Recruitment Blog

5 Ways Recruitment is Changing

The recruitment space is in a state of constant evolution.

As new technology like AI and automation make their way into the marketplace, companies everywhere are adjusting the way they find and nurture talent. At the same time, the UK unemployment rate continues to dwindle to its lowest rate since 1975, demonstrating the incredible opportunities available in various sectors.

As working trends and employment strategies continue to transform, it’s crucial for modern businesses to stay ahead of the curve. The more you know about hiring in 2018, the easier it will be to work with specialist recruitment agencies offering the latest and greatest methods.

Here are just 5 of the trends set to disrupt the industry today.

1. Demand for Diversity

The desire for diversity in the workforce isn’t a new concept, but it’s an increasingly important issue for businesses this year. As sectors from finance to manufacturing and technology become more complex, diverse hiring practices allow companies to welcome recruits with a vast selection of new skills.

This year, and in the years ahead, companies will be working with specialist recruitment agencies to implement hiring solutions that result in more varied workforces. The aim will be to ensure that a wider selection of ages, races, genders, and religions are represented in their company culture. This might mean:

Assessing CVs with personal markers removed to eliminate bias;
Offering a wider range of benefits like flexible working arrangements;
Promoting inclusive language in job descriptions.

2. Greater Flexibility for Employees and Employers

Flexibility is in high demand today.

From an employee perspective, candidates are beginning to look for jobs that don’t always follow a 9-to-5 schedule. Remote working and virtual employment have grown increasingly popular, as statistics show that 70% of people believe the option to work from home would make a role more attractive.

From a hiring manager point of view, flexibility in the recruitment process is about accessing the right kind of assistance from the company they work with.

3. The Social Workforce

While recruitment firms still have the strongest, most focused methods of finding the perfect candidate for their clients, it’s hard to ignore the rising importance of social media. Networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have transformed the way companies build their employer brand and the way that potential hires search for new jobs.

For those in search of a new career, social media can provide instant insight into the nature of a business, what kind of people they hire, and what their company culture might be like. After all, your employees frequently talk about your organisation on their social channels.

When it comes to finding new team members, social media can also help managers to screen the people presented to them by a recruitment group. In one recent study, 70% of employers said they use social media to learn more about someone before they make an offer.

4. Health and Wellbeing Take the Lead

As new generations enter the workforce, salaries and job titles are no longer the most attractive feature on a job description. Companies around the world are building more diverse and compassionate benefits packages, with a focus on wellbeing, upskilling opportunities, and fitness. For instance, you might offer your staff the chance to join a workplace fitness programme or sign up for relevant classes and mentorship.

Aside from being a major draw for talent, wellbeing initiatives and training strategies also offer plenty of benefits to employers too. Companies with happy, healthy and constantly learning employees benefit from better productivity, greater skillsets and reduced turnover.

As a primary focus of younger people like the millennial generation, health-based benefits will only grow more important in the years ahead.

5. The Quest for Better Candidate Experience and Employer Brands

Finally, businesses hoping to attract top-tier talent in the years ahead will need to concentrate on “selling” their business to candidates. This means creating a reputation or “employer brand” that appeals to the kind of people they want on their team.

A recruitment agency can provide plenty of insights into how you can tailor your job specs to speak to talent, or where you might need to adjust your interview process. As the marketplace becomes more competitive, every interaction an organisation has with a potential hire needs to be carefully planned. People want:

Clear lines of communication throughout the process;
Honesty, integrity, and empathy from employers;
Respect during the interview process;
Speedy responses or job offers.

Ensuring that your employer brand is consistent and attractive is a great way to delight your existing employees and improve your chances of getting that “yes” from future candidates.

Thanks,

Neal

About Recruit Zone

All your recruitment needs are now under one roof with Recruit Zone. We are your online, complete recruitment solution with a choice of service to fulfil your recruitment needs.

From posting your job advert to multiple premium job boards for one low price to fee recruitment where we work with you as a recruitment agency. Both services are fully tailored to your needs so that you get the results that you expect. Email us here. Or call 0207 122 3301.

Why Successful Employees Conduct Their Own Mid-Year Review

A performance evaluation is a powerful tool.

For managers, a review helps to determine whether you have the right people in your team, driving your company towards success. For employees, self-conducted reports can help drive you towards your goals, highlight the skills you need to work on, and showcase your most recent achievements.

With one half of the year over and summer on the horizon, now may be the perfect time for staff to conduct their own self-assessments. After all, you don’t need to wait for a discussion with your manager to make sure you’re on the right track.

