Is your business expanding? Have you hired new people and added to your workforce recently? Excellent news - but do you know how to maintain a positive culture in your business? Maintaining a positive and stable business culture can be a challenge as a company expands and grows, but there are some clever ways to ensure it stays intact:   Days away from the workplace Take your team to a different location for a few days to bond and focus on company culture. This can be an opportunity to get everyone on the same page and to create a shared vision for the future. Implement a "no-politics" policy  Encourage employees to leave their personal opinions and political views at the door, and focus on fostering a culture that's based on respect, cooperation, and collaboration. Make company culture a part of your onboarding process Integrating company culture into your onboarding process can help new employees understand what's expected of them and how they can contribute to your culture. Have regular cultural assessments Regularly assess the state of your company culture, and make changes as necessary to keep it positive and stable. Encourage healthy competition Encouraging friendly competition among employees can create a sense of camaraderie and help foster a positive company culture. Promote employee wellness   Investing in your employees' health and well-being can help create a positive work environment, boost morale, and maintain a stable company culture. By implementing even just a few of these suggested strategies, you can help ensure that your company culture remains positive and stable as you grow and expand your business.

Thinking of a career in recruitment?  Recruitment agencies are a valuable resource for businesses that are looking to fill crucial roles with skilled and experienced professionals. Although a promising career choice, you may often hear conflicting opinions about working in a recruitment agency.  Is it all about meeting targets and endless pressure to perform? Or is it a challenging yet highly rewarding experience to match companies with suitable candidates? In reality, it is a bit of both.  A career in recruitment entails plenty of challenges but also offers you a stable, secure, fulfilling, and financially rewarding job with a good scope of progression. But that’s not all. There are many other benefits of working in a recruitment agency. Let’s have a look at some of them below. Professional Development & Progression What can be better than constant on-the-job training and performance-based progression for any professional? As a recruitment consultant, you will get many opportunities to learn and train on the job as a fresher and experienced consultant. It is because no two days are the same in a recruitment agency. There is always scope for learning and improving skills such as problem-solving, communication, negotiation, project management, and more.  And the best part? Recruitment agencies offer excellent opportunities for progression as a reward for good performance. This means you will be climbing the ladder of success in no time if you consistently perform well.   Great Earning Potential Along with a good salary, a majority of recruitment agencies also offer commissions and bonuses regularly. You will always be incentivised to perform better every day to keep earning better.  Unmatched Job Satisfaction Although it can be challenging, working in recruitment is also highly rewarding as you can match the right candidate with the right company. Job satisfaction comes easily and strongly as you can help candidates get their dream jobs and companies their ideal employees. Better Security Recruitment is one of the most stable and secure industries that hardly gets touched in any economic downturn. By choosing to work for a recruitment agency, you can ensure that you remain employed for a long time. Businesses will always need candidates, and candidates will always need jobs. As a recruitment consultant, you will always have options to choose from one or more opportunities and enjoy job security, unlike any other sector. Whether you’re a fresher looking for a promising career choice or an experienced recruitment professional looking for a place to hone your skills, working in a friendly, reputed recruitment agency may help strengthen your foundation in the recruitment industry. If you think you have what it takes to help companies find the best candidates for their roles, we would love to hear from you! Precision People is a specialist search, recruitment and consultancy services organisation that provides various recruitment and people solutions to a broad spectrum of industry sectors. We have been based in the Midlands since 2004 and have clients all over the UK and Europe.  Call us on 0116 254 5411 and find out if you could be the next perfect addition to our family.

On-boarding, the process of  conveys your organisational brand values, explains your people and professional culture, highlights organisational expectations and performance and provides the tools for the employee to be successfully placed into his or her position. Therefore, as an in employer it’s important to get this part right if you want employee longevity and loyalty.  Onboarding isn’t just the first step in hiring of collecting the relevant human resources, payroll and benefits forms. It’s a lot more than that. The onboarding process follows the employee lifecycle from first step of orientation through to mentoring and development of their first month to the completion of their first year.  What’s the process? Google found that new hire time to productivity can be improved by a full month by just a simple reminder alert email sent to the employer or recruiter the Sunday before the new hire starts. Tasks that should be included in the email alert are: Have a role and responsibilities discussion Match your new hire with a peer buddy Help your new hire build a social network Set up onboarding check-ins once a month for your new hire’s first six month  Google also does eight things to on board their new hires, which you can adapt to your organisation: In-person Training Google, provides their new hires with a two-week in person training and orientation program that explains all things organisational and the ‘need to know’ functions of the organisation and job. Your organisation may not be able to provide such a lengthy in-person training period, but some in-person training is better than none, and it helps you as an employer establish rapport.  Thorough Introduction to Company Culture Google offers a class which help develop new hires to the norms and practices of the existing employees. The purpose of this, is to implement a way of learning into the new hire which reflects the way in which the organisation works and ensures the new hire is productive in his or her new employment. Checklists Checklists help new hires to understand what is expected in the first week to the completion of their first year. It is a lot less daunting for new hires if they’re given a checklists as they don’t feel pressured to memorises systems, practices, and events in the first week. CodeLabs Codelabs are a great way for engineers to get up to speed through hands-on tutorials. They aren’t just for new hires, but can be used by the most experienced engineers to refresh their knowledge.   Extensive Resources No doubt there is a language to your industry so everyone is speaking the same language, just like Google – so a company-wide glossary and handbook is provided for reference. A similar resource but be useful for your industry in getting your new hire up to speed on the terminology, or every-day goings on of your company so they can fit in smoothly.  On-the-job Training Without a doubt, whatever your organisation is, on-the-job training provides a good introduction to the field and provides greater realism of application when in the real world of work.  Mentorship Program Assigning a new hire to a mentor who is successful within the company and can act as a trustworthy role model. The mentor can initially act as a friendly face which welcomes the new hire to the company and show them the facilities. This mentor can also be a point of call for questions or queries for the new hire if they don’t feel confident to ask a supervisor or manager. More importantly, it provides a friendly welcoming for the new hire to feel more comfortable in their new place of work.  Check-in Google employee send weekly snippets entailing what they did that week and take part in a self-assessment and set goals at the end of every quarter. The purpose of this, is to demonstrate the productivity of the new hires week or so forth and to high their achievements. As an employer, you may not follow this exactly, but it is recommended to have frequent check-ins with your employers to see what they’re achieving, how they’re progressing and whether there are any queries.  Follow those simple steps to ensure that your hiring process is smooth and efficient, whilst also improving your chances at retaining loyal, trust Worthing and hard working employees.    

Precision Announces Anand Kakkad as Head of Technical.  Building a team from two to six in fourteen months, by empowering and coaching.    Precision People are pleased to announce the promotion of Anand Kakkad to Head of Technical.  Anand joined Precision, based in Leicester and operating since 2004,  in September 2018 as a Team Leader of the Maintenance division. Within fourteen months he built the team from two to six consultants, taking new recruits into high performers,  and as a result, was promoted to Divisional Manager of the Technical Perm team.  Director Phil Walker commented:-  Anand manages the team how most Managers don't; which is by empowering, leading, and coaching, whilst working the hard yards himself. He also takes the time to have an interest in his people's success and well-being. This makes him the most successful manager Precision has seen. This year, under his leadership, the Technical team of Permanent & Contract recruitment has created six promotions, progressing two Senior Recruiters into Managing Consultants and building a team with them.  Anand commented: -  After working at three different recruitment companies, I can firmly say at Precision People, we do things differently. Every business strategy is about people development and achieving individual and business goals together as a family. The next steps and progression are at the forefront of every conversation with our recruiters and managers. Without the support of Precision People as a whole, and my record-breaking team, none of this would be possible.  Phil added:-  At Precision, we hold progression at the top of our people development, every consultant has clear steps with measurables to get to the next level in their career, reviewed with them every month. With a record-breaking year this year, we are well on course to grow the team by double within the next three years to forty people, to achieve that we need to have the right culture that champions progression.  Those that make it into the management roles needed will benefit hugely both in their career and personally with rewards that are unique to Precision. Head to our meet the team page to find out more about us Recent coverage:-  Business East Midlands Link: https://www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/appointments/precision-people-makes-head-of-technical-promotion/ The Global Recruiter  https://www.theglobalrecruiter.com/anand-kakkad-becomes-head-of-technical-at-precision/ The Leicester Mercury  https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/east-midlands-appointments-and-promotions-25499266  

What creates a successful culture? One key aspect of creating a successful culture, is really understanding what your culture is and how it makes your business unique. Your culture is your competitive advantage. In a world where products and even services can be replicated by competitors, its culture that is your completely unique and sustainable competitive advantage. In the same way that no two people are the same, no two companies are the same. There isn’t a particular type of culture that will make your business X% more profitable, implementing a culture that isn’t your own is likely to have an adverse effect. (Hence why trying to change it should only be in extreme cases). How to understand your culture within your business  To really understand your culture, it’s vital to sit down with trusted team members from a variety of levels. The culture at board level may differ to the culture at entry level - it’s important to understand these differences and how they affect your business. Deduce what attributes your successful employees have, do they correlate with your culture? Following on from thinking about what negative traits unsuccessful employees have had. Why did they leave the business? You’d be surprised at how many of these negative traits are cultural. Culture TIp:  “Think about what negative traits unsuccessful employees have had. Why did they leave the business?”   Once you understand what it is that makes your culture unique, the next step is protecting it. Whatever the size of your company it is important to hire people that fit into it, after all, one bad apple can spoil the bunch. How to hire someone according to your culture - 3 killers questions. It’s important to note that finding someone who fits your culture isn’t necessarily someone who will bring a breath of fresh air into your business. Often what you’re really looking for isn’t a someone who fits your culture, but a culture add. The difficulty is to find someone similar enough seamlessly slot into the team, but someone original enough to push the boundaries and bring in some fresh ideas where necessary. ‘Birds of a feather flock together’ Interview questions Knowing the importance of employing people who add to the culture, the difficult bit is working out who matches your requirements. The recruitment process needs to be in place to allow the candidate to showcase what they can do and how they fit these values. The most important way for you to work them out is by asking the right questions at the interview. Question #1: Why do you want to work for us? Why ask it: Although this might seem like a simple question many candidates fall at the first hurdle. This question is an opportunity to see not only if the candidate has put the effort in to research your company, but also see what the candidate prioritises from what their research has shown. What to listen out for: Whether or not the candidate has researched your company. What specifically about your company the candidate has noted and prioritised? Does it sound overly rehearsed or does it come across as genuine? Question #2: Describe a time when you were tasked with something you didn’t know how to do and how you overcame it. Why ask it: The nature of a new job will entail new challenges and there is always a learning process involved. There will be times when a new employee will be challenged with something new, are they likely to take a risk and try something without guidance or are they more risk in their approach? What to listen out for: How comfortable are they admitting their lack of knowledge? How self-aware do they seem? Do they know their own limitations? Did it take them a long time to think of something? How did they overcome this challenge? Question #3: Tell me about a time when something unfair happened at work. Why ask it: Frustration is something that is likely to happen in any job at some stage. When an employee gets frustrated it can have a profound effect on their colleagues and the business as a whole. The important aspect of this question is seeing how they handled their frustration, were they proactive in going to the source and talking about or did they let it fester and turn into something divisive in the team. What to listen out for: What does the candidate believe is unfair? Did they take into account the accountability for the situation? What effect did they let their frustration have on them? Did they channel it into something productive?    “Hiring people is an art, not a science.” - Howard Schultz, Chairman of Starbucks   Your culture is the most important thing your company has whether your a manufacturing plant, a fabrication business or you distribute construction products - knowing what it is and how to manage it for success is the biggest sustainable competitive advantage your company can have. Once you have the right people in place, keeping them motivated is the next challenge, why not check out our blog on 7 powerful ways to motivate your team.

