Sanderson Recruitment Blog

The Sanderson Blog Has Moved!

2013-11-20T16:10:00.000+00:00

We've taken the Sanderson blog, made a few adjustments to it and given it a brand new home on our website. Over there you will find all of our previous posts as well as every new post we publish!

Take me to the new Sanderson Blog

We'll see you there!

10 Secrets to Successful Interview Preparation

2013-10-04T14:09:00.000+01:00

No matter how many you may have been to, interviews are always a daunting prospect. Thorough interview preparation can help to ease your stress and provide you with the best possible chance of convincing the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job. Remember, your CV only gets you to the interview; it's the interview that gets you the job!

As an experienced recruitment consultancy, here are our 10 tips for successful interview preparation:

1. Do Your Research

A big part of your interview preparation should include researching the company; its mission, values, products/services and accomplishments. It is also beneficial to look wider and be aware of the latest developments in the industry and the company's competitors. An employer will always find it impressive if you have researched their company and can discuss what specific change and benefits you can bring to them.

2. Anticipate Questions, but Don't Rehearse Answers

“Why did you apply for the role?”, “Why should I hire you?” and “How can you use your previous experience for the role?” are some of the most typical interview questions As part of your preparation, also think about behavioural questions that are intended to ascertain how you will behave in certain situations: “What would you do in the following scenario..?“ or “Give us an example of how you would handle a certain situation?”. It’s tricky to prepare for such questions but it’s worth thinking about particular situations that you have handled well and your past achievements. Read the job description very carefully to understand what kind of personality they are looking for.

Although it is important to anticipate questions and think about possible answers in advance, try not to rehearse them too much. When you're nervous, you might fall into the trap of providing prepared answers without actually answering the question. Remain flexible and adapt your answers.

3. Be Skill Specific

Candidates often read through their entire CV during their interview, forgetting that the interview presents an opportunity to draw on their most relevant experience and expand on it for the interviewer. You should know your CV inside out for referral purposes - don't just read it. Always have examples ready to support every statement you make.

4. Know Your Audience

Get to know your interviewers before the interview: their role within the company, their previous experience, particular interests and aspirations. Don’t forget that an interview is a two-way interaction. If you understand the person/people interviewing you, it should help you to build a rapport with them and aid them in picturing you as part of the team. Social media is your best friend in this instance; use LinkedIn to research your potential new employers.

5. Deep Clean Your Social Media

Speaking of social media, don't forget that nowadays employers are likely to research their job applicants’ personality through LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. As part of your interview preparation review and modify the information that is public on your social media; check out our guide on making sure your Facebook profile doesn't cost you your job.

6. Look the Part

They're not the be all and end all, but first impressions count. You have been invited to the interview, so clearly you have the right skills and experience, but are you a great cultural fit?

If you have done step one of your preparation properly, or have spoken to your recruitment consultant, you should have a good idea of the company culture and the appropriate dress code. If you are unsure, it is better to be slightly over-dressed than under-dressed And, of course, always make good eye contact, give a firm hand shake and smile.

7. Interview the Interviewer

How many of us have written “emergency” questions before an interview (when we're not really interested in the answers) simply to allow us to say something when an interviewer asks "have you got any questions?". Although it’s essential to think of questions in advance, they should really relate to your discussion during the interview.

Remember that your interview also allows you to determine if this is the right opportunity for you. Don’t ask questions about the salary and benefits first. Of course, these are important, but you should decide if the role is right for you first.

8. Eliminate Unnecessary Stress

Remove unnecessary stress by preparing your travel arrangements beforehand. Plan your route and allow extra time for any unexpected delays. Be sure to get everything you need to take with you ready the night before so that you don't arrive late.

9. Use Your Recruitment Consultant

If you are using one, your recruitment consultant will be keen for you to be successful and will assist your interview preparation greatly. A good recruitment consultancy will have an established relationship with the company you are going to be interviewed by and will be able to give you a brief note on what they are looking for.

10. Get Confident!

Putting some time and effort into your interview preparation will give you the best possible chance of getting the job you want. Shake off some of those nerves and believe that you have what they're looking for!

Want more tips and advice?

Download the full Sanderson guide to perfecting job interviews

Learn how to write a successful CV

6 Tips on Using Mobile Technology to Attract Top Talent

2013-09-18T08:44:00.000+01:00

by Steve Phillips, Client Solutions Director

Mobile recruiting has become one of the most popular subjects in the world of talent acquisition. The explosion of mobile technology has created a huge new audience of potential job-seekers presenting new challenges for recruiters and HR professionals to develop innovative ways of engaging with their targets.

Currently,70% of all job seekers search for jobs via mobile devices. In addition, 20 % search for information about careers through these devices. The analysis of our own website traffic indicates that our mobile traffic has nearly doubled in the last three months with a growing number of applicants using our Recruitment App to apply for jobs. Furthermore, the LinkedIn infographic highlighting top global recruitment trends this year shows that 87% of businesses believe that they have not adequately invested in making their recruiting process mobile friendly.

It is clear that if you are not incorporating your mobile capabilities into your sourcing strategy, you are missing the trick! So what’s next?

Here are some tips from an IT recruitment business on how to make the mobile technology help you attract the best available talent:

Align your mobile recruitment strategy to corporate goals

According to the recent research by Aberdeen Group, despite the focus on mobile initiatives, talent acquisition functions still operate independently, and their strategies don’t support the overall business objectives. “One-size-fits-all” model won’t work, you should determine which approach will be best for your organisation.

Mobile-optimise your careers site

Increase your talent pool by making it easy for candidates applying for jobs through their smart phones, iPads and tablets. Ensure your mobile-optimised careers site can be viewed through a variety of mobile devices.

Make it as user-friendly as possible

Mobile job seekers are likely to have limited time and/or possible restricted bandwidth. A tiny screen to view content doesn’t help either! Make it as user-friendly as possible by only including the most essential information (e.g. big, clear font, prominent phone numbers) and avoid excessive imagery.

Enable referrals on-the-go

Referrals are a very powerful source of candidate attraction. Make it easy for your employees to use it. Equally give your candidates the ability to “share” your job listings through social networks.

Make your social sites mobile friendly

Increasingly job-seekers use networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook in their career search. Besides, 38% of organisations surveyed in Aberdeen’s talent acquisition research believe that LinkedIn will replace the resume over the next few years. 60% of Facebook usage is via mobile devices. How easy is it for your potential targets to view and apply for a vacancy you posted on your social networking sites through their smartphones?

Focus on candidate experience

First impressions count! Mobile recruitment strategies play a vital role in improving employer branding. If the initial candidate experience is poor – you are in danger of losing strong applicants. This is your opportunity to promote your organisation showcasing its strengths. Simple steps such as clearly explaining what happens after the application is completed, providing the name and direct line of the recruiter and links to useful resources such as blogs & guides to assist the candidate make a huge difference.

What is your experience of managing mobile technology to attract talent?

Share your views in our comment box below. Get in touch if you would like to discuss how you could best develop a results-driven mobile recruiting strategy to expand your talent pool and increase brand awareness of your organisation.

Trends in Business Change Recruitment Survey

2013-09-13T14:36:00.000+01:00

Are you involved in sourcing talent for "Business Change and Transformation" projects?

