Are You Paying Enough to Attract and Retain the Best Employees

Are You Paying Enough to Attract and Retain the Best Employees As confidence in the economy returns, more organisations are looking to expand and recruit new people. Our annual salary survey has shown that this positive upward trend has also resulted in a noticeable increase in salaries across many different sectors. Why are salaries increasing? The increase in salaries could be partly attributed to the introduction of the national living wage. However, as the job market is becoming more buoyant, competition for talented employees has increased. The confidence of knowing there are more jobs available has also empowered candidates to negotiate better pay. Employers need to be prepared for this and should look to review how competitive their salary offering is. What sectors are most affected? Our salary survey looks at our core recruitment sectors of Accountancy, Financial Services, Human Resources, Office Support, Marketing and IT across the East of England. Using data from our Compare my Salary tool, we’ve seen increases in the sectors which are facing a particularly candidate short market. In the accountancy sector, salaries have remained reasonably consistent for higher level managerial positions but have significantly increased for the part-qualified market where demand is much higher. Marketing and HR positions are showing solid wage growth and salaries are increasing for both temporary and permanent office roles. The demand for skilled IT professionals has also seen pay rises across all levels and roles. How can you check if you are paying enough? Because salaries have remained fairly consistent over the past few years it is important for employers to review whether their pay remains competitive as confidence in the job market increases. 1. Benchmark your salaries There are a number of tools out there which provide a breakdown of typical salaries. For example, our Compare my Salary tool is not just there for candidates to see how their pay compares against others in like-for-like roles, it also works well for employers to benchmark the salaries they offer. 2. Ask your employees Gauge employee opinion on salaries, and associated packages, by including relevant questions within staff surveys. When any employees do leave the organisation, make sure you use the exit interview to try and understand if pay was one of the deciding factors. 3. Ask a recruitment consultant A good recruitment consultant will have their finger on the pulse of the industry they specialise in, acting as an employer’s eyes and ears in the market place. They can provide an understanding of the jobs being advertised by competitors, any areas facing a shortage of high calibre candidates and updates on any shifting trends in salaries or benefits. This valuable insight will help make sure that your organisation offers the right package to attract the best talent. Why consider paying more? Regularly reviewing salaries is an important element when it comes to ensuring that you are able to both attract and retain talented people, a key factor to achieving business growth. Attract more talent Recruiting high calibre employees is as top priority for many businesses at the moment and a competitive salary offering is one of the key factors potential employees will take into account. This doesn’t necessarily mean your salary has to be the highest offered in the industry, there are many other factors, such as geographical location, which need to be taken into account. The focus is about ensuring it is competitive and doesn’t put talented professionals off from the outset. Retain more talent Not only do employers need to consider how attractive their salaries are when looking to recruit new people, they also need to review whether they are at the right level to keep hold of existing employees. With the job market improving, talented professionals may find themselves in greater demand. Losing good employees can have a big impact on organisations. It impacts on morale and productivity and also costs money to recruit a replacement. Employers may even find themselves having to increase the salary offered to be able to attract someone suitable enough to take over the role. Should employers compete on salary alone? It’s important to note that while job market confidence has made employees more likely to negotiate their pay, candidates are still reluctant to move on salary alone. Businesses should also look for other ways to reward and incentivise employees and to keep them engaged. There is also a growing trend for businesses to be offering more attractive benefits packages to help attract and retain top talent. We’ve also noticed that more organisations are beginning to increase their involvement in CSR for the first time since the recession. Companies which can show a commitment to their local communities are particularly attractive to the millennial generation, as they are looking to work for ethical companies with responsible values. Image: Shutterstock

