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by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 20 Feb, 2024
In our ongoing efforts to delve into the dynamics of the modern workplace, we once again conducted our LinkedIn poll for February 2024, asking professionals about their main criteria for job satisfaction. The responses were enlightening and reflective of evolving workplace priorities. Let’s take a look. Topping the list was 'Work/Life Balance', chosen by 57% of respondents. This finding aligns with a growing trend where employees are seeking a healthier balance between their professional and personal lives. It's a clear indicator that today's workforce values time and flexibility as much as, if not more than, financial remuneration. 'Work Culture' followed with 29% of the vote, underscoring the importance of a positive, supportive, and engaging work environment. In today's fast-paced world, a company's culture significantly impacts employee morale, productivity, and overall satisfaction. Interestingly, 'Career Progression' was a priority for 14% of participants, highlighting a keen interest in growth and development opportunities within the workplace. This insight is invaluable for employers aiming to attract and retain top talent by offering clear career pathways and professional development. Remarkably, 'Salary/Benefits' received 0% of the vote this month. While this might seem surprising, it emphasises a paradigm shift where non-monetary aspects of a job are increasingly valued over traditional financial incentives. (Check out our recent blog about negotiating a good salary ) These results reflect a changing landscape in the world of work, where flexibility, culture, and personal growth are paramount. At Shepherd Stubbs Recruitment, we understand these evolving needs and are committed to matching candidates with roles that not only meet their professional aspirations but also resonate with their personal values. As the industry adapts, we continue to be at the forefront, ensuring that both employers and employees find the right fit – because ‘it's all about the right people’. Whether you are looking to find a new role or maybe considering a new hire in 2024, reach out and speak to a member of the team here .
by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 24 Jan, 2024
In the ever-evolving job market, the introduction of AI has been a significant game-changer. Since their launch in 2022, these tools have captivated over 180 million people worldwide, transforming the daily workflows of countless professionals. This includes hiring managers, who are becoming increasingly adept at identifying CVs crafted entirely from templated content. But this doesn't mean you should disregard AI's potential in your job hunt. Let's explore how to effectively utilise AI to create a standout CV that captures attention for all the right reasons. Embrace AI for Keyword Integration Tailoring your CV for each application is crucial. This involves integrating key terms from the job description to ensure your CV passes through any Application Tracking Systems (ATS) designed to filter out applications lacking specific keywords. Using AI chatbots for this task can be highly efficient. Upload your main CV and request the inclusion of particular keywords. The AI can adeptly incorporate these into your existing skills and experiences, enhancing your CV's relevance. Be Critical of AI's Initial Output AI is a tool, not a magic wand. If the first draft from an AI source doesn’t quite hit the mark, experiment with different prompts to refine the output. Avoid directly copying large sections of text. AI-generated content should be a starting point, not the final product. Remember, most AI platforms have knowledge only up to January 2022. For insights into current market trends or industry forecasts, you may need to supplement the AI's output with more recent information. Ensure Correct Spelling AI often defaults to American English spelling, which can be a red flag for UK employers. If you're using AI for your CV, always double-check spellings and adjust any Americanisms to their British counterparts. Avoid Overstating Experience with AI It’s a known fact that job applicants occasionally embellish their CVs. However, relying on AI to artificially enhance your experience is a risky move. Overstatements can be easily spotted, especially if your claimed expertise doesn't align with your career level. Keep your CV authentic and true to your actual experience and skills. In summary, AI can be a powerful ally in crafting a compelling CV, but they require thoughtful use. Integrating industry-specific keywords, critically evaluating AI suggestions, ensuring correct spelling, and maintaining authenticity in your experience are key to creating a CV that stands out positively in today's competitive job market.
by Simon Clark 22 Jan, 2024
