QUEEN’S SPEECH IS ‘REASSURING’ FOR THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY

Leading industry bodies have breathed a collective sigh of relief in response to the last Queen’s Speech ahead of next year’s general election. Matters discussed in the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday were as expected, revealing some positive news for recruiters and UK businesses.

Plans outlined by the Government on pensions, zero hours and National Insurance contributions all demonstrated a step in the right direction and have been welcomed by professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill proposes to make life easier for small business starts ups, giving them fairer access to financial support as well as a share of the money spent on public procurement contracts. Measures to reduce bureaucracy will also be taken, and transparency around business ownership will be strengthened through the introduction of a public register of beneficial shareholders.

This corporate ownership bill should help to crack down on rogue traders, by increasing the fines on employers who abuse national minimum wage, and lengthening the time period for which they can be disqualified.

Exclusivity clauses are to be banned in order to make zero hours contracts much clearer for the employee. Such a ban has been declared as the most appropriate solution to the concerns raised, as it focuses specifically on poor practise as opposed to discrediting flexible work altogether.

It is nevertheless necessary, with a recent CIPD survey showing that nearly half of zero hours workers have had scheduled work cancelled without any forewarning, while a quarter say that even when their primary employer doesn’t have hours available, they are prohibited from finding work elsewhere.

Conversely, levels of job satisfaction amongst zero hours workers are comparable to that of the average UK employee – a stat that is regularly used in defence of the contracts. We blogged about this back when the debate at its peak, you can find it here.

The Modern Slavery Bill aims to help businesses be aware of and report on activities across their whole supply chain by insisting on a top down management process. This will work in cohesion with a wider, simplified criminal system in order to secure more convictions and make the protection of victims a main focus.

The National Insurance Contributions Bill will focus on the self-employed in particular by simplifying the collection of class 2 NICs. Powers will be given to Revenue and Customs to enforce payments in cases of tax avoidance, along with the introduction of rules to ascertain which arrangements are designed to avoid, and which are to minimise payments.

Terry Scuoler, chief executive of EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, welcomed the policies what he said were "a number of pro-growth and pro-work policies".

He said: "The government must now keep momentum going for the next 11 months and not stall just as the economy is beginning to motor.

"It is also essential that the legislation proposed does not load any extra burdens on to employers, or remove their ability to recruit and employ in a flexible way to suit their business."

NEW CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYERS IN IMPROVING JOBS MARKET

There is some really positive news on the jobs front.

A monthly survey that tracks employment trends suggests that eight out of ten employers are planning to hire more people in the next three months.

The JobsOutlook survey, carried out by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) suggested that demand is increasing from a quarter or employers at the turn of the year to a third of employers surveyed last month.

Employers nationally are also expressing concern over skills shortages with one in five predicting a problem finding the right people to fill technical and engineering roles.

This national trend is mirrored locally.  The recently published Greater Peterborough Business Survey of 200 companies revealed that a third of businesses expected to recruit in the next 12 months.  And 21% of respondents to the local survey expressed concern that there was a shortage of specialist skilled staff in their sector.

The REC describe their latest survey results as the most promising since 2009 and advise companies to ensure their hiring processes are right to ensure they attract the right quality of candidates.

There is little doubt that employers need to plan ahead and act quickly and decisively when looking to recruit as candidate shortages will increase in the coming months.  All companies and organisations will need to work harder to win over and retain talented people.

We would suggest that companies need to:

• assess their business plans for the coming months in order to plan ahead
• allow ample lead time for a comprehensive recruitment campaign with realistic timescales when hiring
• improve the candidate experience
• review their recruitment processes to ensure they are fit for purpose
• review salary and benefits packages to ensure they are competitive to tempt talent – by using the ACR salary survey
• position themselves as employers of choice
• sell their own business to would-be employees

It is really important to remember that recruitment is a two-way process.  You may be choosing a candidate but the candidate is also making a decision about the employer.  Do you value well-being? Do you have a gym? Do you offer flexible working? Do you support a good work/life balance? It’s not just about the salary package.

