Highest Unemployment Figures Since 1998

It’s all over the news today so we could go without acknowledging these latest figures due out today which are expected to show that unemployment has hit 1.8 million. People claiming Job-Seekers allowance are said to be around 1million. Yesterday it was reported that across the country 5000 jobs were being cut from some key industry players;

- Virgin Media are to axe around 2,200 jobs by 2012 under a sweeping restructure
- Yellow Pages directories firm Yell said it expected to shed another 1,300 jobs over the coming year.
- Psion announced more than 200 job cuts
- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) plan to close a factory with the loss of 620 jobs

Yahoo! News reported that “experts are now warning that unemployment could soar to 2.7 million by next year - the highest figure for more than a decade.”

It is worrying when you read these stories and I personally know quite a few people that have been made redundant or face the threat of redundancies. All we can say is keep smiling and do your best to keep your job – read our article ‘How to Keep Your Job in the Credit Crunch’

If you do loose your job then please visit Simply HR Jobs for the latest jobs in Human Resources.

Presenteeism on the Rise, Stay at HOME if your are ILL!

Sickness itself seems to have been effected by the credit crunch. 'Presenteeism', coming to work when you are ill, has been rising since the onset of the current economic downturn. Workers feel that they should be seen to be going the extra mile and coming into work when you are ill showing your commitment to the role and the company.

The problem is that coming in to work when you are ill can have repercussions for both the ill employee and the rest of the workforce. You could make yourself worse resulting in a long period of time off and also you could infect other members of the work force, something your boss will not be pleased with!

So our advice - you really stay at home when you are not well. This article sums it up nicely.

HR Companies Successful in the Credit Crunch

The credit crunch has had a surprisingly positive effect for companies offering outsourced HR advice. The pressure on small businesses is forcing many of them to consider making staff redundancies and they are turning to professional HR firms for advice and guidance. It will be interesting to see if HR firms are in such high demand when the economy starts to improve again.

This article in the Coventry telegraph sums it up neatly.

Bar Humbug!

According to Peninsula Business Services/Employment Law christmas is cancelled this year – well at least in terms of office parties!

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, speaking to The Recruiter Magazine said: “The economic downturn has forced a lot of companies to cull their Christmas celebrations. With the economic conditions the way they are, firms just cannot warrant spending money on a Christmas party. These events represent a considerable cost to any firm, whether they employ five people or 50, and many employers consider this another process in tightening their belt and making their company more cost efficient. Firms who have been forced to make people redundant may also consider spending money on a Christmas party inappropriate, as well as detrimental to the streamlining plan they are implementing in their business.”

What are your thoughts? Is your firm holding a xmas party? Do they pay or do the employees pay?

Flexible Working

This is a hot topic that is regularly debated but with the current state of the economy the % of people working from home has risen dramatically over the last few years.
Read a couple of articles we found;

“Employers are offering more work flexibility than ever before”

“Flexible Working”

We, at Simply HR Jobs, are currently in the process of conducting our own survey and there is a question included about the most important work benefits – if you are a registered job-seeker of www.simplyhrjobs.co.co.uk then please do take our survey now.

There are just 10 questions to complete and then give your email address which will automatically be entered into our draw (ends 30th November 2008) to win a Wii Console.

"Majority of Employers Happy to Lose at Least One Staff Member"

In the october 08 issue of The Recruitment Consultant, we read this little gem;

92 per cent of employers would change at least one member of staff, given the chance while 17 per cent of that figure said they would happily change their whole team according to research!

Only 8 per cent of employers were completely satisfied with every member of staff according to the survey of over 870 UK bosses conducted by www.Skillbase.com.

The poll also found that 86 per cent of employers felt at least one member of staff acted completely differently to how they acted during the interview; 62 per cent of which felt employees had exaggerated and / or lied on their C.V. about their knowledge and experience.

74 per cent of the business managers surveyed claimed that at lease one member of staff appeared unmotivated and unsatisfied at work and felt this affected their performance.

Sam Fianu, co-Founder of Skillbase.com commented : “As someone who has always been passionate about my work and careful when recruiting members of staff, I find it worrying that so many people are clearly unhappy with their job and so many employers are unsatisfied with members of staff.”

Interesting stuff - what are your thoughts? Any similar reflections in your company?

