Throughout the past year I have written on many occasions about the lack of staff shortages, not only in the UK, but globally and how this is affecting recruitment, it’s now on individual companies and organisations to up their game and stand out from the crowd to appeal to candidates looking for work. So what will companies be doing in 2023 to ensure candidates are attracted to roles and keep their current staff happy?

#1 invest, invest, and invest!

With available, skilled candidates being hard to find these days companies are focussing on investing in their current employees. So what does this look like? Research shows that since the pandemic employees are feeling more insecure in their skills and abilities but are also more motivated than before to improve upon their skills. Offering regular appraisal meetings with staff to discuss job direction, growth and development is a good way to begin this, companies can then investigate training routes to further skills. With technology advancing at a pace even the most tech-savvy can find hard to keep up with, many employees find they are lacking in basic skills including email and Microsoft Office packages, giving refresher training on IT systems is another simple way to improve productivity and employee confidence

#2 Benefits, benefits and benefits!

Companies are turning to company benefits to make it harder for employees to leave; who wants to leave a position which offers holiday increases year on year and matches your pension contributions? These don’t have to be purely monetary, benefits can be simple office adjustments like allowing a “bring your pet to work day”, allowing employees to take a certain amount of paid time off each year to carry out charity work, or encouraging occasional “mental health days”.

#3 Flexibility, flexibility and flexibility!

Since the pandemic, we are no strangers to hybrid working and flexible working options and this will only continue in a bid to keep employees happy. Gone are the days of the 9-5, with options for working from home, more part time roles available and the opportunity to start earlier and finish later and vice versa are appealing options, particularly for those with dependents at home, long commutes or additional roles.

Never considered temporary work? Here are some reasons why you should!

So often we register candidates who are hesitant to consider temporary work.

“There’s no stability with temporary positions”

“I only want to focus on permanent roles”

“I won’t get the proper training!”

These are just some of the phrases we hear on a regular basis here at JR Personnel when in fact temping can be an excellent way to “try before you buy” or to get a foot in the door of a reputable company.

Over the years we have placed countless candidates in temporary positions, here’s what some of them had to say about their experience temping with us:

-          “Whenever I find myself between jobs I have turned to JR to help me find temporary work, and they have never disappointed – I was usually working within days of contacting them.”

-          “I was offered a temp role with a local company via JR. After a period of time I was made a permanent member of staff and although I felt sad to be leaving JR, who had always supported me and given me good advice, it was wonderful that the company saw the potential in me to make me permanent.”

-          “Temping is a good way to learn new roles, gain experience and learn different software packages, I would recommend it to anyone. You accrue holiday pay so you don’t have to worry about losing money if you wish to take a break. JR Personnel have the friendliest staff you could wish for.”

-          “After a month out of work, JR called to say there was a role they thought I’d be interested in, initially for one month temping – I said yes and started the next day. Six months later, I’m still here and was taken on permanently 3 months after starting. I was so pleased about being made permanent as I’d settled down happily in the job and didn’t want to leave.”

-          “I started temping with JR following redundancy, I was nervous at first as I’d never temped before but everyone at JR soon put me at ease with everything. I secured a temp role in Leicester and loved the role. They made me feel like a permanent member of staff straight away.”

Why not get in touch today if you are thinking of exploring a new industry today and see what we have available, you can call our office on 01509 211 211 or send your CV to [email protected]

So that’s it, the end of a very short era – Liz Truss has resigned from her position as Prime Minister making her officially the UK’s shortest serving Prime Minister. She is by no means the only person in the country to start a new job and resign so quickly; many of us have been there and it is nothing to be ashamed of. So how do you move onwards and upwards?

If you’ve started a new role and it’s turned out to be such a colossal disaster you’ve had to hand your notice in immediately you may be wondering what to do next. Don’t fear, if you’re sat at home twiddling your thumbs – stop! Get straight back to it and apply for your next role.

But what about my CV?

As a recruiter there’s nothing we (and employers) like to see less, than unexplained gaps in your CV. It’s important to list the role, no matter if you only stayed there a month, detailing your role and duties as usual. If you have several months where you are actively seeking work, simply write this on your CV.

I’ve had my confidence knocked, I’m afraid I won’t like the next role too.

