Blog: Hiring migrant workers is now a boardroom issue…
Immigration compliance has become a critical boardroom issue after the UK Border Agency increased focus on employer sponsor licence compliance. HR leaders must ensure senior management understands that modern immigration compliance extends beyond visas to include strict record-keeping requirements, recruitment standards, and third-party oversight, with failure to comply resulting in severe financial and criminal penalties.
News: Gen Y will lead to workforce management shake-up
Generation Y’s entry into the workforce is reshaping employment practices, from staff retention to succession planning. Research reveals significant gaps between Millennials and managers in work priorities and expectations, with Gen Y staying an average of just two years per job and prioritizing flexible working and personal ideals over traditional career advancement.
Dragon’s Den’s Dupsy Abiola on internships
Dupsy Abiola, founder of InternAvenue.com and Dragon’s Den success story, discusses internships and best practices for hiring interns. She explains how internships differ from apprenticeships and work shadowing, and why employers across finance, technology, and professional services sectors increasingly use them to develop talent.
News: Whitehall to relaunch grad hiring scheme with Facebook Q&A
The civil service is relaunching its Graduate Fast Stream recruitment programme with a Facebook Q&A featuring cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood. The revamped scheme now offers broader experience through multiple department placements and structured career development for new recruits.
Legal Insight: How to employ migrant workers legally
UK employers must verify all employees have valid work rights or face fines up to £10,000 per illegal worker, or unlimited fines if knowingly employed. The UKBA is actively enforcing compliance through workplace raids, making proper documentation checks and record-keeping essential HR practices.
Ernst & Young uses strengths-based assessment for graduate recruitment
Ernst & Young shifted to strengths-based recruitment to identify high performers by assessing candidates’ natural talents and authentic abilities rather than rehearsed competency responses. In 18 months, the approach reduced unsuitable first-stage candidates by 15% while increasing qualified acceptances by 12%.
News: Pearson unveils business-based higher education college
Pearson has become the first FTSE 100 company to directly offer degrees in the UK, launching a business-focused higher education college in partnership with major employers including BT, Cisco, and Atos. The BSc (Hons) degree, validated by Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, combines classroom learning with guaranteed internships, professional mentoring, and flexible study options starting at £6,500 annually.
Talent Spot: Gill Crowther, HR director at Nominet
Gill Crowther, HR director at Nominet, built her career across Ford, GlaxoSmithKline, and Microsoft before launching her own management consultancy. She joined the .uk domain registry operator in 2007, focusing on creating an engaging workplace where employees feel both challenged and valued.
Talent Spot: Kevin Fisher, HR director at Blemain Group
Kevin Fisher was hired as an interim HR director at specialist lender Blemain Group but impressed the company enough to land the permanent role. His career path shifted unexpectedly from sales to learning and development, eventually leading to HR leadership across multiple sectors.
News: Whitehall contractor status crackdown mauled for ‘missing the point’
The UK government plans to crack down on over 2,000 senior civil servants paid as contractors rather than staff, but industry experts argue the crackdown misses the point about legitimate contracting arrangements and tax compliance responsibilities.
News: Charities and spooks replace financial services on employer wishlist
Financial services firms have dropped out of the top ten graduate employers for the first time, replaced by charities and intelligence agencies. According to The Guardian’s UK 300 poll of 25,000 students, Google topped the list, while organisations like Amnesty International, Oxfam, MI6 and MI5 all surged in popularity, reflecting graduates’ preference for employers with positive social impact.
News: Saatchi & Saatchi X offers internships for grads with best ‘elevator pitch’
Saatchi & Saatchi X is offering paid internships to graduates who can pitch their advertising skills in 30 seconds at its “X Lift Pitch” event on April 27 in London. Winners advance through interviews and a boot camp challenge before securing six-week internships, with potential for permanent roles.
News: Would you sack someone for blogging about your job offer?
A recent graduate’s journalism job offer was rescinded after he posted about it on his blog, citing unauthorized use of the company logo and quotes from his offer letter. HR experts suggest the incident resulted from miscommunication, as employers typically prefer to control hiring announcements themselves during onboarding.
Graduate starting salaries lowest for nearly a decade
Graduate starting salaries are predicted to reach their lowest level in nearly a decade, with median pay frozen at £25,000 as employers take advantage of a buyer’s market and high competition for jobs among graduates.
Legal Insight: Employee or consultant? Lessons from the Student Loans Co
The Student Loans Company case highlights the legal distinction between employees and consultants. While consultant arrangements can offer tax benefits, they lack employment protections like paid leave and redundancy rights. Courts and tax authorities examine whether individuals are genuinely self-employed or actually employees avoiding statutory obligations.
HRD Insight: Enterprise-Rent-A-Car’s Donna Miller on graduate recruitment
Enterprise-Rent-A-Car prioritizes graduate recruitment and internal promotion to develop talent and foster company loyalty. Graduates begin in retail operations to understand core business values before advancing through various roles, creating clear career pathways and strong team camaraderie.
Employers adopt ‘wait-and-see’ approach to hiring
Employers are taking a cautious “wait-and-see” approach to hiring, with permanent staff hiring expectations declining in January. Graduate vacancies are predicted to fall 1.2%, though some sectors still anticipate skills shortages in professional, healthcare, and education roles.
Blog: Is there a place for QR codes in recruitment?
QR codes offer recruiters an innovative way to bridge digital and physical recruitment channels, from enhancing CVs to streamlining applications at career fairs. These trackable tools can reach tech-savvy candidates, particularly graduates aged 18-34, while providing valuable campaign analytics.
Graduate recruitment to return to 2007 levels this year
Graduate recruitment is expected to return to 2007 pre-credit crunch levels this year, though starting salaries remain unchanged at £29,000 annually. Top employers plan to increase hiring by 6.4%, with competition for talent now beginning during school years rather than at graduation.
US White House launches Fellowship scheme to woo top IT talent
The White House has launched a Technology Fellowship program to recruit top computer science graduates for two-year government positions, competing with private sector opportunities to build a stronger federal IT workforce.
