Empowering people with opportunities
Swanstaff Recruitment was established in Kent in 1997 by our CEO Steve Rogers and is now one of the fastest growing recruitment companies in the UK. We are an independent recruitment company providing temporary and permanent solutions across the UK including Managed Service Solutions and Recruitment Process Outsourcing.
Our clients include small to medium enterprises, leading Blue Chip companies and public services. We work in partnership with our clients and pride ourselves on our personal approach to meeting their hiring requirements, ensuring that we are going beyond the job description to find staff with the right personal qualities as well as skills.
Within our local branches we specialise in temporary roles, focusing on Healthcare Recruitment, Driving and Industrial Recruitment and Office & Commercial Recruitment. Our national recruitment team based at Head Office works within a wide range of sectors, with specialist Consultants providing permanent and temporary recruitment services to clients within the Healthcare, Logistics, Pharmaceutical, Professional Services, Financial and Office and Commercial Sectors.
Our company has a strong culture and set of core values which are at the heart of our business. We have won many awards including The Times 100 Best Companies to Work for, The Great Place to Work award and three Kent Excellence in Business Awards. We have also been recognised as Gold Standard Investors in People. If you’d like to find out more about working at Swanstaff visit our Work for Us page.
Explore this section of our website to find out more about us and the services we offer.
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17
Locations with National Coverage
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900 +
Active Clients
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150 +
Swans
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3000 +
Active Candidates
Our History
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1997
Swanstaff is born
Swanstaff Recruitment is founded by Stephen Rogers from his living room whilst he still works as a Fire Fighter.
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2000
First branch opens
Swanley branch opens as Swanstaff's first high street location.
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2003
Chelmsford opens
Swanstaff Chelmsford opens in the heart of the town taking the company over the river.
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2006
Colchester opens
Swanstaff opens location number 3 launching in Colchester.
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2008
Continued growth
Waltham Cross and High Wycombe open! Steve gives up the fire service to commit to the progression of Swanstaff full time.
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2010
Milton Keynes arrives
Swanstaff opens its 6th office in Milton Keynes, the town home to the most roundabouts in the UK.
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2012
Swanstaff expand into contact services
Swanley Head Office opens with support staff established. Lambeth Swan Family Centre opens. Steve wins entrepreneur of the year with Action Coach.
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2013
4 new locations
Swanstaff expand to Ipswich, Maidstone, Peterborough and Dartford.
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2014
Growth
Basingstoke and King's Lynn offices open. Parkside and Bedford Swan Family Centres launch. Swanstaff win the Great Place to Work award.
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2015
New HQ opens
Lakeview West new HQ opens in Dartford. Swanstaff expand in Nottingham, Cambridge, Bristol, Birmingham and Norwich. Swanstaff win 3 Kieba awards and place in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies List.
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2016
Success
Swanstaff are awarded 3 new Swan Family contracts: Coventry, Greenwich, Cardiff. Place 6th in the Recruiter Fast 50 list, are accredited with an ISO9001 accreditation which recognises our exceptional processes and policies across the business. We also listed in the London Stock Exchange Group 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain list and our board of directors were honoured with the opportunity to visit Downing Street and open the London Stock Exchange.
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2017
Awards
Steve is awarded the IOD Highly Commended Director of the year award. Swanstaff place again in the Recruiter Fast 50 in 9th position, in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies List for the 2nd time, in the 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain and launch our Bedford Borough Swan Family Centre.
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2018
Expansion
Swanstaff launch our National Temp Recruitment Team based in Dartford HQ and place in the KM Mega Growth 50 for the second time.
Swanstaff Values
Create Opportunities
Believe that nothing is impossible
Exceed expectation
Treat all with respect
Allow people to create and share wealth.
Recognise and reward great achievements.
No 'mediocrity'.
There is always a solution to every challenge
Don't take 'No' for an answer. Question it.
To give up is to fail
Always go the extra mile. Be extraordinary.
'Wow' yourself and others. Average is not acceptable.
Be the benchmark.
- Treat others with the highest standard of professionalism.
- Make people feel valued.
- No Judgements.
Award Winning
At Swanstaff we believe that celebrating our success and recognising the hard work our employees and leadership team put in to make us what we are is really important. We also find the feedback we receive via various award entry processes to be invaluable in shaping the future of our company and how we operate. Awards give us not only the opportunity to be recognised for our high standards but also act as a motivation and reward opportunity for our employees, winning awards make them proud to work for us and envokes energy within the business and we are always conscious to include employees from throughout the business in our celebrations. We are delighted to have been recognised by some of the greatest business and recruitment awards in the UK.
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Swanstaff Leadership Team
News from Swanstaff
Swanstaff Thoughts
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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!
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Moving from panic hiring to planned hiring with Applicant Tracking Systems
In today’s age, it is important to construct an effective recruitment process. Traditionally placing job ads in the paper etc., usually results in a lot of costly panic hires for most companies, some of which have resorted to using Application Tracking Systems. An Applicant Tracking System is a software application designed to automate the recruitment process from sourcing to onboarding. It is referred to as an ATS in short, and can be used to post job openings on corporate websites, job boards, screen resumes as well as to generate interview requests to potential candidates by email. It is estimated that roughly 50% of all companies use some type of applicant tracking system to source and hire their candidates today. The first step in landing and hiring your dream candidate is recognising what type of candidates you’re looking for exactly. The ATS gives you complete control over your hiring criteria for each job-skills, traits, qualifications, as well as custom categories unique to your company. You can zero in on all of your exact specifications. According to a recently conducted study, 61% of all organisations feel that their main priority for hiring talent is to hire the best of it. According to a survey, hiring cycles tend to take longer than necessary ranging from 4 to 8 weeks. Your organisation should implement this type of system and start hiring the best talent at a faster rate. Efficient Collaboration Between HR and the Hiring Managers Allowing HR and hiring managers to contact the applicants via phone, lengthens the recruitment process unnecessarily. You can use the email interview scheduling capability built into all ATSs. ATS’s are extremely good for HR professionals and recruiters which target keywords rather than skills. An ATS helps any company filter and reduce the size of the talent pool without wasting any precious time, energy or money. ATS saves about 20% of company time during the hiring process. Roughly half of all companies have seen this trend and plan on making some major HR technology upgrades. Ensuring You Get Applications from the Most Qualified Candidates An organisation is suffering if it isn’t getting application requests from the best-qualified candidates. Posting jobs on online job boards becomes time consuming, of which most organisations may not know which job boards are the most productive for the various types of positions they have to offer. Using technology through the process can help with the position posting process. Most ATS’s can help automate systems, meaning that there are no delays in getting open jobs available and seen by as many talented candidates as possible, hence getting more applications from the most qualified candidates. Getting the Strongest Candidates On-Site for an Interview Once you have identified the best candidates through the ATS, the traditional method of phone tag can slow down and hinder the interview scheduling process. Getting the best candidates on site is a vital step if you want to catch the best talent. Currently, the best approach is to rely on the email interview scheduling capability which can be found in all ATSs. Planning with ATS Another key step to hiring better talent is planning. But planning will only work if you have reliable data. One of the better ways to get hiring data is through an ATS. Applicant Tracking Systems are a Powerful Component in Planning ATS can be a powerful component in planning because it can generate reports that identify the sources where the applicants come from. Allowing you to see which of your job postings got the most traffic from aspiring applicants. ATS also allows you to calculate the time to hire and generate other key talent acquisition metrics. An ATS streamlines your hiring process and also allows you to improve and optimize your overall hiring process. ATS can help all organisations bridge the gap between talent acquisition goals and reality. Providing the structure and automation required to hire the best talent, reduce time to hire and plan more effectively for the future of your organisation. Author Bio: Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager specialising in HR and is responsible for leading Jobsoid’s content and social media team. When Kelly is not building campaigns, she is busy creating content and preparing PR topics. She started with Jobsoid as a social media strategist and eventually took over the entire digital marketing team with her innovative approach and technical expertise.
