Unbelievably for me, it's been almost a year since our worlds were turned upside down both in and out of work and we’ve all had our fair share of challenges. Thankfully, almost a year on and despite the obvious restrictions we’re all still facing in the UK, there’s finally some well-needed light at the end of the tunnel and in my opinion good reason to be optimistic for the future especially within the world of IT & technology. So what does the future of work look like and what are our customers saying about it? Unsurprisingly, talent is still very much top of the boardroom agenda; both in being able to attract talent as well as maintaining it.  In a world where the vast majority of businesses have been forced into adopting a ‘virtual workforce’ the challenges of maintaining (as well as enhancing) company culture has never been more important but also extremely difficult. The winners are those who’ve been creative, adapted and found new ways to make this work and in many examples, it's been those companies who understand their teams best who’ve nailed it. Coupled with the fact that geographic barriers are in many cases no longer a factor in attracting talent who can in many instances work from anywhere in the world, the war for talent has never been greater and this trend is only set to continue. Remote working much like the demise of the high-street has inevitably been accelerated significantly by COVID.  And as Darwin famously said: “It is not the strongest that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” So what signs of recovery am I seeing in the tech market? Despite the obvious challenges that still exist within some sectors, there are also a significant number of businesses who have long moved from ‘survival’ mode and firmly into ‘building for the future’ mode, looking to use their creativity to challenge the status quo, discover new opportunities and through technology make all of our lives a bit easier. This has in turn seen a clear trend across all our data with companies looking to hire more technology professionals to drive their businesses forward. Confidence is creeping back and in many ways, this is because people have learned (or maybe just accepted) how to live in a COVID world. And with the acceleration of the national vaccination programme and the growing hope that ‘normality’ will soon be returning to all of us, companies are able to be more confident in what the future will look like and the roles they want to play. One word of caution however to all of those companies who are waiting for things to go back to the way things were. As an industry, this has been an opportunity to hit the ‘reset’ button, to pause and think about the way companies and teams operate.  Those companies in my opinion who go back to the way things were, will have missed the bigger picture. Technology has always been about innovation, challenging the norm and doing things better than before.  And it’ll be the companies who grab this opportunity with both hands who thrive when we finally come through the other side. Let's Connect If you'd like to have a chat about this article, find out more about the state of the tech industry or discuss your hiring plans please reach out to me on LinkedIn.

With over 10 years’ experience working within the Digital, Tech and IT Industry, John Petrella joined Understanding Recruitment's Contracts team in August 2020 as a Recruitment Consultant. John, who started his working career as a Branch Manager for an insurance company, worked his way to becoming an IT Operations Team Leader and eventually found his true calling within IT and Digital Recruitment. We spoke with John to see how he's been getting on and what it was like starting a new job remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic. What was your career journey before joining Understanding Recruitment?  I had been working in the recruitment industry for the past 12 years. Why did you choose a career in Recruitment?  I’m sure you've heard this a million times! But truthfully, I fell into recruitment. I was working within the insurance sector and started looking at sales positions – the rest is history! How did you find joining a new company during a pandemic?   It was definitely a different experience, but surprisingly seamless. Everyone was very welcoming. I was lucky enough to spend my first month within our offices in St. Albans and was able to meet the majority of the team in person before we moved back to working remotely.   What do you like best about working at UR?  Everyone has been so welcoming from the start and is very supportive of your journey. What would your advice be to recruiters thinking about moving to a different company/different industry?  Make sure you are moving for the right reasons and your vision is aligned with what career/journey you have set out for yourself. How would you describe our culture?  Everyone is super friendly and welcoming at UR and always happy to help in any way they can when needed. People genuinely want you to succeed and will offer you as much support as you need to get there. What would your advice be to your younger self?   Learn to code and get into IT/Development! What have you been able to do by working from home that you couldn’t have working in the office? I’ve been able to enjoy a good work-life balance – exercising more and spending more time with my family! Curious about #LifeAtUR?  We'd love to hear from you! DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk   or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the ​ opportunities we have for you.

We're living in a rapidly changing world as a result of Covid-19. As in previous years, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning skills have been in constant demand with LinkedIn reporting a growth of 40% in global hires in 2020. The information in our 2021 Machine Learning & AI Guide is based on data from our placements, an extensive questionnaire filled out by a highly relevant pool of candidates and from salary ranges provided by our current partners that include some of the best technology-driven businesses across the UK. Which industries are benefiting most from AI? According to a poll, we ran on LinkedIn recently, Software and Tech Organisations could stand the most to gain by investing in AI. Other areas that are evolving in this space include Healthcare, Medical Research, Finance, Multimedia, Chip Design, Market Research, and many more.   Overview of the Machine Learning talent pool in the UK   As is the case in so many tech professions only 21% of Machine Learning professionals on LinkedIn in the UK are female. Data shows that Machine Learning professionals are most likely to switch companies after 1.2 years. A huge 37,436 professionals are located in London, with Cambridge and surrounding areas in second place with 3,054 professionals. Imperial College London, University College London, Amazon, Facebook, and the University of Oxford are the top five companies employing these professionals, showing the dominance of roles in academia.   