Employment Bill: Overview and Update

The Employment Bill, which was originally referenced in the Queen’s speech in 2019, has been significantly delayed. When enacted, which may be in 2022, it is anticipated to include the following topics:

National living wage and rising cost of living in the UK

The 2022 cost of living crisis in the UK has seen a record number of households face the biggest decline in income since the 1970s. In fact, according to research, UK workers think that inflation will soon rise again as a result of a number of factors including the Covid-19 pandemic, rises in national insurance (NI) contributions, unrest in Eastern Europe, and rising energy prices.

Great Resignation vs Staff Shortages

The UK’s talent crisis erupted in 2021 with staff shortages closing restaurants, leaving supermarket shelves empty and driving up thousands in retention bonuses.

At the same time as a mass talent shortage though, the UK is amidst a talent exodus. The Great Resignation seen in the US has now come to British soil, with the number of people leaving their jobs at an all-time high.

Between July and September in 2021 year alone, an estimated 391,000 Brits quit their job for a new one, according to the Labour Force Survey. So why are employers struggling to fill vacancies when more people than ever are on the move? This talent paradox is inspiring change for HR. While many believe the job market will stabilise in 2022, it is still unknown when the talent crisis will end.

For more information on the candidate market, candidate availability and staff retention please call Hales Group and speak to your local branch:

Bury St Edmunds – 01284 767979 Diss – 01379 642276

Letchworth – 01438 741833 Lowestoft – 01502 582000

Norwich – 01603 620473 Thetford – 01842 761398

#morethanjustrecruitment

Recruitment Firm Release Latest Candidate Survey Results

The Hales Group candidate survey collates valuable insights into both the industrial & commercial employment sectors

Regional recruitment firm Hales Group have recently released the results of their latest candidate survey, where over 300 commercial and industrial candidates have been invited to share their experiences and insights into the recruitment market.

The job market has expanded significantly as the lockdown eased. For example, in one just month in 2021 over 640,000 new jobs ads went live.

However, the survey tells us that candidates are still unsure about moving to new pastures due to fears around COVID, the cost of living, and a multitude of other factors, which means there are now more roles than candidates.

Highlights from the commercial candidate survey include:

See the Complete Commercial Candidate Results >

Highlights from the industrial candidate survey include:

See the Complete Industrial Candidate Results >

Kirsty Walpole, the Managing Director of Employment Services at Hales Group, has this to say “One of the biggest challenges in the labour market at the moment is staff retention. The rising cost of living and the tight labour market which has caused significant inflation in starting salaries for both temporary and permanent employees.”

“Surveys like this give us a real insight into the job market as a whole, and how candidates and employers are navigating these evolutions and challenges.”

Visit the Hales Hub to view all our previous candidate and client surveys plus more!

Hales Group Managing Director, Kirsty Walpole, raises £900 (and counting) with colleagues for Cancer Research UK

For the second year running, Hales Group have selected Cancer Research UK as one of their charities in 2022.

To kick off our fundraising activities this year, Kirsty Walpole, Hales Group Managing Director, took part in Dryathlon.

Kirsty commented: “January is always a time for New Year’s Resolutions and in 2022, mine are focused on self-care. I have always considered the Dryathlon but never participated; when I saw Cancer Research UK were behind the fundraiser, I thought it would be a fantastic way to raise funds for our charity and kick start my self-care plan.”

Continuing her self-care journey, Kirsty also pledged to run 2 miles every day throughout February to raise more funds for Cancer Research UK. She explained: “Whilst browsing Facebook one evening, I came across the challenge, also linked to Cancer Research UK, to run 2 miles every day throughout February. I thought why not make it a double month fundraiser!”

“Friends, family and colleagues have all pledged their support and I am excited for the challenge, to raise funds for a vital charity and a cause that has, and continues, to affect so many of our lives.”

Hales Group are committed to working with charities to give something back and make a difference to communities and the individuals within them. If you would like to sponsor Kirsty and help raise money for life-saving cancer research, please donate today via our Just Giving page.

National Apprenticeship Week 2022

WATCH 📹: Hales Group Managing Consultant, Megan Reeve, shares her apprenticeship journey for National Apprenticeship Week.

Do you enjoy talking to people?

Thinking about a #career in #recruitment?