Flexible benefits packages are also becoming increasingly popular, where candidates can pick and choose the package elements that suits them best.

Many companies are looking to use the increasing flow of graduates.  High Fliers Research suggests that some of the country’s biggest employers like Google, British Airways, John Lewis, the police and civil service alone expect to hire around 19,000 graduates in 2014 – an increase of nearly nine percent compared to 2012.

Here at Anne Corder Recruitment we recognise the importance of attracting the best talent – including graduates - and have specialist ‘talent spotters’ who are constantly trawling the market to ensure we can offer clients pre-qualified candidates of the highest quality.

The very fact that we are now talking about significant recruitment activity is hugely positive news and the fact that national and local surveys are coming up with the same conclusions, seems to validate this news.

Job vacancies rising at fastest pace since 1998

Despite its positive headline, the latest jobs report released on Friday (7th Feb) has been met with mixed reactions from industry professionals. Produced by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) in conjunction with KPMG LLP, the survey revealed that job vacancy numbers are rising at a 15 year high, with notable peaks in performance across a range of sectors.

Yet with many good news pieces, there is a downside, with declining availability of candidates and skills shortages becoming problematic for a number of industries. This subsequently raises concern for economic growth on the whole as businesses struggle to find and maintain the right workforce to make a meaningful contribution to recovery.

Interestingly, statements are now being made surrounding careers guidance - in particular, what sort of advice is currently being given versus what advice should be readily available.

Tom Hadley, director of policy at the REC, said: “Part of the solution is to develop a careers guidance network that is fit for purpose. People need to be made aware of the growing sectors and what skills will be needed in the future, they also need to be taught the mechanics of finding work.”

He added that job centres across the country needed support from local businesses and recruiters in order to equip their jobseekers with regionally relevant information and advice about what sort of jobs and careers there are in their area.

In the spirit of optimism, the team and I are focusing on the positives from the report, including the news that unemployment levels have fallen to their lowest in just under five years.

We will however heed the advice given by REC and its policymakers by continuing to actively support Peterborough’s economy and equipping our clients and candidates with expert, local knowledge. Our salary survey is one way in which we do this, providing local employers with incredibly useful data about pay and remuneration packages in their area.

Recent salary survey publications have demonstrated an upward trend in employer confidence, which is tentatively reflected in this newest report on jobs. Particularly pleasing are the further sharp rises in temporary billings –and with truly genuine benefits for both employer and employee we can see why.

All in all, a promising first report for 2014. Watch this space for further comments and updates…

2013 in review

As at the end of every year, the team here at ACR look to the media and to the industry’s professional bodies to see if their findings and forecasts match with what we have experienced in the past 12 months locally here in Cambridgeshire, as a good indication of what we can expect from 2014 both locally and nationally.

We have seen a steady growth in positive stats and figures coming from in-depth reports and surveys concerning employment levels undertaken by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The REC’s end of year JobsOutlook survey shows that the number of employers planning to take on more permanent staff early next year is up nine per cent on 2012. Better news still for the temporary and flexible workforce, which benefits from a 17 per cent rise (to 47 per cent) in employer interest and engagement.

Confidence in the economy generally is also growing, with small businesses in particular demonstrating good faith. Many believe this is largely due to the changing attitudes in consumers and their increasing willingness to spend money, invest in a product and/or buy into a brand.

The Office of National Statistics also brings good tidings for the close of 2013, reporting the lowest level of unemployment in the UK for four years and the highest number of job vacancies for five years. Even more encouraging is the fact that the East of England reported the lowest unemployment rate of just 5.6 per cent compared to other areas.

This officially puts our county at the top of the employment ladder nationally. Having successfully placed many candidates this year, we are both delighted and unsurprised by this statistic. Locally, our employers are showing increased optimism in hiring new workers and keeping remuneratively competitive – as demonstrated by our salary survey results released in October.

