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Why your hiring process is costing you top talent – April Newsletter

With April halfway through, and new budgets out. Businesses need to be thinking hiring plans for the year ahead and how to get ahead of the talent war.

Welcome Back to Faye!

Our candidate resourcer pro Faye is back after maternity leave. We’ve been lucky to find a flexible working arrangement that works for us all and so happy to have Faye back with the team.

Faye says “I am ready to go!! 🤩 I have had the best 10 months and made amazing memories. While I am missing my mini sidekick I know she is having the best time with her Nanny”. So if you have vacancies our team are ready to launch into action!

You don’t have a hiring problem – you have a decision problem.

“The best candidates aren’t being rejected… they’re walking away”

It’s something we’re seeing more and more across the market right now.

On paper, everything looks right:

  • Strong employer brand
  • Competitive salary
  • Solid pipeline of candidates

And yet..roles are still open weeks and months later.

Most businesses assume the problem is finding the right people.

In reality, sometimes the problem is what happens after you find them.

The pattern we keep seeing

The strongest candidates move fast.

Not because they’re desperate, but because they’re in demand.

While you’re:

  • Scheduling a second and third stage interview
  • Waiting for internal feedback
  • Comparing ‘just one more’ candidate

They’re:

  • Receiving offers
  • Accepting them
  • And disappearing from your pipeline

Quietly.

No rejection. No negotiation. Just gone.

The cost no one talks about

Every delayed decisions compounds:

  • Your team stay stretched and under pressure
  • Hiring managers lose momentum (and patience)
  • Standards start to slip out of frustration
  • And eventually, you hire reactively not strategically

Or worse, you restart the process entirely.

The myth holding teams back

“We’re just waiting for the right person’. It sounds sensible, it feels responsible. But in this market, it’s often a cover for indecision. Because the ‘perfect’ candidate? They don’t wait around to be discovered. They choose.

What high performing companies do differently

They treat hiring like the business-critical function it is.

They:

  • Define what ‘good’ actually looks like before they interview
  • Align decisions-makers early
  • Move quickly when they see the right signals
  • And trust informed judgement over endless comparison

They don’t remove diligence. They remove hesitation.

A simple question worth asking

If your last great candidate accepted another offer…

Where exactly did you lose them?

Was it:

  • Speed?
  • Clarity?
  • Confidence in the decision?

Because that’s where the real problem usually sits.

Want to see where you’re losing people in your process?

For more information or to subscribe to our newsletter.

Call us on 01516015288 or email info@jfrecruitment.co.uk

 

 

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The Strategy Behind Stronger Hires

Great Feedback on our Webinars

Redundancies are a difficult time for everyone. Yet with our webinars, you can empower your people or yourself during a difficult time because confidence and willpower go a long way in this job market.

Our webinars cover:

  • Writing a CV and cover letter
  • Optimising your social media
  • Applying for jobs and tracking applications
  • Interview Preparation
  • The Actual Interview
  • Post Interview Follow Ups

We can tailor our webinars to your business, and team, so call Claire on 0151 601 5288 or email claire@jfrecruitment.co.uk to discuss further.

Why Retained Recruitment Is a Strategic Advantage, Not Just a Hiring Mode

Most businesses don’t struggle to advertise roles.
They struggle to secure the right people

In competitive markets, especially at senior or specialist level, hiring is no longer an administrative task. It’s a commercial lever. The difference between an average hire and the right hire shows up in revenue, culture, delivery, and long-term growth. That’s where retained recruitment shifts the game. Retained search is not about filling vacancies. It’s about running a structured, targeted campaign to identify, approach, assess, and secure the best talent in the market, not just the most available.  

The Strategic Benefits of Retained Recruitment

• Dedicated focus
Your role becomes a priority search, not one of many contingent bets. Time is invested in market mapping, competitor analysis, and proactive outreach.

• Access to passive talent
The strongest performers are rarely scrolling job boards. Retained models allow for discreet, strategic engagement with high-impact individuals who are not actively applying.

• Higher quality shortlists
Instead of volume, you receive a curated selection of thoroughly assessed candidates aligned on capability, motivation, and cultural fit.

• Faster decision-making
A structured search process reduces time lost in misaligned interviews and inconsistent pipelines.

• Reduced risk of mis-hire
Deeper qualification, market benchmarking, and structured assessment protect against costly hiring mistakes.

