Looking for a new position, particularly if you’re still employed, can be a daunting and time-consuming task. Application to hiring is generally around a 6-week process and that’s not even including the time it takes to write your CV and refine it for each role you’re applying for. This means you are most likely additionally putting in an extra 2 – 4 hours per week completing application forms, liaising with hiring managers, interviewing and following up!

Taken into account, that’s actually a significant portion of your leisure time spent trying to find your next dream role. How disappointing then, when you’ve been for interview, they’ve offered you the job but actually, the salary or benefits or location aren’t actually quite right, and you know you have to turn it down. This is why below we’ve listed some important factors to inform a potential new employer of during the application process.

1. Why are you looking to leave your current role? This could be a few lines in a covering letter or simply stated next to the job on your CV. This will give hirers the opportunity to see if what they’re offering, will be enough to entice you away from a current position and give you the job satisfaction you’re looking for.
2. Be frank about what it is that you’re after. If you’re looking for a role which can provide you with flexibility to pick children up from school, a higher salary, a better work-life balance or clear progression routes, you could include this in a covering letter or in a brief, introductory email directly to the hiring manager when you send your application.

Doing this will enable you to have a clear understanding in your own mind of what you’re really looking for and what you’re willing to accept, meaning less leisure time wasted on meaningless applications for roles which actually, probably aren’t right and give employers full visibility of what you’re seeking and if it’s worthwhile booking you in for an interview.

Once you know exactly what you want in a new role and employer it’s important to ensure you stand out from the rest. Make sure your CV is up to date, reads well and lists duties and responsibilities from previous employment, don’t forget contact details and education too, particularly if you’re a junior candidate. Boost your application by sending an email directly to the employer, detailing why this role appeals, key skills you hold to help you excel in the position and ask for a chat to discuss in more detail. This is a discreet way to ensure your applications get noticed but can also help you build valuable relationships for future career opportunities.

Of course, the simplest way to find a new role is simply to register with JR Personnel who can do all of the hard work for you. Registration simply consists of filling in our short registration form followed by a brief video call with a recruitment consultant. If you’re interested in registering with us to hear about the roles we have available, please send your CV in to [email protected].

Writing a CV is a task I don’t think anybody truly enjoys; it can be difficult to recall all the minute details such as dates of education and employment, recalling in enough detail the duties and responsibilities of your previous job roles but not too much detail that it goes over the recommended two pages of A4 paper! As an agency we see a large array of CVs, some good, some bad and some outright bizarre. Below are some tips to help you not forget the basics, which are most often, the most important parts of making a good CV.

Location: this doesn’t need to be your address, it could be the town or county you live in, if you’re looking to work elsewhere or happy to travel to different areas daily for work, state this on your CV too.

Contact details: so many people miss off telephone numbers off their CV. Yes, an email will suffice but us recruiters and hiring managers LOVE to talk and in the modern world of recruiting, you have to move quickly so a telephone number is essential and in case you can’t answer, make sure you have a voicemail inbox!

Transport: do you drive and have your own transport? Is your driving licence free of any points? This is integral, particularly when recruiting for roles in remote locations or which require you to travel for work.

Start and end dates of employment: Particularly important if you haven’t moved around an awful lot and have stayed in positions for a significant amount of time – if you have carried out lots of temporary assignments, make sure you state that your assignments have been temporary.

If you need further help constructing a CV please feel free to call the office or email [email protected], we have several templates readily available.

Have you had a pay rise this year?

It may be surprising to learn for many but this year UK wages have risen at a record annual pace. Between March and May of this year pay grew 7.3%. This might sound like excellent news but in fact it is a matter of concern for the Bank of England who are frantically trying to keep inflation down but failing miserably.

Currently inflation stands at 8.7% a whole 6.7% higher than Bank of England’s target and is only exacerbated by wage rises; the concern is that this increase in salaries will mean companies are forced to put up prices for their products even higher.

Companies are having to compete to attract new staff members due to a serious shortage of suitable, skilled candidates and a higher salary is the easiest way to get those much-needed applicants in. As an agency, we have noticed a significant increase in salaries which our clients are offering, particularly for Administrative roles which usually sat around the early £20k’s mark is now reaching more towards £30k per annum.

