Wellbeing in the Workplace

We hear so much these days about “wellbeing” and how to improve our environments and day to day practices to encourage a healthier, happier life – but if you’re an employer how can you actually go about improving the wellbeing in your workplace?

What does “wellbeing” actually mean? In essence, our wellbeing is how we feel and function on a day to day basis and how our environments, actions and experiences impact us.

We spend over a third of our lives at work so it’s not surprising that the workplace can have serious impacts on our wellbeing both on a day to day basis but also long term. Below we look at ways you can improve wellbeing in your business.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

A key element of wellbeing is physical health – in the UK sitting at a desk for 8 hours is still the preferred way of working so why not bring in stand-up desks, encourage lunch time team walks, offer a cycle to work scheme or see if you can negotiate a discount with a local gym or health centre for your employees. A great lunch time activity is yoga or Pilates, this can be done in a relatively small space, doesn’t require any equipment and can be done relatively sweat-free to eliminate those lengthy post work-out showers! There’s lots of free YouTube videos so why not splash out on a few yoga mats!

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Improving mental health within the workplace can be a complex thing, particularly if you work in a high pressured, stressful environment. It’s important for employees to have the ability to feel heard so if you don’t have a specific HR department then teaching line managers and senior members of staff to have regular conversations with their team and how to handle difficult conversations is key to ensuring effective people management. Social events and team bonding sessions are great for workplace wellbeing too, this doesn’t have to mean expensive trips away or cringe-worthy team building exercises; offering an hour each work for your staff to sit and have lunch together or bringing in a coffee in the morning for you all to sit round and chat over can be enough for relationships to blossom and burdens to be shared.

PERSONAL GROWTH 

Not having a clear path to progression or a proper job description can be demoralizing for staff members so having regular performance reviews lets employees know you acknowledge what they bring to the business (good or bad!). Do you currently have any opportunities for additional training? People like to be invested in and it shows you want them to stick around and further their careers in your company. Maybe you can bring in “town hall” meetings, giving clear information on how the company is progressing and allowing employees to voice their opinions and ideas.

There are many ways to improve employee wellbeing and we hope the above gives you some ideas or tips on how to help your company improve its vibe! Happy Friday!

Searching for a new role can be a daunting task and there’s so much to think about when making a decision on an offer. At JR Personnel we speak to all of our candidates during the registration process to gain an insight into what kind of company, industry and role would be ideal for you but there are several considerations you should take into account when being put forward for a position or when offered a role. See below our list of key things to think about which will help you make an informed decision when it comes to finding the right role.

Does the company offer what you’re looking for on a long term scale?

Maybe you’re looking for progression, an opportunity to train in other areas, prospects to take on a managerial role in the future, or maybe you’re just looking for a role you can get on with and not have to think about at the end of the day – whatever your situation or hopes and dreams for your next role it’s important to look at the bigger picture and think ahead when contemplating accepting a position. Make sure the company will work for you and offer exactly what it is you’re looking for; for example if you’re looking for a role you can progress and climb the ladder in, then find out at interview stage if the company has clear progression routes, if they invest in employees and if so, what kind of training and resources do they offer? 

Will this role work for you?

So you might have found a position which sounds perfect but will it work in the long term? Do you have young children at home, or thinking about it in the not too distant future? If so, you might want to reconsider a role which requires lots of travel abroad or working overtime on a regular basis. Maybe you have pets at home or don’t have use of a vehicle on a day or two a week and need flexible working patterns and the ability to work from home? Whatever it is you’re looking for it’s best to establish with the company at interview stage what kind of perks they offer and to gain a full understanding of the expectations of the role.

Is the role challenging enough?

There’s nothing more demotivating than being at work and being bored. It’s a great idea at interview stage to have a list of questions to find out further about the day to day aspects of the role; are there any repetitive tasks which need completing on a daily, weekly basis? How many people will be in your team or will you be working alone? Is there much variation in the dutires and will you have opportunity to liaise or work within other areas of the business? A role with no challenges can often become tiresome and you could find yourself hunting for another role sooner rather than later.

One thing you can count upon is that when offered a role through JR Personnel we will be here to help you with your decision every step of the way. Having worked with many of our clients for several years we have the advantage of knowing working environments and the kind of candidate who will fit in within their business so can give you inside knowledge to help you make an informed decision. 

Take a look at our job page now to discover all the positions we currently have available. 

With the Platinum Jubilee approaching at the end of this week we take a look at the UK’s longest serving employee: Queen Elizabeth 2nd.

