Delivering AMP8: Solving the Water Sector’s Talent Challenge

When Background Screening is Nobody’s Job, Everyone Pays the Price

Why Ownership Matters in Screening In critical infrastructure industries like nuclear, utilities, and transport, starting a project without the right people cleared for site access is like trying to run a race with your shoelaces tied together. Background screening isn’t just an administrative task. In regulated sectors, it’s a legal and operational requirement that can directly impact your ability to deliver. Yet, for many companies, especially those new to regulated work, screening becomes what Jayne Lee, Head of Candidate Services at Rullion, calls a “homeless task.” “It gets shuffled between HR and admin, squeezed in around other priorities, and often starts too late. That’s when confusion, bottlenecks and missed deadlines start creeping in.” The result? Delays, lost talent, and in some cases, workers walking to competitors who can get them on site faster. If you want to keep projects on track, someone must own screening from day one. Why Screening Gets Left Without a Home Companies entering regulated sectors for the first time often underestimate the complexity of screening. Jayne sees it often: “HR or admin teams end up doing screening on top of their day jobs, with no dedicated vetting team, so it gets passed from pillar to post.” With teams already stretched, screening is squeezed in alongside other priorities, often without the right tools, processes, or authority to drive it forward. No one has a complete view of progress, meaning delays go unnoticed until it’s too late. This is especially common when screening is a brand-new requirement. For example, a construction firm winning its first contract on a nuclear site. BPSS on Regulated Sites One client Jayne worked with was contracted to build roundabouts and access roads for a nuclear facility. They were experts in roadworks, but they’d never operated on a regulated site. Because the site was controlled by the nuclear regulator, every worker - from site managers to tarmac crews - needed full BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) clearance before stepping on site. BPSS includes: Right to Work check Identity verification Employment reference check (last three years) DBS check (criminal history record check) At first, the client tried to manage it themselves. Reference requests went unanswered for weeks, workers grew impatient, and some left for other suppliers who promised faster starts. Project milestones began to slip. With Rullion’s background screening services in place, clearances were completed in days rather than weeks. Communication with workers improved, and the client could focus on delivering the project instead of chasing paperwork. The result? A workforce cleared, compliant, and on site, ready to get the job done. Why This Challenge Is Growing The UK’s nuclear industry is expanding rapidly. The government plans to quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050, aiming to generate 24GW, enough to power around a quarter of the country’s electricity needs. This means thousands more workers needing clearance each year. And it’s not just nuclear. Energy, utilities, and transport projects are facing similar compliance pressures. With more suppliers feeding into large, multi-year projects, the competition for skilled labour is intense. If your clearance process is slow, you risk losing workers mid-project to faster-moving competitors. The Risks of No Ownership When no one owns screening: Delays multiply – Requests for references or documents sit in inboxes without follow-up. Workers walk – Contractors move to other suppliers who can clear them faster. Costs rise – Idle staff, delayed starts, and potential penalties from clients all hit the bottom line. Reputation suffers – Clients notice when you can’t mobilise on time. Why Outsourcing Early Works For companies with constant churn, high contractor volumes, or no dedicated vetting team, outsourcing screening isn’t a “nice-to-have”, it’s a strategic move. The benefits include: Dedicated resource – A team whose sole job is to get people cleared, fast. Faster turnaround – Rullion averages 7–8 days for BPSS compared to the 30–40 days typical in the market. Compliance confidence – Every check is completed, documented, and ready for regulator review. Scalability – Processes that can handle 20 or 2,000 workers with the same consistency. Worker retention – Keeping candidates engaged through proactive communication. You can read more about the impact of slow or incomplete screening in our related article: 5 Pre-Employment Screening Mistakes That Cost You Time, Talent and Trust. Give Screening a Home from Day One Whether you outsource or build an internal team, the key is ownership. That means: Assigning a responsible person or partner before contracts are signed. Building screening into mobilisation timelines, not starting it after workers are recruited. Tracking progress in real time so delays can be fixed immediately. Screening as a Competitive Advantage In regulated sectors, background screening is more than compliance, it’s a competitive edge. When you make it someone’s job from the start, you keep projects moving, workers engaged, and clients confident in your delivery. For high-volume, high-pressure projects, outsourcing to a partner who lives and breathes screening frees your team to focus on what they do best - while ensuring your workforce is cleared, compliant, and ready to go This article is part of the Confessions of a Screening Expert series, where Sibel Akel, Marketing Director at Rullion, speaks with Jayne Lee and other industry leaders about the realities of screening in regulated sectors.