To discuss our current job vacancies, please contact Kloe Mitchell on 07784046485 or send your CV to kloe.mitchell@halesgroup.co.uk

Think Jobs. Think Talent. Think Hales Group

How to Beat the January Blues

How to Beat the January Blues

Now we’re well into the new year; the festive celebrations seem like a distant memory and the cold winter weather continues to bite, it can be easy to slip into regular stints of irritability, anxiety and even depression.

If this is how you’re feeling at the moment, then you’re certainly not alone. In fact, millions of us throughout the UK will be feeling the same, and this is known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – or to characterise it by its more widely-coined nickname: the “January Blues.”

Commonly, the January blues can last for a few weeks and typically falls around “Blue Monday;” known as the unhappiest day of the year.

However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be the case, which is why we’ve put together a few ideas and tips to help you beat the January Blues in 2022.

Outdoor Workouts

One of the best tips for maintaining a strong exercise regiment that you’ll stick to is to do find something that you truly love to do.

Although January is usually a time to flock to the gym, before you sign up for a membership, consider what you could be doing outdoors. In fact, a recent study by the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan shows that by being outside you can reduce your stress hormone cortisol by as much as 15%.

When you consider that many find the gym to be a stressful and intimidating experience, this reduced stress could be key when trying to stick to an exercise regimen.

Using Exercise to Improve Sleep

One of the biggest contributors to SAD is disturbed sleep patterns, whether that be too much, or not enough time spent in bed.

By perfecting a workout routine that suits your lifestyle, you can make the most of your sleep and manage your energy levels throughout the day.

For example, it has been proven that a late afternoon workout raises your body temperature and helps you get to sleep easier. Conversely, an early morning workout ensures that you’re increasing your dopamine levels for the day ahead, and helps to reset your body clock to ensure you’re feeling sleepy in the evening.

Changing Diet

We all know that the festive period is a time of incredible indulgence – whether that be picking through a box of chocolate in the evening or enjoying a good tipple or two.

By improving your diet during January and scaling back on chocolate, booze, and rich food, you’ll have more energy, enjoy better moods, increase sleep, and solidify your resistance to those pesky winter bugs and illnesses.

That being said, it doesn’t mean that you need to give up anything cold turkey, it just means cutting back on anything that can have an adverse impact of your moods – such as sugary food and alcohol. Not only are these generally unhealthy for you, but they also increase your appetite unnecessarily.

Cold Showers

While leaving your warm bed for an ice-cold shower in the dead of winter, may not sound especially appealing, there’s a method in the madness.

By exposing your body to a cold shower, the water will trigger your sympathetic nervous system into action – the body’s reaction to stressful circumstances – releasing noradrenaline, which sets you up perfectly for the day ahead.

Admittedly, this may not be an option for everyone, though.

Reach Out

According to a poll from mental health charity Mind, four out of five 18- to 34-year-olds are more likely to put on a front in the face of anxiety or low mood. If this sounds like you, or someone close to you, now is an ideal time to reach out. This is a particularly pertinent point given what we have experienced in the past few years.

By preserving active social connections, both your physical and mental health will benefit from a boost of oxytocin, which helps to stabilise psychological activity.

Realistic Goals

One of the biggest reasons why we suffer from the January Blues is our overly ambitious New Year’s resolutions and our subsequent unhappiness at finding ourselves unable to achieve such lofty goals.

Of course, making resolutions to better yourself is no bad thing in of itself, but it’s important to ensure they are things that you can actually achieve.

So, ditch the vague resolutions such as “lose weight,” “save money” and break them down into smaller, achievable milestones – and be kind to yourself if you don’t quite hit your targets.

Takeaways

After the excitement and hustle and bustle of the festive period, it is completely normal to feel down at this time of year. January is typically a month of dark mornings, cold weather and getting back into the swing of the daily routine.

Usually, January Blues presents itself in the form of low moods, anxiety, lack of motivation and a general run-down feeling. In this blog, we’ve put together some of our top tips to give yourself that extra energy and get up and go.

If you’re looking to shake things up with a new role this year, don’t hesitate to contact us today to find the right role for you.

The Hales Jobs Market Insights Report

We’ve recently released the results of our latest candidate surveys, for both our commercial and industrial candidates, where we examine what job seekers are looking for in prospective roles.