Writing a Skills Summary for a Resume

Writing a Skills Summary for a ResumeWriting a skills summary for a resume is something that a person who is applying for a job would certainly do, but the question is whether this form of writing is worth it or not. A skills summary can be included on a resume if the applicant already has skills relevant to the job description. For example, if an applicant is currently holding a certificate, he or she should provide the relevant information on the resume.A candidate would also have to consider how many years of experience he or she has had in a different resume. Some of the skills that are required may vary, depending on the particular job requirement.There are, however, times when it is appropriate to write a skills summary for a resume. A candidate who has at least some working experience with computers will require this as part of the resume. The resume will therefore be more useful and worthy of getting the attention of the employer. In addition, it will be easier for the employ er to read and digest the information.However, it would be good if the work experience could be included. This information will still help the employer to get a quick read on the skills that the candidate has. The resume can contain only the information about the past work experience. This will help the employer see how the person can be useful in the future.Another point to consider when writing a skills summary for a resume is how much previous work experience can be included. If there is too much information about the previous experience that is deemed useless, the employer might make the decision to get the resume from another candidate. Instead of giving away information that is useless, the applicant should focus on the job responsibilities that the candidate has had previously. The problem is when the candidate gets into details about what was previously done, when the candidate himself is not aware of what the responsibilities were.When the resume is well-written, it can be very helpful to the employer when it comes to making a decision. It is advisable to include all the relevant details about the previous work experiences. This will help the employer make a decision to hire the candidate for the job.As with anything, a skills summary for a resume should be properly presented. The content should be correct, including punctuation, grammar and proper spelling of words.It is very important to provide the correct information in the resume. This will help the employer make a decision and eventually make a recommendation on the employee.

2014 was the end of the workplace revolution

2014 was the end of the workplace revolution When I started writing about careers we were at the beginning of a huge revolution. It makes sense, then, that I spent so much time trying to not write about careers. If you start at the beginning of a revolution you look like a crazy person. The revolution hasnt started yet, which means that everyone is trying to hold on to what they know. You can see this best in the American  Revolution. The colonists were making plenty of money, so the Americans went to great lengths to accommodate the annoying demands of the British government so as to not disrupt the American economic  and social  order. There was no American Revolution until King George made such a mess of colonial taxation that Americans could no longer lie to themselves that it was a tenable situation. Historical writing  about the Colonial Era almost always charts gradual recognition that old European structures were inappropriate for the New World. Which means you cant write extensively about the American Revolution without writing about sex. For example, in Colonial America European rituals  of courtship were no longer useful. Harsh conditions and long distance between homes meant that a man traveled a very long distance to meet a girl. Also, it would not be possible for him to make many trips to meet the girl. So the parents allowed the suitor  to sleep over at the house. But,  like all revolutions, the sexual revolution of Colonial America has common tropes of denial, like the  practice of bundling, which was putting  a board between the two parties  so, in theory,  they could have physical  relations within a context of restraint. And like all revolutions, there were those who wrote diatribes to justify the inevitable ways of the future. One poet  advises to just forget about policing the couple in bed and instead just save money by admitting that you dont need to  heat the room they are in. Since in bed a man and maid may bundle and be chaste it does no good to burn out wood it is needless waste. The full poem is such a good read, especially if you think your kids should not have pre-marital sex. But its also a good read because  writing that tells us a  truth about our life that is hard to hear is always brave, honest writing. Which is probably why I was such a failure as a sex writer. The sexual revolution happened in the 70s. I read books by Judy Blume and Erica Jong, and I wanted to be like them, transforming how we thought about sex. But that  opportunity  had passed, which is probably why my best writing about sex was really about other stuff. Like, I got a teaching position in Boston Universitys writing program by submitting  a story about being bulimic and using a blow job to make myself gag and then going to the bathroom for a quick, furtive vomiting  session before popping in my diaphragm to finish up. After graduate school I kept writing, but it wasnt the writing about bulimia that paid the bills. It was the writing about careers. Which was an accident, really. I didnt mean to be a revolutionary thinker about careers.  I was just trying to survive financially. And that is how most revolutions happen. My career advice ran in 200 newspapers, I got a book deal for $150K. Yahoo Finance paid me $1200 a week for  a blog post. You know why? Because I said things no one else would say but it was hard for anyone to argue that what I wrote was not true. The thing is, today what I wrote back then is common knowledge. I wrote women dont want big careers in 2005. Forbes  said it in 2014. I wrote that diversity is bad for small teams in 2007. The New York Times  said it in 2014. My own company, Brazen Careerist, told me to tone it down in 2007 so that the company didnt get so much controversial press from me. But in the last few months Im seeing  more  and  more  of my blog post topics on the company site, like  skip college  and  ignore typos. I  know my  ideas are not at the forefront of a revolution when  people  appropriate them. I want to be writing the ideas people read late at night, with a glass of wine, to dull the searing impact of the life theyve already chosen. When I started writing about careers, the internet was coming,  all gatekeepers were changing, and  Gen  X was entering  the workforce with nothing  to lose. If you have nothing  to lose you can ignore  all the rules. Which is what Gen X  did. Gen Y  finished up the workplace  revolution;  they want the same things as Gen X and  you cant ignore Gen Y because there are so many of them. So we are at the end.  Gen Z  is not revolutionary. They need to hold things together. Societies are cyclical and not all generations can be revolutionaries. Society is held together because some generations tear down and some rebuild. Generation Z is in a time of shoring up institutions. So I look around, and I think: where is the revolution now? The answer is that its in education. In 1994, when I started writing about careers, the workplace was completely failing the people it was supposed to support. That is not true today. But it is true of schools. So what do I write on my career blog then? I couldnt find a Christmas gift for my husband, so I googled best Christmas gift for an ISTP and I found a forum for ISTPs. There was only one person in the forum. Of course. ISTPs couldnt care less about other people. And the person said the best gift she ever received was when she moved into a new apartment and her mom gave her a doormat that has fancy swirly letting on it and said Go Away. My husband is a very practical guy. What he really wants for Christmas is sex. I want  to say to the kids, You know what? Ive got Christmas covered this year. Just leave that gift to me. See? I  never stop pining for the career I  wanted in my  20s. And I think thats a common ailment. But what we really want is to do something that is brave and honest and has impact among people we care about. At any point in time, there are sectors of our society where we are more likely to have that impact. And right now, that sector is education. Fortunately for me, education transformation is a workplace  issue. Because education transformation requires family transformation. And family transformation starts with workplace transformation because weve set up our lives with the assumption that someone else is taking care of our kids for the majority of each day. We do not have evidence that kids of middle-class educated parents benefit from going to school. But we do have evidence that middle-class educated parents like not having to take care of kids all day long. So we are at a new frontier, where the realities of education clash with the realities of work. Thank god. Because otherwise I dont know what Id write about on my career blog in 2015.

