Hays reports tunnel vision trapping workers and hindering growth

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:33:39 GMT

The Hays Career Outlook Survey has revealed that workers are being trapped in career silos because they don't believe they can cross sector or industry boundaries, according to new data from the Hays Career Outlook Survey. The survey also highlights that employers in both sectors are often unable to recognise the transferable skills that might help them to identify potential candidates who are capable of supporting their growth plans.

The survey reveals the vast majority of employers believe that previous experience in the same sector is important. Whilst only just over a third (38%) of public sector employers say previous public sector experience is important, over half (56%) of employers in the private sector deem previous private sector experience to be important in potential candidates. 15% of private sector employers say that experience in commercial work is an essential competence of any prospective candidate. Over half of private sector employers (51%) say a lack of direct experience would prevent them from hiring someone from the public sector, while over a third (39%) cite a lack of transferable skills.

Charles Logan, Director at Hays, said: "These findings highlight that workers believe they cannot move between sectors and that employers aren't always able to understand or give credence to transferable skills. By over-emphasising the value of previous same-sector experience, employers could be missing out on talented people and motivated workers. It is particularly concerning in industries where there is a shortage of skilled professionals and employers may need to consider candidates who have the necessary competencies but may not at first glance be the perfect match."

Public sector workers confessed they also struggle to move into different areas of the public sector, although this is disputed by their employers. Over three-quarters (78%) of candidates say it is difficult or impossible, and 75% say they have not been encouraged to consider this as an option despite the job cuts. However, 62% of public sector employers say they have encouraged workers to look elsewhere in the sector, either through official training routes like secondments or through the application process itself. Over half (51%) cite a lack of transferable skills as the main reason why they would not hire someone from another part of the public sector.

The survey also shows the career destinations of UK workers. Around a third of private (33%) and public (35%) sector workers would prefer to continue their careers in a mix of the two sectors and not restrict their career options. Over a third (36%) of public sector employers say people in their organisation view the private sector as a more attractive career option, and private sector workers report that people are keen to stay in the commercial world when they move on. However, the vast majority (81%) of public sector workers say they are quite or very well-equipped for a career in the private sector.

- Ends -

About the survey:
The findings are based on an online survey of over 965 employers (581 public sector and 384 private sector from across the UK) and 1380 employees in both the public and private sectors (716 public sector and 669 private sector) between November and December 2012.

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments, including legal jobs, manufacturing jobs, marketing jobs, retail jobs and education jobs.

Hays releases 'The Oil and Gas Global Salary Guide 2012'

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:54:06 GMT

Hays has revealed UK oil and gas industry professionals are enjoying competitive wages according to 'The Oil and Gas Global Salary Guide 2012', which is based on data from over 14,000 respondents.

The Guide, produced by Hays Oil & Gas and leading jobsite Oil and Gas Job Search, shows that full time UK oil professionals enjoy average salaries of £55,850* per annum which is more than twice the national salary average of £26,244**.

The 2012 survey also demonstrates strong growth in salaries for imported labour. Expat labour can command average salaries of £51,890 per annum: up 6.8% on the previous year.

Contractor day rates for those working in the North Sea (including the UK, Scandinavia and the Netherlands) are amongst the most competitive worldwide. Experienced engineers and managers can expect average rates of £540 per day and, for director level contractors, this figure rises to around £900 per day.

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas commented: "Last year we reported a 30% rise in contractor wages for UK professionals. This was particularly encouraging for UK based oil and gas professionals as the rates are a good indicator of the state of the job market, being more reactive to short-term changes in demand for skills."

Underhill continued: "The figures from the 2012 guide figures demonstrate that the UK oil and gas industry has maintained this recovery and day rates remain buoyant."

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search added: "Average oil and gas salaries in the UK are around 8% more than the worldwide average.

"Greater activity is scheduled for 2012 and beyond following a difficult period during the recession. Despite some forecasts many oil companies are continuing to invest in the North Sea so it is a time to look forward with confidence."

The Salary Guide, which features data from over 50 countries, revealed that continuing global confidence is the central finding of the report. Over 30% of respondents expect salaries to go up by more than 10% in the next 12 months.

Employer confidence has also seen a large increase with 26.7% being extremely positive about the current market: up from just 9.7% in 2011. Three quarters of all employers expect staffing levels to increase in the next 12 months.

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas, commented: "The salaries, day rates and general sentiment in the guide reflect a strong and confident industry. There are now tremendous opportunities for new graduates and candidates with transferable skills to enter a buoyant and rewarding industry."

- ends -

Notes to Editors:
* Conversion for US$:UK £ is US$1:UK£0.641
** UK average salaries supplied by Annual Survey of Earnings.

2012 Salary Guide Summary:
Disciplines covered - 24
Countries represented - 53
Respondents to the survey -14,400
Respondents working with a global super major - 1,200
Respondents who are employers in the industry - 5,400

About Hays:
Hays is the leading global specialist recruiting group. It is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across the full lifecycle of the global oil and gas industry. Its recruiting experts deal in both permanent positions and contract roles within upstream, project development and downstream operations.

Hays employs 7,620 staff operating from 257 offices in 32 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2011, Hays placed around 60,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 190,000 people into temporary assignments, including engineering jobs, building services jobs, accountancy jobs, finance jobs and architecture jobs.

Oil and Gas Job Search is the world's premier job site dedicated to professionals who work in the oil and gas industry.

Hays reports employees remain proud to work in private sector despite stress

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:49:09 GMT

Stress may be on the rise, but private sector employees are still happy and proud to work in the commercial sector according to new research among employers and staff. The Hays Career Outlook Survey shows that over half (57%) say they would actively seek a role in the private sector if they were starting their career again. Private sector staff also rate their leadership, support from management and career development opportunities as better than in the public sector.