Then we would like to hear your views!

Sanderson, as Business Change Recruitment experts, are conducting a survey “Trends in Business Change & Transformation Recruitment” across a variety of industry sectors, with a large number of HR and Business Change professionals taking part. It should only take a few minutes to complete.

Complete the survey here.

We would be happy to share the results of the survey with you. Please email: info@sandersonplc.com to register your interest.

Thank you in advance for your contribution!

Cowboys and Consumers - Who rules the Finance Industry?

2013-09-09T14:07:00.000+01:00

RSG Debates is a series of round table events held throughout the year, which bring together industry leaders who are relevant to a central topic of discussion. As Head of Sanderson's Financial Recruitment division, Tim Donaghy joined some of the UK's leading CFOs to discuss: Can Business Self Regulate? To find out more about future RSG Debate events and how you can participate, please click here.

Is the Financial Services Industry run by cowboys making rash decisions with the hard earned cash of the unsuspecting public, or is this an industry that is regulated and genuinely consumer/customer focused?

The rules and conduct of people in responsible positions within The Financial Services Industry are well documented in the FCA Handbook and the theme of the handbook is indeed consumer and customer focused. I would recommend a quick read as it is very simply written and specific in its purpose.

A quick look on the FCA website shows that there are indeed implications to breaking the codes of conduct. On the home page the following headlines jump out at you:

“FCA fines Guaranty Trust Bank (UK) Ltd £525,000 for failures in its anti-money laundering controls”

“FCA fines compliance officer and broker whose actions enabled market abuse to be committed in October 2010“

So, if the rules are plain and simple and implications of breaking the rules are obvious, why are there still breaches and why is consumer confidence so low?

Is the punishment severe enough? Or does the punishment fit the crime (Fred Goodwin et al)?

How many people were imprisoned on the back of the meltdown in 2008, or at any stage for that matter?

When does incompetence become negligence?

Maybe the answer lies in the level of punishment; maybe it lies in the expectation on returns demanded by an often ill informed public, or maybe it lies with the well publicised bonus culture of the industry. What is clear and certainly stressed at the event is that the challenges are complex, no one group is to blame for recent issues and that plenty of questions remain unanswered.

How to Write a Successful CV

2013-08-29T15:37:00.000+01:00

No matter how many jobs you may have applied for in the past, knowing how to write a successful CV remains one of the most daunting tasks for any job seeker. It may have been years, if not decades, since you last had to write a CV and you might not know where to start, but don't worry; as a professional recruitment company, we have seen our share of the good, the bad and the downright bizarre in terms of CV applications, so we have put together this easy to follow guide on how to write a successful CV from layout to content.

Your CV Layout

Name and Contact Details
Personal Statement
Employment History
Education
Additional Information
References

Name and Contact Details

Present your CV with your first and last name clearly in bold at the top of the page. Underline this with your current contact details including your home address, telephone number and email address. You can also include any websites or blogs that you own if they are relevant. Thinking about adding a photograph? We'd advise against it - let your content do the talking.

Top Tip Many job seekers believe that they have to include their date of birth, nationality and marital status on their CV. Updated discrimination laws now mean you do not have to include this information, so stick to the basics.

Professional Statement

Understanding the purpose of your personal statement can go a long way in helping you to write it. This is the space you can use to tell an employer about your strengths, your expertise and your goals and aspirations for your next move. Tailor it specifically for the job you are applying for, avoid using worn-out cliches such as 'team player', 'dynamic' and 'results driven' and keep it short - 200 words is fine (use 3 bullet points if it helps).

Top Tip Look at the type of language the employer uses in the job specification and make sure you match up to what they need.

Employment History

We always advise adopting a 'chronological CV' style, which means highlighting the job roles you have held starting with the most recent. This allows you to show the depth of your experience as well as how recently you have utilised your skills. List the employer, your job title and the time frame you held the position for on one line. Write in the present tense for your current job and in the past tense for everything previous to that.

Whatever you do here, don't be vague. Bullet point your responsibilities and key skills and support all statements with an example of how or what you did. Employers like to see measurable results, so make sure you include hard statistics (increased by 40%, reduced costs by 27%, etc). For every sentence you write, ask yourself: is this relevant information for the job I'm applying for? Does the employer need to know this and will it increase my chances of getting the job? If the answer is no - delete.

Top Tip Employers and recruitment agencies often use the CTRL+F function to scan your CV for keywords, so check the job spec and be sure to use the keywords they have included.

Education

The highest qualification you have achieved is the most important. If you include A-Levels/GCSE's don't list every individual subject and grade; a simple 9 GCSE's grades A-C will suffice. As always, think about what you have done that makes you the right candidate for the job. For example, did you cover a module in your degree that would support your application? Did you manage any projects that would demonstrate your skills?

Top Tip Your Education should follow after your Employment History, unless you are applying for a graduate scheme, or have less than 3 years experience, in which case your Education is more relevant.

Additional Information

You can also label this section as 'achievements' if appropriate. Depending on how much space you have left, use this section to highlight any significant things you have achieved. These can be within the work place if you haven't already mentioned them under Employment History, or outside of work. Achievements can include languages you speak, IT skills and additional capabilities, voluntary or charity work you have taken part in and any interests or hobbies that you feel demonstrate that you would be ideal for the role you're applying for.

References

You don't need to include full references within your CV although you do, excuse the poor pun, have to at least make reference to them. If you have enough space left, include the contact details of two references including their full names, job title, company they work for, email address and their work number. If you don't have enough room to include this, write 'references available on request' in bold at the very end of your CV.

3 Things to Remember When Writing Your CV:

Proof Read. You will hear it every time, but that is because people still don't do it. Microsoft Word will automatically do this for you, but it won't let you know if everything you have said makes sense, or if your punctuation is correct. Ask 2-3 people to read through your CV to make sure it all makes sense. Ask them what skills came across the most to ensure you're making the right impact.
Keep it Simple. Unless you're applying for a creative role, keep the style of your CV simple. Fonts should be clear, black, easy to read and consistent throughout. Put titles in bold and insert horizontal line breaks to segment your CV into tidy sections.
Keep it Short. There is no one rule for how long your CV should be. While two A4 pages is considered to be ideal, if you have lots of experience you may need to go over this. As long as everything you have written is concise and most of all relevant you will be fine.

>> Job interview coming up? Download our guide to acing your job interview

>> Want a free review of your CV from the Sanderson experts? Drop us an email at info@sandersonplc.com with the subject line "CV review".

Georgina Fenn is a Business Relationship Consultant for Resource Solutions Group. For more advice, connect with Georgina on LinkedIn.

10 Tips for Implementing Successful Change Management Projects

2013-08-21T08:00:00.000+01:00

Organisational Change is a must for many businesses operating in today’s competitive environment and, according to a recently published study by DDI: Global Leadership Forecast 2011, driving and managing change will remain a top priority for business leaders. However, many organizations get it wrong; they hope that by adjusting certain processes and structures that change will happen automatically and people will follow.

