read more Got it! Login Recruiters with EXPert opinION - news, views and blogs Filter by tag Client Candidate Filter by date December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 Client Recruitment Trends 2022 What's likely to happen in 2022 in the UK jobs market? If you're recruiting, planning to recruit or intending to search for a new job, you need to know what's likely to happen and how best you can prepare for this.We've seen lots of statistics shared by lots of sources, and it can be hard to navigate through them all. Here's a snapgot into what's making us sit up and take note:The UK recruitment industry is predicted to grow by 7% in 2022Employers are expected to award an average pay rise of 2.9% According to the CIPD, 47% of employers are reporting hard to fill vacancies What does this mean for you? There'll be more roles coming onto the market, we expect in skills short areas such as Healthcare and Medical Devices, IT, Finance and EngineeringCosts will continue to rise for businesses who will look for efficiencies to counter this Demand for talent will continue to squeeze continuing the trend of a candidate led market How can we help you? Follow us on LinkedIn for lots of up to date market information, read our blog or have a chat with us. <1 min read Read more Client Creating Personas for Recruitment Creating the perfect persona for recruiters and hiring managers can be something of a minefield. Where to start and how to go about creating one can feel like an uphill struggle.What is a persona for recruitment? It's like a written version of the traits and exerience you'd like your ideal candidate to have. But it goes deeper than that. I's also about exploring where your ideal candidate hangs out. Do they 'lurk' on LinkedIn, jump around the joboards, or sit awaiting for the approach? What content do they engage with?Knowing this can be vital to securing not just the best candidate for the role, but also reducing time and cost to hire, reducing waste in the process and preventing yourself becoming tangled up with conversations with unsuitable candidates that simply wastes their time and yours.Have a read of this article which explains how to create a persona and what it can mean for you. <1 min read Read more Client UK Report on Jobs October 2021 UK Report on Jobs - October editionWe're pleased to share the latest UK Report on Jobs produced by the REC and KMPG. As we've previously reported, the market is busy with vacancies rising and candidate availability reducing. What's showing no signs of relenting is the pressure on starting salaries, particularly in the Food/FMCG space where demand for staff is critical.Have a read of the report and get in touch with us if there's anything support you need. <1 min read Read more Client The Personal Touch to Learning Here's a link to a guest blog written by Caroline on the personal aspects of learning. She talks about how she trained and developed a team, and what she'd do differently with the resources that are available for the recruitment industry now.This is an insight into what's important to consider when training a team, how to personalise training, and how to do it with the individual in mind.You can access the blog here and thank you to Louise Triance of UK Recruiter for including the blog. <1 min read Read more Client UK Report on Jobs - September 2021 Produced by the REC and KPMG, the latest report on jobs highlights the gap between the demand for labour, and labour supply. The gulf widened in August 2021, creating knock on effects in terms of rising salaries, and as we've previously talked about, gaps on supermarket shelves amongst other effects.Hiring levels also rose, showing that whilst there are fewer candidates, businesses are employing people, and there is still a desire to move by candidates with the right motivations.Neil Carberry discusses the longer term effects of this. "A number of factors mean that the UK labour market will remain tight for several years to come. Business leaders should be looking now at how they will build their future workforces, in partnership with recruiters, including the skills and career path development."You can view the report here and if you'd like support with the impact on your business, do contact us here. <1 min read Read more Candidate Navigating your notice period Navigating your notice So there. You’ve done it. You’ve resigned from your current role, and you’re in that ‘in-between’ place known as the notice period.Notice periods, along with managers and businesses approach to them varies, so it’s hard to find a one size fits all guide. One thing is for sure though, how you exit a business is as important as how you join, so we always advise, use your time wisely.Here’s some things we’ve seen, heard and been told by our clients and candidates:The resignation conversation. Be clear on your reasons for leaving. Sounds obvious but be concise and to the