Despite 70% of private sector employers stating the sector is more stressful compared to a year ago, over 80% of employers would still encourage today’s graduates to seek work in the private sector. Employees also remain proud to work in the sector, with 71% of staff rating pride in their work within the sector as six out of ten or above. Over three quarters (76%) rated their happiness at working in the private sector at six or above, with most (24%) scoring their happiness at eight.

Charles Logan, Director at Hays, said: "The survey shows that despite the tough times faced by the private sector, staff remain remarkably positive and proud to be about working there. This is good news for employers because it means they have a better chance of keeping staff motivated and engaged during what is likely to be a difficult year."

With almost half (47%) of employers stating they believe managers are to blame for poor morale it is clear that they have a critical role to play in galvanising staff. Logan said: "Employers need to make sure that managers have the skills needed to steer workers through the uncertain year ahead, keep employees proud of their work and subsequently drive performance."

But employees shouldn't rely entirely on their managers. Logan said: "If employers are not offering the training and development opportunities they want, they need to drive it themselves or consider other options."

Despite concerns about low morale and stress levels, over two-thirds (67%) of employers in the private sector still do not believe the retention of skilled people will be an issue over the coming year. Private sector employees say the economic outlook is limiting their opportunity to develop and progress their career; three-quarters (75%) call on employers to invest more in training to get the skills needed from staff. Over a third (37%) believe a lack of opportunities in their department or sector as a whole is holding back career progression.

The data also revealed employee perception of each sector:
- Over half (54%) of private sector workers think they have better leadership than the public sector, while only 13% of public sector workers believe they have more effective leaders.
- Over a third (37%) of private sector workers feel they get better support from management, compared to just a 22% in the public sector.
- Staff believe better career development is available in the private sector (44% of private sector employees, 40% of public sector employees).

- Ends -

About the survey:
The findings are based on an online survey undertaken in Nov/Dec 2011 of over 965 employers (581 public sector and 384 private sector from across the UK) and 1380 employees in both the public and private sectors (716 public sector and 669 private sector).

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments, including architecture jobs, manufacturing jobs, IT jobs, building services jobs and legal jobs.

Hays urges businesses to overcome the 'hiring people like me' bias

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:20:37 GMT

Hays has revealed new figures showing that the number of female directors in British boardrooms has reached its highest level, suggesting that some of the UK's largest companies are embracing the business benefits of diversity. With more organisations recognising the associated benefits of a diverse workforce, mandatory quotas could become redundant.

In the latest 'Hays Journal', the recruitment specialist provides insight on how diversity in the workforce has an increasingly global relevance.

Charles Logan, Director at Hays, said: "Gender quotas are very much the public face of the diversity agenda and it is positive to see Britain is making progress. But many remain sceptical about the effectiveness of such quotas when it comes to driving performance, change and share value.

"Some organisations fear that a box-ticking approach to recruitment is not compatible with the aim of acquiring the very best talent. Others say that set quotas harm the notion of promotion on merit, can lead to ‘tokenism’ and can simply result in the same women taking on more boardroom roles, rather than bringing in new blood at higher levels. Yet the perception remains that not enough is done to promote gender diversity."

Hays has stated that inclusion must continue to go beyond gender box-ticking. If employers are actively encouraged to seek out candidates who will bring different perspectives and ways of problem-solving to the mix, the recruiter believes that the net result would be that more women - as well as people from more varied cultural backgrounds - will hold senior roles. This brings the focus to the benefits diversity can bring a business.

In March, a global poll of 241 companies by law firm Eversheds concluded that there was a clear correlation between smaller, more diverse and more independent boardrooms and company success.

"A genuine engagement and willingness to embrace diversity and inclusion when it comes to recruitment and promotion leads to the business benefit of different ways of thinking. But sometimes, it can require a shove from above, such as quotas, to encourage employers to make diversity reality," concluded Charles Logan.

For more information about Hays please visit www.hays.co.uk.

-Ends-

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments, including retail jobs, accountancy jobs, education jobs, secretarial jobs and marketing jobs.

As at 30 June 2011, the Group employed 7,620 staff operating from 255 offices in 31 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2011:
- the Group reported net fees of £672 million and operating profit of £114 million;
- the Group placed around 60,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 190,000 people into temporary assignments;
- 31% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 33% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 36% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;
- the temporary placement business represented 54% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 46% of net fees;
- Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Hays announces further US expansion

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:58:20 GMT

Hays, the leading global specialist recruiting group, has announced further expansion into the United States with the establishment of operations in Houston, Texas. This is the second Hays office to open in the U.S. this year and it will focus on the recruitment of skilled staff for the oil and gas industry.

The development of the Houston office will be spearheaded by Hays North American President John Faraguna, a long-term Houston resident with a BS and MS in Geology and many years of experience working in the industry, Faraguna will be supported by Matt Underhill, global director of Hays who oversees the development of the oil and gas business for Hays around the world.

"We have a great opportunity to become valued partners of energy companies and the service industry. The highly skilled workforce in this sector such as geophysicists, reservoir engineers, drilling engineers and IT professionals, are a key asset for all the companies involved in finding, producing, refining and distributing oil, gas and associated products," said Faraguna.

Houston is the home of many companies with whom Hays has already established relationships in Europe, the Middle East, Asia or South America and, as such, the recruitment specialist's global reach and focus on recruitment and staffing excellence will assist clients in finding these professionals either on a permanent or contract basis.

- Ends –

About Hays
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

As at 30 June 2011, the Group employed 7,620 staff operating from 255 offices in 31 countries across 20 specialisms. Specialist roles recruited for include engineering jobs, finance jobs, construction jobs and health and safety jobs.

