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Inside the latest issue... cover image

theHRDIRECTOR Issue 69
This issue we speak to
James Dalgleish
Head of HR - London Fire Brigade

FEATURES

Special Report
Interim Management
Retention
Reward & Recognition
Leadership

FEATURING

Hays Human Resources
Northgate Arinso
Mind
QVC
New Balance

Recruitment

January proves a popular month for job seekers
Over 1,500 UK employees reveals a staggering 42% of people are planning to hunt for work this month (January), with the majority planning to start their search for a new job on the 7 January.
HR professionals miss a trick to increase staff retention
As UK workers face rising living costs and ever-longer working hours, they are sending a surprising message to their managers and HR departments: the size of payslips does not guarantee happiness and fulfilment at work.
Jobs cut and sales decline
British firms are suffering job cuts, a sharp decline in sales and a freeze on recruiting permanent staff, according to a survey of the UK’s leading business troubleshooters. There’s also been a severe tightening of company expenses.
Challenging climate continues within the City jobs
London’s financial services hiring market continues to experience a slower rate of new job growth than a year ago, registering a 17% decrease in the number of new vacancies compared with May 07 levels. T
Resilient levels of M&A despite predicted dro of £1.4Bn in recruitment industry
The recruitment industry will see resilient levels of M&A activity in 2008 and 2009 on the back of significant transaction activity in 2007, during which the value of completed deals exceeded £720 million.
Over half of the top Accountancy firms in the UK halt recruitment!
Over half (57%) of the UK’s Top 100 accountancy firms say they are going to decrease or keep staff levels the same next year reveals research conducted by cvmail,
High flyers in the City can earn millions but are finished at 50
This report reveals that high earners in the top 10 most lucrative careers in the City take home an average of £534,400 per year with their bonus making up almost 50% of their annual income.
Dip in online recruitment in June
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by four points in June to reach a level of 177, seven points higher than a year ago but 15 points short of its February peak.
Line Managers not involved enough in the interview process
Line managers are not sufficiently involved in the interview process. This is despite HR professionals agreeing that this is important to ensure candidates have a good fit with the job requirements and culture of the company.
Slight increase in replacement hiring despite continuing uncertainty
During June 08, the number of new job vacancies within London’s financial services industry rose nine per cent compared with the previous month (May 08). The rise in job volumes can be attributed to a longer working month in June compared to May 08
Graduate recruitment market weathers the credit crunch
The graduate recruitment market is surviving the economic downturn despite recent gloomy forecasts, according to new research released by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) at the organisation’s annual conference.
Further dip in online recruitment in the UK in July
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by three points in July to reach a level of 174, following a similar drop in June. This partly reflects a seasonal decrease in online recruitment activity during the early summer months
Companies offering support to redundant employees on the increase
With the number of individuals receiving outplacement support on the increase, a study by Reed Consulting has revealed that aside from the moral obligation, there are many reasons firms are willing to offer outplacement help.
New guidance on temporary labour charge rates
The Association of Labour Providers have issued updated temporary labour “Minimum Charge Rate” tables to take account of the new national minimum wage rates that come into force on 1 October 2008.
Job loss fears as recession looms
Almost one in three employees fear losing their job as economic news worsens and recession looms across Britain. Over a third of staff in British organisations are seriously considering moving within or beyond the UK to find work as a result.
Tough times within London's financial services jobs market
Hiring within London’s financial services industry continued to slow. During August 08, hiring in the sector slowed considerably as turbulent conditions within the global financial services market had a marked impact on activity levels.
Employers recruiting less but paying more for the right people
Turnover in the UK’s recruitment industry hit a record high of more than £27 billion between April 2007 and March 2008. The most significant growth was achieved through a sharp increase in the turnover from permanent placements from £3.514 billion to £4.276 billion, a rise of 21.7%.
Employees rank trust as critical when selecting a new employer
The independent research was undertaken during August and September 2008 on behalf of Endaba, the global executive recruitment and development consultancy. 5,114 employees from a wide range of industry sectors took part.
