Hundreds apply for vacancies within 48 hours

Hundreds of people applied for new jobs within 48 hours of a company announcing that it is doubling its workforce.

Seaham-based Great Annual Savings Group (GAS), which secures cost savings to more than 10,000 businesses nationwide, last week revealed plans to take on 300 employees by quadrupling its footprint at the town’s Spectrum Business Park.

With the roles – which include admin, sales, marketing, executive chefs, gym staff, IT, customer services and apprenticeships – being filled in phases, the firm has revealed that more than 200 people have already applied for the initial vacancies.

GAS head of resource and talent Victoria Walton said: “We have been inundated with applicants, which is very encouraging to see.

“A lot of people have contacted us to say they would like to work for us and want to know if we will be creating roles within their area of expertise as part of the expansion.

“We have some really exciting and unusual job roles available at present, including roles focused entirely on our colleagues’ work-life balance.

“We are also working through a huge volume of sales role applications.

"We have had people sign up for our vacancy alerts as well as direct applications, which shows that the kind of careers we offer here are appealing.”

GAS, which moved to the business park in 2015, is taking another floor within its existing Spectrum 6 home, while also opening a Spectrum 7 office nearby.

Its increased space, which will eventually measure 80,000 square feet, will potentially allow it to employ more than 1,000 people.