Queen Elizabeth 2^nd is the first UK monarch to reach 70 years’ service, dedicating the majority of her life to serving the UK and Common Wealth Nations, 70 years is a long time to remain in a role and definitely should be commended; in comparison the average length of time for a UK employer to remain in a position is 5 years.

During this time she has worked with 14 Prime Ministers through 18 elections, remaining unbiased and composed – she must have the patience of a saint!

The Queen is the most well-travelled monarch in history having visited over 100 countries, including over 150 visits to various countries in the Common Wealth alone.

Throughout her reign she has carried out more than 21,000 engagements and hosted over 100 state visits from Emperors, Presidents and Royal Families around the world.

The Queen is patron or president of over 600 British charities and in her reign has raised around £2billion in total.

Do you know anyone who has served longer than the Queen in a single role? Let us know on our Facebook page!

Have a wonderful long, bank holiday weekend everyone!

Many employers will ask for a cover letter as a means to distinguish the good from the bad when it comes to candidate applications, but what if writing letters and tooting your own horn just aren’t your thing? Don’t worry, we can help.

Below are some key tips to help you write a compelling cover letter and remember, keep the letter to a single page; the letter is supposed to be there to enhance your CV and give a greater impression of your abilities and why you would be the best candidate for the position, not to go into great detail

1. Personalise the cover letter to whichever company you’re applying to, ideally addressing it to the hiring manager or the person doing the interviewing directly. As a recruiter I have seen countless applications from candidates who have clearly used an old covering letter talking about why they want a job in finance when actually, they’ve applied for a job in customer services. I cannot stress this enough, a cover letter which clearly doesn’t address directly the company you’re applying to just, comes across as half hearted, a little bit sloppy and uninterested in the role.
2. Do your research. It’s important for a cover letter to not be too long but you want to show that you’re interested in the company and the role you’re applying to. Perhaps pick out a couple of key facts or statements about the company which have compelled you to apply.
3. Don’t make it too long. The cover letter is the introduction to your CV so doesn’t need to be too long, but it can be utilised to explain why you think you would be a good fit for the role or why you specifically want the position you’re applying to. Your CV should do all the “qualifications” and “experience” talking you need to do so use your cover letter to offer a small insight into you and what you can bring to the role.
4. Think about the position you’re applying for and match your tone. If you’re a student who has no professional experience yet make sure you impress upon the reader your enthusiasm for the role, highlight your personality and what you are looking forward to about starting work. Likewise if you’re a senior candidate with realms of experience relative to the position you’re applying for, always relate back to the qualifications you have and invaluable experience you can bring to the role.
5. Match your cover letter to your CV. That means, use all the same fonts, margins, spacing, sizing, colours etc. etc. etc. for consistency and for ease of reading
6. Try and avoid clichés. It’s likely the hiring manager has seen 100 other CV’s from candidates who are “hard working, self-motivated individuals” who can “think outside the box”, it can be difficult to do this but when describing yourself you should focus on your actual achievements rather than generic phrases.

Hopefully these tips will help you to write a confident, informed and well planned cover letter – new job, here you come!

It’s officially December which means we are beginning to feel very festive here at JR Personnel! Christmas is always a busy time for us with placing lots of candidates ready to start new careers in the New Year and supplying temporary workers to cover those busy Christmas shifts! It’s important to find the time to unwind and what better way than with a Christmas movie! Here are some recruitment lessons from our favourites!

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington poses a difficult recruitment problem. His skills and experience are in Halloween Town, however he is adamant to take on the role of Father Christmas. We believe it’s very important to be honest with candidates. We encourage them to look at the skill set they have and focus on roles that are good opportunities for them, and are also realistic. Luckily, Jack eventually realises that his true passion is Halloween and returns to his role as Pumpkin King with enthusiasm

2. Love Actually

This heart-warming film reassures us that there is someone for everyone and in the world of recruitment, there is a perfect role for everyone. At times it can seem like your job search is taking too long and you’re experiencing rejection after rejection, JR Personnel can help share this burden by sourcing roles which match your skill set perfectly, notifying you of any important feedback from interviews and give you hints and tips to make your CV stand out from the rest; don’t be disheartened, the right role could be just around the corner.