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5 recruitment lessons we can learn from Christmas movies
As the festive season is finally upon us, I can only imagine how many times “The Grinch” will be watched through this seasonal period. Saying that, have you ever thought about what Christmas films can teach us about recruitment? We have – check it out… Background checks are a must! We learn in “Bad Santa” that you need to be doing background checks on your candidates, although they may not be an alcoholic convicted conman (like Willie Stokes) who steals from stores when dressed as Santa, but they may not be the right personality fit for the job you are putting them forward for. Keep tabs on your candidates… In “Home Alone2 – Lost in New York” we see the McCallister family lose sight of their son Kevin who ends up getting on a flight to New York instead of Miami with the rest of his family! You should always be in contact with your candidates, especially on the days of their interview to ensure they know where they are going, how to get there and who they are going to meet. Never exclude anyone When working in recruitment it is very easy to feel the need to give all your incoming shifts to your reoccurring, loyal candidates. However, you must remember to share out your shifts accordingly. If there is a candidate that is the right fit, put them forward. We learnt this in “How the Grinch stole Christmas” when he was picked on by the people of Who Ville as a child and therefore grew to hate them and Christmas! Don’t make your candidates turn into the Grinch. “I, Jack the Pumpkin King, have grown tired of the same old thing” How many times have you heard a candidate say they want to “try something new”? This is absolutely fine for them to do, just ensure they have the correct training and an idea of the job role before sending them to a placement. You also have to be completely honest with them and say if they are not suitable for a role. The Nightmare Before Christmas taught us that it is okay to try new job roles, like when Jack decided he wanted to take on the role of Father Christmas, then realised his true passion lied with Halloween. Always have a positive attitude! Always have a smile on your face when speaking to candidates on the phone, believe it or not they can tell. Your energy will be reciprocated by them, if you’re excited, they will be, but if you sound down and irritable, so will they – which could affect their morale towards job searching. We can learn from the beloved ‘ELF’ that happiness is not always infectious, but it can help! We hope this has taught you a lot about how to recruit! Do you have lots of Christmas interviews booked in and want to put a different spin on things compared to your normal structure? Click here to see our top tips to running a great interview!
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4 tips for Christmas recruiting
The Christmas season is approaching rapidly and as recruiters you need to be on the ball if you are wanting to hire the best candidates. Seasonal work can be difficult to recruit for, due to the employment often being temporary and requires working over the festive season, when some may enjoy their time off with their loved ones. Although, the last thing you want is to be short staffed over the Christmas period and stretching your existing facilities. You’re in luck… we have put together 4 top tips to help you with your Christmas recruiting. Start early The best candidates will be organised and efficient, with their Christmas job search. They will be starting to search early so you should be too. The best time to start recruiting for the Christmas period would be early November, so that you have enough time to interview everybody, call them back for a second interview, send all the relevant paperwork and documents through etc. Write a clear job description It’s better to be clear from the very start. Outline all responsibilities of the job role, pay, location etc. so that nobody is confused or can claim they didn’t know anything about the role. This avoids wasting both yours and the candidates time. Try out social media If you haven’t already, try recruiting from social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Facebook now have a job advert service for business pages to help boost their recruitment. Once you have posted the job advert, share it into groups that are local to the location of the role. Ask current employees This can sometimes be the best way to recruit as your existing employees already know the role and therefore can explain exactly what it is like to their friends/family and attract the right candidate for the company. Can you think of any other top tips we may have missed? Drop them in the comments below! Alternatively, if you’re looking for a new role for Christmas, click here to see what we can offer you!
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8 easy staff rewards anyone can do
Staff rewards are an essential part of an effective employee engagement strategy. They show staff that you value them whilst creating a good working environment and improving retention. Many leaders however struggle to implement them as they need to find incentives that fit their workplace. With this in mind we have come up with 8 ideas to help your staff feel valued. How many of these do you do? Provide tea, coffee and fruit. It may seem simple but providing you staff with a variety of drinks and healthy snacks can really make a difference. 60% of employees believe their employer should offer fresh fruit to staff in the workplace, according to research by British Summer Fruits. DJ for a Day. As a reward for someone who has done particularly well, allow them to be DJ for a day. This could mean letting them pick the radio station for the day or choosing the music style you listen to for a couple of hours. Whatever fits your workplace best. Monthly award. Create an area with a photo frame for a certificate. Each month choose someone who has gone above and beyond to be employee of the month. You could give them a prize for this or just leave the reward as the recognition of have a certificate with their name on up. Either way, your staff will appreciate that you noticed them. Professional development. One of the most important things you can offer your staff is training. Not only does this improve the knowledge within the team and make them more efficient at their job but it also means that they will be more loyal to the company, therefore improving retention. This could be anything from paying for them to go to a course, sending them to a seminar or allowing them the time in the workplace to watch a webinar. It doesn't always have to cost money as some sectors actually have free courses available online. It is worth looking around for this. Recognise hard work with a thank you note or card. Perhaps someone has brought in a new contract or helped another member of staff with their work. You can send them a handwritten thank you note or send an email to your staff letting them know about the excellent work this person has done. Event recognition for birthday, anniversaries and significant days. Whether this is sending them a card signed by the office, having the team sing them happy birthday at their desk or remembering things that are happening to them outside of work (such as weddings, births etc). Taking the time to remember these things is important for showing that you value your staff as people rather than just workers. Creating a good social scene in your workplace can really help your team bond. Arranging social events can be more than just a Christmas party. Try to find interests your staff have in common. You can suggest cinema trips, pizza lunches, drinks nights or going for dinner with staff after work occasionally. Great office space. Having a great office space can be the difference between your staff enjoying their time at work and being excited to get out the door! Allow your staff to personalise their desks and make sure the office is an inspiring place to work. This means more than just putting up a couple of inspirational quotes. You can see our full blog on this here. Can you think of any other simple rewards you could introduce into the workplace? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re looking for new staff to bring into your workplace then get in touch with your local Swanstaff branch to find out more about how we can help you.
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5 team building exercises to boost employee engagement
Team building. It’s sometimes seen as the marmite of the employee engagement world. You either love it or you hate it! We're here to show you how you can plan team building activities that won’t bore your staff and will actually increase employee engagement. There are a number of factors to consider: The size of your team Some tasks won’t suit smaller teams and so you may need to plan to use a different space if you have a large group. The personalities within your team Are they introverts or extroverts? The likes and dislikes of the individuals Are they really sporty? You want to make sure you pick something everyone will want to get involved in. Now have a think about what you would like to gain from the team building activity? Are you trying to improve problem solving skills, help people get to know one another or maybe something else? So, keeping your answers to all of the above in mind, here are our top 5 team building activities that we've run at company events and our staff have loved! Knowing Me, Knowing You This team building task is essentially a scavenger hunt but instead of items you need to find people. All you need to do is set a range of qualities or attributes for people to find. This could be anything from someone with blue eyes, someone with a horse, someone who drives a BMW etc. The only rule is that you can only put someone’s name down once on the sheet. Group size: Unlimited (the bigger the better!) Length: 15-45 minutes depending on group size Benefits: Relationship building, creating discussion Do Good, Feel Good Plan a charity event. Split your group into teams (if you have more than 10 people) and ask them to choose a charity and then come up with a creative fundraising idea. You could give them a budget to spend but you don’t have to. At the end ask people to vote for their favourite idea and then run this as a charity event. Group size: Unlimited Length: 20 minutes Benefits: Problem solving, creating discussion Common Knowledge Find five things you all have in common with each other. For this one it works best in smaller groups. Maybe you all have a freckle on your left thumb, or all love country music? This one is great as a warm up task before a bigger team building task. Try to think outside the box with your answers! Group size: 2-5 (any bigger and it tends to be impossible!) Length: 5-15 minutes depending on group size Benefits: Relationship building, creating discussion Who Do You Think You Are There are a number of great personality quizzes out there that you can print or do online. Choose one of these and get people to take it. Once you have the results, get people to stand with others with similar personalities and see if there are any who surprise you. Discuss your results in teams and use the information you learn to get to know your team better. Group size: Unlimited Length: Dependant on quiz Benefits: Relationship building, create discussion The Apprentice Split people into teams. Ask them to create a product or service around a topic of your choice. Provide them with lined paper, A3 paper and coloured pens and ask them to split themselves in half. One half will be Marketing and Design, they will come up with a logo, tagline, marketing plan and marketing budget for their product or service. The other will be Sales and Finance, they will work out the costs and how the will pitch their product and who it will be aimed at. This task is a great one for sales people and gets them to think about production costs, marketing, office costs and so much more that goes into selling a product or service. Ask your CEO or Manager to pick a winner from the pitches. Group size: Split into teams of 4-6 Length: 45 minutes Benefits: Problem solving, creating discussion Can you think of any other team building tasks you could try? Have you tried any of these? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re currently looking for a new job then check out our current vacancies here, if you’re looking to hire new staff, then check out our branch locator to find your nearest branch and get in touch with them.