The latest reports suggest that we are seeing an increase in job prospects, and we’ve seen some results that we weren’t expecting too.

How to Find the Right Recruitment Agency

If the time comes to hire new staff, but you’re not sure what kind of recruitment agency is right for your needs, then keep reading!

There are literally thousands of agencies in the UK, many with different specialisms and approaches to recruiting, so it’s easy to see why choosing an agency might be a challenging proposition.

To make life a little easier, in this blog, we’ve outlined what you should be looking for when making this all-important decision.

What Vacancies Are Available?

The first question you need to ask yourself is: “what roles am I looking to fill?”

This may seem pretty obvious, but by being clear about the vacancy from the very beginning will make it so much easier to select the right partner.

Other questions you should be able to answer:

Each of these things will have a bearing on which recruitment agency you’ll ultimately decide to partner with, so don’t rush and work with those closest to you internally to determine what you really want and need.

What Kinds of Agencies Are there?

Once you’ve decided on the criteria of the candidate you’re looking to bring on board, narrowing down the type of agency you need shouldn’t be too difficult.

There are four different kinds:

What About Local Agencies?

Depending on the vacancy, your location may play an important part in your decision, and in this case a regional agency may be your best bet.

For instance, perhaps you’re looking for a permanent office manager; in this scenario, your recruitment agency’s proximity isn’t likely to be indicative of a successful candidate.

Whereas, if you’re looking for a group of pickers and packers, it’s a better idea to work with a recruitment partner in your local area, since they’ll probably be screening the candidates in person themselves.

At Hales, we have a number of branches spread across East England, East Midlands and the Home Counties for this very purpose.

Considering Costs

Because you’re paying a recruiter, then you’d be forgiven for trying to find the cheapest option.

However, most agencies will charge based on a percentage basis rather than a flat fee; so you’re far less likely to find a bargain-basement price for recruiting services.

Whatever agency you ultimately select, fees are usually around 15-20% of the role’s eventual salary. And although it’s good practice to shop around a little, it’s rarely the case that fees will deviate too much from that percentage rate.

What to Look for in a Good Recruitment Agency?

It’s one thing to shortlist your preferred agencies, but in the end, how do you select the right partner for you?

There are a few things that you should be looking out for:

Are they a Member of a Professional Body?

There are a few different recruitment organisational bodies, but the most prevalent ones are the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC).

While membership or lack thereof is by no means a barometer of guaranteed quality, agencies who are part of these bodies will tend to exhibit ethical practices and are duty bound by certain guidelines.

Do They Offer Contingencies?

When a company hires someone new, there’s always a chance that they’ll pick the wrong person for the role. While a recruitment specialist can certainly help decrease risk, there’s still no way to know if it will work out.

To offer added peace of mind, many agencies will extend a contingency or guarantee – often in the form of decreased fees or a replacement candidate.

Reputation

As with any business, you can get a good flavour of who they are by whom they choose to work with. Any recruitment agency worth their salt, even a relatively new one, should have a selection of successful or repeat clients in their portfolio.

This will often be represented in the form of testimonials, and some companies will usually display the logos of the companies they’ve worked with on their website. If you happen to notice any big names in your niche or direct competitors, then there’s a good chance this agency could work well for you.

On the flip side of this, though, some businesses aren’t comfortable with sharing the details of their clients publicly; this in itself is not a red flag to suggest they are not a credible agency, so long as they are happy to show you examples of successful placements when asked.

How Can Hales Group Help Your Business?

Selecting any recruitment agency is easy, but choosing the right one for your business can be more of a challenge.

At Hales Group, we’ve worked with businesses of all sizes over the years, from new start-ups to national corporations.

Working with us can give your business the room to expand and transform. We don’t just provide people; we also offer the talent and support you need to take your business to the next level. To us, it’s always more than just recruitment.
If you’re interested in finding out more information about our recruitment services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

Which Sectors Are Hiring During the Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, but some areas of the job market have felt the impact more than most. The world of work is changing rapidly, and while some sectors have felt the pinch, others are in a much better position.

As CV-Library explained, the number of job vacancies available during the second quarter of last year, had fallen by 62.7% compared to 2019. As for the jobs that are being advertised, the same report suggests that the average application per job ratio has risen by 84%.

