Apr 24, 2020 | HR, Management
If an employee decides to pursue another job during the coronavirus pandemic, organizations must be prepared to keep proprietary data and company technology safe.
With COVID-19 shaking up employment, many teams are facing furloughs and layoffs. Some employees, however, are also opting to leave their jobs during this chaotic time. No matter the reason, companies must have the proper plans and security in place for an employee’s departure.
Companies have been forced to quickly adapt to remote work because of the coronavirus, many of which have never worked entirely remotely previously.
“Organizations are frantically trying to enable existing workforces to become full-time remote workforces,” said Arun Kothanath, chief security strategist at Clango, an identity and access management (IAM) consultancy. “This requires organizations to rapidly roll out VPNs and authentication technologies, such as multi-factor authentication, while enabling employees to be able to connect to mission-critical assets from their remote workstations.”
While equipping employees with secure connections is one of the crucial first steps to launching a remote workforce, businesses must also consider how to rescind such access upon employee termination or departure.
“The only way to secure critical business data is to control the access to it,” Kothanath said. “When an employee is terminated or informs the organization they are leaving for another company, there must be a way for an IT manager to immediately revoke the employee’s access.”
Neal Taparia, co-founder of SOTA Partners, said he once experienced an employee send themselves sensitive business information upon figuring out their employment would be terminated.
To help prevent other organizations from facing similar situations, Taparia and other experts outlined the following best practices for keeping company information and hardware secure in the event of an employee leaving.
IT’s responsibility for when an employee departs the company
Remove email access
After Taparia’s bad experience, he said the first thing his company does is shut off access to the employee’s email, that way the employee can’t send themselves items.
“We’ll also quickly peruse the type of activity they’ve had in their Google accounts. We use the Google Apps Productivity Suite, and it gives you some administrative abilities to see what’s going on,” Taparia said.
“We’ll look for any type of suspicious behavior, and we’ll try not to signal to [employee] that we’re going to have this tough conversation so they have time to [transmit sensitive files],” he added.
Confiscate company hardware
One problem employers might run into is how to retrieve company hardware from its remote workers.
Taparia said companies should make this process easy. His organization provides a box with a shipping label for the worker to send their items. He also said to guarantee the employee sends hardware back, his organization leverages severance.
“We try to get them a box with a shipping label as fast as possible, and we’ll tell them, ‘We want to give you the severance, but we do need that equipment back as soon as possible. If you want full severance, we need that back ASAP, and we’re going to make it as easy for you as it is possible to put it in the box and put the shipping label on it and just get it back to us,'” Taparia said.
Return in-office items
Since many companies were forced into remote work with COVID-19, employees may still have belongings in the office they need upon termination or departure.
“We told the employee we let go that we’d return their personal items via Fedex when we deemed it safe to return to the office again,” Taparia said.
“If it’s urgent, I still wouldn’t recommend compromising any of your staff to go to the office to return personal items. Right now, risking your health is outside of anyone’s responsibilities,” Taparia added.
Eliminate all digital accounts
The last component to consider is the employee’s various digital accounts. Just because they leave your organization, that doesn’t mean they may not try to access various accounts from personal devices.
“You need to consider all the digital assets they have remote access to as well,” said Finn Faldi, president at TeamViewer Americas, an enterprise remote access and support provider.
“Single-sign on and conditional access tools can provide you with one of the most secure environments to help you manage who gets access to what digital assets,” Faldi said. “If you have these tools in place as part of your remote connectivity solution, you can turn off all access to all company systems in real time as individual employees are off-boarded.”
Additionally, organizations that have an IAM program in place can easily revoke employee access to critical business data and assets, from anywhere, Kothanath added.
Source: TechRepublic.com
Mar 18, 2020 | Contractors, IR35, Management
The Government has announced a last-minute postponement to the implementation of the Off-Payroll Tax to the private sector in light of the recent Covid-19 outbreak, with the legislation now due to be reintroduced in April 2021.
The decision was taken following significant pressure from contractors and campaigners – and indeed from within the House of Lords – who warned that the inevitable loss of work due to the virus for contractors deemed ‘inside IR35’ and effectively forced into ‘zero rights employment’ would prove catastrophic.
“This is a deferral in response to the ongoing spread of Covid-19 to help businesses and individuals,” announced Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay MP to the House of Commons.
“This is a deferral and not a cancellation, and the Government remains committed to reintroducing this policy to ensure people working like employees but through their own limited company pay broadly the same amount of tax as those employed directly.”
