Bizarre CVs: For a reference, contact God

CVs that cited God as a reference (no phone number) and had ‘Master of Time and Universe’ listed under the experience section were among the most bizarre CVs to hit recruiters’ desks last year.  The US topped the poll for the most unusual resumes with a candidate claiming to be a direct descendent of the […]

Eight jobs removed from ‘skills shortage’ list

Senior care workers and migrant chefs from outside of the EU seeking employment in any restaurant that provides a takeaway service are among eight occupations to be banned from working in the UK.  The coalition government plans to put the restrictions in place as part of a package of anti-immigration measures intended to cut the […]

Recruiters suggest NI holiday to boost job creation

Recruiters have called for a year-long national insurance holiday to support hiring by small businesses in order to tackle rising youth joblessness as the TUC warned of an imminent female employment crisis.   The Report on Jobs published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and management consultancy KPMG revealed that, even though demand for staff […]

Unemployment: ‘poor job matching’ is the problem

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has claimed that unemployment is less of a problem that some are suggesting and would be significantly lower if jobless workers were better matched to vacancies.  He told the Conservative spring conference in Cardiff yesterday that the Labour Party was wrong to say that the coalition government’s welfare […]

Public sector recruitment freeze extended while police face cuts

The coalition government has extended its temporary civil service recruitment freeze at the same time as Home Secretary risked confrontation with police by warning that cuts to their pay and conditions would be necessary to avoid thousands more job losses.  Home Secretary Theresa May told the 140,000-strong police service in England and Wales yesterday that […]

Young people too poor to learn after EMA is dropped

Training organisations have accused the coalition government of pricing young people out of the market after seeing an almost immediate drop in learner numbers following its withdrawal of the Educational Maintenance Allowance.  Kevin Hayes, chief executive of one of Birmingham’s oldest social enterprises – training agency Enta – and chairman of the city’s Foundation Learning […]

Online recruitment sites ‘not accessible’

UK recruitment agencies must take urgent action to improve the accessibility of their web sites, an equality and diversity specialist has warned.  The report entitled ‘Recruitment Equality – Accessibility, Equality and Diversity on Recruitment Websites’ revealed that 97% of web sites from both large and small providers failed to provide equality and diversity information in […]

Many employers missing the benefits of social media in recruitment

Restrictive corporate policies and poor organisational understanding of the potential benefits of social media as a recruitment tool mean that many employers are not exploiting the channel as effectively as they could.  According to a global survey of HR professionals undertaken by talent acquisition and management software provider StepStone Solutions, three out of five organisations […]

Jobs for skilled workers should be cut by 1/3

The number of occupations available to skilled workers coming to the UK from outside the EU should be cut by more than a third, a government-appointed panel has recommended.  The Migration Advisory Committee proposed that the list of eligible jobs should be reduced to 121 from 192, which would result in the exclusion of hairdressers, […]

Windpower breathes hope into ‘jobless recovery’

Despite warnings that the UK risks a US-style ‘jobless recovery’, one bright spot on the horizon is the wind energy sector, which has seen a 91% leap in employment over the last three years.  A report commissioned by industry association RenewableUK and EU Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the power sector, revealed that the […]

Freelancers filling skill gaps in SMEs

Small-to-medium enterprises are increasingly employing freelancers to meet their short-term staffing needs and the trend is set to continue into the foreseeable future, according to a study.  A survey of 1,000 UK SMEs undertaken by freelancer sourcing web site OfficeCavalry.com revealed that a quarter plan to boost headcount over the year ahead, with 38% of […]

How to recruit higher quality candidates: a key lesson from consumer marketing

By thinking like a marketer, recruiters can create a targeted sourcing strategy that can deliver a higher quality of hire, says Tim Geisert of Kenexa.  In 2004, Dove, one of Unilever’s biggest beauty brands, sponsored a global research study that asked 3,200 women for their views on female beauty and well-being. Among the results was […]

Graduate unemployment at 15 year high

Graduate unemployment is now at a 15-year high, with one in five university leavers who entered the job market last year failing to get a job, according to official figures.  Data from the Office of National Statics revealed that the number of graduates who are available for work but unable to find any has nearly […]

Youth unemployment hits new high – and set to worsen

As official figures revealed that the number of people out of work had risen to 2.5 million, experts warned that youth and female unemployment was only set to worsen over the months ahead.  According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, unemployment rose by 49,000 in the three months to November, putting […]

Mums at disadvantage in tough employment market

As unemployment continues to rise, the number of UK employers planning to hire working mums has plummeted over “prejudiced” concerns that family commitments will take precedence over workplace ones.  A survey among 1,000 companies undertaken by Regus, which provides outsourced office space, revealed that only just over a quarter intend to hire working mothers over […]

Recruitment levels remain tough as employers exercise caution

Although private sector recruitment slowed only slightly in December, the next few months are likely to be “very tough” employment-wise as employers remain cautious while they wait to see the impact of the coalition government’s austerity measures.  According to a study undertaken by management consultancy KPMG on behalf of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the […]

UK seeks to create jobs and cash in on tourism

British Airways and P&O are among the companies backing a £100 million government fund to promote tourism with the aim of creating 50,000 jobs and bringing in an extra one million overseas visitors to the UK.  Cash and payment in kind has also been pledged by the Radisson Edwardian hotel chain, Lastminute.com and ferry operator […]

Immigration cap could be challenged

The coalition government’s decision to cut off Tier One visas to skilled workers from outside of the EU with effectively no notice could be subject to legal challenge, an immigration specialist has warned.  The same applies to the setting of an interim limit of 10,832 on the number of certificates of sponsorship that are available […]

Recruitment freeze thaw forecast to hit London

London-based employers are expected to abandon widespread recruitment freezes over the next six months despite widespread uncertainty over the UK economy’s growth prospects.  According to the latest ‘London Business Survey’, which was undertaken among 91 businesses by employers lobby group the CBI and management consultancy KPMG, 45% of London companies are planning to start hiring […]

Charity and retail workers ‘not party animals’

While recruitment and marketing staff enjoy a good Christmas party more than any other group of workers, back office personnel in the retail sector are the most likely to make their excuses and not turn up at all.  According to a survey among 2,500 UK office staff across eight industries undertaken by serviced office provider […]