• Market intelligence
Salary trends, competitor movement, candidate expectations, and brand perception insights become part of the process.

Which Businesses Benefit Most?

Retained recruitment is particularly powerful for:

Scaling SMEs
Growing businesses often lack the internal infrastructure to run complex senior searches. Retained support provides immediate expertise without the fixed cost of building an internal team.

Founder-led or owner-managed companies
Where leadership time is limited, a retained partner can manage the entire search process while protecting brand and reputation in the market.

Businesses making critical hires
Whether it’s a Head of Sales, Operations Director, Finance Leader, or technical specialist, certain roles directly impact performance. These hires warrant a strategic search approach.

Companies entering new markets or launching new divisions
When the hire will shape direction, culture, and commercial success, precision matters.

Organisations without consistent hiring volume
If recruitment is sporadic rather than constant, retaining a specialist partner can be more cost-effective than maintaining a full in-house function.

Why It Matters

Every significant hire shapes more than a job description. It influences performance, culture, leadership capability, and future direction. When the stakes are high, recruitment shouldn’t rely on visibility alone. It should be driven by research, insight, and deliberate engagement with the right people in the market. Retained recruitment provides structure, commitment, and strategic focus. It replaces chance with intent. For businesses that view talent as a competitive advantage rather than an operational task, the approach to hiring becomes part of the growth strategy itself. The question isn’t simply who you hire next.
It’s how you choose to secure them

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Redundancy support that makes a real difference

Supporting people through redundancy, with dignity and confidence

Redundancy is never easy. Even when handled with care, it can knock confidence and leave people feeling unsure about what comes next. For employers, it’s one of the toughest responsibilities to manage well.

Our “Get That Job” webinar was created to support people through that exact moment.

Delivered by two experienced recruiters, Joanne and Claire, the session offers clear, practical guidance on how to move forward with confidence. Both Joanne and Claire have been made redundant themselves, so they understand first-hand how challenging this process can be from both the employee and employer perspective.

In our one-hour webinar, we guide participants through:

  • Writing a CV and cover letter
  • Optimising social media and LinkedIn profiles
  • Applying for jobs and tracking applications
  • Interview preparation
  • The actual interview
  • Post-interview follow ups

For organisations navigating redundancy, this webinar is a simple, meaningful way to support people beyond the process itself. For individuals, it provides clarity, reassurance, and practical tools to help them take their next step with confidence.

If you’re looking to reduce the impact of redundancy and support your people in what comes next, our “Get That Job” webinar can be booked for teams or groups and tailored to your organisation’s needs.

Contact us to explore group bookings or tailored sessions.

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From HR to IT: Why Hybrid Work is a Game-Changer

With fall upon us, and the darker nights creeping in, people begin taking stock of commute time and hybrid working becomes even more appealing. Hybrid work has transformed from a temporary fix into a powerful long-term strategy. Across head office departments, HR, Finance, IT, Sales & Marketing, and Admin teams are finding new ways to collaborate, innovate, and thrive. The benefits are clear: happier employees, stronger performance, and a real boost in attracting top talent. In this edition, we explore how hybrid work is reshaping the future of head office roles for the better.

📣 Team News

Charity Golf Day

Jo attended a recent Charity Golf Day held at Aldersey Green in aid of Vision Support Charity, the day raised a total of ÂŁ1365 for the charity, which will help them continue their mission to support and empower people with vision impairment.

Meet Claire?

Claire has recently joined an online networking group called NetworkIn, they meet every other Friday morning at 7am online. The next meetings are 3rd & 17th October 2025. If you’d like to attend as a visitor completely free of charge as Claire’s guest, email claire@jfrecruitment.co.uk

Meet Jo?

Jo attends BNI Chester who meet every Thursday morning at Rowton Hall in Chester. She’s always looking to add to our list of trusted referral partners, so if you’d like to attend completely free as her visitor, email jo@jfrecruitment.co.uk

How Head Office Roles Are Adapting to Hybrid Work

Hybrid work isn’t just a trend—it’s become the norm across head office functions like HR, Finance, IT, Sales & Marketing, and Admin.It’s helping organisations thrive and employees flourish in new and meaningful ways. Here’s why:

  1. Harmony Between Home & Office Unlocks Happiness& Productivity

A recent UK study of over 1,000 workers found that 75% of hybrid employees experience less fatigue and stress, while 86% savour the extra time freed up by skipping commutes. That contributes to 74% feeling more productive and 76% more motivated overall. The Guardian.

