Five ways to make yourself more appealing to recruiters

Recruiters sometimes get hundreds of applications for every job they post which means it can be incredibly difficult to stand out from all the other candidates out there.

The good news is that there are a number of ways you can make yourself and your CV more appealing when you’re looking for a job. Free Resume Builder has put together this fantastic infographic which highlights exactly how you can do this.

If you need help with any aspect of your job search, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis and we’ll be more than happy to help.

finance recruitment

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UK workers reveal their biggest office gripes

workplace annoyancesA survey of 1,000 UK-based office workers has revealed our biggest annoyances in the workplace.

The data was collected by electronics giant, Samsung and although the results may seem like a bit of light-hearted fun, employers have been warned that employee irritations are actually resulting in a huge loss of productivity.

It’s estimated that unnecessary distractions in the workplace are costing workers an average of 22 minutes per day which equates to nearly two hours per week and just over 73 hours a year.

According to the Samsung survey, exactly what is it that annoys us the most about being in the office?

Among the biggest complaints were noisy or messy eaters, moaning and being interrupted while talking. So if you want to avoid being shunned by your colleagues, stick to eating lunch in the canteen and if you fancy having a good old moan about your boss or your workload, save it for when you’re with friends.

While we all have little habits that may get on other people’s nerves, in a world that’s becoming increasingly dependent on computers and the Internet, it comes as no surprise to learn that workers have cited issues with technology as their biggest problem.

A whopping 92% of respondents said that their computer crashing, a slow Internet connection and having no access to emails annoys them. Worryingly, this problem alone is costing workers half an hour a day, two and a half hours per week and an eye-watering 100 hours a year.

Another familiar office gripe is the temperature. Whether it’s summer or winter there seems to be a constant battle over the heating and air conditioning. If you regularly find yourself feeling annoyed about the office being too hot or too cold, you’re not alone. 82% of workers cited this as their biggest frustration.

Uncomfortable seats and a messy workplace also featured highly in the list of frustrating distractions.

When you take into account all of the irritations involving colleagues, IT problems and workplace issues, workers are losing five and a half hours in productivity every single week – this is the equivalent to nearly one month of lost work time every single year.

As well as being a huge financial loss, another risk to businesses is that these annoyances could push people into looking for a new job. Almost a third of those who were surveyed said that they have quit a job because of an annoying colleague, 20% have left because of the workplace itself and 10% looked for a new job because they got sick of constant technology issues.

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How do you attract quality candidates?

finance recruitmentThe one thing every employer wants to know is how to attract quality candidates. Aside from knowing where to look, the one thing you need to know for successful recruitment is exactly what job seekers are looking for in their next role.

Below we’ve highlighted some of the best ways to attract quality candidates to your workforce.

Utilise your social media

The average person in the UK has five different social media accounts and spends nearly two hours every day on them. If this is where people are spending their time, it makes sense to try and reach them through this medium.

If you’re not convinced that job seekers want to hear from recruiters via social media, the following statistics collected by company review site, Glassdoor should change your mind:

  • 79% of people are likely to use social media when looking for a new job
  • This goes up to 86% among those who are in the first ten years of their career
  • 42% of candidates say that they feel it’s important for employers to engage in social media
  • This goes up to 53% among those who are in the first ten years of their career
  • Despite these figures, nearly two in three employees say that their current employer doesn’t (or they’re unaware if they do) use social media to promote any job opportunities at the company
  • Nearly three in four say that their employer doesn’t (or they’re unaware if they do) promote their employment brand on social media

Offer the right incentives

The perks a company offers is often what sets them apart from their competitors and can play a huge role in swaying someone to accept a job offer. It’s important that you understand exactly what it is that candidates want however:

  • The majority of job seekers (52%) are looking for opportunities to grow within the company
  • 44% want a decent salary
  • 43% are swayed by good health benefits
  • 37% want flexible working hours
  • 23% would like the option to be able to work from home sometimes
  • 15% would like to be offered equity/stock options
  • 13% are interested in career planning programmes
  • A good work-life balance has become incredibly important to employees and 59% say that they are happy to accept lower pay for perks such as unlimited holiday, flexible working hours and/or being able to work from home

The main reasons why employees leave a company

Naturally, when you find a great employee you want to do everything you can to hold on to them for as long as possible. As well as understanding how to attract candidates in the first place, it’s also very important to monitor employee satisfaction. Here are some of the most common reasons why people leave their job:

  • 33% will move on if there’s no career growth
  • 27% can be lured away if they’re offered a better salary elsewhere
  • 15% are looking for a better company culture
  • 14% want a better work-life balance
  • 12% aren’t happy with the work environment
  • 11% of employees leave their jobs because of the company outlook/performance

If you would like help attracting quality candidates to your company, please feel free to contact Choralis Consulting and we will be more than happy to assist.