Online recruitment rebounds slightly in the UK in October
The Monster Employment Index UK increased by two points in October to reach a level of 161, indicating unexpected resilience in the jobs market following the recent financial turmoil.
Cross-Sector rise in enquiries bodes well for interims
Interim management enquiries are on the rise despite the slowing economy and permanent job shortages, according to findings from an Ipsos MORI report commissioned by the Interim Management Association (IMA) for Q3 2008.
UNEMPLOYED SET TO REACH 3 MILLION BUT HR 'STILL HIGH IN DEMAND'
With the recent wave of redundancies and a dwindling number of advertised jobs, job seekers will need to target stable industries - such as HR - and remember that even in a competitive market, honesty is the best policy.
GRADUATE PROSPECTS FALLING
For the first time in five years there may be bad news for graduates, with fewer places available and a likely wage freeze.
Retail staff hit by the credit crunch
A report out this week by the principal charity of the retail sector, Retail Trust, shows that the slow down in high street spending is having a detrimental effect on many of the UK’s retail workers who account for 10% of the country’s working population (2.9mn of the 29.4mn currently employed in the UK).
Graduate prospects sets National Standards for Graduate employment
For the first time employers will be able to see how their graduate programmes really perform within their industry sector and the UK as a whole.
Sharp decline in online recruitment in the UK throughout November
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by nine points in November to reach a level of 152. This was the largest monthly fall since January as the Index dropped to its lowest level since 2007, reversing moderate growth seen in October.
Financial services companies freeze hiring but not pay
Financial services companies are stopping hiring and are implementing organisation-wide restructuring, but are not expecting to introduce widespread pay freezes in 2009, according to consultants Watson Wyatt.
Further fall in online recruitment in the UK in December
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by 11 points in December to reach a level of 141. Online job demand is now at its lowest level since May 2007. Year-on-year, the Index was down 33 points, or 19%, compared to a 10% annual decrease in the previous month.
10 Million workers in the wrong job
Over 9.5 million UK employees are frustrated and unable to reach their full potential in their current role, according to research by global recruitment agency Randstad. More still complain that their company culture prevents them from performing to the best of their ability.
Long-term perspective vital as survey reveals lack of student confidence in employability prospects
Employers and students advised to take long-term perspective as a poll by Graduate Prospects reveals that 80% of students feel unconfident or unsure of their employability prospects this summer.
Study predicts UK job exodus
The recession is set to cause permanent UK jobs exodus, says a new study which predicts 81 percent of large firms are considering moving major functions abroad.
Online recruitment up, but HR opportunities still falling
April's Monster online recruitment index indicated that although online job opportunites have increased by two percent overall, the HR sector has fallen by a further five percent.
No place for grads to go
Graduates and school leavers look set to sweat over job prospects in this summer's tight labour market, as the latest CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook report highlights a jobs market sure to strike fear into school-leavers and graduates taking first steps into the jobs market.
Survey “a wake up call” to recruitment firms
“This research is a definite wake up call for our industry to prove its worth”, says Albert. Over the past 18 months the recruitment industry has become a margin conversation as employers looked to drive down costs.”
Globally, job market improves
A regular global survey of hiring and firing trends covering more than 9600 organisations in 55 countries has found job prospects for professionals and managers continuing to improve.
Five years of jobs deficit
A report released to coincide with the official UK unemployment figures...
Hiring at slower pace expected for the new year
CareerBuilder.co.uk, a leading job site in the UK, released the results of its annual job forecast, conducted by Harris InteractiveR, tracking projected hiring and job search activities for the upcoming quarter and 2008.
Further fall in permanent placements
May’s "Report on Jobs", from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG, suggested that employers retained a preference for flexible workforces in the face of uncertainty over business conditions.
Less migration means bad news for recruitment
Migration cuts could impact negatively on UK recruitment to fix the skills gap, says a recruitment company. According to Hays, The proposals put forward by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) could cut the number of jobs open to skilled migrant workers by 270,000.