For the year ended 30 June 2011:
- the Group reported net fees of £672 million and operating profit of £114 million;
- the Group placed around 60,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 190,000 people into temporary assignments;
- 31% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 33% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 36% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;
- the temporary placement business represented 54% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 46% of net fees;

Hays research shows low morale in public sector workers

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:10:49 GMT

Hays, the leading recruitment specialists, has revealed research showing that disillusioned public sector workers appear to have hit a new morale low going into 2012. The research showed that more than half (52%) of job seekers said they would be prepared to sacrifice their pension for a career in the private sector, and nearly two thirds of workers considering the public sector a worse place to work following the recession.

The preliminary findings of the Hays Career Outlook Survey (undertaken in Nov/Dec 2011) show that although those working in the public sector are fiercely defensive of their pensions, the pull of the private sector and its perceived higher job security is attractive to job seekers.

Other early findings from the research show over three-quarters (84%) of public sector employers are concerned that they will struggle to keep skilled workers, and almost half (46%) say they will be unable to attract the skilled people needed for the twelve months ahead. 80% believe this will have an impact on the delivery of public services.

Almost two-thirds (60%) of public sector workers said the public sector is a worse place to work compared to before the recession, compared to only 40% in the private sector. Over three-quarters (76%) of public sector employers believe the sector is more stressful now than it was a year ago.

Andy Robling, Public Services Director at Hays, said: "These results indicate the potential dangers ahead for the public sector if something is not done to address poor morale and the perceptions some workers have about what the two sectors offer in terms of career progression and job security.

"The news that over half of workers in the public sector, who often choose work there to make a positive difference to society, would consider trading in their pension for a career in the private sector underlines how keen they are to move. Whilst conditions in the private sector are challenging too it is clearly one step ahead of the public sector in terms of attracting and motivating talent."

Heading into the New Year, both sectors report difficult working conditions, with employers describing morale as ‘pressured’ (45% of public sector employers, 46% in the private), and results from the survey show that their employees agree. Public sector employers lay the blame for this at the government’s door, while their private sector counterparts blame the global economy. Early data indicates a lack of career progression in both sectors is also causing a problem for staff.

Robling concluded: “In order to be in a position to tackle these important challenges in 2012, it’s vital that employers in both sectors take action now."

- ends -

About the survey
The findings are based on an online survey of over 955 employers (577 public sector and 381 private sector from across the UK) and 1380 employees in both the public and private sectors (716 public sector and 669 private sector).

PR contact:
Emma Price
Hays
Stockley House
130 Wilton Road
London
SW1V 1LQ
020 7259 8821
http://www.hays.co.uk/

BongoMagic software aims to breathe life into online recruitment

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:51:21 GMT

Developers of relationship and referral marketing software BongoMagic, have warned that the majority of online recruitment providers are failing to harness the power of social media networks and changing consumer behaviour online, missing high quality candidates, particularly passive candidates and limiting the reach of recruitment campaigns as a result.

“Traditional online recruitment has become a static commodity unable to respond quickly to new and productive online trends. They compete for the same candidates, are less price competitive due to increased search engine advertising costs and completely fail at targeting the passive jobseeker that make up around 75% of the UK working population.

“We believe that a change is necessary, a change which encourages the entire industry to embrace the value and potential of social communication,” said Dave Young, Founder and CTO of Larosco, developers of BongoMagic.

Having integrated BongoMagic into its operations across the Banking and Finance, Oil and Gas, Engineering and Public sectors, leading recruitment agency RZ Group believes the entire sector could benefit from implementing the latest technologies and social platforms.

“Using a social recommendation tool allows us to reach a very wide audience and at the same time reward those who have helped us to fill a position with the correct candidate,” explained Andy Barton, Director at RZ Group.
Enabling users to improve the effectiveness of recruitment campaigns and manage the candidate acquisition process efficiently, the social recommendation software serves to harness the power of digital channels and changing consumer behaviour to enhance online recruitment. Expanding the target audience past the first degree of separation, the tool reaches passive candidates through other people’s social networks.

“BongoMagic was developed to help support the recruitment process using an online recommendation system to virally communicate jobs to social network audiences. By tracking the entire recommendation process, BongoMagic provides recruiters with visibility over their candidate acquisition strategy and for the first time effectively use multiple digital advertising channels,” Young explained.

RZ Group’s Barton added: “The campaigns do not take long to set up and each and every one can be tailored to ensure you get the right message out at the right time. Additionally, everything can be measured so we can continue to tweak campaigns to make them more and more successful.

“We use Bongomagic to compliment the work of our consultants [...] At the same time it helps us to achieve our business goals and reach the right candidates for our clients in a very efficient and effective way,”

Acting as an electronic ‘word of mouth’ referral system, the platform-independent software utilises existing contact databases to extend the reach of campaigns across all social networks. Empowering consultants to implement a more dynamic and proactive campaign, BongoMagic can be fully integrated and used across the full range of Internet enabled devices including tablet, smartphones, iPhones, Windows and iOS operated devices.

Hays Procurement and CIPS partner to deliver dedicated recruitment services

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:20:18 GMT

Hays Procurement, the leading recruiting expert, has signed a new partnership with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) to provide CIPS members with a dedicated recruitment service, providing specialist procurement and supply management career support for CIPS' UK members and those overseas

CIPS members will benefit from Hays Procurement's regional network of offices and have access to the latest job opportunities. Hays Procurement will offer members a priority service, which will include essential information about the procurement market and careers advice from expert recruiters.

