What is attracting your employees? 

Times have changed. No longer is dangling the carrot of the attractive salary enough. If you want your business to thrive then you have to invest in your employees.

Two-thirds of British millennials (those aged between 18 and 34) ranked culture above salary.

So, what does that mean? Beanbag chairs and massages for all? Not quite. The phrase ‘company culture’ is one that may have originally been thrown around by HR managers but is rapidly becoming one of the biggest factors to employees when carrying out their job search and/or staying within a company.

So, what is company culture and why is it so important?

Company culture is the identity, values, beliefs and customs of a company. Essentially, it’s the personality of your organisation.

By creating an environment where all employees ‘buy in’ to what the company is trying to achieve you are on your way to having a loyal happy and productive team. By minimising micromanagement, allowing employees to develop their skill via training and being aware of any internal issues arisen – all contribute massively toward sustaining a highly productive, happy and sustainable team.

Word gets around – the power of social media

News has never travelled faster than it does in the age of Social Media. When employees are happy within their environment, they talk about it. They tell their friends; they swap stories and they post about it – word gets around and people pay attention.

Let’s take Google – Did you know that Google receives over 2 million job applications per year? Why? Google doesn’t sell its potential employee an income. To be honest I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an article about the average wage of a Google employee. They sell a lifestyle. A way of life for the modern employee to achieve so much more than enough to cover the bills. 

What benefits will you see?

Understandably the number of perks etc a company can offer differs depending on size and money available, we can’t all afford to run a company that takes the whole team to a spa for a wellbeing retreat. That isn’t what culture is about. It’s about having a support network that recognises the value of the employees. If you are bringing in experts in a field, then trust they know what they are doing – allow them to have a say – give them a voice.

Have a think about the company you are in. If you are management do you believe your employees buy into your company mission? Do they want to watch the company flourish and flourish with it? If your employees are there for the pay-check and haven’t bought into what your company does, then there is nothing keeping them there if a better offer comes along. Loyalty, productivity and passion all build around the culture of the business.

Loyal, productivity and passion are what drives a company to succeed. So have a think about the personality of the company you are in. Can anything be improved?

In the long run, the reward is priceless!

Murray Recruitment| 01698 501130 | info@murrayrecruitment.co.uk

Being offered a new job is an exciting time, but for many the thought of handing in notice to your work is a nerve-wracking thought. If you are leaving to go on to pastures new, it is common to feel guilt at the thought of leaving your team. If you are leaving because of a negative factor at work, it can be tempting to shout from the rooftops that you are out of there and strut straight out the door.

As tempting as the latter may be, leaving on the best terms possible is the best move. Burning bridges is never the way to go, and when they are burnt it is very difficult to repair should you ever need a reference or help in the future.

The right time

There are so many different circumstances when looking for a new job, so we understand that sometimes the luxury of choosing when you are leaving your job isn’t there, sometimes an opportunity just presents itself. If, however you have some control over your employment timeline, pick your timing wisely rather than smack bang in the middle of a huge project.

Leaving mid project can leave colleagues resenting you. I know what you’re thinking; “I don’t care, I won’t have to see these people again” right? Wrong. You would be surprised especially in a world easily connected by social media, how often your paths will cross throughout the years, or the opportunities someone could present you with down the line.

Make sure you have the job

This may seem like a silly point to make but trust me it’s important – make sure you have the job! You should always be issued with a contract of employment from any employer, only when this is signed, or you have written confirmation should you hand in your notice.

Tell your boss first

We all have our work ‘besties’ who we can’t wait to share the latest news and gossip with but news travels fast! You know how it begins “don’t tell anyone but…” and so the chain of Chinese Whispers begins. Always speak to your boss first, if the shoe was on the other foot you would expect the same respect and opportunity to discuss matters further. Speaking to your boss can be a daunting task but if you are honest and direct, they will appreciate your professionalism.

Work your notice 

When offered a new job the temptation to say you can start right away can be great, however working your notice has positive effects on both sides. Your new employer will see that you are a trustworthy, professional and considerate employee. It can also give them time to prepare for your arrival. For your current employer it means you aren’t leaving anyone in the lurch. That you are happy to leave the company on good terms …and let’s not forget the ‘sorry you’re leaving gifts!

Training others

This can be a tough one to swallow if you are leaving on unhappy terms but the right thing to do. If the company have hired a replacement and asked you to train them on your duties, try not to taint their experience of the excitement of a new job. Making things difficult or uncomfortable won’t do anyone any favours especially you.