Important Succession Planning Tips for Family-Owned Businesses. The majority of family-owned businesses are run by baby boomers, which makes the need to have a well thought out plan for leadership transition essential. Some business owners are fortunate enough to have the next generation ready to take over and lead the entire organisation (whether they have the skills and determination to grow the business is another matter!  I have worked with family businesses within manufacturing that have continued to thrive as offspring have been taught over several years, in readiness to finally take over the family reins.    I’ve also worked with and heard of family businesses in which the sons or daughters, once they have taken over, have made the wrong decisions and consequently, those businesses were not as profitable as they once were.  Finding the right leader should be a top priority. Succession planning can be a challenge, which is why we have compiled the top tips for effective planning. You can preserve your legacy with an effective succession plan.  So as head of a family run business, what should you do?  You have to determine from the outset, whether your children are serious contenders to run your business. Ask yourself honestly, if they truly have the soft skills as well as the business knowledge to grow the business after you have stepped down. Are they willing to learn from you? It’s one thing them working for the family business but quite another them actually taking over the responsibility of a company.  Tip 1. Begin the Process Early - This is a time-consuming endeavour but will pay-off in the long run. The earlier you plan for a leadership transition, the more effective it will be when the time to handover leadership arrives. To prepare: If you have identified potential successors, which could be relatives or other people in the business,  assess what gaps they have and create a personal development plan to prepare them for their future role. The better prepared they are, the easier the transition process will be.  2. Identify and Define the qualities needed in a future leader - This is especially important if you will be hiring somebody from outside of your business. Alike to when you hire a new employee, it is crucial to define the necessary skill-set and experience for the role. But more importantly, define the personality and values that the candidate will need in order to preserve the current culture and legacy of your family business. 3. Invest time in a thorough interview and evaluation process - Don’t solely focus on skills, cultural fit is just as important. Carefully plan out how you are going to determine the right fit through interviews, assessments, previous experience, references etc.  It is just as important to have the right interviewers. Who knows you and subsequently, the values of the family and the business? Having external advisors who will have a more holistic view of your business may help you make the right decisions when hiring.  In my experience, finding the right person for a family business is all about cultural fit. Are they going to fit and get on with the culture and the values of your family business?  4. Long Term Incentive Plans (LTIP) You don’t have to completely give away the family business that you have worked so long to create, but an LTIP will be necessary to retain your future leader and preserve the family business. Identify what truly motivates your high-potential employees. Unleashing the full potential of your key-employees and keeping them motivated will ultimately be the key to successfully preserving your legacy. These top tips can help you to plan and develop your succession plan, preserving your legacy with the right leader.  If you are currently planning ahead for your manufacturing family business, contact Recruitment Director, Phil Walker, on 0116 254 5411 or email phil@precision-people.uk who has several year's experience recruiting senior hires for family business and offering honest, simple advice to help move your business forward.   

The onboarding process is more important than it ever has been before due to the rapidly changing workforce of 2021. The expectations employees have towards their employer have changed drastically since millennials and generation z joined the workforce, but in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, job satisfaction is ranked according to even stricter criteria than it was before the crisis. New employees will be even less forgiving of the perceived shortcomings of their employment, so maintaining the enthusiasm of new employees should be the priority of all forward-thinking businesses. The Unilateral Approach Once you have hired a new employee, the best practice for staff retention is to have a structed onboarding process plan in place. A big mistake busy bosses can make is to concentrate on hiring new staff and leave employee satisfaction up to fate, or up to line managers and supervisors who would actually benefit from a unanimous approach to counteract the discrepancies between their respective management styles. Keep Your Promises A good work-life balance is prioritised highly by candidates on the hunt for new employment and therefore it should be offered (and even emphasised) to staff who have just joined your company. Flexible working is not possible in some industries but a demonstration of respect regarding their time and ensuring your implement the advertised benefits is conducive to sustaining interest in the role long-term. Sustain the Onboarding Process If you have a history of employees leaving the role within the first 6 months, then whether it is only a handful of recruits or linked a continuously high turnover rate, an evaluation of why this is occurring needs immediate attention. The first step of the onboarding process is the prevention of receiving an employee notice within the first few months to a year of newer employees starting, but it should seem obvious that continuing to facilitate employee engagement is an ongoing process. Understandably, time and resources are finite factors that managers do not necessarily have at their disposal consistently. If you would like to look at improving your onboarding process to engender the creation of motivated staff members carving out long careers with your company, get in touch with us today to see how we can help you to do just that.

Do you think you're a great boss or manager? Are you good at rallying your troops and getting them on board with new ideas? Or do they run for the hills? Here are 4 proven useful tips to make you a great boss. 1. They ask a lot of questions Great bosses constantly ask their employees questions, to get them thinking more and help them and the business grow. While experience has value, people can't learn when that wisdom is presented on a platter or forced down their throat. That's why great bosses ask questions that will spark, in the employee's own mind, the thought processes that will make that employee successful. 2. They are mavericks When managers depend upon their "common sense" to solve problems, they seldom assess whether their hunches actually paid off. As a result, the same problems keep cropping up month after month, year after year. Great managers think outside the box and break the rules to get results. Great bosses also know their employees and their employee's interests, and manage according to those interests. In other words, getting the best from your team requires applied psychology rather than common sense. 3. They don't manage the bottom line. The "bottom line"–your quarterly or yearly numbers–only tells the story of what's happened in the past and to manage by it is like looking at last year's holiday snaps before deciding where to book your holiday this year. It tells you what has happened – but not what is going to happen in the future. Really great bosses know that the only way to get good numbers in the future is to keep your attention on what's going on right now in your market and industry and the activities that your employees are undertaking to take advantage of the present reality. What are they doing right now which will get results? 4. Great bosses put the employees first (even before the client) When managers preach and practice the longstanding theory to put the customer first, they overlook their employees, who are the people actually responsible for creating and nurturing the customer experience. Customers can immediately sense when the employees of the firms from which they buy are miserable, overworked, or under trained. When's the last time you walked into a shop to overhear staff moaning and looking stressed out? It's not a comfortable environment. Truly great bosses concentrate on making certain that their employees are happy, healthy and can do the work  

Since the start of the pandemic, employee assessments have slipped across the board, with many companies being unable to monitor performance remotely. However, they are still an important part of the recruitment journey, no matter how long the individual has been employed with the company and with many now returning to work, it’s important to reflect and push forward with these performance reviews. We’ve put together some tips for effective employee assessments below. Tip 1 Reflect It might be hard to envision all of the active projects or roles a person has played during the pandemic, particularly if they have been working from home for a long period of time, so an employee assessment opens up the opportunity to reflect. Ask them what they feel they achieved in the last year, what their most significant project has been and how they have felt dealing with these unprecedented times. This can help you both to create a better understanding of where they currently stand. Tip 2 Do It Face to Face Carry out employee assessments face to face where possible, as this allows for clear communication between both parties and allows for more honest discussions. It is important to remember though, that interaction may have been very minimal for employees and so don’t put too much pressure on them right away, as they are likely more nervous than they would usually be. Tip 3 Be Honest Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news, but if an employee is underperforming or needs to improve, it is important to get this across to them. Be sensitive in your words and lead with how they can do better, rather than how they may have been lacking. This approach will give them the resources they need to progress, without forcing them to dwell on any negativity. If you need any help with any of these our experienced consultants will be happy to have a chat about how to tackle any issues you maybe facing with your team and how we might be able to help.  Contact us today through the chat, email us at hello@precision-people.uk or call us on 0116 254 5411. 

During the 2008 recession, the percentage of temporary and contracting workers went up to a whopping 55%. In a normal market, the average is about 25%.  Hopefully, this situation will not last as long and most businesses will be able to bounce back pretty quickly post Covid.  Are you worried about hiring the wrong person in an uncertain economy? Hiring someone with the wrong skill set or maybe not the right culture fit, could cost your business thousands, and you don’t want to be making mistakes like that right now.  Have you and your team thought about hiring contractors or temporary staff? Maybe you haven't had much experience dealing with temporary, contracting or interims in the past or maybe you've had an unpleasant experience? Whatever your views, as UK businesses start to put their hiring plans together post pandemic - many will be turning to contigent staff as an option.  6 Reasons why hiring temporary, contracting or interim staff will help your business recover after Covid.  1. The jobs market is very different to what is was even 3 months ago. Have there been redundancies in your market or maybe with your competitors? There maybe skilled candidates on the market that didn't expect to find themselves there a few months ago.  Have you seen the Easy Jet pilots who are now Tesco delivery drivers for the short term?  This means there will be excellent candidates on the market, who have unfortunately been made redundant, that you previously had no access to because they were happy in their jobs. Why not take advantage of the market situation and hire these skilled people on a contracting basis to try them out?  When you hire a contractor you are in effect ‘trying before you buy’. This means if they don’t have the right skills or you discover they aren’t the right culture fit, you can simply and quickly let them go with zero risk to you.   2. You can hire someone quickly to hit the ground running - no lengthy interviews or on boarding and paperwork with HR. Many contractors and interims bring in a wealth of experience and knowledge from moving from business to business - it could be just what your company needs right now, bring in some expertise!  3. Maybe your business only needs someone for a short period of time, maybe to cover sickness, maternity or perhaps a project needs completing. Hiring a contractor or temporary person covers that position for as long as you need them. Helping to secure your clients as you complete deadlines.  4. Your cash flow is protected - we take care of NI, statutory sick pay,  reducing your short-term costs. Hiring temporary or contracting staff means no HR responsibility, no fees to pay, no need to payroll, spreading the cost of hiring and reducing risk.  5. You only pay for the hours they work, which again reduces your costs. 6. Precision operates a 15 week ‘temporary to permanent’ programme where by the cost of hiring a candidate is spread out over 15 weeks - again reducing your costs. If you’re company requires more senior- management, but you are reluctant in this present climate to hire someone permanently, then an interim is exactly what you need to help navigate during a crisis or during times where there is lack of management, we can also help with this.  Orgainsing your business post-pandemic  If you would like to chat further about how Precision can help your business coming out of Covid - call today on 0116 254 5411 or email phil@precision-people.uk.  Connect with Phil on Linkedin Hiring doesn't need to stop! How to move your interviewing, hiring and onboarding process online.   

