2020 has been a year like no other. In just a few months, we’ve gone from a buoyant employment market where people with skills and experience could pick and choose which job offers to accept, to a situation where we often have dozens or even hundreds of applications for a single role, often from people who are considerably over-qualified.

Reassuringly, according to the latest Jobs Outlook report by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, whilst there is not a huge amount to celebrate - yet -  confidence levels are now far higher than reported in the spring.

Despite everything that has happened, there are still great jobs out there, but competition is fierce, so you have to make sure you avoid common mistakes if you want to optimise your chances of success. 

Avoid common mistakes when applying for jobs

Once you’ve got an interview, recruiters can help you prepare and offer advice and help. 

But long before you get to that stage, you need to get through the job application process, and this is where sadly, many people make mistakes and throw away their chances of securing the best roles. 

We know this from our own recent experience. Our team of expert recruiters in Basingstoke is growing and we have recently taken on two new consultants. 

When we put out the ads, we received a good response from people with appropriate experience or  skills - not surprisingly given we are offering great jobs working with a fantastic team.

We were pleased to receive 48 applications. But what was disappointing was that almost none of the candidates read the job description properly and followed the brief, making it very hard for us to decide who to invite for an interview.

And when we did get in touch with our very short shortlist, several candidates didn’t even call us back! 

So if you are serious about finding that perfect new job, make sure you avoid these common mistakes:

MISTAKE #1 Not reading the job ad properly 

Before you apply for a role, make sure you read the ad right to the end. If it specifies particular technical skills, specific vocational qualifications or having a driving license are required, you have to make sure you meet the criteria.

There are occasions when you can apply even if your skills aren’t an exact match, as long as you show that you’ve understood what’s needed and explain why you think you still fit the bill. 

MISTAKE #2 Failing to follow the instructions on how to apply

If the job ad asks you to phone, don’t send a Facebook message. If it asks you to email, don’t phone. If it asks you to send a CV, don’t send an application without a CV attached, if it asks you to send a video, please make sure you do!

It’s amazing how often we see instances of people who have just not read a job ad properly. And if employers think you can’t follow a simple instruction on how to apply for a job, they will wonder about how self-sufficient you will be in the workplace. 

MISTAKE #3 Skipping parts of the application form

When you’re applying for multiple jobs, you may well feel as if you are saying the same thing over and over again. However, your prospective employer doesn’t know this. 

Each section on an application form is there for a reason, so make sure you don’t miss any sections out. If you don’t understand a particular question, ideally ask your recruitment consultant for help. If you don’t have the support of a professional consultant, think about who in your network might be able to help you review your application. 

MISTAKE #4 Sending generic covering letters or emails

You may be applying for quite a few jobs right now, but don’t be tempted to cut and paste a covering email or letter from one application and use it for another. 

Make sure covering letters or emails are always tailored to the job you’re applying for. Include information that shows that you have researched information about the company. Highlight specific areas of your experience or skillset that are most relevant to that job. If it’s a job you really want, make sure the prospective employer knows!

MISTAKE #5 Being dishonest or exaggerating 

There are no circumstances where it is OK to lie in a job application. And even if the prospective employer doesn’t notice a porky or an exaggeration, you could easily catch yourself out if you forget the details of the story you've told. 

The best approach is to be open and honest. If you have gaps in your career for example, don’t try to skate over these, explain why they’re there. 

MISTAKE #6 Failing to respond if you’re contacted

This is an absolute job-hunters 101. If you are called by a recruitment consultancy or prospective employer, do make sure you call them back. You may have decided you don’t want the job you applied for, or have been offered something else, but if you don’t call back, you don’t actually know what’s on offer: it just could be the job of your dreams.

MISTAKE #7 Allowing careless errors in your covering letters or CVs 

It goes without saying that you should spell-check anything you send out in connection with a job application, from a simple email to your whole CV. If you are completing forms online, it’s harder to spot typos, so do be rigorous and check as you go. If you are submitting documents, it is well worth asking your recruitment consultant or someone else to proof-read them for you.

As the old adage goes, ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’, so do make sure you avoid making these errors.

For help, advice and information about the local job market in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, or to apply for one of the current vacancies, call us on 01256 334575 or email office@priorityappointments.co.uk  

Ask those who are fortunate enough to have jobs in Alton what it’s like there and they will probably spend ages telling you about what a great place it is to work!