Reaction: Delay Presents Opportunity to Overhaul Off-Payroll
Though Government has stated its intentions to legislate next year, contractors, clients and industry stakeholders will no doubt welcome the valuable time granted by the tragic circumstances. The announcement presents significant scope for greater consideration of the ill-considered measures, and further discussion over the alignment of employment status for tax and employment rights purposes, to combat the issue of ‘zero rights employment’ that Off-Payroll threatens to escalate.
“We warmly welcome the announcement that the Government has seen sense and delayed the damaging IR35 Off-Payroll Tax roll-out for a year,” says ContractorCalculator CEO Dave Chaplin. “With contractors facing the prospect of losing work with no sick pay, it was clearly the right and sensible thing to do.We thank our 2,600 campaigners for their excellent work, and we thank all the MPs who raised their concerns with the Treasury and opposed the flawed policy.
“We now must keep pushing for changes to outlaw the disgrace that is ‘zero rights employment’, and to make it illegal for firms to push employer’s taxation onto contractors. We also must push for the genuine review of IR35 legislation promised by the previous Chancellor, as part of the Conservatives’ planned review into self-employment.”
Chaplin adds: “Over the next year, it’s time to finally overhaul the discredited IR35 legislation, which everyone knows doesn’t work. Instead, we must come up with a way to properly recognise contracting and freelancing in the tax system and ensure people are either classed as self-employed or as employees with full rights and benefits”.
(SOURCE: contractorcalculator.co.uk)
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new, permanent or contract. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone Worth Recruiting.
Mar 3, 2020 | Contractors, IR35, Management
With the IR35 tax changes coming into play in 2020, the status of ‘self-employment’ may begin to seriously lose its appeal. Contractors around the country will be starting to consider moving over to the dark side of permanent employment, boxing up their idealistic counterculture, badging it a distant memory of a ‘young man’s game’.
So, as an employer, at last (it would seem) all our dreams have come true. There’s an influx of new talent seeking permanent employment pouring into the marketplace and the war for talent can finally become a thing of the past.
But beware…
The truth is there are necessary and overdue changes coming to the temporary contractor marketplace, if it were property, they’d call it market correction. But the reality is that in spite of IR35 contractors will always be paid a premium over and above their permanent counterparts. They simply had it even better because they were paying a more preferential tax rate which thanks to IR35 will no longer be the case.
So, here’s the thing. If you’re interviewing a contractor for a permanent role, keep in mind the old saying, once a c**t*****r always a c**t*****r. There’s a real risk they’re reverting to ‘temporary’ type, ‘temporarily’ abandoning the apparently sinking ship to join the good ship permanent employment to weather the storm.
Self-employment is so much more than an effective and (soon to be illegal) way to pay less tax. It is in part a lifestyle choice. Freedom, flexibility, more control over your work-life balance. At worst, possibly driven by them being unable to work for or with other people. But the multi-faceted advantages are something you need to consider.
Don’t get me wrong, if you do find yourself interviewing a contractor for a permanent role in your business you must give them real consideration. They bring a really unique breadth of experience, quite possibly amongst your competitors. They’ve also got the ability to problem-solve, work independently and think creatively. You just need to take additional measures to ensure they’re really serious about going permanent.
Prepare yourself by making the following checks at interview stage and if you hire them, post their employment:
At interview stage:
- Find out whether or not they have had contracts extended and whether there are many instances of them not completing a contract. Seek the reasons why and if possible, contact their previous employer for more information
- Be direct, ask them why they’re now considering the move from temp to perm
- Set your boundaries from the outset. Have the conversation about your expectations regarding flexibility, discuss your policies and procedures with them in detail and gauge their reaction
- Ask them about their expectations, it may be that they are looking for a more flexible role than the one you’re offering, but if they’re the right person for the job it may be worth finding a compromise
- Develop a specific set of competency questions around their ability to work in a team environment and their ability to take direct orders from senior colleagues
- As a contractor they may have become involved in providing support to other companies. This may not be an issue, but better they lay their cards on the table honestly at the outset.
Post-employment:
- A perk of contracting is the flexibility to enjoy more holidays and long weekends. Ensure you keep an eye on their attendance
- Timekeeping can become an issue if not managed correctly, they’re used to coming and going as they please, so be sure to check they’re adhering to the contractual agreements you made at the outset
- For the first 6 months, stay in semi-regular contact with their line manager and keep an eye on how they’re working with the team.