As Business Change recruitment experts, we understand that it is the employees’ response and willingness to change that will ultimately determine the success of any Business Transformation Project. With Change being fundamental to business success, here are a few tips from change management recruitment experts for implementing it effectively:

Don't rush. Take your time to carefully determine what you need to change. Devise a step-by-step strategy that considers both short and long term goals.
Communicate clearly and transparently throughout the entire process. You don't want your employees to hear rumours from a mis-informed third party, which could lead to inaccurate speculation.
Be inclusive. What might be obvious to the Leadership team is not necessarily obvious to the rest of the staff. Treat everyone as an individual and discuss how the change will impact them directly.
Be prepared for resistance. As creatures of habit, people will cling to what they are used to if they are given the chance. Be consistent and address all concerns raised.
Reward and motivate. Ensure you share and celebrate any successes with all of your team and reward even small achievements. This will help to uphold enthusiasm and illustrate the benefits of the change.
Select "Change Champions" who will lead smaller teams by example. A few well-selected individuals will boost morale, particularly amongst those staff who will be most affected by the change.
Don't give empty promises. Organisations' failure to deliver often results in lost trust and can lead to the employees' initial enthusiasm fading away. If something does not go quite to plan, be honest and explain why.
Be patient. People need time to adapt their behaviour to structural and process changes. Introducing gradual, high quality training can be a real investment.
Monitor progress. Keep track of the change project and constantly seek feedback. Don't be afraid to adjust your plan if you believe it is the right way forward.
Consult with Business Change recruitment experts. If you use external Business Change consultants, make sure they understand your organisation, its values and its aspiration. They should change and adapt their strategy to suit your organisational needs - never let them take a one-size-fits-all approach.

Do you agree with our tips? What is your experience of change management projects? Share your views in our comment box below and we will get back to you.

What's next?

>> Download our free guide to effective talent management
>> Follow the Sanderson Facebook page for live job market updates

The Future of the Jobs Market: What's in it for you?

2013-08-12T16:37:00.000+01:00

Filtering through the latest REC Report on Jobs and CIPD's Labour Market Outlook, it can be difficult to fathom what action, if any, you should take based on their findings. Overall, the conclusions drawn have been positive for both employers and job seekers, but how should you respond to the changing jobs market?

A key finding from REC's July Report on Jobs is the fact that the number of available vacancies has reached the highest figure in six years. This surge in availability largely stems from the increasing confidence of employers toward the jobs market. As they start to invest once again in sourcing talent for their companies, so the availability of permanent and contract placements rises. Unlike employers, employees and potential candidates remain ambivalent toward the positive turn the jobs market appears to be taking. Unsure of whether it will last into the long term, employees are sitting tight in their current roles, which has lead to a gap between the high demand for skilled workers and the availability of suitable candidates.

For Job Seekers...

In order to take advantage of the opportunities that are emerging, as a job seeker you should focus on continually developing your skills in order to stay ahead of the competition. In particular, specialist recruitment companies cited that there were major skills shortages in IT (.Net, Java, Business Analysts) and Finance (Accountants, Compliance, pay roll).

For Employers...

From an employer standpoint, you should not focus too much on sourcing new talent; retaining the best talent currently within your company should remain a top priority. It is inevitable that your employees will become more open to offers from other companies as confidence in the jobs market grows. Therefore, the development and implementation of a strong talent management strategy should be of key importance to your resourcing team over the coming months.

>> Download our free guide to Effective Talent Management

>> Read 'How to Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Get a New Job'

Are Job Boards a Cost Effective Method of Recruitment?

2013-08-01T17:00:00.000+01:00

I would be very interested in hearing people’s thoughts on how useful advertising is as a recruitment tool for clients, candidates and recruitments agents. As an industry, are we getting true value for our money?

From a recruiter’s point of view, my mindset has changed. Five years ago I would have ensured that any new consultant in my team had a sound knowledge and understanding of various job boards for advertising new vacancies and attracting new candidates. My initial belief was that this was an integral part of becoming a successful resourcer. My view on this has now completely changed.

I believe there is now too much of a reliance on job boards which has resulted in a reduction, or a loss of old fashioned recruitment skills such as networking. In addition, job boards are very expensive! Effective networking is an art form, which, I think, produces much better results for all involved in the recruitment life cycle. It is a real skill that is not achieved overnight and takes time to master through experience, but it is the premium recruitment tool available on the market and it is FREE.

So what makes Sanderson different?

At Sanderson, we always make sure that our trainee consultants understand the value of obtaining a new candidate through a contact who is known to us; either as an existing client or candidate who we know is of high quality. This process enables us to provide our clients with a short list of trusted candidates that are of known quality and not just a response from a job advert.

No doubt, you can find a huge number of “positives” and “negatives” about job boards, but this post is not meant to be perceived as a closed personal statement. I would like to use my initial thoughts to become a vehicle for generating a healthy discussion and understand people’s views around the true value of job boards. Do they have a positive effect on the recruitment industry?

And please, if you would like to chat to us about how we can deliver a unique resource solution for your needs, please call us on 0207 337 9900.

Jon Ball, Operations Director, Sanderson - Connect with me on LinkedIn

Is Your Facebook Profile Stopping You From Getting a Job?

2013-07-24T11:41:00.000+01:00

There are 1.2 billion people on Facebook, 550 million on Twitter and 225 million on LinkedIn; some of them are yourselves, some of them are your employers and some, perhaps most importantly, are your future employers.

A survey conducted by Reppler found that 91% of recruiters and employers now use social media to screen applicants before they ask them to interview; 69% of those admit that they have chosen not to employ someone based on what they've found. With this in mind, it is now more important than ever before to project a professional persona online, particularly when you're looking for a new job.

Source: Reppler

1. Lockdown Your Facebook Profile

When an employer or recruiter searches for you on Facebook, unless you have accepted them as a Friend, they should only be able to see your name and your smiling profile photo. While all the options are available on Facebook to prevent employers you don't know from seeing your full profile, it can be a bit of a challenge trying to find them - until now.

Click to enlarge

Click on the cog icon in the top right hand corner and select 'Privacy Settings'. The first and third options you will see are the most important to you. They let you choose who can see anything you will post in the future and everything you have posted in the past. Make sure you enable Friends only for the first option and 'Limit Past Posts' for the third.

2. Control Your Friends (Posts Only)

Facebook is one of the most personal social media platforms out there, so you don't want everyone seeing what you share on it. However, even if you are careful with what you share, you don't have as much control over what your friends share on your Timeline.

To protect this aspect of your profile, select the 'Timeline and Tagging' option in the left hand menu of Privacy Settings. You will see two important options: 'Who can see posts you've been tagged in on your timeline' and 'Who can see what others post on your timeline'. By enabling Friends only under these options, you will hide from employers any content that your friends post or tag you in.

Click to enlarge

Top Tip! By selecting Friends, only those people you have accepted on Facebook will be able to see the contents of your profile. The Everyone option means exactly what it says on the tin; anyone and everyone can see the content you share (and scarily, they can save or print screen that content and take it elsewhere).

3. See Yourself From the Eyes of a Recruiter

Under the Timeline and Tagging menu, you will see an option titled 'Review what other people see on your Timeline'. By selecting this option you will see how your profile appears to anyone who looks at it who is not an accepted friend of yours. You can even type in the name of someone within your friend list - perhaps a work colleague- to see what information you are sharing with them. Sharing too much with the wrong people? Make sure you have followed the steps above and let's move on to creating Friend lists.