Career Lessons from 2016s Most Inspiring Women

Career Lessons from 2016’s Most Inspiring Women Let’s be honest, 2016 hasn’t been the best year for women. We had Olympic sports commentators forgetting that women are people and a judge so worried about the “severe impact” jail would have on rapist Brock Turner that he barely sentenced him. Brexit Britain suggested that feminism was “a force for ill” while the United States elected a President whose sexist credentials are indisputable. Yet throughout all this, amazing women all over the globe spent the year smashing glass ceilings, challenging cultural barriers and generally striving to make the world a better place for women everywhere: Deddeh Howard Deddeh Howard is a stunningly beautiful and highly talented model. She’s also black. Unfortunately, in an industry as whitewashed as fashion, that means she struggles to book jobs. When she walks into agencies, they enthuse over her work, before telling her that unfortunately “they already have a black model.” The idea that all WOC can be represented by one token black model didn’t fly with Howard, who launched her Black Mirror project in response. By recasting herself in big-brand adverts, she intends to raise awareness of how unjustifiable the lack of diversity in modelling is. Career lesson: Never allow yourself to be limited by the status quo. Complacency changes nothing; push for what you want and never take no for an answer. Ashley Eckstein Imagine this: you’re a budding actress and lifelong geek, who lands a part in Star Wars. You’d be pretty thrilled, right? Ashley Eckstein was, which is why she promptly rushed out to buy herself a fangirl tee-shirt, only to find that sci-fi themed clothing for women just wasn’t a thing. Apparently, the entire clothes manufacturing business had decided that women were too busy painting their nails to watch superhero movies or play video games. Luckily, Eckstein wasn’t about to let that get in her way. Instead she set up Her Universe, a women’s clothing store specialising in all things nerdy. It’s become so successful that this year she sold it to Hot Topic, ensuring that the brand will be able to add loads of new items, in loads of different sizes, and reach women everywhere. Career lesson: Look for opportunities wherever you go, and take the initiative whenever inspiration strikes. Don’t rely on other people, go out and make your dreams happen for yourself. Fu Yuanhui Olympic medallist Fu Yuanhui earned worldwide fame at Rio when during an interview she frankly discussed how being on her period may have affected her performance. In doing so she smashed a taboo around the menstrual cycle that is prevalent not just in sports, but worldwide. Almost all women work while on their period, but a study found that a woman who has the audacity to drop a tampon from her bag at work is deemed less competent and less likeable by her colleagues. By refusing to be embarrassed by her body, women like Fu are challenging such backwards attitudes. Career lesson: Too many women are encouraged to emulate “masculine” traits in the workplace to get ahead. But so-called “feminine” traits can be just as advantageous. We should be proud of ourselves and our gender, and play by our own workplace rules. Jai Latto Telling women what they should or shouldn’t be like is one of the main facets of sexism. Jai Latto experienced this first-hand when she was stripped of her Miss Transgender UK title for “not being transgender enough”. Latto had been filmed wearing boxer shorts and attended the gym in a t-shirt and shorts. According to organiser Rachael Bailey, this was enough to designate Latto as a gay man, not a trans woman. Understandably furious at being told that her gender identification isn’t as important as the underwear she wears, Latto retorted that “being transgender isn’t some exclusive club that you have tick boxes to get in” and announced a plan to hike 30 miles in high heels (ouch!) to raise awareness about all forms of gender identity. Career lesson: People will invariably try to pigeonhole you into their idea of what you should be. Ignore them, and always be yourself.   Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy 91% of high-grossing films have no female director. An exception to the rule is Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a Pakistani director who this year won her second Oscar for her documentary A Girl in the River, which focuses on honour killings. A heartbreakingly common practice in Pakistan, perpetrators face no punishment if forgiven by the murdered girl’s family (of whom they are usually part). Demonstrating the power of film to change the world, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to amend this law after watching Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary. Career lesson: No industry/job is ever ‘off-limits’ to anyone with enough talent. Find your passion in life and work hard at it. You’ll be amazed at what dedication can achieve. Hillary Clinton Whatever your opinion of politicians, the influence they have over our day-to-day lives is indisputable. This clout makes the huge gender imbalance  present in politics concerning, and high-profile female politicians like Hillary Clinton important. The President of the USA might just be the most powerful position in the world. The fact that 2016 was the first time ever that a woman was even in the running for this job is something to be celebrated. Clinton  was also the third woman ever to hold the most senior cabinet position of Secretary of State.  There have been sixty-five male ones. In her Presidential run, Clinton showed us both what women are capable of and how great the challenges we face are. To quote the Economist,  â€œeven if you are inclined to judge Mrs Clinton harshly, it is hard not to conclude that latent sexism is a bigger reason for her struggles [to win votes].” Career lesson: There are going to be setbacks. There are going to be losses, and failures, and times that it feels you’ll never be good enough. Stay strong, stay standing, and try, try, try again. Beth Leslie writes careers advice for Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency specialising in matching candidates to their dream internship. Check out their graduate jobs London listings for roles.   . Image credits. Main.  Deddeh.  Ashley.     Fu.  Jai.     Sharmeen.  HRC.  

Why an Account Executive Resume Is Important

Why an Account Executive Resume Is ImportantYour account executive resume is your ticket to the job of your dreams. A well-crafted, impressive executive resume will leave your prospective employer in awe and allow you to become the head of the company you dream of. The right resume could also land you a top corporate job. But what happens when you're doing all the work, but simply can't find a job?First of all, understand that a resume is an advertisement. It lets potential employers know you exist. And because there are so many jobs available, there are more applicants applying for every single one. You need to make a good impression on your potential employer. That's why it's crucial to be prepared and have a professional resume writer to produce your well-crafted executive resume.They don't always come with experience and connections, but you're going to get them anyway. This is the job of the resume writer. They take all the effort and know-how you've put into your business plan and just apply it to your resume, giving you the great look and feel that you're looking for.And one thing they do is make sure you're good looking in your resume. This is a key ingredient in making your prospective employer want to hire you. Make sure you list everything from your name, to your title and years of experience, to your hobbies and interests.If you're a top corporate executives, then your resume will always be filled with memorable information about your accomplishments. It will go a long way in securing your future. And it will give the reader something to think about when they're looking at your CV.Another important aspect of the executive resume is getting it right on the first try. You may be thinking of the same things as everyone else, but that doesn't mean they'll have the same experience or knowledge as you. These days, it's not about knowing the right things; it's about knowing how to get it done, and this means being ready with the right information. So if yo u're short on time, you can go with one of the many templates that you can find online.If you can't afford the time to design your own, don't blame yourself. It's not a job for a first-timer, and most likely you'll regret it when it comes time to submit it. If it's not professionally written, it'll simply fall flat.Don't get frustrated if you can't find the exact job you want. If you take the time to get it right, the best thing that can happen is you'll land it. If you need some help with your resume, there are plenty of companies that offer services. Make sure you look for a company that has experience, and someone who can create a resume that will make an impact.