Having said all that, the war for talent isn’t just about hiring great permanent employees. There are still huge advantages to the temporary workforce and very good reasons for people to remain self-employed. Contractors can be significantly more cost effective; you can call on them as and when there’s a business need and you don’t have the additional duty of care when it comes to personal issues or benefits packages.
The bottom line is the right balance of temporary and permanent staff will be unique to each organisation. Langley James has over 20 years experience in exceptional IT Recruitment. We’re connected with some of the best talent and employers in the sector. If you need help with your resourcing strategy, or you have a business need for either temp or perm IT talent get in touch.
Find out more about our services here
Feb 18, 2020 | HR, Management
Why Shouldn’t I use a Recruitment Agency?
What do you think about recruitment agencies? (deep breath)
This question conjures up all kinds of emotional reactions among HR and Line Managers, and attitudes vary massively. Many consider recruitment service suppliers to be a vital component of their hiring strategy while others insist agencies are an overpriced and unnecessary indulgence. In fact, the spectrum of opinion is so wide that it begs the question; are people using agencies in the right way?
To ensure you experience the best possible value for money from your agencies, here are 3 reasons not to use a recruitment agency:
1 – When your own costs are likely to be significantly less than an agency fee
It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how little people think about the true costs of recruiting. Every hire is different so, to make the right commercial choice, create a list of direct and indirect costs associated with making a new hire and compare it to the cost of outsourcing the recruitment process – Direct costs could include vacancy advertising, social media promotion, job boards, your hourly rate, the hourly rates of anyone else involved in the search and so on. Remember to consider the entire process from job spec to start date and the costs of repeating the whole thing or having to widen the net for harder to fill vacancies.
Meanwhile, indirect costs might include a loss of productivity or the financial impacts on the business while the vacancy remains unfilled and, what higher-value tasks you and your team could be doing instead of focusing on recruitment. In short, hire directly when you’re confident you can do it quickly and efficiently with a minimal impact on your day-to-day business activities. When the impact on your time and your bottom line is too steep, reach out to an agency for support.
2 – When your vacancy requires common skills and broad professional experiences
Imagine a fairway on a golf course leading to the green, with the rough on either side containing all kinds of obstacles; tall grass, rocks, trees and alligators (of course).
Every mainstream vacancy in your business sits on the fairway – think Administrators, Customer Service Reps, Production Operatives, Receptionists, etc. Given the size of the candidate pool, these vacancies can generally be filled directly and relatively quickly using conventional methods such as local/online advertising, word of mouth, social media etc.
Meanwhile, challenging vacancies that call for in-demand industry expertise or niche skills sit squarely in the rough. Candidates here are much harder to attract and even harder to secure, the recruitment process can often be far longer and, as such, will likely cost a great deal more in both time and money. A standard, stand-alone, advert will give you a narrow, limited snapshot of the talent market’s active jobseekers. Candidate choice is likely to be much better with a specialist agency as they spend each and every day of the year searching for passive and active niche candidates, have huge contact databases and far bigger talent attraction budgets.
3 – When you just want to do it yourself
Some hiring managers simply like recruitment, have the time, and genuinely enjoy doing it by themselves. If that’s you, fair enough. Recruitment can indeed be fun, that’s why we do it! You might have proven methods, bigger budgets, internal resources, and a brand that attracts the best talent without much effort. We have several clients who use our services just once a year, at best, for the odd incredibly niche IT vacancy but do 95%+ of their recruiting themselves. In almost every case, their workforces are predominantly made up of the same type of professional and so routinely attract and recruit them directly, often as trainees. If only we could all be so lucky!
Bottom line? Outsource to a professional only when it’s likely to be hard or commercially risky to do it yourself. Remember that recruiting directly isn’t free. Monetary cost and lost time can easily mount up so, make a sensible decision on a case-by-case basis.
You might wonder why we are telling you this – aren’t we talking ourselves out of a job? Perhaps we are, but only for those roles you don’t really need our help with. We want every client we have to truly value our services, and that’s why we routinely encourage people to use us in the right way – outsourcing only when it makes sense to do so.
Next article: 3 Classic Mistakes Hiring Managers Make Using Recruitment Agencies
Feb 4, 2020 | HR, Management
With the latest amendment to the IR35 rules, there seems to be a lot of scaremongering going on amongst companies seeking contractor services. We want to reassure you there is nothing to worry about, it’s very straight forward.