3. The Grinch 

The Grinch is an outcast who isolates himself from others and harbours negative feelings about everything and everyone! Eventually The Grinch learns the true spirit of Christmas and teaches us the importance of being social and personable and maintaining a positive outlook even when life can get you down. This is a great tip for attending interviews; you may have had a negative experience with your previous employer, be feeling disheartened by your job search or just be in a bad mood; try and put it aside and focus on positivity and team work, let your Christmas spirit shine through!

4. Home Alone 

When 8-year old Kevin is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation, he must use all his best pranks to protect his home from a pair of burglars. The recruitment lesson we can take from this film is the importance of being organised. The McCallisters are an example of terrible organisational skills… after all, they forgot their son. Recruiters need to ensure they know what job roles they’re trying to fill for the client, which candidates they’ve discussed those roles with, and to keep the details confidential; all this multi-tasking requires organisational skills the McCallisters can only dream of.

5. Christmas Carol 

Even though everyone is excited about Christmas, Ebenezer Scrooge thinks it’s all humbug. Scrooge is visited by three spirits who take him on a journey through his past, present and future in the hope of transforming his bitterness. Scrooge shows us the importance of a positive attitude. Recruiters need to be empathetic and encouraging towards candidates in order to build good relationships. Not only is this important from a recruiter’s perspective, but also for candidates. When looking for work, candidates needs to be proactive and positive, able to bounce back from rejection and onto the next opportunity.

We hope you enjoyed our Christmas movie countdown, and we wish you Merry Christmas! 

Whether you’re a candidate who is looking for a new role or a client looking to fill a vacancy let us help you keep up to date with what’s going on in the recruitment industry.

It’s crazy, unprecedented times to be working in the recruitment industry at the moment; all across the country recruiters are united in having a record number of vacancies to fill and not enough candidates to fill them.

The governing body for Recruiters across the UK, the REC, confirmed that 88% of recruiters are most concerned about the lack of candidates for the rest of 2021 and over 50% of recruiters have 30% more vacancies than before the pandemic to fill, more shockingly is that 97% of recruiters surveyed said it was taking significantly longer to fill these vacancies, with each vacancy generally taking over a month to fill.

So What Can Be Done If You’re A Client?

Making your role stand out from the rest is key in the current climate; offering perks, where possible, such as a higher starting salary, the opportunity for flexible working and simplifying the recruitment process down to video/single interviews will all help to attract suitable candidates.

As an agency we have streamlined our registration process in various ways throughout the Covid19 pandemic to ensure we are drawing in candidates whilst maintaining our high standards of getting to know each candidate individually. This means when you recruit through us, you know we are only sending candidates we truly believe would be a good match for your vacancy and company.

So What Can Be Done If You’re A Candidate? 

Now is the time to be searching for your dream role as there are so many opportunities out there at the moment, send your CV in to us and get the ball rolling, we want to hear from you! 

Welcome to our October blog – as I’m writing this I have realised for the first time that it is in fact, way over half way through the month already. This seems a recurring theme at the moment, time slipping by without notice– most of us have barely finished processing the chaos of 2020, let alone being prepared for 2022 in a couple of months.

This notion of speeding up is also reflected in recruitment; the industry is moving so quickly at the moment that since the last week in August there has been a 36% increase in active job advert postings, reaching a record high in the first week of October of a whopping 2.29 million active postings in the UK.

If you are currently trying to recruit for a position within your business it may feel that you are struggling for suitable candidates as a reflection of the number of vacancies, the market is moving so quickly that there truly is no time to waste with finding that perfect candidate. This is where a recruitment agency can add real value; here at JR Personnel we have candidates registered with us already, before you have even started looking.

With time speeding by so rapidly I will be making a conscious effort to try and slow down and appreciate the beginning of the “holiday season” (apologies for the Americanism), as we approach Halloween, bonfire night and Christmas which is looming ever closer and try to make the most of this special time of year. If you're looking to slow down too do get in touch with us on 01509 211 211 or by emailing [email protected] to discuss any vacancies you may need help filling and we would be happy to help.

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.

So far in September we have had an amazing EIGHT temporary to permanent success stories! Eight candidates who took the opportunity to try temping now have secured a permanent role within a company they love and enjoy working within. 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.”

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 business attire.

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.

Do you have a friend or a work colleague who is feeling undervalued in their current role, or maybe you know someone who wants to try a new career path or is out of work and wanting a fresh start, why not recommend them to come and register with us here at JR Personnel – we always love to hear from existing candidates friends, colleagues and family and will be happy to help them with finding their new dream role!

They can register their CV on our website or send it to [email protected] or alternatively they can call the office on 01509 211211 to speak to a member of staff.