The Benefits of a Personal Mid-Year Review

As helpful as assessments can be for business leaders, they can be even more useful for employees in search of career growth. By looking at your role and your development as an employee over the last 6 months, you can determine whether you’re heading in the right direction to reach your professional goals. Self-assessment:

Shows your manager that you have initiative and you’re keen to make consistent progress;
Determines whether you’re progressing towards your goals, and at a speed you’re comfortable with;
Helps to define whether your goals are still relevant, or if you need to adjust your career plan;

Ensures that you learn from the challenges you’ve faced so far, and grow as a result;
Helps to identify more efficient or effective ways of reaching your goals.

So, what kind of questions can you ask yourself during a self-assessment?

1. Where Are You Today?

Conducting a personal review of your accomplishments every six months is a great way to track your progress and take stock of how far you’ve come as an employee. This initial stage of the review is a critical moment of self-reflection, where you can list all of your accomplishments, (big and small) for the first portion of the year.

For instance, maybe you demonstrated exceptional teamwork and leadership skills during a recent project and helped your company to obtain a new repeat client as a result. Maybe you’ve simply found a stronger work/life balance, so you felt more confident and focused in your role.

Once you’ve listed your accomplishments, make a note of the challenges you’ve faced too. Perhaps your manager reprimanded you for your poor time-keeping skills, or you didn’t do as well on a recent task at you’d hoped. Both failures and achievements represent opportunities for learning. Examine your history and ask yourself how it’s helped you to grow.

2. Where Are You Going?

Now that you know where you are in your current career path, it’s time to consider where you’re headed. We all have goals – whether it’s an ambition to take on more responsibilities in your role or earn a well-deserved promotion.

Examining where you are today in relation to your long-term goals is a useful practice in making sure you stay on the right track. Ask yourself:

How far have I come in the last six months?
Do I need to pivot anywhere to keep myself on the right track?
What can I do to achieve my goals faster?

It’s also worth asking yourself whether the goals you set at the beginning of the year are still relevant today. As you continue to develop as a person and a professional, you may find that your aspiration change. On the other hand, you may have made so much progress already that you need to upgrade your original target. Either way, get some clarity on where you’re going in the second half of the year.

3. Are You Happy/ Satisfied?

It’s easy to overlook this section when performing a mid-year review. A lot of people assume that if they’re getting the right salary, and they’re in the right sector, then they have everything they need. However, it’s important to make sure that you feel happy and healthy in the position you have too.

The concepts of wellbeing at work, and work/life balance are becoming increasingly popular in a world where we spend most of our waking hours with our employers. Stress and anxiety account for around a third of the sick days taken in the UK already. Ask yourself if you’re happy in your position and if there’s anything you can do to improve your levels of satisfaction.

Envision the future and where you’d like to be a year, two years, or three from now. Do you need to make any changes?

4. What Mid-Course Corrections Can You Make?

After looking at your goals and your current status, you’ll be ready to decide which adjustments you need to make to your current path. If you’re already on track to a new promotion or an important goal, then it’s simply a matter of knuckling down and continuing in the same direction.

On the other hand, if you’re not 100% happy with where you are today, think about:

Your decision-making practices: Do you know which challenges to commit yourself to, and which you should say “no” to? Adjusting your decision-making criteria can help your actions each day match up to your long-term goals.

Important milestones: Alongside your long-term ambitions, set a few short-term milestones. What do you want to accomplish by the end of the year?
Behavioural changes: Looking ahead, what do you need to do for the rest of this year to set yourself up for success?
Action points: What do you need to stop doing, start doing, and keep doing?

A mid-year review can be a useful compass to guide you through the rest of the year. Now’s the perfect time to improve your navigation.

Thanks,

Neal

About Recruit Zone

All your recruitment needs are now under one roof with Recruit Zone. We are your online, complete recruitment solution with a choice of service to fulfill your recruitment needs.

What to Look Out for When Hiring that Keen New Grad

Graduation season is just around the corner, and that means a fresh new batch of eager and excited young professionals ready to join your team.

While businesses often prize tenure and experience as key characteristics of a successful hire, the truth is that there’s a lot more to a great employee than how many years they’ve spent in your sector. In today’s skill-short market, graduates bring new perspectives and knowledge to your team and can help to fill the gap in your diversity strategy.

As some of the most devoted and hard-working hires in the job market today, graduates can be a powerful addition to any team. The question is, how do you make sure that you’re bringing the right ones on board?