Interview With Marie Haywood, HR Manager At Ellis Jones Solicitors

We recently interviewed Marie Haywood @ Ellis Jones Solicitors. Here is a snippet of her interview;

"I am very passionate about H.R. and it having a positive impact on the business and staff. I encourage our managers to know their employees, recognize and work with people's strengths and weaknesses and celebrate their differences. Working in a service orientated business means that the people are your main asset so it is important to ensure that they are engaged. I think you need assertiveness, resilience and tenacity in this role. You need to be able to have the confidence of the Partners and the trust of the staff. It is important to react quickly to situations in order that people do not lose faith in your ability to get the task done whatever it is. It is about delivering a service and delivering it well. As in all H.R. roles, you need to be a good mediator and be incredibly diplomatic and remain calm in sometimes adverse situations."

Read the Full interview with Marie on SimplyHRJobs.co.uk/Careers

Halloween Howlers – unusual excuses for missing work!!

As we are fast approaching halloween I wanted to share with you some very unusual excuses for being later for work. I am sure you've heard some corkers so why not share them with us.

"I’m too drunk to drive to work."
"I accidentally flushed my keys down the toilet."
"I had to help deliver a baby on my way to work." (employee was not in the medical profession)
"I accidentally drove through the automatic garage door before it opened."
"My boyfriend’s snake got loose and I’m afraid to leave the bedroom until he gets home."
"I’m too fat to get into my work pants."
"God didn’t wake me." (employee didn’t believe in alarm clocks and thought a higher power would wake her when she was ready)
"I cut my fingernails too short, they’re bleeding and I have to go to the doctor."
"The ghosts in my house kept me up all night."
"I forgot I was getting married today."
"My cow bit me."
"My son accidentally fell asleep next to wet cement in our backyard. His foot fell in and we can’t get it out."
"I was watching a guy fixing a septic pump, fell in the hole and hurt myself."
"I was walking my dog and slipped on a toad in my driveway and hurt my back."
"My house lock jammed and I’m locked in."

HOW TO KEEP YOUR JOB IN THE CURRENT CREDIT CRUNCH

Michelle Jones, Marketing Manager for Simply HR Jobs has a Few Tips! You may not be in this position but no doubt working in the HR profession you will know someone who could do with taking on board some of her advice;

Fearful of losing your job? In these economic times it is no surprise. With everyone from the Prime Minister to your HR Advisor is looking worryingly over their shoulders as job security is becoming increasingly important. The cliché is often ‘last in first out’ and in this article I will outline how to make sure you do your best to hold on to your job, regardless of how long you have been in your current position.

The key is making yourself indispensable within your company and we don’t mean by sleeping with your boss!

12 Tips to help secure your Job;

Ø Treat each day as if it was your first – don’t take extra time on your breaks or waste time on facebook, emailing friends or selling/buying things on ebay. Be really positive and up-beat about what you have to do that day and complete everything realistic.
Ø If you have spare capacity at work ask for extra tasks – don’t over commit though as it will make you look like you can’t cope
Ø Go to your bosses with solutions not problems
Ø Innovate at work – think of ways to save the firm money and time
Ø Stay on top of current trends & let your bosses know that you are – maybe do a monthly newsletter addressing current issues in the market
Ø Update your skills and acquire new ones. Take up the offers of training and even seek out training that will add value to your role and as result, the company’s.
Ø Generate sales leads even if you aren’t in sales – think of friends, family and others in your immediate circle who may work for businesses that could use your services
Ø Don’t be a clock watcher, in fact make an effort to arrive early and leave later on a regular basis
Ø Don’t pull any ‘sickies’ – if you are genuinely unwell, go into the office and then be sent home. Make sure any appointments for dentist/doctors are at the least disruptive time to your firm.
Ø Don’t get involved in office politics, gossip or cliques - save your energy for working. Also - keep your own personal problems out of work.
Ø Be professional and well turned out at all time. Don’t roll in with a hang-over or say anything derogatory about your work colleagues (especially the boss). Earn a reputation for being dependable, professional, and cooperative.
Ø Be known - the more people who know you, know your strengths and abilities, know your value to the organization, the less likely you are to be put on that redundancy list.