Here are just some of the reasons people choose to find jobs in Alton and the surrounding areas.

High Employment Rates

According to the last set of figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the rate of unemployment in Alton is lower than the average for Hampshire and the country as a whole, making Alton a good location to try for those looking for employment.

Wide Choice of Jobs in Alton

As we know, sadly, the unemployment rate nationally has increased during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still opportunities in the Alton area for those who want to work in this lovely market town.

So what sort of jobs in Alton are most common?

Large local employers include some big names in consulting, manufacturing, software, technology and construction.

At Priority Appointments, we place people in roles in the town’s warehouses and supply chain businesses Alton’s access to the motorway network for the South of England means it’s a popular place for companies to have warehouses and distribution points.

There is also a healthy manufacturing and fabrication sector in and around the town, notably based in Alton Business Park and nearby Farringdon and Oriel Business Parks.

But not all job opportunities in Alton are in the blue-collar sector. According to the ONS, Alton has 20% more people in higher and Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional households than the national average.

Here at Priority Appointments, we often have opportunities in Alton ranging from finance management and support, customer support and management to technical roles in manufacturing, engineering and logistics.

Living in Alton

Alton is a popular place to live, with many people choosing to move to the area for the employment opportunities and the quality of life that the town has to offer.

People who live in Alton are highly likely to own their own homes: the town has a higher rate of home ownership than the national average, with over 37% of people owning their own homes outright or via a mortgage.

Education in Alton

For those with families looking to move to the area, Alton offers good local schools and further education opportunities. Alton College, which recently became the Havant and South Downs College group, offers A level and apprenticeship courses, and will be one of the first educational establishments to offer the new ‘T Levels’ in 2021 - a brand new, two-year qualification. Subjects initially available will be in Digital IT Production, Design & Development; Education & Childcare and Nursing Support.

The college also has close ties with the local business community, and rents out meeting rooms and facilities which are popular with local businesses who want to run off-site training events or meetings.

Overall, the standard of education in Alton is high, more residents with a higher education qualification (level 4) than the national average.

A Great Location for an Active Lifestyle

Despite having such good road links, Alton is surprisingly quiet, as it sits in the middle of a triangle formed by the M3 to the North and the A31 and A3 to the south.

Alton is probably best known for being at one end of the Mid Hants Railway, the steam railway that runs through the picturesque countryside between Alton and Alresford, about 10 miles away. Known locally as the Watercress Line, this delightful railway is a huge attraction to families in Hampshire and nearby Surrey and Sussex, particularly at Christmas when Santa often books a seat on the train, much to the delight of local children!

Alton is also at the source of the River Wey which meanders its way north-eastwards from the town via Farnham, Godalming and Guildford, eventually joining the River Thames at Weybridge. The whole area around Alton is a walker’s paradise with a huge choice of routes through the South Downs national park, including the Hangers Way, which is right on the town’s doorstep.

If walking isn’t your thing, there are also plenty of places to cycle or horse-ride around Alton on the weekends when you’re not at work.

History of Alton

Originally known as ‘Aoltone’, Alton can trace its origins back for centuries and was mentioned in the Domesday Book as being a valuable market town.

In the early 1800s, the town’s most famous visitor was Jane Austen, who lived just down the road in Chawton and who is reputed to have done her shopping in Alton.

Working in Alton

Of course, the town’s Waitrose and Sainsbury’s supermarkets weren’t there in Jane Austen’s day, and over recent years Alton has definitely done a lot to shake off its sleepy image, with tasteful developments around the edge of the town and several larger companies moving into the area.

Alton is a great place to look for jobs if you want a work location that’s easy to get to by train or car, with excellent connections to the south coast, Guildford, Reading and the surrounding areas.

Contact our friendly, helpful team today to find out about any jobs in Alton that could be right for you: Tel: tel:01256 334575, email: office@priorityappointments.co.uk

Find out what jobs in Alton we have that could be right for you.

During lockdown, we all spent a lot more buying goods online, which has given a healthy boost to warehouse jobs in Basingstoke and the surrounding areas. 

In August 2020 the Financial Times published an article entitled ‘Investors ‘back with a vengeance’ as warehouse demand surges’. The article reports that ecommerce is booming, leading to opportunities in the warehousing and logistics sectors. It says: “A decade ago, ecommerce accounted for 6.7 per cent of all retail sales in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. By February, the month before the outbreak, the figure was 19 per cent. By May it had hit 33 per cent.”