On the 6th April 2020 the rules regarding IR35 determination change. From this date, the end client will need to provide a Status Determination Statement for all roles intended for a contractor. This change happened in the Public sector on the 6th April 2017. We implemented the changes at Langley James at that time and to be honest, with the exception of a few contractors initially disliking the decision the clients made, (the client has the final decision) we have experienced no further problems.
It’s not about the contractor, It’s about the role.
Any contractor from the 6th April will need to be given a “Status Determination Statement” which should be prepared when the role is scoped determining whether it is inside or outside of “IR35”. You, the client, will be obliged to present the recruitment agency and the contractor with the Status Determination Statement on each role. The statement is not a blanket company-wide statement, it’s on the specific role, so you will need to produce a new statement for each role. The Statement will clearly outline and explain the reasons behind the decision. so, as long as you show you’ve taken “reasonable care” to come to the decision, and also file the appropriate tax documents, say HMRC, you will avoid being penalised. IR35 isn’t a choice or preference, it’s a determination.
CEST Tool
The easiest way of doing that is by using the government’s own CEST tool, otherwise known as “Check Employment Status for Tax”. As long as you have answered the questions correctly about the role it will give you a determination. Ensure that you save and keep a copy of the determination in the event the case ever questioned in the future, this can be used as the “Status Determination Statement. That’s it, move on and hire.
Outside IR35 – The Contractors Preference
Contractors can choose to work on whatever they want however, as of April, they will be unable to determine the IR35 status of a contract themselves. Instead, they must decide if they want an inside or outside contract and apply accordingly.
A contract role can be deemed as outside of IR35 if a project requires a specialist professional with specific services, skills or equipment. The job must have a clear objective that, once achieved, will signal the end of the contract. Typically, estimated project delivery timescales, cost and equipment requirements will be expected along with contractual service replacement clauses to cover the client should the contractor fail to complete as expected.
You can build in timelines and drip feed the payment if you scoped the project to take 12 weeks you can pay a 12th per week, if it takes longer. In fact, it is similar to getting the builder in where you decide while he’s there to give him another job, on top of what you gave him originally. The contractor should also not be solely reliant on one source of work and ideally have multiple clients. However, to be truly outside IR35 compliant, a contractor undertaking the role needs to be exposed to financial loss if the contract project doesn’t work out.
Instead of fretting about IR35’s finer points, just start treating contractors like the external service providers they are and not as employees. Stop asking them to start work at 9am alongside your staff, try not to give them any equipment unless absolutely necessary and hold regular update meetings instead of trying to manage them.
Inside IR35 – Similar to a Temp
This applies to contractors who would be employees if it weren’t for the intermediary through which they work. To be truly self-employed, and for IR35 not to apply, the end client can not have Supervision Direction or Control over the contractor, so if you do, they will be “Inside IR35”.
If the role is deemed to be inside IR35, and your contractor is up in arms about it, discuss it with the Recruitment Agency (hopefully that’ll be Langley James!) and they will find you someone who will work within IR35. They will generally work with an Umbrella Company accredited by the Freelancer and Contractors Services Association (FCSA) and the recruitment agency should have carried out due diligence on the Umbrella Company.
Why the panic?
A genetically encoded fear of HMRC combined with the stubborn attitudes of contractors who know their roles are not really outside of IR35. Many of them have self-certified their roles outside IR35 and enjoy the tax benefits that come with it, however now it is up to you, the client. If deemed to be inside IR35 the contractor will have to pay tax like any other employee which has a significant impact on their lifestyles.
NB: remember Contractors are paid over and above their permanent counterpart compensating them for being temporary, loss of sickness, holiday pay, pension contributions, and both employee and employer National Insurance contributions as well as any other benefits their permanent counterpart would receive.
Will their rates need to be increased?
In short no. Naturally, they would love them to be but you are not obliged to increase them. Their rate hasn’t changed, instead just their taxation.
Who is being bullied?
You are. Contractors, especially those currently working with you, will pressurise Clients to classify roles as Outside of IR35, it has huge tax-saving benefits for them but puts you at risk should the role really be inside of IR35.
The message?
Don’t panic. Take control. Learn how to define your projects/roles and have the confidence to make the right decision. Properly defining the roles will give you the best choice of the right kind of contractors. Both Inside and Outside of IR35 Contractors have their place so, use them appropriately.
