Is Localisation the new Globalisation?

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We have started noticing something new – the re-emergence of the need for manufacturing staff such as the increasing need for skilled tradespeople, engineers, planners, operatives. We are hearing from the industry and our clients that their customers are not necessarily going to China, and hearing from them that this option is not necessarily the cheapest option or even if it were that the Chinese market is not necessarily interested in delivering. With the increase in transport costs, fuel costs, worker rights across the Atlantics not withstanding a growing emergence of accounting for sustainability – the work appears to be coming home!

Now the challenges and opportunities start for the visionary and the motivated to bring back apprenticeship schemes which offer fixed contracts of 3 to 5 years, which include both practical and academic module, benefiting the trainees by offering a long term, secure programme and employment and the employer who in return gets affordable labour, succession employees and the passing of knowledge and skills from one generation to another as they both learn from each other.

So I put it to you – that perhaps what we are seeing is not necessarily the collapse of a financial system or the beginnings of double dip recession, what we might be going through is the evolution of globalisation to localised homemade goods by home grown talent.

If you are observing similar trends, do get in touch.

Recruitment Goes Mobile with 7 Exciting Apps

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Great Article written by Kazim Ladimeji who is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and has been a practicing HR professional for 14 years, which I feel compelled to share with our readership.

Change is ever-present in today’s world of recruitment. First, it was the paperless office, then it was Internet jobs boards, and, just as we got used to that, along came social recruitment. And, while many of us are still catching our breath with social media recruitment, along comes the next big transformational event in recruiting: Mobile Recruitment. And, just in case any of you think that Mobile Recruiting it isn’t officially ‘here’, you should be aware that in September last year in San Francisco, there occurred the first annual mobile recruiting conference of its kind, sponsored and attended by all the major players, including the big two of Monster and Careerbuilder. Big players are thinking that mobile is, well… big.

Surprisingly, even though mobile recruiting is officially ‘here’ and that nearly 70% of jobseekers would like to use their phone for career related purposes, only 3% of employers have a mobile job app. With demand for mobile recruiting being so high and supply being so so low, we feel this is a great time to introduce recruiters to the world of mobile recruiting. And below, you will find 7 of the most exciting mobile recruiting apps and/or mobile iterations of existing recruiting software to hit the market in recent times.

1.) HireVue

This iPhone app allows recruiters to design interview questionnaires on the phone and then send them to candidates. Candidates can then view the questions and then video their answers to the questions at their own convenience and send them back to the employer. The employer can share the video interviews with other managers too. This is great tool which brings interviewing into the modern age of mobile phones and mobile people.

2.) Jobscience

This is a powerful iPhone app from Force.com which gives you applicant tracking capabilities on your mobile phone. Recruiters can invite candidates to submit their resumes digitally and the resumes will be instantly parsed and/or can be searched through to enable you to quickly identify suitable candidates. Resumes can be shared by email, SMS, etc… This is a great tool to take around a job fair or networking event.

3.) BullHorn

Like Jobscience, BullHorn is a mobile phone based applicant tracking system. Bullhorn offers their software on multiple platforms, e.g. iPhone, Android, Windows, and Blackberry. It has solid CRM features that differentiate it from more consumer oriented products.

4.) Tungle

This is a meeting scheduling tool that allows recruiters to quickly and easily schedule interviews with candidates. Its simple; recruiter sends invite, candidates reply and it automatically updates both party’s calendars. The system automatically syncs with all the main Mobile OS calendars.

5.) Google Power Search

This is an app which will make it easier for recruiters to search the web for candidates. The apps present a simple graphical interface which you can use to search the web for candidates, meaning that you do not have to use complicated boolean search strings to perform that task anymore.

6.) Job Speek

This app will allow you to create job listings and post them directly to the leading job search engines such as Simplyhired and Juju. You can also add a 60 second hiring message direct to your job posting.

7.) The Hire Syndicate

This one is a specialist agency recruiter tool. It enables recruiters to manage and build their trusted split placement networks and close deals directly from their mobile devices.

With all this mobile recruiting functionality being available in the marketplace, it is time for recruiters to get into the game and start engaging with job-seekers using mobile recruiting apps. Those who adopt early may get an edge on the competition.