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How a good job advert can reduce time-to-hire

As an employer, your job adverts are a crucial part of your branding and they also strongly influence the candidate experience.

You should never underestimate the importance of taking the time to write a great ad. Below we reveal how doing so can achieve that all-important task of reducing your time-to-hire.

It sells the job

Whether it’s for perfume, a holiday, an accountant or the latest fitness plan, the job of any advert is to sell to people. A job posting is no different – its main purpose is to sell a job to potential candidates.

The better your advert, the more likely you are to attract great candidates. According to a CareerBuilder survey, a whopping 75% of candidates say they decide whether or not to apply for a job based entirely on the advert.

You can appeal to a wider audience

A badly worded listing can lose you good candidates right from the start which will naturally increase your time-to-hire.

Research from ZipRecruiterhas found that job listings with gender-neutral words attract 42% more candidates. Despite this, the finance industry is one of the worst culprits for using gendered words with 91% of businesses in finance and insurance guilty of this.

You may think that your posts are gender neutral but The Journal of Social Psychology has published a list of words which people subconsciously associate with being masculine and feminine and chances are you’re using them in your job descriptions without even knowing it.

Try to write gender-inclusive job descriptions because with a more inclusive ad, you’ll attract more applicants. Avoid using the following words:

Masculine:

  • Leader
  • Aggressive
  • Ambitious

Feminine:

  • Support
  • Understand
  • Affectionate

Focus on the benefits

A job advert which clearly defines the role on offer is important but also focus on employee benefits and include salary details. These simple additions will increase your ad’s response rate and with more candidates to choose from, this is highly likely to decrease the time it takes to find your perfect hire.

A competitive salary helps to attract candidates and will also filter out any applicants with unrealistic salary expectations. Additionally, it gives applicants an idea of the level of the role which means that you’re likely to end up with a greater number of more relevant candidates.

You’ll attract the right candidates for your business

Don’t just talk about what your business does. After all, candidates can easily find this information from your website. Instead, focus on your company culture, your working environment and what you’re like as an employer. This information isn’t as readily available and will be what candidates really want to know.

It will also allow potential candidates to identify whether they’d be a good cultural fit for your business or not.

If you need help finding great candidates for your roles, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis Consultingand we’ll be more than happy to help.

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5 interesting recruitment facts and what they mean for employers and job seekers

Recruitment AgencyWe might not have a Prime Minister or a clue what’s going on with Brexit and summer has so far been a complete washout but at least the current jobs market is something to get excited about.

According to data published by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) at the end of last year, the UK’s recruitment industry grew by 11% to an impressive £35.7 billion in 2017/18.

With both permanent and temporary placements on the rise and the industry expected to grow by another 5% by 2021, there couldn’t be a better time for companies to start hiring again or for employees to seek out exciting new opportunities.

To help you out, below are 10 interesting recruitment facts and how they can help you.

Candidate recruitment facts

Approximately 80% of available jobs are never advertised.

Sticking to job boards alone means that you could be missing out on so many valuable opportunities. Don’t be afraid to contact companies directly or sign up with a recruitment agency. They’re often the first to hear about new vacancies and because they work closely with their clients, their input is highly regarded.

On average, 118 people apply for any given job. Only 20% of applicants get an interview however.

This statistic highlights the importance of tailoring your CV to the job you’re applying for and taking the time to write a cover letter explaining why you’d be great for the role. Working with a recruitment agency can go in your favour once again because they can really help to sell you into the company.

The average time spent looking at a CV is just five to seven seconds.

It’s important that your CV stands out from start to finish. Keep it clear and concise and make sure a potential employer knows why they should hire you immediately.

Proof-read your CV several times as well. Just one spelling or grammar mistake could land your CV in the bin and 76% of employers disregard a candidate if they have an unprofessional email address.