Remember your social media

People can be very quick to spill their frustrations, or big news on social media. If announcing that you have a new job, avoid doing so until after you have handed in your notice. This comes back to telling your boss first… news travels fast and premature posts about new jobs, or company/ employee frustrations have managed to get many people in hot water. Imagine getting sacked before you hand in your notice? It happens!

Social media plays such a big part of our daily lives, for more information on how social media plays a part with employers, check out our other blogs

Stay in touch

This isn’t a must but it is a handy tip. You never know where other people’s influences can get you in the future. Remember the well-known phrase of ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know‘ well it’s true. Luckily it has never been easier to stay connected so get friending, following and connecting!

Murray Recruitment | Specialising in Commercial, Engineering & Technical Recruitment

T: 01698 501130 | W: www.murrayrecruitment.co.uk

Knock backs happen all the time. That doesn’t mean the sting gets any better each time it happens. When looking for a new job you are essentially selling yourself. Your CV is a mini brochure of your achievements and when you are rejected by a potential employer it is hard not to take it personally.

So, what happens when you get knock back after knock back when searching for a job? Suddenly you begin to question yourself, are your achievements not enough? Are you aiming too high? Before you know it, you are ready to accept anything that comes your way even if it isn’t the right fit for you.

The competition 

The job market is getting far more competitive. There was a time when you could leave a job and walk into a new position a week later, but those days seem to be a thing of the past. The good news is there are a lot more variety of job out there.  The key is to be more selective with what your skills are and narrow down your search to the right jobs for your skill set.

Ask for feedback on your interview.

If you have applied for a job and are unsuccessful, don’t be afraid to ask ‘why?’ …well maybe not as bluntly as that but ask for feedback. By doing this you achieve a few things;

1. Putting your mind at ease – like I said earlier, when you get a knock back your mind can go in to overdrive. Where you see a failure on your part the truth may be that someone just pipped you to the post.
2. You learn from your previous mistakes. There may be a habit you are unaware of, maybe your spoke too much during an interview, maybe you didn’t give enough information, but how do you change this behaviour if you don’t find out in the first place? For interview tips why not check out our blog? 
3. It shows your willingness to learn and improve which is a great quality and one that leaves a good impression with the employer. (you never know another position could come up with them).

There are always new job opportunities out there.

‘what’s for you won’t go by you‘ – This isn’t everyone’s ideal way of thinking, but really if you take in to consideration all the good things that you have that wouldn’t have occurred had you chosen a different path. There are other opportunities out there and you will be successful. It is hard when you have you heart set on a dream job, but another dream job could be just around the corner. Never lose sight of that.

Something to remember

We often look directly at the job description and match our skills up with each bullet point, however there are more factors at play than you might have thought. On past occasions I have applied for a job, been rejected and left confused as my skills seemed to be a perfect match to what they were looking for. It’s important to remember that you don’t know who you are up against or how close you came to the finishing line; a no doesn’t mean what you have achieved isn’t good enough.  

Top tip!

More and more employers are looking at people who will fit in to the culture of their company. Have you ever come across a job description that says ‘Do you want to work in a lively vivacious office?‘, don’t discount statements like this as just their sales pitch, it’s a probe for you to highlight your ability to interact with the other employees.  For more CV tips why not read our blog? 

Murray Recruitment| 01698 501130 – Specialising in Commercial & Technical Recruitment 

Does your social media matter when looking for a new job?

Do you remember when you first joined Facebook? I remember most people, including me, used it as a digital diary – a way of alerting those back at high school that I had ate a delightfully average dinner that everyone MUST know about it.

I know, what you are thinking …I didn’t do that, but I would bet when your Facebook memories pop up anything you wrote circa 2008 -2010 makes you want the ground to swallow you up out of embarrassment.

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has not only grown in popularity but has become a major tool for businesses to promote their company and to aid the recruitment process.

Social Media has become an employer’s playground to get a true insight into who you are, and if you think it doesn’t influence their decision making…think again.

Interviews show one side; social media shows another.

When we come in to an interview we present our best selves, well dressed and well-spoken with a plethora of fantastic skills on offer, so let’s imagine the hiring manager has narrowed it down to you and another candidate, your name is a quick click away and voila we have entered the world of [insert your name]

Your profile photo and cover photo are visible to the public, which means it may be better keeping the wilder side of your personality hidden from these areas. If you have recently applied for a job it’s  maybe not best to have the photo of you dancing on the table after your 8th tequila, sure it shows you can enjoy a good night out, but maybe not the image the hiring manager wants to have of their potential new accountant.