point. Waffle is rarely your friend, and if the resignation comes as a shock, your line manager is unlikely to listen to all the reasons you’re giving.Be compassionateIf you’re worked for the business or your manager for a long time, there’s a good deal of emotion in this conversation. You’ve had time to prepare, but they won’t have so bear this in mind.You don’t have to let your current employer know where you are going but think about how this might land if you don’t. In some cases, it can be construed as suspicious and even sneaky. If you’re heading to a direct competitor, check your contract if you haven’t already to make sure you’re clear on restrictions you may have to abide by. Ask for clarification from your HR team or line manager if this is the case so you don’t fall foul of any misunderstanding.Counter-offerIf there’s no appetite on your part for a counteroffer, say so to save time and wasted resource. Ask what you can do to support the business during your notice period. Leave a legacy. A ‘How To’ guide for your role can be a good starting point, along with completing any ongoing projects, or handing them over with comprehensive notes. Meet with your manager and colleagues as soon as you can to ensure you’re clear on what they expect from you now you’re moving on. Sounds obvious, but time goes quickly and what can feel like ‘plenty of time’ soon runs into ‘no time at all’.Don’t be upset that you start to get left out of things. The business will be making plans around what to do when you’re gone. They might be restructuring, recruiting, or reallocating work.Give your colleagues some love Chances are they’ll be sorry to see you go and will wish you well. Make them feel appreciated and thanked for the work you’ve done together.You never know when your paths might cross again with people you’ve worked for and with. Never burn a bridge.Some notice periods are lengthy. Some businesses will allow or encourage you to take any unused holiday during your notice period. If you have unused holiday at the end you’ve not taken, the business should pay you for those days you didn’t use. Holiday can be used at the end of the notice period to allow you to start a new role earlier if you so wish.Ask for an exit interviewMost businesses offer these now as a matter of course but make sure you have the chance to finish things well. Give the business feedback on your experience whilst you’ve been there.Make sure you have all your appraisal documents, and copies of any courses you’ve been on. Much easier to gather this information now, than trying to retrospectively back track once you’re 6 months into a new role.And finally, never speak badly of the business or the people. Now is not the time to air grievances and grudges. Leave well and look forward to your new challenge ahead.Good Luck! 3 minutes read Read more Client Food shortages It's headline news, and this is a crisis that's silently creeping up on us.The shortage of drivers is something the Road Haulage Association, amongst other, have been shouting about for some time. And so they should. We're especially interested in this as it impacts our key clients in both food manufacturing and fleet management. This challenge has some time to run as the role of an HGV Driver is a skilled one and training takes time. But it's a vital part of our economy, and we think action is needed.Food Manufacture highlight this in this article - well worth a quick read. <1 min read Read more Candidate UK Report on Jobs August 2021 The latest UK Report on Jobs has been published and if you're a job seeker, it's a great read. All market data indicates that there's a growing demand for people, and starting salaries are rising. Most employers are reporting a shortage of good people available in the market. External factors such as a lack of workers due to Brexit, and low unemployment generally, makes for a tough operating environment if you are a hiring manager or recruiter.Job security is also a factor in the lack of candidates entering the market, and the end of the furlough scheme may alter the dynamic as we progress into the Autumn. You can download the report here and to discuss how the changing recruitment market may affect you, contact us here <1 min read Read more Things we love about LinkedIn Things we LOVE about LinkedInWe're big users of LinkedIn, and we're sharing our thoughts on just some of the functions and capability of the platform.With 756 million users globally, it’s become a phenomenon for business networking, collaboration, thought leadership, and recruitment.I remember in 2007 my then boss telling everyone ‘we should be on this platform’. 