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3 Causes of Recruiter Heartbreak (and how to avoid them)
As we all know, the Recruitment industry is all about building those all important relationships with clients and candidates alike. It’s true that we can become so invested in our careers that our Recruitment problems can be just as painful as our romantic ones! In light of Valentine’s weekend – let’s take a look at some of the things that can break a Recruiter’s heart and how they can easily be avoided. When candidates play hard to get 9 times out of 10 when you know a candidate has great potential – they know it too! There is nothing more heart breaking than when a promising candidate shoots themselves in the foot by being too cocky, making no real effort with their CV, ghosting you for days with no real explanation – the list really does go on! How to avoid this: Trying to build relationships with candidates like this can always be a struggle – but no matter how difficult it can be, someone is going to get the billing so it may as well be you! So, take a deep breath and explain to them that whilst their a good candidate, you need more effort and communication from them. When your client cheats on you Usually, you will not be the only Recruiter than your client is speaking with. It’s heart breaking when you put a candidate forward with a specific client and they turn around and say they’ve had another agency contact them about the same role! How can this be prevented? Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this from happening. However, you can speak directly with the client and don’t be afraid to be upfront about it! When a candidate uses you This commonly seen when a candidate applies for a job with absolutely no intention of taking it! This can be because they’re using this role to get on your radar for another role or even worse – they’re fishing for an offer to push a pay rise at their current job! How can this be avoided? Typically, as Recruiters we can take the view that everyone is a potential candidate or client, which in a majority of cases can be true but we need to tighten our processes and not allow space for time wasters!
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5 Things You Shouldn’t Say in an Interview
Typically, the quickest way to mess up a job interview is to get on the Hiring Managers’ nerves. Of course, no one intentionally does this – but knowing where the line is and not to cross it is crucial. This is what we’re here to help you with. 1. “What does your company do?” This is an important one, make sure you are only asking questions that show you’re well informed and prepared – not questions that you should already know the answer to. Or questions that can be easily answered by a glance at their website or their annual reports. 2. “My salary requirements are flexible” Your salary when starting a new role can often be an awkward subject in an interview, but it doesn’t have to be! It is important for you to be aware of what the company is willing to pay you, but also the company will want to know what you’re willing to take. So even if you’re unsure as to what specific salary you’re after – you should at least have a salary band in mind. For example, you could say “I’m looking for something between £20,000 - £25,000 per year”. 3. “I don’t know how to do that” Instead of admitting you don’t know how to do a certain task, make the Hiring Manager aware that you are a fast leaner and willing to try and learn new things to support the company operations. 4. “I’m really nervous” Although it’s natural to be nervous for an interview, the Hiring Manager does not need to hear it. Any professional who admits to being nervous is not a good sign. You’re effectively making an excuse in advance for a poor interview and admitting how underconfident you are. 5. “No, I don’t have any questions for you” An interviewee who doesn’t have any questions for the Hiring Manager at the end of the interview can always been seen as a bad sign. It can make way for the assumption that you are not even curious about the role you are interviewing for, or the company! Even if you don’t have any questions about topics in the interview – prepare some questions before hand, good ones to ask are: “What is the career progression like here?” “What is the biggest challenge someone has faced in this role?” “What is the company culture like?” If you're looking for a new role, why not check out our vacancies here!
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4 Ways Recruiters Can Smash January!
So, Christmas is well and truly over, but the thought of lay ins and binging on festive food is still fresh enough in peoples minds that the first few weeks back at work can be slow starting. However, with many candidates using the New Year to launch their new career – Recruiters cannot afford to take their foot off of the gas in January! With this in mind, we have put together 4 ways that Recruiters can beat the January blues and smash the first month of the year! Touch base with your existing network Go ‘back to the basics’ and pick up the phone, call your existing clients and candidates to see where they’re at with their recruitment needs. Are they using New Year to focus on new jobs? Are they considering moving into new Industries? Do you meet these needs? Could they refer other businesses to use your services? Recruitment is all about retaining and nurturing relationships, which is why the post-Christmas period is the ideal time to strengthen your existing relationships. Continuously build your pipeline Some Recruiters may see January as a slow month and therefore may not put as much effort into chasing up new leads or securing new deals. This leaves a door open for you to get ahead of your competition! Stand out from the crowd. Use January to invest in change January is the perfect time to review your techniques and resources. It is good to look at things like: Your lead generation – how can you improve this? Your KPIs Your budget Maybe it’s time to put more of your budget towards social network recruitment? Lastly, make it fun! It isn’t hard to let morale slip during January – the festive hangover and the long wait for pay day can take its toll! Click here to find out how you can motivate a flat lining team!