This clarity and energy translate across departments—from HR managing sensitive documents to IT teams needing focused time for systems work,to Sales & Marketing collaborating creatively in the office. Hybrid is proving impactful everywhere.

  1. Hybrid Is Here to Stay—Across Sectors

CIPD data shows 83% of UK organisations now have some form of hybrid working, with 35% requiring two office days and 33% requiring three. cipd.org

In contact centres—home to many back-office and support functions—71% of advisers work at least some of the time from home, and this is expected to remain robust through 2027. HR review | HR News, Opinion & Advice.

  1. Flexibility = Talent Magnet

Hybrid work isn’t just good for current teams—it’s pivotal for building future ones. One study found 83% of people are more likely to apply for jobs advertised as flexible, and 39% would consider leaving if flexibility wasn’t an option, especially millennials. Zoom

As a recruiter for head office roles, offering (or even just advocating) hybrid policies can boost your appeal across HR, Finance, IT, and beyond.

  1. Standard Chartered Leads with Trust

Bill Winters, CEO of Standard Chartered, champions flexibility—letting employees choose when to come in, modeling hybrid work himself and visiting the office about four days a week. He believes in trusting professionals to manage their schedules, and it’s working. Business Insider

  1. Better Well-Being, Smarter Business

ONS data highlights how hybrid workers save an average of56 minutes per day in commuting—and gain 24 extra minutes for rest and15 more minutes for exercise. Wikipedia

So HR teams, for example, gain more clarity and energy to attract and care for people. Accounts teams perform with sharper focus. And Sales and Marketing folks arrive fresher, bringing their A-game to collaboration.

  1. A Unified Approach Across Departments
  • HR: Coaches new starters virtually and meets in person for cultural alignment.
  • Finance / Accounts: Completes detailed tasks at home, collaborating in-office for audit and strategy.
  • IT: Manages support remotely, reserves on-site time for hands-on infrastructure tasks
  • Sales & Marketing: Innovates remotely, collaborates in-studio or in-office for campaigns.
  • Admin Support: Handles coordination and scheduling from anywhere—at home or in the office.

Every department stays connected, energized, and efficient, not despite hybrid work, but because of it.

Lets Be Real!

Hybrid work is more than a setup, it’s a competitive advantage. It elevates productivity, wellbeing, recruitment, and departmental cohesion. As a recruiter in financial services and head office roles, you’re uniquely positioned to champion this model, connecting candidates and employers around flexibility, trust, and performance.

Want to talk how hybrid can work for you? Call us on 01516015288.

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

HR Manager – Chester/Ellesmere Port/Deeside – ÂŁ50-55k

  • CIPD Level 7 Pending
  •     Generalist HR Manager
  •     Standalone or with a small team
  •     Set up policies  and guide change
  •     Strategic thinker
  •     Excellent communicator

To hear more about our candidate, contact Claire on 01516015288 or email claire@jfrecruitment.co.uk

Last Three Vacancies Filled

  • HR Advisor – Wirral – ÂŁ38k
  • Claims Handler – Liverpool – ÂŁ32k
  • Administrator – Wirral – ÂŁ28k

Just for LOLS

Jobs of the Future (That Might Exist Sooner Than You Think…)

Digital Detox Therapist
Someone to help you put the screen down, or lock it away!

🌱 Fun Fact
Bubble wrap was originally created to be wallpaper

 

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The Exit Interview

🧭 The Strategic Power of Exit Interviews

Insightful exits = smarter hires.

When someone leaves your business, they take with them experiences, opinions, and feedback that if captured properly can help you:
• Hire better replacements
• Improve onboarding
• Fix management or culture issues
• Prevent future turnover

❓ Exit Interviews: The Right Questions Matter

A quick “why are you leaving?” isn’t enough. To truly learn, you need thoughtful, open-ended questions like:

  • What initially attracted you to this role—and did it meet your expectations?
  • What do you think we could have done better to support your development or wellbeing?
  • How would you describe the company culture to someone new?
  • What advice would you give to the person taking over your role?
  • Was there a specific moment or factor that influenced your decision to leave?

Answers to these can uncover hidden issues, recurring themes, and missed opportunities.