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Why to use a buddy scheme to mentor new starters
Starting a new job is a nerve wracking experience. There’s no other way of putting it. You’re not too sure where everything is, who everyone is and someone keeps hiding the printer! With these things in mind it’s easy to understand why it might be worth you introducing a buddy system as a tool your new starter can use to get settled in. A buddy can provide support, socialisation and share insight into the organisation. Essentially they help them feel less like an outsider and more like part of the team! With that in mind here are the top 3 reasons to use a buddy scheme, explained: Support A buddy can provide them with support in their role. They can answer any questions they might have about the organisation and policies, as well as advice on the expectations and what the culture is like within the company to help them fit in. Social A buddy allows them to get to know someone who they might not necessarily work with directly. This gets them talking and socialising with more people and settling in with the team as a whole. Sharing The best thing a buddy can do is share insight into the organisation. They can direct the new starter on the best people to speak to regarding different topics and make introductions to help a new starter feel more settled and in touch with the people they need to be. Tamzyn Roscoe in our HR team at Swanstaff said: “Starting a new job can be very daunting and stressful, therefore we like to assign a ‘buddy’ to ensure that they have all of the support they need. Their buddy is someone who works in a different location allowing them to meet other employees and have a range of different people to access support from. We have found our scheme to be hugely successful and highly recommend using one.” Has your company got a buddy system or would you like to introduce one? What are your top tips for settling new starters? Let us know in the comments! If you’re looking for new staff then get in touch with your local branch today.
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5 ways to make your office more productive and inspiring
Having a great office space can be the difference between your staff enjoying their time at work and being excited to get out the door. So how can you make your office space more inspiring without completely redesigning it? It’s more than just a motivational quote on the staff room wall. Read on to find out our top tips for creating a productive and inspiring office! Keep things bright and simple. Make sure clutter and paperwork can be tidied into folders, desk organisers and drawers where possible. A clear workspace encourages productivity Use company colours where possible to introduce colour pops and brighten areas. However you need to remember how different colours influence people and their moods: Red – This colour brings feelings of passion, aggression and energy Yellow – This colour is cheerful, friendly and energetic Green – This colour is natural, stable and refreshing Blue – This colour is calming, relaxing and serene Purple – This colour brings about feelings of luxury, drama and creativity Black – This colour is powerful, intense and strong White – This colour is clean, simple and does not give energy or a calming influence Bring the outside in by introducing plants into your office. They don’t have to be real if you have people with allergies however the real ones will help remove pollutants and release more oxygen into the office as well as providing greenery to improve your mood. Inspiring quotes and wall art. Yes, we said it needs to be more than just the quotes but they are an important part of making a workplace look good and fostering a creative atmosphere. Don’t overdo it but try to include artwork in your office interior design. All work and no play. Keeping your staff room or break area fun and relaxing gives your staff the opportunity to get away from their work. Making sure the space offers the opportunity to interact with other staff. This can be done by putting tables and chairs into groups so people can sit together. You could also include a group task or like a ping pong table or stack of board games. What else could you do to improve your office look and design? If you’re looking for a new job in a better workplace, or looking for more staff to bring into your workplace, get in touch with your local Swanstaff team today.
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10 unique interview questions, that are fun to ask!
When running an interview there are a few things you are trying to achieve. You need to know how good this person is at their job, how well they will fit in your team and if they reflect your company values. There are a number of generic interview questions people typically ask, but what about more creative ones? Here at Swanstaff we ask a number of the following questions in our own interview process. Not only do they help us to ascertain the candidate’s suitability for the role but they also create great talking points to help us get to know them and see if they would be a good fit for the team. Could you ask some of these in your next interview? What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not included on your CV? Who was your childhood hero and why? If you could have one super power, what would it be? What is your best memory and why? If I gave you £10,000 what would you spend it on? What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced, not work related? How would your closest friends describe you? What was the last thing you watched on TV and what made you decide to watch it? If someone wrote the story of your life, what would it be called and why? Teach me something I don’t know in the next 5 minutes. If you’re looking for a new job then check out our current vacancies or get in touch with your local Swanstaff branch today!
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6 tricks to running a great interview
Conducting an interview isn’t easy. In fact, even though the content of the interview is mainly coming from the person you are interviewing, the responsibility for guiding and making it worthwhile comes from the interviewer. It is more than just asking questions. So here are our top tips you can use to run a great interview for you and your candidate: Ask questions that relate to skills If someone is interviewing for an administration or front of house role then ask about things they do outside of work that show organization. You can learn a lot about someone this way and whether they would be a good fit for the job. Explain the stages At the start of an interview explain how it will work. A typical interview follows this format: Introducing the role and company Interviewer asks questions about skills Candidate has opportunity to ask questions Show candidate around office and introduce the team Let the candidate do the talking Although you are going to want to make sure you lead the interview, it is said that the interviewer should only be doing 30-40% of the talking. The rest of the time should be filled by the candidate answering questions or them being shown around. Culture fit it is important to make sure the candidate is a good culture fit for your workplace. Try to ask them questions about their hobbies and interests to work this out. Introducing them to the team in a tour of the office is also a good way to do this as the team can help you judge if they will get along with a person well. Take notes whether it’s when a candidate is talking so that you can write a question to ask them later, or to make note of their answers so you can clearly remember what they said, this is important. Remember, an interview is a conversation not an interrogation! A candidate is likely to be nervous, even if they put on a convincing confident mask. Make sure they you word the questions as a conversation by asking them to expand on their answers. Try not to quick fire a question at them as soon as they answer another one. If you’re looking to hire someone then get in touch with Swanstaff. Our expert recruiters across the UK will be able to help an advise you.
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3 top recruitment tips for businesses in 2018
As we say goodbye to 2017 and welcome 2018 it’s no secret that the New Year is often a busy time for recruitment. So how can you make sure your recruitment efforts in 2018 are successful? Here are our top tips! Candidate Surge Did you know that one in four employees are preparing to change jobs in the New Year? With this record figure it’s unsurprising that there will be many companies whose recruitment processes will not be prepared to deal with this. It is worth considering using an agency to narrow the candidates down to the most relevant one’s for you. Introducing AI As many people are already aware, AI is a new technology that is going to take the world by storm in 2018. It can be brought into the recruitment process and a number of well-known companies are already using it.Whilst some people may find the idea of it a little daunting it’s actually relatively simple. Essentially algorithms will be able to see if the candidate is a good enough fit to move to the next phase, saving time and significantly improving the hiring process. This will allow you to spend less time weeding out the candidates that don’t fit and spend more time on those that do, ultimately improving productivity. We expect many companies will embrace the use of algorithms in 2018. Stand Out Making sure that you stand out as an employer in 2018 will be vital. One way you can do this is using testimonials and a careers section on your website. Try to show your company culture and include video testimonials. These are great for encouraging people thinking of joining your company. If you’re looking to hire a specialist recruiter, check out our Branch Locator to speak to your local team.