4. Divide and Conquer Your Facebook Friends

Your Facebook friends are a diverse bunch; you will have close friends, family, work colleagues and probably a few people you never even speak to any more lurking about. For this reason, you might not want to share the same content with all of them. For example, you might want to post a photo from a night out that your boss probably doesn't need be made aware of. How do you keep it from them without them knowing? With a Facebook friend list. It may seem a bit tedious to organise, but if you are going to add people from work and share content from your private life, it's worth doing.

Go to the Facebook profile of a work colleague
Click on the 'Friends' tab at the top of their profile (toward the bottom of their cover photo)
Select 'Add to another list...' > '+New List' and call it 'Work Colleagues'
They will automatically be added to the list
Now go the profiles of other work colleagues and click on the 'Friends' tab - you will automatically be able to add them to the Work Colleagues list

Whenever you share content on your Facebook profile, click the Friends tab > Custom > Don't Share This With and type in Work Colleagues. Click save and they'll never you know you've put them on a list, or that you're hiding content from them.

Click to enlarge

Top Tip! Too much hassle? Facebook automatically gives you a Restricted list, which will hide all of your content from those who have been added to it; particularly handy if you don't want to offend someone by not accepting their friend request, but also don't really want them to see what you're up to.

5. The Alternative to Everything Listed Above

Don't share your life online! The temptation is there to share every little thing you do with everyone you know, but - a shock for some, I know - you don't have to! Like it or not, social media is narrowing the gap between our public and private lives and is bringing us closer together online than we may ever get in person. Definitely share personal content on your social media profiles - that's what they're there for after all - but don't share anything that could compromise your career.

6. Use Facebook to Your Career Advantage

Click to enlarge

In the same way that you can use your LinkedIn profile to get a new job, you can use your Facebook profile to your advantage. 68% of employers surveyed by Reppler also revealed that the good things they found on a candidate's social media profile contributed to them being hired. If you share work appropriate content and can keep a tab of what is shared on your profile, then by all means leave it open for employers to find and browse. This can be the perfect way for them to gain an insight into your personality and realise that you are the right cultural fit for their company. It can be dangerous ground, but, when handled well, it can work in your favour.

The Social Media Small Print

You can follow all of our tips above to protect your privacy, but ultimately, total privacy on social media doesn't exist. An increasing number of employees are reporting that their fellow work colleagues and Facebook 'friends' have taken a print screen of their after work antics and shared them with senior members of staff, which has led to disciplinary action being taken.

Although we like to think our social media profiles are our own space to use how we wish, if we are going to invite people from our professional life into our personal life we have to take a bit of responsibility for what we share. So, whenever you go to post something, ask yourself if you would be happy to share it with a new employer. If the answer is no, keep it to yourself, because the chances are they might just end up finding it.

Cassie Lockyer is a Senior eMarketing Executive for Resource Solutions Group. If you have any more questions on this topic, or would like some advice on using social media in your job search, please connect with her on LinkedIn.

How to Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Get a New Job

2013-07-18T09:26:00.000+01:00

We'll assume that you are already a member of LinkedIn because your ideal employer most definitely is and you want them to find you when they are looking to fill a new role. But how do you ensure they do that? Follow these tips on how to use your LinkedIn profile to get a new job and you'll stand out to your new employer and their recruiters for all the right reasons.

1. Your photo

This is the first thing that will catch the eye of a prospective employer, so make sure it’s for the right reasons. Employers don’t want to see how adorable your children are, what a great night out you had with your friends, or how fantastic you look in that filtered selfie. They want to see someone they can envision working for their company, so make sure your photo looks professional, friendly and only features you in it.

2. Your job title

Sounds straight forward enough, right? Wrong. If you only state your job title, an employer won't be able to pick you out from the hundreds of others who have the exact same occupation. By going that little bit further and adding a few words about your speciality in the field, or your industry passion, you’ll stand out from your competition.

For example, you might be an SEO Manager, but what does your role offer a company? For example, why not add – ‘Putting your company in the #1 spot’ after the title? Let a company know what you can do for them and you’ll instantly be a more attractive find.

*Be confident* - If you are in a position where you can be open about looking for a new job, say so in your job title. State what you are looking for in your job title and recruiters will be able to spot you from a mile off!

3. Your Summary

Your summary is one of the most important and useful parts of your LinkedIn profile, but also the most under-used. This is the space you can use to tell a prospective employer about your career background, what you have achieved and, if possible, what you’d like to do next. Whatever you do, don't skip it!

Use this space to add personality to your profile. Don’t list tasks and responsibilities that you have fulfilled; instead write about results you have gained and achievements you have made. Write about what aspects of your career you enjoy and how you have progressed. Your LinkedIn profile should, as a whole, highlight your career success and potential. The hardest part about this should be keeping it within 300 words.

*Make it easy for employers* - Invite prospective employers to get in touch with you. Whether it's by email, LinkedIn Mail, telephone or social media, make it easy for them to get in touch if they like you.

4. Your Experience

Your experience should show your current and previous employment positions, the key responsibilities you held within each role and any major achievements you made during your time there. When writing about the company you have worked for, wait for LinkedIn to load the company pages that exist under that name. Once you click on the correct one, the company logo will appear on your page helping it to look visually appealing and more credible.

Using tick boxes makes your experience look neat & tidy.

Begin with a brief paragraph on what your job role entails and then bullet point your achievements to keep it neat. Don't forget to ask previous employers to recommend you - the option is directly available from LinkedIn if you click on the arrow next to 'Edit Your Profile'.

*Be relevant* – Don’t list previous employers unless they have added value to what you want to do now. For example, if you are trying to progress as a Business Analyst, it won’t help a prospective employer to know that you used to work at your local pub. Always think about what your ideal employer is looking for.

5. Your Education

LinkedIn members typically go wrong here by listing every academic achievement they have ever earned, including their Grade 2 in Flute from Primary School – trust me, I've seen it. Everyone should include qualifications achieved at University, or courses they have taken which are relevant to what they are doing now, but going beyond that depends on your current career level. If you are a recent graduate, including your A-Level subjects might be beneficial to an employer. However, if you are well established on your career path and have good work experience, you don’t need to go beyond your most recent and highest qualification.

Top Tips

Customise your profile – Did you know you can change the layout of your profile by moving around all of the above sections? Simply click ‘Edit Profile’ at the top of your profile and look at the top of each section. You’ll see an arrow sign to the right that allows you to drag each section to a new place. Remember, you want to look your absolute best to a prospective employer. If you have some fantastic recommendations from previous employers, move them closer to the top for all to see. Have you been endorsed a lot for your skills and expertise? Show them off by moving them up. As a rule of thumb, keep your summary at the top and customise from there.

Use the hidden gems - There are sections available to a LinkedIn profile that very few people make the most of. These include a section to write about any charity and volunteering work you may have done, as well as a space to list honors and awards you have achieved. These are spaces you should use to differentiate yourself from the masses. You can add these sections while you are under the 'Edit Your Profile' tab. If these areas are really impressive, make sure you utilise the customisation tip above to bring them to the top of your profile.