 

Young Carers

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Merit Recruitment

08 May 2012

Dear Sam

Thank you very much for your kind donation of over 450 Easter Eggs. Every donation we receive goes towards activities, day trips out, residentials and youth groups to give the young carers the extra break from their caring responsibilities they need, it’s also an opportunity for the young carers to be a child again. However as it was chocolate we donated the Eggs to the Young Carers youth clubs and young carers throughout Hampshire. Even by doing this we still had some left over so we donated them to the Basingstoke Young Carers Youth Groups, MAD Fridays, Marnel & Merton Community Group & the Childen’s Ward at Basingstoke Hospital. Check out our website www.basignstokeyoungcarers.co.uk for photos and for more information the service we provide. 

Basingstoke Young Carers Project launched in Jan 2009, and provides information, support and respite for Young Carers and their families across Basingstoke and Deane. To date we have supported over 90 young carers through the project but know that there is an estimated 300 additional young carers across Basingstoke and Deane that go unsupported. We offer the chance for the young carer to take a break from their caring responsibility by providing 3 youth clubs that run every Monday 5pm to 8pm (13yrs to 16yrs), Tuesdays 4:30pm to 6pm (7yrs to 12yrs) and 6.30pm to 9pm in partnership with Basingstoke Youth In Action team (16+)

On behalf of all our volunteers and staff I would like to say a big Thank You.

Yours Sincerely

Ed Ives-Wara
Young Carers Schools Project Co-ordinator

Freephone: 0800 87 86 500
Mob: 07872025838
Tel: 01256 423892

E-Mail: ediveswara@voluntaryservices.com

___________________________________________________________________________

Project of Basingstoke Voluntary Services is a Company Registered in England and Wales No 3802713 and a Registered Charity No 1077442

BVS is assisted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council

2nd Quarter Results in Australia – A report from our Aussie Correspondent, Simon Kett.

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A little background on our Australian Correspondent – Simon was one of our own Graduate Trainees who went on to become a Business Manager with Merit Recruitment, leading innovative changes which included the management of one of our largest Recruiting Outsourcing Projects which he did with great success. He immigrated to Australia a few years ago when he became a Father and Husband – We suspect it was the allure of the sunshine, even us fish are checking our passports!

Over to Simon:

1st quarter 2012 is over. For me it was all about graduates – though our intake this year was small, in this market it’s essential to identify high potential engineers who will stay in the business long term. Eventually I had to select 5 of 700 applicants which made for a long, drawn out process. Choosing the best of these is very hard and highly competitive with the mining companies who pay massive salaries (6 figures+) and offer an exciting, cutting edge career, albeit one generally based in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand we’re a sunset industry, based mainly from capital cities and offer a high, but not top tier, salary package. In the end we only lost out on one candidate that we wanted, so a good result.

The above shows, in a microcosm, the continual battle for resources in Australia so far this year. We (the oil industry) trump pretty much everyone except the mining/gas industries who have a huge gap on us – we apparently lost a receptionist the other day who has moved to a fly in-fly out reception role offering well over $100k! Last week Rio Tinto announced the need for another 6000 skilled workers this year and has advanced a large advertising campaign, featuring various Olympic athletes, to push the message home. Their requirements are putting serious pressure on other industries that can’t come close to matching the salary packages – the building industry is heavily affected, pushing up housing prices and there’s a knock on effect everywhere else.

Increasingly companies are looking abroad, upsetting the unions here who point to growing unemployment, particularly within the manufacturing sector. The problem is the unemployment is in areas thousands of miles from the mines – companies are building whole towns to accommodate new employees moving to the mining areas and ‘fly in-fly out’ is a fact of life for many families.

On the whole this makes recruitment an exciting place to be and successfully attracting the best talent is rewarding, though difficult process. Caltex are also actively driving a policy of diversity in the workplace so a second challenge is to provide managers with a broader range of candidates and, where necessary, get them to think outside the box slightly. The response I’ve had so far has only been positive which is great and it makes a nice change to be able to help someone break into an area or industry they have a passion, but not experience, for.

LinkedIn – The new Resume

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LinkedIn is becoming the new Job board where Recruiters and Hirers go to find talent and promote opportunities. In our Industry this is becoming more and more apparent as job boards now complement LinkedIn as recruitment tools whereas 5 years ago they were the recruitment tool. The phenomenon of this professional networking site is growing almost as fast as Facebook as individuals separate their personal identity from their professional one and the forum is LinkedIn.