Further notes
What is IR35 Tax Legislation
IR35 is the name given to a tax legislation that is aimed at identifying individuals who are avoiding paying the tax that they should be. The IR35 legislation specifically challenges those people who supply their services to clients via their own company, often known as a ‘personal service company’, be it a limited company or a limited liability partnership, who, in the ever-watchful eyes of HMRC, should be classed as ‘disguised employees’. This basically means that HMRC do not recognise the contractor in question as ‘self-employed’ from a taxation perspective and therefore they should be taxed the same way that a permanent employee should be, thus falling insider what is called IR35.
April 2000
Was when the first piece of legislation came into force and is properly known as the Intermediaries Legislation. IR35 takes its name from the original press release published by the then Inland Revenue (now HMRC) announcing its creation
Chapter 8 of ITEPA 2003
The term ‘IR35’ applies to Chapter 8 of ITEPA 2003 (and originally the reference number of the original Inland Revenue press release), in cases where the contractor is in charge of determining his/her employment status.
Chapter 10 of ITEPA 2003
Chapter 10 of ITEPA 2003 provides the legal basis for the engager (‘client’) becoming responsible for determining the employment status of the worker in the public sector (from April 2017) and private sector (from April 2020).
Further reading
IR35: Time for the private sector to get its house in order?
CIPD – Off-payroll working rules from April 2020
Fines
The contractor will be fined, but if the contractor can prove they were put outside IR35 by the client, the client will be responsible for unpaid taxes and the fines below associated with it
- 30% of the unpaid taxes if HMRC finds negligence or carelessness about the IR35 status
- 70% of the unpaid taxes if HMRC finds you knew you they were within IR35 but ignored it
- 100% of your unpaid taxes if the IR35 status has been hidden.
Langley James is one of the UK’s best known IT Recruitment Agencies specialising in IT Support, Infrastructure and Software Development positions for all sectors and levels of seniority anywhere in the UK.
Jan 24, 2020 | HR, Management
Do you remember the days when IT performed miracles, amazing feats, magic in front of our eyes, saving hours, zillions of pounds? Finance departments loved IT, making lives just so much better – bring out the rose-tinted glasses.
These days however, all we hear when visiting companies is “All IT do all the time is fix things. That’s when they are broken, that’s once they’ve got hold of them that is, the rest of the time, what do they do, hide in the basement…. These days users/clients know as much about IT as IT do, well they have to, the time it takes to get one….” OR DO THEY…?
And hey, you’re dead right, from IT’s perspective, don’t fix it, if it ain’t broken.
Some say we only use 13% of MS Office, whatever it is, it’s a fraction of what it has to offer, most just use it for word processing and sending and receiving email. The more companies we visit, the more we are told they “don’t want someone just to fix it – that’s easy, we just need to know how to use it and get the best from IT.” Many companies have so many applications that overlap, and nobody really understands any of them, they just get by. A common theme is “All the gear, but no idea”. There may be a few super users, but they are busy themselves with the day job.
Is it a sign of the era we live in? Nobody reads the instruction manual cover to cover, plug and play, that’s the way.
So what is the answer, how can IT become a superhero again?
Training… One of the first things to be abolished in any economic downturn is training. All very well in the short term, but now it’s been so long, most users/clients have learnt what they need by trial and error and by being taught by an expert.
Applications/software have so much functionality, but very few people really know how to get the best out of it and simply apply the day to day workaround to get what they need.
Not only will training be a proactive way of cutting down support calls, but it will also build strong relationships and you may even find out more about what the business/users/clients really need.
But IT is busy, not hiding, fixing things If there were only a few more hours a day, then absolutely, but it’s not a priority. Training is so down the list it hasn’t seen daylight for years.
If you can’t spare the time or resources, how about considering a short term contractor? We can supply either someone to carry out the “fixing things” whilst you build relationships or supply you with a trainer, on a short term basis, weeks not months, or even permanently.
By bringing in a contractor it could be more cost effective than using the application/software vendor themselves as they’ll more likely just pull someone off support for the day. We could supply an experienced trainer who has trained on the application software previously, as well as trained on other related application software you use. A good trainer not only delivers training to groups and one on one, but also puts together courses tailored to your business.
It’s time to be a hero, be appreciated. Be proactive, not just reactive.
Oct 28, 2019 | Management
Not many candidates enjoy interviews and hiring managers, viewing them as a necessary evil, struggle to find time to prepare properly to ensure that the best person for the job is hired. The joy of interviews!