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4 ways to beat the January Job Search Blues
Typically, January sees a substantial rise in Job Seekers entering the market which can make it difficult to secure an interview – or even a response from the employer. If you’re looking for a new job this month, here are 4 Essential Tips to help you stay motivated and beat those January blues! There’s no time like the present January is arguably the best time of the year to Job Search. The next couple of weeks will be crucial to your job search success. Hiring Managers who need to fill vacancies will be keen to move fast, so if you see a vacancy that interests you, don’t waste time – respond quickly. Set dedicated hours If you have found yourself out of work, carrying out a job search is your job. For many it is a stressful and demotivating period of time. Stay healthy and positive by adopting a healthy lifestyle and setting limits on the amount of time you commit to your job search. If your job search is proving unsuccessful, contact a recruiter who specialises in your field for advice. Prioritise It can be so easy to become distracted when job searching online. Stay focused and identify the essential steps you need to follow and achieve your goals. You could create a visual plan outlining the: Jobs you are interested in The skills you already have Who you will contact Your target employers It’s not rejection, it’s redirection The key is persistence, perseverance and not taking rejection too seriously. Hiring Managers will be inundated with applications similar to yours for just one role. If your CV doesn’t match the Employer requirements, then it is unlikely that you will be invited for an interview! If you need help with your job search, our team of dedicated and experience consultants are happy to assist you! Please click here to find your nearest branch!
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3 reasons why you should be job hunting over Christmas
It’s very common that job seekers put their searches on hold over the Christmas period and this could be for a number of reasons; wanting to spend more time with loved ones, busy with festive activities or maybe they think employers won’t be looking for staff around this time. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! Many companies still recruit around the festive period, companies you could be missing out on if you stop your search! Businesses still have hiring budget to spend Many people assume that hiring budgets will be drained by the end of the year and that they should wait until the new year to start their job hunt. The truth is departments budget for each quarter and more often than not – they are in a position to take on new starters! You can be ready to start in January If you are putting off your job search until January – you might want to re-evaluate your decision. January can be a busy time if year for many companies and therefore managers may struggle to find time to fit in interviews and training for new hires. Where-as the end of the year can be a quieter time making it easier for departments to think about their recruitment plan. You can beat your competition If you wait until January to start your job hunt – along with everyone else, your CV and application will be joining the plethora of other applications on the hiring managers’ desk. Use the myth that ‘hiring stops around December’ to your advantage! Whilst everyone else waits to start their job search in January, start yours in early December or even before so that you can be trained and ready to go in January with the rest of the work force! If you’re looking to start your job search now, click here to see how we could help you!