Employer recruitment facts

The average cost of replacing a member of staff earning £25,000 a year or more is £30,614.

Finding out an employee is moving on is never great news but sadly, it’s inevitable. With the cost of hiring so high however, it’s important to get it right the first time round. If you’re struggling to find the right candidates, why not consider working with a recruitment agency? They’re experts at finding the right people to fill roles and because they’ve already got a database to hand, they can speed up the process too.

Aside from the date and location, 61.8% of candidates receive no information prior to their interview.

The candidate experience you provide has a huge impact on your business and ability to attract great talent.

If you treat candidates well from start to finish, they’re more likely to accept the role, talk positively about you to others and remain a loyal employee.

Don’t forget to provide feedback regardless of whether someone was successful or not. On average, just 5.5% of unsuccessful candidates are given feedback they find even moderately useful and of that, only 2.6% of candidates receive specific and valuable feedback.

55.9% of candidates say they’ve interviewed for a job where they didn’t receive feedback at all and 20% were provided general or limited feedback.

On the flip side however, 56% of candidates who felt they had a positive hiring process experience said they would seek employment with the company again in the future, 37% would tell others to apply there and 23% would be more likely to purchase products or services from that company.

If you need help finding your next job or top employee, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis Consultingand we’ll be more than happy to help.

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The rise of remote working and its benefits

In recent years we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of people working from home. While some companies have been quick to jump on the bandwagon, others have been slow on the uptake because they fear the repercussions.

While images of employees spending their days lazing on the sofa may spring to mind, the statistics do in fact show the opposite. Remote working has been found to boost productivity in many ways.

Below we discuss the rise of remote working and the benefits it offers not just to employees, but to businesses as well.

The rise of remote working

A whopping 14 million Brits say they want work flexibility and four million of us have already left the office behind to work primarily from home.

It’s predicted that by 2020, 50% of the UK’s workforce will work remotely. If your business is yet to jump on board with this concept, now is the time to do so.

The benefits to your business

With no commute to contend with, being able to get out of bed a bit later and the flexibility to work around children, remote working offers many benefits to employees. What are the advantages to your business however?

It attracts and retains good employees

Remote working is in demand so if employers aren’t flexible, it could be costing them great candidates.

  • 66% of workers say they would work from home given the choice
  • 36% of us would choose remote working over a pay rise
  • 92% of generation Y say flexibility is a priority when choosing somewhere to work
  • 95% of employers say that remote working has had a high impact on employee retention

It creates better employees

One of the biggest concerns among employers is the impact that remote working will have on its teams. Far from distancing them however, working from home allows employees to collaborate with each other without worrying about logistical barriers.

Working from home can also help to create stronger employees because it forces them to be more independent and self-directed.

Reduces absenteeism

 Absenteeism costs the UK £77 billion every year in lost productivity. While it’s natural that staff are going to get sick from time-to-time, remote working can help to reduce unscheduled absences.

Not only do flexible hours allow people to schedule appointments more easily rather than taking a full day off work, research shows that remote workers generally continue to work even when they’re ill.

Increases productivity

Remote workers regard themselves as more productive. In a study carried out by CanadaLife, they rated their productivity a 7.7 out of 10. Those working in an office gave themselves a score of 6.5 out of 10.

More than a third (39%) of people who work predominantly from home also say that they work additional hours to get tasks done compared to 24% of those based in an office.

Reduces costs

With more employees working from home, you can rent a smaller office space and less equipment – saving potentially tens of thousands of pounds every year.

Environmentally friendly

It’s important that organisations are seen to be doing their bit for the environment and allowing remote working is just one of the many ways to do this. With a smaller office space and less electricity being used, you’re reducing your carbon footprint. What’s more, with fewer employees travelling to work every day, they’re also having less of an impact on the environment.

If you need help recruiting great candidates into your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis Consulting today.

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Workplace health problems are costing Britain £77.5bn a year

Britain's Healthiest WorkplaceA survey carried out by the insurance provider, Vitality has revealed that health-related lost productivity in Britain’s workplaces is costing the UK economy an incredible £77.5bn a year.

The report in question, titled Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, also revealed a sharp increase in lost productivity. When the survey published its first results in 2014, there was an average of 23 days of lost productive time per employee per year. This has now increased to 35.6 days. Loss of productivity was found to be higher among young workers and those on low incomes.