Spotlight on: Machine Learning Engineers According to LinkedIn data covering 12 months from November 2019, London has the highest number of Machine Learning Engineers with 468 professionals. Manchester (named the fastest-growing tech city in Europe) and Leeds has seen an increase in Machine Learning Engineers by 133%. The top five companies with the largest number of Machine Learning Engineers are Facebook, Apple, Kubrick Group, IQVIA, and Omdena. According to our data, the demand for talent with these skills is classed as very high in Financial Services and Hospital & Healthcare industries. The top three universities producing Machine Learning Engineers are the University College London, University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.   What are some of the growth areas? Let’s delve deeper into Machine Learning and AI and understand what areas have been growing in the last 12 months.   1. Natural Language Processing One of the areas that stood out in terms of continual growth in 2020 was Natural Language Processing. This talent mainly sits within London, with 6,606 professionals in this space of AI. However, there are 638 professionals in Edinburgh and 626 in Manchester, both growing tech hubs for Machine Learning, and particularly NLP. Amazon, Facebook and Google are the top three companies employing this talent. The University of Edinburgh, University College London and the University of Cambridge scored as the top universities producing this talent in the UK.   2. Deep Learning Deep Learning also seems a very niche skill that is frequently in demand. Over the last 12 months, there was a steep 51% rise to 10.9k professionals with Deep Learning skills on LinkedIn in the UK. The top three employers for Deep Learning skills are Imperial College London, DeepMind and University College London. Similarly, Imperial College London was also the top University producing this talent in the UK. Our data showed that more Deep Learning professionals are keen to maintain a career in academia rather than transition over to industry. In contrast, NLP professionals have shown more of a willingness to move away from academic positions.   3. Data Science There was a 9% increase in Data Science professionals in the UK with 830 job posts for Data Scientist advertised over the last 12 months on LinkedIn alone. This increase reflects how crucial it’s become for every company to have a Data Scientist. The industries predominantly employing Data Scientists are IT and Services, Financial Services and Computer Software. Facebook, Lloyd Banking Group and Aviva were the top three employers for Data Scientist professionals. Python, Data Analysis, Machine Learning, and Data Mining were among the top skills for Data Scientists. This talent was most likely to have graduated from Imperial College London, University College London and the University of Cambridge.   Flexibility key in retaining talent When it comes to benefits, ML & AI professionals are most concerned about job security, with many putting their job search on hold in the current economy. Working hours, flexibility within their role, working from home, being able to experiment with ideas, and try new things in their role were also among their top priorities. The overwhelming majority of our respondents said they would not accept a job without their future employer offering flexitime or remote working, emphasising that remote working is in high demand and is a benefits job seekers have come to expect.   Other popular benefits include: Flexible or fully remote working Gym membership Medical insurance Life insurance To view more benefits, click here. Financial compensation Generally, ML & AI professionals told us their annual bonus was between 15%-20%, with the next common answer being 10%. For candidates who have a PhD, we have seen salaries increase substantially (in some cases by up to £10,000). For a breakdown of salaries by job title and years of experience click here.   Let’s chat For any further information about the statistics in this report or other information about the ML & AI market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me for a chat. Anna Heneghan Head of Machine Learning & AI Recruitment aheneghan@understandingrecruitment.co.uk +44 (0)1727 809403 Connect with me on LinkedIn Schedule a call with me 

In 2021 and beyond tech will continue to change our everyday lives. But how will it change the world for the better? Find out in this collection of thought-provoking TED Talks. 1. What will the pharmacy of the future look like? Personalised pills, 3D printed at home. Should we change the way we prescribe drugs? Physician Daniel Kraft calls for a smarter approach to healthcare. Many drugs don't work for those they're prescribed for and can cause side effects. There are also challenges around dosage and patients taking the medicines as they should. In this TED Talk Kraft makes a compelling case for leveraging tech to make a change. Thanks to the internet of things and connected devices, real-time data could be used by healthcare professionals to improve prevention and lead to personalised medications that adapt to individual needs. 2. SpaceX could soon be flying you across the globe in 30 minutes. What's next for SpaceX? Find out from employee number seven at Elon Musk's pioneering aerospace company who is now its President. Engineer Gwynne Shotwell discusses the exciting race to put people into orbit, taking humanity to Mars and space travel for earthlings. 3. Creating Google Search for the Earth. Could the surface of the each soon be as easily searchable as the internet? Will Marshall and his team at Planet are already on a mission to index the entire Earth using satellites. Now they're using AI to index all the objects on the planet which could make ships, trees, houses and everything else on Earth searchable.  4. How Arduino is open-sourcing imagination. From toys to satellite gear, Arduino has inspired thousands of people around the globe to make the coolest things imaginable. Find out more about this easy-to-use open-source microcontroller from Massimo Banzi who helped invent it. 5. The way we trust has changed. There has been a shift in who we trust. Instead of placing our trust in institutions we increasingly rely on others, who are often strangers. Just look at the rise in popularity of platforms like Airbnb and Uber.   6. What could a driverless world look like? Transportation geek Wanis Kabbaj finds inspiration in the genius of biology to design the transit systems of the future. In this forward-thinking talk, explore exciting concepts like detachable buses, flying taxis and networks of suspended magnetic pods that could help make a driverless world a reality. 7. What AI is - and isn't. Educator and entrepreneur Sebastian Thrun wants us to use AI to free humanity of repetitive work and unleash our creativity. In an inspiring, informative conversation with TED Curator Chris Anderson, Thrun discusses the progress of deep learning, why we shouldn't fear AI and how society will be empowered if dull, tedious work is done with the help of machines.  8. Could a smog vacuum cleaner transform our cities? Daan Roosegaarde uses tech and creative thinking to produce imaginative, earth-friendly designs. In this TED Talk, he presents his latest projects from Van Gough inspired bike paths in Eindhoven to a smog vacuum cleaner in Beijing.