Why Do Some People Achieve Their Goals in New Jobs and Others Do Not? Statistics indicate a worrying trend that many people fail in new jobs despite the initial promise they show in their interviews. Businesses take a gamble every time a new employee is hired even with apparently good interviewing, selection and training policies. Understanding the main reasons why new employees are dismissed can help you avoid this happening to you. The only comprehensive study of employee failure is by Leadership IQ. Their report found that: • 46% (just under half) of all newly hired employees fail within 18 months and only 19% achieve unequivocal success. • Most surprisingly this research shows that when new hires fail 89% of these are for reasons relating to attitude. Contrary to popular expectation, the primary reason for failure is not a lack of technical skills. When assessing hiring failures it is found that people don’t underperform because they lack technical skills. People underperform because they lack soft skills.  What Are Soft Skills? Soft skills can be acquired but cannot be specifically taught or evaluated. Examples of soft skills are: Strong and professional communication skills Time management Organisational skills Reliability, sense of responsibility and job commitment Motivation and teamwork While hard skills are necessary for any position, soft skills are crucial in the successful utilisation of hard skills in achieving employment goals. Most employers value mind set or the ability to think critically and make logical decisions. These skills shape how you respond to situations. Many employers set great store by employees who are determined, dependable, innovative, and collaborative. Soft skills are subjective and are associated with personal attributes and character. Soft skills are often described as people skills or interpersonal skills revealing how one relates and interacts with other people. What Are Hard Skills? While, in contrast, soft skills are a complete collection of our social, communication and self-management ability that enable us to work and integrate into a work place. Soft skills are the capabilities that enhance or emphasise the hard skills. It is not that technical skills are unimportant; just that they are much easier to assess and that is why attitude (mindset) is the most important predictor of a new hire’s success or failure. Hard skills are specific technical skills based, and these are teachable. Some examples of hard skills are: • Academic qualification such as a degree • Proficiency in computer programming • Customer Service experience • Speaking a foreign language • Operating a type of machinery Most companies do a good job of judging candidates’ technical skills. Some conduct day-long interviews focused on complex manufacturing methods, project management skills, and data analysis. Then, in the last half an hour, the interviewer will ask some non technical questions, often as an afterthought. Hard skills are usually related to professional knowledge, tools or techniques that allow us to work within our profession. Most Interviewers Find Soft Skills Difficult To Assess Some of these could be: Repeatedly completing high-quality work on time Persuading others to consider different technical points of view Coaching and being coached on technical and non-technical matters Working successfully for a variety of managers, each with their own individual style Remaining flexible enough to handle rapidly changing design requirements, yet still hitting deadlines Making tough decisions with limited information and often dealing with ambiguity Challenging conventional wisdom and authority Helping team members who are struggling Taking over without being told that a project is in trouble Managing multiple projects to a timeline Meeting budget restraints and their implications Prioritising with little direction. Most companies find that these all-important questions are not asked, and, with hindsight soft skills are almost always to blame for a person failing to deliver. When asked what makes the best manager in their business, it’s usually that their soft skills make the real difference. If soft skills are not discussed, you could easily find that some candidates with extraordinary soft skills have been excluded because they didn’t meet the company’s benchmark for technical standards. These are the people who could have become your best managers. To assess the area of soft skills, the role has to be reviewed in order to list the soft skills relevant to reduce the probability of job failure or under performance. How To Identify Candidates’ Soft Skills Some headlines that could be assessed are: Planning - How do you work out what your top priorities are? Initiative - Describe the most recent situation where you found you had a work related problem. What did you do to resolve it? Communication - Have you ever given instructions that someone didn’t follow? If so, why do you think that happened? Integrity - Have you had to deal with a coworker who wasn’t pulling his or her weight? If so, what did you do about it? Leadership - Did you ever need co-operation from a group over which you had little authority? If so, how effective were you? Persuasiveness - What strategies have you found work best when trying to sway someone to your point of view? Sales - Describe the main types of people you target. What approach do you use for each group? At Precision we have embedded soft skill assessments into our client hiring processes by identifying the non-technical skills required for a position. These non-technical skills and assessments are integrated into the interview process. The interviewer introduces the measurement of non-technical skills early in the interview process, rather than leaving this critical area to the end. By using this strategy, potentially great hires wouldn’t be inadvertently excluded. One of the best ways to tell if applicants have the skills to perform specific tasks is to directly ask how they’ve used those skills in the past. To find out more please contact us for an informal discussion of how you can lower your hiring failure rate and make a real difference to your business on 0116 254 5411 today. 

If you are getting to the stage in your electrical engineering recruitment journey where you have followed the proper procedures, have quality candidates coming in for the infamous ‘chat’ and want to proceed with confidence, here are some potential interview questions.   Which part of the work we do attracted you to us as a company? Every seasoned candidate should know the importance of researching the company you are interviewing for before the big day. A genuinely interested candidate will research your upcoming projects and your overall mission because they want to contribute to your success. Sincere interest is easy to spot when you ask these types of questions because while some people are not fond of interviews so get slightly nervous, the uninterested will stand out. Short answers that feel forced are not a good sign and to state the obvious, having no idea of what your goals are is an even bigger red flag.   How have you handled a difference of opinion in the past? This question forces your candidate to think beyond the theoretical and showcase a concrete example. Since electrical engineers must be able to work well in a team, strong interpersonal skills are a must. The way they answer will demonstrate their emotional intelligence – if they can demonstrate empathy for another person’s point of view, you can be sure they are not trying to falsely present as being congenial. Respect for the authority figures in positions of power is also an aspect to look out for because you want confident and self-assured engineers on your team, but they must be willing to listen and not let their ego rule. Also, look out for a clear statement of how they resolved the situation. At Precision, interview training is available to give you clear advice on which questions you are allowed to ask and more. Enquire with the team today if you have any questions or you want to talk through your goals with one of our team.

If you need to hire a new employee for a maintenance position but have had poor luck with staff retention or not finding the right fit previously, it could be time to bring interview training into your maintenance recruitment strategy. The right strategy is make or break when it comes to recruiting new hires as you need to ensure you are adopting a different approach to the methods that have proofed less than 100% effective previously. Naturally, there will be several parts to the maintenance recruitment process that work already and you feel comfortable with. For example, you could excel at assessing CVs against your checklist, but if your interview questions are too generic and not specific to the skills you want to recruit, you could fall short of getting the right hire at one of the most crucial stages of the process. This is why working with a reputable recruitment agency to learn first-rate interview training will help your business grow and give you maintenance recruitment skills you can use thereafter. The types of areas covered by interview training include CV scoring methods, HR do’s and don’ts, shortlisting, engagement, arranging face to face or phone interviews and candidate packs containing employee case studies. Perhaps you have been stung by dishonest references previously but only realised in retrospect the discrepancy in the reference – make sure this never happens again! If you do decide to opt for interview training, you will receive an individually tailored training plan tailored to the goals of your business. Additional support and feedback on your progress is also available from our seasoned experts in maintenance recruitment. If you would like more help with maintenance recruitment, please get in touch with our team of top recruitment professionals today.

After furlough and working from home for extended periods, many employees may be unmotivated to return to the office after such a difficult year. While we’re all in unchartered waters at the moment, motivation has always been key in boosting productivity, enhancing employee wellbeing and the smooth continuation of business and so motivating staff as they start to return is a top priority. As one of the best recruitment companies in Leicester, we’ve used our specialist knowledge to put together some tips on how to best achieve this. Be Flexible With the COVID-19 pandemic causing such unrest for such a long period of time in the UK, people have established new patterns of behaviours both personally and professionally. By balancing home and work life many have developed a more flexible working day and going straight back into the 9-5 world may not be entirely suitable for everyone, especially those who may have isolating family members or children to consider. As an employee, it is important to be flexible and accommodate these struggling team members where possible. Brush Up Some employees may have had their formal training cut short or their qualifications suspended and maybe feeling a little behind. As soon as these can be continued, they should be, to get employees up to speed and make true on commitments to improve their CV. Additionally, it may be necessary to go over previous training and ensure everyone is familiar with what is expected of them. Communicate Be clear! As recruitment companies in Leicester know all too well, the communication paths between staff and managers have been disrupted by the pandemic and now with face-to-face interactions able to take place, it’s important to establish connections and ensure that staff feel that they can openly discuss things with you and each other. Another way to gadge how your staff are feeling is to carry out a staff engagement survey - if you're not to sure how to go about this - we would be only to happy to help you  - please call us on 0116 254 5411 for chat.  

Specialist Technical & Management staffing business Precision People has added to their growing contract team with the appointment of Principal Consultant, Chris Deverson.  Chris joins the growing team of five consultants in Precision’s contracts division, which specialises in blue and white collar contracting roles across the East Midlands and the UK.  Prior to joining Precision People Chris worked at ATA and SF for 15 years as Principal consultant. Chris Deverson commented:-    ‘I’m very excited to be joining this already well established and solid team, with an extensive client base. The team has maintained excellent relationships throughout the difficulties of the last year, and now as we’re seeing the market really start to gain traction once again, I look forward to the future, building on the client base and growing the contract division in line with the ambitious 5 year growth plans.”  The Leicester-based business provides recruitment services in the areas of engineering, technical, consultancy and sales, alongside executive search and has been operating in sectors including aerospace and automotive.  Phil Walker, Director of Precision People, said:  “Myself and the team are looking forward to Chris growing the contracting team - strategically for Precision, Chris is a great hire and he comes with a wealth of experience. Contract staffing is an important part of our five year growth strategy, which aims to equal the level of business that we currently have within our permanent division. We have recently launched a company wide share options scheme which has proven to be an attraction for experienced recruiters to join us on the journey..”  Commenting on the current jobs market, Phil stated: “We have seen a full swing back to being inundated with new roles within our client base, and new customers are approaching us to work with them every week, to find key people to help their businesses get back on track.” This press release was featured in: East Midlands Business Link  and The Leicester Mercury / Business Live  Precision People is currently recruiting for the Academy -if you're a graduate or are looking to get started in the world of recruitment, why not train with our experiened consultants? You can  find out more here. or call Natastha Bates on 0116 254 5411 - email natashab@precision-people.uk.   

As you know, many workers have started to venture back into offices across the country. As the numbers grow, there are some important questions your clients should be asking with regards to the lifts in their buildings:-  How long have the lifts not been used?  Do they need servicing?  Could there be faults, or issues? Is this a perfect time to modernise existing lifts? Large corporations in the bigger cities are planning to welcome all their staff back fully in September. This could lead to a surge in lift servicing needs and also repairs,  as lifts left dormant or hardly used will be thrust back into full time use again.  Lifts in places such as churches, hospitality venues, will also have lifts laid dormant for a year and will need to be serviced and inspected. Hospital lifts may have had very little use where wards have been closed.  Plan your hiring needs now  Planning your recruitment for the coming months is easy.  Why not get ahead of your competitors so your business is ready to cope with the Autumn rush?  For more information contact Lift & Escalator recruitment specialist, Sunny Moore on 0116 254 5411 or email sunnym@precision-people.uk   

As we all start to ease back into the office, a question you may have already been asked by some of your existing staff members and indeed starting to have the conversations with your management team is - are we going to give staff the option of working from home a few days a week?  Where do you start setting out a fair criteria that enhances not damages the business, keeps your staff and your customers happy whilst co-ordinating teams and keeping morale high when people aren’t consistently in the same office at the same time? Quite a challenge!  Here are a few tips and some criteria to think about which will help you build a plan of action that you should be able to use going forwards.  1. Do they have the skills?  Do they have the ability to achieve key outputs targets, such as sales calls targets, proposals out, projects completed.  Have they just joined the business and need training, or have they been in the business for a while and are equipped with all the necessary skills to be able to work on certain days from home? If they are not meeting their targets, identify why and then a strategy should be created to teach those skills in the oworkplace environment where they can be asisted and mentored by Managers and peers. This can be reviewed on an agreed timescale.  You can assess them by: are they achieving the numbers on outputs & inputs? 2. Do they have the tools?   Do they have a quiet and uninterrupted work space, are they contactable all the time and do they have all tools for the job? E.g fast enough wifi, suitable computer. Are customers aware when speaking to them via zoom etc that they are working from home. If so does it look professional?  You can assess them by: being always visible / able to take transfers and answering calls. You could ask for feedback from customers regarding their experience when dealing with staff.  Tip: If space is an issue while they work from home, they can use a fake backdrop to hide clutter.  3. Are they mentally equipped? This is a really important one. Do they have the self-motivation and mental agility to carry out all the tasks required? Working from home does seem more appealing to some staff in the summer months - working from a laptop in the garden. However, during the colder and darker months, could it have a negative effect on some of your staff’s mental health?  You can assess them by: Achieving targets and ability to bring complete projects, tasks, bring new customers on, account management etc. Tip: Employee engagement surveys are also a very useful tool to gain feedback from staff.  4. Have they received all the training? Or do they require more training?  This ties in with tip number 1. Some training can be completed online, while other training (part of your on boarding process for example) is better face to face in the office. Only you will know what will work best with your organisation. Online training will have its advantages because you can train all your staff whether they are in the office or at home simultaneously.  You can assess this by: Training needs should be highlighted with their Manager and scheduled asap.  It’s clear that working from home will be woven into the fabric of the world of work going forwards. Many candidates we are currently speaking to will ask about WFH as one of their first questions when weighing up a new job opportunity. The days of commuting five days a week are behind us, unless of course you enjoy coming into the office all week (which many people do!)  The trend seems to be at present is people want to strike a balance between both and want to spend 2 or 3 days in the office and 2 or 3 days working from home. That way they are present for important meetings, check in with Managers and other members of staff whilst using the other 2 days to maybe start that bit earlier because they’re not commuting and work around errands at home.  By using the above tips it will help you form your company’s criteria to work from home, which needs to be fair to all members of staff, whilst making sure everyone is just as productive as they were before, and if possible more.  One method is to use an employee engagement survey - these can be invaluable in finding out the true feedback and feelings of you staff. If you’re not sure where to start with one - we’d be happy to have chat and see how we can help you with this, simply email us as hello@precision-people.uk  for more information or call us for a chat in the office - 0116 254 5411.   