Britain’s Healthiest Workplace was launched in a bid to get a better understanding of UK employees’ health and wellbeing. The latest survey revealed:

  • Employees lost 13.6% of their working hours due to unproductivity in 2018. 1.2% of these hours were lost due to absenteeism and a concerning 12.5% were lost to presenteeism (being present at work but being limited in your role due to a health issue)
  • Just 12.7% of employees surveyed showed high work engagement compared to 21.5% who reported low engagement rates
  • One of the main groups showing loss of productivity was young employees. It was also revealed that young workers are more at risk of mental health issues. 29.7% of 18.25 year-olds indicated that they suffer from depression
  • 34% of employees say they’ve felt unwell because of work-related stress. This was more prevalent among those on lower incomes
  • More than half of employees aged 18-40 said they have financial concerns. This group were shown to be losing more than twice as much productivity compared to those without any financial worries. They’re also more likely to be obese, suffer from hypertension, high cholesterol and experience difficulty sleeping
  • 2% of employees say they sleep less than seven hours a night and 45% have problems with the quality of their sleep
  • Despite better overall health indicators for women in the workplace, on average, they lost more working hours (15.1%) because of ill health than men did (12.1%)

Britain’s Healthiest Workplace survey was launched in response to the fact that many UK employers are failing to adequately invest in the health and wellbeing of their staff. More than 370 companies and 124,000 employees now take part in the study and since doing so, interventions by participating organisations include offering fresh fruit and vegetables at work and providing clinical screenings.

74% of employees who participated in any given intervention said they felt a positive effect on their health. Worryingly however, just 27% of employees said they’re aware of the interventions which are available to them.

You can find out more about Britain’s Healthiest Workplace and sign up to participate here.

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Why we need diversity in the workplace

Work colleaguesDiversity in the workplace has been a hot topic for quite some time now. With so many discussions taking place about it in the media and on company boards, it would be natural to assume that this is an area enjoying much progression.

The McGregor-Smith review which looked into diversity in the workplace in the UK suggests otherwise however.

  • The under-employment rate for black and minority ethnic (BME) individuals is still higher (15.3%) than it is for white workers (11.5%)
  • Only 9.7% of executive positions in the FTSE 100 companies are held by women. This is despite the fact that almost as many women (64%) are aiming for leadership positions as men (65%)
  • 86% of men think they and their colleagues are paid equally regardless of their gender. Only 56% of women agree
  • Even though it’s illegal for an employer to discriminate based on sexual orientation, 32% of LGBT employees still choose to hide their sexual orientation
  • Only one in eight UK employees are from a BME background and they make up just 6% of top management positions

Despite these shocking statistics, increasing workplace diversity can boost the UK’s economy by an incredible £24 billion a year. What are some of the other reasons we need diversity in the workplace?

Diversity creates stronger teams

Diversity goes beyond gender, skin colour, sexual orientation or disabilities. It also includes having a team with a wide variety of personalities, skills and work experience.

Naturally, a diverse office is going to help employees grow because they can gain insight from different perspectives. Diversity also helps to create a lot more opportunities within the workforce because your team will be able to bring all sorts of ideas and skills to your company.

Diverse teams perform better

According to research published in Harvard Business Review,cognitively diverse teams solve problems faster than teams of cognitively similar people. They’ve also been found to make decisions 60% faster compared to non-diverse teams.

It attracts top talent

According to a 2017 study carried out by Women Ahead,supporting employee networks for specific demographic groups – based on gender, sexuality, ethnicity or religion – has a direct link to employee retention and engagement.

New recruits are attracted to diverse companies where they can develop and learn from their colleagues. Before long, you’ll be drawing in talented individuals from all over the globe which is going to help your organisation and employees grow stronger.

You stand out from your competitors

Having people who can all bring something unique to your company will help you keep up or even get ahead of your competitors. The benefit being that having a team with many different cultural backgrounds means clients and customers will be able to relate to all staff.

If you need help with any of your recruitment needs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis Consultingand we’ll be more than happy to help.

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The perks which can stop your employees from quitting

Quit jobWith so much to think about when it comes to recruitment and the day-to-day running of a business, benefits are something which are often overlooked by employers.

