An 18 month project to banish paper from the Peterborough offices of Anne Corder Recruitment has culminated in the company scooping a national award.
The independent recruitment agency has won a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and is set to be held up by organisers The Green Organisation as an example of what can be achieved.
The Paperless Office Project was launched 18 months ago, headed by recruitment partner Karen Dykes. The aim was to convert the agency’s Park Road headquarters – and satellite office in Lynch Wood – into a paperless office so streamlining systems and reducing waste, carbon footprint and costs.
Substantial investment was made in state-of-the-art IT systems which revolutionised working practices. All paper files were transferred to an electronic filing cabinet, a password protected web facility was introduced for temporary workers and clients were briefed with the new methods of working.
All staff were trained in the new technology which has ensured the office is future-proofed.
As an extension to the work, a host of other changes have been introduced – trade magazines are now accessed online, staff are encouraged to compost kitchen waste and the amount of junk mail delivered has been slashed by contacting individual companies.
And the efforts of the team at ACR have paid off with the news they have received national recognition.
The Green Organisation supports the work of other environmental groups that play the role of watchdog while concentrating more on the positive aspects of environmental endeavour.
“The Paperless Office Project has been a huge undertaking, financially and logistically but we enjoy the benefits every day,” said Karen. “We have always employed best practice in every aspect of our business and this is another way we have demonstrated our commitment to that pledge.
“Winning the award is recognition of our commitment to environmental concerns and further proof of our dedication to being the best at everything we do. The Green Organisation will be using our blueprint to encourage other companies to follow our lead – that’s a very satisfying thought.”