Warehouse staff have been vital to keeping us all supplied with goods during lockdown and beyond, so this type of work has been categorised as essential, along with roles such as caring, nursing, food retail and driving ambulances.

At a time when many companies in hard-hit sectors such as hospitality,’high street’ retail and travel are cutting their workforces, there are still good job opportunities to be found working for companies looking to fill warehouse jobs in Basingstoke and the surrounding areas.

Of course, not all roles in the distribution and supply chain sector are actually based in warehouses: many companies have sizable back offices with commercial roles including finance, HR and general management. 

But if you haven’t worked in a warehouse, or for a company involved in warehousing and logistics  before, how do you know if this type of work is right for you?

What Types of Warehouse Jobs Are There?

Here’s a brief summary of the sort of jobs that are often available in the supply chain and logistics sectors - both in warehousing and in support offices.

Warehouse Pickers / Packers

If you have experience in the logistics area of retail, can work quickly and are handy with a scanner, this could be a great job for you. 

Many employers offer additional incentives for accuracy and speed, and with common shift patterns of 6.00am - 2.00pm, 2.00pm - 10.00pm or nights, picking and packing roles can fit in well with giving time for caring responsibilities, fitness or hobbies. 

Warehouse Loaders

If you have a keen eye for detail and are fit, working as a Warehouse Loader offers plenty of potential. Once you are experienced, these jobs are fast-paced and usually involve standing for all or most of your shift, so are ideal if you have a low boredom threshold!

Many roles start as temporary positions, but some of our long-term clients offer temp to perm opportunities.

Fork Lift Truck Drivers

If you enjoy working in a team and are methodical, this could be the perfect role for you. If you don’t yet have a license, it will take up to five days - or less time if you have an existing HGV or other commercial driving license.

If you worked as a Fork Lift Truck or Counterbalance driver before lockdown, you may need to undertake refresher training before you can go back to work.

You will need to wear protective footwear, and in some roles this will be provided. For temporary assignments, you may be asked to provide PPE yourself. 

These roles can be permanent, temp to perm or temporary and qualified drivers are in high demand. 

Warehouse Shift Managers or Supervisors

If you are used to managing teams of people working shifts, this type of role could be ideal for you. It is a job where no two days are the same and where the safety of your team is of prime importance. 

These tend to be permanent roles and only come up when someone moves on, changes department or is promoted, so you may need to be patient if you are looking for this type of role. 

Business Support Roles

Of course, not every job in logistics, supply chain or manufacturing businesses is within the warehouse itself.

Most businesses that have large warehouses and logistics functions have active finance, HR, marketing and admin departments which can offer fantastic opportunities for qualified or part-qualified finance professionals who are looking for an interesting and challenging role.

These are just a few examples of warehouse jobs in Basingstoke to give you an idea of the varied opportunities that local logistics and distribution businesses have to offer. 

To find out if we have roles suitable for your skills, please get in touch by calling us on 01256 334575 or emailing our friendly team on office@priorityappointments.co.uk 

Here at Priority Appointments, one of our special talents is finding jobs for people who may not look like ideal candidates on paper. 

We look beyond the CV to find ‘hidden gems’ - people who have the right attitude and aptitude to become stellar employees and a highly valued part of the team. 

Here’s how we matched Amy*, who moved to Basingstoke in 2018, with one of our local clients in the manufacturing sector.

THE CHALLENGE

When Amy registered with us, she had just moved to Basingstoke from London with her fiancé so that they could buy a property. She had previously worked in the criminal justice service, so her CV didn’t include any experience of office or customer service work.

At the time, one of our clients needed to recruit someone to work on a temporary basis as a phone configuration / helpdesk assistant, providing telephone support during a company-wide mobile phone upgrade.

They were ideally looking for a ‘bright spark’ with some technical capability, however, with employment at an all time high, it was difficult for them to find the right person who combined technical skills with the customer-centric attitude they were looking for. 

THE SOLUTION

Having met Amy and looked into her background, we realised that she would be a perfect fit, despite not having a formal office or technical background. We knew the culture and customer-centric ethos at our client company well, so were very confident that she would fit right in.

We gave Amy plenty of relevant information about the company and the people who would be interviewing her. We also gave her interview guidance documentation and advised her to swot up on competency based questioning as this would be the format of her interview.