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4 ways a recruitment agency can help with workforce planning
What is Workforce Planning? Workforce planning is a plan used to identify and analyse the needs of a business in terms of staff to achieve its goals. Typically this covers a 3-5 year period and is used to identify skills gaps, turnover rates, recruitment needs and salary projections to better understand the expected cost of staffing on the business. So how can a recruitment agency make your workforce planning easier? One Contact Rather than dealing with various different agencies, you can use a single contact for all your staffing needs. Not only does this simplify your processes but it also means one invoice and one person who will fully understand the needs of your business and can deliver to meet these. Here at Swanstaff we make sure we provide a 24 hour service so we can help fill even those last minute shifts. Simplified As mentioned before, the process is much simpler if you only have one person you call when you need staff. It also means that you have less to worry about as often all the checks to do with qualifications and previous work references are done by recruiters and/or a dedicated compliance team to make sure you only receive the highest quality staff. Seasonal You may only need large amounts of additional staff at certain times of year, such as the Christmas period. A recruitment agency can put a plan in place in advance with your company to support large volumes of recruitment when you need it. Standard Rates Rather than having multiple agencies on different rates, working with one recruitment agency will allow you to have a standard rate. This will allow for predictable financial forecasting and planning for your business. If any of these sound like things your business could benefit from then please get in touch with your local Swanstaff branch today to find out more about the numerous benefits of working with us as a specific agency!
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7 ways to make your office more positive and welcoming
This Mental Health Awareness Week we are discussing the importance of taking care of your employee’s emotional wellbeing at work. The environment you work in is perhaps one of the most important things you need to get right to make sure your company is a positive and happy place to be. Director of Support Services, Zoe Murray says: There is great power in creating a positive and welcoming workplace and making it an environment that people want to spend time in. When designing our workspace we spent a lot of time making a functional space that captured the personality of our brand, reinforcing our positive and progressive plans. Our vision, our values, our history and most importantly our future plans are all emblazoned on the walls. It was also incredibly important for us to create areas with a less formal vibe for creative thinking and breakaway areas. We all spend a lot of time at work, no one wants to stare at grey walls – workplaces should be positive. Changes don’t have to be big budget either, we have a memory wall that cost very little for me to put together. So with this in mind, here are 7 ideas that you can use to help make your office a more welcoming environment: Tea, coffee and fresh fruit available to staff As simple and obvious as this may sound, catering to the needs of your staff makes them happier. Being able to take short breaks to make cups of tea may also help them to feel more refreshed and productive when they return to their desks. Plants and flowers These will make any office brighter and can have a positive influence on a person’s mood. Some people do however suffer from allergies so fake plants and flowers can be a great idea! Here at Swanstaff we use Floral Image for our flower arrangements and it’s very difficult to tell that they are fake due to how natural they look. Artwork Whether this is an inspiring quote, a poster on the wall or wall art illustrating core values; colourful artwork can really help to make people more creative and feel happier. At Swanstaff we have an illustrated timeline on our walls which shows where we have come from, how we have grown and has space to add future successes. This is a great motivator to staff especially as they can track the progress of the company since they started and know that they contributed to getting us where we are. Music Music is known for being great for productivity and mood. We always have the radio playing here and it is not only great as a background noise but also for a sing-a-long if a song everyone likes comes on. You haven’t heard anything until you’ve heard our rendition of “Summer of 69!” Cosy and communal areas We have a number of areas in the office which are designed as cosy areas or quiet spaces. The Library features bookshelf print wallpaper, a fireplace and comfy chairs. We also have a Beanbag meeting space in the middle of the office, which as you can imagine is very popular! Communal areas such as “The Swan” staff room, are also good as it offers a great space for interaction and means people can relax and chat on their lunch breaks. Treats Sweets, cakes and drinks on special occasions such as birthdays can be another great mood booster as they often encourage interaction to discuss the event and chatting to work colleagues can make your staff feel more at home. Personal Including personal touches in an office is great for make people feel included and fostering a sense of family. Here at Swanstaff we have a wall of achievements and a board covered in photos from social and charity events. Our staff love being able to spot themselves and share funny stories from the events. Obviously the people you work with play a huge part in your day to day life so making sure you surround yourself with a great team of likeminded people who share the same attitude and values as you is vital! Are there any other things you think are important to make your office a great place to be? Want to work in one of our incredible offices? Give our Talent Team a call on 01322 473 157
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10 ways we support our employee’s mental health (that you can use too!)
As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week we thought we would share some of the things that we do here at Swanstaff to support our staff’s wellbeing and mental health. Hopefully some of these ideas can inspire you. An open and fun company culture Whilst it’s great to be productive, it’s also good to break things up by doing something fun or silly in the office. This can be anything from chair races (making sure to double check with whoever looks after your health and safety!) to building a human pyramid or having a hula hooping competition! It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time but getting people laughing is great for morale and a positive mental attitude. Open door policy with management Our brilliant management team have an open door policy, meaning you can go to any of them for advice with your issues or concerns. Our brilliant HR team are also there to answer any problems or questions you might have. They are always there to support, only a phone call or email away. We really encourage staff to open up and let someone know if they’re struggling or need additional support. Wellbeing week We hold regular “WOW” events – the Week Of Wellness are full of wellbeing activities for all staff. To find out more about what these involve, click HERE. Great office space Our offices are amazing (if we do say so ourselves!). They incorporate large open plan areas where the majority of staff work, alongside glass offices for managers to emphasise the openness of the culture. We also have a number of quiet areas such as the bean bags meeting area, separate meeting rooms and a snug little room known as the library. We also have the more communal “Swan” which is our staff room. It includes a TV, fully fitted kitchen and bar. This is great to encourage our staff to really relax away from their desk on their breaks to make sure they come back from breaks feeling rested! Regular meetings 1 on 1 with manager An opportunity to highlight issues you may be having that you haven’t felt confident bringing up at other times, also an opportunity to discuss progress and development you might be interested in within your role. Buddy scheme Here at Swanstaff we run a buddy scheme for new starters which pairs them up with someone else doing the same role but at another branch within the company. This gives them the support of being able to speak to someone they don’t see every day to discuss anything that might be worrying them about their job role or to simply brainstorm ideas that can help them in their role. Perk Box Our Perk Box system gives all our employees access to hundreds of fantastic codes and vouchers to get them money off a variety of things such as meals out, gym, wellness classes and family activities. This really helps to support their emotional wellbeing outside of work. Be positive If an employee has to take time off due to ill health or stress then our HR team have open communication with them to ensure we are doing all we can to support them. This can include a phased return to work, with reduced hours or duties to ease them in. For us it is important to focus on what employees can do, rather than what they struggle with to build their confidence and get them back into their original role at a pace that is set by the individual. Social events We have a number of social events, including Christmas and summer parties which everyone is invited to. We also go to awards evenings and everyone is given the opportunity to go to these. This is done by putting the names of everyone who wants to go in a hat to give them all a fair chance at getting one of the tickets. Charity As a company we organise and take part in events to support a variety of charities and causes. This is great for giving everyone a real sense of achievement and making them feel good which aids positive mental health. Tracey Isom, HR Advisor at Swanstaff said: "Mental Health is a taboo subject despite it affecting 1 in 7 people in the workplace. Taking care of mental health is so important, not only for employees own wellbeing but to enable them to be productive and efficient at work. At Swanstaff we take mental health seriously and strive to ensure our employees happiness and wellbeing comes from within!" What are your company doing to aid a positive environment for good mental health? Let us know in the comments below If all of this sounds like the type of company you would like to work for then please get in touch with our Talent Team on 01322 473 157.