As we step into 2024, it's crucial to keep a finger on the pulse of the industry's evolving challenges. We recently conducted our inaugural LinkedIn poll for the year, aiming to uncover the primary hurdles our professional community is currently grappling with. The question was straightforward yet telling: "What’s your biggest challenge facing your industry today?" Here's a breakdown of the results: Talent Acquisition and Business Competition Both stood out as leading challenges, each receiving a significant 40% of the votes. This highlights a dual struggle prevalent in today’s market. On one hand, finding and retaining the right talent has become a central concern, underscoring the growing importance of effective recruitment strategies and workplace innovation. On the other hand, the competition in the business landscape is as fierce as ever, pushing companies to continuously innovate and differentiate themselves to stay ahead. Regulatory Changes With 20% of the votes, this remains a notable concern. Navigating the ever-shifting regulatory environment requires agility and foresight, something that today’s businesses must increasingly equip themselves for. Technology Advancements Interestingly, this response did not emerge as a key challenge in our poll, receiving zero votes. This could suggest that most businesses feel adequately prepared for technological shifts or that other challenges are currently more pressing. These insights are invaluable as we strategise for the year ahead. They not only reflect the collective sentiment of our professional community but also guide us in addressing these challenges through collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. Stay tuned on LinkedIn for our upcoming poll in February. Follow us here.
by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 15 Jan, 2024
With many people now working remotely or taking on a hybrid role, having a productive workspace at home has now become essential for the majority of employees. A separate workspace will allow you to focus on work and get more productive. Here are our practical tips for a productive workspace at home. Minimise Distractions Above all, your home workspace should minimise any unnecessary distractions to allow you to focus on your work and be at your most productive. If you need quiet whilst you work, your priority might be to create a space in the quietest part of your home. Sometimes just the fact that you are at home allows people to interrupt you whilst you are working so having an area where you can close the door and separate yourself if necessary could be essential for you. Gather Your Equipment As we settle into new styles of working, the kitchen table just doesn’t make the cut anymore. Don’t make do just because you are working from home. Treat your workspace seriously and design your space in a similar way to a traditional office with a desk, ergonomic chair or everything you need to carry out your work effectively and do your job to the best of your ability whilst avoiding any strain or injuries. Get Organised As humans, we can rarely work in a messy and unorganised space. Try to keep your designated workspace free from unnecessary clutter or anything that doesn’t add to your productivity during the day. Organise your space so that it makes sense to you and ensure everything you need regularly in your workday is within reach. Personalise It Personalisation means something different to everyone. Some might like photographs of their family nearby to keep them motivated, others might like a place they can hear music to keep them focused. Whatever helps you to get through the working day, consider adding it to your home office to bring it to life and make it practical for you. Seek out Natural Light If your home allows it, try to get your office space or desk as near to a window as you can. Natural light sources can aid productivity and prevent you from getting too lethargic whilst Increasing your energy levels and reducing eye strain. If you can’t get close enough to natural light, consider a lamp which mimics daylight. Will you soon be moving into a home based office? We hope our tips have helped you idealise the most effective space for you. If you are currently looking for employment, our team can help get you on the right track. Contact us here to speak to our team or browse our current job vacancies here .
by Simon Clark 18 Dec, 2023
We believe, setting clear business goals is crucial. As we close the door on 2023, we conducted our monthly LinkedIn poll asking our followers, 'What is your primary business goal for 2024?' with options including Expanding Client Base, Increasing Revenue, Improving Service Quality, and Enhancing Online Presence. The results revealed a strong focus on financial objectives. A notable 60% of respondents chose 'Increasing Revenue' as their main goal, highlighting the importance of financial growth in today's economic landscape. Meanwhile, 40% prioritised 'Expanding Client Base', showing a strategic emphasis on growth through new business relationships. This suggests an optimistic approach to market expansion and client acquisition. These insights guide us in fine-tuning our own services. We're dedicated to supporting businesses in achieving these objectives, aligning our recruitment expertise to your goals for 2024. What will our first poll be for 2024? Follow us here on LinkedIn to be notified. We hope you have a fantastic break over the festive period and a prosperous New Year.
by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 12 Dec, 2023
