Recruitment strategies must change to attract top financial talent
The recession meant that many senior-level finance professionals focused their efforts on up-skilling and broadening their experience, rather than looking for new roles in lean times. But, with the economy showing slow but definite growth, the jobs market is now looking more positive. Tim Vye, divisional director of Reed Finance, told our sister publication www.accountingweb.co.uk […]
JCB Billionaire tops Vocational Rich List
Jamie Oliver, JCB billionaire Sir Anthony Bamford and celebrity hairstylist John Frieda are just some of the names on the City & Guilds Vocational Rich List of people who made their fortunes without getting a degree. Sir Anthony topped the poll after seeing his family fortune shoot up to £2.15 billion this year, a situation […]
Youth unemployment led to riots, says Carpetright CEO
The chief executive of Carpetright, one of the stores destroyed in the Tottenham riots on Saturday night, has called on the coalition government to do more to create jobs for young people. Lord Harris of Peckham told the Daily Telegraph that he believed part of the reason behind the violence, which started in London but […]
Ask the expert: Employer queries ‘fit note’ for work-related depression/stress
The question: Depression/stress at work – employer queries ‘fit note’ A friend is into her 5th continuous week of absence, all supported by GP notes every two weeks, stating ‘stress at work/anxiety’ or ‘depression’. Essentially, what started as a stress at work issue three months ago has caused her lots of stress and she has […]
Book review: The Great Workplace – How to Build it, How to keep it and Why it matters
Title: The Great Workplace – How to Build it, How to keep it and Why it mattersAuthor: Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin The Great Workplace sets out to explain how working in a “great” place adds value to business results. The book is written by Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin – founding consultants at the […]
The Workplace: Equipping Starbank for the future
Starbank is a highly successful company. Started in1976 by Gordon and Kathleen Darbyshire, Starbank began as a supplier of furniture components to the caravan industry. It later expanded to service a growing number of industries who required a reliable and quality outsourcing service for the fabrication of high pressure laminates and wood based panel products. […]
Just over half of staff work through their holidays
Just over half of UK staff who are not self-employed work during their holidays, with nearly one in five making a regular habit of it, a study has found. A survey among 2,009 adults undertaken by YouGov on behalf of workplace information and services provider Croner also revealed that young people aged 18 to 24 […]
How is James Murdoch conducting himself?
In light of the News International scandal there is an important question that all organisations should be asking themselves: Is the code of conduct an effective tool that actively helps protect your reputation, or a fig leaf whose shortcomings risk leaving you woefully exposed if things turn tricky? According to James Murdoch’s testimony before the […]
Top director pensions 29 times higher than employees
Top company directors are retiring on pensions that are up to 29 times larger than those of the rest of the workforce, according to the High Pay Commission. Most executives working at FTSE 100 companies draw an average annual pension of about £175,000, while the median pension for employees in a private sector final […]
Stressed!!! Companies are screaming out for HR to help.
How did last week feel for you? Were you feeling a tad more stressed out than usual? If you were, don’t worry, you’re not alone – there were millions of us in the same boat. Last week was, it seems, the most stressful 5 working days of the corporate calendar as those left in the […]
PM and Chancellor plan top tax rate cut to 45p
David Cameron and George Osborne plan to cut the top rate of income tax from 50 pence to 45 pence as early as next March. According to the Daily Mail, the Prime Minister and Chancellor decided to back the move after seeing Treasury figures, which showed that the current 50 pence rate for those earning […]
Ask the expert: Redundancy and re-employment
The question: Redundancy and re-employment "Is there a minimum time after a redundancy that employers can re-advertise for the same post, I’ve seen a lot of conflicting advice some companies wait three months, others six. I’d appreciate any advice please." Legal advice: Esther Smith, partner, Thomas Eggar "Well, the answer generally depends […]
Your job specification: 5 tips to take it from drab to irresistible
Today’s job seekers can access as many as eight million job postings from the Internet alone. To attract the top job candidates in your industry, irresistible and informative job postings are a must. A well-crafted job posting not only gets you the best applicants, but also ensures those applicants have a good understanding of what […]
Interns: opportunity or exploitation?
As a trainee solicitor I have done my fair share of unpaid internships and work experience. In fact, many of my friends have had to work for months, one for even a year, for little or no remuneration. This is particularly the case in the media, fashion and TV industries. In many instances interns work […]
Whither employee benefits?
Has the provision of employee benefits passed its peak? The answer to the question depends on the reasons why benefits were offered in the first place. If they were constructed as part of a package to attract and retain employees, the recession and public sector spending cuts have probably stalled the momentum in benefits provision. […]
Graduates focus on money, not idealism
Contrary to conventional wisdom, salary and other financial considerations are now top of the list for graduates when making their career choice, with idealism apparently having gone out of the window with the recession. According to a study undertaken by talent management consultancy Hay Group, a huge 93% of university leavers now see base pay […]
Shoesmith wins unfair dismissal appeal case claim
Sharon Shoesmith, the social services boss sacked in the wake of the Baby P scandal could receive more than £1 million in compensation after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against her unfair dismissal claim. The Department for Education and Shoesmith’s former employer, Haringey Council, had challenged a landmark ruling made by the Court […]
Who dares recruits
British Special Forces are undertaking an active online recruitment campaign for the first time in a bid to combat falling numbers. The SAS has posted an advert on a password-protected military job site, which can only be accessed by serving military personnel as they are the only ones eligible to apply. Colonel Clive […]
All IT recruitment roads lead to London
London is the place to be if you want to pick up a new job in IT, according to new research from jobs site CWjobs.co.uk. The second quarter of 2011 is the eighth consecutive quarter of increasing demand for IT jobseekers, with developer roles making up 39 per cent of all jobs advertised in the […]
HSBC plans 30,000 job cuts by 2013
HSBC plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2013 as part of a major refocus of its global banking operations towards Asia and away from less profitable regions. On announcing better than expected first half pre-tax profits of $11.5 billion, a rise of 3%, the group said that it had […]