All of the above can only mean good news for the world of recruitment as we get ready for the year ahead. January is always traditionally a busy time for jobseekers and agencies alike, but we will strive as ever to maintain and sustain the positive, confident and resolute attitude adopted by so many when a new year comes around.  

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients and candidates for choosing to work with us in 2013, and look forward to doing so again next year.

ZERO HOURS CONTRACTS – OUR VIEW

You may have noticed we stayed rather quiet when the subject of zero hours contracts first crept into the media spotlight back in August. It was a purposeful silence, as at that time, we simply felt the matter had been exacerbated and had unfortunately fallen victim to ‘band-wagon’ mentality from the majority of the public.

That isn’t to say that the arguments for and against weren’t valid of course – far from it – there just hadn’t yet been enough research behind it to present a balanced and measured argument…until now.

A new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revived the topic using meaningful results from a survey of more than 2,500 workers, dismissing previous statements that vilified this type of employment and called for restrictive regulation. Instead, its focus was on the overall understanding and implementation of these contracts, highlighting any areas for improvement for employers.

REC Director of Policy, Tom Hadley, rightly summed this sentiment up with a comment of his own: “Rather than seeking to add further layers of regulation and getting bogged down in a debate over different types of contracts, the focus for government must be to ensure that workers have the right skills and awareness to progress within the jobs market – whatever the type of contract they are on.”

The rules and regulation surrounding the flexible work environment can be a minefield for both employer and employee. Last month marked the two year anniversary of the introduction of Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) - which were also initially met with scepticism. Yet while recent reports show that the legislation incurred significant cost for recruiters, demand for temporary staff is still strong, with 96% of employers planning to increase or maintain their temporary workforce over the coming year.

Couple this with 60% job satisfaction of zero-hours workers (comparable to the average UK employee) and we can begin to understand the real benefits behind a contractually diverse workforce. It certainly gets the ACR seal of approval!

Industry infographic reveals record turnover

The latest trends update from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has piqued the interest of many consultants and agencies across the country, with its market forecast findings presented as a dynamic infographic.

The results presented show a comparison between permanent and temp/contract recruitment, with some encouraging stats reflecting a sense of growing optimism within the sector that is stronger than ever.

Over the past 12 months, total industry turnover has grown by 3.1 per cent to £26.5 billion, of which the temporary and contract market contributed 91 per cent for 2012/3 with record gross revenue of £24.1 billion reported.

According to REC chief executive Kevin Green, whose comments can be read here , the robust nature and attitude of the industry as a whole has significantly contributed to its continuous improvement and year on year over achievement in terms of exceeding predicted revenue growth.

Confidence in the post-recession recovery made so far has resulted in a much more positive forecast for the next three years, with realistic growth figures of 7.3, 8.3 and 9.6 per cent respectively set to increase total industry turnover to an even bigger record high of £33.5 billion by 2016.

While the numbers are very impressive, it is the increased volume of people that are now in work following a period of crippling unemployment that is the real success story here. Demonstrating the unrelenting stability and dedication of recruiters are the 617,000 people who got permanent jobs, and those 1.1 million people in temp/contract assignments on any given day.

The job security and satisfaction of placed candidates and the growing investment made by employers into their recruitment processes have been the nurturing forces aiding the industry’s recuperation; setting the scene for a welcome and increasingly pacy return to the golden pre-recession years.

Take a look for yourself. You can see the infographic here and the accompanying presentation here. 

JOBS OUTLOOK SURVEY DELIVERS PROMISING RESULTS

Catching up on recent findings from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) latest JobsOutlook survey, I was thrilled to read that 56% of employers intend to increase their headcount over the next quarter.

It’s another encouraging statistic that serves to reflect increased optimism of businesses about the future of the economy and, more specifically, the jobs market.

A rise in the percentage of bosses who foresee agency staff headcounts will “stay the same” also shows growing confidence in the temporary labour market and the benefits agency staff can bring to businesses.

The summer months are a particularly busy time for temporary workers, who are most often employed to meet fluctuations in demand and to assist during sickness/holiday/maternity cover.