14 years later and where would we be without it?The first function we love is ‘Notifications’. This is your little alarm bell to anything happening in your network and it’s a gem of insight, information and news.Why do we love it? IT’s a chance to see (and celebrate) when someone changes jobs, is promoted, gains a qualification, when someone you follow goes ‘Live’, see trending articles and posts.In fact it can be more useful that your newsfeed sometimes.We love it because it keeps you connected. Up to date quickly with news that’s of interest, and a prompt (and we all need it sometimes) to reach out. Say ‘Hi’. Congratulate. Commiserate. Learn. Digest. Participate. LinkedIn LOVELinkedIn isn’t designed as a broadcast channel, it’s for networking and collaboration. And never before has it worked so well than during COVID.We love the fact that we’re able to use LinkedIn for networking and to share ideas. And others do too. We suggest reaching out to colleagues, people you’ve met, worked with in the past. Reconnect.Search for collaborations. Find people with common interests. You might be able to work together on a project. Find webinars and Live Chats – we love Ruella Crouch’s live on a Tuesday lunchtime.Read the news – LinkedIn have a news section with comments. It’s insightful and great for sharing.LinkedIn RecruitmentYes, we recruiters love LinkedIn for recruiting. But we know we have to treat our audience with respect (no spamming people). It’s a great way to find people with the skills and experience to fill a role.Love your profile. Make sure it’s up to date and has the right information on it. We can only be as good as the information you populate and we’ll do our best to only talk to you about roles we think are of interestWe also love the Jobs function on LinkedIn. Set up your alerts and LinkedIn will send you roles which meet your criteria.LinkedIn Company PagesOften overlooked, but companies who invest in their company pages have brilliant little micro-sites full of content. Check out ours: https://www.linkedin.com/company/expionuk which is full of content and has a link to our jobs on the site, and a link to our website (right here!).You’ll also find current employees, and business documents if companies have included presentations or videos. It’s a great way of researching a business if you’re looking to work with them, or for them.LinkedIn InfluencersHave you spotted them? Well, LinkedIn choose who are classed as influencers and current occupiers of this coveted space include Bill Gates and Richard Branson. They’re the world’s foremost thinkers and leaders. They share trends and news and inform the audience with thought and purpose. Take a look.You can follow these people and see what they share. If you’re looking for something to share, it’s a great place to find credible insight and comment that will help you make that move to share something with your network. 2 minutes read Read more Candidate Personal Branding Personal BrandingThis week we’re talking about ‘Personal Branding’. It’s grown in importance over the last couple of years, and it’s something you should take notice of if you are hiring, job seeking, or looking to grow your presence online.So what is it?It’s defined as ‘The conscious and intentional effort to create and influence public perception of an individual by positioning them as an authority in their industry, elevating their credibility, and differentiating themselves from the competition, to ultimately advance their career, increase their circle of influence, and have a larger impact’ (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding)And how do you go about it? We’ll offer some tips this week on small things that we’ve see our clients and candidates do well. Tip 1Before you embark on your personal branding journey, have a look at what you already have. What does your LinkedIn profile say about you? What other online presence do you have that people could find? Google yourself. What comes up?Do you have old CVs lurking on job boards?Have a ‘tidy up’ first and make sure your house is in order. Then you’re best placed to start to enhance it.Tip 2Once you’ve ‘tidied up’ your online presence, it’s time to start to enhance it.Firstly think about what you’re trying to achieve. Are you hiring, building a team and want to showcase your knowledge, employer brand and team/business culture? Or are you job seeking and want to show your expertise, capability and skills?Either of the above require some thought. And both will require you to ‘get active’ online. Start by commenting on other’s posts – offer some value, discussion and build a network that you actually converse with (rather than just watch!)Seen or read an article in your field? Share it and offer your point of view as curated content.Ask others to comment and support your posts. If you comment on other’s posts, they’re much more likely to participate in a discussion that you instigate.Stick with it. Engagement doesn’t come overnight and it takes determination to stick with it and keep posting.Tip 3Sounds really obvious, but building a personal brand is impossible unless you use your own voice.Copying or mimicking someone else never carries