But, with all this doom and gloom, what sectors are actually hiring at the moment and face a brighter future in spite of further uncertainty?

#1: IT & Digital Tech

IT and digital tech positions were increasing in popularity even before the pandemic hit and are continuing to thrive, particularly in the face of increasing numbers required to work from home in Lockdown Three.

The indications point to further growth in IT and demand for web marketing specialists, which will continue to be crucial to firms who are trying to grow post-pandemic.

#2: Logistics, Distribution & Warehousing

Since the arrival of the first lockdown measures back in March 2020, we’ve all been relying more on home deliveries and online shopping, which has seen an increase in available jobs in the logistics, distribution and warehousing sectors.

Online retail behemoth Amazon created 15,000 new full and part-time warehousing and delivery positions in their UK fulfilment centres in 2020.

At the same time, international delivery brand Hermes created 10,500 jobs, in which 1,500 delivery network and head office staff were hired, and 9,000 contract couriers were brough on board.

#3: Supermarkets & Grocery Retail

With hospitality venues closing during the lockdowns, we’ve not been able to enjoy eating and drinking out very much in the past 12 months. This has seen increasing demand placed on food and supermarket supply chains, which has had a knock-on effect in the number of jobs that are required to meet the increasing demand.

Between them, supermarket chains have taken on over 50,000 new employees during the pandemic, and while some of these were temporary positions, plenty of them were full-time jobs too.

These changes in demand have mostly impacted three areas:

#4: Haulage

As we’ve touched on already, lorry drivers are in huge demand at the moment, according to the latest REC survey. Whether it’s delivering stock to online retail warehouses to fulfil customer orders, or taking extra deliveries to supermarkets, more and more goods are being transported by road at the moment.

It’s also thought that HGV mechanics and manufacturers may also be highly sort after by employers too, as we progress further into 2021. This demand comes as a stark contrast to the warnings we’ve heard over the past few years of the shortage of HGV drivers and mechanics. In the winter of 2019, the trade body, The FTA, warned that the UK was short almost 60,000 drivers.

#5: Cleaning Operatives

Domestic cleaners lost most of their income during the first lockdown since they were unable to visit their clients’ homes.

However, despite income from domestic jobs coming to a standstill again at the outset of Lockdown Three, many private businesses that have been able to remain open have required specialist cleaning to ensure they are complying with COVID requirements.

In fact, according to the British Cleaning Council, there has been an increase in demand across the board, particularly in care homes, health care settings and hospitals where the spread of the virus could impact many vulnerable people.

#6: Health & Social Care

The critical role that health and social care workers play in our society has never been more evident than throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

But even with gratitude for healthcare workers deservedly at an all-time high, it’s still vital that there is as many people as possible working in frontline health to help combat the spread and take care of those who catch the virus.

LinkedIn saw a massive 104% increase in healthcare roles added to their platform, including doctors, nursers, home health assistants, elderly care support workers, health advisors, health coaches and much more. In addition to this, specialised medical roles grey by 58% in 2020 too.

How Can I Stand Out in Such a Competitive Job Market?

Ask Family & Friends

With hundreds of people potentially applying for the same roles as you, you should first leverage your personal network to gain an advantage.

Your family and friends between them will know plenty of people working for different businesses, and some of those may well be hiring at the moment.

With so many applying for roles, an employer certainly won’t object to a personal reference to help you stand out from the crowd – so it really is worth asking around.

Tailor Your CV

Your CV is also incredibly important. For example, at Hales, we always impart just how important it is to tailor your CV to each job role you’re applying for and clearly list relevant achievements that could appeal to the hiring company.

It’s also worth having someone read over your CV to pinpoint any grammar or spelling errors, which can often mean your CV ends up being tossed to one side.

Putting together a cover letter that clearly explains why you are so keen to work for this particular employer can often make the difference too. In fact, according to statistics from Monster, 86% of participants in a study said that cover letters were crucial when evaluating job candidates.

Although doing this for each job can be time-consuming, it means you’re giving yourself a much better chance of getting the result you desire.

If you have any questions about anything we’ve covered in this blog, you’d like to discuss the current vacancies we have available, or you need some advice on your job search, contact us today.

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