Volvo Car UK will aim to bolster dealers' efforts to meet a target of finding 300 new technicians with the launch of a new online portal designed to assist them with recruitment.

The Volvo Recruitment Service provides an efficient and cost-effective way for managers in its 119-strong network to advertise vacant positions, track applications and communicate with potential candidates.

Volvo claims that the new service will significantly reduce the administrative tasks associated with finding new members of staff, enabling dealers to create professional job adverts from 25 editable templates, and advertise on up to 50 job sites including the Volvo Car UK careers webpages, CV Library, Universal Jobmatch and Reed – as well as dealers’ own websites and social media.

Helen Davis, career development and engagement manager, Volvo Car UK, said: “As well as using clever and intuitive technology to make the hiring process more efficient, the Volvo Recruitment Service also enhances the professionalism of the sector by providing a consistent, premium image.

“We think this will help broaden the industry’s appeal to those who may not have considered a career in automotive retail in the past.”

Through using the service, dealers will be able to receive, save and retrieve CVs, application forms and cover letters, and even schedule interviews.

There is also a library of job descriptions and best practice guides, while users can create a ‘talent pool’ of potential candidates for future opportunities.

The portal’s introduction follows the manufacturer’s announcement of a nationwide drive to recruit 300 new technicians to its network by 2020 to support increasing sales and its growing product range.