As Emma Allen, Manager of our Office and Commercial division explained, “Amy’s attitude and flexibility shone through and we realised that she would fit in well with the team.”

THE RESULT

The interview was a success and within two weeks of registering with us, Amy started a 3 - 6 month temp role as a Phone Configuration and Helpdesk Assistant in April 2018.

Since then our client has extended her employment several times, moving her to other departments as they find her attitude and help so valuable. 

Almost two years later and Amy is still temping there and has won the company’s Temp of the Month award not once but twice!

Amy is now married and happily settled near Basingstoke.

*Not her real name

Hannah Copeland, HR Associate, Priority Appointments explains how to ensure that your Employee Contracts comply with new legislation which came into force in April when you take on new people.

Spring 2020 was probably the most challenging period that any employer has ever had to deal with. 

As an employer, you have had to understand and implement short-term and fast-evolving changes associated with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme during a period of huge uncertainty. And as if that wasn’t enough, you’ve also had to deal with the new employment legislation that came into effect in April - dubbed by many as ‘the biggest overhaul of employment law in 20 years’.

As lockdown eases in the southeast, companies are having to make major changes to their workforce to suit the future of their business, and to cater for the personal needs of staff members who have been - or are - affected by the pandemic. 

The Impact of The Good Work Plan

The latest changes have affected many areas of employment law, but what do they specifically mean for your workforce?

During Theresa May’s premiership, there were a number of proposals and consultations on key issues in employment law, particularly in regard to improving the regulation of the ‘Gig Economy’.

The result of these consultations was the 2018 Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices, which fed into the recommendations in the government’s Good Work Report. These recommendations have now been put into legislation.

A survey in November 2019 by Citation, found that at that stage, 59 percent of British employers did not know about the Good Work Plan, just months before the raft of changes came into effect. 

The survey also found that 42 percent of those who knew about it only partly understood how it would affect them, and 11 percent had heard of it but did not understand how it would change their legal obligations.

How Do the Changes Affect You?

Since then, employers have had to deal with the additional challenges caused by the pandemic in addition to getting up to speed on new legislation. It is no surprise therefore that some businesses are finding it hard to manage workforce changes - particularly if they don’t have dedicated HR expertise in-house. 

Many elements of the Good Work Plan came into force last year, but April 2020 saw further major amendments. 

Here is a summary of some of the key changes and how they can affect your company, particularly if you are planning on restructuring your workforce. 

1) Issue of Contracts

What’s changed? A contract, also known as Statement of Terms and Conditions, now has to be given to a new employee on or before the first day of employment. In the past, you had 60 days from someone starting to issue them with their contract. 

What are the risks if you don’t comply? If you don’t have a legally compliant contract in place, Terms and Conditions of employment are ambiguous from day one. This can create a culture of mis-trust and uncertainty which could potentially lead to arguments over terms and, if not watertight, could affect the magnitude of any future compensation payments if employees have to be made redundant. 

2) Holiday Pay Reference

What’s changed? The period referenced for holiday pay changed from 12 weeks to 52 weeks. This means employers must look back 52 weeks and calculate average pay during that period, then use that figure to pay employees while they are on holiday. This is particularly relevant for the manufacturing sector where staff often do varying shifts and earn overtime. 

What are the risks if you don’t comply? If you don’t calculate holiday pay correctly then you could leave yourself open to compensation claims for underpayments. If underpayments continue over a period of time, you would be exposed to claims for substantial sums and may have to settle the matter at an employment tribunal. 

3) Information and Consultation

What's Changed? Employees have increased rights to request a formal agreement governing their right to be consulted about workplace changes. Two per cent of the workforce (or at least 15 employees) in any company with over 50 employees have the right to request a formal agreement to be consulted and informed about workplace matters which affect them. 

What are the risks if you don’t comply? Companies can be fined heavily for failure to consult with employees in the right way, even when their motive and rationale for making changes is sound. But aside from monetary fines, failure to consult with your staff will negatively impact communication channels and will ultimately lead to a discontented - and less productive - workforce.

4) Content of Contracts

What’s changed? All Employment Contracts must now include the following new clauses/information:

• Terms relating to the days and times (not just hours) that someone has to work and whether days and hours are likely to vary or stay the same.  
• Details of eligibility for sick leave and Statutory Sick Pay
• Details of any other types of paid leave: contracts must now state what remuneration  is paid for maternity, paternity, compassionate leave etc.  
• Duration and conditions of a probationary period
• Training entitlements, requirements, and exactly what training will be paid for 
• Details of ALL employee benefits, not just benefits relating to pay such as bonuses/commission etc.

