News

Sep 1st

Long-term NHS Vacancies Fall

Long-term vacancy rates have fallen for most major NHS staff groups in England with the exception of midwives and GPs, according to data from The NHS Information Centre.

The NHS Vacancies Survey, England, 31 March 2010 shows that 0.5% (4,667) of jobs across the NHS overall have been vacant for three months or more (three-month vacancy rate), compared to 0.6% (5,529) the previous year and 1.6% (14,876) in 2005.

Total vacancies stood at 2.1% (21,351), compared to 2.9% (28,616) the previous year.

Sep 1st

UK Recruiters Braced for Unemployment Rise

Recruiters across the country are bracing themselves for unemployment levels to break 10% in more than half of UK regions.

A new report from economic consultants the Centre for Economics and Business Research (cebr) predicts that unemployment will exceed 10% in most of the UK’s regions over the next five years, with the North East, Yorkshire & the Humber, West Midlands, Wales, Northern Ireland and the North West bearing the brunt of anticipated increases. The North West is expected to face the biggest reduction in economic output.

Aug 24th

Attractive People ‘Most Likely to Get The Job’?

Research from the UK’s only recruitment agency review site has revealed that those who are more attractive are the most likely to succeed in the workplace, with 67% of employers admitting to being more inclined to give an attractive person a job.

Attractive people are the most likely to succeed, with two thirds of bosses admitting that they would be more inclined to choose the most attractive candidate for the job. This fact comes in light of the latest nationwide research from the UK’s only recruitment agency review site www.HireScores.com.

Aug 18th

Interim Demand Rises

Demand for interim managers is rising, according to a new survey from interim management solutions provider Interim Partners.

The research shows that the number of new assignments for interim managers rose by 24% in Q1 on Q4 2009, with the number of banking assignments rising by 44% over the last quarter.

Doug Baird, managing director of Interim Partners, says: “The banking crisis led to a huge wave of takeovers and mergers presenting interims with an unprecedented workload. To get two financial institutions properly integrated can take years.

Aug 18th

London’s Service Sector Plans to Increase Headcount

One in three service sector firms in London will increase headcount over the next year, according to new research from recruitment and training consultancy Gordon Yates.

The research shows that 38% of employers feel positive on future prospects with a further 56% cautiously optimistic. More than half (57%) employers are thinking about recruiting full-time employees, while 25% are considering using temps and 18% contract staff.

Just 5% anticipate cutting staff numbers. Only 8% are worried about their company’s prospects in the forthcoming year.

Aug 11th

Unemployment Falls

While UK unemployment has fallen, caution remains among candidates and employers alike.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the number of people unemployed in the UK fell by 49,000 to 2.46m in the quarter to June, marking the second consecutive month that unemployment has fallen, and the biggest drop since 2007.

Aug 4th

Recruiters Urged to Get More Social Media Savvy

Three-quarters of graduate recruiters are concerned that accessing candidate information via Facebook and other online networks can get in the way of a “fair and measurable” recruitment process.

The findings come from from the Social Media Audit conducted by recruitment and marketing communications provider Penna Barkers.

However, the research also shows that just 5% have a clear policy on whether information accessed via such online sites can be used in selection processes.

Jul 27th

Flexible Working Legislation

More than half employers (55%) welcome plans by the government to introduce legislation requiring them to offer flexible working to all employees, according to research out today from Hays.

The Hays survey shows 70% expect an increase in requests for flexible working and nearly 40% are bracing themselves for a resulting impact on their budgets.

The survey of over 680 workers and 420 employers undertaken in June found that more private sector employers expect an increase in their costs if staff take up the offer of flexible working than in the public sector (44% compared to 33%).

Jul 22nd

Coca-Cola Employer Brand of Choice

Coca-Cola is the employer brand of choice of most British workers, according to new research from HireScores.com.

The research, which polled the most appealing workplaces for British workers, found that 76% said their ‘dream job’ would be at Coca-Cola, with 23% admitting it is for the ‘freebies’ and 42% saying the ‘salary’ is the main reason for Coca-Cola being their dream job.

Of the 48% that dream of working for Disney, 34% said they believed the firm had a ‘fun atmosphere’, while 28% claim it has been a ‘childhood dream’.

Jul 22nd

Recruitment Activity on the Rise

Job openings are on the rise, while confidence among jobseekers has improved, according to the latest Totaljobs Barometer.

The Barometer reveals that the number of jobs available has increased by 6.5% from Q1 2010 to Q2 2010, while each job vacancy received an average of 10 applications, peaking at 26 for secretarial and PA roles.