🎯 Link Exit Insights to Recruitment Strategy

When you consistently review exit interview data, patterns emerge, and that’s recruitment gold.
You can use it to:
• Rewrite job descriptions to better reflect reality
• Improve onboarding where people felt underprepared
• Coach managers or tweak team dynamics
• Refine your employer brand to attract better-fit candidates

💼 How We Can Help

At JF Recruitment, we don’t just help you fill roles, we help you understand why they need filling.

Our Strategic Recruitment Consulting includes:
• Complete your exit interview (often people feel more comfortable speaking to an external person)

  • Reviewing exit interview feedback
  • Aligning it with future recruitment goals
  • Helping you build a proactive talent management plan
  • Replacing departing staff with smarter, faster hires

📊 Why It Matters

📉 70% of leavers say they’d consider staying if changes were made earlier
📈 Companies who act on exit feedback reduce future turnover by 30%
💸 Saving even one bad hire can mean £20,000+ back in your budget

📞 Ready to Rethink Talent Strategy?

If recruitment still feels reactive, exit interviews might be your secret weapon.
Let’s talk about how we can help you turn farewells into forward motion.

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Optimise Your Onboarding Strategy

Ways to improve and optimise your onboarding strategy

To ensure new employees fully immerse themselves into your business culture, and engage with their new role, it is important to provide a seamless and friendly onboarding process. By taking these recommended steps, you can ensure that things move efficiently, from the job offer stage to induction.

1. Keep in touch

To ensure your candidate is receiving the right support, keep in touch. Let them know you are happy to help them with any queries, or support with notice periods or counter offers. We often suggest that you give the candidate a call within 48 hours to inform them of how happy you are that they are coming on board, and perhaps offer for them to visit the office beforehand to meet the team. This will help them transition fluidly to become an engaged part of your team.

2. Send the offer letter

The best way to secure the candidates commitment early on, and engage them straight away, is to not delay in sending the offer letter. Our advice is always to email the candidate on the day the offer is made outlining confirmation of the offer. Let them know that a written offer is on the way, either via post, email or both. Ensure that this is with them as soon as possible.

3. Induction and Introduction

On the first day of employment, give a tour of the office or building so that the new employee can feel at ease and become familiar with their workspace. If they are working remotely, set up a team video call to welcome them, perhaps including a short ‘get to know you’ session. Ensure the employee has access to thorough training, whether this is a formal induction, a video, or one to one mentoring. Depending on the role they have been hired for, decide when their duties officially begin, and have someone available to them to answer any questions they might have, and if possible, offer some one-to-one mentoring.

It is estimated that 60% of UK workers experience imposter syndrome connected to their work accomplishments. This can often be triggered by a new role, or increased responsibility at work, which is why it is key to implement a successful onboarding strategy. By practising the methods shown above, not only are candidates more likely to engage and flourish in their new role, but also reduce feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Some other methods to help combat feelings of imposter syndrome include:

  • Recognising you are experiencing imposter syndrome is the first step to combating it. Identify your unhealthy thinking patterns, and use cognitive behavioural therapy methods to challenge negative thoughts.
  • Asking for support when you need it is a sign of strength,not weakness. Struggling in silence can be very isolating in the workplace, so be sure to speak out to avoid a build up of work and worry.
  • Try to refrain from negative self-talk, instead regarding learning experiences as growth instead of shortfall.

In addition to recognising feelings of self-doubt within yourself, there are also steps you can take as an employer to become more aware:

  • If you can, encourage a healthy work/life balance for employees. By creating a safe and nurturing work environment, colleagues will feel more comfortable opening up about vulnerabilities, and maintaining a healthy balance will reduce risks of employees overworking and burning out.
  • By adopting mentoring and coaching practices, you can help those new to the workforce to feel supported by more experienced colleagues.
  • By keeping an eye on new colleagues who seem to be struggling, you can combat the early signs of imposter syndrome. Look for warning signs, such as withdrawal from team interactions, in order to support and address the issue.

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

HR Lead- Chester/North Wales- ÂŁ75-80K

  • Employee Relations

  • Training, Performance Management

  • E-Support/ Wellbeing

  • Policy Creation and Management

  • Recruitment and Onboarding

  • Talent Management

  • Tribunals

Top 3 Vacancies Filled This Month

  • Business Development/ Account Manager – Wirral – ÂŁ35k

  • HR Advisor – Chester – ÂŁ32k

  • Office Manager/ Secretary – Wirral – ÂŁ38k

Just for LOLS

Jobs we’re glad aren’t a thing anymore…

Hacker

We wish we could tell you that hackers (computer hackers, that is!) no longer exist, but unfortunately, these working men were more handy with trees than HPs. Hackers were known as woodcutters, and were axed, yet again, due to technological advancements.