GitHub’s annual Octoverse report celebrates 365 days of achievements in the software community and we’ve got the highlights for you right here! 2020 was a year of change. We’ve all had to adapt in some shape or form with most balancing (or trying to – homeschoolers we salute you!) working remotely with home life. But the way developers collaborate as part of a global community stayed much the same, driving a sense of camaraderie across the globe. With 60 Million+ new repositories created this past year developers came together to innovate, connect and solve problems. In addition to GitHub’s growth and usage, this year’s report offers additional analysis around work-life balance and hours worked, the state of open source security, and what role automation plays in faster software delivery. Dive into the full report – or read on for the highlights.   56M+ developers are part of the GitHub community Based on data collected between October 2019 - September 2020, there were a total of 56m+ developers on GitHub with 72% of Fortune 50 companies using GitHub Enterprise. Not only were there 60 Million+ new repositories created this past year, but there were also a staggering 1.9 Billion+ contributions added. This year saw an increase of new users to GitHub, including Data Analysts, Scientists, Teachers, Students, and Designers suggesting that collaborations on the platform will increasingly include more than code. Take a look at the full report to see how the GitHub community has grown and evolved over the last year. JavaScript still the most popular language As it has since 2016, JavaScript ranked as the top language amongst GitHub’s users in 2020. Python takes 2nd place, having overtaken Java in 2019, which remains the 3rd most popular language. TypeScript appears to be the most progressively popular language this year going from 10th place in 2017, all the way up to 4th place this year. Could we see TypeScript continue to gain in popularity over the next years?   Developers have spent more time on Open Source while stuck at home Developers have been putting in long hours and over the last year contributions to open source increased by 25%. These levels noticeably increased as the pandemic unfolded and remained high even on weekends suggesting open source could be an important escape from work as well as a place to learn and create. Open source projects that used GitHub Actions to automate their pull requests also saw noticeably faster software delivery and better collaboration. Global growth Over the course of the year, GitHub has grown globally in size and diversity. Despite a 2% decrease from last year, most GitHub users are found in North America (34%), closely followed by Asia (30.7%) and Europe (26.8%). Countries and regions such as Egypt, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia saw a large growth in contributions in 2020. Nigeria was ranked at the top with a 65.9% growth, closely followed by Hong Kong (SAR) at 64.5%.   Want to know more? Dive into the full report

Around three and a half years after the UK voted for Brexit, the clock is ticking towards 11 pm on 31st December 2020, the date upon which the United Kingdom will start a new trading relationship with the European Union. Despite being so close to the end of the transition period, there are still a number of things that Boris Johnson and his Cabinet must iron out. Having missed the original deadline of 15th October, the Prime Minister has very little time left to agree on a trade deal. If a deal isn’t struck, the UK will leave the EU without any trading agreements in place. So it goes without saying that whatever happens in the coming weeks, from 1st January 2021, things will be different, deal or no deal. Established businesses can expect to feel the effects of Brexit, be that positive or negative depending on which side of the fence you sit. The UK’s smallest companies, including freelancers and contractors, have also been told by the government to prepare for change. But what specifically do contractors need to know about Brexit? And what, if anything at all, can we be confident of as the transition period comes to an end?   No guarantees over EU working As part of the EU, UK citizens are granted freedom of movement thanks to access to the Single Market. However, things are set to change when the transition period ends on New Year’s Eve and there will be no guarantee that contractors can live, work or retire in EU countries going forward. This is at least something we can be certain of. It means contractors living in the UK but working with clients in the EU may well need a visa or work permit to continue doing so. Given the rules vary country to country it’s worth checking this page on the government website. Similarly, if you’re a contractor living and working in an EU country, you should check this page for the latest guidance on visas, work permits and residency.   Immigration changes beckon Most foreign nationals, including those from EU states, will need to apply online for a visa if they want to live and work in the UK next year. A ‘points-based’ immigration system will decide this, with the government aiming to encourage what they perceive to be ‘skilled-workers’ to settle on these shores. A score is awarded to an applicant, who is marked based on a job offer (typically with a wage of at least £25,600), their grasp of the English language and skill level in a desirable occupation. How tailored this system is towards overseas freelancers and contractors remains to be seen. If you’re an EU national already living in the UK, or move here before 31st December 2020, you do not need to go through this process. Instead, you’re required to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before 30th June 2021. It is worth noting that due to the Common Travel Area, Irish citizens retain the right to live and work in the UK and reciprocally UK nationals retain the right to live and work within Ireland post Brexit.   IR35 considerations With changes to the IR35 legislation on the horizon, many contractors working through personal service companies registered in the UK want to know if the changes will apply to contracts held overseas, whether in the EU or further afield. In other words, from 6th April 2021, will contractors be responsible for assessing their IR35 status when working with medium and large businesses based abroad? Or will businesses be tasked with this? It depends, but Brexit won’t have any bearing. If a business is based wholly overseas without a permanent establishment in the UK, such an office, factory or residence, then IR35 reform isn’t a consideration. This means contractors can carry on determining their IR35 status beyond April 6th 2021. If a client is based abroad but has ties here in the UK, then the reform will apply and the business - assuming it is medium or large - must abide by the new rules. Contractors working with small private sector businesses, whether in the UK or overseas, will maintain responsibility for IR35. While there are still many unknowns for contractors regarding Brexit, we at least know that the UK will certainly leave the EU at the end of this month. And given the post-Brexit landscape is changing all the time, be sure to pay close attention to the government’s Brexit webpage, where you can stay up to date with everything you need to know.

