polkadot Press January 2012
Posted 25.01.12
polkadotfrog's New Year Resolutions
We have made some service related resolutions to ensure we provide you with an even more effective recruitment service this year.
1. polkadotfrog Preferential
As a recruitment partner, we understand that our clients want the best service at the best possible price. This is where the 'polkadotfrog preferential' scheme comes into place.
This is a tailor made package we provide to our clients, which offers the benefits below on an exclusive partnership basis. You will benefit from:-
- Preferential rates
- Ongoing face to face consultancy
- Skills testing of candidates
- Detailed interview notes and interview guidance
- Private use of our interview rooms
- For more information please contact your Account Manager.
2. All of our Account Managers successfully completed their Institute of Recruitment Professionals - Certificate in Recruitment Practice qualification in 2011, hopefully giving you even more confidence in them and reinforcing their recruitment ability.
3. We are now using LiliPad to skills test all of our registered candidates in key areas.
4. We now have fully integrated our social media feeds to advertise vacancies and source candidates, such as Linked In, Twitter and Facebook should you require us to do so.
Will 2012 be a Happy New Year for the UK workforce?
With unemployment figures at a 17 year high in December 2011, many are questioning whether we are truly recovering from the recession caused by the 2008 financial crisis.
Two leading figures at the forefront of the recruitment industry are claiming that we certainly are and that the green shoots are there and just need nurturing.
Tony Wilmot and Elliot Kidd, founders of a leading recruitment website, believe that the current unemployment statistics are not matching up with the recent success of their website.
Tony Wilmot states:
"In the last month alone we have seen the number of companies signing up rise by 189%, what's more the number of jobs being uploaded has increased by 214%. These phenomenal figures do not correlate to the employment statistics we hear on the news"
Recruitment is about supply and demand and from the performance indicated above both the supply and demand appear to be there.
The final Happiness at Work index for 2011 conducted by Badenoch & Clark showed that happiness has increased from its low at the end of the summer, when only a third of workers reported high morale. However workplace happiness still remains lower than at the beginning of 2011 when almost half stated they were happy in their job.
The research also showed that while half of those surveyed are unsure of what the future holds, just over a quarter are hopeful for further career opportunities in 2012. The research also found strong regional variation in levels of workplace optimism. One third of employees in the East Midlands and London expressed the greatest hope for 2012 with Scotland and the North East with the least hope for career prospects.
Nicola Linkleter, Managing Director of Badenoch & Clark said:
"It is encouraging to see that workforce moral increased slightly towards the end of 2011. Many employees have had a very difficult last 12 months, contextualised by redundancies, high inflation and pay freezes. However these findings do seem to suggest there is a glimmer of growing hope as 2012 begins."
"The government's recent research findings into the nation's happiness suggest that, on the whole, people are happy in the UK; nonetheless, satisfaction with work ranked in the bottom three categories. Whilst employers are operating in very difficult economic conditions, it is important they recognise that their employees' morale can be easily affected by the high level decisions they are making on pay and benefits, or training and talent management, for example."
The research by Badenoch & Clark summarises that with the UK's workforce divided over their prospects for career progression in 2012, companies must now make a conscious effort to communicate their plans for careers and ensure employees feel that their work has value, and is valued, by their employer.
So research and advice appears to suggest that in order to have a happy 2012 employers need to maintain the happiness of their current employees' and remain confident and positive with regards to the recruitment decisions they make for 2012.
Countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games... Is your business ready?
Olympic fever is starting to grip the nation and with only a few months to go now is the time to consider how the games will impact your business.
The Olympic Games will run from 27th July - 12th August 2012, shortly followed by the Paralympic Games from 29th August - 9th September 2012. Whilst some events will take place during the evenings, many will occur during normal daytime working hours.
Whilst interest in the Olympics may not be universal, almost all employers are likely to experience some issues this summer, such as over-demand for time off, maintaining staffing levels, inappropriate sickness absence or misuse of the internet.
Predicting staffing levels now and how it might be resourced against the back drop of requests for holiday leave or even employees wishing to act as volunteers at the Games, should address potential staffing difficulties later on.
Some issues to consider:
Assess staffing need:
Do you anticipate business will increase? Or might workloads reduce slightly, allowing your staff greater staffing flexibility for the few weeks of the Games.
Check employment contracts:
Before you can assess properly possible changes for working arrangements, it is essential that you are aware of any flexibility within the employment contracts of your staff. Do your contracts allow for changes in role or location or do they permit overtime for example? If not and you perceive you may require such flexibility, might you be able to agree changes with staff? How long will it take and what might it cost?
Check existing policies eg Flexible working:
As well as ensuring you have a clear and fairly applied holiday procedure you may need to consider if there are any flexible working options which you can use to allow staff to follow the games but will still meet staffing needs. For example early or later start and finish times, job sharing or revised working patterns/home-working. It is worth considering in advance what your response will be for requests from staff for such arrangements or if you have any pre-existing policies which could provide a suitable framework.
Engaging temporary staff:
Additional staff may be needed to cover time off taken or to assist if the workload increases. Early planning with regards to employing temporary staff will be key to secure the best candidates and to ensure smooth transition/handover.
Most importantly fairness of approach to all interests of staff will be vital to ensure business continues to operate as smoothly as possible during the six weeks of the Games but, more importantly, for the future harmony and trust of its workforce.