What are the risks if you don’t comply? As with all employment law, the devil is in the detail and these seemingly minor changes can in fact have a major impact on the content of contracts. As an employer, if you were to fail to comply with any of these clauses, your company could become exposed to litigation - particularly for a potential breach of contract claim, discrimination claims and breaches under the Working Time Regulations.  

Whilst these changes may feel like an additional administrative burden for your company at a difficult time, applied effectively, they provide openness and transparency for everyone.  They will ensure that you have complete consistency in your terms to protect your company from the risk of potential claims in the future.

Ensuring You Are Compliant When Restructuring Your Workforce

As you plan to bring in people with new skills, or take on new staff to cover for those who are not yet able to return to work, it is well worth making sure that you employ your permanent or temporary staff through a professional recruitment consultancy like Priority Appointments. 

As a professional member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), you can rest assured that we abide by the body’s Code of Conduct, including all relevant legislation, statutory and non-statutory requirements and official guidance, and keep up with any future amendments. 

We’re Here to Help

If you have specific queries about what you should be including in a new employment contract, please get in touch with your Priority Appointments account manager, or email the team and tell us about your query.

About the author: Hannah Copeland is an HR Associate with Priority Appointments. She is a Level 7 CIPD qualified HR Consultant with many years experience in all areas of HR. She is particularly skilled in organisational change, managing redundancy programmes and TUPE transfers, as well as harmonisation after acquisitions. She has specific experience dealing with the challenges of employing skilled workers in safety-critical environments such as manufacturing, engineering and distribution.

In a climate where the only certainty is uncertainty, using temporary staff can help ensure you have the right skills to be agile and react to new opportunities as they come along, powering your business out of lockdown.

Planning your workforce at the moment is particularly challenging, especially if you still have staff who are shielding, in caring roles or who are unable to return due to childcare issues. 

More and more companies are choosing to use temps to fill the gaps and get the skills they need whilst permanent staff aren’t available.

According to the COVID-19 Jobs Outlook special published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in late June, a greater number of companies have said that they plan to hire temporary staff in the short term this month.

However you decide you cater for the next phase, it is certain to involve change, and  advice to businesses is to tackle workforce and people management changes in three steps: 

1) Reorganise

As people come back to work, you’ll need to reorganise to plan the resources you need for the future shape of the business. 

Review the skillsets of the current team and furloughed employees and identify where additional skills will be needed to support growth and possible diversification or a change in direction. Could temps fill these short-term gaps?

2) Resume 

No doubt you are assessing which staff can be brought off furlough, and reviewing roles and responsibilities. If continuing with furlough makes sense for those who can’t restart work for health or childcare reasons, could temps see you through until their situation or government guidelines change?

3) Reassure 

Taking care of the mental health of your workforce at this tricky time is, of course, essential. If measures aren’t already in place, it is a good idea to set up channels for staff to raise concerns, and consider steps you can take to raise morale. 

Any companies that don’t handle communications sensitively are risking damage to their company’s brand and their position as an employer of choice for years to come.

According to ‘Workforce Strategies for a Post-COVID-19 Recovery’ by Deloitte, “Organisations must plan for multiple scenarios and time horizons, as they shift from crisis response to recovery. They should also plan for the possibility of multiple waves of the pandemic and its continuing global - and uneven - footprint. For workforce strategies, organisations need to establish critical priorities for the next 12 to 24 months as they position themselves for new realities.”

Filling Temp Jobs to Cater For The Unexpected 

As the type and amount of work and, in some cases, the places where people are working change, many of our clients are making strategic use of temporary staff to ensure they have the right skills in place to meet demands.

There have been so many changes right across the supply chain, that it’s become harder than ever for companies in our local areas of Basingstoke, Andover, Camberley, Farnborough and the surrounding areas to plan. Many businesses have seen some areas of business dry up completely, whilst others have flourished in the pandemic. 

This is where the strategic use of temps can help your workforce planning.

From our conversations with local companies during lockdown, and over two decades beforehand, these are the situations where manufacturing, engineering and distribution companies in particular have told us they benefit from using temporary staff: 

Adding headcount quickly, without worrying about notice periods

Temps can enable you to quickly cater for increases in workload, for example fulfilling a large order with a tight deadline. The benefit is that you don’t have to give formal notice to end a temporary assignment therefore giving total flexibility.