Rhiannon joined the U's in Summer 2020 right in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.  With over three years' experience in recruiting for the not-for-profit sector, she came on board as our Head of Fundraising Recruitment, within our specialist Charity Division. We caught up with her to see how she's been getting on over the last months and what it was like starting a new job in such a tumultuous time.    What was your career journey before joining Understanding Recruitment? I started off working in the hospitality industry before getting into recruitment. Before joining UR, I was working for a recruitment agency based in central London where I supported the market research industry before moving into fundraising recruitment within the not-for-profit sector. Having supported charities and higher education organisations for the last three years, I was looking for the next step in my career that would give me more autonomy. I was also planning to relocate to St. Albans, Hertfordshire and that's when I came across Understanding Recruitment who were looking for someone to head up their fundraising team. I applied, had some virtual interviews with the internal recruiter, hiring manager and the directors. Then the stars just aligned and I got the job!   Why did you choose a career in recruitment? I've always loved forming relationships and listening to others, offering help where I can. Recruitment offered me the chance to do this, whilst having the variety to support a range of people and work on different projects each day.   How did you find joining a new company during a pandemic? It was definitely a different experience, but surprisingly seamless! Everyone was very welcoming, and I was lucky enough to spend my first few weeks working in the office and meeting people in person while the Government was advising people to go back to the office.  When we went back into lockdown we all worked from home and kept in touch virtually.    What do you like best about working for Understanding Recruitment? Everyone is very supportive, and you get given the freedom to develop your desk as much as you want. They also provide the key resources needed to do this and always provide constructive advice when wanted.   What would your advice be to recruiters thinking about moving to a different company/different industry? Make sure you do your due diligence. Always research the market or company first to ensure they match your own ambitions and will support you with these.   How would you describe the culture? Everyone is really friendly at UR and always happy to help in any way they can when needed. There is a real feel of everyone wanting to see you succeed and supporting you to do so. There's also a great open-door policy and I always feel I can speak to anyone when I need to.     What would your advice be to your younger self?  Find a job that you enjoy where you get to work with people you like and who will continue to teach you new things!   Curious about #LifeAtUR?  We'd love to hear from you!  DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk  or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the ​opportunities we have for you.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge economic toll globally with the latest UK unemployment rate at 4.8% according to the Office for National Statistics. To lend a helping hand to those impacted, LinkedIn has launched a new tool called Career Explorer that helps you identify new kinds of jobs based on your skills. It does this by utilising data gathered from their 722 million members to map career paths that professionals have taken. LinkedIn then merges this data with the current in-demand jobs. Check out the Career Explorer and see where your skills can take you. ​ ​ Unlike a job search engine, the LinkedIn Career Explorer tool matches a person’s skills with jobs they might not have considered before. It also suggests which skills you may want to learn to become even more relevant and provides you with direct links to the appropriate courses in LinkedIn Learning. The Career Explorer can also show you relevant jobs and people in your network who are already in these roles so you can start a conversation. For more helpful tips on using LinkedIn to find your dream job check out this blog.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a further extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme until April 2021. The government has confirmed that they will continue to pay 80% of the salary for hours not worked until the end of April. Therefore, employers will only be required to pay NICs and pensions for furloughed hours, and wages, NICs and pensions for any hours worked. Read more on gov.uk.  Under the new scheme, the cost for employers of retaining workers will be reduced compared to the previous scheme, that ended on the 31st of October. Businesses forced to close in England will receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant. £1.1bn is being given to Local Authorities, distributed on the basis of £20 per head, for one-off payments to enable them to support businesses more broadly. What the Government pays: 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 for the hours not worked by the employee. What employers pay: Hours worked in the normal way, National Insurance Contributions & Pension Contributions. Employers can also choose to top up employee wages above the scheme grant at their own expense if they wish. Employers will not need to contribute to wages for the time an employee spends furloughed. Flexible furloughing will be allowed as well as full-time furloughing. Who's eligible? All employers with a UK bank account and UK PAYE schemes can claim the grant. Employers small or large, charitable or non-profit, are eligible for the extended Job Retention Scheme, which continues for another month. Neither the employer nor the employee needs to have previously used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Employees must be on an employer's PAYE payroll by 23:59 30th of October 2020. A Real Time Information (RTI) submission notifying payment for that employee to HMRC must have been made on or before the 30th of October 2020.  Employees can be on any type of contract. When claiming the CJRS grant for furloughed hours, employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of 7 consecutive calendar days. Employers will need to report hours worked and the usual hours an employee would be expected to work in a claim period. For worked hours, employees will be paid by their employer subject to their employment contract and employers will be responsible for paying the tax and NICs due on those amounts Businesses have the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work on a part-time basis or furlough them full-time. Employers will only be asked to cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions which, for the average claim, accounts for just 5% of total employment costs.  Business Grants  Businesses required to close in England due to local or national restrictions will be eligible for the following grants: For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per month, or £667 per two weeks; For properties with a rateable value of between £15k-£51k grants to be £2,000 per month, or £1,000 per two weeks; For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per month, or £1,500 per two weeks What else can businesses get? Up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant if their premises is forced to close £1,000 for every furloughed employee kept on until at least the end of January £1,500 for every out-of-work 16-24-year-old given a ''high quality'' six-month work placement £2,000 for every under-25 apprentice taken on until the end of January, or £1,500 for over-25s Payments The extended Job Retention Scheme will operate as the previous scheme did, with businesses being paid upfront to cover wages costs. For the short period when the government need to change the legal terms of the scheme and update the system, businesses will be paid in arrears.

Chris Mullen joined Understanding Recruitment in 2019 having previously worked at a well known high street recruitment agency. Before getting into recruitment, Chris was a Senior Sales Negotiator at an Estate & Lettings Agency. Now Chris is our Client Engagement Consultant and IT Recruiter, focusing on providing clients with an expert level of service and supplying them with quality, hard to find tech talent across .NET, Java, DevOps, JavaScript, AI, and machine learning. We caught up with Chris to find out more about his recruitment journey and how he’s finding it so far! Where were you working before you joined the team, Chris? I had worked in an Estate Agency for five years before deciding to move into recruitment. I started my recruitment career at a well known high street recruitment agency in Watford for a year, before joining the Understanding Recruitment team. What do you like best about working at UR? I enjoy working with very talented people who have a great attitude and are always willing to lend a helping hand. The company always rewards hard work and good performance throughout the year. There are also loads of incentives everyone can get involved in ranging from trips abroad to team activities and director's lunches.  How does working in the tech industry differ from your previous industry? It’s a big change and one that comes with a lot of research and preparation. The tech industry is a lot more fast-paced which definitely comes with more rewards than high street recruitment.  Because the tech industry is constantly evolving the demand for quality tech talent is very high. This demand creates a higher earning potential and makes the average deal value larger than most industries. What would your advice be to recruiters thinking about moving company/industry? Be prepared to work hard and learn about the new industry as much as you can. Ask questions and learn from those around you. They have experience in the industry that you're entering and will be able to help and guide you. How would you describe the culture at UR? I would say it's a good mix of hardworking, inclusive, friendly, professional, and respectful. There are loads of opportunities for career progression and I would say that the team overall is really engaged. What would your advice be to your younger self?  Although working for a high street recruitment agency gave me some good experience, I would have liked to have gone straight to UR and started learning and developing with the business from the get-go!  ​Curious about #LifeAtUR?  We'd love to hear from you!  DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk  or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the ​opportunities we have for you.