Temporary recruitment is something that myself and the team at ACR commit a lot of our time to, as we recognise the value that flexible work can offer both clients and candidates. And while we know there is a demand for it here in Peterborough, it’s great to see that the benefits are becoming more widely recognised, as reported by the REC.

Over the next year, one in three respondents plan to increase the use of agency workers, while 60% predict no change in their use of temps. This leaves just 6% who expect to make a reduction - a pleasingly low percentage.

ACR inputs data into the JobsOutlook survey on a monthly basis so it’s always interesting to see if our findings match those on a national level. We continue to be reassured by the latest results, and look enthusiastically forward to what the next quarter will bring.

Recruiters rank third highest in professional stakes

While I continuously take pride in my work within the recruitment sector, it’s always great to see and hear the industry being recognised as one of the best, particularly when it comes to professional standards.

A study undertaken by The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has revealed some interesting facts and figures around the simple question: ‘Who are seen to be more professional?’

Recruiters were given a very respectable third place – keeping in good company with teachers and lawyers who took the top two spots.

Director of REC Anita Holbrow attributed the success to the 80-year heritage of recruitment and its professional bodies in the UK, and claimed we have a lot to be proud of.

I couldn’t agree more, which is why ACR has been a member of REC for the past 18 years. We regularly have input into REC group discussions, notably with the Office Professionals Sector Group, who will undoubtedly by thrilled by this positive piece of research.

It really is a fantastic result for the industry, achieved in spite of the rather negative outlook surrounding the jobs market currently.

Take a look at our Latest News page to see what we’ve been doing to champion professional standards and best practice lately.

Budget 2013: relief for the jobs market

While George Osborne’s ‘aspirational’ budget may not have convinced the entire nation, it has revealed some positive news for those still struggling to find work.

The Chancellor opened his speech with some encouraging statistics for 2013: an additional 600,000 people to be employed by the end of the year, 60,000 fewer benefits claimants and six private sector jobs being created for every public sector one lost.

All of this indicates some relief for the jobs market and a welcome reduction in the level of competition for individual roles. And with additional supportive measures such as the new personal tax and employment allowances, we are expected to see “more people in work than ever before,” according to The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC).

Locally, business leaders and politicians in Peterborough have largely embraced the budget and recognise its value in boosting the city’s economy. In particular, the reduction in National Insurance Contributions has received praise from small businesses and firms, who will now be in a better position financially to create jobs and start hiring.

It’s these kinds of measures that will help to generate a much needed boost of confidence in our local jobs market, confidence that the team here at ACR will naturally support and help to implement.

As REC rightly observes, “tweaks to the tax code that cut the cost of hiring, rewarding workers with more take-home pay and reducing the corporate tax burden on businesses are positive examples of some targeted steps that our industry should welcome.”

We’ll be working closely with our clients to encourage and develop future job roles, as well as providing our candidates with new and exciting opportunities for work in the local area.

Latest research shows renewed confidence in UK jobs market

In my last blog post, I gave some predictions for the year ahead after a busy and insightful month working with both clients and candidates.

Now a recent survey conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has revealed some promising statistics regarding the growth of the UK jobs market on the whole, which I’m delighted to see reflects our experiences here in Peterborough.

600 employers contributed to the report, which showed that overall business confidence is steadily building, with 57% of employers looking to increase their permanent workforce in the next three months.

It’s this type of good news that needs shouting about, particularly when there has been so much negativity surrounding the job losses within a number of high street retailers over the past few months.

This latest research demonstrates the ongoing resilience of the jobs market, as well as highlighting the areas that have a need for more workers.

Skills shortages in the Technical & Engineering and the Professional & Managerial sectors have incited a race for talent, with a third of employers looking to increase their use of temporary workers – the benefit of which ACR has long been champions of.

All of this bodes extremely well for us locally, as many of the area’s prominent businesses belong to these sectors. Myself and the team at ACR continue to be engaged with and responsive to the hiring processes of a number of clients within these industries, working alongside HR managers and directors to find the right temporary or permanent candidate with the right skills and attributes for their company.