Pat Law, Director at Hays Procurement comments: "Recruitment issues have risen to the fore since the economic downturn and procurement professionals want expert career advice. Our partnership with CIPS will enable us to keep its members up-to-date with the latest information about the procurement market. We look forward to working even more closely with CIPS to raise the profile of the profession and encourage young people to consider it as a career."

David Noble, Chief Executive at CIPS said: "The combined strength of our preferred partners, who have been chosen following a rigorous selection process, means a huge boost for candidates seeking career opportunities in the procurement and supply chain profession. We must support the next generation of professionals and make this a career of choice for younger audiences and those in mid-career. I believe this combination of experts in the recruitment industry will provide the best mix and the best opportunities."

For further information or to access current procurement jobs please visit the Hays website.

For more information on CIPS please visit: cips.org.

Hays Procurement is a specialist division with the Group and a market leading provider of specialist recruitment services to procurement professionals across the UK and worldwide.

As at 30 June 2011, the Group employed 7,620 staff operating from 255 offices in 31 countries across 20 specialisms. Specialist roles recruited for include call centre jobs, marketing jobs, IT jobs and roles in education, such as teaching assistant jobs.

Hays reveals UK procurement job vacancies rise by a third in the past year

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:32:42 GMT

Figures compiled by Hays Procurement, the leading recruiting expert, and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) show that there has been a significant increase in demand and reward for procurement and supply management professionals during the course of the past year.

Data from Hays Procurement shows that the number of procurement and supply chain job vacancies has risen significantly, with 33 per cent more jobs advertised in Q2 2011 compared with the same period in 2010. Vacancies for Procurement Officers increased most sharply (200%) followed by Senior Buyers (110%) and Procurement Managers (75%).

The highest concentration of job vacancies is in the South East (22%) and London (18%), followed by the Midlands (12%) and the South West (12%), with growth strongest in the automotive manufacturing jobs sector, up an average of 73% per quarter in the first half of the year.

Whilst overall five out of six available procurement jobs remain within private companies there was a notable increase in the number of public sector vacancies, with an average 29% increase in the first two quarters of 2011. This is despite otherwise high rates of job cuts in the public sector, which are predicted to reach 610,000 by 2014/15 at current rates, but also perhaps because of increased pressures within the public sector to reduce costs.

These increases are also reflective of an on-going trend of procurement becoming recognised as a high-level strategic function within organisations during the past decade, shown particularly in terms of salary increases. According to Hays Procurement the number of senior procurement jobs with advertised salaries of between £75,000 and £100,000 per annum rose by 35% in the first half of 2011.

Similarly, 60 per cent of respondents to the CIPS/Supply Management Profile of the Profession Survey earlier this year, reported that their salary had increase in the past 2 years. An overwhelming 86% said their procurement department was doing more than it was 5 years previously, and 39% said they report to a higher level of the company than they did 5 years ago.

David Noble, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply said: "The financial crisis and continuing uncertainties weighing on the global economy, have led many companies to review their business strategies and to expand parts of their operations that ultimately help them to reduce costs and ensure the sustainability of future growth. Meanwhile, recent scrutiny of government procurement strategies has led to more strategic employment in the sector."

With an average twenty (19.65) applicants per procurement and supply chain job, compared to an average thirty (30.40) for human resources jobs, and thirty-one (31.09) for non-qualified finance jobs, the data from Hays also suggests that there may be comparatively attractive opportunities as well as higher demand for candidates, particularly those who may be looking to switch careers.

Meanwhile, 94% of procurement professionals surveyed for the CIPS/Supply Management survey earlier in the year, said that they would recommend purchasing and supply as a career.

Hays reveals research into why small businesses lose talented employees

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:25:51 GMT

Hays, a leading recruitment expert, has announced that, according to its latest survey, small businesses may be losing out on the most talented employees due to concerns among jobseekers around pay and benefits.

The results show that almost half (49 per cent) of those surveyed believe salaries are not as competitive within small companies as they are at larger organisations, and over half (55 per cent) believe smaller businesses are not able to offer as many benefits.

Despite almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of people reporting a positive experience of working in smaller businesses, the survey found that a quarter (25 per cent) would prefer to work for a larger organisation. Over half (52 per cent) expressed concerns about the stability of smaller organisations.

However, respondents felt that job satisfaction and interesting work can be found in any sized organisation. In addition, a number of positive factors about working for smaller businesses were also identified, such as the idea that they offer a more hands-on approach (88 per cent), greater responsibility (83 per cent) and a greater understanding of the business as a whole (83 per cent). The chance to work more closely with senior staff (88 per cent) was also seen as a benefit of small businesses. Respondents also identified recognition from senior managers as another potential draw.

Charles Logan, director at Hays, commented: "In the current turbulent job market it's no surprise that workers are looking for job security. But we also know that career development is very important to most professionals and this plays a key part in their decision to leave an organisation and accept a new role. To attract the skilled and talented individuals that are needed to remain competitive, small businesses need to combat some of the stereotypes and ensure professionals are aware of the advantages they can offer workers looking to move their careers on.

"If they cannot compete with larger salaries or more expensive benefit schemes, they can often provide more interesting and varied work and the chance for people to work with senior people. It is these benefits that they need to sell to professionals."

Logan continued: "Benefits need to be finely tuned to the needs of workers in smaller businesses. To counter worries about stability, smaller employers need to clearly communicate to potential recruits where their business is heading and the opportunities for future growth."

Specialist recruitment covers a wide range of roles including personal assistant jobs, building services jobs and IT jobs, to roles in broader industries including construction, marketing, accountancy and sales.

As at 30 June 2011, the Group employed 7,620 staff operating from 255 offices in 31 countries across 20 specialisms.

Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Jobs Detective launches new iPhone app

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:06:23 GMT

Jobs Detective has announced the launch of its new app, available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The app has been created to offer users a way of searching for jobs from the site on their mobile devices. Users are able to save jobs which interest them for future reference and set up alerts to keep up to date. With the jobs market being so fast-paced and competitive, the app gives Jobs Detective's users the advantage of looking for jobs on the go.

Sonum Tailor at Jobs Detective said: "Now that Jobs Detective has gone mobile, candidates can view our jobs whenever and wherever they go, making it easier for candidates to stay up to date with the latest jobs available- 24/7. We know how competitive the job market is these days, and how crucial it is to stay on top of the latest jobs. We hope the Jobs Detective app becomes a primary resource for candidates within the mobile and app world."

The Jobs Detective site launched in July and has already had over 500,000 CVs uploaded by job hunters. The site currently has over 15,000 jobs online, including retail jobs, financial services jobs and education jobs, and is growing fast. It has advanced technological features such as the 'JD Score' which is an easy way for recruiters to see how well a candidate matches the role applied for.

The site also has a Multiapply cart which allows users to add any jobs which interest them to their cart while browsing the site. Once they are ready the user can then send their CV and covering letter to multiple prospective employers.

The new Jobs Detective app is available for free from the iTunes store.

About Jobs Detective:
Jobs Detective is the latest addition to the Detective Group Company. Jobs Detective is a multi-specialist online job board soon to be attracting millions of job seekers and thousands of recruiters/employers on a monthly basis. It also offers a range of advice on all aspects of job seeking including writing CVs and covering letters.

Due to its infinite amounts of inspired innovation and advanced features, Job Detective is working towards becoming the most technologically advanced job board and becoming the fastest growing job board in the UK.

Hays suggests oil and gas employers must consider other skilled workers to fill staff shortfall

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:17:19 GMT

Hays has reported that employers should start considering employing people from other energy and engineering sectors if they are to successfully fill the increasing number of jobs being generated in the oil and gas industry in Scotland.

The comments come as the sector continues a steady recovery, generating a number of new technical and engineering posts. However, there is currently a shortage of people with the necessary skills and experience to fill the posts, caused partly by the lure of better paid positions overseas, combined with a lack of new engineering graduates.

According to Graeme Fyfe, director of Hays' Oil and Gas division in Scotland, employers will need to compromise on non-essential aspects, take a much broader view of their skills requirements and also ensure they have a long-term strategy to address the issue with an investment in training and development.

"The good news is that energy projects that were previously on hold are now being reinstated and offshore fields which reduced production are coming back online," said Fyfe. "But there is currently a serious shortage of people with the rights skills and experience to fill the posts that are being generated. This applies across the board, but the pinch point is in mechanical and project management roles. Almost without exception, our clients are looking for skilled project engineers who tend to be at the heart of any manufacturing process - but they simply aren't available.

"There isn't time to train them or wait for the next influx of graduates, so in the meantime employers should take a more strategic approach and consider if people from other industry sectors could fulfil these jobs, albeit with some additional learning. For example, we have recently placed a project manager from construction into a manufacturing role in subsea systems and equipment. Another candidate with experience in a heavy forged products environment has relocated to Aberdeen and is now working for a company that manufactures offshore equipment.”

According to Fyfe, people who work in construction, defence, automotive and other large complex engineering industries are often already working to the high standards that are required in the oil and gas sector. They therefore have many transferable technical and project management skills. This is more cost-effective in the longer term, he believes, than opting to offer higher salaries or delaying projects.

"There needs to be a balance between encouraging more people into science and engineering and employers being much more strategic in their forward planning. Not only is there a shortage of new talent but a ‘brain drain’ is causing many of our skilled engineers to relocate overseas at a critical time when we need the right people in place to grow the industry.”

For further information and to access jobs visit www.hays.co.uk/oil-and-gas.

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. Placements are made in various sectors within the energy, oil and gas sectors including jobs in energy such as nuclear energy jobs and renewable energy jobs.

Hays launches a series of videos offering advice to finance professionals

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:24:54 GMT

Hays Senior Finance has launched a series of vodcasts offering expert career advice to finance professionals within the UK. The films are short interviews designed to offer bite-size advice and information, to equip finance professionals with information, and make the experience of searching and finding a job much easier.

Career pieces include:
- Paul Venables, Group Finance Director at Hays, explaining which skills are helpful to building a successful long-term finance career.
- James Brent, Business Director, and Louisa London, Senior Manager, at Hays Accountancy & Finance discuss the current finance recruitment market for accountancy professionals.

Nik Pratap, Director at Hays Senior Finance, the leading recruiting expert said: "Expert career advice is valued by finance professionals themselves and employers. Not only is sound career advice important in helping professionals understand what skills they need but it also helps employers find the most suitable people.

"The new web area allows finance professionals to ask questions - we are interacting with them and answering some of the most commonly asked questions by accountants looking to make their next career move. We recognise the need to provide advice in a number of different formats. Hays already offer face to face advice and write regular advice pieces - the online vodcasts allow us to give a new dimension to the way that people view the advice they get from us."

The information is free to download from http://www.hays.co.uk/experts-talk.

About Hays:
Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Asia Pacific and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe and Latin America. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. Specialist roles include senior finance jobs, banking jobs, financial services jobs and accountancy jobs.

As at 30 June 2011, the Group employed 7,620 staff operating from 255 offices in 31 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2011:

– the Group reported net fees of £672 million and operating profit** of £114 million;
– the Group placed around 60,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 190,000 people into temporary assignments;
– 31% of Group net fees were generated in Asia Pacific, 33% in Continental Europe & RoW (CERoW) and 36% in the United Kingdom & Ireland;
– the temporary placement business represented 54% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 46% of net fees;

Jobs Detective launch new website

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:39:48 GMT

Jobs Detective has announced the launch of its new UK based website, offering a number of unique technologies and resources exclusive to the UK based site which is aimed at both those looking for jobs as well as recruiters.