How to Build a Business Case for a First-Generation MSP

How to build a business case for an MSP At Rullion, our MSP consultants have had exposure to all levels of talent consultancy surrounding MSP and have put together this helpful guide to walk you through how to structure that business case, the benefits you should highlight, and how to present ROI in a way that draws in your decision-makers. 1. Define the problem Before you start providing an MSP as the solution, start with the “why”. Begin by clearly defining the workforce challenges your organisation faces today: Limited visibility of contingent workforce spend Fragmented supplier management and inconsistent quality Compliance risks with IR35 or worker classification Escalating costs with little ability to forecast or control Hiring managers spending too much time on recruitment admin Where possible, quantifying the scale of these challenges (e.g., percentage overspend, average time-to-hire, compliance audit findings) helps show why the current model isn’t sustainable. 2. Identify stakeholders and their priorities Different decision-makers will view an MSP through different lenses. A strong business case addresses each of these perspectives, showing how an MSP aligns with their objectives. Finance leaders want cost savings, forecasting accuracy, and spend control. HR leaders want improved candidate quality, DEI alignment, and workforce planning. Procurement leads want supplier consolidation, stronger negotiation leverage, and compliance. Hiring managers want faster, simpler access to talent. 3. Establish the baseline data To justify investment, you need a starting benchmark of how things operate today. Even if the data isn’t perfect, presenting a baseline gives stakeholders a clear “before” picture against which future improvements can be measured. Collect data on: Current headcount of contingent workers (by department/region) Total annual spend on contractors and temps Average cost-per-hire and time-to-hire Number of suppliers and volume of hires per supplier Compliance or audit findings 4. Showcase the potential benefits of an MSP Translate MSP as a solution into tangible outcomes that matter to your business. And, rather than listing them in the abstract, link each benefit to your earlier pain points. For a first-generation MSP, the benefits often include: Cost efficiency – consolidated supplier base, rate benchmarking, reduced rogue spend Visibility and reporting – clear (and potentially real-time) data on workforce spend and performance metrics Compliance and risk management – standardised contracts, reduced misclassification risk Process efficiency – hiring manager time saved through centralised processes Scalability: ability to flex workforce quickly in response to business needs 5. Consider the costs and change management Decision-makers will naturally ask: “What will this cost us?” So, make sure you’re addressing the potential investment and disruption. Be transparent about: Implementation fees or technology requirements (such as a Vendor Management System) Internal resource required to manage the transition Potential resistance from hiring managers or suppliers Balance this with mitigation strategies (e.g., phased rollout, stakeholder engagement, supplier transition planning) to help strengthen your case. 6. Provide clear options Shifting your workforce strategy to a new one is a big change. And you may find executives will still be hesitant to commit. Rather than an “all or nothing” proposal, you might frame your case in a way that allows your decision makers to see the trade-offs more clearly: Do nothing – maintain status quo (with quantified risks/costs) Partial MSP – pilot in one region or business unit Full MSP – organisation-wide implementation 7. Build your ROI model The ROI doesn’t always have to be purely financial, but it helps to show hard numbers where possible. For example: Forecasted cost savings through supplier rationalisation (e.g., 10–15%) Reduction in time-to-hire (e.g., from 40 days to 25 days) Reduction in compliance risks and potential fines Hiring manager time saved (and the value of that time back to the business) For example, organisations moving to a first-generation MSP often see 10–15% savings in year one through supplier consolidation alone. Pair this data with qualitative outcomes such as improved candidate experience, better alignment with DEI goals, and stronger workforce planning. 8. Frame the narrative Finally, package all of this into a clear, executive-friendly story. A structured narrative makes it easier for senior leaders to see the benefits and say "yes." A typical business case should flow like this: The workforce challenges we face Why it matters to the business What a first-generation MSP could deliver The options (and trade-offs) available Costs, risks, and mitigations The expected ROI and value-adds The recommended next step Building a business case for a first-generation MSP is ultimately about aligning your workforce strategy with long-term business goals. By framing the narrative this way, you help stakeholders see the benefits clearly and put yourself in the strongest position to secure buy-in. When you’re ready to take the next step, think carefully about how you want your MSP delivered. Choosing the right MSP provider and the right MSP delivery model for your organisation will be key to ensuring a smooth transition and long-term success.