Job rejections can be disheartening and leave you feeling like your skills and experience just don’t stack up. Reframing the feeling of rejection to something more positive starts with understanding why your application wasn’t selected and figuring out how you can learn from it. Here are our tips for managing job rejections. Ask for Feedback Simply asking for feedback on why your application was unsuccessful is one of the keys to getting it right and can provide you with insights you can put in to action the next time around. Most employers and recruitment agencies will be happy to provide extra information to help you on your way. Review Your Application A job rejection is a great opportunity to go back over your previous applications and really double down on why they aren’t bringing success. Think about the process as a whole and critique everything from your CV, to your overall preparation and your interview with fresh eyes to see if you can pinpoint any areas for improvement. Hone Your Skills If you have identified any specific areas where you are falling short in your applications or you have noticed any skill gaps, why not take some short refresher courses to get you back on the right path? Courses don’t have to be expensive or particularly time consuming and you might even find some free ones online or through your local community development. As well as giving you extra confidence in different areas, these will also look proactive and positive on your CV to any potential employers . Pursue Different Roles It could be possible that the roles you have been applying for are not a great fit for your skills, experience or background. If you have asked for feedback, review your previous applications and bridge any skill gaps; now could be a good time to broaden your job search to include a wider range of sectors and job titles to see if this could be the beginning of a fresh start in your career. You never know where new opportunities might take you. It’s important to remember not to give up and always keep learning and growing. Are you actively searching for your next role? We can advise you on your next steps, help you brush up your CV for potential employers and give you access to our extensive list of latest job roles. Contact our team here.
by Simon Clark 21 Nov, 2023
In this month’s LinkedIn Poll, we chose to ask business owners how they ‘typically source candidates for job openings’. We were secretly hoping the results would fall in the favour of ‘Recruitment Agencies’ and we were delighted that 100% of the votes were in favour of this option. As a long-established recruitment agency, we have had to adapt with the technological advances in our industry. More people are online today than they have ever been, and more people are using social media every day in their quest to find a new job. For business owners, this is also the case, but we still believe speaking to a recruitment agency first when it comes to finding the right candidate. Whilst you may be thinking that we would suggest this, we have seen a rise in recent months of new enquiries from businesses reaching out to us to help them fill a position they have in their organisation. We still believe in the human element, even though technology is advancing at an alarming pace. Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote in our November poll. Stay tuned for the 1 st of Dcember when our next poll lands. If you have a suggestion for one of our polls in 2024, we’d love to hear from you. Just send us a message here on our website.
by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 14 Nov, 2023
You may remember the Zoom cat filter video and whilst it’s on the more extreme end of what can go wrong, with more and more employers opting to have their potential employees interview and work remotely, technical difficulties can be an unwelcome occurrence. In most cases, the pros of interviewing online far outweigh the cons as it saves time, cuts out travelling and allows you to log on from almost anywhere. If you have a virtual interview coming up, we have put together a handy list of best practices to ensure your meeting goes as smoothy as possible, giving you the very best chance of successfully getting that job. Let’s take a look. Clean Up Your Backdrop and Lighting In the same way as first impressions count in an in-person meeting, how you present yourself on camera has the same effect, just in a different way. It’s important to give yourself the best chance at your interview without your interviewer being distracted by other things. Prepare your space in advance by having a plain wall behind you if possible with the lighting in the room facing you and not behind you so they can see you clearly. Prepare in the Same Way as a Face to Face Meeting Having an interview online doesn’t make it any less important than an office based meeting, in fact, you will need to take extra steps to convey yourself in a good light via an online platform. Prepare the same way you would if you were visiting the interviewer in person. Ensure that you are smart and presentable and that you do a little research on the company and note any potential questions you have beforehand. Test Your Internet Connection Connection problems are off-putting to you and your potential employer and can even put an end to the meeting meaning you might have to do it again at a later date or set up a new in-person