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5 benefits of investing in Fire Safety training
Depending on which industry they work in, many employees may not see fire safety training in the workplace as a high priority. When it comes to fire safety training employees may just turn up and take part to meet legal requirements but ensuring employees are safe at work should be a priority for organisations in every industry. Fire Safety training can in fact be integral part of this. There are multiple benefits to employees being fully equipped to deal with a fire and as an employer it is crucial to ensure your staff make the most of Fire Safety training: Employees’ feeling unsafe in their working environment has been proven to lead to lower levels of productivity. This is due to being unsettled and distracted by potential hazards that they face. Being fully prepared for an emergency situation such as a fire can help to increase employee productivity levels and ensure they are working to their full capability, benefitting the business. In the event of a fire/fire drill, it is important that staff remain calm and in control as rash decisions can increase risk of the situation worsening. Fire safety training will help employees to behave rationally in an emergency and allow employers to discover which employees may excel in these situations and make a good fire marshal for the organisation. Ensuring staff are more knowledgeable about fire safety across the whole company is important. However, we recommend that there are at least one or two appointed Fire Marshals in any organisation. Some businesses will legally need to appoint an official fire safety member of staff. The job of the appointed personnel is to be knowledgeable about fire safety but to also ensure the whole of the workforce are regularly updated on fire safety and to encourage employees to follow basic procedures on a day to day basis. Ensuring your workforce is educated and knows how to spot potential risks helps to give employers peace of mind. Being able to trust your staff to keep the organisation running safely on a day to day basis, no matter what size company, is crucial and fire safety training can help to ease an employer’s stress over safety within the working environment. When a whole workforce is educated in fire safety and competent in preventing fire risks, it can pay off financially for the employer. When employees use office equipment and machinery correctly repair and servicing costs can be reduced. The cost of employee sick days due to workplace injuries will also be lowered. For more information on our Fire Safety Training and Fire Marshal training courses please visit our website - http://www.swanstaff.co.uk/about-us/training
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5 reasons you need to invest in Manual Handling training
Many organisations may not see manual handling as high risk. However, in the UK it is one of the most common causes of workplace injuries. Ensuring employees understand the importance of safe manual handling techniques can be the difference between a productive day in the office or being off work for a week with a bad back. Ensuring employees are safe at work should be a priority for employers in every industry and manual handling training is an integral part of the safe running of many businesses. Below are our 5 reasons why employers should be investing in manual handling training: Reduce the risk of injury in the workplace According to HSE statistics there were over 600,000 injuries in the workplace in 2016 and 20% of these were due to incorrectly handling, lifting or moving. Through training employees will learn how to operate safely when handling objects at work and reduce the chances of being injured. Reduce the amount of sick days In the UK over 30 million work days were lost due to workplace injury. Fewer injuries will equal less sick days being taken and higher productivity from your employees. Cut Costs Workplace injuries cost the UK economy £14bn in 2016, when an employee is injured they may be rewarded with compensation. Ensuring employees work safely and reducing injuries can save your organisation money. Let employees take responsibility When employees feel as though they are part of the solution to a problem they are more likely to take responsibility for their actions and abide by safety precautions which will in turn reduce the risk of injury and educate other employees. Operate within compliance Through training you can ensure your organisation complies with regulations such as the risk assessment requirements set out in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 as well as the requirement in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) to carry out a risk assessment on manual handling tasks. We have created a short video to demonstrate the basics of Manual Handling. For more information on our full course please visit our website’s training page here
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Why is it important for employees to have first aid training?
Workplace First Aid training is an integral part of the safe running of any business, in fact it’s the law. Businesses must have at least one appointed first aider, who is responsible for maintaining the first aid kit, providing first aid and contacting the emergency services in an emergency situation. Some businesses are legally required to have a trained first aider on site, whether this is mandatory or not depends on the type of business. With 59% of employees in the UK not feeling confident enough to administer First Aid in an emergency, training is something all businesses should consider. Here’s why… It can save lives in and outside of the workplace not only benefitting the company but society as a whole. First Aid training encourages employees to become more safety aware, reducing accident rates in the workplace. Training employees in First Aid can boost morale; higher morale creates positive employee attitudes which lead to positive results for the organisation. Putting groups of employees through First Aid training is a great team building exercise and allows employees to engage and interact with each other whilst learning important skills. Having multiple employees trained in First Aid can cut costs for an employer, although there is an initial outlay to pay for the training, having less accidents at work saves money in the long run. Training also shows you care and invest in your employees which leads to them feeling more valued and increases staff retention. If you’re considering introducing First Aid and Basic Life Support training to your workplace contact us today on 01322 478 902 or e-mail us on courses@swanstaff.co.uk with any queries. Swanstaff offer a large selection of workplace training courses that can be designed to meet the needs of your company. Please click here for a comprehensive list of all of our courses.
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Why is CSR good for your company?
CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility, sometimes referred to as a sustainability strategy, and is a broad term used to describe a business’s efforts to make a difference and improve society in some way. These efforts could be anything from donating money to causes or charities to putting into practice environmentally friendly policies in the workplace. So why is CSR so great for your business? It gives your company a good reputation and can often get very positive press attention for your company to take part in community based activities. If the charitable events encourage involvement of local people it can be great for getting your name out there, therefore developing your brands awareness. In a Global CSR Study consumers have stated that they have 93% more of a positive image and are 90% more likely to trust a company that supports social and environmental issues. CSR helps a company retain staff. Employees getting involved in social and charitable activities can often feel more motivated and loyal, ultimately reducing the cost and disruption of hiring. CSR has the ability to highly motivate staff this resulting in better productivity for the businesses success and progression. Research shows consumers are basing their buying decisions on CSR. A study earlier this year by Cone Communications and Echo Research revealed 90% of shoppers are likely to switch to brands that support a good cause, given similar price and quality. Good CSR activities can create relationships with local authorities and businesses, making doing business easier and giving the potential opportunities for developing business deals. Understanding the wider impact your business has on the environment and community can give your business the opportunity to develop new products and services. It is evident when looking into CSR this is not something that just benefits bigger businesses but that it is a strategy that all companies should adapt into how they are run and should not be seen as something that feels obligatory. CSR can dramatically improve a business’s progression at little cost. Using CSR for business evidently has the potential to help an organisation develop at a progressive rate. Some consumers are sceptical about the way, in which they are presented with CSR reports, it is important that organisations utilise the diverse channels and platforms that have been made accessible through advances in technology. Using interactive websites and social media channels can open up lines of communication and help connect a business to specific target audiences. These mediums essentially give organisations their own voice, allowing them to show consumers how they are using the CSR strategy in a trustworthy way by adding this personal and interactive touch. Do you feel after reading this that implementing CSR into your business would be beneficial; let us know in the comments below. Image Source: http://www.cybergrants.com/blog/corporate-social-responsibility-csr-201506.html
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Why face-to-face training is better than online
An issue faced by many businesses is whether the Continual Professional Development (CPD) training they do is better online or through face to face coaching. Many are swayed by the potential for lower costs in online training but businesses are increasingly finding the positives of face-to-face training simply cannot be replicated online. This is particularly noticeable within manual trade industries and the healthcare sector . Hands-on or click on? Whilst some e-learning courses do offer possibility for practice via simulated scenarios, for many courses this is impractical. Face-to-face allows your employees to put into practice new skills or methods with each other and the trainer. Seeing and doing are two different things and often the act of doing can solidify the theoretical training as well as allow a trainer to correct mistakes. Cost vs flexibility Even though cost is often advertised as a big advantage of online training, this isn’t always the case. Some online training is more expensive than face-to-face when it is worked out as cost per head in a class. The lack of flexibility in online training can be another difficulty as they do not allow you to deviate from the course plan and address related questions that students may have about the scenario they are learning. In a face to face setting the trainer can draw from their own experiences and tailor the learning. Relationship or just click? Good trainers like the ones we have here at Swanstaff, will adapt their training to the students and build a relationship with them. They will be able make the training work for each individual and provide feedback and advice as they learn. This sort of responsive learning is simply not possible with online training. The future of online and face-to-face training Online training is certainly useful in its own way, especially for specific and perhaps more academic subjects. However, those that say face-to-face training should be replaced by online are ignoring the unique, valuable and clear advantages of coaching face-to-face and the hands-on experiences for the learner. Online training may sometimes save money but in the long run, a face-to-face trainer will teach your employees to put into practice what they’ve learnt with confidence. To find out more about training and courses we can offer please click here
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Why you need an employee winter wellness plan!
