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Salaries And Costs
Pay in Yeovil reflects a mix of aerospace supply chain, food production, and third party logistics. Warehouse operatives often sit around £11 to £13 per hour, with night shift uplifts taking some roles closer to £14. Forklift drivers with in date Counterbalance or Reach licences usually land £12 to £15 per hour, CNC setter operators tend to range from £14 to £18 per hour, and multi skilled maintenance engineers often secure £38,000 to £48,000. Production supervisors and planners in light manufacturing may sit at £30,000 to £38,000, with overtime and shift premia topping that up. Recruitment agencies and employment firms in the town work on a mix of temp margins and permanent fees, perm fees often fall between 12 percent and 20 percent of basic salary, temp margins vary by assignment length and volume, agency costs on short runs can look higher per hour, yet the flexibility to scale and the reduction in vacancy downtime matters to most local employers.
Qualifications
For entry level shopfloor roles, GCSEs in Maths and English help, a solid attendance record matters more. Forklift posts require RTITB or ITSSAR certification for Counterbalance, Reach, or VNA, with refresher dates kept current. Welders and fabricators typically lean on NVQ or City and Guilds routes, plus coding for specific processes when needed. Machining roles look for time served apprenticeships or Level 3 engineering qualifications, and quality roles may ask for basic metrology skills and ISO awareness. Food sites will often request Level 2 Food Hygiene, with allergen training on induction. First Aid at Work and manual handling refreshers carry weight for team leads.
Local Hiring Challenges
Yeovil draws strength from engineering and aerospace, which lifts demand for skilled machinists, toolmakers, and quality inspectors, that tightens the labour market for nearby plants. Public transport can be thin on late finishes, so night shifts rely on drivers from Sherborne, Crewkerne, Chard, and the villages, which trims the candidate pool for unsocial hours. Retention improves when rotas are stable, sites are reachable from A3088 and A37, and pay rates recognise licence holders and multi skill. Recruitment consultants and temp agencies help by pre screening for shift fit, transport, and right to work, which cuts early attrition.
Regional Or Geographic Variations
Most industrial sites cluster around Lufton Trading Estate, Houndstone Business Park, Pen Mill Trading Estate, and sites toward the A303. Employers near Yeovil Junction or Pen Mill stations gain a wider catchment, yet early starts still favour car owners. Businesses with canteens, lockers, and clean welfare space tend to attract jobseekers more readily than older units with limited facilities. Agency staff can move between Sherborne, Ilchester, and Martock as demand flexes, so smooth onboarding helps you win repeat labour.
Common Job Roles Agencies Recruit For
Local recruitment agencies in Yeovil cover pickers, packers, assemblers, machine operators, FLT drivers, production technicians, CNC setter operators, welders, fabricators, quality inspectors, maintenance engineers, team leaders, and shift supervisors. Employment firms with executive search arms can handle production managers, HSE advisors, and operations roles for growing plants. Staffing agencies keep standby pools for short notice ramp ups, which supports seasonal peaks.
Entry Requirements And Career Paths
Most new starters begin in packing, basic assembly, or goods in, then step into machine minding and line leading as confidence builds. With training, FLT roles can springboard into goods out or inventory control. Skilled candidates move from setter to programmer, or from fabricator to chargehand, with pay uplifts tied to added responsibility. Register with an agency that logs your licences, shift preferences, and commute, that makes it easier to find employees who will stay, and it helps candidates find the right move at the right time.
Industry Specific Training And Compliance
Right to work checks sit at the core, with site inductions covering PPE, lockout tagout for engineering, and COSHH where chemicals are in use. Forklift refreshers should be in date, MEWP work calls for IPAF, and confined space or hot works permits appear on some maintenance tasks. Food plants expect hairnets, beard snoods, and colour coded clothing, with allergen and hygiene briefings before any line time. DBS checks come up for roles in secure or sensitive facilities, recruitment agencies will flag this during onboarding.
Seasonal Trends
Peaks land ahead of Christmas for e commerce and food production, with a second lift before summer for BBQ ranges and drinks suppliers. Black Friday pushes order volumes in regional hubs, while aerospace and defence output tends to move on programme milestones rather than retail calendars. Temp agencies build pools for these swings, which shortens lead time from booking to start.
Key Sectors And Employers In The Area
Yeovil and South Somerset carry a strong engineering heritage, with aerospace, precision machining, and composites feeding the wider supply chain. Warehousing and last mile carriers support the town and the A303 corridor. Local employers favour steady attendance, safe working, and a learning mindset, recruitment consultants will often ask for recent references to confirm that. Candidates who show cross training in packing, FLT, and basic quality checks find more hours and quicker step ups.
Fees, Pay Rates, And Agency Costs
Hiring managers often compare pay bands, uplift rules, and recruitment fees before placing roles. Agree a clear charge rate for temporary, permanent, and contract work, check overtime multipliers and night premiums, and confirm any temp to perm terms up front. Expect to see charge rates that mirror the real cost of holiday pay, pension, and AWR, with a margin that lets the agency supply and support the workforce. For perm hires, clarify rebate periods and interview volume, a simple structure saves time for both sides.
Quick Facts And FAQs
Do industrial recruiters in Yeovil cover night shifts.
Yes, most agencies run 24, 7 rotas for larger sites, with out of hours contacts for late call offs.
Can I hire staff for a same week start.
With pre cleared temps on the books, many businesses secure starts within 24 to 72 hours.
Do staffing agencies handle contract work as well as permanent roles.
Yes, recruitment agencies manage temporary, permanent, and contract work across shopfloor and engineering posts.
What documents will candidates need.
Right to work proof, recent proof of address, and any licences such as RTITB forklift or IPAF.
Are recruitment fees different for executive search.
Senior roles often sit on a higher percentage or a retained model, agree stages before the brief goes live.
How do local employers improve retention.
Stable rotas, clear training steps, and pay that reflects skills and licences help teams stay.
Where do workers commute from.
Yeovil pulls from Sherborne, Crewkerne, Ilchester, Martock, and villages linked by A3088 and A37.
How This Page Helps
Agency Central brings together industrial recruitment agencies in Yeovil in one place, making it easier for local businesses to hire staff and for candidates to register with an agency that understands shift patterns, licences, and the local labour market.