Clients, do you loathe having to recruit? Let JR Personnel help!

Perhaps you’ve just had a key member of staff hand their notice in, your workload has increased dramatically, you’re now swamped and need an extra pair of hands or any number of other scenarios have cropped up which means you need to focus on recruitment.

When it comes to recruitment time is of the essence, this can be especially nightmarish when you are trying to complete your own workload and find the right candidate at the same time. This is where a recruitment agency can really add value and take away the stresses of the recruitment process.

Our experience has taught us that clients find the following scenarios a struggle when trying to recruit a new candidate:

-          Too many applications and you end up wasting time sifting through irrelevant CV’s

-          Struggling to get any applications through for the role

-          Finding the time to arrange interviews

JR Personnel can help you with all of the above.

We ensure that we meet every single candidate we register with us and we will not send you a CV unless we are confident that they are right for the role, we will also give you a brief breakdown of the candidate including how they came across when we met with them, their hopes and plans for the future, salary expectations and location so full transparency from the beginning saving you a whole lot of time!

Choosing the right job board to advertise your role on can be tricky and can mean that you end up not receiving any applications for your position, here at JR Personnel we only advertise on job boards we have experience of bringing in the best results. Most importantly, we have a large database of existing candidates who are registered with us and who we keep regular contact with, many of whom use us as an agency exclusively and aren’t actively looking on the usual job boards. And of course we can offer a full head hunting solution for those trickier, niche roles which can be particularly difficult to fill.

So you’ve finally managed to get a decent number of CV’s, sifted through and found the best ones but now you’ve got to arrange interviews. Nobody knows better than recruitment consultants how difficult it can be to get hold of a candidate who has applied for a role to arrange an interview. It can mean countless messages left and emails sent but going through an agency means you can pass this workload over to consultants who are well-equipped and most importantly, have the time to chase candidates. A great way we manage this process for you ensuring a quick turnaround is to manage expectations even before we have sent you the CV – this means liaising with the candidate and finding out their availability for interviews; are there specific days or times they can do? Do they have any other roles in the pipe line they may get offered or are holding out for? Managing both client and candidate expectations is something we pride ourselves on at JR Personnel and has proven to eliminate the difficulties associated with the interview process.

Contact JR Personnel now on 01509 211211 or by emailing [email protected] to find out in more detail how we can help with the recruitment headache and add value to your business!

We’re back!

To normality!

…Almost!

We may have seemed a little quiet on our social media and blog pages during the pandemic but rest assured that’s only because we have been working so hard behind the scenes on finding work for our wonderful candidates. But now we are back and ready to share with you an update on what we’ve all been doing.

We are now officially back in the office and it feels great! Whilst our doors still aren’t open for face to face registrations we are undertaking Zoom, Facetime and WhatsApp video registrations giving us more flexibility with when we can carry these out. If you’re looking to register or give us an update on your circumstances please call the office on 01509 211211.

Now that the world is opening back up again we have noticed a significant increase in temporary and permanent jobs coming in, so if you or anybody you know is looking for work please get in touch, you can contact us by using the contact form on our website or emailing: [email protected]

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Unhappy in your job? You don’t have to be – take the leap this leap year!

Are you fed up in your role but find yourself coming up with excuse after excuse as to why you shouldn’t leave? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. The thought of looking for a new position can be daunting and scary but it doesn’t have to be, here at JR Personnel we pride ourselves on being approachable, friendly and confidential and here to help you find your dream role and get you out of a career rut. Have a read below and see if these excuses apply to you!

“I won’t find another job easily”

Get yourself out of that negative mind set and start thinking positively! A discussion with a recruitment consultant can really open your eyes to how valuable your experience and skills are and give you a realistic idea of what is out there job wise.

“I bet things will get better eventually”

And things “might” get better, that colleague who doesn’t pull their weight might pull their socks up, that manager you hate might leave and you might finally get recognised for the extra hours you put in…But it might not.

Registering with an agency means you can see what other positions are out there and get insider knowledge on companies before committing to even applying for another role, don’t base your happiness purely on hoping things will change, do something about it today!

“I will lose all my current job perks”

Sometimes changing roles can mean that you have to take a pay cut, take a drop in responsibility and other perks such as additional holiday days you have accrued over time but have a good think about if it’s all really worth it. We spend the majority of our time in work, how much is your happiness worth?

If you are unhappy in your current role and considering a change why not use the additional day this year to dust off your CV and register with us on 01509 211211 or by emailing your CV to [email protected] we are here to help.

Great news for employers and job seekers!

Our governing body the REC (Recruitment& Employment Confederation) has launched the latest job report which states that employers’ confidence towards hiring following the general election has a more positive outlook.

Employers’ confidence in the UK economy rose by 2 percentage points and this has in turn made hiring and investment decisions improve by 4% which is great news for the start of 2020.

There are still skill shortages for companies so if you are looking for staff or looking for that next move using us is a great way of securing that dream person/role as we match tightly to what our clients and candidates are looking for – striving to always give the best service possible.