As the nights draw in and the chill takes hold, many of us find our energy levels can really begin to plummet, making it all too easy to give into the temptation to hunker down for the winter. This can happen at work as well as at home and can cause a drop in employee motivation and productivity. So how can you stop this? Whilst you as an employer cannot control the changing seasons, you can create a positive atmosphere for your employees by making slight changes. Here at Swanstaff we have a variety of staff wellness activities and offerings which we thought could inspire you, including Week of Wellness - (or WOW as it is affectionately known) A week dedicated to running a different wellness activity every day, starting with a hamper of breakfast goodies for the week on the Monday. “Sit and get fit” Another great part of our week of wellness was our “sitting exercise video”. You can see the video we came up with at Head Office to inspire branches here. We then asked all our sites to get involved and show us their own versions, which was great for engagement and caused some very funny all staff emails that day. Swan Perks Available all year round for our staff, our Swan Perks give our staff access to hundreds of rewards and offers, including discounts for spas, hotels, dining out, mobile phone insurance and even free access to a wellness classes app to name a few. Award and reward Reward hard work and employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. We do this by holding quarterly meetings which include an award ceremony with a number of categories. Each winner gets a certificate, trophy and bottle of bubbly or gift card as a thank you. Shout and share Shout about successes. If someone is doing particularly well, or achieved something recently (maybe they ran a marathon or raised money for charity in some way) then sent out an email, to let everyone know so you can congratulate each other. Share ideas. If one site or branch does something that works well, send it around to let others know. It shouts that team’s success and can serve to inspire others. Events Whether it’s getting people involved in the planning of the Christmas party or asking for ideas for a seasonal charity event, you’d be surprised just how motivating it can be to be asked your opinion. Our Socks for the Homeless charity campaign last year was inspired by one of our staff who had heard they were the most needed and least donated item to homeless charities. If employees feel involved in the planning, they will want to get involved with other aspects as well. Hot drinks When the cold weather really sets in, people reach for those hot drinks. Cups of tea, coffee and hot chocolate. You can deliver these type of drinks to your staff, either in person, or by sending out vouchers. Gestures like this may seem small but is a great boost to employee wellness as they’re meaningful and show you care. Don’t forget to say thank you At Swanstaff we do this in a variety of ways, including giving recognition badges on our company Perk Box, “giving thanks” on our PeopleHR system and sending letters and emails out “All Staff” to say when a team member is doing particularly well. We also celebrate birthdays and anniversaries for all staff! Autumn and winter don’t need to be a time of low motivation when you have an employee winter wellness plan in place. If you use any of these ideas please share photos and let us know on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!
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What is National Restart A Heart Day?
Every 3 minutes, someone in the UK is struck by a heart attack. Around 30% of heart attacks are fatal. These figures are shocking and whilst there are many National Days and Months for various causes, Restart a Heart Day is perhaps one of the most important. This annual event aims to train as many people as possible in CPR in one day, so that more people know these lifesaving skills and can put them into practise if they need to. This day is a joint initiative between the Resuscitation Council (UK) along with the British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service with the aim of increasing awareness of the importance of bystander CPR. Below is a video made by the Swanstaff Training Team on how to perform CPR. It will only take a minute to watch and it could help you save a life! Of course it may not be an adult needing CPR, that's why we also have a video on how to perform Infant CPR. You can find that here. Swanstaff Training offer the following courses which include CPR Training: Basic Life Support Basic Life Support + Defib (3 Hours) Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (2 Day) Level 3 First Aid at Work (3 Day) Emergency First Aid at Work (1 Day) CPC First Aid for Drivers Module – 1 Day Please get in touch using the contact form on this page if you are interested in our training courses!
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10 ways we made our employees smile this week!
In honour of the fact it is National Smile Day today we thought we would share with you, 10 of the ways we made our staff smile this week and hopefully inspire you! We announced our new bonus scheme! Based on feedback from our staff, we re-structured our bonus scheme which is so simple; even our CEO’s 87 year old Mother understood it when it was explained to her! More of our staff will now be eligible for bonus based on their current sales. Breakfast Hampers This week was what we affectionately called WOW. A “Week of Wellness” dedicated to making our staff feel good. This started with a hamper of breakfast goodies for the week, delivered on the Monday. Quarterly meeting This week was also the week of our Quarterly meeting. This involves staff coming together from all branches (from Swanley to Birmingham) to share thoughts of how the quarter went, a video of everything we got up to as well as awards, quizzes, challenges and more! Give thanks Another part of our WOW week - we organised a day of giving thanks to colleagues on our HR system. Overall we sent 179 “thanks” with a variety of lovely and positive messages, lots of people commented that it made them feel good and appreciate their colleagues more by reflecting on how much we support one another. Awards! A great way to make your employees smile is to give awards to staff who go above and beyond in their role. For example we reward the branch that has grown the most that quarter with a trophy, champagne and certificate. Sit and get fit As one of the most active part of our WOW week, we held a competition to create a video of your team doing “sitting down fitness”. It caused a lot of laughs and everyone got involved in the fun! Challenges It’s always good to challenge staff and often this can cause a few giggles. Today we challenged staff to skip, plank and star jump their way onto our WOW week leaderboard of fitness! It doesn’t have to be too serious but can be a great team building and bonding experience. Quiz We held a fun quiz with staff with questions on anything from the year branches opened to their Swan (as in the bird!) general knowledge! Sometimes we like to send round a riddle to encourage conversation and communication between all staff via email. It’s great fun and creates a brilliant, positive atmosphere to work.< >. Birthdays Celebrating birthdays is more than just an excuse for cake here at Swanstaff (though we’re not complaining about the amount of cake we get out of birthdays!!). We sing happy birthday, give cards and presents and decorate the birthday boy or girls desk. It’s always fun and we do our best to make every birthday as fun and special as possible! Feedback We believe every company should give its employees the chance to feedback on their experiences and how they find working there. We announced yesterday that we will be sending around a survey for the Best Companies to Work For award, asking people for their feedback. As a result of previous surveys we have managed to make some exciting changes, including the bonus scheme mentioned in point one. We are also donating £2 for every survey filled out to Funding Neuro, a great charity close to the hearts of many in the organisation after a colleague was recently taken ill and started fundraising for them.
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Why your recruitment MUST reflect your company culture
Your company culture is perhaps one of the most important parts of your business operation. Companies are often sharing their values and character through their branding and social media but do not extend this to their recruitment process. When deciding whether or not to apply for a job, candidates want to know exactly what awaits them in that role. They want to know more than just the duties of the position; they want to know the personality of the business and the people working there. With the rise of review sites such as Glassdoor, what your employees say about you is now even more important than ever. Here at Swanstaff we try to share our fun side when advertising jobs, for example our “Super-Recruiter” advert! So here are four reasons how and why your recruitment campaigns MUST reflect your company culture if you are to find the right candidate for your company. Share your culture In an extremely competitive job market for businesses and candidates it’s easy to get lost in all the generic ads but giving an insight into your company is essential. A candidate that fits in well with existing staff and the role needs to be given strong reasons to apply for your job above others. You may know they’d be the perfect fit but you need to show them that. For example: It’s okay to outsource Some companies are under the mistaken impression that outsourcing their recruitment can be damaging to the sharing of their company culture. This is not the case with a good RPO Provider (not sure what RPO is? (Find out more here) or recruitment agency that cares about culture fit. Like attracts like Getting creative with recruitment isn’t always an easy task. Many of the companies we at Swanstaff work with find that creating adverts that reflect them and their culture is time consuming, and often they don’t have all the necessary resources to do it. We help our recruiters by creating bespoke adverts in both image and text form to share and find people that will fit in well with their client. Make sure your advert reflects the sort of company you are and the people you are hoping to attract. Picture this Share your company culture as much as possible on social media accounts. People will often check out a business’s social media presence when preparing for an interview so you need to make sure yours shares photos and videos of what it is like to work there. Here at Swanstaff we share a variety of things from birthday announcements to an office hula hooping competition. Finding a new member of staff who will fit in well and become another loyal team member needs you to go above and beyond traditional recruitment methods nowadays. Showcase your staff, your company and your culture and you will find someone who will thrive in the business! Still unsure about recruitment and looking to outsource it to a team of award winning professionals? You can find your nearest branch here or find out more about Swanstaff Recruitment's RPO and recruitment services here.