The unique features of the site include JD Score (Jobs Detective Score), which is an easy way for recruiters to see how well a candidate matches the role applied for. Candidates simply upload their CV which Jobs Detective then scans and lists jobs that are relevant to their CV. When a job is applied for, the application and the JD Score goes to the recruiter. This enables the recruiter to see how well a candidate’s CV matches the job. Following registration to the site, users will have a 'Jobs4me' section which they can visit and see the jobs that are scored to their CV.

The Multiapply Cart is another feature exclusive to the Job Detective website. This allows users to add as many jobs as they wish to their cart while browsing the site and then apply for them simultaneously and submit a covering letter for each individual job.

Sonum Tailor at Jobs Detective said: "Jobs Detective is running on state of the art technology. It is truly a massive contribution to the recruitment industry as we anticipate being one of the leading jobs boards in the UK, serving millions nationwide. We are excited to be entering such a highly competitive industry with our exclusive features. We hope everyone enjoys the site, as we will continuously strive for matching relevant talent to job vacancies."

As well as a full range of jobs, including temporary jobs and graduate jobs, the site also offers plenty of useful information to assist job seekers in standing out from the crowd including job seeking tips, advice on how to write a CV, assistance in networking and advice on how to deal with stress in the workplace.

The site was launched at a black tie dinner party held at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington open to their loyal and dedicated recruiters. The event was hosted by top comedian Jimmy Carr and guests enjoyed a three course dinner served with champagne.

About Jobs Detective:
Jobs Detective is the latest addition to the Detective Group company. Jobs Detective is a multi-specialist online job board attracting millions of job seekers and thousands of recruiters/employers on a monthly basis.

Due to its infinite amounts of inspired innovation and advanced features, Job Detective are working towards becoming the most technologically advanced job board and becoming the fastest growing job board in the UK.

Joslin Rowe re-launches new website as Randstad Financial & Professional

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:07:07 GMT

Joslin Rowe has announced it's new brand name of Randstad Financial & Professional. By moving more formally to a Randstad brand, the company can offer clients and candidates a more complete service.

Four different recruitment companies have come together to form Randstad Financial & Professional. These companies are Joslin Rowe, Martin Ward Anderson, Hughes-Castell and Prolaw. This merger sees a number of experienced recruitment specialists coming together to offer stronger professional services recruitment expertise.

The integration first started in 2005, when Martin Ward Anderson was acquired by Randstad. Then in 2006 the Vedior recruitment group took a majority share in Joslin Rowe, Hughes-Castell and Prolaw. When Randstad subsequently acquired Vedior in 2008, it meant that the four firms were brought together under the Randstad umbrella. The four companies formally integrated in 2009, but were keen to conduct a thorough marketing campaign to educate the market on their intended name change to Randstad Financial & Professional.

Randstad Financial & Professional now operates out of twelve offices in the UK in Birmingham, Bristol, two offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Welwyn Garden City and Windsor.

As a result of the rebrand, the new Randstad Financial & Professional website was launched on 4 July 2011.

Belinda Walmsley, director, Randstad Financial & Professional, said: "The launch of the new Randstad Financial & Professional website ensures that we can bring together our various specialisms in an easily searchable format for job seekers. We're already seeing an increase in applications which is testimony to the new site's ease of use."

About Randstad Financial & Professional:
Randstad Financial & Professional is an award-winning specialist recruitment firm for jobs in the financial services, professional services, commerce, industry, public and not-for profit sectors with a thirty year history of service excellence.

Randstad Financial & Professional is based out of 12 offices across the UK, including offices in London, Southampton and Glasgow. Jobs recruited for cover a wide range of specialisms including compliance jobs, accountancy jobs, marketing jobs, insurance jobs, finance jobs, change management jobs, human resources jobs,investment management jobs, operations & middle office jobs, property & facilities jobs, risk jobs, secretarial & office support jobs and a range of roles in the legal sector.

Randstad Financial & Professional companies have a strong track record when it comes to the UK Recruiter Awards, having won seven awards in five years.

Hays and CBI release digital report on workplace flexibility and communication

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:39:57 GMT

Hays and CBI have called on the Government to fundamentally rethink its approach to employment law in order to bolster workplace flexibility and foster better employment relations.

Launching its first ever digital report Thinking Positive: the 21st century employment relationship, produced in collaboration with Hays, the CBI explores how the employment relationship has changed, becoming even more flexible.

The report includes video interviews with employees and staff on the benefits of good communication and flexibility, and looks at how this helped minimise private sector job losses during and post-recession.

Now the CBI says the Government should build on the success of workplace relations forged during the recession by embedding this flexible approach into future employment law and in its Employment Law Review. Rather than automatically opting for legislation, in most cases the Government should specify what it is trying to achieve and set out suggested processes in more flexible guidance or codes of practice. With much of the UK's employment law coming from Europe, this approach should also be applied to EU directives.

So far, the Government has given some welcome signals on reducing regulation and is looking at ways of improving the tribunals system. But it has also introduced policies that have reduced flexibility, including abolishing the Default Retirement Age without addressing the need for employers to have protected conversations about retirement plans and failing to review the Agency Workers Directive, which has been gold plated to include extra process costs for employers, not required under European law.

John Cridland, CBI director-general, said: "Traditionally when making employment law governments have tried to specify every last detail of what should go on in the workplace.

"With a strong base of employment rights already in place, we simply don't need the state telling us how to manage every aspect of basic human relations.

"The Government should adopt a simpler approach to future employment law, one which maximises choice for employers and staff and plays up the strengths of our flexible labour market.