Catering for seasonal peaks if you don’t wish to increase your permanent headcount

Temps can plug a skills gap in your current workforce for a set period of time, such as to cover summer holidays. 

If you’re not sure whether you need a permanent member of staff or not

You can use temporary members of staff whilst recruiting to ease the pressure during the selection process. This means you can hire the best possible candidate - even if you need to spend time finding them and then waiting for them to serve notice periods. 

You may even find that the temporary is in fact the best person for the job!

Covering absenteeism due to COVID-19 related issues or maternity leave 

There may well be staff who you plan to bring off furlough, but who aren’t able to return yet due to shielding, their own health issues (COVID-19 related or not) or childcare problems. In these instances, a temp can help fill the gap until your permanent team members are back.

Holiday cover 

With UK holidays at last back on the agenda, many people will want to use some of their allocation over the summer. Temporary staff can help if the work can’t be absorbed by colleagues.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Temps To Fill Jobs?

At times of change in particular, there are many reasons to use temps rather than taking on permanent staff. The benefits include:

• No notice period 
• No need to spend your time interviewing people
• Ability to add skills dynamically as needed
• No addition to core headcount
• Ease of onboarding new staff

Case Study - Urgent Temps for Local Manufacturer

During the Covid-19 lockdown, period one of our manufacturing clients which serves the construction industry saw an instant decline in demand for their products due to many projects being put on hold. However with some quick lateral thinking, they pivoted their business to manufacturing beds for the NHS. This resulted in an immediate need for a high number of short-term temporary staff to ensure the very tight order deadlines were met.  

Within hours of receiving their call, we were able to supply 12 temporary members of staff. Their need for temporary staff increased daily, and each time we have been able to supply temporary staff to support them in this unexpected and unplanned peak in their business.

What Do You Need To Put in Place When Using Temporary Staff?

When you work with a local independent recruitment consultancy such as ourselves, there is very little you need to worry about other than specifying the type of people you need. 

We’ll take care of all the quality and compliance side for you, including: 

• GDPR processes – Privacy notice and candidate consent 
• Key information documents
• Health and disability information relevant to the job
• Criminal convictions declaration
• Identity and eligibility to work checks
• Conducting face to face interviews
• Providing a profile of the candidates
• Taking copies of any licenses or certificates required for the role
• Briefing temps prior to their assignments starting
• Regularly communicating with the temps in role once they have started

The Importance of Transparent Pricing

Not all agencies offer transparent pricing, meaning you can’t be sure how much of what you pay is actually going to the temporary worker. 

At Priority Appointments, we offer complete transparency so you can see exactly how much the worker is being paid and how much goes to other costs which are Employer’s National Insurance, pension contributions, holiday and statutory sickness pay (as defined in the Working Time Regulations) and the agency’s commission. 

If temps could be a strategic way to power your business out of lockdown, we have skilled and committed people available right now.

Do get in touch with our helpful, friendly team by calling 01256 334575 or emailing office@priorityappointments.co.uk

Three-quarters of manufacturers struggle to find people with up to five years’ experience to fill skilled positions. 

According to research by MAKE, the manufacturers' industry association (formerly the Engineering Employers Federation)  in early 2020, almost two-thirds of companies said that one of their key recruitment difficulties is that applicants lack the right technical skills.

So in this type of challenging environment, how do companies find new skilled talent - particularly in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, where employment rates are at an all-time high?

The answer is that you need to find innovative ways to attract the best people in the first instance, and then retain them for the future.  

Here are some ideas to help you encourage engineering candidates to consider working for your business.

1) Stand out from the crowd

With so many businesses vying for the attention of people with desirable technical skills, such as CNC Operators, your organisation really has to stand out. Engineering candidates are savvy about building their CVs, so are attracted to companies with a strong reputation and positive brand. 

For engineering and manufacturing in particular, the larger well-known brands tend to get a higher influx of applications than smaller, unknown organisations. Here’s how you can make sure your business can stand out and attract the best engineering candidates - whatever the size of your company:

Check out the competition – looking at what your successful competitors are doing to  understand how you should approach making your brand attractive to top engineering candidates. Is there a way you can go one better than them? Are they attending lots of events? Do they have a strong marketing plan in place? Do they have a good recruitment partner helping them with sourcing? 