Have you ever interviewed someone and thought that they were the ideal person for the job, only to find that once they are in situ, they are not the person they were at the interview? If so, you are not on your own. No-one presents the ‘real them’ in an interview situation and those that do the best are usually ones with the most conviction in their answers or have the best negotiating skills. But who wants an interview where the candidate is simply telling you what they think you want to hear?
We form decisions about people very quickly and based on our initial perception, which is very subjective, we can come to conclusions about interviewees that may be far removed from the truth.
So, how can you ensure that you are getting the best from the interviews you have?
Interviewing is such a huge factor in the recruitment process, so it is in everyone’s interest to get better at it. So often we hear from Company’s who have made hiring mistakes and not only do they have to start the whole process again but also have to account for the loss of time and revenue. In most cases, these companies have conducted vanilla interviews or used the interview as simply a friendly chat, more concerned about the personality of the individual as opposed to their skillset and attitude.
There is a fine line between vanilla and first degree interviews and the skill lies in combining the two. Prior to the interview, make 2 lists, one for technical skill set/job requirements and the other for characteristics of the ideal candidate.
Here are some suggestions to help you reveal thought patterns and prior behaviour in candidates – the best predictor of future behaviour.
- What circumstances bring you here today?
- Why are you interested in this job? What do you know about our Company?
- Tell me about your proudest moment at work.
- What do you want from your career and how does this help you get there?
- What are the things in your current role that you don’t enjoy doing?
- What are some things that your current employer could do differently that will, in your view, produce a better outcome or save money/time?
- What risks have you taken in your working life and what were the outcomes?
- What tools do you use to stay organised?
- How do you deal with stress?
- How do you raise the bar for yourself and others?
- What unique experience separates you from the other candidates?
- Tell me something interesting that will help me remember you over and above the other candidates
Interviews give both you and the candidate a sneak preview of what it will be like to work together. Remember that in the current market, employed candidates are not desperate for a job and are more often than not looking for a better opportunity than their current employer is providing. With candidates often interviewing at 2-3 companies in a week, it is important that you are prepared and arouse further desire in the candidates to join your company as opposed to any other.
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new, permanent or contract. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone Worth Recruiting.
Aug 20, 2019 | HR, Management, Tips
Holidays are almost always brilliant even if things don’t go to plan. The break itself is holiday enough giving us all a brief opportunity to cut the cord from work and think about something else for a change. However, for many of us there is no escape from the inevitable downer that often sets in towards the end when our minds automatically begin to think about work once again.
Despite our best efforts, thoughts start to trickle in, “did Sarah call Kellogg’s on Friday as planned?”, “did I activate my Out-Of-Office?”, “Should I call in just to check everything is OK?”, etc. Whatever the worry, surely there’s a better way?
Here are a few ideas to help you maintain your holiday high and avoid crashing down to earth.
Be Positive
Shocking news – you prefer a beach to your desk. Add that mind-blowing thought to the nailed on fact that you’re flying home tomorrow and hey presto, you don’t want to go back. Naturally your brain starts to come up with all the reasons why your life is worse that being on a beach and before you know it you’re on a downer.
This can be avoided! Assuming that you intend to keep your job, think about all the reasons why your job is great. Remember why you joined the company and why you continue to stay. The people, the technology, career advancements, the daily experience, your boss and even the rewards. Its easy to convince yourself that work is bad and beaches are good but unless you intend to pack up and open a surf shack, it’s a pointless comparison destined only to incubate negativity and increase your feelings of dread.
Be Innovative
Maybe you’re right. Perhaps your job is boring, the commute is a drag and pay is lousy. But, what can you do about it? Instead of complaining, seize control and take action. If resignation is a little dramatic, look for the benefits in those apparently negative points and seek ways of reclaiming happiness such as, utilising time spent commuting by reading, watching or listening for your own pleasure or to learn. You might even look forward to the hour on your own!
Talk to your bosses and tell them you need challenging. Request involvement in new projects, interact with different colleagues and show interest in other areas of the business. Assess your own job and look for opportunities to personally benefit such as deliberately taking on a task that directly challenges your weakest skill. Do something!
Be Organised
One of the most common reasons for stress at work is disorganisation. Like damp it can slowly seep into all areas of your job making even the simplest of tasks very difficult. Small wonder why life on a beach seems so appealing after all, who on earth would want to return to a toxic environment of chaos, confusion and pressure?