If any of the REC’s findings sounds familiar to you, do let us know. We make it our business to keep up-to-date with the latest news and issues affecting employers, regularly using our own polls to ask some of the most pertinent questions. Please see our dedicated hirers section on the website for more information.

REC webinar

Some very interesting facts and figures were showcased during a webinar hosted by our industry body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. Our recruitment partner Karen Dykes took part in the ‘event’ and was buzzing with both information and ideas afterwards.

The webinar itself was excellently executed. The Chief Executive Officer Kevin Green spoke and shared a lot of up to date information and forecasts from the industry.
Those taking part, and there were around 130 recruiters from across the country, were able to vote in real time on subjects Kevin was discussing, giving a brilliant snapshot of both opinion and what’s happening at a local level.

Karen is now investigating the possibility of how we could use webinars to host seminars along the lines of our regular employment law briefings – a great way to get even more people together without anyone having to leave their desks.

Much was made during the webinar about the added value agencies should offer their clients.

That’s something we’ve always believed very strongly in, and aimed to offer from day one of the business.

There were lots of suggestions made along the lines of being a ‘true partner’ and ‘investing in clients’. We believe that’s key to a successful working relationship. Unless you know your clients, their business, their ethos and their culture how can you find the right fit for their recruitment requirements?

In fact, we had a lovely compliment from a client the other day who said ‘ACR ‘gets us’. As an agency, we couldn’t provide the service our clients deserve if we didn’t invest time in understanding them.

There was talk of ‘widening the offering’, which included ideas such as training temps, providing testing and adding HR services. It was as the CEO Kevin Green talked through these things that we realised it read like a tick list of our services!

The whole team believes strongly in our brand and our offering but it was good to have some outside confirmation that what we do every day is exactly the kind of template that other agencies are now being encouraged to work towards.

Agency workers regulations seminar date announced

The draft Agency Workers Regulations guidance has been published today (Thursday, March 31)

We, along with many others in the sector and our governing body the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, will be examining the details over the next few days in order to submit a response in the two week consultation period that has now begun.

The deadline for compliance is now just six months away and we’re in the midst of working with clients, developing Impact Assessments to form a basis for building a strategy to deal with the change in regulations.

These conversations – and the newly published guidance – will be the starting point for the presentations at our AWR special employment law seminar – now in the diary for Thursday, June 9.

The main speaker will, as usual, be Hegarty LLP partner and employment law expert Martin Bloom. He’ll be going over in detail the things businesses need to be aware of and providing hints and tips as to how processes can be tweaked to ensure all requirements are met.

To pre register your interest in place at the seminar please get in touch.

Sharpest rise for almost four years

‘Strong and accelerated rises’ – that’s a phrase we haven’t heard in relation to the job market for a long time. But, according to the latest figures, it is apt.

We feed information into the monthly Report on Jobs, published by the REC and KPMG and February’s figures are looking good.

Permanent placements increased at the sharpest rate in 10 months. Temporary billings fared even better with the greatest rise since May 2007 – that’s almost four years.

And it wasn’t just appointments that scored robust growth. The overall level of vacancies showed the strongest rate of increase since last April. There are more candidates in the market too – especially those looking for temporary work.

Of course, any positivity these figures generate – and they certainly should generate some – has to be tempered by what is happening in the public sector. While the private sector is hiring, the public sector is shedding jobs. The Report on Jobs shows that while the IT and computing sector saw accelerated growth over the last 12 months, nursing, medical and care sectors have declined.

The REC’s chief executive Kevin Green described the situation in the UK as a ‘two speed labour market’. He also anticipates unemployment will continue to rise until the end of this year before starting a slow decline into 2012.

We certainly believe the overall findings of the latest national figures are reflected here in Peterborough and hope the positivity generated helps push the local economy forward over the coming months.

How was 2010 for you?