It is important to maintain your work life balance and not to become a slave to the job. Don’t allow yourself to be exploited by your employer, make sure that you are being rewarded for your efforts. However, if you have any inkling that your company are making cut-backs then put the extra effort in now and it could be your saving grace.

Annual Croner Reward and CIPD 2008 Reward Survey - Results

The Annual Croner Reward and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 2008 Reward Survey found that the average salary for HR workers had increased by 3.25 %.

They surveyed over 5700 people employed in a HR function and also discovered that 73 % of HR employees said they work over 40 hours a week, compared to 62 per cent last year. So more money - but more hours, probably works out as the same pay!

Charles Cotton, Reward Advisor at the CIPD, said "Despite the credit crunch and the slowdown in the economy, pay awards for HR professionals are higher in the 2008 survey than in 2007,"

Read this full article on the CIPD Press Office. If you feel you are overworked and underpaid in the HR professional - visit Simply HR Jobs for your next career move.

Opportunities for the HR World

We were not lucky enough to attend the sessions being held at the CIPD conference this year, but Ri5, Recruitment Intelligence Services, made a point of attending and their recent release said this;

"Ri5 made a point of attending some of the key sessions - both in the main conference auditorium and in the exhibition's recruitment & talent management zone. As usual, for those who were unable to attend all the sessions, we offer a selection of edited highlights."

For the purpose of our Simply HR Jobs Blog, we bring you Ri5's highlights from the keynote session that was introduced by CIPD chief executive Jackie Orme.

"She took the opportunity to explore some of the changes facing the HR world and to explain how the Institute was preparing to adapt to and support developments in the profession. She sees today's environment offering a huge opportunity to raise the status of HR.
As business leaders now concentrate more on the values and ethos of their organisations (and on employer branding) than on what the organisation actually does, so HR must work on building organisations that talented people will fight to join, with culture, rewards and organisational design among the priorities. The Institute has undertaken a study of the profession and is preparing to announce changes in its membership structures that provide the flexibility to accommodate zigzagging generalists moving in and out of HR, as well as functional experts and specialists."

CIPD, Annual Conference - we were there

On 16th-18th September, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development held its annual conference and exhibition in Harrogate for the final time, as of next year the event will be held in Manchester. The conference offered dozens of seminars, workshops, master classes, showcases and keynotes designed to keep the profession abreast of the latest thinking and developments. After 60 years in the North Yorkshire spa town, the 2009 dates are Tuesday 17th - Thursday 19th November 2009.

Mark & Scott from http://www.simplyhrjobs.co.uk/ and http://www.simplysalesjobs.co.uk/ exhibited and ‘manned’ our stand at the event, here’s a nice pic of them both! What were your thoughts on this years event? Will you be going to Manchester next year?

Is your Place of Work Hazardous??

We read in the ‘Executive PA’ recently an interesting article about the Top 10 hazards in a workplace. We’ve summarised this for you;

1. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) “The same old routine”; we all know what it is but good posture and limiting time in stressful working conditions can help prevent or halt the progress of the disorder.

2. Under Pressure; Not dealing with pressure in the workplace can lead to stress which affects performance. 30-40% of absences from work are stress related and as many as 5million people in the UK admit to being stressed at work.

3. Back Pain; is the biggest single cause of sickness resulting in absence in the UK. Wow, didn’t know that! The Dept of Health put a conservative estimate of 11 million working days lost each year due to back pain.

4. A sight for sore eyes!; Working at a computer requires constant eye movement and re-focusing. This stresses the muscles and can lead to vision problems. 46% of office workers spend six or more hours in front of their computer screens a day and the majority (51%) of these are not scheduling appropriate breaks. Guidance from the (HSE) suggests it's better to take shorter breaks more often (eg; a 5-10 minute break after 50-60 minutes continuous screen and/or keyboard work).

5. Are you getting your 5-A-Day? What you eat has a direct impact on how well your brain works. Make sure you eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day and drink plenty of water.

6. Germs! With more and more of us lunching at our desks it’s important that we regularly clean our workstations and in particular our keyboards. A recent Which? Computer study found a computer keyboard can harbour five terms more bacteria, such as E.coli, than a toilet. OMG, that is gross!