While a pay rise is welcome by everybody in any field of work, it is not the only reason an employee stays with their company. Motivation is not a permanent feeling and as such, strategies to sustain employee engagement within your organisation are needed to keep your business meeting its goals with motivated employees. But what is at the heart of employee engagement? And how can you generate more dopamine amongst your employees to ensure they feel rewarded and inspired to continue giving their best at work? There are well-researched and proven ways to make this happen – let us give you 2 top examples. Team Building Days Team building days are a fantastic way to improve employee engagement because studies show that we bond to other people through a shared experience. While you may be thinking working at the same company is enough, the reason team building days often centre around solving puzzles and challenges lies in how our brains are wired. In the work sphere, colleagues can view each other as competition for promotions or the manager’s good books, whereas cooperative activities that involve the production of adrenaline (whether a mental or physical activity) will enhance the collaboration of your team as everybody gets acquainted with the strengths and personalities of each other. Everyone wants to feel like they’re a valued member of the team, so if they can contribute something towards a shared goal the entire team is working towards unanimously in a low-pressure setting, the novelty of the experience will engender positive feelings towards teamwork and the individuals they work with. Once the dopamine hit of contributing some initiative in the team building day has subsided, your employees will be looking to replace that feeling by becoming a more involved member of the team. The positive rewards of actively feeling a part of your organisation will be reinforced as they contribute towards bolstering your reputation with their genuine enthusiasm. Employee Award Scheme An employee award scheme is a similar way of mining that feel-good chemical: dopamine as the reward for their efforts is set out for them. There are multiple ways to reward your employees and some you may even be doing already but making them predictable encourages employees to work hard in order to achieve that public recognition that elevates their social standing at work. The famous ‘employee of the month’ award is one of the most well-known ways of rewarding your employees, but vouchers, best performing lists and experience-based gifts also work well for fostering a sense of pride in your employees’ attitude to their work. Employee engagement can be managed in many ways but an engagement strategy is guaranteed to bring success. We visit your workplace to review your procedures, ensure we understand your organisation with communication with you and then devise a tailored plan that incorporates your values and vision. Enquire with the team today to ensure you benefit from the most engaged employees you can have.

With the UK unemployment rate rising to 4.8% in the three months to September (BBC, 2020),  it’s safe to say the job market is not what we’re used to. There are so many changes happening in the world which means job seekers and recruiters need to be prepared for interviewing in ways they aren’t used to. This blog looks at digital interviewing in particular and answers why your company should be using Zoom for interviews.  The Ease of Online Interviews A lot of companies may be familiar with Zoom thanks to lockdown and working remotely, but Zoom doesn’t have to be used solely for team meetings. It’s one of the easiest tools for businesses to use in interviews. In fact, according to Indeed, more companies are choosing to conduct interviews over Zoom because “it tends to be more convenient for remote positions or initial screening interviews”. So what does this mean from the employers and the candidates perspectives? From the job seekers point of view, Zoom interviews mean they get to skip the stress of getting stuck in traffic, trying to find the right building and arriving late. While, from the business’ perspective, Zoom calls provide a higher chance of smooth interviews, which reduces the time and money that it takes for them to find the right person for the job. From both perspectives, it’s easy to use, free and is a lifesaver during the Pandemic but it also allows the two parties to converse with each other organically. Real Conversations Aside from the odd internet connection problem, Zoom is extremely reliable for both candidates and job seekers. With the current restrictions, some companies prefer job seekers to send in a video of themselves as part of the interview process. However, this may not give the recruiters the best idea of who the candidates really are. According to Twinemployment, 65% of interviewers said that candidates who failed to make eye contact didn’t get the role that they were applying for which can be a real problem with jobseekers recording themselves on their mobiles. Unlike with these videos, Zoom calls are real conversations. Candidates are speaking to people and not into their phone, which can make it easier to focus on one object. It enables them to become more comfortable in the interview process and they interact as actual people, rather than reading from a script. This in turn allows recruiters to engage with them and assess how they are reacting to the questions being asked and the interview process as a whole.  While it allows the recruiters to determine whether the candidate is right for the job, it also allows the candidate to add to points the interviewer may have brought up, making the interview process smoother for both parties. Record the interview to refer back to  Despite candidates trying their hardest to be the one that recruiters remember, it can be quite difficult for businesses to remember all of their interviews. Which is why Zoom is perfect for interviewers.  Zoom calls can be recorded, which allows companies to go back over all of their interviews and ensures they are selecting the perfect candidate for them. This also means that interviewers aren’t missing any telling signs (such as the body language of the candidate) when they’re making notes during the interview. Hiring Internationally As we briefly mentioned earlier, a lot of businesses already use Zoom for remote work. With only 12% of 4,700 knowledge workers wanting to return to full-time office work after the pandemic (Future Forum Research, 2020), it seems as though there may not be a reason for employees to work in the office at all. Businesses are adapting to not having people in the office at all times, which means they can start to explore their options a little more when it comes to hiring.  By using Zoom, employees can work in different locations to the office and still be able to communicate with their co-workers. This opens up the interview process globally and ensures that companies aren’t missing out on talent from other areas of the country or even other areas of the world.  It’s clear that for a world that is constantly changing, employers and employees need to learn to adapt to changes in the workplace. These changes begin with the interview process, and adapting to Zoom interviews will not only benefit the candidate but will also benefit the company hugely.  A number of our clients have no taken on new staff using zoom interviews with great success. If your not sure how to go about it we would be happy to help you.  If you enjoyed this blog, check out our blogs on 'Above the keyboard dressing’ and ‘How to run a virtual interview and recruitment process’. The Precision team can be contacted on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk   

Specialist Technical & Management staffing business Precision People has launched a new outplacement service to support HR teams managing redundancy programmes. myjob.coach is an online platform, which enables businesses and their HR teams to support staff being made redundant with access to a range of services and information that will assist them in securing new jobs. Also with the capability to support individual employees dealing with redundancy, myjobs.coach offers workshops, resources and coaching designed to help businesses and their workforce through the process. Through its Outplacement Programme, the platform delivers online group workshops, which help staff gain the skills they need to find a new role including perfecting their CV and tips to improve their chance of getting a job offer. An e-learning resource enables staff to access a wide range of job search tools and information 24 hours a day with video-based training and self-managed learning tools. In addition, myjobs.coach provides tailored support to each employee with one-to-one personal video coaching sessions. The new platform has been developed by Precision People as it expands its services to clients beyond its core recruitment capabilities. The Leicester-based business provides recruitment services in the areas of engineering, technical, consultancy and sales, alongside executive search and has been operating in sectors including aerospace, automotive and   construction.   Phil Walker, Director of Precision People, said:  “Businesses and HR teams, no matter what their size, will find managing the expected wave of redundancies due across the country, a real challenge. myjobs.coach offers a range of support thatwill help businesses manage the outplacement process in a supportive way. “Redundancy is a difficult situation for both employer and employee and having the ability to provide a programme of services that will assist with individuals’ future employment prospects will be welcomed by many businesses that regretfully have to reduce their headcount.”     If you would like to find out more about myjobs.coach please email phil@myjobs.coach or call 0845 5700777

If your business still has the need, appetite and capacity to continue hiring right now, here’s some help and guidance on how you can still make things happen in these unprecedented times. Obviously, we have a vested interest in keeping the wheels moving in recruitment, in what are very tough market conditions for everyone right now.  Job board aggregators such as Indeed and Adzuna are the canaries in the coal mine for the economy, the numbers of permanent vacancies being posted by clients and recruitment firms has fallen dramatically across the world as the majority of companies have cancelled or postponed hiring plans. Engineering and manufacturing are among many industries to see a notable decline in March. These are the facts,  we are in no way looking to take advantage of the terrible situation people find themselves in. Commercially you are in a very strong position if you continue recruiting right now because there are certain things in your favour. Less jobs advertised, less competition for the skills you require. We have seen a rise in people applying for roles on our website.  With fewer companies recruiting, the competition for the best talent is not as fierce as it was 3 weeks ago. Many industries are in dire straits – the uncertainty will be unsettling staff in these sectors, who are going to start looking around, who otherwise would not. While others may be unfortunately being made redundant. What is the solution? Run a virtual recruitment process.   Yes it’s a new way of doing things, yes it’s a bit scary – but it is possible to interview, hire and onboard someone virtually and Precision can help you. There are a number of paid and free video conferencing tools which are stable, feature rich and easy to use. Some useful free tools are:  Zoom – Free Google Hangouts – Free Teams – Paid (but will be part of most commercial O365 packages) Skype for Business – Paid Hinterview or Odro – Paid We advise you prepare and deliver a virtual or video interview in exactly the same way you would prepare for a face to face meeting. Read these two posts '24 Interview tips to make sure you hire the right candidate.' and 'Hard and Soft skills' to help you.  Let us know and we can set up a Zoom meeting between all your key stakeholders and the Precision team to discuss your requirements in detail, also the profile of your ideal candidate in terms of team fit. Check out 'How to find staff who fit your culture.' The Precision team will take that understanding, go to market and present you with a shortlist as normal. Video Interview – We can set up and schedule these meeting on your behalf. First Round – 30 minutes Informal discussion around the candidate’s skill set, motivations Second Round – 1hr 30minutes – More detailed discussions around the candidate’s technical / engineering skills and personality fit, including some form of presentation if its suitable from the candidate Final Round – 1hr Optional final stage probably with members of the senior management team to follow up on any outstanding questions / queries or concerns borne out of the interview process. Virtual On Boarding of a Remote worker  HR Process – Contract / Company Handbook Line Manager Process – Have a clear plan for the initial remote scenario – Set clear expectations. What you expect from the employee and what they can expect from you. You can courier a laptop to a new employee fully configured with all the essential cloud applications needed and / or connectivity. Management of your remote employee – take some advice from your HR partners, have a plan around how you are going to manage your remote worker, they will need plenty of communication and hand holding, especially in the early days.  Precision has access to a specialist on-boarding coach who delivers coaching support to new employees to culturally embed, support and enable them to become productive as soon as possible. The important thing to remember is that this situation WILL pass and so talking to us now ready for the up-turn makes good business sense.  If you have the means, authority and the need to hire staff right now Precision can help you. We have the market knowledge and the contacts to deliver and advise you on how to hire in these uncertain times.  If you woud like to find out more about how we can help you click here to book a time suitable for you, call 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk 

Many of us will be spending a lot more time at home over the coming weeks, limiting contact with our friends, family and work colleagues to interactions using online technology and video calls. Our cameo area and communication zone will become even more important. Here are some tips on how to look your best while being viewed on screen. How to be seen on screen Keep it tidy! Make sure your hair is well groomed and styled and will stay put, off your face - any movements you have to make to sort out some unruly strays will appear exaggerated on screen and be distracting for your viewers. It will also frame your face and is a great way to express your personality. Make up - shake up! We can sometimes look a little flat on screen even if we are wearing foundation, blusher and our lipstick. Try deepening your blusher by pinching your blusher brush and applying it a little darker directly under your cheekbones to give your face a little more structure. WOW your lips! Wearing one of your best lipstickcolours will make all the difference to how visible you are on screen. Your skin will look fresher, even if you've not been outside for days and you feel like you have radiator face! Take it under the chin! The area immediately below your face has a huge impact on how you are perceived by others. Make sure your scarves and jewellery are not only in your colours and best metals but are of great quality, reflect your personality and say what you want to other people. Patternistas! Patterns can look a little busy on screen, so block colours can often work better. Definitely avoid small geometrics, such as dogtooth and checks, since these tend to pixilate on screen - no one will be listening to you if your best jacket is making your viewers look away to protect their eyes. Techy tips for more visibility: Position your camera so that your face is in as much natural daylight as possible with your eyes in the top 1/3 of the screen. Look directly into the lens, not down (you'll have fewer chins, no one needs to see up your nostrils or feel like they are being looked down upon). Check your background - is it presenting you in a way you would like to be perceived? This is really key for work meetings - your colleagues don't need to see your bedroom, what's cooking, your bathroom (or worse). Smile as you talk, more than you would normally - it comes across as warm and engaging.   It's likely we'll be seeing our colleagues, friends and family for a more weeks via zoom and google hangouts, but by following these tips, we'll all look a little more camera ready as we get used to seeing everyone on screen for hopefully, not too long.  Thank you to House of Colour for these online tips.     