December’s rolling quickly towards Christmas and that means the end of the year is fast approaching too. I’m not sure it’ll be marked down in the history books as a good year but 2010 probably just avoided reaching ‘annus horribils’ status.

Let’s be honest, after the disaster that was 2009, 2010 didn’t have to deliver much to be an improvement.

After the pre-election waiting game, the second part of the year began with news of huge public sector cuts and no definitive answer as to how drastic the impact would be on the private sector and the economy as a whole.

We’ve spent the year concentrating on what we do best – matching clients with candidates, candidates with roles, and providing the added value we’re so proud of.

We’ve once again taken a leading role in ensuring local businesses are preparing adequately for the deadline for the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations next October. Our on-going relationship with the REC has helped enormously and we were delighted to welcome the REC’s director of external relations Tom Hadley to speak at a one-off seminar about the regulations in the summer.

Around 200 of Peterborough’s most high profile business people attended our annual Breakfast Law Briefing to hear about the new Equality Act in September.

This year’s annual Salary Survey produced some interesting results – showing an average two per cent increase in wages over the past 12 months. After a 3.6 per cent downturn the previous year that was good news.

Our student sponsorship continued, as did our support for both the Peterborough and Stamford business awards – perfect opportunities to recognise business of all sizes and types and their input into the city’s economy.

The environment has been at the top of our agenda throughout the year. We have given presentations and provided blueprints to other commercial organisations explaining how to move towards becoming a paperless office. Our investment in that side of the business has continued with more and more of our systems integrated.

Overall, for us as a business, it’s been a good year with plenty of positives to look back on. That’s reflected in the fact there’ll be two new members of staff at our 2010 Christmas party. Charlotte and Suzi have both joined the team in the last few months and we’re looking forward to showing them the importance of playing hard as well as working hard!

So, may I take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful Christmas and, of course, a prosperous new year.

Agency Workers Regulations: reassurance from REC

An early start for us all – but what a worthwhile one!

We welcomed Tom Hadley, Director of External Relations at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, to talk to around 80 HR professionals from Peterborough businesses about the Agency Workers Regulations in October 2011.

The breakfast seminar was held in conjunction with Hegarty LLP solicitors with their employment law expert Martin Bloom giving a comprehensive overview of where companies are going to stand legally.

Tom then talked through the history of the introduction of the regulations right through to the lobbying that the REC did in the run up to the election.

After a spell of inactivity during the election campaign, the new coalition Government is now engaged in pinpointing the finer details of the regulations – and Tom and the REC are involved in those discussions.

Tom was keen to emphasise the reality of the new legislation. “Employers must remember that fundamentally a lot of things are going to remain the same. You can take on temporary workers when you need them and get rid of them when you want to.
“We are also pleased that about 70 per cent of what we have pushed for has been accepted as part of the regulations.”

We were pleased to hear Tom highlight the part agencies like ours will play over the coming months. It was also reassuring to hear him say that he felt the temporary market wouldn’t suffer despite the introduction of the regulations – one of the biggest industry fears.

Agency Workers Regulations

The Agency Workers Regulations have been on our radar for well over 18 months.

We’ve been working closely with our industry regulator the Recruitment and Employment Confederation to ensure we are fully versed with the regulations, what it’s going to mean for us and our clients and how we can remain compliant and help clients to be as well.

As a result of the relationship we have built up, the REC’s director of external relations Tom Hadley has agreed to come and speak at a special employment law briefing we’ve arranged with Hegarty LLP Solicitors.

This is a fantastic opportunity for HR professionals from Greater Peterborough to engage with a heavy weight industry expert – Tom is well known and respected across the country.

He’s going to discuss the practical and legal implications of the introduction of the regulations on employers and, hopefully, will have time to take some questions too.

Hegarty’s employment expert Martin Bloom will also be presenting at the event later this month, offering a legal spin on the introduction of the regulations.

We’ve always taken the REC stand – that these regulations, which will be enforced from October 2011, are likely to have far reaching implications on the demand for temporary workers. Our objective now is to help make their introduction as smooth as possible for clients.