Content on social media is everything!

Many people who are looking for a new job are doing so because they aren’t happy (for whatever reason) with their current employment. If your potential new employer is looking at your profile and is met with negative comments about your current employer, it isn’t going to sit well. There are cases where people have been fired because of the comments they have made about their job/co-workers/pay/company.

While on content, 40% of employers have admitted to being put off by a candidate over seeing inappropriate content on social media.

Not all future employers turn in to CIA agents and go into in-depth scouring of your profile, most will have a quick look at what you’ve recently posted and a few of your pictures, but some will go in a little deeper and have a look at your Biography where you have written previous employment and education history, so don’t be one on the 27% who have been caught out lying about their qualifications!

The power of going viral.

It takes minutes for a post, whether it’s a photo, video or your opinion to be passed from pillar to post and before you know it your post has reached the attention of Radio 1 and you have become a national talking point. Okay maybe I am being melodramatic, but you know what I am getting at, news travels fast and it travels even faster through the wonderful world of social media so even though you have 150 trusted Facebook friends, all it takes is for a share or screenshot of a post to be passed on and before you know its reached their 150 followers and so the cycle goes on.

It isn’t all negative, as mentioned before your social media is an insight into your wonderful life. It can show your creativity, your sense of humour, your interests and your personality which can demonstrate how you will fit in with the company.

The best advice when it comes to Social media is really to be mindful of what you are posting. Ask yourself, would I want my mum to read this, if the answer is no, chances are your new boss shouldn’t be reading it either.

Murray Recruitment | 01698 501130 – Specialising in Commercial, Engineering & Technical Recruitment 

We often turn our attention to the candidate when it comes to interviewing, offering tips to calm those nerves and techniques to help present their best attributes, but what about the interviewer?

It is easier to relate to the candidate role, as more of us have sat in the hot seat than the hiring chair, which means we see the interviewer as the gatekeeper to your future, a strong confident presence standing in your way for you to impress, which shows like The Apprentice have reinforced. This image may be accurate for companies who have hiring managers or HR department, who are pros and the interview game, but what about the smaller companies who don’t have a designated department? Often, we find that someone is given the responsibility as well as their primary job meaning they are thrown into a time-consuming process with little guidance. That’s where this blog comes in, here are just a handful of tips if you are not an expert interviewer.

1. Knowing me, Knowing you.

We actively encourage candidates to do their research on a company to find out those little bits of added information you came across on the company website that show that you are interested, invested and have a drive to learn, well, the same goes the other way. It is imperative that you know your facts about the company, such as the company’s goals, employee benefits, holiday allowance but also have a look on your website and social media to see what the marketing team have been shouting about.

2. Question Time.

Have a clear set of questions ready that are relevant to the role, team, company and skills required. Going in with the attitude that you can ‘wing it’ will lead you to possibly missing out on key factors for the decision process. You can divert from the question if the conversation unravels but having a clear objective and list will help you get back on track. Having a set list of questions will also help with consistency across all interviewees, giving everyone a fair shot at showcasing their skills.

3. Appropriate Questions.

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT! You are not in the cast of Mad Men so please make sure your questions are compliant with employment law <— I’ve even created a link for you to check! Asking the wrong questions can be viewed as discrimination, make the candidate feel uncomfortable and lead to the company being in hot water! Remember most of the world communicate through social media, one post on your inappropriate question and before you know it the company has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

4. Don’t be robotic.

If you want to get the most out of an interview, be conversational. If you stick to a robotic structure of just firing through the questions, the most you will get out of your candidate is the straight answer.

By speaking naturally, you encourage the candidate to open up more, the more comfortable the candidate becomes, the more they will start to reveal about their attitude toward previous employers, work ethic and let their personality shine through. This will give you an idea of how they will fit in with your company and team. These are the golden nuggets that help with decision making that can’t be found on a CV alone.

5. Relevant problem solving.

Want to know how the candidate would deal with an issue within their role? Ask them! Providing a scenario that has or is likely to come up within the company to gain real solutions is the best way to interview for a particular job, with this be mindful that they will be nervous and feeling the pressure already so you don’t have to ask an absolute mind blowing problem!