Engineering recruitment can be highly competitive, so businesses need onboarding processes to match. Our recruiters have some tips for ensuring your engineering firm is up to date Engineering is an extremely competitive discipline and most engineering recruitment candidates are overwhelmed with applicants for each new role they offer. Selecting the ideal person for the job might seem straight forward with such a big pool from which to select them, but employers shouldn’t treat it as an easy task. The talent hired can make or break a project and businesses looking for continual growth need to know what gives them a competitive edge in landing the best candidates. Don’t Put Too Much Emphasis on Schooling When undertaking engineering recruitment, many companies scan CV’s and place those with red brick university education at the top of the pile, and although there is no denying these schools churn out top talent, there are other great indicators of a good engineer. In fact, some of the most well-known engineers attended less prestigious institutions, while some have no higher education at all! In interviews, ensure to ask about experience and problem-solving skills, over degree classification to hone in on the traits that are important to the role.   Pair Them Up Engineers have a bit of a bad rap for being elusive lone wolves when in actual fact most projects rely heavily on teamwork and collaboration between design, structural and civil engineers. Identifying candidates who work well together is a key part of the engineering recruitment process so business should try to pair them up to work together on a task. Have one observe and one carry out a task, with them swapping throughout, to identify candidates who are open to criticism and eager to collaborate. Work with a Recruiter Partnering with an engineering recruitment business like Precision People can save businesses time and money when hiring staff. With the help of our experts and their up to date knowledge of hiring trends, we can ensure that we work together to find the ideal candidate for your unique needs.  If you would like to have a chat about how we can help your engineering business call our knowledgeable engineering team on 0116 254 5411 today, or email email us at hello@precision-people.uk - busy? Book a time to call to suit you by clicking here. See all our latest engineering jobs here Find out more about the engineering team here.  

What does the outside world think of your company? Your employer branding and how it is portrayed controls the person that you hire. Here are 7 quick tips: - Look at your website – what does it say about you? Imagine you were a potential candidate, what impression would you gain purely from your site? Do you look like an attractive company to work for? Compare your site to your competitors, who would you choose, why? Keep your social media pages up to date with images of your place of work if it’s appropriate. Also add awards, news, and team days out. Link your main site to your social media pages including your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.  What do your competitors say about themselves – how do you compare? Spend some time researching them on and off line. You can even set up google alerts which will notify you of any changes or news about them.  Survey your staff. Get them to complete a quick questionnaire on what they like and dislike about working for your company, the results may surprise you! You can then use the results when promoting your business to potential candidates. You might find the smallest of things can make the biggest difference. News section on your website. Add relevant news about your industry and keep adding stories. This makes your site look current and up to date, making your company appear knowledgeable and a market leader. Look at your recruitment adverts, - does it make someone want to work for you? How is it actually perceived? Ask colleagues or friends for some honest feedback. How do your current recruiters, internal and external sell your company to the market? What do they say to explain certain key areas that would be important to the candidates? Everyone who comes into contact with your business will have formed an opinion about whether your company is a positive place to work for. Whether they are past and current employees, suppliers or potential new employees. Therefore, your employee branding is very important and must be monitored and maintained to keep it fresh. Precision has a step by step process we follow when working with our clients, including looking at a companies employer brand and how we can work together to improve it. If you would like to have a chat about how we can help your business improve it's employer brand and deliver the candidates you need to make your business grow, contact us today on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk. 

Improving a business’s technical recruitment process is key to ensuring the hire of top-quality candidates, see how this can be achieved. For a long time, technical recruitment clients measured their employment success based solely on the number of candidates that turned into hires, but as the old saying goes, quantity doesn’t always mean quality. However, over the past 5 years, technical recruitment has become more sophisticated and clients have more insights that help them to understand their candidate pool, measure engagement at each stage of the hiring process and most importantly, retain top talent – so how is this achieved? Define Your Ideals The first way to improve your technical recruitment process is to identify and understand your ideal candidate. Consider your most recent hires in the sector and assess what made you hire them – was it their grasp of several programming languages? Or the type of projects they worked on in their previous role? How quickly did they learn once on the job? By identifying the key ‘pros’ of past hires, businesses can form a profile, which allows their recruiters to better vet any future candidates and their qualifications. Identify Areas that Don’t Indicate Success A commonly made mistake by firms looking for technical recruitment is never identifying areas of the job description that don’t indicate future success in practice. At one time, employers often thought that GCSE’s and A-Level grades earmarked candidates skill levels, but these days employers are keener on work experience and real-world applications. Sit down with managers and identify what your job listing says compared with actual hires, which will aid recruiters in the development of the job description, ensuring only candidates with the necessary criteria are processed. Forecast for the Future Businesses should always be prepared to recruit technical staff, even if there are currently no available openings. It’s good practice to assess the years gone by and identify recruiting trends and test whether or not they are likely to repeat themselves. This allows the business to be prepared for recruitment spike’s and won’t leave them flat-footed when the time comes to grow the team. If you would like to find out more about how our technical team can help your business - find out more here or call for a informal chat on 0116 254 5411, email hello@precision-people.uk. Too busy to talk? Book a time for a chat when it suits you. Check out all the latest technical vacancies here. 

Have you got your growth strategy in place for 2020? Or are you waiting to see how Brexit develops, as a number of our clients have said they are. Whatever your decision, one way to keep your business fulfilling orders and keeping yrou customers happy is the use of independent technical contractors, can provide many benefits and it’s not just that they bring the talent you need for a project without becoming a permanent employee. Many employers have different expectations of an independent contractor’s role and what they bring to a business. Technical contractors are a useful solution for employers, looking to successfully navigate periods of change, especially in these uncertain times faced by businesses. You may have a big project coming up for which you’ll require an extra pair of hands, but not be able to commit hiring a permanent employee. Understanding this, and then revising your job specifications around your requirements and expectations is key. Here are five benefits to bringing an independent professional on-board: Considerable Financial Benefits  Independent contractors are a temporary solution and do not require an annual salary, as well as the other associated costs of taking on a permanent employee. You will also not need to invest in paid learning and development for them, as they will only benefit your business for a limited period. Shorter Onboarding Process Traditionally, the onboarding process for contract employees is a lot quicker than for permanent employees. When hiring long-term employees, you have to consider personality and cultural fit whereas for independent contractors, you only need to hire for technical skills.  Flexibility One of the most widely acknowledged benefits of hiring independent contractors is that they are flexible. Independent contractors allow you to respond to business and market needs, as they arise. They are also often used to working for different personalities, in different locations, for varied of periods of time.  Immediate Impact As they are only joining for a limited period of time, they should know that they need to make an immediate impact. You will also not have to spend time familiarizing them with the work environment, introducing them to every staff member and training them! Highly Skilled, Niche Experience Independent contractors have a highly specialised skillset and are accustomed to working on niche projects. Utilising these skills on your team can really help to drive your business forward. If you want to know more about hiring contractors, talk to one of our contracting experts today on 0116 254 5411 or click here.    

 Precision People's annual Christmas Party   and Star Awards were held on Saturday 7th   December, at Tandem Restaurant in Leicester   city centre.   Staff were treated to a chilled glass of prosecco on arrival, followed by a delicious 3 course meal with wine, in a private balcolny room, over looking the city centre.   After dinner, the Precision annual Star Awards were presented by Commercial Director Ray Metcalfe and Recruitment Director, Phil Walker.  There were in total fourteen awards handed out at the black tie evening. The awards are designed to recognise the hard work of the consultants and support staff through out the year. As well as serious awards there were also a few more light hearted awards handed out.  Award Winners:  'Quote of the Year' award  Was awarded to Civil Engineering Recruitment Specialist, Faisal Ahmed.                'Why use five words when you can use 1,000' award Was voted for by the team and this was awarded to Technical Sales specialist Harry Pemberton.                'Most improved' award  Was awarded to Lift & Escalator specialist Ben Marmon                The awards for Highest Biller, Highest Candidate NPS, Highest Monthly Biller, Sales League Winner and finally Brand Amabassador'  Went to Construction and Building Products recruitment specialist, Natalie Chapman.                Natalie consistently demonstrates Precision's values which are Listen, Integrity, Passions and Support.  Highest Permanent Fee Award  Was awarded to Search consultant Mike Morris.                Best Newcomer  went to Engineering Consultant, Sam Taylor  Highest % of business brought in award was awarded to Maintenance specialist, Guleid Fouad    'Most Improved' and Employee of the Year'  L to R: Commercial Director Ray, Employee of the Year Ben Marmon and Recruitment Director Phil Walker.  Recruitment Director, Phil Walker commented:  "Congratulations to all the winners especially firstly to Natalie who won five awards including highest biller and also a massive congratulations to Employee of the Year, Lift & Escalator consultant Ben Marmon who also won 'Most Improved'.  Ben's hardwork and commitment to his candidates and clients through out the year, has clearly paid off. I also want to thank all the staff through out the year for all their hard work and dedication."    Take a look at all the photos from the recent Precision Star Awards If you would like to find out more about working for a recruitment firm that has fun whilst rewarding staff, contact Ray Metcalfe on 0116 254 5411 or email raym@precision-people.uk for an informal chat.     