"Good communication helped companies and employees work together to make difficult changes to working patterns to get through the recession. These lessons are particularly important now the public sector is facing similar challenges as a result of measures to cut the deficit."

Commenting on the benefits of greater workplace flexibility for staff, Alistair Cox, chief executive of Hays plc, added: "Flexibility is a key ingredient in driving future economic growth in the UK. It is also a key aspect that more and more professionals look for in their lives and careers, particularly at a time when we want to encourage employers to invest and create more jobs, despite today's economic uncertainty."

About Hays:
Hays plc is the leading global specialist recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. As at 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. These specialisms cover a range of opportunities including retail jobs, marketing jobs, IT Jobs and finance jobs.

About CBI:
The CBI is the UK's leading business organisation, speaking for some 240,000 businesses that together employ around a third of the private sector workforce. With offices across the UK as well as representation in Brussels, Washington, Beijing and Delhi, the CBI communicates the British business voice around the world.

Hays and The Times name Louisa James as PA of the Year 2011

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:15:49 GMT

Hays and The Times have announced that Louisa James, of Wandsworth, London, has triumphed in the Hays and The Times PA of the Year Award 2011, being named the country's top PA. Her energy and enthusiasm have seen her expand her role, embracing significant project management and organisational leadership such as being actively involved in the 'Jamie's 30-minute meals' award-winning app, helping her secure the top spot.

PA to the managing director at Jamie Oliver Ltd, Louisa was announced as the winner at an awards ceremony held by Hays, the leading recruiting expert, at Flemings Hotel, Mayfair, London on the 19th of May. Louisa has won a five night break for two in Prague, courtesy of Portman Travel. She will also receive a place on The PA Retreat, an intensive residential training programme for management PAs, courtesy of Castalia Coaching & Training.

Louisa said: "I feel so honoured to be chosen as the PA of the Year. I give my job my all, and to be recognised like this is a wonderful feeling. People often don't realise the huge impact PAs can have in an organisation, so it's wonderful to be acknowledged like this."

Second place was awarded to Christopher Juliff, diary, visits and events manager to the NHS chief executive. The judges praised Christopher's passion for his career and his expertise, along with his outstanding attention to detail in a high pressured environment. They also noted his strong personal commitment to the diversity agenda.

Third place went to Zara Dyer, PA to the managing director at Liverpool Football Club. The judges were impressed by her passion for developing a PA network in the North and skill in being able to support her boss in a way that maximises her time and effectiveness.

As well as the three finalists, the three runners up were: Jennifer Batty, executive assistant to associate and executive directors of Russell Reynolds Associates; Lisa Partridge, PA to Michael Caines MBE and Sharon Walsh, executive assistant to the HR director at Channel 4

The awards were presented by Michelle Mone founder and co-owner of MJM International and creator of Ultimo, the UK's leading designer lingerie brand.

Michelle declared: "Congratulations to Louisa, who has fought off some stiff competition to claim this year's Award. She and all the finalists have shown just how valued the roles of PAs and executive assistants really are. People in this role make a considerable contribution to businesses across the country, so it's great to be putting the spotlight on them."

This year's judging panel consisted of: Susie Barron-Stubley, managing director of Castalia, the coaching and training company; Gareth Osborne, director general of the Association for Personal Assistants (APA); Laura Richardson, last year's winner; and Geoff Sims, managing director of Hays PA & Secretarial.

Geoff Sims, managing director at Hays PA & Secretarial, added: "Congratulations to Louisa and to all the finalists. Everyone should be very proud of their achievements. PAs play a crucial role and our research suggests that although they underestimate how important to an organisation they are, over 80% of employers say that office support workers provide essential support and are the backbone of the organisation."

About Hays:
Hays PA & Secretarial is part of Hays plc, the leading global specialist recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe.

As of 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. Specialist roles include banking jobs, architecture jobs, procurement jobs and paralegal jobs.

Hays survey reveals public sector job cuts will damage frontline service delivery

Thu, 26 May 2011 10:04:28 GMT

According to new research published by Hays, the leading recruiting expert, the public sector is facing a critical loss of employees, with almost half (45%) of staff in the sector facing redundancy or actively seeking work in the private sector.

Although the public sector is faced with the need to make cuts, pay, career development and job security are all seen to be better in the private sector, resulting in a severe skills loss, which will impact on its ability to deliver frontline services effectively.

The Hays Public Sector Survey 2011 finds that some public sector employers are struggling to recruit staff with the right skills to manage frontline services. Since the Comprehensive Spending Review 18% of employers say it is harder to attract skilled job candidates. Over 80% of employers say uncertainty around job security is the primary factor stopping people looking for work in the sector, followed by changes to benefits (51%) and scrutiny over pay (39%).

Furthermore, headcount reduction schemes and cuts may be draining the public sector of its most vauable employees. 60% of employers and the same level of workers believe voluntary redundancy and early retirement schemes are resulting in the loss of the best talent. Over 60% of staff say they fear the sector will be unable to attract the staff needed to manage the transformation and change ahead.

Andy Robling, public services director of Hays, said: "With such a widespread exodus of staff, it is highly likely that frontline services will be affected. Employers have to make cuts and drive cost savings, but they are also faced with increased demand for many frontline services, such as healthcare and education. The combination of pay scrutiny, fears around job security and critical media headlines means a stigma has started to develop around public sector careers. Many public sector workers are feeling demotivated, devalued and stuck in less challenging careers. The public sector needs to act now to address this before it is too late."

Asked what areas they would improve to help attract professional staff to the public sector, employers and employees both reported pay and career development as the top two factors. Almost 70% of employers agree they need to review what they have to offer jobseekers so they are perceived more positively, with over a third (38%) saying this is an urgent priority.