At the beginning of 2020, the number of searches for “how to start a business”, increased to 18,100 - the highest on record. A recent survey of 1,000 adults in the U.K. backs up this trend with a staggering 65% of respondents planning to start their own business. While start-ups are popping up left, right and centre, building a business to stand the test of time is another ballgame. According to Review42, 90% of new start-ups fail and 20% will do so in their first year. Only 1 in 10 will survive past five years and only 1 in 10,000 will reach unicorn status, worth at least $1 billion. While there is rarely one sole reason for a start-up’s failure these are some of the red flags keeping them from gaining the traction they’d hoped for. 1. No Market The number one reason start-ups struggle to gain traction is because there is little to no market for the product or service they have created. How many new products that come onto the market solve people’s pain points or are needed? A report by CB Insights stated that tackling problems that are interesting to solve rather than those that serve a market need, was cited as the No. 1 reason for failure, noted in 42% of start-up postmortems. Passion and the belief in what you are creating are fundamental to the success of any start-up. But these can also be a hindrance leading founders to see a “gap in the market” for their product, which is not always there. Success has a lot to do with the timing being right. Launching a product before it’s ready can leave a negative impression on customers that is impossible to fix. When the market or technology has not developed as quickly as hoped for some products may fail because they are simply before their time. When the product/market fit isn’t quite right many start-ups pivot, often dramatically changing their strategy to cater to a different market. While there are a lot of success stories where start-ups have pivoted many founders struggle to act decisively and adjust to the new circumstances. For example, YouTube successfully pivoted and went from starting as a video-based dating service to become the hugely popular video streaming platform it is today. 2. Lack of Resources This one’s obvious: lack of capital resources. Many start-ups lack the financial resources to position themselves in the market in the long term. There are times where they cannot raise the money they need because a competitor already has. Some start-ups may have funding, to begin with, but burn it hard fast or scale too quickly. Likewise, it can be difficult to get the pricing right, so it covers costs but is still attractive to customers.  Some of the key issues include: High payroll costs Low profit margins Small but often recurring purchases Delayed or late payments from clients High expenses 3. Wrong Talent According to Statista, 23% of start-ups fail because they don't have the right team in place. The first five hires are key and can make or break a business. If the team doesn’t work well together, doesn’t share a vision and is lacking the skills needed, the start-up won’t stand a chance either. A diverse team with different skill sets and an understanding of the market is also critical to the success of a start-up.   Many start-up teams do not have a good understanding of the market they are operating in. Likewise, a lack of real long-term interest and passion for the market can also lead to failure. 4. Not Listening  It’s easy for start-ups to get tunnel vision. Some founders wind up building products for themselves and not the user. Losing sight of what the customer wants and needs accounts for 14% of start-up failures according to CB Insights. Despite doing all the research and finding “the gap in the market”, the product isn’t always right. Many start-ups have made the mistake of planning their product or service completely out of the market instead of getting input and feedback from clients right from the start. 5. Competition While most start-ups are built around a novel idea, the first-mover advantage can quickly fade. The market can become saturated with large companies and other start-ups quick to swoop in and capture the market you helped validate.   Unfortunately for some start-ups, these competitors can be longstanding companies with large budgets and the capacity to make the products cheaper and more effective, pricing them out of the market. How We Can Help We understand the challenges you're facing and focus on getting your early hires right, giving you the rocket fuel to supercharge your business. Hiring quality talent doesn't have to cost the earth. We know that cost is key so we've made our Talent Accelerator fee structure flexible to suit your needs.  So whether you're at seed series or series A, B or C of your funding journey, we would love to play a part in your success story. 

So, you’ve applied for the job, aced the interview process and are basking in the glory of that awesome new job feeling. Well done you! But now what? Where do you go from here to make sure you get off to a great start in your new role? The first 90 days are crucial and the actions you take during this time will have a major impact on your success or failure. Most probation periods also last around this time so it can often be a vulnerable phase while you’re also trying to climb a learning curve and operate in a new environment. But don’t worry. Our experts have put together some tips to help you settle into your new role without putting too much pressure on yourself. Good luck!     1. Don't be shy! By staying in touch with your employer before you start you can get ahead of the game and find out more information about your role and how it fits into the wider team and business goals even before your first day. While the thought of introducing yourself repeatedly might fill you with anxiety, you’ll want to show your enthusiasm and get to know people in your first days. You can also ask your manager for a list of people they think you should meet with. Try to remember people’s names but if you do forget, a simple “Could you remind me of your name?” will do. We spend a lot of time at work (90,000 hours over a lifetime*)! That’s a lot of time spent with your colleagues so, make sure to get to know them outside of work and try to get involved in after-hour activities. Drinks after work, lunches with your team or even virtual quizzes are all great ways to develop strong relationships with your new colleagues.   2. Define success In your first few weeks, it’s important to establish mutual expectations with your manager. Find out what is expected from you within the team, the wider business, and as in individual. What does your success look like? While you need to know the basics aspects of your role, for example; your working hours and responsibilities, it’s also important to understand the more in-depth parts of your role and how it contributes to the bigger picture. How your performance will be measured and what your job progression will look like, are just a couple examples of this.   Write down any questions you have so you don’t forget and raise them in a one to one with your manager. This is also a good time to find out what their pain points are and to plan how you can reduce these and add value quickly (although you may already know these needs from your interviews).  Also ask them how they prefer to communicate – in person, over the phone, via email or video chat?   Ask yourself: What do you want your legacy to be?   3. Develop good habits Get into good habits from day one. A new job can be a fresh start, so make sure to start it on a positive note and turn up ten minutes early. Decide on how you're going to manage your time, calendar and projects and get set up for your new way of working. By establishing a good working routine early on, you're taking steps in the right direction to achieve your goals and earn the respect from your team and colleagues. This is also the time to set boundaries. Coming in early and staying late after starting a new job can be a way of seeking acceptance but you should try and re-establish the boundaries that help you do your best work. Remember, saying “no” will help you focus on your goals and better manage your time.   4. Ditch the bad ones! This is the ideal time to shed old routines that aren’t serving you anymore! In your first 90 days, avoid developing negative habits and work hard to break any existing ones.   5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes Nobody likes making mistakes, but they can happen, especially in a new role. Feel the fear and do it anyway and make sure to throw yourself into your new role and step outside of your comfort zone; know that you will make a couple of initial mistakes and that it is perfectly fine to do so! Although we don’t like making mistakes, they are a great learning tool and sometimes you need to make mistakes to improve.   