So, if you can’t offer higher salaries, how can you as a company compete? Since the pandemic more and more people are taking into consideration benefits and perks on offer when looking for a new job. Save time and money on outdated, booze fueled company socials, team building trips to Alton Towers and offer perks which people really want. Allowing people to work from home one day a week is a valuable perk to offer, if you can. Adding in extra holiday days or shutting the office during the Christmas period without expecting people to save holiday days to cover it is also another great way of attracting people’s attention. Let’s not forget too how attractive it is to offer a decent pension contribution or life/critical illness insurance, the future is scary, particularly for those who fear they will never reap the benefits of a state pension. Subsidising travel expenses or car parking is another smart move to entice in new employees, particularly if you’re inner-city with no parking available.

How do you decide a job is right for you?

Last year I wrote a piece on how the recruitment industry has changed to be heavily candidate-led, now, more than ever, this is true. Candidates are so in demand following not only the pandemic and Brexit but significant technological advances, meaning a large portion of the workforce available is classed as “unskilled” for many of today’s tech-driven roles. As an agency we are seeing more and more candidates being offered multiple jobs in the same week. So how can you decide which role is right for you?

One key question I ask candidates when recruiting is “what do you need from a new job/company?”. Is it company structure? Clear progression routes? More money? Whatever the answer, this is a good foundation for deciding which company/industry/role is going to be right for you. If you’re looking to forge a long career in the same company and progress through the ranks, a smaller, family-run business is not the place to do it – choose a larger organization which will give you opportunity to learn new skills and access other areas of the business.

How will this role affect your lifestyle? If, in your current role, you’re able to finish at 2.45 every day to pick the kids up from school and work from home for the rest of the afternoon, it might be worth staying where you are. This kind of flexible working is becoming more common in the workplace but often, trusting employees to work from home is something which needs to be earned. Or maybe the new role is offering better perks and progression routes but the salary is lower than you’re earning now, how will this affect your lifestyle? Will you have to cut back on that weekend away or trips to your favourite restaurant every Friday night?

Will you enjoy this job and what it entails? Will you be challenged enough, will you be motivated enough to fulfill the duties expected of you? These are all important questions when considering if a job is right for you, do you have the required skills, and if so, are they skills you enjoy utilising? Being bored at work or not finding a role interesting is the biggest challenge when it comes to staying motivated at work, if your heart isn’t in it, what’s the point?

How do you decide a job is right for you?

Last year I wrote a piece on how the recruitment industry has changed to be heavily candidate-led, now, more than ever, this is true. Candidates are so in demand following not only the pandemic and Brexit but significant technological advances, meaning a large portion of the workforce available is classed as “unskilled” for many of today’s tech-driven roles. As an agency we are seeing more and more candidates being offered multiple jobs in the same week. So how can you decide which role is right for you?

One key question I ask candidates when recruiting is “what do you need from a new job/company?”. Is it company structure? Clear progression routes? More money? Whatever the answer, this is a good foundation for deciding which company/industry/role is going to be right for you. If you’re looking to forge a long career in the same company and progress through the ranks, a smaller, family-run business is not the place to do it – choose a larger organization which will give you opportunity to learn new skills and access other areas of the business.

How will this role affect your lifestyle? If, in your current role, you’re able to finish at 2.45 every day to pick the kids up from school and work from home for the rest of the afternoon, it might be worth staying where you are. This kind of flexible working is becoming more common in the workplace but often, trusting employees to work from home is something which needs to be earned. Or maybe the new role is offering better perks and progression routes but the salary is lower than you’re earning now, how will this affect your lifestyle? Will you have to cut back on that weekend away or trips to your favourite restaurant every Friday night?

Will you enjoy this job and what it entails? Will you be challenged enough, will you be motivated enough to fulfill the duties expected of you? These are all important questions when considering if a job is right for you, do you have the required skills, and if so, are they skills you enjoy utilising? Being bored at work or not finding a role interesting is the biggest challenge when it comes to staying motivated at work, if your heart isn’t in it, what’s the point?

Breaking news this morning that Dominic Raab has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister due to bullying claims made against him. Bullying is something you’d think you’d leave behind when you leave school but workplace bullying is more common than you may think. What does workplace bullying look like? And what can you do about it?

The UK government specifies workplace bullying as “behaviour that makes someone feel intimidated or offended”; from abuse of power, humiliating or undermining a colleague deliberately, isolating and excluding someone from a group or as direct as verbal or physical abuse.