7. Long Hours sat at your desk; Recent studies have shown that working at a desk for eight hours a day or spending three successive hours or more sitting down can double the risk of you getting a blood clot. Although most commonly associated with long haul flights Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in the workplace is becoming more common.

8. Common Cold; Coughs & sneezes …. spread diseases. The office is the perfect environment for a virus to thrive and although there is still no cure for the common cold there are things you can do to minimise the risk of getting one. A healthy immune system is vital to keeping coughs and colds at bay. Make sure your workplace is well ventilated, there is nothing a virus likes more than a stuffy room crammed full of stressed people!

9. The Office Printer; Research has found that office printers could damage your health. Printer inks are known to contain carcinogens which can affect a person’s health in much the same way as passive smoking. Really? That’s a new one on me!

10. Office Smog; Research by Imperial College London has found that the electronic “smog” generated by electrical office equipment may be exposing workers to raised levels of pollutants and bacteria.

As a HR Professional you will need to be aware of all of these issues to be in a position to carry out your role effectively, and ensuring everyone else in the company does the same. With more emphasis than ever before on employers’ ‘duty of care’ it is essential that companies constantly monitor the health and safety of their employers and ensure that management are not unwittingly neglecting the health and safety of their staff. At the very least, this could lead to absenteeism but it could also result in costly compensation claims and damaged reputations.

HR Event of the Year: Quick Reminder

Tomorrow sees the start of the ‘HR Event of the Year' in Harrogate. Simply HR Jobs are exhibiting from 16th - 18th September inc.

Please do come and visit us on Stand K70. If you'd like to book an appointment with us then call today: 01772 639031.

HR Advisor: 2 weeks left to Apply

HR Business Advisor, Salary: Up to £27,000, plus excellent benefits
Closing date: Friday 5 September 2008

The position: You will support the Senior HR Business Partner in providing a professional generalist HR service to managers and staff within Career Services, External Relations, Academic Affairs, Subject Areas and Research Centres. This includes; HR guidance and advise, recruitment and selection, processing the monthly payroll and providing statistical information. London Business School is consistently ranked as one of the top business schools in the world. It impacts business through talented students and executives, cutting-edge, policy-changing research produced by leading academic faculty, high-profile global events, and over 28,000 alumni around the world. It is a dynamic and intellectually stimulating environment in which to work.

For full details of the job and to apply go to SimplyHRJobs.co.uk/HR Adviser

Online HR recruitment advertising SIMPLY gets better!!

SimplyHRJobs.co.uk is celebrating a successful, grounding two years and is proving to be a highly cost-effective recruitment channel to its clients. The site attracts over 23,000 monthly unique visitors and has seen a 94% increase in applications from this time last year. Mark Harris, Account Manager for SimplyHRJobs said “It is a pleasure to work on such a growing job-board and to see our market share within the HR sector increasing each month. We still have a long way to go and are continually improving the site and seeking new ways of attracting candidates to our client adverts.”

SimplyHRJobs.co.uk has a diverse marketing campaign to attract a breadth of candidates from the HR profession – support staff through to Directors. The percentage breakdown in relation to the experience and skills of their registered user base reflects this diversity. SimplyHRJobs.co.uk is fully committed to a varied and effective marketing plan, as part of this they are exhibiting at the CIPD conference in Harrogate, from the 16th-18th September. Described as being ‘the HR event of the year’, go and visit them on stand K70, where you can speak with one of the team, collect a media pack and enter into their prize draw.

As part of the Simply Online Group, who currently operate niche job-boards across 12 industry sectors; sales, human resources, recruitment, marketing, law, new media, aviation, PR, automotive, travel, IT sales and media sales, SimplyHRJobs.co.uk benefits from its network of 400,000+ jobseekers.

For Advertising Agencies Simply HR Jobs have a dedicated Advertising Agency Manager, David Capper, who has detailed knowledge and experience of working with online media planners and buyers over the last 4 years. Whether it is a targeted e-shot to the HR Job-seeker database, a featured job or a banner promotion for your client, David will work with you to create the best online media campaign.

To mark its second birthday there is an introductory offer for new HR recruiters ending 12th September, which offers you Unlimited Advertising, CV Search, CV Match, CVs by email and a Banner promotion - contact Mark for more details or visit http://www.simplyhrjobs.co.uk/recruiters/ to register your interest.

