Welcome to Swanstaff Recruitment
As one of the UK’s fastest growing Recruiters, Swanstaff provide temporary staffing and permanent recruitment solutions across multiple sectors and industries. Our specialist divisions are Healthcare, Driving & Industrial and Commercial recruitment. With a national recruitment team and branches across the UK we have hundreds of jobs available, we have a passion for recruitment and to create opportunities and exceed expectation for our clients and candidates.
Working with a wide range of sectors
Swan Family
Contact Service
We are an independent provider facilitating child-centred supported contact for children and family members in the UK. We work with many local authorities to deliver this service and have experience in supporting families through this process. Our aim is to enable children to keep in touch with their parents and families in a safe, friendly, and informal atmosphere.
Swanstaff Blogs
-
How to support employee mental health
Did you know that 37% of staff with low mental health are more likely to get into a conflict with colleagues, 57% find it harder to juggle multiple tasks, 80% find it difficult to concentrate, 62% take longer to do tasks and 50% are potentially less patient with customers/clients? If you notice someone else’s mental health deteriorating in the workplace, then follow these tips… Time and place Ensure they are comfortable talking in the location that you’re in. If they aren’t comfortable then move to another place or schedule another time where you can go and meet them to have a chat. It is important to be in a location where you feel comfortable enough to talk, for a majority of people, the place they feel most comfortable is their own home so try to replicate this by sitting down with them at a table, make them a drink and a snack! When speaking to someone whose mental health is low, if they are speaking about it, it is important not to rush them or to make them feel like they are on a time limit. Active listening Being an active listener means being present in the conversation and being engaged in what the other person is talking about. Always give the person your undivided attention, don’t sit there on your phone barely listening, or looking all around the room. Acknowledge what you’re being told with head nods, gestures and friendly advice. Manage your feelings Ensure that you can handle listening to emotional things. Don’t act surprised or judgemental as this can make the other person feel like they are saying something wrong… but at the same time don’t give no facial expression at all. As I said in the point above, acknowledge them with gestures and head nods. Work as a team! If you can see someone is struggling then work as a team to solve the problem as best as you can, try not to leave that person to deal with a difficult situation by themselves. This can reduce the risk of stress. Be positive – focus on what they can do, rather than what they can’t… If a colleague is struggling with their confidence and is knocking everything they are doing, remind them of what they are good at. Think of tasks that they have completed before that were successful and encourage them to stick at tasks until they are finished. Do you feel like your mental health is deteriorating in the workplace? Click here to find out how you can support yourself! Can you think of any other ways to support mental health in the workplace? Drop them in the comments below!
-
Interview body language dos and don'ts
First impressions are not only vital, but are nearly impossible to change. Did you know on average it takes just seven seconds for someone to create their first impression of you? In an interview, you are judged from the very minute you walk into the building, so greet everyone you come into contact with, with a smile and speak clearly… you never know who’s opinion could be the make or break of your job offer. We have put together some body language dos and don’ts for when you attend an interview. Check them out… DO’S Walk in confidently Don’t portray yourself as being scared of the interviewer or nervous around them. Walk in with confidence and give them a firm handshake, although don’t be too over confident that you come off as if you think you’re too good for the role. Sit right back in the chair and sit up straight, do not slouch – it can make the interviewer think you are not taking it seriously. Keep eye contact Keeping eye contact with your interviewer is the best way to show you’re actually paying attention and engaging with the situation. Of course this doesn’t mean stare blankly at them, but strive to hold eye contact for a few seconds at a time. If you’re meeting with more than one interviewer, be sure to make eye contact with all of them. Address the person who asked the question, then hold eye contact with the other interviewer for a few seconds, before returning your attention to the first interviewer. Smile Smile and nod where appropriate, and laugh when the interviewer does. You want to show you have a personality and you’re paying attention to what’s being said. It goes without saying that you should listen to the interviewer and try not to interrupt. Focus on keeping your tone of voice relaxed and polite. Too soft and you’ll seem timid, too loud and you’ll seem overbearing. DON’TS Slouch Sitting hunched forward, or lounging with arms and legs everywhere has the effect of looking a little too relaxed. You don’t want to sit there tightly clutching your fists in your lap, but you also don’t want to portray a casual, not bothered attitude. From the moment you arrive in the reception area, you need to keep your posture perfect. Always be aware of your body position. Sit up straight and lean forwards a little when you’re asked question, it gives a sense of curiosity and engagement. Zone out This is a big no-no! This could possibly be one of the worst things you could do in an interview as it says to the interviewer that you couldn’t be less interested in the opportunity possibly being given to you. It is likely that if you do zone out, the interviewer will just terminate the interview and ask you to leave! Fidget This includes tapping your fingertips in the arm rest or jiggling your leg up or down. It’s a sign of boredom and impatience. Keep both feet planted firmly on the floor to avoid the temptation. It’ll help to keep your posture straight and focussed on your interviewer, which in turn will make you seem more focused. Chew gum Do not chew gum in the interview room. This is really unprofessional and it can make the interviewer think you’re not interested in what they think of you. It also makes you look like you’re too comfortable meeting them, you should be a little bit nervous as this could be your new career! Do you have an interview coming up and are not sure what to where to look professional? Click here to follow our top tips. Can you think of any other Dos and Don’ts for interview body language? Drop them in the comments below!