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Top tips for employee engagement
Employee Engagement drives your business forward via a motivated and loyal workforce. But what does it really mean and how do companies do it? Swanstaff have won several awards including the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies, Great Place to Work and Kent Excellence in Business Awards for Best Employer of the Year and Leader of the Year. This infographic gives some insight into how we achieve successful Employee Engagement, it goes to show that sometimes it is the small things that count! We believe that creating a well-balanced company culture that celebrates success is key. Our MD Steve says “My workforce are key to the success of Swanstaff, I make sure that they are informed, motivated, included and rewarded. I aim to achieve a positive company culture where achievers can thrive, the sky is the limit for our employees. The growth we have seen in the past 5 years is the result of a happy workforce that shares in our vision”
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What makes a Leader?
What makes a great leader? Our MD Steve has won a few awards for leadership and employee engagement so we thought we would explore what sets him and other leaders apart from your bog standard manager...
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FREE Flowers For Dementia!
Spending time out in the - somewhat unreliable - British sunshine and enjoying the company of friends and loved one’s is definitely one of the best things about summer. Looking at the brightly coloured plants and flowers that are out this time of year makes it even better. Here at Swanstaff we love making a difference and want to share some of the joys of summer with those in nursing and care homes. Studies prove that those suffering from dementia strongly benefit from what is sometimes known as “gardening therapy”. Research conducted by the Thrive Charity, who work to improve people’s lives through gardening, revealed that the purposeful activity of planting and growing flowers improved the overall well-being of all those involved in the study and particularly in early stage dementia patients. Common themes such as self-identity and improved mood repeatedly came up in the feedback from those participating. Not only is it a great way to create a sense of group belonging, whilst socialising and planting these flowers but it also suggested that attending a group activity in a non-hospitalised environment was hugely beneficial for self-identity. Although the study focussed on the 45-65 age group, it does seem to have significant relevance to people living in care homes of all ages. Gardening can be quite physically demanding but even residents who are not as able can plant pots to keep in their rooms or put out in the gardens around their homes. These give the residents a talking point to share with visitors and can even be done with family and friends who may be visiting at the time. Leading a physically active lifestyle can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people with dementia. Exercise is beneficial for physical and mental health and may improve the quality of life for people in all stages of the condition. This includes everyday activities such as walking, gardening or dancing, as well as sports and exercises with the specific aim of improving fitness. Alzheimer's Society, Exercise and Physical Activity With this in mind, Swanstaff Recruitment would like to offer to send FREE packets of seeds to UK care homes who may be interested in this type of activity. To register your interest and receive your free seeds please email us marketing@swanstaff.co.uk whilst stocks last!
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Why RPO is not a one-size-fits-all model
As discussed in our previous blogs, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is a custom recruiting solution. Whilst some RPO solutions will focus on individual sections of the recruitment process such as candidate sourcing and interviews, others will outsource the entire process to their RPO provider. The type of RPO solution depends on the needs of the client and can grow and change with the business. It is more of a partnership than anything else, with the provider taking on the parts the business feels they need support with. Not every business is going to have the same needs or the same hiring requirements all the time. Some will have seasonal fluctuations and busy periods. For example, retail businesses may need additional temporary staff over Christmas. A good RPO provider will be able to analyse the business and know this so that they can adapt to suit the client. They will know that RPO is not one-size-fits all model and how to offer their client the best service possible. If any of the following sound like you, your business could benefit from using an RPO solution: Our hiring needs fluctuate throughout the year Our business works with a lot of temporary and contract staff Our business is looking to make savings in our recruitment budget Our company has a contrasting supplier base Our company is looking to simplify the hiring processes Our company would prefer one point of contact rather than the many we current have Here at Swanstaff Recruitment we take into account the individual requirements of the business and build a bespoke hiring plan to either support or replace what is already there. There are many advantages of using an RPO solution including: Single point of contact Consolidation of supply chain Reduced hiring time Cost reductions More efficient processes Risk mitigation Detailed insights Bespoke hiring process To find out more about how Swanstaff can help your business please click here to find out more about our Managed Services Options
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UK unemployment hits A 7 year low of 5.4%
The UK unemployment rate fell to a seven-year low of 5.4% in the three months to August, figures have shown. It was the lowest jobless rate since the second quarter of 2008, the Office for National Statistics said. The number of people out of work was 1.77 million between June and August, down 79,000 from the previous quarter. The number in work rose by 140,000, bringing the employment rate to 73.6% – the highest rate since records began in 1971. Some 22.77 million people were working full-time in the three months to August, up 291,000 compared with the same period last year. The number working part-time rose 68,000 to 8.35 million. (The above was taken from the BBC Article UK unemployment rate falls to seven-year low of 5.4%) Zoe Bristow, Operations Director of Swanstaff said: The remarkable figures released by the Office for National Statistics demonstrate the highest level in employment since records began in 1971. This is an amazing and accurate reflection of Swanstaff’s experience within the job market. We are experiencing a growing demand from our clients across all of the markets we operate in. This can only mean good things for the UK and our economy.
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Is RPO for you? (Infographic)
We recently published our article “what role does outsourcing have in recruitment” and promised you more information on how RPO can benefit your company. This blog is to help you find out if RPO could be for you.
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The role of outsourcing in recruitment
What role does outsourcing have in recruitment? This is a question that doesn’t really have a straightforward answer. It needs to be answered in several parts. Firstly, what is RPO? RPO is a business process outsourcing in which an employer hands over all or part of its recruitment process to an external provider. Recruitment Process Outsourcing providers can manage the entire process from recruitment to hire, or can manage one or two parts of it becoming an extension of your HR department. What can RPO include? While some RPO providers take over the entire process of recruitment (this can be known as a managed service) for a company, in most cases they are taken on to provide specific services that improve what the client already has in place to ensure smooth running for the business. Here are just some of the potential services an RPO provider can offer: Candidate research Compliance tracking Reporting and Audits Hiring Manager Training Process Mapping Technology Consulting Third Party Vendor Management Why Choose RPO? Are you looking for a solution that is different from using a head-hunter or staffing agency? If so RPO could be for you. RPO is much more of a partnership with an in-depth analysis of your needs and culture. It helps to boost employer brand and find the best talent possible rather than just filling positions with people who are qualified. If any of the following statements apply to you or your business you may find RPO would be a great option for you: “My HR Department doesn’t have the time or staff to recruit for the business” – the recruitment process can be quite long winded from sorting through CV’s, to interviewing people, to writing the job descriptions. A HR department is not necessarily the same as a recruiting department and requires different knowledge. “I feel like I’m wasting money on recruiting companies” – the fees can add up if you are looking to recruit a large number of people. An RPO company won’t charge extra if your recruiting needs change or fluctuate throughout the year. “I need to make significant infrastructure changes within the company” – If the problem with your recruiting is more than “we need better candidates” or “we need more administrators in this area” then an RPO company could be a good solution. To find out more about Swanstaff Recruitment’s Outsourcing services click here Watch this space for our next RPO Blog… the Benefits of RPO coming March 7th 2016 Public sector? Visit YPO and ESPO to find out more about their staffing solution frameworks
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Benefits of recruitment process outsourcing
We recently published our article “what role does outsourcing have in recruitment” and promised you more information on how RPO can benefit your company. Our full white paper is due out on April 1st but we thought we would give you a preview… Below are 6 key benefits of RPO and HR outsourcing: Increased Effectiveness One of the most important benefits of RPO is scalability. Many employers have vastly fluctuating recruitment needs, due to industry trends and seasonal activity. If that’s your business then RPO can scale up for busy periods and scale back down at other times. It is also useful for companies experiencing high growth who need help scaling their recruiting capacity to meet demand. Mitigating Risk With RPO recruiting, every element of recruitment can be monitored by your RPO supplier – allowing comprehensive tracking, reporting and auditing of the recruitment function. This allows companies to have a fully transparent system and feel assured that high standard of training and compliance are in place and that their processes protect both them and employees. Improved Efficiency – reduced recruiting costs This is one of the top reasons why businesses choose RPO solutions; it is also one of the biggest benefits of RPO. Many companies will spend a lot of money on head-hunters or trying to recruit in house and taking staff away from their other duties. Particularly for companies with a high turnover rate this can waste money and resources. A significant advantage of an RPO agreement is the reduction in time to fill a vacancy – which improves the overall efficiency of the business. Increased Candidate Quality A great candidate is more than just experience and qualifications. Things like personality and company culture/team fit are vital. If hiring managers are pressed for time to fill a position or have a huge volume of applications to sift through, they may not look at these additional things which can help you know whether a candidate will have longevity. A good RPO supplier will take time to assess your company culture, skills sets for roles and special requirements. These will then be at the centre of their candidate sourcing process. This also results in an enhancement of your employer brand and values. Detailed Insights – Analytics and reporting to aid with prompt decision making RPO suppliers will utilise specialist technology platforms, like Swanstaff’s S-Recruiter which allows for “real time” reporting at a click of a button. With features such as the ability to authorise timesheets, have visibility of hiring costs and generate detailed analysis reports your hiring process becomes seamlessly integrated and stress-free to monitor. A Bespoke, Tailor-Made Hiring Process A fantastic advantage of an RPO is having a dedicated account manager and support team that will look at every aspect of your hiring process. From company culture audits, to candidate sourcing, to bespoke induction programmes, an RPO really can be a “one-stop” solution. Equally, you may only wish to outsource certain stages of your recruitment process and there are flexible solutions available, whatever your needs. Here at Swanstaff Recruitment we have the capacity to create bespoke, comprehensive RPO services. We can support you at every stage of the hiring process, including proactive candidate sourcing, competitive market mapping, initial screenings, interview scheduling (including travel and meeting room arrangements), interview feedback, contract negotiation, new hire on-boarding, and post-placement follow up. We will work in partnership with you to create a recruitment structure which is perfect for your team and organisation. To find out more click here.