Call our recruitment team today to find out how we can help you on 01509 211211.

PERMANENT PLACEMENTS UP FIRST TIME IN A YEAR SAYS REPORT ON
JOBS

JR Personnel are clearly on trend as we saw an exceptional month of permanent placements!

The UK witnessed improved hiring conditions at the end of
the year, according to the latest 'UK Report on Jobs'.

The KPMG/Recruitment & Employment Confederation report, signalled
the first rise in permanent staff appointments for a year, although growth was
only modest. The increase was linked to higher business activity, the green
light to previously delayed hiring plans and the upcoming IR35 legislation
changes. Temp billings also rose slightly at the end of last year.

While growth in demand for staff improved marginally from
November, the rate of expansion remained close to a decade-low and was modest
overall. While permanent vacancies rose at the fastest pace for three months,
growth in demand for temp workers softened since November.

While the rate of deterioration softened since November,
candidate availability continued to decline sharply in December. Recruiters
attributed lower candidate availability to lingering uncertainty and skill
shortages. Permanent staff supply contracted at a quicker pace than that
witnessed for short-term workers.

Across the country, permanent staff appointments rose in
London, the Midlands and the North of England, but fell further in the South of
England. Increases in temp billings were recorded across all four monitored
areas, with the Midlands witnessing by far the steepest rate of growth.

Permanent vacancies increased in eight of the 10 sectors
monitored by the survey in December, with the steepest increases seen in blue
collar and engineering. However, retail registered a further marked fall in
demand for permanent workers.

Hotel & catering topped the rankings for temporary staff
vacancies in December, followed by blue collar, while the only sectors to
record lower demand for short-term staff were IT & computing, retail and
executive & professional.

Commenting on the findings, REC CEO Neil Carberry said:
"After the uncertainty of 2019, there are some signs of a clearer outlook for
hiring in today's survey. With a new government in place and the path ahead
looking more predictable, some businesses have decided that they have waited
long enough. The first increase in permanent placements for a year should give
encouragement to both recruiters and employers – let's hope this is a sign of
positive things to come.

"Feedback from recruiters shows that the upcoming IR35
changes are affecting both placements and the availability of flexible workers.
This is a delicate period for the jobs market, and is the worst time to push
through sweeping changes to the way we tax contractors. It is right that
government engages further with business on the changes, but they should also
delay implementation until next year to allow time for a full, independent
review and effective regulation of the umbrella sector. As it stands, the
government risks damaging ethical businesses and encouraging non-compliance."

Get to know us: Juliette Ridewood - MD and founder of JR Personnel

The reason we are all here, the founder of JR Personnel, meet our wonderful MD Juliette Ridewood. 

What is your position at JR Personnel? Managing Director

How long have you worked at JR Personnel?     Since I started JR Personnel in its current form in 1993! 

What do you enjoy most about your role?           Really changing a candidate's life by finding them a new challenging role, giving the intiial news that they have been successful and been offered that dream role gives me the most amazing job satisfaction. 

What do you see as a big challenge in recruitment and how do you resolve this issue for candidates/clients? 
The constant rapid changing face of recruitment - although this can sometimes be challenging we always give the best possible service to both client and candidate by our reliability, honesty and listening to their specific needs. We are passionate about getting it right first time and having the courage to say we may need more time to get you the right recruitment solution.

Professional & educational background?
Fellow of the Institue of Recruitment Professionals and the University of Life

Unusual fact or story? I love tap dancing! 

Greatest Achievement either personal or professional? I trekked with my daughter Natasha on the unrestored Great Wall of China raising £18k for Kidney Research! 

Happy New Year from all of us at JR Personnel! 

A New Year often means new starts for many of us which is why it’s no secret that January and February are the most popular and busiest months of the year for job seekers and employers alike.

For candidates the first two months of the New Year is a great time to be applying and interviewing for a new job. You’ll find that January is the time of year when the greatest number of decision makers are in office so you’re more likely to get a speedy response from sending your CV in for a role or for an interview. For many companies, new hiring budgets come into force in January so all those roles which were put on the backburner in November and December are finally getting recruited for!

If you’re a candidate looking for your next step this New Year here are a few tips to help make the process more efficient and smoother.

1. Make your CV work for you

January is often a time for reflection and making new resolutions and that old cliché of “New Year, New Me”. That means that whilst you have made the decision to start afresh and look for a new career, potentially so have many others which is why it’s vital that you make your CV stand out from the rest. Simple tasks such as ensuring your CV is spell-checked and your employment history is listed chronologically (most recent role at the top) will make your CV easier to read by potential future employers.

2. Be Prepared

So you’ve done the hard part of getting your CV noticed and you’ve been invited to interview; don’t fall at the final hurdle by not preparing properly for the interview. You can find handy hints and tips for the interview process on our website here: https://www.jrpersonnel.co.uk/career-advice and finally, remember: research, research, research! The more knowledge you have on the hiring company the more equipped you are to succeed at interview stage.