It’s normal to have your confidence knocked in this scenario and be worried about starting your next role. But remember, not all roles or companies are the same and you may have a wonderful experience the next time around. Ensure the next role is something you really feel comfortable doing. Remember too, that interviews are not just an opportunity for the hiring managers to assess if you will be right for the company, it’s your opportunity to make sure they are the right fit for you. Make sure you have plenty of questions prepared about the role, the staff and office culture and to see where you will be working if successful.

What do I say in the interview about my last role?

It’s important to be honest about why you have left a role after such a short time but it’s also important to not be TOO honest. For instance, if you had a really bad relationship with your line manager which resulted in you handing your notice in, a new employer will not find it favourable to hear you slagging them off. Try to stay relatively vague and not go into too much of a tirade about the despicableness of your previous employer, “the role wasn’t challenging enough” or “I felt I was misled about what the role actually involved” are reasonable enough reasons to leave a position without being derogatory to your previous employer.

And of course, we are always here to help with any problems you may have relating to moving forwards and can guide you with interview prep and CV help.

Halloween is the second most celebrated holiday after Christmas in the UK and here at JR Personnel we are definitely not going to miss out, that’s why we’ve decided to take a look at some of those CV horror stories that make recruiters and future employers tremble in their boots! Read below to find out if your CV is a Trick or a Treat!

Recruiters and employers will, on average, spend 5-7 seconds looking at a CV – scary thought hey? So how can you make sure your CV stands out from the crowd and make those first impressions count?

-          A personal statement – always try to include a brief introduction to yourself at the top of your CV but make sure to avoid generic terms like “hard-working”, “organised”, “good time keeper” and draw more on specific skills you may have picked up from previous jobs, education or life experiences, include your ambitions and detail the types of roles you’re applying for and why it interests you. Keep it short and sweet!

-          Scary Font – when writing your CV don’t think using a comic/themed font is going to make it stand out from the crowd, it just looks unprofessional. Make sure you opt for something classic and easy to read.

-          Make sure your CV is relevant to the position you’re applying for! This may mean having variations of your CV for different sectors or industries but definitely worth it, employers will be looking to match aspects of your CV to the job you’ve applied for so if a key element of a job is providing excellent customer service, make sure it’s on your CV!

-          Layout and Order! Make sure your CV flows well and ideally that it’s no longer than two A4 pages, use bullet points when describing job roles and duties rather than long paragraphs and list your employment history in order with your most recent position at the top!

-          Bad Grammar is truly terrifying – double check, triple check, quadruple check your spelling and grammar, get somebody else to check it for you, those zig-zag red or blue lines on Microsoft Word mean that something is incorrect!

Hopefully these top tips will make your CV a Halloween treat to read but if you want any further guidance feel free to get in touch with one of our recruiters here at JR Personnel on 01509 211211 or email [email protected]

Happy Halloween!

Over the past year we have commented and written aplenty on how the recruitment market has drastically changed; with unemployment hitting an all-time low of 3.6%, the lowest it has been since 1976, earlier on in the year, it’s no surprise that our jobs as recruiters have become a little harder. The market is currently very candidate driven with fewer available candidates out there, meaning it’s vital companies now must focus on staff retention, and an excellent way to prove to your existing staff members you want them to stay is to invest in their career and give them clear progression routes.

Many employers hear progression and see this as extra work; it means negotiating pay rises, additional in-house teaching, expensive training courses and the dreaded regular appraisal chats. But, investing in your current employees’ progression can only be a good thing, particularly at the moment.

Chatting regularly with employees and holding appraisals on a semi-regular basis not only gives staff the opportunity to air any concerns and discuss progression plans it shows as an employer that you care and you are invested in bettering the business. Employees who are given clear progression routes and the opportunity to talk regularly with senior management are more likely to stay in the company for longer, meaning cutting down on recruitment costs.

Having clear processes in place for progression will help minimise the time and effort it takes for internal moves to take place and having regular staff/employer discussions will make it easier to identify internal successors to fill more senior roles which can often be harder to fill. When having these chats with your employees encourage them to identify a 1, 3 and 5 year plan so you can realistically identify if you are able to fulfil these plans.

No business can be successful without an effective, happy workforce – to have your team be invested in your business you must be invested in them first.