'The relationship between HR and recruitment agencies – A guide to productive partnerships’

A recent guide has been published by the REC and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) regarding ‘The relationship between HR and recruitment agencies – A guide to productive partnerships’.

This provides advice and guidance for HR and recruitment agencies on building and maintaining strong partnership relationships. The guide was produced in response to the annual CIPD Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey 2007, which revealed that while there is still a huge demand for recruitment agencies, the way in which HR interact with them could be improved.

For the full news story, see the REC News/New CIPD/REC Guide

CIPD Annual Exhibition 2008: Visit Us

We are exhibiting at the 2008 CIPD Annual Conference & Exhibition, Stand K70. Please come and visit us on either the 16th, 17th or 18th September in Harrogate. If you'd like to book a scheduled appointment; please contact mark@simplygroup.net / 01772 639036.

You can get FREE entry to the event by pre-registering.

Flexible work practices encouraged

Last month saw Businesses being encouraged to adopt flexible working practices for their staff thanks to Work Wise Week. The campaign was designed to illustrate the benefits of flexible working and the positive impact it can have on staff, businesses and the environment. According to Claire Darley, chief marketing officer for Adecco such schemes can help to:

- Create a more motivated workforce
- Reduce staff turnover as staff are less likely to leave if they have a healthy work-life balance
- Reduce the amount of money spent on sick pay, as staff working flexibly are less stressed, run down and demotivated at work
- Make cost savings in terms of office space and operations, as fewer staff will be in the office at a time
- Reduced road traffic pollution and congestion
- Ensure a greater allowance for people who may have otherwise found work difficult such as single parents and those with difficulties

Featured Job - Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Manager - £25k - £30K dependant on experience

Main purpose of the post:
• To provide a comprehensive HR service to Directors, Managers and staff in the application of HR management policies and practice, learning and development.
• Providing professional HR advice/service to support the delivery of organisational priorities and operational requirements seeking qualified opinion if necessary.
• Implementation of policies and procedures in compliance with current employment law and legislation

Human Resources Manager Job: Full Details

Employee Monitoring: Emails, Social Networking

We do talk about this subject a fair amount but in light of the recent news that Crystal Palace footballer Ashley-Paul Robinson posted the fact that he was going for a trial at rival London club Fulham on his Facebook profile, it was worth looking at again.

What an idiot - Robinson’s profile can be viewed by all 2.7 million members of the London group on the Facebook, including fans of both clubs. In response to the furore surrounding his posting he then issued a status update that read “Ashley-Paul has been very naughty lol”! It seems as if he has created a situation where Crystal Palace don’t want him back and Fulham’s interest has yet to be confirmed.

I read a really interesting article on Employee Monitoring, have a lookand let me know what you think - from an employee and employer perspective.

For Employee Relations Jobs, visit SimplyHRJobs/Employee Relations

Learning And Development Manager: Work for MOOG

£60,000 + excellent flexible benefits package.

Moog are looking to recruit a Learning and Development Manager who can make a real impact on their global business. You will highly engaged with a global organization, including frequent travel to to sites in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US influencing stakeholders across the business and attending key strategic meetings.

Due to the international nature of this role and the travel involved, you can be based from their Moog site in Tewkesbury, or one of their European sites based in the Netherlands, Italy or Germany. For full details of the job and to Apply, please visit SimplyHRJobs.co.uk/Moog

B&Q Job Application

I am sure that working in HR you have read many a strange and funny application, This is allegedly an actual job application that a 75 year old pensioner submitted to B&Q in Tunbridge Wells . They hired him because he was so funny.....

