This increase is despite concerns that the introduction of the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) in October 2011 may deter companies using temporary staff.  The AWR grants temporary staff the same pay, holiday and working time rights as permanent employees after 12 weeks in employment.   
 
Broken down by industry sector, de Poel’s data shows that the biggest rise in the use of temporary workers was in manufacturing which was up by 35% and the business services sector, which increased by 33% in January 2012 compared to last year. Usage also rose in the care sector by 19%, and by 13% in construction, showing the industries’ need for a flexible and contingent workforce.
 
However, temporary agency spend was cut in the facilities management (FM) sector by 34% and in the logistics industry by 32% as business confidence continues to rise slowly. In a recent survey by the British Institute of Facilities Management, 84% of FM providers believe outsourcing would increase in 2012 while the Transport Industry Outlook Survey 2011-2012 revealed that 57% of respondents are more positive about revenue growth.
 
John Salisbury, Managing Director, de Poel, comments: “The recruitment industry has waited with baited breath to see whether the Agency Workers Regulations has affected the way in which organisations operate with a temporary agency workforce. Our data indicates that the AWR has not directly impacted the use of temporary staff and that any changes are more related to the economic climate and specific industry trading patterns.
 
“As companies expand their temporary workforce, it is ever more important to manage temporary agency spend tightly, especially if they are to survive in today’s unstable economy.  
 
“The fragmented nature of the recruitment industry means often companies are unclear on how much they pay out on temporary labour as well as where and how spend is allocated. Having in place standard pricing structure and service level agreements helps manage and reduce costs, as well as improve agency service delivery. Absolute visibility of spend is also paramount in order to remain compliant with the AWR.”

Ref: www.de Poel.co.uk

16.02.12

You have been absolutely brilliant in helping me find a job and are one of the BEST recruitment agencies out there. I will definitely be
recommending you to anyone looking for employment.

Thank you again.

Daniel

Some companies and in particular the larger financial houses prefer their prospective employees to upload a video, pitching as to why they are right for the job instead of sending a traditional CV.  This is seen as a bold move and certainly without social media this would not have been seen as a recruitment method however radical.

But in today’s high tech society social networking has taken hold of generations both young and old.  These days you need not leave the house to see your friends, you just need to log on and talk to then on line and you can literally spend hours doing so.  Why use your petrol travelling to see your friends when you can just use Skype, post a tweet or share your holiday photos on face book?

I must admit it took me some time to get used to face book and I was one of the later users to get hooked but once hooked I fell for the easy method of staying in touch with my friends,  hooking up with old friends and even making new friends I had never even met!  Recently my best friend went around the world for 3 months, under normal circumstances I would have missed her like crazy and probably not spoken to her for the whole time but with Skype, Twitter and face book this was not the case and I practically travelled the entire journey with her seeing all the places she saw at zero cost!

So when can social networking let you down?

As am employer I do use social networking sites to check out my potential new staff and I know that some of my clients do this as well.  Therefore it is certainly never a good idea to swear on a social site or post any photos that are less than suitable for everybody to view.  Recently I went though a relative of mines photos on face book that relative was sensible enough to remove any photos where he looks like he was drunk or the photos that needed a 18 certificate and to be honest I wish more young people were just as sensible.

Social networking is increasingly playing a large part in everyone’s lives but and it is vital that you don’t forget that you are leaving yourself wide open for your whole life to be inspected at the click of a button.  They say a picture never lies, but not that someone can get the wrong end of the stick from looking at a picture and making the wrong assumption about the person they really do not know.  Make sure you explain this to your friends that that they sensor any pictures they may wish to post of you on line before doing so.

So when communicating with friends and loved ones on line bear in mind that you may be perceived in a way that would not be flattering and that your dream job could be lost just by some posting of rash comments or someone posting THAT picture of you that you definitely would not want shown.

You only get one chance to make a first impression so be careful not to blow it!

I have already recommended Ben to all my friends and I will continue to do so. He will be my first port of call if I’m ever looking for work in the future.

I found “YourRecruit” and never looked back.  They were solely instrumental in giving me the hope back for the future, with their professional, personal and caring approach.

Their constant attentiveness, encouragement and communication skills, gave me my confidence and energy back.  They made me feel special, important and that I still had so much to give to any prospective employer out there.  I sincerely thank you for that.

Diana’s commitment, flexibility and enthusiasm has been outstanding in the month of January.  This has been highly valued by our client who always asks specifically for Diana owing to her extremely high standards and working ethos.

Congratulations to Diana who was rewarded with high street vouchers to spoil herself with!

Thank you from Ben and the YourRecruit team!

British commuters have the longest journeys to work in Europe with the average trip taking 47 minutes, according to a recent study. Does this mean that as of 2026 commuting from Birmingham to London on a daily basis, will be the norm?

A  47 minutes commute to work; many people would consider this short?  The average commuting time across the European Union is 33 minutes, which highlights that in general, Brit’s are happier spending longer commuting to and from work.

From a recruitment perspective, with HS2 in place, the talents of the counties work-force would be more easily and openly exposed. Resourcing techniques could evolve from a ‘traditional search’ to a searching method that could include the whole population. Equally candidates would be able to take advantage of widening their ‘local search’ to what could become geographically half of the country, with this impressively accessible transportation system in place. Ultimately this will increase competition for candidates. But could provide London’s employers with what could become the whole countries working population on their doorstep.

The population of London is  estimated at 7,825,200, with Birmingham at 1,036,900. HS2 could open vast opportunities for residences and employers of the country’s two biggest cities. The advancements in technology could certainly twist and evolve the future of recruitment techniques and methods. Consequently this could lead to candidates, having to be even more prepared for the extra competition that is to come.