3. Don’t assume it’s in the bag

If you’ve gone new-start-crazy in January like so many do and applied to lots of different roles it may be that you are waiting to hear back from several positions at once. If you’re offered a position and it’s not your 1^st choice, think long and hard about if it’s an opportunity you can afford to miss out on – so often we see candidates delay their response to a job offer because of this and end up missing out altogether. Employers will lose faith and confidence in candidates who take time to respond to job offers.

Starting a New Year is a good motivation for starting along a new path in life but can seem a little daunting at times. That's why JR Personnel are here to help and take the stress out of job hunting and recruitment for you. We pride ourselves on being an approachable, friendly agency who can offer advice and guidance in a professional and confidential environment. Register your CV with us online now or call the office on 01509 211 211 if you would like to speak to a member of staff. 

Wow, we cannot believe it’s nearly the end of 2019 already and what a year it has been! As we prepare to enter a New Year and new decade we take a quick look back at 2019 and what it has meant for JR Personnel. 

In January we welcomed a new member of staff into the fold, Amira Abuhelgha on our Temporary Recruitment desk; she will be celebrating her first year of service in the recruitment industry in the New Year as we bid farewell (temporarily) to Meri Allen also on the Temporary Recruitment team who will be expecting her first child at the end of January. Amira will be joined by Hannah Waterfield who will be covering Meredith's maternity leave and worked for JR Personnel for 13 years previously. Good luck to all three for the New Year! 

The past year has been busy for the whole team with Henry being rewarded for his Permanent Placement efforts with a special trip to Ragdale Hall for him and his partner which was warmly received and definitely needed following all his hard work!

Our Administrator Karen has spent 2019 implementing all new processes and procedures to ensure smooth running of the office day to day, in particular focussing on making the registration process as efficient and simple as possible for our candidates.

And, lastly but never least, our stoic bosses, Juliette and Natasha have been dealing with everything which requires our beloved JR Personnel to continue running as smoothly as possible including updating our website to a brand new, shiny, user-friendly site which we hope you are all finding extremely helpful and informative.

We take this time now to wish all of our candidates and clients; current, past and future, a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. We look forward to working with you in 2020!

Tales of Recruitment Registrations

Here at JR Personnel we understand how registering with an agency in-office can sometimes be difficult, how will you get an hour away from work to attend? Who will look after the kids whilst you’re there? How will you make it over to Loughborough if you live 20 miles away and don’t drive? So, to make the whole process easier for you, we offer a “video call” registration where a member of the JR team will call at a time convenient to you via WhatsApp, Facetime or Skype.

Whilst it’s true that our registrations are more of an informal chat, it’s still always important to make sure you’re prepared and in a quiet, distraction-free environment for the 15 minutes it may take to register you. Making sure you're alone and in a quiet place means you can focus on answering our questions and going through key points of your CV without distractions, it also means you have a better opportunity of raising important queries you may have, with us. 

Below are some examples of registrations we've experienced so far this year and an insight into how not to carry out a recruitment registration!

1. In the middle of town standing next to a religious preacher

Yes, that’s right – our wonderful MD Juliette had the pleasure of video-registering a fabulous candidate who accepted her call in the middle of a shopping spree, in town. This wouldn’t have been too much of an issue except the Religious Preacher with a microphone stood behind her was rather distracting. Juliette found the interview extremely hard to conduct due to copious amounts of giggling!

2. Whilst driving

This happens surprisingly more often than you may think – candidates choose to have their video calls whilst in their car, driving! We place our candidate’s safety at highest priority here at JR Personnel so these calls have been ended swiftly with a quick “call me back when you’re safely pulled over!” Your car can be a useful place to hold a registration as it offers privacy and a quiet space – just make sure you are parked up safely and not distracted by red lights, honking horns and road rage!

3. Cooking up a storm in the kitchen

As mentioned above – we get it, registering can sometimes seem like a real inconvenience to fit into your day so we appreciate that you may feel the desire to multi-task whilst having your registration video call. Please, please think twice before you decide to register with us and cook your dinner at the same time, we had a candidate who’s registration was completely obscured by steam and the clanging of pots and pans, not ideal when you’re trying to get to know a person, plus we don’t want to be responsible for you getting distracted and burning your beans on toast!

4. Lying in bed

If only everything can be done from the comfort of our beds, there really is no better place. If you’re out of work staying in bed is a real treat and the comfiest of spots to be browsing the internet for new roles (speaking from experience here!). This year saw us carry out a couple of video registrations with candidates who were in bed at the time of our pre-arranged call, in recruitment first impressions are hugely important and sometimes it can be hard as recruiters to see past novelty pyjamas! 

If you would like to book in to register with us please send your CV to: [email protected] and detail the type of roles you are seeking, salary expectations, notice period and if you have your own transport. We look forward to hearing from you!