Fun Fact

Someone who suffers from “anatidaephobia” believes that somewhere, somehow a duck or goose is constantly watching them

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Employment Law changes in April

While it’s important to consider all the things you need to do to make you an attractive employer to the right candidates, the first thing you need to do is to make sure you are compliant with the law. 

With the upcoming changes to employment law coming in April 2024, we thought we’d take a look at what’s changing and how it could affect you. 

Changes to flexible working requests

We’ve spoken in the past about how important flexible working has become to candidates and the need to review your flexible working policies. 

Now is the time to make sure you have those policies in place and your management are up to date and trained on how to handle requests in line with the regulations. 

A good flexible working policy means you are better able to attract great candidates, and without one, you might just find yourself on the wrong side of new legislation. The changes being made mean employees can request flexible working from day one and can make 2 requests a year. They don’t need to make a business case for it, and you must respond within 2 months. You also need to consult with them before rejecting requests. 

Changes to paternity leave entitlements

Making sure that dads can take time out when there’s a new addition to their family is really important. You’ll probably have a great paternity leave policy in place already, but you’ll need to be aware of the changes that have come into place recently.

From April 2024, paternity leave can be taken as two consecutive weeks or two separate blocks of one week to be taken within 52 weeks from birth (or placement for adoption). 

The notice of entitlement should be given on or before the 15th week before expected week of birth.

Four weeks’ notice will be required to take each period of leave (except cases of domestic adoption where notice is seven days). Employees may give 28 days’ notice to vary the date of their planned leave if desired. Paternity leave pay has also increased from £172.48 to £184.03 

More protection against redundancy during pregnancy, maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave

Another of your policies that you’ll need to revisit is redundancy. Pregnant employees and those returning from maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave will now have extra protections against redundancy. The redundancy protection period is extended until 18 months after the birth of a child for employees returning from family-friendly leave.

New carer’s leave entitlement

You may also need to update your current time off work policy, or create a separate carer’s leave policy. Employees will have this right from day one and take up to one week of unpaid leave per year.

Employees can take their full entitlement of a week in one go, or at different periods as long as they take at least half their working day each time.

Employees can use this leave to care for a dependent that needs long-term care.

Long-term care needs are defined as an illness or injury that lasts longer than three months, has a disability covered in the Equality Act 2010, or due to old age. In some circumstances, you may be able to postpone a period of carer’s leave.

Changes to holiday calculations

Another area of employment law to be updated are laws on how to calculate holiday entitlement, while pay for irregular hours workers and part-year staff is also changing.

The new rules only apply from the start of the first new leave year on or after 1 April 2024.

There are two methods available: the default method or rolled up holiday method.

If you have a leave year running from January to December, the new rules will apply from January 2025.

If these new rules are different to what you already have in place, this will be a change to your employee’s terms and conditions and their contract of employment.

Increase to the National Living Wage and statutory payments

The threshold for National Living Wage will be lowered to include 21-year-olds.

The new National Living Wage rate will be £11.44 per hour; £8.60 for those aged 18 – 20; £6.40 for those over school age but not yet 18, and apprentice rate.

Payments for Statutory Sick Pay will increase from ÂŁ109.40 to ÂŁ116.75 per week from 6 April 2024.

Payments for Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Shared Parental Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, and Statutory Bereavement Pay all increase from ÂŁ172.48
to ÂŁ184.03 per week from 7 April 2024.

Don’t worry

We know this is all a lot to take in. With so many policy changes happening at once, it’s worth reminding you that we’re always here to help when you need us, and we work with some excellent HR companies who can help you to navigate the new legislation. Get in touch for more information.

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Let us help you future proof your business

2024 brings more change, so here’s our top tips:

Invest in workforce skills

The skills gap is all too real and hitting hard as the next stage of retirees prepare to exit the workplace.

That’s why hiring on soft skills and investing in development will become critical throughout the business world. More and more of our candidates are considering progression and development opportunities when exploring the job market so businesses with real plans in place for their people are more likely to stand out.

Create a more diverse workplace

Some of our clients have had success putting diversity groups in place within their workplace.