How To Prep for Career Disaster

How To Prep for Career Disaster I have to admit, we watch National Geographic’s program Doomsday Preppers. Yes, it seems a bit over-the-top, but there are some interesting moments. In case you havent stumbled across this show yet, warning, its edutainment 50% education and 50% entertainment. Preppers, as they call themselves, stockpile food and take other proactive measures to protect themselves and their families in case of a disaster. So, I am going to try and draw the connection here. Preparing for the Unexpected or Unimaginable Most job seekers Ive met were not prepared for a career catastrophe. They missed the warning signs, didnt think it would ever happen to them, or believed the company leaders when they said the company or their jobs would be OK.   As a result, the loyal, dedicated, hard-working employee was caught flat-footed- No plan, little savings, and an insignificant network. These job seekers scramble to pull a plan together under the stress and pressures of unemployment and attempt to create a web of connections outside of their past company. Ive seen this too little, too late approach result in extended unemployment, which in turn, leads to lack of confidence. And this is an awful cycle to be in. Do you know what it will take to start a job search? Why Is Prepping Worth Your Time Effort? The Preppers featured in Doomsday Preppers often say that having a plan gives them piece of mind. Thats why I am writing this. I am hoping that you will see how and why it is worth investing your time today to prepare for an almost inevitable catastrophic event in your career. You can read the full list of proactive measures and supplies to stockpile in case you find yourself suddenly without a job on todays US News World Reports post.

Networking Through Online Affinity Groups

Networking Through Online Affinity Groups Over on the Stealth Networking Blog, Liz Lynch writes about  networking apathy  and ways to overcome it. Sometimes people who struggle with networking resist it because they feel the process is unnatural and puts them in situations where they are not comfortable. The key is to find communities that are aligned with who you are and what you are passionate about, rather than morphing yourself into someone you are not, just to get into the networking scene. When you network within a group where you feel there is a common bond or interest, authentic relationships, information sharing, and reciprocity will naturally follow. You connect with members of the group because of the affinity, but that affinity may be leveraged later on to garner information about other topics of interest to you, including your job search. Here are a few suggestions for networking sites that are off the beaten path from LinkedIn or Facebook, but can still provide enormous value to job seekers because they are bas ed on an affinity relationship.  Classmates  www.classmates.comClassmates enables users to locate and interact with friends from elementary school, middle school, high school, trade school, college, graduate school, or the military. One of the features I love about Classmates is that users can search on a maiden name, so it’s easier to find people than if you were using that same name in a traditional search engine. The free level of membership lets you create bulletin board notes on your profile for others to read, read stories and QAs posted by members, and view photos. The gold membership lets you see where your friends live now, send and see emails, track who visits your profile, and plan reunions and events.  Military Planet  www.militaryplanet.comMilitary Planet is a social network for past and current members of the military. Through the buddy search feature, members can search for each other based on a branch number, unit category, location, or station. Members can communi cate with each other by blogging or posting messages on forums.Living Social www.livingsocial.comLiving Social lets you catalog your interests, browse what your friends enjoy, and find others with the same interests as you. The communities include reading social, tune social, reel social, dining social, gaming social, and drinking social. Your account can be linked directly to Facebook, Hi5, Bebo, and other social networking sites.Work It, Mom! www.workitmom.comWork It, Mom is a community for working moms to share their experiences, advice, and support. Members can ask questions to the group, view blogs that deal with work/family balance, read and write articles, participate in and create groups, view and vote on news articles on topics that affect working moms, and purchase products and services that working moms want and need.  Weight Watchers www.weightwatchers.comWeight Watchers members have access to a number of message boards where they can post questions, tips, recipes, obser vations, and recommendations. There are different groups to join based on age, lifestyle, and weight loss goals, and several of the threads focus on keeping members encouraged and motivated. Members often rely on these boards for inspiration and it’s also a way for people who attend the program’s face to face meetings to continue the dialogue and rapport-building in between meetings.Digg www.digg.comOn Digg, users can submit and vote on their favorite articles, videos, or podcasts. Users can then build a network by inviting friends or finding them on Digg. Friends can track what others are “Digging” or share opinions by commenting on the items they “Digg”. Users can also create a profile and add links to pages on Facebook, MySpace, their blog, or their own favorite web pages.