As well as being a fantastic way to attract quality candidates to your company in the first place however, it’s well worth knowing that a good benefits package can help to keep the staff you’ve invested in with you for much longer.

The Loyalty Premium Report 2017 has in fact revealed that an incredible 91% of workers would consider staying at a company, even after they’ve handed their notice in if they were offered more perks.

Data collected by the voluntary benefits scheme, One4all Rewards has found that if you want to retain your staff, these are the perks you should be offering:

  • Nearly one in five (17%) employees who were questioned said that they would reconsider quitting their job if they were offered flexible working.
  • 17% said that they may be swayed by the opportunity to work from home.
  • 23% would be tempted to stay at a company if they were offered a promotion.
  • A 10% increase in salary can tempt up to 19% of those surveyed to reconsider leaving a job.
  • Almost half (45%) of employees are more likely to stay in a role if they’re offered a 25% pay rise.
  • 8% of employees would think twice about leaving a job if provided with a company car.
  • Nearly 8% will stay in a role if the company commits to making changes to the team structure.

The managing director of One4all Rewards, Declan Byrne has highlighted how this new research shows that just because someone has handed in their notice, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end:

“If a member of staff is highly valued by a business, this data shows that there are options which can be called upon – if it is deemed viable – to retain them.”

Another interesting revelation from the data is just how contagious staff departures can be. 62% of those surveyed said that they find other staff members quitting very unsettling and 21% said that a colleague leaving has even prompted them to start their own job search.

Byrne continued:

“In an ideal scenario, workers would feel appreciated, progressive and happy enough that they will never want to leave. But even in that idealistic situation, staff departures do happen and it’s good for businesses to bear in mind that the discussion that happens when an employee hands in their notice is a two-way conversation which they have the power to influence.”

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UK employment rate hits record figures

GrowthFigures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that the number of people in employment in the UK has reached a record 32.7 million.

Although the country is facing a period of uncertainly, the 76.1% employment rate experienced between November 2018 and January 2019, is the highest since records began in 1971.

Unemployment fell by 35,000, taking it down to 1.34 million – putting the rate below 4% for the first time since 1975.

The figure is 112,000 lower than it was a year ago, giving a jobless rate of 3.9%. This is well below the EU average of 6.5%.

During the same period, the number of men in employment increased by 77,000 to a record high of 17.32 million. The number of employed women rose by 144,000 – taking it to a record high of 15.40 million. It was also the largest increase since 2014.

The UK’s highest regional employment rate was in the south west of England (79.9%), while the largest estimated increase in workforce jobs was in the south east (59,000).

In December, London (91.5%) had the highest estimated proportion of people working in the services sector, while the East Midlands had the biggest proportion of production jobs (14.5%).

Much of the jobs growth in recent years can be attributed to the fact that older Britons are staying in the workforce for longer. This is particularly the case as changes to the state pension age has resulted in fewer women retiring between the ages of 60 and 65. The ONS also said that the number of people in retirement has dropped to the lowest level in 25 years.

The government however argues that the rise in employment is down to its pro-business policies. Alok Sharma, the employment minister, said:

“Our jobs market remains resilient as we see more people than ever before benefitting from earning a wage.”

The positivity surrounding the UK’s job market is likely to come as a surprise to many. Whether you’re for or against the UK leaving the EU, there’s no doubt that the process is causing disruption and concern to both businesses and job seekers.

For now however, it appears as though Brexit is not dampening companies’ hiring spirits. Speaking about the current situation, Tej Parikh, a senior economist at the Institute of Directors commented:

“Businesses have been steadfast in bringing on board new staff and in creating vacancies, despite questions over the future path of the economy. But with uncertainty around Brexit reaching a crescendo, firms are becoming more and more cagey over their hiring decisions.”

John Philpott, the director of the Jobs Economist consultancy, continued:

“Nobody seems to have told the labour market about the mood of Brexit-related economic uncertainty which has gripped the UK since last autumn. These record-breaking jobs numbers seem extraordinary and suggest that only a recession-inducing hard Brexit is likely to have a noticeably negative impact on the UK’s employment situation.”

While we await to hear the outcome of Britain’s future, employers and job seekers can continue to enjoy the growing employment rates.

If you would like help finding great candidates or your next role, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Choralis.

 

 

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