The time period between late November and New Year's Day is the time with the lowest level of recruiting competition. So, if you're thinking about hiring in 2020, December should be viewed as a golden recruiting opportunity. Whether your business is in Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction or Sales; smart firms that actively recruit during this low competition time can successfully land new staff of amazing quality.  You will have far less chance of hiring high calibre staff when demand for talent is traditionally higher and there are increasing job positions available at the beginning of January. Recruiting in December - The advantages In this new era of data-based decision making in recruiting, smart businesses use data to identify the times when they have the highest probability of landing top-performing talent. And, if you run the data, you will find that December is the month with the lowest recruiting competition. There are many advantages for recruiting in December, here are some:- 1. New Year, New Start?  At the end of the year, many people contemplate their current job. Forward-looking employed individuals will still invariably spend at least some time during the weeks before the end of the year re-evaluating their current work and life situation and rethinking whether they want to spend another year in their current job. Smart firms can take advantage of that questioning time period and be one of the few that proactively propose a new opportunity to these "not-actively-looking" individuals. "I need more money!"  The Christmas season means extensive shopping, travel, and Christmas party expenses. As a result, many individuals realise that they need a job which pays more! If your organisation's salaries are significantly higher in your sector than your competitors, December recruiting provides your firm with an opportunity to attract those who are having money issues. In addition, if you're recruiting sales people and other jobs where year-end bonuses are paid out during December, you will find that December is the top month for moving on in these kinds of jobs. Recruiting is a no-no for some organisations during December. A few firms completely shut down operations the last two weeks of December. Whilst other firms place complete hiring freezes in effect toward the end of their fiscal year. And as a result, these recruiting competitors literally offer no competition to those organisations that are smart enough to recruit during December. With no headcount, throughout December there will be zero head-to-head recruiting competitions with your firm. Take advantage of your competitor recruiter's being preoccupied. Most hiring managers and recruiters are distracted by Christmas shopping, parties, and family needs. As a result, they devote significantly fewer hours to recruiting. This lack of attention stretches out the time before an offer can be made. So, even if a major firm does post jobs, fast-moving firms can capture top candidates before most other firms get around to making a hiring decision during December and into January. Available headcount is minimal for talent within competitor firms — If you have the available headcount, your firm will have only limited competition because most top firms won't have available headcount until January 2nd (after January 2nd, your odds of winning a single head-to-head competition might sink to zero). Whereas, even large firms can't hire when their headcount is exhausted toward the end of their fiscal year. And since, many corporations' fiscal year ends in December, this will give you a head start. And, of course, with fewer jobs posted, your job role will have an improved chance of being noticed. "Just popping out the office to see a client..."  December is the easiest month to find an "acceptable excuse" for leaving the office and slip out for interviews. This is because so many employees routinely leave the office for a few hours using believable reasons like shopping, running errands, and Christmas parties. Because bosses are so accepting of excuses, it is relatively easy for candidates to make an excuse to get out of the office for either a long lunch with a recruitment consultant or a formal interview.  Activity on social media is higher than ever, making it easier to contact potential new employees. Almost everyone is highly active on social media during Christmas. Your recruiting targets are constantly checking social media for messages from family and friends. As a result, there is an increased chance that they will see, read, and even respond to your recruiting messages. Potential new employees may use their free hours during December to update their LinkedIn profiles or their CV's, so recruiters can use those updates as an alert that these individuals may be open to new opportunities. The Christmas schedule is quieter.  There are no industry conferences, important seminars, or other major corporate meetings scheduled during the Christmas period. As a result, top prospects are not preparing for them, so they have more available free time to consider job opportunities. Also, because many employees and even customers take time off during this month, many major projects are essentially forced into suspended animation. Top-performing prospects also have more time for catching up on reading and learning, so candidates may be reading your employer branding materials for the first time during December. Many prospects also take their 'unused holiday' in December (because they may lose it at year's end). And as a result, candidates are much more available for calls and interviews. Obviously, with few events and meetings scheduled, your recruitment consultants themselves also have more available time to make a strong "December push." Identify a Recruitment Consultant who has experience within your industry. In any competitive scenario, if you want to win more than your fair share of head-to-head competitions, go against the flow. If you're planning on recruiting in the 1st quarter of 2018, you should seriously consider "counter cycle recruiting." Instead of shutting down the recruiting function during December, put together a "December recruiting push" in order to get ahead of your competition.  Focus your time on liaising and working with a knowledgeable recruitment consultant in your industry, who knows how to discreetly approach forward-looking individuals who, even though they  are in a current job, use December as a time to rethink their career path and their opportunities for the future. And finally, understand that because it's "a season of giving," consultants are not intruding on potential candidates; instead, they are providing individuals with exciting opportunities that will change their lives. This "gift of a new job" costs the individual nothing, but they and their family will receive great long-term benefits from it for years to come. So, if you are planning on hiring in 2020, it will pay off next year if you seek out now a specialist recruitment consultancy in your sector and start to build that relationship, so you're ahead of the game in January and beyond.  Precision's consultants are specialists in a number of fields including engineering, technical, and executive search - contact us today on 0116 254 5411 to find out how we can help you or email us on hello@precision-people.uk or use the contact us form.

Engineering is a vast industry with many facets and areas to specialise in. Having said that, there are many transferable and universal skills that are useful right across the entire scope of engineering. As leading engineering recuitment specialists, we are perfectly positioned to advise on such matters. Looking to recruit into an engineering role? Contact us now. Below we look at the top 10 most valuable skills engineers need in 2022. 1. Up to date technical knowledge Technical knowledge and skills are the main skillset recruiters are looking for. It’s important to have the right educational background to set yourself on the right path, but it’s also important to show how far you’ve come since leaving education. Stay at the top of your game by reading industry news, blogs and articles. Consider getting certified in new areas and technologies whenever relevant. 2. Communication Although the bare bones of engineering often happen individually at a desk or computer, these projects always start and end with human discussion. It’s vital to be able to communicate and listen in order to ensure that the project is a success and any issues can be resolved quickly. 3. Leadership Businesses want to know that you aren’t just there for a free ride. That when the going gets tough you are able to step up. Businesses want to hire people who want to be there and want to work their way up and add value to their organisation, leadership is a key quality in the modern world of engineering. 4. Interpersonal Similarly to the last two skills, the ability to bring people together and influence, is of the utmost importance for the modern engineer. Collaboration and teamwork is a key part of many projects and the ability to build rapport in a team can guarantee the success or failure of many projects. 5. Critical reasoning Using the knowledge you’ve acquired throughout education and your career (see skill 1) means that you should have the core understanding needed to see the wood from the trees. Being critical allows you to realise where the value is in a piece of work and evaluate which points are crucial. 6. Creativity The ability to creatively solve problems is key in any profession, engineering is no different. When problems arise and the most obvious solution isn’t possible it’s crucial to be able to solve the task in front of you in whatever way you can. 7. Innovation There will always be a demand to keep making things better, faster or stronger. The very nature of engineering means that engineers are the people who need to deliver this day-in-day-out. Having the desire to innovate and solve problems should be a key skill that engineers strive for. 8. Enthusiasm If you want to work as an engineer, show how much you want it. Having the desire to get up and go is crucial. Showing enthusiasm is a great skill that will help accelerate you in your career. 9. Attention to Detail Being an engineer, accuracy and precision are both vital attributes. In this industry, mistakes can be costly as even the smallest miscalculation can have profound effects. Failure to pay attention to the small stuff can result in huge consequences when it comes to incurring costs or even health and safety. 10. Resilience Finally, resilience is a great skill in any walk of life. The nature of an engineer means that you can be on call 24 hours a day which can be tough. Even in jobs where you don’t find yourself on call they can be equally as demanding in other ways. It’s important to demonstrate that you won’t fall at the first hurdle and can keep going throughout tough times. Take a look at all our latest sheet metal, machining & production and Mechanical & Electrical jobs here. Get to know our engineering team here you can also register your CV here.

At the end of last year, Harriet Potter started in Precision’s Academy. Harriet has gone from strength to strength and has made a flying start to her career in recruitment. In this feature, she offers her perspective on her first few months with the company, as well as giving an insight into what she wished she knew before applying for a job at Precision People. About me  "Since I was young I’ve always been very sporty. I love football and I used to play for Leicester City Ladies team which was an amazing experience. Because of this, I’d consider myself quite a competitive person - something that I believe is really important in recruitment. Initially, I wanted to work in the sports industry but realised that there were so few jobs and none of them seemed like they were a good fit for me. In the end, I started working in retail. I really enjoyed it at first as I’ve always considered myself a people person. I was promoted quite soon after starting there and was recognised as manager of the month which is something that I’m very proud of. After a couple of years working there, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t very challenging and my competitive edge wasn’t being utilised enough. I’d heard about recruitment from a few friends and  decided to apply for a job with Precision People. My Initial Impressions about Recruitment I had reservations about working in such a professional environment as I didn’t go to university and I know that recruitment is a popular graduate job, but those worries melted away pretty quickly.  As soon as I started working in   recruitment, I quickly realised that   I’d  love it. I wanted a fast-paced   and fun environment but also one   that was rewarding and challenging   and recruitment is just that. I can be   myself and love to speak with   clients as I am definitely a people-   oriented person.  I was also surprised by how much   responsibility I was given early on.   Effectively I’m in charge of my own   ‘desk’, which in some ways is   comparable to running my own   business! I’ve learned so much about my specialist area (Fire Engineers) and my geography skills have improved so much since starting here!  I’m highly money motivated and I love that in recruitment money is a reflection of work. In other office jobs, you have to work extra hours and aren’t necessarily rewarded for it. In recruitment the more you put in the more you get out, both in terms of money and results as the two are directly linked. Something that is just as rewarding as the commission, if not more, is the feeling you get when you place someone. Getting someone a job makes all your hard work worth it. The feeling is something that I can only compare winning a cup in football, not even just a regular game! I made my first placement a couple of weeks ago and had a massive adrenaline rush afterwards. My Initial Impressions about Precision People  I chose Precision for a few reasons but the main one is the academy. A lot of companies offer just 4 weeks of training and I didn’t feel like this was enough for me to learn my trade, especially given a background in sports and retail. Precision’s academy is 6 months long and the support they have given me throughout has been just what I needed. I’m now nearly 4 months in and I feel like I’ll be ready to take the next step soon. Another great feature of working at Precision is their values. They live and operate by five values: passion, listen, encourage, integrity and support. These are all so important in day to day life at Precision, something that really makes them stand out from other recruitment companies just focussed on getting as much money as possible. Horror stories do exist in recruitment, but I haven’t heard about any of these about Precision. People love working here. I think that a lot of the horror stories are from people that aren’t really a good fit for that job or company, it’s important to consider this when applying to any job. Something else that we do at Precision that other companies don’t do is specialise. Other companies tend to take on any job and ask a consultant that doesn’t know that industry to try and fill it, often resulting in pretty poor quality candidates. Although it might seem like a small thing from the outside looking in, it means that you can build much better quality relationships with candidates and companies. Advice to Applicants  As I said before, it’s important to consider if you are the right person to work in recruitment. It is a demanding job and very fast paced so it isn’t for everyone. It doesn’t tend to be a normal 9-5, but working those extra hours really makes it worth it. The highs are absolutely exhilarating! If you’re upbeat and people-oriented then you should definitely think about a career in recruitment. Although it can be tough, finding someone their perfect job is a great thing to do day-to-day and something very meaningful. I’d also recommend looking around at some other recruitment companies as you’ll see how different Precision is and how accommodating we are as a company. Of course, you need to be resilient as not every day is a high. Ultimately the tough days make the good days even better!"  If you’re considering a career in recruitment and have any questions about my experiences, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. If you would like to know more about the Precision Academy click here or if you fancy a conversation to see if the Precision Academy might be the right move for you, call Natasha for an initial chat on 0116 254 5411, email natashab@precision-people.uk or connect with Natasha on LinkedIn here or you can apply by clicking here.