NAME: Kenneth Way (Grumpy Bugger)
SEX: Not lately, but I am looking for the right woman (or at least one who will co-operate) DESIRED POSITION: Company's Chief Executive or Managing Director. But seriously, whatever's available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn't be applying in the first place - would I?
DESIRED SALARY: £150,000 a year plus share options and a Tony Blair style redundancy package. If that's not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.
EDUCATION: Yes.
LAST POSITION HELD: Target for middle management hostility.
PREVIOUS SALARY: A lot less than I'm worth.
MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT: My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
REASON FOR LEAVING: It was a crap job.
HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK: Any.
PREFERED HOURS: 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?: Yes, but they're better suited to a more intimate environment.
MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?: If I had one, would I be here?
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 lbs?: Of what?
DO YOU HAVE A CAR?: I think the more appropriate question here would be "Do you have a car that runs?"
HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?: I may already be a winner of the Reader's Digest Timeshare Free Holiday Offer, so they tell me.
DO YOU SMOKE?: On the job - no! On my breaks - yes!
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?: Living in the Bahamas with a fabulously wealthy Swedish supermodel who thinks I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I'd like to be doing that now.
NEAREST RELATIVE....7 miles
DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?: Oh yes, absolutely.

We know this has been doing the rounds for years but it is a classic! What is the funniest thing you’ve ever read on an application form? Please do share it with us.

Work Place Bullying: Are you a victim?

What do you think when Sir Alan Sugar makes a derogatory remark towards a potential Apprentice? When Simon Cowell cuts Louis Walsh and his Acts to ribbons on the X-Factor how do you react? Depending on your view of the high waisted trouser wearer it is normally with a rye smile or a boo. Yet in another work place Cowell’s remarks could be seen as bullying behavior.

The government defines work place bullying as follows: "Bullying includes abuse, physical or verbal violence, humiliation and undermining someone’s confidence." You are probably being bullied if, for example, you’re:

constantly picked on
humiliated in front of colleagues
regularly unfairly treated
physically or verbally abused
blamed for problems caused by others
always given too much to do, so that you regularly fail in your work
regularly threatened with the sack
unfairly passed over for promotion or denied training opportunities
Bullying can be face-to-face, in writing, over the phone or by fax or email.

Well Mr Cowells treatment of Louis Walsh scores on point 1,2,3 and 4. Okay it’s all in the name of entertainment but workers across the UK suffer from bullying in all its horrid forms.

A UNISON survey estimated that up to 5 million people are bullied at work in the UK. The net result of this is 18.9 million work days lost to the distress and pain caused.

The Andrea Adams Trust is the world's only non-political, non-profit making charity operating as the focus for the diverse and complex problems caused by bullying behaviour in the workplace. They offer this advice to anyone who thinks they are being bullied:

- Find out if your employer has a policy and procedures on harassment and bullying and obtain a copy
- Stand calm and firm and do not allow yourself to be a target
- Do not become isolated, seek immediate support and advice
- Keep a record of all incidents which cause you distress or are undermining – log dates and details and write down your feelings after each such occurrence together with your own response - Try to get witnesses to bullying incidents by avoiding situations where you are alone with the bully
- Do not take action alone. Make an appointment with your company harassment advisor and seek their guidance and support
- Talk to colleagues and see if they are experiencing the same treatment as you.
- Follow the company grievance procedures with the help and support of your Harassment Advisor, Personnel or Union officers
- Keep your complaint as objective as possible so that you can’t be accused of filing the complaint out of malice or ambition
- Make an appointment with your doctor and tell them what is happening to you at work. Follow medical instructions and get signed off if necessary
- If counselling is available at work make an early appointment to talk through your experience
- Talk to friends and family for emotional support

2008: HR's 'Most Influential

Now in its third year, HR's Most Influential ranking has been created using a new methodology. The ranking was unveiled on the 3rd June at an event based at London’s Claridge’s. For full details on the report and to see who has been voted the most influential and why, visit Human Resources website.

HR Assistant: Fashion Jewellery Retailer - Job of Week

DCK Concessions is a worldwide leading fashion jewellery retailer, trading across 22 countries from Iceland to Canada with one of the largest design, sourcing and buying teams for fashion jewellery. Due to expansion, they are currently looking for a HR Assistant to join the team:

• Support the HR team in all aspects of recruitment and retention as well as in the provision of the induction, pay review and probationary review processes
• Assist in the provision of appropriate advice and support to managers on employee issues
• Undertake a variety of HR administration duties, including creation of contractual documents, company car fleet and company benefits such as Private Healthcare

To be successful as their HR Assistant you will ideally be studying towards or want to commence CIPD studies and have previous experience gained in a busy generalist HR environment. You should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all levels, be highly organised and have the ability to work on your own initiative.