weight, and anyone who knows you will see right through it. Be authentic and be you.Some people story tell. Share a journey. What value or insight can you offer to help others by sharing your experiences? Others are more prescriptive by sharing narrative about specific things that have happened or are happening.What’s vital is that it’s genuine. You’ll only amplify your brand by sharing value and contributing to others. And they’ll reciprocate.Whether you’re active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or other social networks, you need to be consistently ‘there’ to be seen.Tip 4So, your profile looks good, you’re commenting on posts and creating and curating content. What’s next?Keep going. Go deeper. Who are the people, movements or organisations in your industry who get great engagement? Continually speak to others and provide value? They’re influencers and others will listen to them, follow them and engage with them.So follow them too, and pick up on trends or innovations in your industry, share the content and gain influencer buy in. Tagging someone or a business in a well-constructed post grabs their attention.Tip 5It’s a hard thing to separate your personal life and feelings, and your ‘business identity’ or ‘brand’. There’s nothing wrong with sharing insight into you. People love to get to know the whole person and by sharing personal thoughts, along with business dialogue just grows your authenticity.Growing a personal brand is a long term project, and there’s probably no end point. Before the growth of platforms, personal branding was reputation. What do you stand for, what are you know for?That has to be brought to the table time and time again.Want to know more? Contact us for our LinkedIn guide 3 minutes read Read more Client Pharmaceutical, the NHS and the green agenda Interesting blend here of how the NHS merges with the green agenda, with businesses realising the impact that the climate change can have on delivering the high quality healthcare that this, and future generations, will need. Pinder Sahota from NovoNordisk states that many members of ABPI are already committed to reducing their carbon footprint.Do you think the NHS will achieve net zero health system by 2045?Read the article here and to talk to us about this, and anything else 'pharam' related, get in touch <1 min read Read more Client The Australian Trade Deal The first trade deal since Brexit. It's been interesting to see some of the reactions, and thoughts from industry. Whilst there seems to be overall support for the deal, it's unlikely to generate anything significant for GDP.Tesco and Morrisons have already declared they won't stock Australian beef as they have a 'British' sourcing policy. Sainsburys have been rather non-commital and other businesses such as Waitrose have yet to make a statement.We've all seen the news that the UK farmers are concerned about cheaper imports flooding the market, and others seem more concerned about food miles, which was a great debate a few years ago. What's right or wrong isn't for debate here, but at least a deal has been done, and we hope it benefits the UK food industry rather than hinders it.https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2021/06/15/Food-industry-cautiously-welcomes-Australia-free-trade-agreement <1 min read Read more Client UK Report on Jobs - June 2021 The latest UK Report on Jobs is available and what a difference a few months makes. There's plenty of good news here around a swell in vacancies, both permanent and temporary, and the greatest growth in vacancies since January 1998! That's before some job seekers were even born. What's also paramount however is the ever growing skills shortage. The list is growing, and recruitment consultants are now included in the professions where skills shortages have been reported. There are a number of factors in play here, but investment in training to ensure people have the skills for the areas of demand puts further pressure on the government.We're seeing a marked down turn in the availability of candidates. We think this is two-fold. Many people who experienced redundancy during the pandemic are more likely to be recently employed and settling into new roles, along with thousands who went through hefty restructuring, and may be in internal 'new roles'.These are unchartered waters and time will tell how businesses will adapt to fill the skills gap, but without question, those who think latterally and show greater flexibility surely have better prospects to attract and retian top talent.Read the report here, and to request a pdf copy or discuss how this may affect you, do contact us here 1 minute read Read more Client Steve McKiernan - Winner of Snaith Mayor's Award Steve McKiernan is a local hero!Winning an award is always a proud moment for anyone. And when it’s given as an accolade for services to the community it can mean even more. That’s the honour given