-
How to gain valuable work experience in the Healthcare sector
When it comes to your job search, having previous experience to shout about on your CV and cover letter can help you stand out from other candidates. Not to mention that taking on work experience gives you an insight into the industry, enabling you to begin strengthening your skills. If you’re just starting out your career in the healthcare sector, work experience can be invaluable. Here are our top tips on finding and securing yourself the role that could kick-start your career. Put together a starting CV Putting together a CV is an important first step. This doesn’t have to be in depth, especially if you don’t have any relevant experience. Instead, talk about your education and hobbies and how these will be beneficial to your career in healthcare. You should also make a list of the types of experience you’re looking for and what you hope to gain from it. This will help you if you have to fill out an application, or can be used as a great tool when speaking to employers about the opportunities you’re after. Do your research A quick online search will reveal local businesses that offer work placements and even present you with a range of careers sites to explore. Alternatively, you could use networking sites like LinkedIn to search for opportunities or connect with other healthcare professionals who may be able to help you out. There are also a number of sites out there dedicated to finding and preparing candidates for work experience. For healthcare experience, Prospects and Health Careers are both useful sites. And don’t forget to check the NHS website as well. Start reaching out Once you have a good idea of the type of work experience you’re after, you can begin reaching out to local organisations. Before you begin contacting GPs directly, look at their careers pages and websites. They might have a dedicated page that can tell you everything you need to know about any work experience schemes they run and even let you apply for the role. Alternatively, if you can’t find what you need online, it’s time to pick up the phone or visit them in person. This will not only show that you’re keen, but allow you can have a proper conversation about the opportunities available to you. If you’re still in education, you might also have a dedicated career advisor that can help you by offering contacts, or pointing you in the right direction. If you have access to such a person, they can be a great resource for finding a work placement. Volunteering You should also consider volunteering, even if this is in a different area of healthcare to the one you want to work in. You could volunteer in the social care sector, or perhaps work with mental health charities to support those in need. All of these opportunities look great on your CV and can be a good way to gain relevant industry experience. And there are plenty of healthcare organisations out there looking for extra support! In summary Finding valuable work experience in the healthcare sector is about researching what opportunities are available to you and not being afraid to reach out! Right now the sector is suffering from staff shortages, making organisations all the more grateful for those looking to volunteer or take on work experience. CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent job board. For more expert advice on careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice and Recruitment Insight pages.
-
Don't let social media stop you from getting your dream job
Social networking sites in 2017 are a part of our everyday lives; they help us connect with people from all over the world in both a personal and professional manner. There’s just no getting away from it! From your laptop your phone and now even on watches, trying to avoid social media in some sense is near enough impossible. 10 years on from the creation of Twitter and 1.65 billion Facebook users later we find ourselves too often posting without considering the content of our posts and what the future ramifications could be from this. Try to remember when using social media that your main objective when job hunting is to promote yourself to potential employers. They want to see that you possess certain qualities that make you an employable candidate. Employers hold all the key information they need to find your online profile easily, some even use external screening companies. I don’t mean to alarm anyone because that’s not what I’m here to do; employers aren’t necessarily looking to find bad information about you by looking at your profile they are simply just using this process as a precaution as to see that by employing you would not draw any bad attention their way in the future. Be smart about what you post! Be more aware and take some consideration into whether your tweet or Instagram picture could be considered inappropriate in some manner. Examples of things employers have said that has turned them off a candidate are as follows: An unprofessional screenname or handle Bad mouthing previous employers/colleagues Evidence of excessive drinking or drug use Provocative photos Narrow-minded/offensive comments in regards to race, religion or gender Evidence of criminal behaviour Statistics found 73% of 18-34 year olds found their last job through social media. With the mases of users that are signed up and logged on to these sites daily you should utilise this tool and promote yourself well. If you want to read more about how we here at Swanstaff think you can use social media to find yourself a job use the link below… http://www.swanstaff.co.uk/swanstaff-blog/how-to-use-social-media-to-find-a-job