Join the dots - When the right job does come through to you, make sure that your CV matches up to the information you have shared on your LinkedIn. Once your profile is up to scratch, you don't want to undo all your hard work by offering a below par CV.

Good luck and please let me know how you get on!

Cassie is a Senior eMarketing Executive for Resource Solutions Group. For more advice, find her on LinkedIn.

Debate: Is the Consumer a Regulator of Business Behaviour?

2013-07-15T14:18:00.004+01:00

June 2013 saw the launch of RSG Debates, a series of round table dinners held throughout the year, which invite thought leaders to join together to discuss the most topical issues concerning one appointed theme. In June, the spotlight was focussed on the financial services sector and the question of whether business can self regulate. Held at Benares restaurant in Mayfair, London, the dinner was hosted by Nick Hall, Partner at KPMG, and was attended by finance directors and CFO’s from FTSE 100 companies.

The concept of regulation vs. self regulation is vast and it was to be expected that we would gather a varied range of arguments and opinions on the topic, the most interesting (and perhaps most controversial) of which I am going to share with you over the course of my next few blog posts. Don't forget, if you are interested in the financial sector, you can subscribe to the Sanderson Financial posts. To begin this series we will focus on:

What role does the consumer have to play in bringing about positive change to errant business behaviour?

Starbucks were used as a relevant example during this particular discussion as they paid £5m in UK corporation tax this year – something they have not done since 2009.

“The move followed a barrage of criticism, including a comment from David Cameron at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January when he attacked low tax payers using the coffee reference – though not specifically naming Starbucks, Google or Amazon. A spokeswoman for Starbucks declined to say how many customers it had lost following the high profile row which started with demonstrations outside some of the outlets by the campaign group, UK Uncut and ended with scorching criticism from parliament's public accounts committee.” Guardian June 2013

It was thought that this was a particularly interesting scenario that illuminated the potential power of the consumer to influence businesses’ decisions on how they account for themselves. Yes, this was an act of ‘self regulation’, but had they not been put under the glare of the media’s spotlight, would Starbucks still have paid up? Should David Cameron have even mentioned these companies in public? In a world of straplines and media sensationalism, the whole truth is far from being accurately represented and consumers often react to the one sided story they are presented with. In this instance, shouldn’t the thousands who campaigned outside of Starbucks stores also have been campaigning against the fact that there are legal loopholes within regulation in the first place?

“Accounts filed by Starbucks UK with Companies House this week will show the British side of the business still not formally profitable. Starbucks is expected to close up to 30 of its shops around the country this year. A similar number were shut last year amid tough competition from Costa and other brands” Guardian 2013

The Consumer: Irregular Regulator

As pointed out by a number of our Debate guests, it is particularly interesting to note that consumers do not always react with their feet as they did with Starbucks. The collapse of the Rana Plaza clothing factory in Bangladesh was identified as a case where a company’s operating habits were below standard and caused a large number of casualties. However, this has had little effect on consumer habits. In fact, the most recent reports from Primark, one of the stores which had clothing manufactured in Rana Plaza, has said that their profits have actually increased by 20% over the past three months.

“When the garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed with the loss of more than 1,100 lives, the world was shocked. But many shoppers still value bargain price clothes above the lives of the factory workers. Almost half are no more likely to ask where garments come from than before the April 24 disaster, a study claims. Slightly more than one in ten are ‘a lot more likely’ to ask, the same percentage of shoppers who believe retailers bear the most responsibility to ensure safety and acceptable working conditions” Metro, June 2013

Debate guests suggested that the large majority of consumers are ill informed; they demand that the industry to be more responsible and ethical, while at the same time requesting strong returns on their investments and pensions. As such, they do not fully understand why corporations seek constant strong growth and, while their habits may be a good reflection of how well a business is doing overall and could be considered a regulator of sorts, regulation should be put in place to protect consumers, it should not be led by them.

What are your thoughts on this? You can let us know by leaving a comment below, talking to us on Twitter using #RSGdebate or joining the discussion on our LinkedIn page. We want to hear from you!

Get to Know Sanderson: Our Regional Director

2013-07-09T16:44:00.004+01:00

If you're thinking about selecting Sanderson as your recruitment partner (a great idea, we must say), you'll probably want to know a little bit more about the team. Our new series of Get to Know Sanderson blogs will give you an insight into the great people we employ, how they've achieved their experience and why they're the best people you can choose to help you resolve your resourcing challenges.

Meet Harvey Woods, Regional Director at Sanderson

Where you'll find him:
Heading up the Sanderson Manchester team on King Street

Harvey, give us your CV and experience in a nutshell:

I graduated from the University of Salford in '97 with a BSc in Business & Management
I applied to work as a Resourcer at Computer People
Building up experience from the bottom, I starting out sourcing candidates for a team of Consultants in the pre-internet era
15 years later I was a member of the Board and running just over half of Computer People
Set my mind on a new challenge in the "corporate" environment and was approached by CBSButler for the role of Sales Director

What made you want to work at Sanderson:

When you do your due diligence on Sanderson, you quickly realise the sheer scale and scope of what you can achieve there. Sanderson, to me, represents the best foot forward of the staffing industry, a grown up forward thinking environment full of high tenured professional people who are passionate about their company and brand, and their role within it. It’s a company you instantly want to align yourself with for the rest of your career, and I don’t think I can say anything that resonates stronger than that.

Find out how to apply for a career at Sanderson

What does your role involve:

My role as Regional Director is to attract the top 10% of talent within the industry to work alongside us in Manchester. We make no apology for wanting the best people to work with us, and to build an industry-leading business that is respected internally and externally. Ultimately, a relationship based approach to the market underpins everything we do. We look for the areas of concern or strategic importance to our customers, and then try to advise on an appropriate solution. With our candidates, it’s about taking the time to understand their experience, skills & aspirations in depth and in person, wherever possible, so that we can correctly advise them on the best opportunities as a trusted career partner.

Find out how we can resolve your resourcing challenges

What are your hopes for the Manchester team:

My aspiration is that, within 5 years, Sanderson Manchester is the default selection as the staffing partner of choice within the region; that we employ unmatched standards of ethics and conduct; that we are known for the highest levels of service excellence. My team and I have a vision of what Sanderson Manchester looks and feels like in 2, 5 & 10 years, and that’s what we strive towards every day.

To talk to Harvey and the Manchester team about how we can help you, give them a call on 0161 618 1030

How to Make Bankers Accountable for their Actions

2013-06-25T10:28:00.001+01:00

Sanderson's Head of Finance, Tim Donaghy, comments on the Parliamentary Commission of Banking Standards' latest report and whether it will make bankers liable for their negligence.

The cross-party Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards' fifth reports proposes that bankers are held accountable for their actions in the future, and threatens imprisonment for those guilty of 'reckless misconduct'. The report highlights that, despite numerous scandals being illuminated in recent years, senior level bankers have not been punished for turning a blind eye on their responsibilities.

The report advocates that senior bankers should be assigned clear personal responsibilities, with the legal onus on them to show they have done all that is reasonably required; recklessly disregarding their responsibilities should be a made a criminal offence; senior bankers should adhere to a new set of banking standards set by regulators; bonus pay should be deferred for up to 10 years and cancelled if a banker acts irresponsibly and banks should be legally required to put financial safety ahead of shareholder interest.