As Recruiters we urge our candidates to work on their LinkedIn profile with as much diligence as they would their career move CV. Make the services you provide clear, focus on your recent achievements, ask for past Employer or Client endorsements, and ensure that you have a professional and relevant photograph as to how you want to be viewed. Profiles with no pictorial depiction will not promote you – if not a personal photograph then one of a brand you stand for. Work that profile at least monthly and work on identifying articles which might be of interest to other professionals in your field. This will help you stand out notwithstanding to get you to think about goals, objectives and reflect on your personal achievements. Get involved in your speciality groups both great for networking but also for learning.

We Recruiters often say, if only we had the vision of Reid Hoffman, the Founder of LinkedIn – after all this is the business we are in. In the absence of his technological brilliance we can however all learn from what he says are some of his secrets for success. In his words:-

• It’s okay to be brief

When people ask me about work/life balance, I just laugh. But I try to be time-efficient by scheduling meetings in appropriate increments –15 minutes or less sometimes. I’ve also tried to build a culture that understands writing brief e-mails is not emotional coldness.

Aka work your profile making it that Movie Trailer ALL want to go and see.

• Be willing to change course

Entrepreneurs tend to believe, “I’ve got my idea, I’ll go until I die.” But I advise them to take seriously the questions about whether their [business] plan is irredeemably flawed and whether they need to change what they’re doing. Be diligent about failing fast so that you don’t spend five years doing something that’s just going to fail.

Keep refreshing your profile with current projects and learning’s.

• Don’t be a perfectionist

I frequently tell Internet entrepreneurs, “If you’re not somewhat embarrassed by your 1.0 product launch, then you’ve released too late.” There’s value in launching early, getting engaged with customers, and learning from them. That can direct your progress.

This last one has been one of our greatest lessons from most successful icons who know that perfection is not the end result it is the journey.

If you need some advice with your next career move please contact the Team.

 

Charity Football Tournament

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Merit Group would like to invite you to take part in our 10th Annual Charity Football Tournament in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support

Date: Saturday 25th August 2012

For 10 years Merit has been a proud sponsor of Macmillan Cancer Support, and this year, our aim is to raise £10,000.  Over the decade, together, with your help we have made a difference to people living with cancer.

Fancy your go at winning the Merit Tournament Trophy – and join the past Tournament Winners including:

  •         Care Fusion
  •         Merit
  •         M&T Landscaping
  •         Powerleague

This year it could be you!

Venue: The Powerleague 5-a-side Centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so you will need to be quick on your feet to secure your team a place!

The donation per team is £150, ALL of which will go to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Please bring family and friends – besides watching the football there will be other activities to keep everyone entertained!

All you have to do is fill in the entry form attached and email to charity@merit.eu.com to register your team for the tournament.

Remember: the sooner you send the form through the higher chance you have of securing a place!

Please contact Samantha Scott with any questions on 01256 471 508

Thank you for your support in advance.

The Merit Easter Egg Appeal

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Sophie Hartgill from Merit Recruitment is pictured here collecting the 63 Easter Eggs kindly donated by Blatchford in Basingstoke. This went towards our total of over 500 chocolate Easter eggs which were given to the Basingstoke Young Carers charity. BIG thank you to all who participated, your generosity really has made a difference!!!

A4e wins another Contract – How is this Possible?

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“Home Office lines up A4e for major new contract

That’s the headline of a story broken by the Exaro site. They say: “Ministers have made the firm [A4e] ……… the preferred bidder to take over the sensitive Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) helpline to advise people of their rights in discrimination cases.” A4e is preferred over the CAB, Vertex and Sitel. It’s a government decision to privatise the helpline, because it was costing £2.1m a year. There will inevitably be staff lay-offs. A4e is saying simply that nothing has been concluded yet.

What made A4e’s bid so attractive, one wonders. Perhaps there was the fact that they already run the Money Advice helpline. Perhaps they were the cheapest. But it was always going to happen. Despite the calls for suspension of contracts and the on-going audit of contracts (Wales, by the way, has already completed an audit and found nothing wrong), there is no legal way at the moment to deny A4e contracts just because they are A4e. ”

 

This awarded to the Welfare-to-work firm A4e which weeks ago was found to have widespread potential fraud and systematic failures by management to control it.

For once I am rendered speechless – your thoughts and comments most welcome. Together we might make sense of this.