Andy Robling continued: "Employers in the public sector would do well to focus on areas they can have an effect on, such as providing a clear career path and training. The main reason people come to work in the public sector is the desire to make a difference to society. Employers have to make sure they are showing how important the roles are if they want to attract and motivate staff."

-ends-

About Hays:
Hays plc, the leading global specialist recruitment group, is the market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe.

As at 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. These specialisms encompass a wide range of roles including learning and development jobs, retail jobs and admin support jobs.

About the research:
The Hays Public Sector Survey 2011 is based on responses from 1039 public sector workers and 603 employers in the UK during April 2011. The respondents comprised management, frontline and back office staff, as well as hiring managers and line managers, from across a wide range of public sector organisations.

Hays plc calls for G20 action on global jobs creation

Fri, 20 May 2011 11:29:48 GMT

Hays plc, the global specialist recruiting firm, has called on governments and industries across the world to take joined-up action to tackle the looming threat of increased global unemployment as the world's working population is set to increase dramatically. With many countries already at record levels of unemployment, co-ordinated action needs to be taken now to avert future labour crises as significantly more people are set to join the global labour force. To this end Hays has developed a Five Point Plan.

Hays, which placed more than 230,000 people in work across 30 countries in 2010, has published a seminal report; Creating Jobs in a Global Economy, compiled in partnership with economic forecaster, Oxford Economics, illustrating the challenges ahead for employers, employees and governments across the world.

The report forecasts the dramatic movements of workforce, power and wealth across the globe over the next 20 years. The world's working-age population is expected to increase by over a billion people in this timeframe. However, all of this growth will be developing economies. The developed world will see its workforce shrink and age.

Governments and industries must start to plan now how they will deal with this imbalance, both to harness the economic potential that this larger workforce can provide as well as creating the skills that will otherwise become in increasingly short supply in many areas. Developing markets will face a period of rapid industrialisation and infrastructure construction which will require access to skilled and experienced workers currently unavailable in sufficient numbers domestically. Similarly, the developed markets will need to find ways of maintaining their competitive edge in key industries by investing in the future skills required, albeit against a backdrop of a smaller and older pool of workers.

Alistair Cox, CEO, Hays, said: "Our report illustrates the profound and stark challenges our world will face in the future both to create employment opportunities for a billion more people and balance the mismatch we are already seeing between supply and demand of key skills. Only by thinking globally can governments and companies put in place the environment to solve these conflicting challenges and create the basis for full employment and a sound global economy."

The report demonstrates the need for employment policy to be discussed at the G20 in Mexico and at the WEF next year. Cox added: "Everyone is talking about the growth in the Chinese population. The fact is that China's working age population is set to plateau and then decline in our generation, just like many countries in the West. No one is yet talking about how industries will employ the extra billion people who will soon be looking for work in India, Africa and South America. That is a huge opportunity if governments and businesses get it right, but a big social problem if we get it wrong."

'Creating Jobs in a Global Economy 2011-2030' follows the publication last year of 'Action on Skills and Jobs: The Hays Manifesto for Employment' which outlined the actions needed to create a healthy employment market in the UK.

-ends-

About Hays:
Hays plc is the leading global specialist recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. As at 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. These specialisms cover a range of opportunities including accountancy jobs, marketing jobs, architecture jobs, financial services jobs, construction jobs and teaching assistant jobs.

Hays and LCCI reveal the private sector needs government support

Thu, 19 May 2011 15:59:34 GMT

Hays, the leading recruiting expert, and The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have partnered to produce a report called "The Challenges of transition: from public to private".

As the government's cost cutting measures continue to impact on workers, more needs to be done to support workers through the transition to the private sector, according to the new report.

Around 330,000 people are expected to lose their public sector jobs over the next four years. While both sectors have many similarities, the perceptions the sectors have about each other could limit the ability of ex-public sector employees to quickly return to the labour market thereby risking longer term joblessness.

Through this report, which surveyed the views of public sector employees and private sector employers, the LCCI and Hays have identified six critical steps to ensure the successful transition of the workforce from the public to the private sector: encourage better understanding; incentivise the private sector; identify regional skills gaps; review onboarding procedures; enhance existing support programmes; and promote self-reliance and resourcefulness.

Mark Staniland, director at Hays said: "As the government cuts begin to take effect there is a growing pressure on the private sector to create new jobs. There is no doubt that public sector employees have many skills in need right across the private sector. However, it is unreasonable to believe that transferring a large proportion of the workforce will not need specialist help to progress smoothly. The government must act now and put provisions in place to support the workers and both sectors need to work together to make sure the skills available are used to their full advantage."

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the LCCI added: "We hope this report will make a meaningful contribution to this important debate, which in turn will help get people in to new jobs while giving a shot in the arm to the London and UK economies. In the months to come there will be many talented individuals from the public sector coming on to the job market which is a great opportunity for employers looking to bring in new skills and ideas to their business."

Notes to editors:
The LCCI and Hays each undertook quantitative and qualitative research in the public and private sectors. The quantitative results represent the views (canvassed online) of 1,435 public-sector employees and 348 private sector employers, the majority of which are based in London and the South East.

About Hays:
Hays plc is the leading global specialist recruitment group. It is market leader in the UK and Australia, and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe. As at 31 December 2010, the Group employed 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 30 countries across 17 specialisms. These specialisms cover a range of opportunities including labouring jobs, marketing jobs, quantity surveying jobs, PA jobs, health and safety jobs and facilities management jobs.

About London Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the capital's largest and most representative business organisation, with members ranging in size from multi-national companies to SMEs and sole traders.

Top Articles Tagged with recruitment