6. Thank you, next.

Whether a candidate is successful or not you should always contact them to let them know the status of their application. By contacting the candidates, you can offer guidance as well as leaving a good impression of your company. Ignoring a candidate can leave them taking a big hit to their confidence as they may question what they did or didn’t do to be successful.

Murray Recruitment are experts in recruitment for commercial, engineering and technical positions. The company has grown over the years with the strong ethos of finding the right person for the right job, therefore customer care and building relationships is our speciality. If you would be interested in partaking in a workshop to enhance your interviewing skills, please email Emmab@murrayrecruitment.co.uk

You are looking for a new job, the first thing you are going to need is your CV…simple…only…you haven’t written one in a while but how hard can it be, right? Let’s google some CV examples and formats for inspiration…. 817,000,000 results, each with conflicting ‘tips’…hmm this is going to be a long night!

We are not claiming to be the CV gurus of the world but as a recruitment company, trust us when we say we see our fair share of CVS and there are some common mistakes we see all too often.

No Contact Information

Take the guesswork out of your CV and include your contact information.  Often, candidates like to play hard to get with the information they share. Recruiters and Employers need to be able to contact you…how else will we offer you a job if we have no means of reaching you?

‘Doers’ rather than achievers.

A common error people make when writing their CV is to write a list of their duties within their role. Remember your CV is your foot in the door, you are selling yourself, so write something that is going to make you stand out for the crowd! An example of this would be, instead of ‘wrote various blogs’ changing the statement to ‘created various content marketing which helped boost social media following by 50%. Show your future employer that not only will you perform your daily tasks you will get results that the business will benefit from.

War and Peace

While about content, let’s discuss CV length! It can be easy to get carried away by writing all your wonderful achievements within your previous roles however no one has time to read War and Peace to find out if you are the right person for the job. The best way to effectively get your point across is to highlight the relevant achievements to the type of role you are applying for. CV length can depend on the industry you work within, some professions require greater detail to the relevant qualifications so there is no standard length to adhere to, just keep the content relevant to the position you are trying to obtain.

Personal Summary

Writing a personal summary is a crucial part of your CV, your education and work experience show your competency to execute a role successfully but what sets you apart from the other candidates? Will you work well with your colleagues? Does your work ethic or personality shine through? Let your potential employer see what kind of person you are by giving them an insight into your life but do keep it within the lines of professionalism and if you can, show how these areas define you as a person indirectly. Keep your Personal Summary brief yet effective by highlighting your ambitions, examples of additional learning and hobbies that highlight your commitment or dedication to learn.

Final Checks

Sometimes you can’t see something for looking at it. After writing your CV take a breather, go away from your computer for 5 minutes and return with fresh eyes, then re-read from start to finish. Do the sentences flow? Are there any grammatical errors? What about spelling mistakes? Imagine putting all the work in to showcasing your fantastic achievements and falling at the last hurdle by sending a CV littered with spelling mistakes…especially if one of your skills is attention to detail! Run your CV through a spellchecker or have someone look over your CV if you aren’t sure.

Why not send your CV to Murray Recruitment and one of our experts can help you find your perfect role?

www.murrayrecruitment.co.uk

No need for a sales pitch, the facts just speak for themselves!

You know that phrase you can’t see something for looking at it? Often, I think this is the case with our jobs. We can be so focused on the day to day tasks that we fail to take the time to look at the bigger picture. Being relatively new to Murray Recruitment I wanted to find out everything I could so I started asking questions, ruffling feathers and finding out what drives everyone to do what they do, the responses were so insightful, it made the veterans of the industry take some time out to reflect on what it is they do. I want to share these findings with you, because I think you will agree after reading it that this isn’t just your average recruitment agency – this is a growing entity that is changing the face of the industry as well as saving companies money and time!

I asked the question ‘do you know how many people we have placed in a job that are still with the company’,  we did some digging and realised a massive 92% of those placed are still in the role! THIS IS HUGE! When recruiting so many people are in a rush to get a bum on a seat that they skip over client or candidate requirements, this creates a short term fix that often results in staff soon jumping ship, which leaves the company wasting time looking for a replacement, reading CVS, interviewing, and spending money training someone again which on average can cost a company up to £11,000 per person.

How have Murray Recruitment managed to dramatically decrease staff turnover?

Face to face vetting

EVERY candidate has an interview with Murray Recruitment, meaning we get to do proper vetting of the person to find out their wants, needs and expectations. No one is put through for client interview unless their skills and attitude match that of the clients.