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5 things recruiters should be doing in December
The recruitment industry traditionally tends to slow down around December and Christmas time. People get merrier and there are less candidates and roles to recruit for. But there are still plenty of productive things recruiters can be doing during the festive month! Check out our list here… Preparing for January January is arguably the best time of the year to recruit. The whole ‘new year, new me’ vibe that hits the nation can be used to your advantage. You don’t want to let such a crucial month slip by, so you need to be heading into the office in January ready and rearing to recruit. Things to help you prepare: Have you got the go-ahead from the decision makers? Are your adverts written and ready to be posted? Are you able to get adverts out first thing? Or can this process be automated? Have you got time carved out to go through the floods of applications you will be receiving? Recruiting Just because everyone else is slowing their recruitment down, doesn’t mean you should be. In fact, you should use this to your advantage and get ahead of your competition. You might not have enough time to start a newbie until January – but that doesn’t mean you can’t start looking and interviewing! Not panic-hiring You definitely do not want to rush the recruitment and hiring process. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t hire before Christmas – it can actually be quite nice (for the candidate and you) to start them right after the Christmas break. Rushing your recruitment and hiring process could cost you even more time and money. Touch base with candidates It’s doesn’t matter what stage a candidate is at in your hiring process (from pre-interview to accepted job offer) you should definitely touch base with them at least once before the Christmas break. Touching base with candidates with a friendly and fun text/email is a great way of reminding them why they want to join/have joined your company! Remember your current employees The infamous ‘new year, new me’ attitude could also have a negative effect on your company. Do you think you’ll lose candidates? It’s possible! It can happen to anyone. Use the festive period to remind your current employees exactly why they love working with you! Have fun, spread some cheer and reward your current employees! If you are struggling to find candidates, please click here to find your local branch and give us a call! We're happy to help!
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5 Top Tips for Finding a Seasonal Job
So, Christmas is just around the corner and you’re looking for a new role, right? We want to make sure that you receive an offer for most (if not all) of the jobs you go for, so we have put together our top 5 tips for you to follow! Start applying early When looking for a Christmas role it is crucial that you start applying early. Many companies will start advertising their seasonal vacancies as early as September. The applying and hiring process can take quite a while so it is important that you start looking for Christmas jobs as soon as possible. Tailor your CV Your CV should be slightly different for each application you send off. This is due to different companies having different requirements and expectations. It can be very useful to look at the job description on the advert and match your CV to the specific requirements set by the company. Also consider the transferable skills you will need to cope with the extra demand when working during busy times. These are skills such as: Patience Time management The ability to problem solve Check out our blog on how to tailor your CV! Know where to look Knowing what companies to apply to plays a huge part in your process. Think about what kinds of industries will be more in demand than others, for example: Retail industry Hospitality industry Industrial / Warehouse industry Transport / Delivery industry Healthcare industry Use our job searching page to find your Christmas job in these industries now! Contacts and connections Think about your previous employment or any relevant connections you could reach out to in order to help you with your job search. Maybe your retail job from years ago need extra staff? Or your ex-colleague knows of a Christmas temp role at their company! Do your research! Even if you have the right skills and experience for the job, it doesn’t mean that you’ll get it if you don’t interview well or know anything about the company! So, take an hour before your interview to run through the company website and see what their mission is. If they have a ‘meet the team’ page, you might be able to learn some fun facts about your interviewer or people in the Management team! If you want to find out more about how we can assist you within your job search, please click here to find out your local branch and give them a call!
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Why Hire Temporary Staff?