Online recruitment up for October
Online employment opportunities in the UK increased by seven points (seven percent) in October, as job demand reached its highest level since February 2009. .
Employers beware.. poachers on prowl
Increase in staff poaching as confidence returns to the jobs market. Following survey results indicating an increase in the number of employees being poached by rivals, an indication that confidence is returning to the jobs market in the capital’s financial services industry.
Recruitment still struggling
The recruitment industry is now much smaller than it was before the recession, with fewer companies operating in the market; although, since September 2009, recruitment firms have noticed a slight improvement in market conditions, perhaps signalling the worst may be over
Careers in HR - a lucrative option for 2008
HR salaries in both the private and public sectors will be fiercely competitive in 2008 with the ‘war for talent’ showing no signs of easing. Figures in the "2008 Salary Survey" conducted by leading recruiter, FSS, show that senior HR professionals can now command salaries of up to, and in some cases in excess of, £140,000 a year.
FT Names Europe's definitive best places to work
The Financial Times publishes a special report ranking the 50 best workplaces in Europe with Microsoft and Google once again dominating the European and UK leagues. The list has been put together by the Great Place to Work Institute annually since 2003.
McDonald's work with Job Centres to mobilise long-term unemployed
McDonald's is set to offer job opportunities for up to 6,000 unemployed in 2009, and a study reveals working at McDonald's can help employees get on: both in the company and outside.
Highest unemployment in over a decade
Recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal unemployment hasn't been such a concern since 1997. Monster says online recruitment is down although some sectors have risen since February.
Economic downturn = career upturn?
One in five GB workers are considering a career change and a rise in new businesses predicted as we emerge from recession - according to Monster.co.uk's Keep The UK Working research.
Meet the new CRO... who?
The recession has forced an increasing number of companies to create a new board level role, the Chief Restructuring Officer, says Interim Partners, the leading provider of interim managers.
September sees a further decline in UK online recruitment
The Monster Employment Index UK fell by eight points in September to reach a level of 159. This is the fourth consecutive decrease and the first time that the Index has shown a year-on-year decline. The Index is now at its lowest level since April 2007.
London's Financial Services hiring market faces unprecedented conditions
During September 08, the ongoing crisis within the global financial markets continued to slow recruitment activity within the City of London as new job vacancies fell 14% compared with August 08. This was the third consecutive month of decline in the volume of new job opportunities coming onto the market.
Working to live, or living to work?
Half of today’s young professionals feel that they lack work-life balance and would consider leaving their jobs because of it, despite the potential impact of the credit crunch on the graduate jobs market, a new report has revealed.
UK manufacturers offered support to tackle skills gaps and stay competitive
Semta, the employer-led sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies has launched the UK Metals, Mechanicals and Electrical Sector Skills Agreement (MME SSA), which will strengthen business through workforce development.
Save our office, says younger generation
New research released in conjunction with the launch of the seventh "Vodafone Working Nation” report reveals that contrary to accepted wisdom young people hanker after traditional office structures and hierarchies more than their older counterparts.
A glimmer of hope in online recruitment
A small increase in the online recruitment index complied by Monster sees a small rise after three consecutive months of falling.
Tesco plans on keeping mum in 2009
Retail is one sector which remains strong against the recession, especially in grocery where the supermarket remains king - but Tesco plans on snapping up mums to rule their stores.
Redeployment in HR increasing
The 2009 Salary Survey from the CMI and CELRE published today reveals staff redeployment levels across the HR sector have doubled in the past year due to employers trying to find an alternative to redundancy.
Are you a judgmental recruiter?
With so many potential employees applying for each position as unemployment rises, it's only natural to be even more stringent in choosing the right people to hire. But are you judging on appearances when you should be looking below the surface?
Budget the jobs
The conclusion of many HR bodies and recruitment consultancies seems to be that the 2009 Budget, while it attempts to make the best of a bad situation, falls far from being a magic potion to fix the economy.
Exclusive: VW HRD becomes Director of HR Operations at Skanska