We are INDUSTRY experts

All employees at Murray Recruitment have extensive Commercial, Engineering & Technical knowledge. This means when you are looking for a CNC Machinist with specialised skills, we understand what those skills are. We aren’t fitting someone’s CV around the job specifications…we are finding the candidate that matches the job spec!

We build strong relationships

Skills and experience play a large part, but if you have ever interviewed someone you will know that personality goes a long way! Building long lasting relationships and trust between consultants and clients is imperative to how Murray Recruitment work. Our consultants listen to what you are telling them, what your needs are, what your expectations are and what the tone of your working environment is and take this information to the resourcing team who know the candidates inside out. The team then collaborate to pull together the best overall match asking ‘who will fit in with your team? Who will work well with the tone of your company?

We work differently

As the team operate by pulling their resources together it means we are more proactive to job vacancies as we already have the candidate profiles ready, this means we are able to set a 24hr turnaround target to fill temporary contracts and 48hrs for permanent roles – but have often managed to have a job filled with an excellent candidate in just a 2 hour window from getting the vacancy!

Last and most importantly – aftercare

If you are still with me, you will remember I mentioned previously, asking the team what drove them to do what they do. The resounding response was that they love nothing more than that phone call that makes someone’s day, whether it’s ‘You’ve got the job’ or ‘We’ve got the perfect person for your company’, and I have to admit when I heard this, I thought that was the PC response…but I was wrong, customer care is everything to these people and I can prove it…

Where most recruitment companies are target focused, Murray Recruitment are all about the customer service; phone calls on the day of the interview to see how the candidates are and phone calls on the first day to calm the nerves are just the tip of this iceberg. If the focus was on quantity we would be filling the vacancies and moving on to the next, but the focus is on quality, which is why Murray Recruitment stay in contact with the Client and Candidate after their start date, to see how everyone is settling in and iron out in queries to ensure everyone gets off the right start.

With all this it’s easy to see why Murray Recruitment have managed to grow to the lengths it has, and it is showing no signs of slowing down. 92% are still happy with their role, 92% of clients can focus on their job rather than filling positions and shelling out thousands to re-train their staff. So, my final question is, what do you have to lose by giving them a try? Not as much as £11,000 to pick the wrong person I’m betting!

It’s common to feel a little deflated after the hype of the festive season, however for many it’s not just the early rises that are the casting a dark cloud over the last day of the holiday, but the sinking realisation that an unhappy working environment isn’t eradicated by 2 weeks of watching Netflix.

For many the holidays act as a safety blanket that we wrap ourselves in with the promise that all you need is some time off and the New Year will bring a fresh vibrance and outlook to life. It isn’t until you are setting the alarm for the day ahead that you feel the dip in the pit of your stomach, and after 2 weeks back at the job the ‘new year, new me’ vibrance fades and you fall back into the grind.

This all sounds very bleak and dramatic, and it isn’t my intention to depress you further. My intention is to highlight that if this scenario feels familiar then this is hopefully the wake-up call needed to push you to change your year rather than repeat a habit.

47% of UK workers are unhappy in their current role, on average you spend 40 hours a week for 45 years at work…make it somewhere you love! I am not saying go follow your dreams to be the actress you thought you would be when you were 11 (although I am not stopping you) but dream jobs and a place you love are not the same thing.

It is significant to understand the importance of a good working environment and how achievable its is to find a job that does make you happy. The first step is to pinpoint what exactly is making you dread work. Make a list of pros and cons to properly identify where the problem areas lie, this may sound silly, but clearly identifying what you enjoy and what you don’t, will help show what you are willing to compromise on and what you want to alter.

Now that you have a better idea of which areas you would like to change, there no harm in having a peek at what is out there. Many people when they are unhappy with an aspect of their life are quick to look at what others must highlight what they don’t, but this gets us nowhere, instead, be active, look at your options! This process gets you motivated and helps show that there are other options available if you are willing to take that step!

So, what now? Well, now you decide whether the negative aspects of your current job are as bad as you initially thought. If the answer is no, then stop worrying and try to keep yourself motivated throughout the year, reminding yourself that it isn’t all bad. If the answer is YES, don’t fall back into old habits, take that leap of faith in yourself and start your new job search, honestly nothing feels better than a calm mind, free from worry. You owe yourself happiness and this will shine through in your work and in other aspects of your life.

Need help with your job search? Call Murray Recruitment on 01698 501130or visit www.murrayrecruitment.co.uk