Highlight your unique selling points (USPs) – make sure you highlight what makes you different from other manufacturing / engineering companies. Is yours a family organisation with a close-knit community feeling where staff can have a strong influence? Or is it a large, global organisation with lots of opportunities to progress? Communicating your USPs to prospective engineering staff is key if you want to attract the best people.

If you clearly set out what makes you different, you can use this to attract the right candidates - those who fit in with the culture of your organisation as well as having the technical skills you need. After all, if someone is interested in working on global projects, they probably won’t fit into a small business, and vice versa.

Live by your values – by demonstrating that your organisation has strong, positive company values and that you stick to them through your policies, procedures and culture, you’ll find good people are easier to attract and retain. 

2) Provide growth opportunities

If you want to be right up there with the big players in the manufacturing and engineering sectors, you will need to be prepared to offer growth opportunities to prospective employees. Contrary to popular belief, most candidates are not just looking for a good salary (although that is important!), they are also looking for companies where they can progress. 

Candidates with desirable skills want opportunities to develop their career and learn new skills to add to their CVs. Although this can be challenging if you are running a small organisation, it is still important to have a clear career path for prospective candidates. 

If you are restricted in what you can offer in terms of salaries, you will need to be prepared to offset this with other benefits, such as flexible working and training. 

As an example, a Design Engineer may want to add electrical engineering capabilities to his or her skill set, or a senior Production Welder may want to develop management skills so they can head up a department. It is essential to offer good opportunities for new employees to encourage them to join you.

3) Consider being more flexible

Men as well as women are looking for flexible ways of working and if you can incorporate this into your employment strategy, you will have more chances of successfully filling your vacancies. For example, could you take on two part-time workers to cover a full-time role?

Engineering is still a male dominated industry. According to the Women’s Engineering Society, women make up just 12.3% of all engineers in the UK, with part of the problem being the lack of flexibility in many traditional engineering roles.

Actively encouraging more women to join your organisation is a great way to find new, quality candidates. In order to do this, you may want to look at recruiting for part-time engineering roles, as well as offering flexible working which could appeal to people wanting to continue their studies, or who have a family.

The more open you are to different ways of working, the better your prospects of hiring the best people for your organisation.

Top quality candidates with technical skills can be difficult to find, but by following these steps and ensuring you have a positive, friendly and encouraging environment, you will be able to attract the best people to join your business. 

We have candidates with a range of experience in the engineering and manufacturing sectors  on our books who could be ideal for your business. Please get in touch to find out if we can help you source the specific skills and attitude you need.

Here at Priority Appointments, one of our special talents is finding ‘hidden gems’ for our clients. 

These are people who may not look like ideal candidates on paper, but who have the right attitude and aptitude to become stellar employees and a highly valued part of the team. 

Here’s how we matched Amy*, who moved to Basingstoke, with one of our clients in the Manufacturing sector. 

THE CHALLENGE

Our client needed to recruit a ‘bright spark’ to work on a temporary basis as a phone configuration / helpdesk assistant providing telephone support during a company-wide mobile phone upgrade.

They were ideally looking for someone with some technical capability. However, with employment at an all time high, it was difficult for them to find the right person who combined technical skills with the customer-centric attitude they were looking for. 

When Amy registered with us, she had just moved to Basingstoke from London with her fiancé so that they could buy a property. She had previously worked in the criminal justice service, so didn’t have the complete skill set our clients generally look for.

THE SOLUTION

We knew the culture and customer-centric ethos at our client company well, and having interviewed Amy, realised that she would be a perfect fit, despite not having a formal technical background. 

As Emma Allen, Manager of our Office and Commercial division explained, “Although she didn’t have industry experience, Amy’s attitude and flexibility shone through and we realised that she would fit in very well with the team.”

We therefore presented her to the client and they took a chance and interviewed her based on our recommendation. 

We gave Amy plenty of relevant information about the company and the people who would be interviewing her so she was well-equipped for the meeting. 

THE RESULT

The interview was a success and within two weeks, Amy started a 3 - 6 month temp role as a Phone Configuration and Helpdesk Assistant in April 2018.

Since then our client has extended her employment several times, moving her to other departments as they find her attitude and help invaluable. 

Almost two years later, Amy is still temping there and has won the company’s Temp of the Month award not once but twice!

She is now married and happily settled near Basingstoke.

*Not her real name