to one of our consultants, Steve, who is the proud recipient of the Snaith Mayor’s Award for Services to the Community 20-21.Steve is a founding trustee of the town’s playing fields, a facility which provides a space for local football and sports teams to train, and for the community to hold events. Formerly the Chairman of the Snaith Junior Football Club, Steve was instrumental in setting up the buildings, pavilion and other facilities for locals and visitors to use.On winning the award, Steve told us ‘It was a real surprise to receive the news I’d been nominated for the award, and even more so to hear that I’d won. I got involved with the club when my son was 6, he’s now 25 and the club has gone from strength to strength.’Well done Steve, we're all really proud of you. <1 min read Read more Recruitment and The Market - May 2021 Recruitment InsightThe UK Report on Jobs was released recently, produced by the REC and KPMG.It's positive news. Not only did vacancies rise at their fastest rate for 23 years in April, key growth areas were across IT, Accounting & Finance and Engineering. This has sent starting salaries rising, but against a reducing candidate pool. What's fuelling this? The article shares more but we predict this trend to continue.https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/news/press-releases/report-jobs-recruitment-activity-rebounds-near-record-rates-april-easing-lockdown-boosts-market-confidence <1 min read Read more Client Digital Marketing and Recruitment It’s a digital world It really is. And more so since Covid. We’ve said many times, Covid has accelerated things. And we’ve seen that in the FMCG and Consumer arenas that we recruit into.Here’s some insight into how the market has behaved, and this week we’ll share how things have changed in this space.So, what have we seen? Well, in contrast to a year ago, we’ve seen an increase in the number of roles within marketing, and digital marketing. The explosion in online sales has been so great, that many retailers, (and perhaps those who hadn’t paid as much attention to online), have been on an upward trajectory in digital marketing.POS, once the focus of many merchandising teams, has had to shift into online POS and Customer Experience is key. Gaining insight into the attitudes and behaviours of shoppers has been critical to success and we’ve seen a shift in roles towards our clients seeking candidates with specific online and digital marketing skills. Specifying which retailers a candidate should have experience with, such as Amazon, has heightened demand for those in these areas.Who’s busy, busy, busy?The Toy industry has performed well over the last year. Perhaps there’s an element of pester power, but lockdown and spending more time at home has no doubt been the key driver in this market.But coupled with this, there’s also been a key trend in people wanting to lift the spirits of their families, and those of friends and colleagues. Gifting has also overperformed and whether we’ve become more compassionate or not, business operating in these areas have been recruiting candidates with digital and consumer marketing skills.Just like we saw in the Engineered Products review, products for the home and garden have spiked, and candidates with knowledge and skills in these areas have had their choice of roles.But all of our clients are still cautious. Once people start to travel again, will there be the same demand? Time will tell, but many HR teams are paying close attention to the OD within their businesses as to over-recruit now, means pain later.Euromonitor discusses many of these trends, and consumers demand for increased activism from products will only increase, as will their expectation of a seamless online experience. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ten-global-consumer-trends-for-2021-11610976600What do candidates wantOh, can we ever tell? Well, this is a candidate led market. It was before, but it’s grown. People are very focused on the culture of a business – is it right for me? Will I be able to develop my skills and experience? Does the business have a wellbeing agenda? Candidates want to feel valued, that they’re a person, not a number. They’ll research staff turnover and attrition, who also works there and are there long-term prospects? They want trust, not micro-management.They also want a straightforward recruitment process. Most first interviews are still taking place online, and in the case of remote working, at second and subsequent stages as well. This streamlines the experience of candidates, and in the world of those who create and market customer and consumer experience (CX), it needs to.More than ever, candidates are expecting flexibility. Hybrid working is here to stay and coupled with that, benefits are also important. It was reported on 6th May by the BBC, 43 out of 50 big employers asked stated they do not intend for staff to return to the