It is with deepest sadness that we recognise the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. A reassuring constant in our lives for the past 70 years, a Queen who devoted herself tirelessly to serving our Nation, the Commonwealth and its people, never tiring, never relenting, always displaying an enormous sense of duty.

Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this deeply sad time as we come together with the rest of the Nation to remember and mourn our beloved Queen.

Rest in Peace and thank you.

Hiring a new member of staff can sometimes fill the hiring manager with dread, especially if you’re a smaller firm with no HR department to do all the leg work for you.

Here are some tips to help your business bring new employees in as stress free as possible.

Provide a Starter Pack 

Companies often choose to provide new employees with a starter pack, this can include key information about the company, its’ history, ethos and direction but also information on departments and staff members, important phone numbers and emails and schedules of colleagues they will be working with so they can plan ahead as much as possible.

Often, starter packs are provided on the first day but why not get ahead and send this out in the post or by email instead, not only will this give the staff member a chance to actually read it through but it’ll help secure their position and start date with them; making them feel like they are already a part of the company therefore reducing the risk of accepting alternative offers.

Structure, structure, structure

So often we hear from candidates who are looking to leave their current role they’ve only been in for a matter of months because of lack of structure. Make sure you have the contract sent out to the candidate as soon as possible, again this will give them the chance to peruse the contract before their start date but also give them security knowing you’re a company who does things by the book and has proper arrangements in place.

Providing candidates with a copy of your company SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) before their start date will also give them a head start in the company. If you don’t have a formal SOP you could provide them with procedures specifically for duties within their role.

Don’t wait until they’ve started to provide them with a desk, phone, computer and email – get these in place before their first day so there can be no delay to them starting work.

Touch Base

It can be very daunting starting a new role in a company full of people you don’t know. Make sure you connect with the new employee on a regular basis in the first few weeks – give them opportunity to ask questions, bring up any areas of concern or offer further guidance and training.

Speaking of training, if the position has the opportunity to progress you could discuss with the candidate in the first week the potential to take on further skills and training offered by the company. Again, this will prove to the candidate you are serious about their career starting in the company and want to invest in their future.

Hopefully these tips will help you have a smooth hiring process and fill your new employee with confidence and help them to settle in. 

The Recruitment Industry is changing…again – what does it mean for you?

The past two years following the Covid19 Pandemic and Brexit, the UK recruitment industry has been completely turned on its’ head. We have suffered major staff shortages for various reasons resulting in the industry being very candidate led.

But, it seems things are actually changing and whilst this can mean good news for businesses, it can mean the job market is about to get more competitive.

July saw numbers of people being hired in permanent roles was at the slowest rate for 17 months, employers are being more tentative with making permanent placements and refusing to give in to demands of candidates choosing instead to invest in training for existing members of staff.

To help yourself get ahead why not take a look at our previous blogs detailing how to make your CV stand out, improving your covering letter and how to interview well and should you need further advice, what better people to ask than recruiters.

So often we register candidates who are hesitant to consider temporary work.

“There’s no stability with temporary positions”

“I only want to focus on permanent roles”

“I won’t get the proper training!”

These are just some of the phrases we hear on a regular basis here at JR Personnel when in fact temping can be an excellent way to “try before you buy” or to get a foot in the door of a reputable company.

Here's what some of our temporary workers had to say about their temping experience! 

-          “Whenever I find myself between jobs I have turned to JR to help me find temporary work, and they have never disappointed – I was usually working within days of contacting them.”

-          “I was offered a temp role with a local company via JR. After a period of time I was made a permanent member of staff and although I felt sad to be leaving JR, who had always supported me and given me good advice, it was wonderful that the company saw the potential in me to make me permanent.”

-          “Temping is a good way to learn new roles, gain experience and learn different software packages, I would recommend it to anyone. You accrue holiday pay so you don’t have to worry about losing money if you wish to take a break. JR Personnel have the friendliest staff you could wish for.”

-          “After a month out of work, JR called to say there was a role they thought I’d be interested in, initially for one month temping – I said yes and started the next day. Six months later, I’m still here and was taken on permanently 3 months after starting. I was so pleased about being made permanent as I’d settled down happily in the job and didn’t want to leave.”