Others are adopting more open work practices, to encourage both new starters and long-term staff to be more open about their disabilities or neurodivergence.

They create a safe space for people to share experiences, educate each other and foster a more inclusive workplace.

If this is something you’d like more information about, get in touch and we can recommend a few experts in this field.

Ensure your brand gives the right message

With talent planning and candidate attraction, it’s not just about the business brand on a surface level, but also the social and ecological impact your business and culture have on the world that candidates are looking at.

Just as employers become more savvy about hiring decisions by exploring social media and the footprint candidates are making, the candidates are doing exactly the same when it comes to your business.

Consider your brand message on your website, client/customer reviews, Google reviews, and news articles that might impact their decision when accepting a job offer.

If you want to talk more about talent planning and recruitment, get in touch…

TEAM NEWS

Alongside the Paul Lavelle Foundation who has been one of our chosen charities for a few years now, this year we will be supporting Open Door Charity.

Open Door Charity is one of Merseyside’s most progressive and dynamic independent charities.

Open Door exists to help improve the lives of young people in Wirral and across Merseyside by providing them with the tools and techniques they need to become and stay mentally well.

Open Door offers a range of programmes at their home, Bloom Building, a bright and colourful space that nurtures authenticity, inclusion and wellness.

Last year, Open Door supported hundreds of individuals through their portfolio of programmes with support that is fast, free and effective.

Bazaar, an 8 week CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) mindfulness and meditation based offer that looks to positively disrupt negative thoughts and behaviours in individuals.

Colours, a 4 week introductory stress and anxiety management programme for groups and individuals.

Mysa, an informal and creativity based support session for anyone aged 18+ living with an eating disorder or distorted eating.

OOMMOO, a mental health and wellbeing offer for Children Looked After in Wirral.

Open Door empowers their community to improve their lives using creativity, music, art and human connection as a catalyst for meaningful and lasting change.

If you want to talk more about how we can help future proof your business in 2024, get in touch

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

Marketing Assistants – Liverpool & Chester – circa £25k

We’ve recently recruited for a Marketing Assistant and have two great candidates we are looking for homes for.

  • Degree level educated
  • B2B and B2C backgrounds
  • Scheduling and creating social media content
  • Email marketing
  • Events planning and coordination
  • SEO/Google Ads

Just for LOLS

Jobs we’re glad aren’t a thing any more…   

Human-Computer

Long before laptops and PCs, people were employed as computers. These jobs were often held by women who worked in teams to figure out lengthy mathematical calculations. Human computers solved problems ranging from astronomy to trigonometry, but as to be expected, these jobs have been replaced by the computers we use today

Fun Fact
Did you know a cloud weighs around a million tonnes? A typical cloud has a volume of around 1km3 and a density of around 1.003kg per m3 – about 0.4 per cent lower than that of the surrounding air, which is why they float.

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JFR January Newsletter

Welcome to the JFR newsletter, where we share important updates, keep you informed about relevant industry news, and share our thoughts on the most important issues in recruitment. If you feel this may be of interest to others, please do feel free to forward it on.

This month, we’re taking a look at what we think will be the big recruitment trends in 2024

Predictions for recruitment trends in 2024

As we start a new year, we thought we’d take a look at what we expect to be making waves in recruitment in 2024 and our recommendations for you to get ahead of the curve.

Proper Talent Planning rather than reactive recruitment needs to be the norm…

Reactive recruitment has been the norm for many years, but we see 2024 as being the year we all get proactive with proper talent planning.

Reactive recruitment (aka passive recruitment) is initiated once a request for a new member of staff is made internally, which makes it a bit of a rushed process to get the right candidates vetted, interviewed and in role.

Unfortunately, reactive recruiting is very time-consuming!

If you have proper talent planning in place you’ll have discussed your business’s current, short and long term plans so you can start the process earlier and have people in place as the business demands.

Research shows that last year 76% of candidates researched the employer brand before they applied, so we know the best candidates are looking for opportunities to grow and contribute to a company’s success.

The way you recruit says a lot about your company dynamics and if your policies are proactive it paints you in a better light.

EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) is becoming more prominent and policies need to include your recruitment process.

This year, how businesses attract candidates is going to change – this is where our advice and knowledge of the market can truly make a difference as we lean into your company culture, your team, your benefits package and both personal and professional opportunities within your business.

Get in touch with us to help.

TEAM NEWS!

