UK unemployment continues ‘steady crawl’ to 9% by year end
Although the latest official unemployment figures were better than expected, the UK is continuing its steady crawl towards jobless levels of 9% by the end of the year, experts warn. According to the Office for National Statistics, worklessness rose by 48,000 in the three months to December, bringing the number of people without employment to […]
HRD Insight: Enterprise-Rent-A-Car’s Donna Miller on graduate recruitment
Enterprise-Rent-A-Car puts a huge focus on graduate recruitment schemes, with the aim of encouraging fresh thinking and bringing new ideas into the company. The firm, which was set up in 1957, has a culture of promoting from within. It recognises that providing employees with clear opportunities for advancement motivates them and encourages them to […]
CEO Insight: LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner on the site’s recruitment ambitions
In the wake of much consolidation in the HR applications space, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the world’s most popular HR system in the space of online recruitment anyway is, in fact, LinkedIn. And if LinkedIn chief executive Jeff Weiner gets his way, this is something that more and more […]
Recruitment agencies indulge in “casual racial discrimination”
UK recruitment agencies are indulging in "casual racial discrimination" against job seekers from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, making them more likely than white applicants to apply to employers directly. This is the key finding of a survey among 2,500 people who have sought work over the last 12 months conducted by SPA Future […]
National Apprenticeship Week: How to get started
As we enter another year of economic uncertainty, recruiting fresh faces may not be at the top of the corporate agenda for all companies in 2012. Organisations ranging from large firms through to small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly being asked to balance up diminishing budgets with a need to boost productivity and continue providing […]
Minister for disabled: Unemployment result of unwillingness to work
Unemployment in the UK is down to people’s unwillingness to work because there is “no shortage of jobs”, the minister for disabled people has said. Maria Miller, who works for the Department for Work and Pensions, said on BBC Radio 5’s ‘Pienaar’s Politics’ programme yesterday that the current employment situation was the result of a […]
Blog: Using Google+ for recruitment
Google+ is becoming an increasingly popular social networking site, but what opportunities does it present to HR and the recruitment process? Circles What sets Google+ apart is its circles. You can use them to separate your social circles and target your posts at the right people. For example, you wouldn’t talk about looking for […]
Ask the Expert: Is it legal to have a dual reference policy?
The question How legal is it when providing references to only confirm dates, sickness and disciplinary information? Are there possible dangers in relation to indirect discrimination? For example, an employee of ours had 59 days of sickness/five episodes, but her performance is way beyond the average, while another staff member has taken three days […]
CIPD aims to find new CEO by November
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is looking for a new permanent chief executive by November to replace current incumbent Jackie Orme, who is ill. Orme, who is on long-term sick leave as she undergoes treatment for cancer, has asked to step aside from her duties. When her health allows and she returns to […]
Short on rewards – an HR skills crisis
It would be hard to miss the steady growth in demand for reward professionals. Interest in their skills began with a handful of FTSE 100 businesses back in the 1990s, but the job title of ‘compensation and benefits director’ was a rarity at that time. Today, however, there are a lot more reward roles […]
Employers adopt ‘wait-and-see’ approach to hiring
Employers are currently adopting an increasingly cautious ‘wait-and-see’ approach to hiring new staff, with the number of graduate vacancies in particular predicted to fall by 1.2%. According to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s monthly JobsOutlook, January suffered a marked dip (2%) in the number of employers expecting to take on permanent staff in the short-term, […]
Shift over last year in way HR viewed, reveals survey
Two thirds of HR directors believe that the last 12 months has seen a shift in the way the function is viewed, with most feeling that they now have the right level of senior management representation. Video interviews with 18 senior HR professionals from large UK private and public sector organisations undertaken by HR consultancy, […]
Blog: Is there a place for QR codes in recruitment?
As digital technology continues to engrain itself in our day to day lives, we’ve been increasingly looking at how we can reach our candidates through these new channels. It seems that as quickly as organisations get comfortable with one communications channel, another one springs up! As specialist online recruiters, it’s our job to help […]
Microsoft backs same-sex marriage to help it compete for talent
Microsoft has joined with five other companies to officially support the legalisation of same-sex marriage because it believes that discrimination of any kind is counter-productive in the war for talent. Washington State in the US, where the high tech giant is based, is scheduled to hear two bills today (Pacific Daylight Time) which, if passed, […]
Work experience scheme launched to help autistic adults get jobs
The National Autistic Society’s recruitment service is piloting a new 28-week course entitled ‘Preparation for Employment’ to help adults with the condition move into work. NAS surveys indicate that only 15% of autistic adults are currently in full-time employment, even though most are willing and able to work. Key barriers to finding and keeping a […]
Trends 2012: The talent issue
Prime Minister David Cameron predicts that 2012 will be another tough year for the UK economy. With this in mind, employers should be considering the implications of financial austerity measures, particularly with regards to selecting and nurturing talent. Selecting talent: In 2012, the ‘try before you buy’ trend will become increasingly prevalent due to two […]
Understanding ‘what good looks like’ when hiring
As discussed in part one of this two-part series of articles, it is important to understand ‘what good looks like’ in your organisation, not least because there is a cost involved in not doing so. But what exactly can do we do in practical terms to make sure that we are on top of the […]
Blog: Why you need a mobile recruitment strategy – today
Some 96% of the Sunday Times 25 Best Large Companies to work for do not have a mobile website. But almost half the population now access the internet via a mobile device and 2.8 million people use one in their job search. A mobile career website is no longer a luxury for ‘big brands’, […]
Ask the Expert: What questions can I legally ask on a job application form?
The question Can the following questions legally be asked on a standard application form to be filled in during the interview stage and before a job offer is made? Are you able to attend your main place of work for the hours applicable to the specific job applied for? Are you aware of any […]
Blog: Alternative benefits to give you a hiring edge
As we move forward, it has quickly become common for the modern workplace to relax in order to stay competitive. In a world now dominated by startups and “Google” environments, things like allowing a relaxed dress code and being able to enjoy the occasional beer at work are the new norm. So what are […]