The Future of Nuclear energy with Guillem Sanchis Ramírez

Planting the seeds of passion for Nuclear energy For some, a career path is a straight line. For others, it’s a winding journey sparked by chance encounters. For Guillem, the spark came from an unexpected place: a high school teacher. At the time, it was just a passing idea. But, like the film Inception, the idea became a seed that lay dormant until years later, when Guillem was studying physics. When faced with the choice of which path to take, he explored everything from batteries to renewables. Yet he kept circling back to nuclear. It promised not only scale and reliability but also the chance to make a real impact on the future of clean energy. That decision led Guillem to pursue a Master’s in Nuclear in 2021. Just a few years later, he’s part of the team at IDOM Consulting in Barcelona, contributing to projects both in Spain and internationally. Guillem specialises in thermohydraulics - building and tuning plant models to test new systems before they go anywhere near a live reactor. He describes the work as dynamic, varied, and constantly challenging, in the best way. “I spend most of my time on thermohydraulics… Running computer simulations of how a power plant works. You get to experiment with models and try out new systems that then go into real nuclear plant operations. It’s definitely challenging but I love how dynamic the work is. We do all sorts of projects, from the operation of established plants to research reactors to fusion. You get to learn a lot of different points of view in the industry, and that’s been really enjoyable.” Bridging the perception gap Despite supplying nearly 20% of Spain’s electricity in 2024, nuclear energy has long suffered from weak public support. Guillem points to decades of poor communication as one of the reasons. For too long, the loudest voices in the debate were its critics, leaving the industry without a strong narrative of its own. But times are changing for the future of nuclear energy. With climate change accelerating the need for low-carbon energy, nuclear is stepping back into the spotlight as part of the solution. In April 2024, 58% of Spaniards supported extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants, reflecting growing acceptance of nuclear’s role in energy transition. This is a stark contrast to 2011, when Spain ranked among the most opposed countries to nuclear energy, with 55% of Spaniards saying they wanted all nuclear plants closed. However, 70% of Spaniards felt the government was not ensuring a fair energy transition, suggesting that while support is rising, people remain concerned about how the transition is managed. For Guillem, that evolving balance mirrors what he encounters when he talks about his career. Instead of fear, the most common reaction he encounters is curiosity. That curiosity is powerful. It opens the door to conversations where myths can be challenged and facts can be shared. For Guillem, each question is a chance to turn curiosity into understanding and understanding into support. Advocacy through Econucleares Guillem’s passion to spark a new kind of public conversation doesn’t stop at his day job. Together with a colleague, he co-founded Econucleares, an organisation dedicated to keeping Spain’s reactors open and changing perceptions of the industry. It’s an urgent mission. According to government proposals, Spain’s seven reactors, responsible for around 20% of the country’s electricity, could be closed within the next decade. For Guillem, that makes little sense, either economically or environmentally. Econucleares' aim is to put Spain firmly back on the nuclear map, alongside the many countries now expanding their programmes. Globally, momentum is growing. More than 20 countries have pledged to triple nuclear capacity by 2050, with landmark projects like ITER in France pushing the boundaries of fusion research. Part of the group’s mission is to make nuclear more relatable. A favourite of Guillem’s was a mug printed with the Spanish wording ‘La cantidad de combustible nuclear que necesitas para toda tu vida cabe en esta taza.’ It implied that a single mug could contain all the nuclear fuel required for an individual's lifetime. “It’s very visual,” he says with a smile. “People loved it.” Powering the future of nuclear energy As Guillem is quick to stress, technology alone won’t secure the future of nuclear. It will be people who decide its fate. And here lies one of the industry’s biggest challenges: talent. Across Europe and beyond, the nuclear workforce is ageing. The next generation of engineers, physicists, electricians, and welders will be critical to meeting future demand. “The key bottleneck seems to be qualified workers,” Guillem explains. The demand spans every level of expertise. For young people, nuclear offers a career that is both well-paid and respected. For experienced professionals in other sectors, from coal to renewables, retraining can open the door to opportunities in an industry that will shape our energy future. It’s about reframing nuclear for what it truly is: a vital part of tackling climate change and securing clean, reliable energy. As Guillem puts it, nuclear has the power to deliver ‘a future of abundance, of clean, affordable energy’. Whether that vision becomes reality will depend on how boldly the industry tells its story and how many people, like Guillem, are inspired to be part of it. Ready to start your own nuclear career? View our latest nuclear jobs. Watch the full interview here.