Top tip – write out your job description starting with the purpose of the role ahead of a concise list of responsibilities and the tasks required to deliver them. Put them into order of process and assess each one looking for ways to better prepare, improve or delegate. Once complete you’ll realise that nearly everything can be predicted and planned reducing stress down to the simple execution. Ahhhhh.
Be Proactive
Change can sometimes provide great relief. Before you go away on holiday, be aware of the post holiday blues and try to change something fundamental about your experience at work. Changing desks can be a easy way to alter your perception allowing you to look forward to the new experience of sitting with Bill instead of Ben. Flobadob.
Be Prepared
You’ve been away. Unavoidably you’re going to have to catch up be it with emails, staff, clients or tasks. Whatever the pressure, allow yourself time to reintegrate. Anticipate a slow start with people coming at you from all angles talking about your holiday, gossip and other work related news. Expect to open Outlook to 500 unopened emails while neglected colleagues interrupt you for help. Predict that your boss will selfishly invite you for a ‘catch up’ just as you’ve sat down to do something. Plan and prepare for it and all will be well.
Take it easy safe in the knowledge that this madness was actually part of your plan.
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new, permanent or contract. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone Worth Recruiting.
Aug 19, 2019 | HR, Management, Tips
The school summer holidays may be nearing an end but for those of us without kids, September marks the start of the more affordable holiday period. With just a couple of weeks to go its time to start thinking about your exit strategy to do list.
Last on the list will be your email out of office. But what will you go with? The standard “I’m away until…” or something little more adventurous?
Waste no more time thinking about it and simply copy and paste one of these:
The Classic
Hi,
Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office until [date] and will have no access to my emails.
If the matter is urgent, please contact my colleague NAME at EMAIL. Alternatively, I’ll be in touch upon my return.
Many Thanks
NAME
The Smart Casual
Hi!
Thanks for your email. I’m out of the office until [date] relaxing in the sun without a care in the world.
I’ll be back to you upon my return but if it can’t wait, feel free to contact NAME at EMAIL.
Regards
NAME
The Smart Ass
I’m on holiday! Outlook has kindly agreed to tell everyone how happy I am to be away, lying on a beach far away from my emails.
Future me will deal with my bulging inbox on the DATE however, if you need help sooner than that please contact NAME at EMAIL.
I hope you have a great week at work!
NAME
The Control Freak
Thanks for your email. I’m out of the office on holiday, due back on DATE however, I will have limited access to my emails and will endeavour to help from afar.
If however, you require urgent assistance, please contact NAME at EMAIL.
Regards
NAME
The Gamer
Thanks for your email. Tomb Raider is out tomorrow. By total coincidence I’m away for a week. I’ve told HR I’ll be back on DATE but that entirely depends on my ability to stop the Mayan apocalypse.
If your need is urgent, you can contact NAME at EMAIL while I’m busy defending humanity.
Regards
NAME
Whatever you go with, ensure you give people alternatives way of getting in touch with your business while you’re away. Wherever possible state a return date however, its good practise to manage expectations by informing people of your planned holiday ahead of time.
By all means have a bit of fun with it however, make sure you won’t get into trouble!
Enjoy your holiday.
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new, permanent or contract. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone Worth Recruiting.
Aug 14, 2019 | HR, Management
One-third of workers said they have left a job because the company didn’t offer flexible work opportunities like working from home and flexible scheduling, according to FlexJobs’ annual survey released Wednesday. Currently, 16% of employees said they are searching for a new job because of flexibility issues.
The report surveyed more than 7,300 employees to determine how work flexibility affects career decisions. The majority (80%) of employees admitted that they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options. And, more than half (52%) of respondents said they have tried to negotiate flexible work arrangements with their companies, the report found.
“In a tight labour market, companies cannot afford to ignore the value employees place on having flexible work options, but leaders also can’t dismiss the very real bottom-line impact offering flexibility has on their employees’ productivity and retention rates,” Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, said in a press release. “The flexible job market is currently very robust, so flexible job seekers are also feeling empowered to seek jobs that are more compatible with their life. In fact, 80% of job seekers say they are confident in their flexible job prospects.”
Every year since the report was first conducted in 2013, the following four factors have always been reported as the top reasons people seek flexible work:
– Work-life balance (75%)
– Family (45%)
– Time savings (42%)
– Commute stress (41%)
Some 65% of workers said they are more productive working outside of a traditional office environment, the report found. They cited fewer distractions (74%), fewer interruptions from colleagues (72%), reduced stress from commuting (70%, and minimal office politics (64%) as their main reasons.