In return, they offer you:
• A competitive salary • Private health care • Personal pension • Discount card for key high street brands • DCK Concessions can offer you the opportunity to join a successful and developing business situated in modern offices within walking distance of rail links and with free parking.

DCK Concessions lead the way in directional jewellery as well as essentials and younger novelty items. They continuously strive to remain ahead of their competitors and always offer their customers fashion forward products and excellent value.

Apply here for the HR Assistant Role / £17 - £20k + benefits / Essex

Lucky Pants and All Sorts!

Who ever thought we’d get to the stage where we were quizzing people on their underwear?! Yet here we are at this prestigious point. Actually, these particular undie enquiries are linked to a survey, conducted by law firm Peninsula, about the superstitious habits of job candidates. Apparently 60% of job searchers said that they had lucky underwear, which they will wear to interview and 84% said that this extended to other items of clothing, i.e. lucky shoes.

There were a number of other items that job seekers insist on carrying with them for good luck including key rings, jewelry, four-leaf clovers and so on. All in all it looks like British candidates are a rather superstitious bunch when it comes to career moves. Others admitted to things they had to do before an interview and 70% said that they checked their horoscopes.

But is this all just a little bit of fun, a quaint eccentric tick? Could it be that these little superstitions may actually be keeping us from the job we’re applying for? Peter Done, the managing director of Peninsula said that he was “amazed at how superstitious people are; one employee we spoke to took wearing lucky underwear to the extreme claiming his briefs are so lucky that he refuses to wash them.”

He claimed that people who checked their horoscopes before an interview needed “a reality check. Your star sign is not going to determine how you perform [.]” But could missing some aspect of these routines actually hinder our performance? Who knows, as for me, I’ll stick with listening to the ‘power tracks’ on my MP3, thank you very much.

Do you have any interesting routines before an interview? How about lucky pants?!?

INTERVIEW SPOT: Zoe Walters, HR Manager, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)

- You are currently Head of HR for NCL: tell me a little more about your role, how long you have been there and how you got the job

I came to NCL in May 2005 as interim HR Manager for maternity cover, taking over responsibility for the HR function in UK and the other European office in terms HR support. My role is pretty diverse, I get involved in the sexy stuff such as employee engagement through initiative programs, making NCL a compelling place to work, developing training opportunities and working with key stakeholders such as the senior management team to recommend and suggest strategy in meeting business objectives. A run of the mill day can be anything from recruitment, job offers to legal matters, policy drafting, performance management and blue sky meetings!

- What are your previous jobs?

I am from a leisure background predominately although I have IT sector as well. I have worked on cruise ships which is where my love affair with cruising first started! There are a few other jobs to mention but mainly around HR , Recruitment and Fleet/Shipboard personnel.

- What attracted you to this company in particular?

Believe it or not I used to cruise with NCL and I always remembered they never forgot the little things... like having duvets on their ships rather than sheets and blankets (we are talking a few years ago now!), they had a good reputation for quality and being a brand snob that I can be, I am naturally attracted to successful businesses!

- What are the characteristics and skills you have that you believe are particularly suited to what you do?

Tough question! Any HR professional needs to demonstrate patience and empathy at times, people are the most difficult entity to manage and can be massively rewarding. Each individual has to be communicated to in what can be very different ways in order to achieve a positive outcome. I hope I am a good leader as well as a Manager, I hope to inspire others to become what they desire to be and give them confidence to do better in life if they aspire to do so. I am naturally someone who can relate to many walks of life and can bring a lot of past experience into my role which better equips me to provide solutions and advice. The other side of the coin is having commercial acumen, basing decisions on logic, business demand and not being afraid to change your business needs and review this constantly. I believe I am commercially aware of what NCLs business needs are and endeavor to continue to support the strategic goals.

- Greatest challenge: Getting people to view things from my eyes! Art of persuasion is never easy!

- Favorite aspect of your work? It is very rewarding to see people succeed to their goals, in each individual there is a journey and I hope that I have been an inspiration to some to pursue their passions. I am enthusiastic in making sure that we have the right people in the right job.

- What would you say is the most difficult thing about your job?

HR is difficult full stop! It takes patience at times when you feel you have none, you really do have to want to do HR to stay in it for the long term.... I feel HR does an injustice if someone is advised incorrectly as they are seen as ambassadors to bring fairness to the work place.