office or workplace full time.Will the upwards demand for candidates continue? We think so in 2021 and we’re busier than ever in this area. And with opportunities aplenty, why not?It’ll costWith the rising demand for marketers over sales professionals, salaries for astute marketers are escalating. Bigger businesses are paying more, pushing salaries upwards and annual salary reviews need to reflect the work that’s gone in, and the results. And for those with strong online retailer experience, www.amazon.co.uk, www.AO.com and suchlike, this knowledge can command a heftier package.We’re seeing an increase in counteroffers in this area. In April, 4 out of 5 offers to our candidates were met with a counteroffer. That’s scary stats for Hiring Managers and HR teams. And the counteroffers have been generous, making ‘staying’ even more appealing. But the overriding view of this sector, is that it’s never been more exciting. Pace, innovation and competition has driven change like ever before, and we suspect this trend will continue.For more information or to discuss, please contact us or get in touch with Zoe Gudgeon 3 minutes read Read more Client The Engineering Market April 2021 Recruitment and Engineering Engineering is a well-documented ‘skills shortage’ and as recruiters, we know that it can be hard for businesses to attract talented engineers with the skill set they require.This week, we’ll be looking in more detail at the trends and challenges facing businesses recruiting in this area, and what this means for candidates who are considering a career move.According to machinery.co.uk, 85% of manufacturing businesses are feeling the strain of a lack of skilled workers (March 2021) and 18% of businesses are understaffed across their engineering teams.We concur. Since January this year, 30% of the vacancies that we have taken on at Expion are within engineering. And the roles are across the board. From Head of Engineering and Chief Engineers, through to multi-skilled and packaging engineers.What’s the cause of the skill shortage? Over 40% of businesses cite a lack of qualified candidates, along with an aging workforce and a lack of willing apprentices. But what of the stats? Around 186,000 new engineers are needed until 2024, but there’s a deficit of 20,000 annually according to Industryeurope.com. Can we blame Brexit? Perhaps, but the skilled workers scheme shouldn’t prevent anyone with engineering skills coming to the UK, although with Covid, I suspect this scheme hasn’t been truly tested.So if you’re recruiting in engineering and feeling the pressure, you’re not alone. How to attract engineers into your businessThere’s no one size fits all. We recommend creating a ‘proposition’ to share with recruiters, or work with your recruiter or HR team to create one.It’s like a sales tool. Have a brainstorm of why someone would want to join the business and the team. What makes you unique? What can you offer that another business can’t? I’m not talking about money here – it’s about opportunity, progression and engineers love to have the chance to broaden their experience. And if you’re recruiting in project engineering, what’s the value of projects an incoming project engineer would be able to work on?Be open (as much as you can) on the specification of the candidate. A tight spec with a long list of must haves is a sure way to reduce your candidate pool. Could you attract someone from an industry that isn’t performing so well? Aerospace firms have been hit hard by Covid, whereas those in FMCG, Pharma and Distribution have thrived.Are you paying competitively? If you’re below market rate, you’ll find yourself short of talent and unable to compete. Could you consider someone part-qualified? Supporting someone who is training can be a good way of managing salary banding and contributing to developing future succession for your business. Keep ‘em sweetRetaining your engineering talent is one way to avoid having to recruit. But it’s deeper than that.We’re seeing a lot more commitment to personal development, and employers offering to pay costs and give time out to study for engineers who wish to continue their studies, as far as degree level and masters in some cases. Engineers seeking chartered status can be picky over who they join, and will want to ensure that the business will seek to support them, often within a defined time period. Staff are far less likely to leave if you are funding their development, and especially if there’s a tie in period after qualification. Francesca, who heads up our Automotive division said ‘Businesses are also paying the fees and supporting their engineers in achieving chartered status’She added ‘A lot of companies are pushing on with apprenticeship recruitment programmes.This is a stark contrast to the last recession where the large majority pulled out of their apprenticeship schemes, and it's a sign that they have felt the pain of a diminishing