-          “I started temping with JR following redundancy, I was nervous at first as I’d never temped before but everyone at JR soon put me at ease with everything. I secured a temp role in Leicester and loved the role. They made me feel like a permanent member of staff straight away.”

If you're available immediately and looking for a position which can start right away, why not send your CV in to us today: [email protected]

So you’ve found a new role and have handed your notice in, but your current employer throws a curveball and makes you an offer to stay…this is called a counter offer and in the current candidate-led market are becoming more and more frequent.

Counter offers can be very appealing, for one you already know the role and company inside out, there’s less paperwork and you don’t have to get to know a whole new group of people again. But what about the negatives? Below we will provide you with ten reasons as to why accepting a counter offer is not always the best idea.

1. The Reason You Want to Leave, Will Not Go Away

There could be several reasons you may want to leave your current job. It could be obvious things like work hours or co-workers, or perhaps you just don’t like the job of the company in general. 

This can be a problem when you receive a counter offer where the only thing that changes is the salary. Increased pay will be an attractive option at first, and this compels most people to accept the offer.

This can be an issue three months down the line when you are unhappy again because it was not just the salary you were dissatisfied with. 

If there are multiple reasons you want to change jobs and receive a counteroffer with an increased salary, the best thing to do is to reject it. Odds are, you will experience long term happiness and personal satisfaction at another job that is more suited to you than your current role.

2. Your Loyalty Will Be Questioned

It does not matter how good your relationship is with your employer, if you are receiving a counter-offer as a response to your resignation, your loyalty will be questioned as an employee both then and in the future. Even if the job has room for promotions and professional growth, you probably will not be the first employee they pick at promotion time.

Resigning breaks the initial trust that was once there, and it will hinder future success at the job. So even if the counteroffer is a good deal, you are likely to progress more at a new job where you have not threatened to quit. 

3. You Might Not Be Appreciated as an Employee

If you hand in your resignation and your employer gives you a counteroffer, it may suggest that you were not fully appreciated in the first place as a valuable employee.

The offer is proof that they can offer more money or office space, for instance, and that they were initially holding out on you. 

If it takes you to threaten resignation for the company to treat you better, you might need to evaluate the company’s integrity. 

4. Job Does Not Meet Your Long Term Goals

People will often hand in resignations or look for jobs when their current position does not fit the picture they had for their ideal life or goals. If you accept a counteroffer, you could potentially be denying yourself your dream job. 

When thinking of accepting a job offer or counteroffer, you should make sure that the position meets your long-term goals either now or in the future.

There is no point in investing time and energy into something you do not want to be doing for the rest of your life. So before you accept a counteroffer, think of why you wanted to quit in the first place. Is the job making you happy? 

6. It Will Not Guarantee Job Satisfaction 

People hand in resignations and look for new jobs when they are not satisfied with their current position. A counteroffer may give hope of better working conditions and salary, but statistics show that this is often not the case. 

Around 50% of people who accept counteroffers leave for a new job within 12 months. Just because the offer may seem like a good option, it won’t guarantee job satisfaction down the line. 

7. Employer Doesn’t Know How Long You Will Stay

If you end up accepting a job counteroffer, your employer will always be questioning how long you will stay at the job since you were so willing to quit.

This could result in similar problems, as mentioned above, such as hindering your future success in the position. You are more likely to be viewed as expendable than other employees who have not handed in resignations. 

8. Your Employer Might Not Be Paying You Enough

A lot of counteroffers involve a pay raise, which may seem very tempting to accept if the higher salary if it is the main reason you handed in your resignation.

Before you agree to a counteroffer with a pay raise, it is crucial to question why you have not had a pay raise before. When this happens, it is good to do some research using a salary guide and find out what you should be earning. 

If you were not earning what you should have been before the counteroffer, it might be good to consider leaving the company for another that will appreciate your work. 

9. It May Be a Long Time Before You Get Another Raise 

Think about it if you were leaving your current employer because you felt you were not getting paid enough and they only way to get a raise was to offer your resignation then the odds of you getting a raise in the future are slim.

10. If Times Get Tough You'll Be The First To Go 

If your current employer experiences hard times or if the economy, in general, gets bad they are more likely to hang on to employees that have shown loyalty rather than ones who have been job shopping for another opportunity.

There are so many things to think about when changing roles and if you need any guidance we are here to help.