Introducing and using temporary staff into your business can be super beneficial for multiple reasons. It can provide flexibility to your company in an unstable economy. Temp workers are under no contracted hours (unless stated) so it can be decided between both parties when and how much they work. With 1.4 million people in the UK classing themselves as Temp workers, you have a variety to pick from! Temp staff can save you a lot of money as you are not paying a fixed salary each month. You are only paying for the shifts picked up by the temp worker. It is unlikely that a temp worker will work 5 days a week every week, unless they are working for a contracted period of time. Another option to think about (which is beneficial to both the employer and the temp worker) is temp to perm positions. This is where you can bring in a worker on a temporary basis to start off with and then progress them into a permanent role. Doing this can allow you to see how they are in the role and you can see if they are the right fit instead of relying on how they come across in their interview. This leads to better and more efficient permanent hires. Bringing in temp staff can also boost the morale of your current employees. They are usually hired through busy periods i.e. Christmas or summer depending on what industry your company is in. Temp staff will allow your employees to shift some of their responsibilities, leaving them less under pressure and more engaged. Did you know? 1.4 Million People in UK class themselves as in temporary employment. 738,000 of these are part time workers 254,000 of these say they are employed by an agency. In the image below, you can see the importance of agency workers. Legal responsibilities when hiring temp staff Even though you are not technically the temp workers’ employer, you are still liable for their Health and Safety in the workplace. The recruitment agency is obliged to provide the worker with written terms of their employment, which includes: Whether they are employed under contract of services or contract of employment. Their notice period. The pay rate. Their holiday entitlement. When offered the job, the agency is legally responsible to provide the worker with: The start date. How long they are required to work there. The type of work they will be doing. Expenses. The location. The hours required. Any Health and Safety risks. Experience, training or qualifications needed. Recruitment agencies legally cannot charge the candidate a fee for finding or trying to find the worker a job. They can however, charge a fee for services such as cv writing, training or transport. From the day the temp candidate starts working, they legally have Worker’s Employment Rights. After 12 weeks in the job, the worker qualifies for the same rights as someone who is employed directly. This is known as equal treatment. These rights include: Equal pay. Automatic pension enrolment. Paid annual leave. Any temp worker is entitled to minimum wage for all hours they work. As of April 2019 the minimum wage brackets are as follows: 16-17 year olds - £4.35 per hour 18-20 year olds - £6.15 per hour 21-24 year olds - £7.70 per hour 25+ - £8.21 per hour One thing you will hear a lot working with recruitment agencies is something called Pay Parity. This is defined as ensuring that all employees in the same job in the same location are paid fairly relative to one another, regardless of their gender or ethnicity. As an agency, it is our responsibility to ensure this is the case. Best ways to recruit temp staff The easiest, safest and quickest way to recruit temporary staff is through an agency. Want to know why? Check below… Recruitment agencies will already have a strong pool of candidates just waiting for that call. All compliance is handled by the agency by a qualified team so you don’t have to worry about any risks. All payrolls will also be handled by the agency. Agency consultants and resourcers will already have market knowledge and will know what kind of qualities and skills to look for in a candidate. You will have access to better and higher quality candidates. It saves you time! Better/more appealing job adverts! How to choose the recruitment agency for you It can be hard to choose the best recruitment agency for your company when there are so many out there specialising in different fields and work different ways. But overall, when choosing your agency, here are some things to consider: Do they specialise in your industry? Or in the role you are hiring for? Are they in your price range? Or do their prices reflect their work? Are they local to you? Or can you contact them easily? Do you feel like you can trust them? How many candidates can they offer you? What are their compliance procedures? Have they won any awards? Or have they been shortlisted for any? Could you easily form a rapport with them? Sometimes, you are drawn to the cheapest option especially when your budget isn’t at its highest) but this doesn’t necessarily mean it is the right option for you. Sometimes, securing the ‘cheapest option’ may result in poor quality candidates, which isn’t what you need! In the image below, you can see that the percentage of “quality of service” is on average, the most considered aspect when employers choose their recruitment agency. All stats in this section are from December 2019 REC Jobs Outlook report. Maintaining a good relationship with your agency To get the most out of your chosen recruitment agency, you should build a rapport with them and ensure they understand exactly what you’re looking for. Here’s how you can do this… Clearly outline your expectations – this can be your expectations of the consultants and of the candidates they inevitably put forward to you. Ensure they really understand what kind of person you are looking for. This can avoid any miscommunication. Keep up consistent communication with them. Encourage mutual respect. On boarding temporary staff When on boarding temporary staff through an agency, you will need to put a number of things in place to ensure it all runs as smoothly as it can. Provide shadow shifts. This can be highly beneficial to both you and the candidate. Providing shadow shifts can mean that you feel comfortable with the worker going out and knowing what they’re doing after watching someone else. The worker will feel more confident doing the job too. Provide an onsite orientation or induction on their first day. Just show them around the site/office so that they don’t get lost throughout the day/night! Ensure you explain to the worker your expectations of them, there’s nothing worse than that awkward “could you not do that” chat! Why choose Swanstaff? Choosing Swanstaff is paramount for your staffing and recruitment needs. Our