candidate pool’. There are other insights too. From offering secondments to other departments/divisions and involvement with business initiatives (D&I, wellbeing), businesses are driving ways to not only develop, but keep their talent. Who’s helping? From government, schools and organisations working in the sector, there are numerous initiatives to encourage young people to pursue STEM careers. The long term vision is to encourage more people into skills-short areas, but will they ever catch up? We don’t know. But there are a variety of people and organisations helping. From the Automotive 30% Club to The Engineering Development Club, these organisations promote STEM careers and run programmes in schools to inspire and motivate young people to consider technical careers. The growth of the UTC framework of schools is designed to bring technical vocations to life for young people and grow the next generation of engineers. #stemambassadors also do amazing work in schools. Talking about the day-to-day life of people in industry makes STEM careers seem less ‘technical’ and more achievable. Let’s hope these amazing initiatives have a big impact on the future of our engineering capability Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Diversity and inclusivity are rising up the agenda for many businesses, who are also looking at creative ways to attract a diverse candidate pool - through cross-training, mentorship and buddy systems to really support people from diverse backgrounds in joining and building a long-term career in the engineering sector. There are also plenty of initiatives around accessibility. How can employers make roles more accessible to candidates with disabilities? Many websites are being modified to ensure accessibility for all, and this should also mean an increase in applications from diverse applicants. And don’t forget, every recruitment process needs to be accessible to all.Want to know more? Contact our team here 4 minutes read Read more Candidate Personal Development - To qualify or not to qualify? Personal development is a hot topic, and there's an ongoing 'pressure' to ensure CPD is top of the agenda when it comes to appraisals, promotions and secondments.But what does it deliver? Caroline has written a guest blog for UK Recruiter on this very topic - read the article here. <1 min read Read more Candidate The Power of Three - Everyone Matters. Clients. Candidates. Colleagues. The Power of Three – Clients, Candidates, ColleaguesEveryone Matters.Here at Expion, we believe that everyone matters. Our clients and candidates tell us that we offer an exceptional and consistent recruitment experience allowing you to benefit from our expert opinions and supporting you on every step of your recruitment journey.What sort of support do we offer?How our Colleagues SUPPORT our Candidates.We give CV advice. If your CV isn’t suitable for the role we’re talking to you about, we’ll tell you. And share with you a template and a step-by-step guide to make your CV shine.We give Interview Coaching. We really do. We have an inhouse Interview Coach, Liz, who works with our candidates before interview. She ensures everyone is prepared for interview, understands their ‘Red Thread’ and is able to articulate their experience well.We’ll ask about your other interviews. Not so we can pit others against you. But to share any knowledge we might have about that business. Give YOU an outsider’s view. As our candidate, you’ll have additional information to help you decide which role is best for you.We’ll meet you. We place you and you can expect a visit from us on site. It’s a proper check in, catch up and a way we can ensure we’ve done all we can to support you to settle in.There’s plenty more. But it’s only by working with us, you’ll get the real ‘us’. How our Colleagues SUPPORT our ClientsThat might sound obvious. But it’s about doing the extra and building a true partnership that we think makes us stand out.We’re your eyes and ears. Sensing how a candidate is feeling, where there’s a risk we might lose a valued candidate from the process and providing that insight to a client. We advise clients to include incoming team members in team communications, team lunches (Covid permitting) and even the Christmas party if it’s the festive period.We can let you know what others are doing in the market. If we’re proposing a retainer to you, we’ll provide insight into your competition for candidates. Often overlooked, this can make all the difference to developing the role proposition and landing that ‘gem’.We’re market savvy. As members of APSCo and Elite Leaders, we have access to market reports that others don’t. And as our client, we’ll share. All part of the service. How our Candidates SUPPORT our ColleaguesYou may ask what we mean by that. But it’s a partnership right?We can only be as good as the information we have. So the way to work well with a recruiter is