If you’re feeling bullied at work the important thing to do is rationally take stock of the situation. Start keeping a record of each occasion you feel intimidated, noting if there was anyone else present and where and when it took place; building up a record will enable you to have a sound argument should you approach the person directly or contact HR. Note down how it made you feel as soon after the event as you can, reading back on instances without emotional back up can sometimes make the event seem more trivial than it was.

Once you feel prepared that you have a comprehensive timeline of the bullying, confront the situation head on, but think carefully about whether to approach the bully first, or HR. Think about if you feel comfortable approaching the instigator directly or if you would rather it be done by a third party and the repercussions of both. If approaching the perpetrator directly, tell them how you feel and give them the opportunity to discuss their view on the situation. In some cases, it may be a misunderstanding, perhaps the bully thinks they are just being jokey or fun and would be horrified to think they had caused upset. If approaching HR, ensure you give a professional, rounded timeline of events to ensure they can investigate and resolve the issue as swiftly as possible.

Interviews, love them or hate them we’ve got you covered!

OK, so not many people love attending interviews but you don’t have to hate them either. If the thought of attending an interview fills you with dread, makes your palms sweaty and brings on hives have a read below of some of our interview hints and tips to help you breeze through the hiring process.

1. 1.Don’t set yourself up for failure – preparation is key!

This is possibly one of the most important tips we can offer, the more prepared you are for an interview the more likely you are to succeed. This means researching the company, size, turnover, ethos and most importantly – what it is they do! Here at JR Personnel we manage the whole interview process for you including a comprehensive email before you attend confirming the location of the company, what they do, a link to their website, who it is you’ll be meeting and their job title, full job specification and the type of interview to expect (panel, competency etc.). The more you know about a company shows you are enthusiastic and interested in becoming a part of their team.

1. 2.Dress the part

Think carefully about what to wear to your interview and dress appropriately. What’s the industry you will be interviewing for? Is it a very corporate company or family run business? If in doubt, we would always recommend smart, formal attire. It’s also important to remember that even if you’re attending a video interview from the comfort of your own home to still dress appropriately; track suits and pyjamas are a definite no, no! We have also had feedback from clients that they have interviewed people virtually who have been smoking, cooking or sitting in bed – try and find a space in your home where you won’t be distracted, disturbed with a neutral back ground behind you.

1. 3.Know where you’re going

It’s so important that you know where you’re going on the day of your interview. If you don’t know the area or the exact location have a trial run there a couple of days beforehand and make sure you allow yourself enough time to arrive. Setting off early for an interview is always advised, that way if you get stuck in traffic or the train is delayed, you’ve still got plenty of time. Plus arriving early means you have opportunity to go through company background and potential questions again beforehand!

1. 4.Don’t forget to interview them

Remember, interviews are as much for the client to find out about you as it is for you to find out about them. Having questions prepared not only means you come away feeling more informed about the company and the role but it always impresses clients when you have a couple of questions up your sleeve for the end of the interview. Here are some good examples below:

-          Is this a new post or an existing one?

-          How would you describe the ideal candidate for this role?

-          What opportunities are there for training and progression in this role?

-          How long have you worked for the company?

1. 5.Body Language

Have you ever thought about what your body language says about you? When you’re being interviewed you want to project your enthusiasm and interest, good posture and eye contact is the perfect way of doing this. If you’re slouching in your chair, fiddling with your hair or looking around the room it can be interpreted as uninterested and rude. It’s normal if you’re feeling a little nervous to over gesticulate, bite your nails or keep touching your hair or face; try to make a concerted effort to keep your hands in your lap.

1. 6.Your experience matters

It’s important to not only come across as well informed about the company you’re interviewing for but also about yourself and what is on your CV. Always draw on real-life experiences to emphasize skills you have, particularly if you’ve mentioned them on your CV, for instance when have you shown excellent team work and how did you go about it? How have you gone above and beyond expectations in previous roles?

We hope these hints and tips help you with the interview process but remember, our consultants are always on hand to offer further advice should you need it.

Interviews, love them or hate them we’ve got you covered!

OK, so not many people love attending interviews but you don’t have to hate them either. If the thought of attending an interview fills you with dread, makes your palms sweaty and brings on hives have a read below of some of our interview hints and tips to help you breeze through the hiring process.

1. 1.Don’t set yourself up for failure – preparation is key!