Congrats to Faye & Jami who got married at Inglewood Manor on New Year’s Eve!

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT!

Customer Service Administrator – Wirral – ÂŁ25k 
Available Immediately

  • Strong Customer Service and Support Admin
  • Handling customer queries and complaints via telephone and email
  • Experience working within FCA-regulated industry
  • Data Entry, managing internal databases and spreadsheets
  • Working to targets and KPIs

JUST FOR LOLs

Jobs we’re glad aren’t a thing any more…

Tosher- During the Victorian era in London, toshers broke into the city’s sewage system and searched for pieces of bones, metal scraps, coins or valuable items.
Fun Fact

With the movie “Mean Girls” turning 20 this year, and a new version being released, this month’s fun fact is Amy Poehler was only seven years older than Rachel McAdams when she took on the role of “cool mom” in Mean Girls.

Rachel was 25 as Regina George – Amy was 32 as her mum.

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JFR – Our November Newsletter

Welcome to the JFR newsletter, where we share important updates, keep you informed about relevant industry news, and share our thoughts on the most important issues in recruitment. This month, we’re looking at the candidate experience and how your branding can affect it.

What Does Your Branding Say To Candidates?

In recent newsletters, we’ve discussed candidate onboarding to help you retain your newly appointed recruits. We’ve also discussed flexibility in the workplace, be that in benefits packages or flexible working options to help you attract the right talent and get the right cultural fit.

However, recruitment and the candidate experience starts long before the role is advertised.

It’s important to consider your brand, both as a business and an employer.

It’s been proven that stronger brands have a bigger pool of candidates to choose from.

So it’s worth taking some time to consider.

What does your brand say to the world?

What are candidates finding when they research your business?

Here’s our list of the top things candidates are looking for:

Customer satisfaction – no one wants to work for a business that doesn’t look after its customers – especially if they will be working as part of that journey (sales, account managers or customer service). If you can’t be bothered looking after your customers, how are you going to treat your staff?

Communication with the public – If your business receives negative reviews online – make sure they get a professional, positive response. So many businesses fall into the trap of having arguments on review sites, and it’s not a good look. Remember, this includes social media too. Make sure you are engaging with your followers, even if it’s just an emoji reply.

Consistency – your brand should be consistent across all platforms, from your company website to social media profiles. Candidate alarm bells sound when a company hasn’t invested in a website, or can’t be found on social media

Highlight Benefits and Business Culture through content creation and invest in video – most businesses consider their clients when creating content for social media, blogs and their website, but don’t forget candidates will be looking at these areas too. Show your company values and have clear mission statements.

There’s some fantastic ways in which you can highlight your business culture online. If you need advice with this, get in touch. We can recommend companies to work with that get great results in this area.

Diversity and Inclusion – if you haven’t got policies and culture in place that can promote a welcoming and inclusive workplace, you’re missing a trick.
Testimonials- Candidates will utilise sites like Glassdoor to check your business’s reputation with employees. If existing and previous employees are happy, chances are they will be too.

Get in touch with us to discuss how we can assist with all of the above and help you attract the very best candidates to your business.

Speaking of which…

CANDIDATE SPOTLIGHT

We usually highlight a star candidate but this month I’d like to draw your attention to an area we recruit for as we have four or five fabulous HR candidates currently at all levels.

  • Recruitment & Onboarding Administrator
  • HR Advisors from generalist backgrounds
  • HRIS & Data Professional
  • HR Manager with a great generalist background
  • Head of HR/HR Director
  • All of our candidates are CIPD qualified, from Level 3 to Level 7.

Whether you are adding to a department, or your business is growing, and you need a dedicated HR professional, give us a call to discuss.

TRENDING NEWS

  • British Steel confirms plans to revive steel production on Teesside
  • Can AI cut humans out of contract negotiations?
  • M&S revamp pays off with profit boost from food sales
  • Families are expected to leave it late to buy Christmas gifts this year
  • Fashion firm Boohoo breaks promises on ethical overhaul

JUST FOR LOLs

Jobs we’re glad aren’t a thing any more…

Herb Strewer- The 1600s weren’t known for being the most hygienic times in history. The herb strewers job was to spread herbs and flowers throughout royal family residences to mask the stench. Plants like basil, lavender, chamomile, and roses were regularly used by herb strewers.

Fun Fact – Parkinson’s Law states “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Hands up if you’ve experienced this phenomenon.