Careers
To maintain our high standards, we ensure the right people are recruited to represent Marston Group and the enforcement sector in a professional, dignified and fair manner to all stakeholders.
As an equal opportunities employer, Marston Group believes in helping its staff to develop and fulfill their career aspirations and acknowledges individual effort and team success.
Whether we are recruiting for enforcement agents or office staff, we use objective and robust processes to ensure that the most suitable candidates are selected. This process will include interviews and may involve presentations, ability testing and psychometric profiling.
Hiring enforcement agents (bailiffs)
All applicants are required to complete an application form, diversity monitoring form and a CRA form.
During the selection process and post interview, candidates will have the opportunity to shadow an experienced enforcement agent for one day, to obtain an honest understanding of what the job will entail. Extensive criminal record and reference checks are undertaken for all applicants who pass the interview stage.
Qualities
Marston Group's enforcement agents must be able to demonstrate:
- a sound level of education
- self motivation and the capacity to work alone or in a team
- a calm persona whilst under pressure
- good communication and negotiating skills
- good administration skills
- an unbiased attitude towards individual circumstances
- a flexible approach to their working hours, as they are required to work early mornings, evenings and weekends
- a full driving licence
City & Guilds Training
If successful, all new candidates to the sector are required to attend our formal and recorded one-week Foundation Theory Course, which received City & Guilds accreditation in August 2008. We have since processed over 200 successful candidates within the City & Guilds scheme. The course provides a clear overview of the enforcement sector. This includes:
- an introduction to Marston Group
- health and safety
- the law and procedures involved in enforcement
- conflict management
- how to deal with vulnerable debtors
The course is conducted by a CIPD accredited trainer. Continuation training is carried out on street with a dedicated mentor, who is responsible for ensuring that newly recruited enforcement agents are able to perform their duties confidently and safely before being assigned any individual cases. Those who already hold a general bailiff certificate are required to attend a shortened course but have to pass the same level of exam.
Conflict Management Training
Our Conflict Management Training prepares enforcement agents to manage all kinds of scenarios they might encounter on a day to day basis. The bespoke one-day course trains our enforcement agents in the principles of personal safety, in compliance with the Health and Safety Work Act 1974. Key components of the training include:
- how and what to report regarding physical and non-physical abuse and violence
- dynamic risk assessment
- the human communication process and the barriers that can occur
- the value of active listening
- changes in human physiology that occur as a result of the 'fight or flight' syndrome
- the main causes of aggression; triggers and inhibitors; the stages of aggression
- visible warning and danger signs
- non-verbal communication
- listening skills; empathy; defusing skills
- methods of achieving rapport
Refresher Training
Marston Group also provides refresher training courses to assist with continuous career development even for those who have been employed for an extensive period. This also ensures that our enforcement agents are able to progress further within the company.