Harry Pemberton - 8 months on - My first impressions of training in the Academy at Precision People.    Harry Pemberton has been working as a Search Associate at Precision People for the last 8 months. He joined Precision’s bespoke 6-month recruitment training Academy after graduating from university with a degree in Sports Science. Harry is a lover of all things sport and a passionate Leeds United fan. His sporting background is diverse, ranging from athletics to swimming and badminton to football. His years of playing have helped a competitive edge and killer instinct, something which is helping him thrive in his career in recruitment. Why I chose Recruitment  "After graduating university, I wasn’t that sure of what I wanted to do, I initially applied for jobs related to my degree in sports science, fearing that an office environment wasn’t my thing. Although I still feel like I wouldn’t enjoy working in a normal office, Precision is right up my street. As well as being competitive by nature I’m also very people oriented. These two attributes are vital to be successful in the recruitment industry as you spend a lot of time on the phone cultivating relationships with clients." Choosing the Academy  "After deciding to work in recruitment, I applied to various companies and was in the very fortunate position of having multiple offers on the table. After researching the companies and reflecting on the feeling I had when I met with the companies, Precision was my first choice by far. Precision seemed like a much friendlier working environment, everyone seemed welcoming and I got on really well with everyone that I met, and I could be totally myself." What I love about my job Since accepting the job 8 months ago, I can honestly say that Precision has not disappointed! Around the office, there is a family style atmosphere and everyone is  very supportive. My colleagues are genuinely pleased for me and very congratulatory about my successes, whether big or small.   My role is in quite a niche area,  I focus on   technical recruitment in the aerospace and   automotive industries across Europe. I spend   a lot of my time on the phone to Germany as      there is a massive industry  there, I love that   my job has an international element.  The environment  Although it’s cliche to say, there is definitely a work hard, play hard atmosphere in the office. We all make sure to finish on time  every Friday and head out for a drink, as we do on paydays. We also go out for a curry every couple of months. We have quite a few socials which are used as incentives like going to Ladies Day at the races, something that really creates a great team atmosphere in the office. Although I love the social element of working at Precision, another great thing which we do is a lot of charity events. The next one we have coming up is a charity game of tag rugby which I can’t wait to get involved in! My career path After joining the Academy 8 months ago I’ve learned so much - probably more than I realise. The normal path in the academy is to spend a few weeks learning the candidate side of things, what typical career paths are in your chosen industry and trying to understand the ins-and-outs of candidates wants and needs. After that, we move onto the sales side looking more into understanding the positions that companies have and what their requirements are. It’s a great way of learning your trade because you get a full 360 degree understanding of the process.   Within a year of graduating from the academy, I’d like to be in a position where I have a few very good working relationships with companies in need of recruitment and be their ‘go-to guy’ for jobs in my field. Further, in the future, I’d love to lead a division. I’m very fortunate in being able to grow my career with Precision - the more you put in, the more you get out! The challenges  Like any job there are challenges and it’s not all plain sailing. There are frustrating times, especially on days where no one seems to pick up the phone or when another recruiter takes your client. You need to be very resilient to work in recruitment and willing to put the hours in. Why you should apply for a role at Precision There isn’t just one type of person who does well in recruitment and if it tempts you even a little bit you should come to an interview to see if we fit your values (as much as you fitting ours). There are some characteristics that have served me well in my career and I especially think you should apply if you’re any of the following: competitive in your nature; resilient when handling rejection and if you have any sales experience that would serve you very well in this role. At the end of the day you have to be willing to put the work in, recruitment isn’t a normal 9-5 job. Successes aren’t handed to you, but that makes it all the more satisfying when you achieve them. When you work hard the rewards are there and they’re 100% worth it. Whether that be small successes throughout the week or when you get that bonus at the end of the month. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s definitely going to be worth it!"  If you would like to know more about the Precision Academy click here or if you fancy a conversation to see if the Precision Academy might be the right move for you, call Jen on 0116 254 5411, email jenp@precision-people.uk or connect with Jen on Linkedin in here. 

Unfortunately, we are talking about an industry and business service with many inherent flaws. In my opinion, many of the problems we see stem from some fundamental issues that recruiters have wrought upon themselves and customers unwittingly propagate. The paying customers’ perspective Having been a customer myself and in speaking with countless other recruitment customers, I can tell you that their complaints are very consistent. There's a lot of them so I’ll list out the top 10: 1.     They waste my time 2.     They don't tell me the whole truth 3.     They keep hassling me every 5 minutes 4.     Fees are too expensive 5.     Recruiters don’t understand my business or the role 6.     Candidates aren’t even being interviewed before they’re sent to me 7.     They’ve been looking for months and can’t find anyone 8.     Everyone they send to me is terrible 9.     Too many cold calls 10.   I’m sick of junior recruiters who have no idea   The recruiters’ perspective There’s a pretty similar list of gripes here too: 1.     They waste my time 2.     They don't tell me the whole truth 3.     I have to chase them for everything and they never call me back 4.     They cancel roles and they’ve always got 5 other recruiters working the same role 5.     This role is a £40K investment and they won’t even meet with me to talk about their business or the role in detail 6.     Every time I send a candidate they’re “already on our database” or another agency has just sent them 5 minutes before me 7.     They’ve been looking for months but won’t budge on the spec or increase their budget 8.     They don’t give me any feedback on candidates I send them 9.     There’s no customer loyalty and they always step outside the preferred supplier list 10.   I’m sick of ridiculously low “other recruiters” rates And the sad thing here is the true victim of this lack of accountability and partnership – the rather important people – the TALENT! What’s to be done?  It’s tempting to work through each of these issues one by one and talk about solutions but we’d be treating the symptoms, not the core problems. It seems to me that most problems stem from the bounty hunter style pricing model prevalent in the market where the fee is contingent upon success. With this model, the customer has nothing to lose by being non-committal and farming the role out to multiple recruiters. To draw an analogy, this model is like giving your tax return to 5 accountants and telling them that you’ll only pay whoever gets you the quickest result. If you did that, what kind of result would you get? I bet any accountant worth their salt would turn it down instantly and if you were lucky enough to get a few to agree how would they approach the assignment? They’d rush it, they’d probably cut corners so they don’t invest too much time in case they don’t get paid. Just like you, they’d be hedging their bets. So when we do the same thing in recruitment a few important things happen. Because we’re dealing with a number of recruiters this soaks up so much time that it’s too much effort to do a proper job brief. In fact, it’s too much effort to call everyone back or respond to the CVs they’ve sent. We haven’t spent any money so it’s no skin off our nose, right? Then the follow-up calls start and we get fed up pretty quickly. The recruiters know how the game works so they’ll make a call on where your role should sit in their priority list. Most good recruiters will successfully place between 25% to 50% of the roles they work. That means they spend their own time and money on 10 jobs but only get paid for 2.5 to 5 of them (sometimes none). So recruiters usually look at their jobs and think “what can I definitely place?”. This is where the bulk of their time will (should!) be spent. If you’re not a top priority because you don’t return calls or you have too many recruiters working your role, or your fee is too low, or you’ve been looking for ages and you’re not paying enough money… then guess what, you get a half-hearted effort. More importantly, we’re motivating recruiters based on speed, so it’s in their best interests to try to get the best return from the least amount of effort. This encourages what we call a flick and stick, or spray and pray approach. Basically, this means playing the numbers and throwing as many CVs out to as many customers as possible knowing that the law of averages means that something will stick. The scary thing is, this is so entrenched that Recruiter’s KPIs are actually measured and rewarded based on these numbers! I hasten to add not at Precision for this very reason There is a better way! I think the solution is to throw out the contingent fee model. Instead, work with one recruiter and pay them a portion of their fee upfront. This commits both parties to receive a quality result and puts your job firmly at the top of the priority list. It means that the recruiter doesn’t have to cut corners to get you a CV before someone else snags the fee. It means recruiters can afford to take on half the number of jobs because they know they’ll get paid for all of them. It means candidates aren’t getting calls from 5 different recruiters and don’t start thinking “jeez these guys (Client X) must be desperate!”. It also usually means you’ll be able to negotiate a discount because you’ve removed some of the recruiter’s risk. Is this risky for you? Yes, it could be, but in the context of all your recruiting over a number of years, doesn’t it make good business sense to spend time up front picking a good recruiter with good references and a strong track record? Then build a strong, exclusive relationship with them until you get to the point that they know your business better than most of your staff. If they let you down, find another agency. You might have the odd false start but over time you will get much better results and you will absolutely save money. A common misconception I once had a customer say “But I’m buying a product, if I like what’s on your shelf then I’ll pay if I don’t then I won’t”. Sorry, but candidates are most definitely not sitting on a shelf waiting for your call! You’re not buying a product, you’re buying a service. You’re paying for someone to go out to market and represent your business. You’re paying for someone to search high and low, ask for referrals, network extensively and generally do whatever it takes to find you the perfect person. Having said that, the best recruiters invest heavily in their network so they will often be able to recommend someone they’ve already met. But it’s important to recognise, you’re still paying for a service. You’re paying for someone to successfully broker and secure a long term relationship on your behalf that you can then benefit from quickly. Just because they are in the recruiter's network when you ask doesn’t mean a huge amount of time (usually years) of effort hasn’t gone into making that the case. Final thoughts If you spent £40k (on say a piece of Software) in your business, would you spend a lot of time with a vendor to make sure they really understood what you wanted? You bet! Why is a £40k candidate any different? It’s a big investment and very expensive if you get it wrong so it pays to invest the time with quality partners to make sure you get it right. At Precision People, we have built a new suite of models that make this transition easier for clients. One of them, for example, only requires a small proportion up front and then a reduced success fee at the other end which isn’t payable if the Talent comes from an ad as opposed to Search & Networks.  This reduces waste and risk on both sides for a win-win. There is an element of Trust required still sure, but there is in any meaningful relationship in life! Whatever your solution, Clients and Recruiters need to start partnering more and at a deeper level to make sure the ever-growing disconnects that also affect the Talent (And therefore Employment Brands) start to be bridged and turned around. If you want to discuss any of the solutions and ideation around how to make recruitment better for all concerned, please click here or call us on 0116 2545411.

Are you conducting an interview in the near future? Not sure what questions to ask? Here are 15 killer interview questions to help:  1. If you had ten seconds to sell you and your abilities what would you say? 2. What are your weaknesses/ areas for development? What are your strengths? 3. How would you describe a great day at work? 4. How do you react if others around you are demotivated or negative? 5. What would current managers and colleagues say about you? 6. What would you plan to do in the first three months of this new role and how? 7. What will your referees say about you? 8. What achievement that is not on your CV are you most proud of? 9. What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made and what did you learn from it? 10. What do you know about our company?  11. Where does the role fit in with your current career ambitions? 12. Can you tell me about a time when you added value to your previous employer’s business? 13. What would it mean to you if you didn’t get the job? 14. What aspect of your last role has involved working with others, what did you enjoy/ what did you not enjoy? 15. How much are you worth? By asking these questions you should gain a very good insight into the candidate. Do you know about hard and soft skills? Read this blog post here: 'Hard & Soft Skills, what you need to know when interviewing." and also '24 Interviews tips to make sure you hire the right candidate." Precision will help your business in all aspects of your interviewing process, including onsite training for line managers, advice, and we can even sit in on interviews to give an unbiased opinion on hires. We have done this for a number of our clients and it has proved very successful, especailly with family businesses who may not be used to interviewing.  If you have a sensitive hire, and you don't want your current staff aware you are conducting interviews, we can help you organise meetings in our purpose built private interview rooms with easy access onsite parking close to Junction 21 of the M1. Click here to see our office. Contact us today for more information on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk or book a call in our calendar at a time to suit you here.