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What Is International Nurses Day?
With all the attention and controversy surrounding the NHS in recent months, International Nurses Day is probably more relevant and important than it has ever been – but some people still haven’t heard of it! So what is International Nurses Day? International Nurses Day is a celebration of nurses and the nursing profession in general, across the world. It is an opportunity to thank nurses for the often thankless work they do, helping people every day. What type of nurses is it for? All types of nurses. No matter their level. Today is a day to celebrate everything they do. Why 12th May? The International Council of Nurses chose 12th May to be International Nurses Day as it was Florence Nightingale’s birthday. She is often called the founder of modern nursing and even though some people might disagree, the date stuck! How can you celebrate? It can be anything from writing a social media post thanking a nurse to visiting a nurse and saying thank you in person by giving them a gift, as Swanstaff branches across the UK will be doing for their superstar nurses working today! If you’re a nurse looking for a career change or looking to get back into work, Swanstaff Recruitment can help. We have vacancies across the UK. You can get in touch with your local branch here.
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What recruiters need to learn from Beauty and the Beast
With the recent reveal of the latest Beauty and the Beast trailer and the film itself due to be released in March, fans all over the world are feeling nostalgic for the orignal 1991 version. Inspired by this childhood classic I couldn’t help but wonder what my favourite Disney film could teach recruiters between asking us to be their guest and be true to who we are. So here are 5 lessons I think recruiters can learn from Beauty and the Beast. “Beauty comes from within - there's something there” That CV you’ve been looking over that isn’t quite as polished as it could be could be hiding a Prince! Unless you’re recruiting a proof reader or something similar, it might be worth letting that spelling mistake slide and giving them a call anyway to see how they sound. After all, the CV might only need a little recruiter magic to turn it around and really showcase your candidate. “Never stop learning” Belle’s insatiable hunger for knowledge should inspire you to make sure you ensure you are on top of any industry developments. This knowledge will help you to better understand your client’s needs and match candidates to them. You may even be able to teach them something they didn’t know! “Don’t let fears get in the way of new experiences” That business that you were thinking of going for but worried it would be too difficult? Go for it! Like The Beast stepping out of his comfort zone and feeding the birds with Belle, you need to go for that thing you didn’t think you could do. You never know where it might lead! “Happily ever after, isn’t always easy to get to” Happily ever after takes work, it’s not always going to be easy but you have to give it your all and throw your heart into it! If you invest time and passion into the company you work for, you might be surprised about the happily ever after you find there! “Yet behind that fair façade, I’m afraid she’s rather odd!” There’s nothing wrong with being a bit different. In fact, you should dare to be different. It is Belle’s differences that make her stand out and catch the attention of others. Try to make your social media posts unique and different. You can also try to do different things for clients as well to make you stand out from the crowd of agencies at their door. Whether that’s taking them hot drinks on a cold morning or sending a handwritten letter. Be different! So what other lessons do you think you could learn from Beauty and the Beast that you can tie into your life or career? Let us know in the comments! If you are the Belle of the recruitment ball then you should work for us! Check out what it's like to work for Swanstaff and all our current jobs here. Want to check out which of the Disney's Lion King Characters you have in your office? Check out our blog on that here.
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4 top recruitment tips for businesses in 2017
As we leave behind 2016 and say hello to 2017 it’s no secret that New Year is a busy time for the recruitment world. If you search “best time to find a job” you’ll probably understand why! So how can you be sure to make your recruitment in 2017 is successful? Here are four top tips: Start the recruitment process early January is an extremely popular time for job seekers. It is vital to start advertising roles as soon as possible to make sure you get the opportunity to snap up the best candidates before someone else does. You should also interview as soon as possible to avoid losing out on the best candidates. It’s very common for people hiring to wait too long to make decisions and miss out in what is a candidate driven marketing. Hire a specialist recruiter Not only is this going to save you time as won’t have to do the advertising and sifting through potential candidates but they can also use their knowledge and talent pool to give you excellent candidates that you may never have found otherwise. Be flexible throughout the hiring process There may be a candidate that doesn’t have a specific qualification you have asked for but could be perfect otherwise that you can consider training. Most good candidates will have demanding schedules including work and other interviews, so try to be flexible and offer more than one day to interview on. Be competitive Don’t forget that candidates generally look for a new role because they are looking for progression in their career. Make sure you are offering a competitive package. Make sure that your hiring manager or recruiter knows all the information about your company culture and the lifestyle working for your company can offer so they can be sure to really sell it to candidates. If you’re looking to hire a specialist recruiter, check out our Branch Locator to speak to your local team.
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How to stay on your client’s nice list this Christmas!
Just like the children who are being well behaved so that they stay on Santa’s nice list, everyone wants to be on their client’s good side, throughout the year. So here are a few top tips on how your office elves can make your clients feel valued during the festive period. Give thanks! Your clients have a number of other options when it comes to where they can spend their money; make sure to thank your clients for working with you and show them they’re valued. Recognise their achievements If they have won a company or individual award that year, or did something amazing, try to mention it in their Christmas card. For example “Dear Client, Thank you so much for another amazing year working with us. We just wanted to say how impressed we were with the amount of money you raised for ---- charity this year and congratulate you on being shortlisted for the ----award. Wishing you very Merry Christmas from our team to yours.” Give them great savings Christmas is an expensive time of year and everyone appreciate a good deal. Shops are well known for offering Boxing Day sales. If it suits your business you could offer an end of year sale or percentage off price for current customers as a loyalty incentive and thanks for working with your business. End of year round up If you’ve ever heard of a round robin then you’ll have a good idea of where to start. A good way to show your industry knowledge is to put together a newsletter type piece which showcases the biggest news in the industry you offer expertise in, as well as any big company news from you that year. Go and visit them Whether it’s with a Christmas card or with a Christmas gift, it’s good to visit your clients and show that you offer a personal touch when it comes to clients. So there are a few simple ways you can keep your clients happy this time of year. Can you think of any others? Comment below!