interview; at worst, they could cancel the interview altogether. Test your internet speed and connection before your meeting and if necessary, plug your PC directly into the router to avoid loss of signal. Update Your Software Ahead of Time We have all been there, two minutes before your proposed meeting time and suddenly your PC wants to update everything. If possible, login to your computer a few hours before your virtual interview and let it run any updates. If you haven’t logged into Zoom, Teams or Google Meets in a while, now is the time to do it so you are logged on and ready to go at the agreed time. Keep Notes Short and in Bullet Points If you would like to bring notes to your interview to keep you on track, consider using larger, bullet pointed notes which you can then print off. If your notes are clear and easy to read, this will allow you to stay on course if you are feeling under pressure and also won’t make it obvious that you are referring to notes. Be Human and Break the Ice Lastly, just remember your interviewer is human too, they aren’t looking to catch you out but just want make sure that your skills and experience match their expectations so they can find the best candidate for the job. Speak clearly, minimise your camera view so you can’t see yourself and look directly into the camera. Remember to be yourself and think about a couple of ice breakers you can use at the start of the interview to settle your nerves and get the conversation flowing. We hope our list will help you with your next online interview. If you are still looking for work, whether remote or office based, our team can help. we have an extensive number of companies on our books that are looking for their perfect candidate. Talk to our friendly team here .
by Simon Clark 16 Oct, 2023
In 2020, our lives had an unexpected change. Many of us found ourselves having to ‘work from home’ due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses needed to be more flexible, where possible, and employers and employees found themselves working from home. Three years later, some businesses have embraced this change and adopted a work from home policy, with some looking to bring their teams back into the office at the earliest opportunity. Our poll on LinkedIn for this month focused on the importance of remote working. We asked, ‘How important to you is remote working in a job?’. Interestingly, no-one said, ‘not a priority’ yet ‘very important’ and ‘essential’ were the two front runners from our responders. See graph below. Each month, we release a new poll on LinkedIn. Follow us here to stay up to date.
by Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs 13 Oct, 2023
Are you feeling uninspired or disheartened about your chosen career path? If so, it’s not too late to do something about it! Read on for our top tips on how to successfully switch career direction. Assess Where you are Now To change anything, you need to know exactly where you are now and what changes you would like to see in the future. Would you like to develop further in the industry you are already in? This might only take a discussion with your current employer or some light training to move you up the ladder. If you would like to move out of your current industry into a completely different sector, this will require more thought and planning and may take longer to achieve. List Your Do’s and Don’ts To successfully switch your career direction, you need to know exactly what it is you do and don’t like doing in your current situation, this will give you a really good idea of which career paths to pursue. Are you a late riser who loves to be out in the fresh air? Then an office admin job probably wouldn’t be on your list of dream jobs. Do your research to figure out what industries really suit your lifestyle, values and preferences and aim to find out more about them! Make a Plan To most people, this is the exciting part. This step is where you sit down and make a plan to get you where you want to be. Be realistic and work backwards from your goals, breaking them up in to small actionable steps you can carry out alongside your current job. Ask yourself plenty of questions during this process to really get to the core of what you want your future working life to look like. Seek out a Network Networks are so important in any industry but seeking out a solid network in your ideal industry or chosen career path is vital in getting where you want to be. Networking can provide opportunities, support and the chance to build strong relationships with individuals and companies in your ideal sector. Do a search for online networking in specific industries and build your networks out from there. Life is too short for remaining in employment which makes you unhappy. Our friendly team are experts in matching the right people up to their dream jobs and careers. If you would like to book a time to connect with a member of our team, contact us here.
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Tim Kempson

Recruitment Specialist

Philippa Edge

Recruitment Specialist

Simon Clark

Marketing Exec

Sudipa Paul

Recruitment Specialist

Jonathan Shepherd-Stubbs FCIPD

Director

Sandra Shepherd-Stubbs FIRP

Director & Founder

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