6. Get up to speed Your first weeks are more about listening and less about talking. Every organisation has a culture and norms of behaviour that people are expected to operate within so try to absorb these in your first weeks. Take the time to get up to speed on both your industry and your job role; what kind of technology your candidates and clients will be working with, how these fits into their businesses etc. Is there a particular code you need to learn for your role?    7. Review, review, review Don’t forget, while your employer will be seeing how you get on for your first three to six months it’s also a time to see if they are the right fit for you! Don’t be afraid to ask your manager directly for ways to improve and ask for feedback on how you’ve been doing and make sure to check you’re still on track to accomplish the goals you set in your first weeks. Finally, make sure to regularly highlight your wins in a way that makes your manager and team look good throughout the first months in your new role and celebrate those early successes!         * Source: Gettysburg College

Although COVID-19 has significantly impacted many organisations' hiring plans, the tech market continues to boom, making it trickier to find and retain top-notch developers with JavaScript skills and commercial experience with modern frameworks such as React, Angular2+ and Vue.js. Our 2020 JavaScript report is based on data from our placements, an extensive questionnaire filled out by a highly relevant pool of candidates and salary ranges provided by our current partners that include some of the best technology-driven businesses across the UK. What’s the current state of the JavaScript talent pool in the UK? In today’s market, there are 64,000+ UK professionals on LinkedIn with the job titles of; ‘Front-end Developer’, ‘Full Stack Developer’, ‘JavaScript Developer’ or ‘Web Developer’, working with either React, Angular 2+ or Vue.js. 87% of these professionals are male, highlighting that the gender gap is still very prevalent across the UK tech industry. However, companies are trying to combat this by encouraging more gender diversity in the workplace. The demand for talent within the JavaScript market is high and as a result, many companies are willing to pay above market rate to attract the best JavaScript talent. We've also seen that organisations are willing to offer higher salaries to candidates experienced in Cloud and DevOps tools. On average, JavaScript Developers are likely to move to a new company after 1.2 years making it even more important for companies to retain good talent.  Although an increasing number of companies are taking on JavaScript developers without formal degrees, our research showed that JavaScript developers were most likely to hold a degree in: Computer Science Computer Software and Engineering Information Technology Mathematics and Physics. To find out more about which universities are producing this talent see the full report. What does this talent earn? Based on placements of JavaScript candidates in 2019/2020 in London and the surrounding home counties, Graduates or Junior Front-End Developers with 2 years’ experience working with either React.js, Vue.js or Angular2 can expect to earn on average, between £25,000 to £40,000 per year, with some earning up to £50,000. Mid-Level Front End Developers with 2.5 to 4 years’ experience, reported earnings of between £40,000 – £65,000, with a small few even earning in excess of £75,000 per year. Furthermore, professionals with the job title ‘Lead Front-End Developer’ with 5+ years’ experience working with a modern JavaScript framework such as React.js, Vue.js, Angular, as well as experience managing a team or mentoring, earnt anywhere between £75,000 - £120,000 per year. In addition to this, 35% of our respondents received an annual bonus with the highest being up to 56% of their base salary. For more salary insights check out the full report here. Where is this talent located? The UK companies with the largest number of JavaScript/Front-End Developers within their workplace are; Facebook, BBC and JPMorgan with Amazon leading the way with a massive 444 professionals currently working for them. In the last year, companies such as; OakNorth, Revolut, Starling Bank and Nationwide have increased their JavaScript talent by up to 330%, highlighting the increasing demand for skilled JavaScript/Front-End Developers. As expected, London is still the location with the largest number of JavaScript professionals with nearly 20,000 developers choosing to work there. Up-and-coming locations for this type of talent include Leeds and the fastest growing tech city in Europe – Manchester. You can also expect to see a small number of professionals based in areas like Edinburgh, Glasgow and the West Midlands. The importance of Flexibility 77% of respondents said their company currently offers them the option of remote working, while 63% said they are offered flexi-time. The demand for flexible working has never been higher and this is only highlighted by a staggering 73% of respondents saying they would not accept a new job offer if it didn’t offer flexible working or the option of working from home on some basis. It has also been highlighted that Covid-19 has had an impact on the way developers feel about remote working as 65% of developers reported that the pandemic impacted their way of working with 68% of these wishing to carry on working fully remotely. Only 3% said they would like to return to the office 5 days a week, with 29% happy to work from home 1-2 days a week. Despite the general scepticism around working from home, we’ve found that because of the pandemic, organisations have learnt to trust their employees and are happy to allow them to work from home on a continued basis. What else is important to JavaScript Developers? The top 5 employer value propositions most important for this talent are: Good work-life balance Excellent compensation and benefits Colleagues and culture that inspire employees to do their best Employees have influence over tasks and priorities Convenient commute to work Other popular benefits include: Healthcare, medical cash plan, gym, childcare Paid breakfasts & lunches Option to buy additional holiday or unlimited holiday Season ticket loans Training budgets, training time, dedicated time to work on personal projects Let’s chat For any further information about the statistics in this report or other information about the JavaScript market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me for a chat. Simran Hundal Head of JavaScript simran@understandingrecruitment.co.uk +44 (0)1727 228 231 or +44 (0)7958223054 Connect with me on LinkedIn Schedule a call with me 