theHRDIRECTOR editorial panellist, Ian Iceton, has left his post of HR Director at Volkswagen Group UK after 17 years to become Director, HR operations at construction firm Skanska.
Recruiters struggling to fill vacancies in information security
Despite the downturn, a report indicates hirers are struggling to fill their vacancies.
Online Recruitment Index falls: management and consulting work up
Online recruitment down 40 percent year-on-year and down after small rise in April - falls in PR, marketing and media jobs as well as engineering and R&D work blamed.
Blue collar bears brunt
Latest job market stats show the impact on the blue collar sector is far greater than white collar.
Desparate applicants lying to beat recession
Recruiters beware - pressure for positions is encouraging desperate applicants to lie on their CVs.
Youth employability crisis
The uphill struggle facing this year's crop of GCSE school-leavers is looking ever steeper, according to the results of the latest quarterly CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey of more than 900 employers.
Graduates seek postgraduate study to weather recession
In a bid to beat the recession, the majority of university careers advisors have reported that final year students are continuing into further study (81 percent) or trying to gain work experience (63 percent), according to a survey by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU).
Talent crunch in public sector, say managers
More than 80 percent of public sector organisations believe skills shortages in their organisation would be best filled by private sector workers, according to a new survey from leading recruitment company, Hays.
Recruitment to recover in 2010
The final quarter of 2009 will see increasing business failures and trading conditions are likely to worsen again in quarter one of 2010 according to predictions released in a new business index - unique within the alternative finance sector.
Online recruitment market down
January saw a slowdown in online recruitment although the longterm trend is an increase. That’s according to Monster’s Employment Index
Student confidence rock bottom but vacancies still available
Student survey reveals that final-year university students are feeling less confident about their graduate job prospects as the academic year has progressed, but there are vacancies.
Part timers on the increase
The City of London Corporation has released a report which shows that corporate volunteering offers significant financial benefits for business.
Forget “PR”… people want jobs
With the latest official unemployment figures causing increasing concern, new government, however it may look, must focus on the broad outline of economic and employment policy.
Feminisation’ of the workplace
The rapid rise of robotics and other forms of advanced IT means that many currently valued workplace skills are destined to become obsolete and that ‘softer', people skills will come into their own.
Tough times within London's financial services jobs market
Hiring within London’s financial services industry continued to slow. During August 08, hiring in the sector slowed considerably as turbulent conditions within the global financial services market had a marked impact on activity levels in what is traditionally one of the quieter months of the year for recruitment activity.
REC urges HMRC to review increased tax burden on temporary jobs
The Government’s decision to withdraw the VAT Staff Hire Concession from April 2009 will add huge cost to the recruitment of temporary staff at a time when businesses and the jobs market can least afford it.
Keeping the UK working
Monster.co.uk has injected some much-needed positivity into the task of job hunting in the recession by holding career fairs across the country. The fairs which have so far taken place in Birmingham and London get hundreds of employers with current vacancies and thousands of job seekers together, face to face, to engage and discover if they are a good match.
Fines double for illegal workers
Fines have almost doubled from £11.2m to £22.1m in a year. UK Border Agency Issue 2,210 civil penalties in 2009 up from 1,164 in 2008
Part-timers on the increase and on the move
The recession has forced record numbers of workers into part-time jobs ...
Online recruitment stabilising
No change for July's online recruitment, with The Monster Employment Index UK holding steady - it has remained largely unchanged for the fourth consecutive month now. However overall, the index is down 37 percent year-on-year.
Internship exploitation fears
Two thirds of young people feel obliged to work for free because of the recession, reveals a poll by the National Council for Work Experience (NCWE).
Real world experience - but will credit crunch teachers stick around?
More than 80 percent claimed to support the increase in teaching applications. However, the survey also found doubts about the motives of those seeking to become teachers and concerns many will leave when the economy picks up.
The New Monster Works Harder (So You Don't Have To)
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- Take a Sneak Peek at the New Monster