The Benefits of Hiring Graduates

College graduates make for unique staff members because they join your team with a natural affinity for learning, and a strong drive to prove themselves. While all amazing employees are willing to adapt to suit their chosen roles, graduates are still fresh into the world of work, which means they can more easily be moulded into the star performer you need.

As the “blank canvas” of the recruitment world, graduatess are open to new ideas, different experiences and diverse ways of working. Just some of the benefits you can expect from hiring one include:

Passion for learning and progress: Young employees are keen to do their best to impress their new boss. They’re taking their first step into employment, and they want to be sure they’re making the right impression. What’s more, their familiarity with academia also means that they’re the first to volunteer for training.
Affordability: Because most fresh graduates know they need to “work their way up,” they’re often willing to take a lower salary in exchange for training and experience opportunities. Many younger generations will also take a pay cut if it means accessing more benefits like remote working and flexible schedules.

Diversity: New generations have different perspectives to bring into the workforce. They can think outside of the box and deliver innovative ideas to the rest of the team. In an age where diversity is key to effective recruitment, graduates can be ideal for any employer.

What to Look for In Your Graduates

Like any new employee, finding the right college graduate for your company means working closely with a recruitment agency, and keeping your eyes open for the right markers. Most graduates won’t have previous references to show off in an interview, so hiring managers will need to look for other signs of proficiency instead. For instance:

1. Experience in or Commitment to the Sector

While your young hire might not have an extensive history, they may have elements on their CV that demonstrate their commitment to the role you’re offering. For instance, if you’re looking for a computer technician and your graduate completed an internship at a local software company or spends their free time fixing gadgets, then they might be a good fit.

Experience comes in many different forms, including:

Volunteering;
Apprenticeships or internships;
Courses and training;
Part-time employment;
Participation in collegiate groups.

2. Readiness to Learn

As mentioned above, most students entering the world of work will be keen to learn, but some will show more initiative than others. For instance, the right hire might have already signed up for after-work and after-college classes that help them to expand their skills in the position they’re interested in. For instance, someone interested in accounting might be taking a finance or advanced math course on the side.

During an interview, a great candidate may also ask about any opportunities you have for training or mentorship on the job, demonstrating their willingness to adapt to your needs.

3. A Good Attitude

The right personality can go a long way when you’re putting together the perfect team. In their cover letter and CV, a graduate can demonstrate that they have the attitude you’re looking for to help your company culture thrive. Maybe they’re forward-thinking and well-organised, which can be important to a company that wants to innovate at a rapid pace. Or perhaps they showed leadership skills and intuition in extracurricular activities at College.

When interviewing, don’t focus your attention solely on experience and technical skills. Look for signs that the graduate fits with the employer brand you’re trying to create and would fit well with your workforce.

4. Potential

As beneficial as a graduate can be to any business, they can also require extra work and support. That’s why it’s so important for managers to make sure that they’re onboarding someone who’s willing to take the initiative and support their own progress. The right young hire will be willing to go above and beyond to show a business that they can be trusted. They can demonstrate problem-solving skills and tell stories about how they’ve been able to work autonomously and independently in the past.

For many organisations, a graduate hire is an investment in your next generation of employees. Use competency-based interviews to ask your candidate to show how they would accomplish both personal, and company goals in their new role.

Thanks,

Neal

About Recruit Zone

All your recruitment needs are now under one roof with Recruit Zone. We are your online, complete recruitment solution with a choice of service to fulfil your recruitment needs.

Why You Need to Develop Your Personal Brand This Year

We live in an inherently social world.

While human beings have always been community-based creatures, the rise of the internet and social media means that we have more ways to connect than ever before. While the social environment brings a lot of positive things, like opportunities to network with peers and potential employers, it also means that every candidate needs to be constantly aware of how they’re presenting themselves to others.

As you search for the ideal role, everything you do and say online is either moving you towards your career goals or holding you back.

Health and Wellbeing at Work: Why It’s Time to Take Action

For years, “workplace wellbeing” has been a hot topic for businesses in almost every sector. As studies show that happier and healthier employees lead to more significant profits, more companies are beginning to wonder what they can do to support holistic wellness for their staff.

Research finds that mental health issues alone account for £70 billion in losses for companies each year. What’s more, a third of the days taken off work in the UK are a result of career pressure or stress. This means that if employers want to create a productive and robust culture in their organisation, they need to take steps to protect both physical, and mental wellbeing.

Investing in a comprehensive workplace wellness program builds loyalty among staff, saves businesses money on lost productivity, and even improves your employer brand.

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