This is possibly one of the most important tips we can offer, the more prepared you are for an interview the more likely you are to succeed. This means researching the company, size, turnover, ethos and most importantly – what it is they do! Here at JR Personnel we manage the whole interview process for you including a comprehensive email before you attend confirming the location of the company, what they do, a link to their website, who it is you’ll be meeting and their job title, full job specification and the type of interview to expect (panel, competency etc.). The more you know about a company shows you are enthusiastic and interested in becoming a part of their team.

1. 2.Dress the part

Think carefully about what to wear to your interview and dress appropriately. What’s the industry you will be interviewing for? Is it a very corporate company or family run business? If in doubt, we would always recommend smart, formal attire. It’s also important to remember that even if you’re attending a video interview from the comfort of your own home to still dress appropriately; track suits and pyjamas are a definite no, no! We have also had feedback from clients that they have interviewed people virtually who have been smoking, cooking or sitting in bed – try and find a space in your home where you won’t be distracted, disturbed with a neutral back ground behind you.

1. 3.Know where you’re going

It’s so important that you know where you’re going on the day of your interview. If you don’t know the area or the exact location have a trial run there a couple of days beforehand and make sure you allow yourself enough time to arrive. Setting off early for an interview is always advised, that way if you get stuck in traffic or the train is delayed, you’ve still got plenty of time. Plus arriving early means you have opportunity to go through company background and potential questions again beforehand!

1. 4.Don’t forget to interview them

Remember, interviews are as much for the client to find out about you as it is for you to find out about them. Having questions prepared not only means you come away feeling more informed about the company and the role but it always impresses clients when you have a couple of questions up your sleeve for the end of the interview. Here are some good examples below:

-          Is this a new post or an existing one?

-          How would you describe the ideal candidate for this role?

-          What opportunities are there for training and progression in this role?

-          How long have you worked for the company?

1. 5.Body Language

Have you ever thought about what your body language says about you? When you’re being interviewed you want to project your enthusiasm and interest, good posture and eye contact is the perfect way of doing this. If you’re slouching in your chair, fiddling with your hair or looking around the room it can be interpreted as uninterested and rude. It’s normal if you’re feeling a little nervous to over gesticulate, bite your nails or keep touching your hair or face; try to make a concerted effort to keep your hands in your lap.

1. 6.Your experience matters

It’s important to not only come across as well informed about the company you’re interviewing for but also about yourself and what is on your CV. Always draw on real-life experiences to emphasize skills you have, particularly if you’ve mentioned them on your CV, for instance when have you shown excellent team work and how did you go about it? How have you gone above and beyond expectations in previous roles?

We hope these hints and tips help you with the interview process but remember, our consultants are always on hand to offer further advice should you need it.

Over the past six months nearly 3000 people have taken part in the largest four day working week trial. The trial saw companies offer their employees an extra day off each week without a pay cut, but what do the results tell us?

Perhaps surprisingly (or not, as the case may be) the results are overwhelmingly positive. 56 out of 61 of the companies who took part in the trial are continuing with the four day week, ranging from small local businesses to large, corporate organisations.

Following the Covid19 pandemic, the way we work and want to work has drastically changed with more and more people wanting flexible and remote working so it’s no surprise that businesses are trialing new ways to improve the work-life balance people are so desperate for. The four-day week does exactly that, research shows that 7 out of 10 people taking part in the trial felt less burnout than working five days, taking the opportunity to utilise the additional time to get on top of housework leaving the weekend free for relaxing and spending time with family and friends.

Despite having less hours to complete assigned work loads productivity actually improved in the majority of work places taking part. As a nation we have bought into the concept that the longer you work the more you will get done but actually the reverse may be closer to the truth. Being busier at work does not directly correlate to feeling more stressed, having a day free to sort out “life-admin” and get on top of jobs outside of the workplace was proven to give people a better sense of well being and resulting in less daily stress.

Finally, 2021 recorded the greatest number of sick days than any other year in the past decade. The government is pushing for fewer people on long-term sick according to the Telegraph, with doctors being told to fully assess before signing people off work. Reports from the trial show that during the 6 months there was a 65 percent reduction in people taking sick days from work, which is a huge improvement and will drastically improve business productivity and profits.

Obviously a four day week will not work for all industries or businesses but it’s definitely an interesting topic and something business leaders can no longer ignore.