These measures are without doubt a step in the right direction, however, it puzzles me as to why five reports on this subject have been made already, yet this is the first time a notion is being mooted! I recently attended an RSG Debates event based around the question of whether businesses can self-regulate. An interesting point was made during the course of the evening; a blue collar worker can be imprisoned for stealing £100 out of the petty cash tin, yet a CEO receives a £1m a year pension after overseeing the complete demise of a bank (RBS and Goodwin). The magnitude of the injustice of this double standard is incomprehensible and, as the report points out, for too long bankers have fallen back on the claim that everyone was party to a decision, therefore, no individual could be held accountable.

It is about time that the high earning executives who we entrust with our money should be made liable if they are found to be negligent. Perhaps the promise of imprisonment, rather than bonus schemes, will incentivise them to be more responsible in the future?

How to Protect Yourself During Pre-Termination Negotiations

2013-06-17T10:59:00.000+01:00

Our guest blogger this month, Katherine Sadler-Smith, Training & Know-How Lawyer at Osborne Clarke, explains what the new legislation surrounding confidential termination negotiations means, and how you can ensure that your pre-termination discussions are protected.

Following a consultation exercise in Autumn 2012, the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS) introduced legislation which, from this Summer, will enable employers and employees to engage in confidential settlement negotiations before termination of employment. As a consequence, both parties should be able to negotiate freely without fear that the anything discussed (such as the value of offers made but declined) may be raised in any subsequent 'ordinary' unfair dismissal claim at an employment tribunal. Previously, this type of legal privilege only extended to “without prejudice” discussions taking place after a dispute had already arisen.

Sounds good, but what's the catch?

Employment tribunals will have a limited discretion to take into account anything said or done in negotiations which, in the tribunal's opinion, was improper and which it would be unjust to exclude. As such, the protection of the new rules could be lost because of the way pre-termination settlement negotiation are conducted. Also, the protection will only extend to ‘ordinary’ unfair dismissal proceedings, so will not cover claims arising from ‘automatically’ unfair dismissals, such as dismissal for reasons connected with pregnancy, for making a protected disclosure or for participation in trade union activities.

So how do I ensure that pre-termination discussions will be protected?

Following another consultation in February, Acas has published its response document, which includes a revised statutory Code of Practice on Settlement Agreements ("the Code"). A non-statutory guidance document will also be published alongside the Code to aid understanding of the new legal provisions. Failure to follow the Code will not, in itself, make an employer liable to tribunal proceedings. However, employment tribunals will take the Code into account and so compliance will be an important factor when considering whether there has been any improper conduct. In particular, the Code sets out some points of good practice for employers to follow, including:

• an explanation of the test of "improper behaviour", as well as illustrative examples of such behaviour, such as victimisation and harassment;
• allowing employees to be accompanied at settlement agreement discussions;
• template settlement agreements and information on what parties need to so to make settlement agreements legally valid (template letters will also be included in the non-statutory guidance);
• allowing ten calendar days as the minimum time period to consider the formal written offer on which independent advice must be obtained; and
• that while an initial offer may be made orally, the final agreement must be in writing.

APSCO announces growing need for Finance professionals

2013-06-10T16:10:00.002+01:00

Tim Donaghy, Head of Accountancy and Finance at Sanderson, discusses the latest positive news for the Financial Recruitment sector.

Finally, green shoots of news from APSCO! After a year of hearing from FDs and CFOs that they are confident that there is a growing need for more qualified finance professionals, analysts are finally seeing this as a reality. But where is this growing need coming from? Although 2% doesn't sound like a huge increase, this is significant for the finance recruitment sector and is a good indicator of general business confidence. When the finance (and other) recruitment market is in full swing, requirements are created due to three major drivers:

Natural attrition and churn
Growth
Business change or projects

When the recession hit, all three of the above were severely affected: people were not moving resulting in less opportunities; businesses were seeing negative or no growth, therefore head counts were frozen (or reduced); and major projects were put on ice.

As businesses start to show confidence, candidates become a little more open to moving, and projects start to come back online. This is what we are witnessing on a day to day basis right now. People who 'fancy a change' are now looking for new challenges, which in itself creates backfill opportunities. Many of the CFOs I am speaking to are investing heavily in new technology as competition for clients and business increases. This is having a positive effect on demand for quality interim candidates and aligns itself with the APSCO findings.

Consultants in the finance sector have been living off the bare minimum since 2008, with the industry seeing a huge amount of attrition; only the best, toughest or most foolhardy remain. Here's hoping the wait has been worth it and here's hoping you are positioned to take advantage of the growth.

How should we react to the latest Labour Market Statistics?

2013-05-16T12:41:00.000+01:00

Nick Walrond, Director at Sanderson Recruitment, shares his views on how we should respond to the latest Labour Market Statistics Report (May 2013).

The Labour Market Statistics released yesterday presented us with an account of falling employment rates (down 0.2% from Oct-Dec 2012) and an increasing population of unemployed individuals aged between 16-64 (15,000 more since the final quarter of last year). Yet we have to remind ourselves that such unemployment data is a lagging indicator of the current health of our economy. Expectedly, we saw a sharp rise in unemployment following the start of the recession in 2008, but since then the figures have ebbed and flowed only modestly – reflecting the challenging conditions we have seen over the last 4 years.

Typically we find there are two responses when such reports are published - those of the bulls and the bears. The bulls see the current confidence of the stock market as an ensured return to the good times, yet they should be cautious. Until we see a significant drop in unemployment, we cannot make any assumptions that this is the case. On the other hand, the bears in the market will view the current unemployment figures as a key indicator that the economy has not yet recovered; we are indeed on the mend, but by no means there yet.

With France returning to recession, I believe that caution is the best approach. The rising stock market will certainly inject some life and wealth for some, but until we see a consistent lowering trend in the unemployment levels, it would appear the bears have taken the right stance - bulls beware!

Cotswold Plod - Charity Walk - Action for Medical Research for Children

2013-05-16T10:12:00.004+01:00

How hard can a charity walk be? It’s just one foot in front of the other, right? Well, at midnight on Friday 7th June 2013, the team will be tackling a 40 mile walk across the Cotswold Way, and it’s been described by the organisers as “not for the faint hearted or ill prepared”... this may not be as easy as we’d thought for us, office based softies!

Our training to begin with had been going well, our walks in and around Bristol had been relatively easy, and we had been improving on our times. So when it came to trying out the first stage of the Cotswold PLOD for training, we thought we’d be done in no time! However, when reaching the top of the first hill out of breath and wondering why on earth we’d decided to do this, some of us realised that doing 40 miles non-stop would be no easy feat! All of this, of course, is for a very good cause, and our training and fitness has improved (honest!).