Judging people within the small window of opportunity that is the interview process is a skill that improves with time and experience. Regardless of the industry you work in or that you made the wrong decision. When recruiting people for key positions within your company, you may well have to make an important decision in a relatively short space of time. A CV can only tell you so much; it is the interview process which often determines the crucial decision. But how do you make the right choice within such a limited space of time? The key is to plan and manage the interview correctly to make the most of the time that you have. This short tips have gone through the initial shortlist process either yourself or by using a reliable recruitment company such as Precision People. Needle in a haystack Choosing the wrong person can cost a business dearly in terms of time, productivity and money. Being able to match the right candidate to the right position is a real skill - developing an instinct for making the correct decision does come with time and experience. However, if you have the responsibility for selecting personnel for your company, there are many simple, practical things you can do to make the process a productive one.  Getting to know the candidate The interview process isn't just about firing questions at the person sitting opposite you. It takes preparation, planning and skill to draw out the best in a nervous candidate within the time limitations of an interview. The key thing to remember is that you are trying to get this person to talk about themselves, what they have done in the past and what they want to do in the future. The more detail you have, the easier it is to make an informed decision. Here are 24 Interview Tips to Make Sure You Hire the Right Candidate. Planning 1. Planning is the foundation of so many things so plan the interview carefully. After all, you only have a short time to gather all the evidence you need, so make the most of the time that you have. Go through CVs thoroughly, make notes and highlight questions. Ensure that you have decided what information you want to get from the  interview and devise a structure that will help you get it. Feedback 2. People behave differently with different people, so ask your receptionist for their feedback. How did the candidate behave in the reception area? Were they polite to you and reading the company  literature or were they talking loudly on their mobile phone to a friend? Ask any of your trusted colleagues who may have come into contact with an interviewee for their thoughts. Privacy  3. Set the scene by preparing the environment for privacy. You need to ensure that you won’t be interrupted so divert your phone and put a notice up on the door ‘interview in progress’ if you need to. Think about how the room will be laid out – will a desk between you create a barrier and how will chairs be arranged to create the atmosphere that you are aiming for? Be punctual  4. Punctuality is important and both a sign of punctuality and  respect so try not to keep the candidate waiting. This will usually only make them more nervous, which in turn means you might not get the best out of them at the interview. Overly nervous people rarely perform at their best. Don't forget to smile!  5. An interview is an intimidating experience for many people. If you want to get to know the candidate, you need to put them at their ease. The best way of doing this is to smile. Smiling goes a long way and usually people will mirror what you do, so sit back, relax - and smile. TIDY 6. You are also trying to create an image of professional impression, so clear your desk and just have the paperwork out that you need in front of you. This way you have what you need at your fingertips. At Ease 7. First impressions count, so start the interview process with a pleasant greeting. Introduce yourself by name and position with a firm dry handshake - don't break their fingers! As you sit down take yoru jacket off if you have one and check your body language. Remember that you are trying to put them at their ease so they will be more forthcoming. Make eye contact 8.Make frequent eye contact- but don’t eye ball the candidate and make them feel uncomfortable! Looking  Looking people in the eye creates a feeling of trust and rapport. Attention 9. Give the candidate non verbal encouragement. Look interested in what they are saying and maybe nod to showthat your attention is with them. Don't keep checking the  time or become too absorbed in your papers – it is very distracting! Read the CV thoroughly again before the interview 10. The CV is an important document. As you are aiming to get to know as much about the candidate as possible, make sure you read through their CV before you start the interview – not half way through. If properly used, this document will greatly enhance the interview process. Try to listen more than you talk 11. Listening is an under valued skill and surprisingly difficult.  However, in an interview, you should aim to listen for roughly 80% of the time and talk around 20% of the time. You want the candidate to open up but if you do all the talking they won’t have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and personality. Check your body language  12. Check your body language and consider how you appear. Try not to cross your arms or legs as this can look defensive. On the other hand, don’t be too laid back and slouch. You need to lean slightly forwards to show interest. Crossing your legs loosely is fine if it makes you feel happier, especially if you’re wearing a dress or skirt, but if you can ‘point’ at the candidate with your knees or your feet it shows you’re focused right in on them. Non verbal clues  13. Look for non verbal clues by reading their body language. Crossing of arms can make a candidate appear defensive, nervous or negative, whilst touching the face can sometimes imply discomfort, suspicion or a lack of truthfulness. Many candidates will be nervous, so the signs may be subtle, but they are there if you know what to look for. Instant Rapport  14. Breaking the ice. An interview is an artificial situation so if the candidate appears nervous start the interview by chatting something informal, such as their hobbies. Everybody should be able to talk about something that interests them – this way you put the interviewee at ease and create an instant rapport. Take notes  15. Note taking is a difficult thing to get right. You may well need t

Precision People, the specialist recruitment consultants in the sectors of Engineering, Technical, and Sales recruitment and operating for over fourteen years, are going from strength to strength with the recent creation of a bespoke training academy. The Precision Academy, consists of a 6-month training course based within a purpose-built room, includes a structured plan of training & activities to give trainees all the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to launch a successful career in the recruitment industry. Supported along the way by a trainer and an additional external trainer who visits once a week.   Trainee Recruitment Consultant, Vanessa commented:-      “Having not previously worked in recruitment, Precision Academy has been seamlessly paving the way for me to transition into a full 360 recruitment role through a well-thought-out, step-by-step approach. In addition to receiving one-to-one training support on a daily basis through on-the-job learning, we also have assigned days that we spend studying industry best practices with a recruitment specialist in an interactive, classroom-style, learning approach. Having been in training for just over two months, I have already made many successful candidate placements, have a growing client base of my own, and am now being supported by management in carving out my niche area of recruitment expertise.” Training & Recruitment Manager Natasha commented:- “The Academy has been an amazing success so far, and I am incredibly proud of all of our trainees who’ve come a long way since starting, just a few months ago. Their determination and focused attitude have allowed them to make great progress, already making placements and receiving commision. I have personally found the experience rewarding, learning new things every day about how the industry is changing.”   Trainee, Vanessa concluded: “Above all, I admire Precision's values and how we are encouraged to never compromise on integrity or quality in business. I also really enjoy the emphasis placed on mindset and goal-setting in recruitment - it's great to see all the employees pin pictures of their personal goals to the sides of their desks to keep motivation and focus levels high!”   Managing Director, Phil Walker commented: “We have designed the Academy with the help of some of the most experienced recruiters and trainers in the US and UK. We’ve put together a robust, quality driven training system that is akin to how the professional environments of law would grow their talent. The six-month program is theoretical and practical applications of best practice that is way ahead of most of the ‘same old’ ways of doing things used by our competitors. We have centred the hiring process on the person’s ability to learn, understand and achieve the critical parts of being a professional recruiter, not what they have done in a previous job or how experienced they are. The whole company has embraced the new academy team, raising our overall standards and success in all areas of the business.”   Precision is currently interviewing for the next three people to offer academy places to this year, so if this sound like the right career for you or someone you know, please make contact as soon as possible, the new team of hires will be starting early October. If you are interested, this is the perfect opportunity if you are starting your career or are thinking of making a change.  Get in touch by contacting Natasha Bates, Recruitment Manager on 0116 254 5411. This press release was recently published in Recruitment International.  Click here to find out more about the academy.  

Precision People is delighted to announce a new charity partnership with the fantastic Rainbows Children’s Hospice after a company vote was held. Precision People joins the charity’s business club who's other members include Next, Intelligent Energy and Available Car. The charity provides the only East-Midland’s hospice for children and young people, providing life-limited children and their families care and support. Rainbows incredible team of people helps relieve symptoms, improve the quality of life, support parents and siblings through their bereavements, and care for children until the end.  Tom Stanyard, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser commented:-  “We’re delighted that Precision has chosen to support Rainbows and everyone is really looking forward to working with the team. With only a little-guaranteed funding each year we’re almost entirely reliant on supporters like Precision, who help make sure that Rainbows is here for life-limited children, young people and their families across the East Midlands that we provide vital care and support for.” Jo Walker, Marketing Director commented:- "The Precision team voted to support local charity Rainbow's this year. We're hoping to raise lots of money by giving £10 for every candidate we place in a new permanent job plus also getting involved in extra fundraising days throughout the year including the 5K family Bubblerush in September. Rainbow's carry out amazing work for life-limited children and we're proud to help."  To find out more about Rainbows and the fantastic work that they do, please click here. Contact us on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk 

Precision Recruitment is now Precision People, offering new services for a wider range of sectors Precision Recruitment has re-structured it's business in line with a changing engineering market. Precision People, the new group brand has introduced three levels of service to help their expanding customer base. Precision Search, for higher level senior appointments within manufacturing and logistics, Precision Recruitment, for businesses seeking engineering, technical and sales talent, and Precision Consultancy for bespoke recruitment training packages. The move to segment its markets comes in response to key challenges that its locally based engineering clients face in hiring talent, in the midlands, to work in a global market. Leicester is the heartland of the Midlands and its requirement for engineering talent is set to increase for a wide range of industry sectors as companies compete for increasingly rarer skills. "Last year we launched our Senior Level Appointments brand, Precision Search, which has grown by over 60%. After working closely with a number of our clients, it became apparent that they needed help, not just with the search and selection, but with other areas of the talent acquisition process" says Phil Walker, CEO and Founder of Precision People. Walker explains "We're already getting involved with a more consultative and holistic approach to finding talent. It is the way we differentiate and win our business. By providing a broader service offering under specific brands we make our service more understandable to our clients". Precision People has already hired specialist recruiters and consultancy staff with experience in other sectors, bringing in the additional expertise to deliver the new services. Their mission is for a one stop talent acquisition and managed service, that delivers from shop floor to C Level, for engineering based companies, whether that is for skills in designing, developing and making products; for sales people to sell those products, or for the management talent to make this happen. For more information contact Jo Walker on 0116 254 5411 or email jo@precision-people.uk  

I'm not a prude, really I'm not. But, after some very recent research I carried out on linkedin viewing recruitment consultant's profiles and their company branding (I'm in marketing – we're re-branding) there was one common theme that I came across over and over again. Young(er) ladies in recruitment who have ditched the professional photo for more, shall we say 'flesh on show' shots? Beach shots with bikini tops on, photos of and let's be honest ALOT of boob / leg/ or both on show. Now, I think there are few questions that need to be raised by this. Linkedin is a professional business networking site. Would you turn up to a business meeting in your bikini top? Probably not, bit chilly and you'd feel quite silly. So is it ok to look like this on your Linkedin profile? Recruitment is a hard game, I totally understand that. I watch and listen as our team of consultants (both male and female ) work tirelessly contacting candidates to find the right fit for our clients. And I understand that it's sometimes hard convincing potential candidates to connect with you on Linkedin – even if you have THE most amazing job for them. But surely ladies, you're good enough at your job regardless not to have to resort to boob flashing photos to get people to connect with you? And if the candidates do connect with you, what subliminal messages are you sending out to them? "I'm desperate enough to want to connect with you, I'll use my cleavage to do it?" Think about your personal branding and what messages you're giving out. It says if you're having to resort to boob shots, it's probably not a great job, so people won't connect with you anyway. Recruitment has a bad reputation as it is, and I think these tactics probably only fuel that. And what about the recruitment companies allowing their consultants to have these type of images? What sort of branding message does that give out? "We're cool with flesh shots of ladies" It's all bit 1970's, Carry On Camping for me. If you look at some of the profiles, you would have thought you're on a dating website, not a business networking site. Should men in recruitment follow suit with the same approach? Are we to have speedo shots for the chaps soon? Because that would be deemed pretty creepy. "Here's a picture of me in my speedos – I'd like to add you to my network" – er no ta. If you want to climb the recruitment ladder and recruit for more senior roles as you gain more experience – do you think these tactics will still work? Do you see really experienced high fee earning women recruiters, relying on their linkedin profiles featuring low cut tops to gain their reputation and their connections.Nope. What if other fields of work adopted the same approach? Sarah the Senior Systems Analyst or Michelle the Communications Consultant wearing bikini tops. It would look rather out of place. So come on ladies, button up your tops (a little) and hold your heads up high – save your bikini shots for facebook. You're good at your job and you account for just over half of the recruitment industry. If you can't get people to connect with you, then they probably aren't worth connecting with. If you'd like to talk to some professional consultants who really know their stuff, call us for a chat today on 0116 254 5411 or email hello@precision-people.uk This article was posted on Linkedin and read by over 95,000 people. Click here to see the feedback it received.