A lack of flexible work options also can have negative side effects on an employee’s physical and mental health, which is why remote work and flexible schedules are becoming the new normal for global businesses.
The majority (78%) of employees said that having a flexible job would allow them to live a healthier life, and 86% said they would be far less stressed, the report found.
Nearly half (44%) of respondents said a flexible job would spark a “huge improvement” in their quality of life, with 53% saying it would have a “positive impact.”
(Article Courtesy of TechRepublic)
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new, permanent or contract. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone Worth Recruiting.
Jul 23, 2019 | HR, Management
(1 min read)
A recent government survey reports nearly three quarters of Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) plan to attack their markets prioritising growth and service improvement with new business sales, staff up-skilling, process improvement and recruitment high on the agenda.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s survey focused on SME growth plans and the obstacles they expect to face.
New Business
71% of companies said they planned to grow sales while nearly half cited market competition as their main problem. This might indicate reduced demand and overcapacity in some sectors which means competitive edge must be the priority to sell more effectively and retain business.
Sales and Marketing success relies on a robust product/service proposition, a structured engagement and delivery process and of course the right talent to make it all work.
Before rushing out to direct or find new staff consider reviewing and possibly redefining the company business plan and strategy. What relevance does your product/service range have? Why do people buy from you and how are they behaving? What do you do differently and why does that matter? Who are your competitors and what are they doing? Where do you stand in terms of price and quality? What opportunities are out there? With all of that in mind, what do you want?
In short, reassess the market proposition and strategy to ensure your staff are well placed to achieve your goals. You’ll also stand a much better chance of securing quality talent with a confident, inspirational and well thought out strategy.
Up-Skilling, Training and Business Improvement
53% said that increasing the workforce was a priority while 61% intend on up-skilling existing staff over the next three years. Great news!
Given the economic climate and the risks associated with bad hires, it’s well worth taking the time to properly map out business critical requirements before investing in staff or training. Successful recruiting requires two main elements. A thorough, clearly defined and realistic job description and an equally robust interview and evaluation process. Hiring Managers recruiting on assumption, speculation and emotions frequently make poor selection decisions so, decide to invest time in fully preparing to recruit.
Recruiting quality staff is challenging but keeping them can be even more so. Investing in training is a great way to motivate, reward and demonstrate you value their contribution – three key elements in job satisfaction. Ensure that your training choices are in line with the company’s needs and critically, invest time into an implementation strategy. Consider the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy. So much training knowledge is wasted because business leaders fail to facilitate opportunities to practically use and share new concepts, skills and techniques. Instead, get involved and see staff training as an opportunity for your business to improve and evolve.
Brexit Smexit
Interestingly, 71% of business leaders don’t consider Brexit to be a threat contradicting media scaremongers hell bent on convincing the country otherwise. Sure, people are concerned but what can they really do about consequences of exiting the EU? If the economy contracts and customer demand falls inevitable casualties will ensue however, you can safely predict they will be the hesitant MDs running shaky businesses with poor investment, mediocre products or services and low quality staff believing they can simply cut costs and weather the storm.
Whatever the future may have in store it would seem optimism is rife among the SME community despite the so-called economic uncertainty. In fact, the ‘glass half full’ perspective says that uncertainty doesn’t have to spell bad times. In fact, the very nature of uncertainty means things could well be fine! Either way, it’s business as usual for us all.
Good Hunting.
Jul 23, 2019 | HR, Management
(30 sec read)
An Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has ruled that staff covertly recording conversations spoken during meetings at work may not always be considered as gross misconduct. In fact, the tribunal stated that it is acceptable in specific cases when, for example, an employee may be concerned about misrepresentation.
In this case, Tatiana Stockman, former employee of Phoenix House charity, believed she was unfairly dismissed following an irreconcilable disagreement with her manager. During the tribunal, Stockman admitted to recording private meetings at work. In response, Phoenix House’s legal team argued that recording workplace meetings without consent was ten demount to gross misconduct inferring that Stockman’s claim for unfair dismissal should be thrown out.
Instead, the EAT sided with Stockman and upheld the tribunal’s ruling on the grounds that Stockman’s motivations for recording the meeting were understandable and needed to be taken into account.
This case sets an interesting precedent for staff and managers everywhere. With most people owning smart phones with recording features, there can be no doubt similar cases will continue to arise.
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