- What would you do, as a career, if you weren’t working in HR?

Another tough question! Interior design, travel writing or something where I can put my creativity to good use!

- Any recommendations for job-seekers looking at a career in HR and/or the Travel industry?

Be passionate about what you want to do, if you are passionate and are prepared to work at it, it can be incredibly rewarding. The travel sector is such a sexy niche to work in and something that every one of us can have in common as we all love to travel whether for business or pleasure. Always such a good talking point for any one!

- What was your new year’s resolution and have you stuck to it?

I decided I would go away one weekend every month. Despite being career driven it's time I took time out to go and visit people and places I desire. So far I have been skiing twice, Italy twice and next up is Italy, Miami, St Louis and Bermuda - all before July! I am on goal to achieve as I mapped out my travel plans and booked them in advance!

- Ultimate ambition outside of work:

I am ambitious about life and being happy........... ultimate goal is to be true to myself and follow my dreams and desires... I want to buy land, design and build a house for me to live in before I am 40.....

- Favourite tipple? Champers and Vino - yummy!

Featured Job - HR Manager

HR Manager - Berkshire - £35K - £45K

This is a newly created role to implement a strong and effective HR service for our staff team of approximately 150 people.

Kingwood supports adults with autistic spectrum disorder to enable individuals to participate in society through a lifestyle based on personal choice. Support staff work across a number of areas, mainly in Berkshire and Oxfordshire, offering working alone or in small teams in individual homes.

The post holder will work closely with the Chief Executive, Director of Services and area managers to develop and implement effective HR practice, policy and procedures to support the development of a professional, stable and effective people resource which will enable Kingwood to deliver the services required by individuals with autism in our areas of operation. Recruitment and retention are high priorities.

To view the full job description and to apply online please click here.

Latest HR Jobs direct from our Free Toolbar

Stay connected to us - and get so much more - with the SimplyHRobs Community Toolbar! To Download our Free Toolbar {with job links & access to your account} click: http://simplyhrjobs.OurToolbar.com

How to minimise your recruiting costs - Use the Internet !!

With uncertain economic times on the horizon, it is clear that all organisations need to plan budgets carefully. Ineffective and inefficient recruiting costs organisations thousands, and yet there still seems to be a prevailing assumption that these costs are necessary, and that getting a half decent candidate whilst spending thousands on agencies and print adverts is necessary.

Through using the Internet in the right way, and knowing how to tap into new sources of candidates, either through using niche operators or large generalist jobsites, organisations can ensure they are slashing their recruitment costs, whilst tapping into much larger and better quality of candidates.

To read the whole article please click here.

To advertise your jobs please contact the Simply Group on 01772 639032

UK bosses fear flexible working

An interesting article published today on www.ceridian.co.uk, discusses the fears of UK bosses who are fearing for their own jobs because of flexible working.....Read the whole article here.

HR isn’t a very mum-friendly profession

Nearly half of mothers (45%) returning to their HR jobs believe they are victims of workplace inequality, according to a new survey.

The Training and Development Agency (TDA) report also found that, out of 11 careers, returning mothers ranked HR as the sixth most mum-friendly.
Teaching topped the poll, followed by jobs in the catering, retail and leisure industries. The legal profession came bottom.

The majority (83%) of HR female workers with young children are looking for a more flexible approach to work, but 24% did say they have adequate career development opportunities.
“Teaching is leading the way in offering a much more flexible way of working for mums returning to the workplace,” said Graham Holley, chief executive of the TDA.

Source www.hrmagazine.co.uk.

HR Show, Manchester

The HR Show, formerly known as The HR Solutions and Employee Benefits Show, will take place from 29th - 30th April 2008 at the Manchester Central. Bringing together an exhibition and a conference, the HR Show is an opportunity to meet leading HR suppliers and hear up to the minute thinking from industry experts. Simplyhrjobs.co.uk will be exhibiting and we would be delighted to see you there. For further information regarding the show & it’s exhibitors visit: http://www.hrshow.co.uk/ . You can register and attend the exhibition for Free. Our Account Manager for simplyhrjobs.co.uk, Ben Wareing, will gladly discuss your HR Recruitment needs - 01772 639 036 / ben@simplygroup.net