Action for Medical Research for Children is a fantastic charity. You’d be surprised to hear how we all may have benefitted from their work at some point. Here are some of their major initiatives:

• Help in funding the first Polio vaccine
• Help fund the development and on-going development of a Meningitis vaccine
• Ultrasound scanning in Pregnancy
• Help fund the development of the Rubella Vaccine
• Developing a brain and heart scanner for babies
• New scanning techniques for Epilepsy
• Help fund the technique for finding faulty genes for rare disease
• Preventing Spina Bifida through Folic Acid research
• THE LIST GOES ON

So if you’d like to contribute to an amazing charity, or you just see the comedy value of a group of office dwellers on a 40 mile trek, please donate what you can: http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/sandersongd

Shareconomy - What the buzzword of 2013 means for business

2013-05-10T09:51:00.000+01:00

Khalid Razouki, Recruitment Consultant at Sanderson, defines the latest buzzword 'shareconomy' and what relevance it holds for recruiters in 2013.

‘Cloud Technology’. ‘Managing Trust’. You’re no doubt familiar with the buzz words of the past two years, but what about ‘shareconomy’, the term of the moment used to describe the societal shift from owning to sharing? If you’re not using it yet, you will be soon according to Frank Pörschmann, CEO of CeBit, as ‘shareconomy’ is evident in several dimensions: "First, shareconomy is profoundly influencing enterprise processes, because social media tools will become more and more popular. Second, the Internet is the place for teamwork, both in and outside the company. Partners, consultants, suppliers and customers will be more closely integrated as part of a networked process. The borders separating companies and organizations will become ever more transparent. Therefore, employees and managers must rethink and be prepared to share know-how, contacts and assets."

For Sanderson Recruitment, the importance of sharing information is paramount to our success. From a resourcing perspective, it’s essential to have a deep and insightful understanding of the current market; what companies are hiring? What projects are on the horizon? Are there any companies merging? What are the current market rates for a skill set and how are they changing? Knowing this information is essential in ensuring we deliver the best service to both our candidates and clients. We have achieved this by having a company culture of “shareconomy” where sharing market, company and client information - as well as working collaboratively amongst consultants, managers and directors - is now a natural and every day occurrence.

In the not too distant future, blogs, wikis, polls and other software solutions will dynamically change our working world. Software solutions will be used even more as required; they must be customized, targeted and application-specific. The trend is moving from a complete package solution to shared solutions like SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). As Pörschmann notes, ‘it's about the Facebooking of the global economy. Whoever wants to be successful must actively network."

The underpinning theme in the concept of “shareconomy” is collaboration and the benefits of this, in terms of information and knowledge, will include improved experiences (for both clients and candidates through increased effectiveness), efficiency and reduced costs to name but a few. In 2013, ‘shareconomy’ is the one buzzword that recruiters cannot afford to ignore.

Margaret Thatcher - Her Conservatism and its Impact on the Flexible Labour Market

2013-04-17T11:55:00.001+01:00

The recent passing of Margaret Thatcher has prompted much debate, and reignited old rivalries from when she was in power. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation, Flexible Labour Markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of Trade Unions. The successes, trials and tribulations of her Government are very real to see and still impact substantially on our way of life, none more so than the Flexible Labour Market.

This is where I turn my attention and ponder whether “Thatcherism” has benefitted the Recruitment Industry or specifically “the provision for temporary and contract resource”. When Mrs Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, British Labour Unions were powerful and Labour Markets rigid, inflexible and in many ways uncompetitive. Her first task was restoring “a fair balance between the rights and duties of the Trade Union movement.” It was Thatcher’s view that British Labour laws were in need of reform because the Labour Party had allowed unions to bargain for wages and working conditions that made British firms uncompetitive in an increasingly global economy.

Thatcher’s Labour law reforms forced managers to think about employees as individuals, rather than Trade Union Member bound by rules and restrictions. During the 1980s there was a series of Employment Acts which served to buttress the Unions and empower the individual (1980, 1982, 1988 & 1990 Employment Acts and the 1984 Trade Union Act). This was supported by the progress shown by New Labour, after they won the General Election in 1997. Their caution and avoidance to reverse many of these changes hints that something was radically wrong in Britain in the 1970s and that many of Thatcher’s reforms had (however grudgingly) gained widespread acceptance. In fact although minor changes were made, the Labour Government avoided radical change in this area, which allowed the continued development of free and Flexible Labour Markets.

With privatisation and the change in Labour laws, came competition. Organisations needed a flexible workforce that could operate with rapidly changing supply and demand. Temporary workers and individuals operating through private limited companies provided one such solution.

Today, UK industry is full of flexible Labour solutions; the recruitment industry has benefitted significantly from the changes made. Flexible workers, such as contractors and freelancers, now account for 6% of the UK’s workforce, making it a significant constituency within the UK, deserving of a voice at policymaking and Governmental levels. Today’s British Labour Market is more vibrant and dynamic, in part, due to the Labour Union reforms of the Thatcher Government.

Stuart Adams, Manager, Sanderson Government & Defence

Regulatory Framework for Employment Agencies and Recruitment Businesses

2013-04-17T10:48:00.000+01:00

A rather lengthy title for a rather lengthy and convoluted piece of legislation. RSG (Sanderson is an RSG company) have taken part in Government’s recent consultation on this, and for those not in the know, there is specific legislation that governs the recruitment industry. It sets out a framework not only for how the industry engages with the client (or ‘hirer’), but also with the temporary worker / contractor and those seeking permanent employment.

Traditionally, I think we all recognise that temporary workers and contractors are not ‘one and the same’. However, the legislation we have been working with now for a number of years is a ‘one size fits all’ and the higher end of the contracting market, where individuals are supplied by a third party (their own personal service company or an umbrella company), have inadvertently been pulled into this. This leaves us having to follow due process with each contractor we place. Not only is the legislation poorly drafted in places, but the chances are that if you ask a contractor what their intentions are, and would they like to opt out, a majority will not entirely be sure what you are talking about!

Consultation has just closed, and RSG welcomed the opportunity to work with APSCo (the Association of Professional Staffing Companies), taking an active part in their Working Group to review the effectiveness and appropriateness of the current legislation.

It is crucial that Government supports legislation that protects work-seekers at risk of exploitation by unscrupulous staffing companies. It is also, however, important that legislation does not act as a barrier to economic growth by imposing unnecessary burdens on recruitment businesses that do not pose a risk to work-seekers. Having a new regulatory framework that protects the vulnerable sectors of the labour market while recognising a distinct professional sector where temporary workers are not at threat is paramount and we would like to see this distinction clearly reflected in a move away from the ‘one size fits all’ legislation. This has been a feature of regulation in the staffing industry over the past 13 years and we, like all APSCo’s members, recognise change is necessary.

RSG fully share and support APSCo’s views that the highly-paid business professionals who use professional recruitment businesses neither want nor need the protections of such legislation, and habitually opt out of the Conduct Regulations. However, the current opt-out system is fraught with difficulties. What we would like to see are arrangements between client businesses, recruitment businesses, and professional business consultants working via limited companies be considered ‘business to business’ relationships and therefore out of scope of any future regulations, in a similar manner to many professional business consultants being out of scope of the Agency Workers Regulations.

Alternatively, we would expect a minimum standard to be spelt out that protects the vulnerable but does not impact upon these business to business relationships. We want, and we think the industry desperately needs, a clear distinction between: highly-paid, highly-skilled professional business consultants providing their services through limited companies to end-user clients who do not have day to day supervision, direction or control over the method by which they provide the required service and lower-paid, often unskilled and vulnerable individuals who work under the supervision, direction, and control of the end-user client.