easy. Be honest, be upfront and respond.Make sure we’ve got your up-to-date CV. You’d be surprised how many people have old CVs saved in job boards and then get upset when they apply with an old CV and think we’re in the wrong.Be honest about your salary expectations and don’t over-egg what you’re looking for. We’re open with our clients so be open with our colleagues to make sure there aren’t any surprises as the process goes on.Tell us what’s important to you and why you’re interested in the role. A ‘new challenge’ is very vanilla and 95% of candidates give this as a reason to look. It’s a good reason but make it specific if you’ve applied to a role and help our colleagues do their best work for you.And give us feedback. If you’re not interested in a role, let us know. We’d rather you select the role that’s right for you than feel cajoled into proceeding with a process that you don’t have your heart in. How Clients SUPPORT CandidatesWere you expecting that? Perhaps not, but the goal is to recruit the right person for your business isn’t it?A recruitment process is like dating. It's getting to know each other, putting in the work and showing your best bits. And for a business recruiting, it’s making sure your chosen candidate chooses YOU. I'm not talking about overinflating and over promising. But making sure they are as right for you as you are right for them. There's no one size fits all, but if you are interviewing, think about how the business portrays itself, who you meet during the interview process and how you feel around the people you'll be working with. Here are things I've seen businesses do well:Invite the candidate to a team lunch after the interview. It's more relaxed and makes them feel 'included' early onInclude incoming team members in team training and team building events prior to startingShare business updates, company information (where possible) so someone joining feels part of the business before they are 'in the building'Have a senior member of staff call to welcome them. Amazing how powerful that can beSend them some products (if you can) that they can share with friends and family. Makes the incoming employee proud of who they work for before they do! The list is endless, but it’s important not to overlook. If you’ve made an offer to someone and they have a 3 month notice period, that’s a long time for their current employer to try to persuade them to stay. And it's also a canny way of batting away any counteroffers. How our Clients SUPPORT our ColleaguesThey do. Perhaps we’re just lucky. But having a supportive client #makes all the difference to us and helps us to do our job better.You might be thinking, how can a client support a recruiter?Here’s what I’ve seen clients do wellBe open and transparent about the work you’re asking us to do. If there’s internal candidates, preferred candidates and other recruiters in the mix, just let us know. Allows us to be more open with the candidates we represent, and we in turn represent you more accuratelyOpen communication with the line manager. Hearing from the ‘horses’ mouth the nuances about the role and the attributes a candidate should possess helps to make the role ‘come alive’. And it gets us excited about finding candidates for the roleInvolving us in the process. Hearing our thoughts on candidates and why we think they should be considered. We get under the CV (and some CVs don’t necessarily make candidates shine). And some clients ask us to conduct the first stage interview with the line manager saving the client time and resources.Helping us get paid! You may chuckle but we don’t have any other income and providing PO numbers and making sure invoices are approved are vital to the lifeblood of any business. We love partnership. And we value it. Thank you to all the clients who offer us that ‘hand of friendship’. And to find out more about how what we do could SUPPORT you so get in touch 5 minutes read Read more Candidate UK Report on Jobs - April 2021 Update Recruitment Insight The UK Report on Jobs was released today, produced by the REC and KPMG.For jobseekers, it makes for encouraging reading - permanent and temporary job vacancies rose sharply in March and vacancies expanded at the quickest rate since August 2018.For employers, increased market confidnce should start to unlock those who have been reluctant to consider a move, and salaries rising should play a factor in this. But employers also report a skills gap - construction, IT and retail all have incompatible supply and demand.What's your experience? Have you seen these trends play out, or noticed something different?UK Report on Jobs <1 min read Read more 1 2 3 Next › Last » © Expion Ltd and Expion Silverstone Ltd Recruitment website by volcanic Quick Links Jobs Our Candidate Experience Clients Blog Contact Us Head Office Heritage Exchange, Plover Road Lindley Huddersfield HD3 3HR 01484 599111 info@expion.co.uk Proud member of