company was established in 1997 and we are one of the fasting growing recruitment agencies in the UK. In addition to supplying temporary staff, we also have a growing national permanent team who recruit on a national basis. We have over 3000 active candidates who we believe portray our core values in every way. Our core values are at the heart of everything we do and offer. Our core values Create opportunities Believe that nothing is impossible Exceed expectations Treat all with respect Here at Swanstaff, we like to give back to the community. We have taken part in a number of fundraisers and charity events for a variety of different charities, here are just a few: Collecting and donating winter coats to different homeless charities up and down the UK. Children in Need bake sale. Dragon boat challenge for Stacey’s Smiles. Dressed up as Elves for Alzheimer’s Society. Took part in Christmas Jumper Day and raised money for Save the Children. Bundles of joy We have 9 branches across the UK and a national temporary and permanent team (who are both based at our head office) who are always happy and on hand to help. Please see below to check your nearest branch and their contact number. Happy Recruiting! Chelmsford branch – 01245 266888 Colchester branch – 01206 570688 Ipswich branch – 01473 558443 Kings Lynn – 01553 601222 National Temps (who cover Milton Keynes and High Wycombe too) – 01322 474655 Peterborough – 01733 307640 Swanley – 01322 614900 Waltham Cross – 01992 641987
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5 Effective Ways to Keep Company Culture Positive in Uncertain Times
Employees are a company’s biggest asset. It is through a culture of three C’s - communication, commitment and collaboration that a company can show support to its employees in uncertain times. Changes could be afoot due to economic instability, political turmoil or reorganisation within a company. The question of how leaders can still keep employees engaged and productive will be raised. During uncertain times, your employees will be concerned about their career and if their job is secure or not. Therefore, they may not be as productive and focused as usual. What can you do to lead them as a team and cheer them on, while still taking care of the company’s changing needs? 5 effective ways to keep company culture productive during uncertain times Here are a few things you can do to take a negative situation and make something positive from it: 1- Lead with compassion: Address your employees directly instead of avoiding the topic of change. Listen to their concerns and show compassion to how they are feeling. If they are anxious, acknowledge their fears and see how you can create a balance between their demands and your company’s needs. If you have a long-term strategy in place, you will not be leading from a position of panic, but from a place of confidence. Ignoring people’s concerns and emotions will only create more uncertainty and will act as an excuse for employees to not care about the company. Show them you care and they will care in return. It’s a two-way street – be compassionate and the employees will do the same. 2- Manage expectations: Tell them what you would like them to do. Explain and communicate properly where performance expectations remain the same, or if the goals/targets have changed ensure they are aware of this. You might give them flexibility in their work schedule but with clearly defined targets to achieve so they can deliver results while not feeling detached from the company during uncertain times. This will also help them stay grounded because it will develop a shared sense of purpose. It will also re-affirm to your employees that you take care of their needs too such as flexible hours, and not just about your company’s profits. Increasing your employees’ sense of control over their work schedule will help normalize stress among them and they will stay loyal to the company. 3- Build & encourage team collaboration: Working as a team not only boosts the performance of employees but also brings better results in terms of profits for the company. Therefore, encouraging teamwork can not only lighten the burden on one employee but also results in better project management. Collaboration is key to successful workplace culture, especially in times of change. It builds togetherness and unity and a shared desire to succeed and achieve goals, rather than working in silos. A feeling of belonging can effectively boost employees’ morale and motivation to deliver their best every day even in times of insecurity and uncertainty. 4- Create a nurturing environment: During uneasy and turbulent times, the strength of an organization lies in the hands of strong leaders. A great leader spends time coaching them, rather than dictating to them. An effective leader nurtures them by empowering his/her employees and delegating decision making powers to a certain extent to his/her employees. When the employees have the authority and power to make decisions, be it on project level or admin level, they feel motivated. They think of themselves, not as a cog in the machine but an important part of their company who can bring positive results. Therefore, great leaders focus on creating a nurturing environment to let employees reach their full potential. 5- Inspire & praise your employees: Create positive energy among your employees by praising them where it’s due. Do not ignore their efforts and hard work. Make your praise specific and do it in front of their team, to show that you are proud of their work and that they are making a valuable contribution to the company. Praising will inspire others in the team to work better too. Your employees will feel positive knowing that their work is being recognized. Follow the aforementioned 5 steps to lead your employees and company for success in difficult times.