Whether there will be change or not remains to be seen; we at RSG are committed to continuing to voice our concerns and lobby government effectively in order to reach a point where this distinction can more easily be seen and dealt with. In the meantime we will keep you updated as to the results of this consultation.

Karen Ainsworth-Smith, RSG, Legal Services

March Jobs Report: Skills Shortages and the Implications for Recruiters

2013-04-10T10:16:00.000+01:00

Mike Beesley, CEO at Resource Solutions Group (RSG), comments on the March Report on Jobs and the implications of its findings for recruiters.

The latest Report on Jobs by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG has shown that the IT and Computing sector has seen the most demand for permanent staff for the second month running, despite many other sectors finding that demand has slumped. While this is positive news for the sector, the report also worryingly highlights that recruiters are finding few candidates who hold high level skills such as Java, .Net, online marketing, business intelligence and SEO, which are required for top roles.

The vicious circle that this situation could lead to is concerning, with employers prepared to pay high starting salaries to attract top talent, yet in reality ending up paying for below-par employees as candidate availability continues to decline. REC Chief Executive, Kevin Green, suggests that immediate government intervention is required to assist the next generation of workers in order to develop the skills that we are currently witnessing such a shortage of:

“The government needs to build the talent pipeline for the future by increasing funding for apprenticeships in sectors where there is demand, refocusing the Work Program to train people who have potential but who lack the skills to fill current vacancies and driving take-up for existing schemes like the Youth Contract.”

Inevitably, this situation also holds numerous implications for recruiters. While demand for high quality permanent IT talent remains strong across the UK, clients are increasingly facing resourcing challenges in attracting the best talent as traditional recruitment strategies fail to deliver. It is now more important than ever before for recruiters to create innovative and specifically tailored talent attraction projects in order to approach the widest possible market place accurately and effectively.

Find Mike on LinkedIn

Sanderson in Edinburgh: The Story so Far

2013-04-08T11:09:00.000+01:00

Andrew Morton, Associate Director at Sanderson Recruitment, provides an update on our progress since landing in Edinburgh.

It’s been nearly 9 months since we opened the doors to our Edinburgh office on Hanover Street and, it has to be said, we under-estimated the response we would receive from customers and candidates in this local market.

For those of you that have not heard our story (and there will be many of you in Scotland that haven’t) then I would encourage you to get in touch. To give you a flavour though, Sanderson are the largest independent IT & Business Change recruiter in the UK (the 5^th largest overall). We hold a trading history of 35 years, during which time we've worked hard to maintain our position as the top supplier for the largest IT and Change programmes in the UK; it’s a strong blend of independent agility and experience efficiency that makes us unique.

Having seen many peaks and troughs during my 15 years within the IT and Business Change recruitment industry, there’s no doubt that the current market is challenging and will continue in this vein for a good few years yet. That said, in the short time we've been operating in Edinburgh we have successfully grown our business levels within our existing customer base and indeed started to engage and transact on a large number with some of the most important change programmes occurring in Scotland over the next few years.

We've seen a real appetite within the business community to work with new, fresh suppliers. They’re keen to tap into our knowledge and resource pools and equally keen to leverage our experience in this field.

So what does the next 9 months hold in store for Sanderson recruitment in Edinburgh?

We’ll capitalise on our successful programme and business wins and continually network within the thriving change community in Scotland.
We’ll continue to add to our internal team and establish ourselves further within the Scottish IT & Business Change community.

To sign off my first blog, I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the clients that have supported us in our early stages in Scotland and put their faith in allowing us to demonstrate our capabilities. Your partnerships are sincerely valued.

Find me on LinkedIn.

Budget 2013: The Future of Employment for Young People

2013-03-21T14:46:00.000+00:00

It came as a surprise during the Budget for 2013 to hear that, despite being caught in the worst recession the UK has seen, employment has seen an increase of more than 590,000 positions and is continuing on a steady rise compared to last year – a result that even leading economists are struggling to explain.

Despite this triumph, our next generation of workers, currently aged between 16-24, worryingly comprise the largest percentage of those who remain unemployed. Furthermore, the number of young people who are unemployed, in contrast to the rest of the population, is mounting more rapidly than any other sector of the public. In our last post we discussed the possible social consequences of long term unemployment in this age bracket and the urgent need for schools to provide pupils with an education that will equip them with the skills required to succeed in the workplace. However, this situation is sure to have a ripple effect on the wider employment circle – when we finally come out the other side of the current downturn, will we be facing fundamental skills shortages?

Previously we have seen that recessions have been followed by periods of severe skills shortages where economic growth has returned (everyone remembers McKinsey’s oft quoted – War for Talent of the late 1990’s). However, this is our worst recession yet and, therefore, will we also face the worst period of skills shortages in the next decade? What are organisations doing to prepare for this? Can you and should you invest now to avoid the issue in the future? Or does this require a more market wide move to ease regulations around employment, which would in turn make it easier for firms to invest in the development and progression of their staff?

Companies can find some solace in the budget’s proposed National Insurance Tax Breaks, which will help in reducing the tax burden on new hires, making the decision to take on new staff a little easier. Yet, is this enough? In an ideal world we would see a wider approach to investment being made in helping organisations to achieve confidence in the hiring, training and developing of their staff. Added to this, a reduction in employment regulation would make it easier to make quick decisions on a company’s staff base, injecting more life into those challenging hiring decisions within the 18-25 bracket.

That said, individual companies cannot address this issue in isolation; it will take a wave of renewed confidence in the marketplace to drive the level of hiring required to avoid what could be a growth inhibiting skills shortage / ‘War for Talent’ in the latter part of this decade.

Nick Walrond, Managing Director, Sanderson Recruitment

Food for Thought Leadership

2013-03-19T12:06:00.001+00:00

How do you entice some of the UK’s leading CFOs into a room to discuss regulation? Tell them it is being held at Michelin Star chef Atul Kochhar’s restaurant, Benares, and that the food and wine is free!

Seriously though, regulation in today’s business world is anything but a dry subject. In the Coalition Agreement published in 2010, the TorieLibDems said that they would cut red tape for businesses or individuals and not rely on rules and regulations by themselves to ‘get things done’. Exciting times for the money makers and entrepreneurs of these sunny isles I hear you say? May be not... is there less regulation now than five years ago?

RSG, one of the largest independent UK recruiters (and my employer) is holding a round table dinner for a number of CFOs to discuss the above topic. This is being held at Benares on the 17th April. The evening will be leading with the question ‘Can business self-regulate?’ As a Kiwi with a love of good food, wine and conversation, I am looking forward to a glass of (hopefully Marlborough) Sauvignon Blanc, a good Lamb Pasanda and some real insights as these business leaders share their views and experiences on these subjects. My gut feel is that the government’s words and the government’s actions are some distance apart (surprise, surprise)!

No doubt, as the evening progresses, there will be references to The All Black’s loss in the Autumn Internationals, The up and coming Lion’s tour and Ashes series. I need to prepare my responses thoroughly.
I promise to come back to you all after the event to update on the thoughts of these leaders, the quality of the food and on the sporting banter...

Tim Donaghy, Head of Finance Division, Sanderson
(Sanderson is part of RSG group of companies)