Post election moves

The advent of this new era in politics courtesy of the coalition government means interesting – if not uncertain - times for the country and for businesses. The Queen’s Speech has given us some clarification and there will be more over the coming months.

We already have the Agency Workers Regulations and the changes to pension regulations planned for 2012 firmly on our radar.

The deadline for the introduction of the AWR is just 18 months away now. A number of our clients are taking their lead from us on introducing processes to ensure compliance. We have been heavily involved with industry body the REC from the first discussions of those particular regulations so we’re well placed to take on a valuable HR role on behalf of our clients and to advise them appropriately. Our latest initiative is our breakfast law briefing at the end of June.

The director of external relations for the REC Tom Hadley will be speaking as will local employment expert Martin Bloom from Hegarty LLP Solicitors. The seminar will provide the perfect opportunity for businesses to find out exactly what they need to do – and obviously how we can help.

Our bi monthly e-newsletter has more information about compliance and legislative changes that affect businesses. Email info@annecorder.co.uk to request your copy.

MP says well done to us

We have been basking in the glory of some lovely comments following the announcement that we had received the gold industry standard from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).

Our MP Stewart Jackson has added his congratulations in a personal letter sent on House of Commons stationery,

Mr Jackson said: “The honour pays tribute to your continued success, professionalism and dedication to recruitment. It is excellent to see such success for a Peterborough business.”

He finished off by saying: “I commend you on the admirable work of Anne Corder Recruitment and I look forward to future achievements. Once again many congratulations.”

We’re one of only around 50 agencies in the entire country to hold the accreditation and it’s one we work hard to achieve – it gives all our clients and suppliers the confidence we are providing the very best service. Having it recognised by others is rather satisfying too!

REC chief executive drops in to say ‘congratulations’

We were delighted to welcome REC chief executive Kevin Green to our offices in Park Road, Peterborough. He dropped in to present us with the official certificate marking the renewal of our REC Audited status for another two years.

There’s something special about being recognised by your peers – isn’t that what people say at award ceremonies? It is true though. That’s why we’re feeling rather pleased with ourselves for passing the Audit from our industry regulator.

We were one of the first recruitment agencies to apply – and pass - the audit when it was introduced a few years back. We’ve retained it ever since but we have never taken it for granted and we work hard to maintain the strict standards required.

It verifies that all our policies and procedures are in accordance with the necessary acts, regulations and codes of practice. That means our clients and candidates can be sure we are fully compliant, trustworthy and professional.

The award ‘acknowledges the dedication and professionalism that you and your staff deliver and which ensures these stringent standards of compliance are met on a daily basis’.

Kevin echoed that. “It’s critical that first rate recruiters like Anne Corder Recruitment demonstrate their commitment to professionalism and standards by achieving REC audited - the gold standard for the recruitment industry.”

As I said, we’re quite pleased with ourselves so forgive us giving ourselves a pat on the back this time!

Employers upbeat about growth in UK jobs

The cautious optimism we’ve noticed in the job markets over recent weeks isn’t limited to just our clients or even our region. According to the latest JobsOutlook survey from our industry body – the REC – 94 per cent of employers expect to maintain or grow their workforce over the next 12 months.

And a quarter are planning to increase the number of temps they use. That’s a move we often suggest to clients deliberating over staffing levels.

Using temps offers tremendous flexibility – they can be drafted in when work volumes are high and then not used during quieter periods. And of course taking on temps is a great way to try potential employees out. What better way to decide if a person will fit into your work environment than by putting them in it.

That’s why I was disappointed to see the TUC’s comments following the announcement of the latest job figures.

Unemployment fell by 3,000 which the TUC described as ‘deceptively healthy’ because of an increase in temporary and part time work.

Surely any fall in unemployment figures – after so many months of rises – should be welcomed. Taking on temporary staff is a step in the right direction. It suggests companies are seeing an upturn in the amount of work but keeping their options open – a healthier approach to taking on permanent staff and then struggling to make the wage bill or being forced to consider redundancies.