Whether it’s your first day in a new job or you’ve been in your role since a while, everyone wants to make a good impression on the boss. Their perception can directly affect your salary, pay rises, opportunities for visibility and future promotions.   Here are just some of our top tips to make your boss glad they hired you!   1. Do Your Best The best way to get off to a great start is simply doing your job to the best of your ability while also helping others along the way. Find out what your managers expectations are and remember they are only human. They get stressed, face deadlines, and have bosses too. So, empathising with them and seeing things from their point of view will help you become less judgmental.   2. Extra Effort Putting in extra effort can go a long way to getting you noticed. Volunteering to help out on projects that aren’t necessarily part of your job remit will leave a lasting impression and show real initiative. Expressing that you are willing to support them in their work will help your manager see you as a valuable member of the team and someone they can rely on. But don’t overburden yourself with extra responsibilities if you can’t deliver on them. You want to have enough time and energy to do a great job.   3. Have An Opinion Your boss (hopefully!) didn’t hire you to agree with everything and everyone. So, when they ask for your opinion on a new idea or solution don’t just say what you think they want to hear. Being an active member of the team and taking part in discussions shows that you take your job seriously and are passionate about what you do. Don’t be afraid to disagree with your manager. But remember, it’s all about the delivery. Look for the positives before highlighting any negatives and don’t come across as instantly dismissive. They didn’t hire you to sit silently and nod along, so if there are ideas that you’re not on board with, voice your concerns. Just make sure you are respectful and present your reasons informatively with evidence to back them up.   4. Own It Don’t wait for your manager to keep asking you when you’ll have a task completed. Have the initiative to take control of your workload and do what needs to be done without being prompted. Similarly, if you find yourself finished with all your tasks and without anything to do – reach out to your boss and ask what they’d like you to work on. Don’t just assume that because you've finished your current tasks, there isn’t something else you could be doing. See an area for improvement or a way of doing a task more efficiently? Making suggestions that will improve the way you or even your whole team work will always go down well with your manager. Nobody’s perfect so take ownership of your mistakes. Mistakes are made by everyone (your boss too!) but they can be learnt from, so own up to it when things go pear-shaped. This way, your boss can see you’re honest and can help you rectify the mistake. No one likes making errors, but it’s how you respond that will stand out to your boss. Similarly, own up to all aspects of your role. If you don’t think you’ll be able to hit the deadline of your project, tell your boss why. Be honest about the reason and don’t make excuses or pass the blame. At the end of the day, your boss is there to support you. So, support them by respecting them enough to be honest.   5. Never Stop Learning Tech never stands still and neither should you. Been thinking about learning a new programming language? Then go for it! Take the initiative and do some leaning in your spare time. Some companies will even give you time during work hours to work on your own projects so make sure you are constantly developing your knowledge. Taking time to hone your skills won’t just make you better in your current role but also adds value to you as a team member and can even help you secure that next promotion and a sweet pay rise!   6. Handle Criticism You might think you’re doing a great job but when is the last time you asked? It’s always good to ask for feedback from your manager and even better to implement it. Afterall, there is nothing more frustrating than someone asking for advice and then not implementing it.  Use your one to ones or appraisals (or even an informal chat at the watercooler) to make sure you’re on track: What could you be doing better? How can you improve? How could you support them better? Is there something you should stop doing? Communication goes both ways so if you have any questions or grievances you should be able to talk about these openly with your manager. Equally give them constructive feedback if you think they could do better in certain areas. Being aware of how we affect other people is often the first step towards making a positive change in the way we act or communicate so having a two-way dialogue will only strengthen your rapport. ​ 7. It’s All About Attitude Gossiping, pulling other people’s morale down or whinging will get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.  When a problem surfaces, seek ways to solve the problem instead of complaining about it. Everyone appreciates a colleague with a positive attitude. But be sincere about it. While you may not be planning to work at the same company forever, show you care about your team’s and your company’s success in the long term and figure out how you can align your career goals with those of the company.

When I was initially approached about being placed on the furlough scheme in March it seemed a little daunting but I was happy to help my company in the hopes that business would return to normal as quickly as possible. After all, people around the country, in many different industries, were being made redundant. Anything that would help prevent this outcome seemed like a worthy sacrifice! Very soon after, I learnt that what initially seemed like a sacrifice, turned out to be a unique and never to be had again opportunity! Here are just some of the things I’ve learnt during my furlough experience: 1. Furlough was a great opportunity for career development Having joined the Marketing team as a Marketing Executive literally a month before the pandemic broke out, I was already undergoing on the job training and developing my knowledge and experience when the furlough scheme was put into place. While I couldn’t do any work for the company during this time, I was still able to further my knowledge by doing a number of courses, attending online webinars and zoom calls with experienced professionals (thank you Google Digital Garage and Hootsuite)! This was an opportunity to really go back to the basics of Digital Marketing and Social Media to come back stronger in my role, full to the brim with new ideas! 2. Now’s the time to find a hobby  How many banana breads and cupcakes did you see on your Instagram feed during the first few months of lockdown? Suddenly everyone was Mary Berry. Being stuck at home meant most people tried new hobbies and developed new interests to keep themselves occupied. It was a time to say hello to all the home bakers, new nail technicians and home workout gurus! Personally, I’ve never had an affinity for baking and am much more comfortable with pasta (boil water – add pasta – can’t go wrong). But I didn’t want to be left out, so I started to learn the art of modern calligraphy and teach myself the basics of Adobe Photoshop and digital art. And while I’ve certainly got a long way to go to consider myself an expert, it was a great way to take myself away from the stress of the world and stay creative while keeping my mind active. 3. Having a routine in place will help with lockdown fever For the first week (or two!) of my furlough experience, I made sure to lay in, using the time to unwind and relax. But it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t productive and only made me feel worse about the situation I (and the rest of the world) were in. I realised that I needed some structure to my days to keep myself from going stir-crazy. From then on I structured each day mostly the same: get up early and make sure to have breakfast, do some online learning, have a healthy(ish) lunch, go out for the allowed one hour exercise, do some housework, have the daily phone call to friends/family and try our best to cook dinner from scratch. This helped to combat the occasional down days and helped me to feel less helpless. 4. Looking after your mental health has never been so important While I had a structure in place for my days, it was important to see every day as a new day. Some days I’d wake up with a ton of energy and set my lockdown routine into motion but there were also days I felt like I couldn’t move and that the idea of having to get up and relive the same day in this strange time almost felt too much to cope with. It was on these days that I reminded myself that it’s okay to sometimes take a step back and take a day if you need it. To take a day to do whatever will help heal your mind. Whether this was by having that lie in, reading a book, taking a hot bubble bath, or binge watching my favourite show ( ) for a couple of hours. This helped me regain the positivity I needed throughout the months of uncertainty and helped me start the next day with renewed vigour. It was important to me to reach out to those around me to make sure they were okay as well. It’s very easy to feel on your own and not okay, so reaching out to those who weren’t necessarily voicing their concerns was critical. 