abdul Ataie, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, who arrived in the UK determined to find work, contribute fully to society and look after his family.
The result – a win-win for employer and employee...
In the spring of 2023, Karen Shuter, owner of Exact Logistics, was struggling to fill a vacancy that had arisen in their customs clearance office.
She had received plenty of applications for the role but none from an applicant with the requisite skills and experience. Then into her inbox landed a very intriguing CV – that of Abdul Ataie.
Abdul, his wife and young family arrived in the UK in January 2022. They first lived in a hotel in Northampton before settling in Coventry where he searched hard for work.
Abdul was educated in India before, aged 17, joining the military back in his native country, Afghanistan. He went on to build a successful career, training at the National Military Academy in Kabul and working his way up to Head of the Planning Department, teaching and training others. While working full-time he also studied part-time at University to qualifiy as a doctor, which he did in 2020.
When he moved to the UK, he wanted nothing more than to utilise his skills and qualifications to support his family. However, frustration followed as he applied for over 100 jobs without success.
Then Abdul applied to Exact Logistics and his application caught Karen's eye. He impressed at interview and was hired - and has continue to impress ever since.
He joined the company in May and hit the ground running, working on import and export paperwork, inputting data in preparation for HMRC. It is a role in which attention to detail and accuracy are vital and these are among the skills which he accumulated in his previous career.
Karen is amazed and delighted at how quickly Abdul settled and has become an important and popular member of the team.
"I received lots of CVs for the role, but Abdul's definitely shone through,“ Karen said. “I was keen to interview him to find out more about him and everything just fell into place. He got the job and is proving a fantastic recruit for us."
The business is fully cognisant of Abdul’s family commitments and his hours of work are tailored accordingly. With savings he had accrued, he was able to buy a car to enable him to commute to work and, although the company can only currently offer 16 hours a week, Karen is hoping this will soon increase.
She is conscious that, with Abdul's skills and experience, they may not have him for long, but they are loving having him on the team for now.
Heather Docksey, Business Skills Support Advisor at Warwickshire Skills Hub, said: “By choosing to look beyond Abdul's CV, Karen was able to see the person behind the skills and qualifications. That has proved to be a life-changing decision for him and his family and a great decision for the business which has found a fantastic employee.
“As a Fair Chance Employer, Exact Logistics have shown that, by being open to candidates from all backgrounds, they were able to recruit someone who is capable, enthusiastic keen and prepared to work hard.“