5. The importance of staying in touch I’m a big family person and am lucky to have a large network of family and friends, all within a 10-minute drive of my house. So, in the beginning, it was very painful to have to avoid everyone I loved, in fear of passing on a virus that could be life threatening. But this strange time only brought us closer together. With weekly Zoom quizzes, online parties and one on one calls with family, I’ve never felt closer to them. And while it hurt to have that temporary absence, it made it even more special when the ‘social bubbles’ came into place and allowed me to see them in person. I realised how important it was to always check in with each other and to pick each other up when someone was feeling particularly low, or to reassure them if their anxiety was higher than usual. Similarly, it was important to stay in touch with my manager and the company. Whether through team meetings, or direct one on one chats with my manger and directors, I was always kept in the loop regarding what was happening with the company, kept updated with any changes or extensions to my furlough and got involved in virtual group activities. At a time where it’s very easy to feel anxious and insecure about your job security, this helped me feel reassured and still an integral part of the company despite being on furlough. 6. Furlough is not a bad word! For a while, it had felt that being on Furlough was a negative and something to be ashamed of – there was a stigma from people online who were still working as usual. This couldn’t be further from the truth – I was lucky to be reassured from everyone around me that this was a positive thing to be able to support the company and would allow me (and others on furlough within the company) to return when business levels picked up . 7. Be ready to return to the ‘new normal’ It was exciting to be told that after five months of being on furlough, I would be returning to work – even if it was only part time to begin with! Finally, after months of online learning and personal development, I’ll be able to put it back into practice again! I was very aware that I’d need to be ready to adjust back to working, both from home and in an office environment, so I kept in touch with my team to find out all the new protocols and what this new way of working would look like. The week leading up to returning to work, I found myself dreaming about returning to school and not knowing where to go or what my uniform was – clearly there was a part of me that was nervous! But after completing my first day back, it was uplifting to slip back into my role comfortably, ready to tackle the rest of the year feeling refreshed and with new purpose!

​Arjun Gillard joined the Understanding Recruitment team with eight years’ experience working for a London based recruitment consultancy, heading up their engineering and construction divisions. Arjun now heads up our specialist .NET recruitment division. We caught up with him to see what his experience has been like so far and what advice he would give to consultants looking for a new challenge... What was your career journey before joining Understanding Recruitment? I started as a trainee recruitment consultant fresh out of university in a company where I was one of the first hires starting in a brand new market. I was promoted to consultant within four months and then to senior within 13 months where I started to build a team. I then took on a dual role where I was billing and managing and received multiple promotions. I then became a non-billing manager where my focus was growing the team as quickly as possible and had 20 reports. Throughout my tenure there I won multiple awards including leader of the year two years running. What do you like best about working at Understanding Recruitment? I love the autonomy and focus on personal development. I am encouraged to think outside the box and innovate. There is more of a focus on quality over quantity which is really impressive to me. The people are also fantastic and like-minded. Everyone gets on with each other and goes above and beyond to make people feel welcome. It was always going to be a bit of a nerve-racking experience for me as I had only worked for one company prior to joining. Everyone was so welcoming and I felt part of the business from day one.  During COVID the company and directors have been so supportive and appreciative. It has further cemented my belief that I moved to the right organisation. How does working in the tech industry differ from your previous industry? There is more focus on LinkedIn but also sourcing via other mediums not just via job boards. Devs love talking over email, LinkedIn messenger and WhatsApp which was a slight adjustment to me as my previous roles were primarily focused on the phone. What would your advice be to recruiters thinking about moving to a different company/different industry? I wasn’t actively looking but rather wanted to find a company that was the right fit for my career aspirations and personal goals. Do your research and have open/frank conversations throughout the whole process. For me, it had to be the right position so I wanted to know everything about Understanding Recruitment. The directors were happy to share with me what info I needed and it felt a fit from the moment I had a telephone interview. The change in the industry didn’t faze me. I know that tech is an extremely lucrative market and I had confidence in my abilities to hit the ground running in any market. I was keen on joining a company that would invest in me and develop me and I can honestly say I have found this at Understanding Recruitment. How does the earning potential in the tech market differ to the industry you worked in before? I think it's fairly similar but what I love about tech is that the majority of organisations we're working with are looking to hire at least four developers at a time. My last industry hired one individual every couple of years. How would you describe the culture at Understanding Recruitment? Fun but professional, hardworking and very much a team-orientated environment. You're empowered in your role here even at a trainee level. Everyone is working towards a common goal to offer the best service to both candidates and clients as well as help drive the business forward. What would your advice be to your younger self?  Constantly strive to be better! Personal development has been at the forefront of my mind this year and I have really kicked on due to listening to Audible and podcasts. I used to be a lot of pressure on myself and used to get disheartened when things didn’t go my way at work. Trust the process and keep working hard and you will succeed in recruitment. Also, save money! I pretty much spent every penny I earnt until my fourth year in recruitment. It’s great to treat yourself when you're doing well but I could have owned a house far sooner if I had saved some money from day one. Curious about #LifeAtUR?  We'd love to hear from you!  DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk  or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the ​opportunities we have for you.

This is a guest blog by Umbrella Company Parasol.  In March, with the UK on the brink of lockdown and the economic fallout of Coronavirus beginning to show, the government made the decision to defer the introduction of changes to the off-payroll working rules by one year. It was a move that was roundly welcomed by recruitment agencies and the businesses that benefit from the flexibility and skills provided by contractors. Many felt that burdening these parties with the responsibility for assessing IR35 status at a time when businesses were fighting to keep their doors open would have been unwise. The government clearly agreed, and so IR35 reform will not be introduced in the private sector until 6 April 2021, at which point medium and large businesses will begin administering the rules. From this date, responsibilities for end hirers and recruitment agencies will change. Where an assignment is deemed 'inside' and the recruitment agency is responsible for making the payment to the contractor's personal service company, they will become the ‘deemed employer’ and become responsible for making employment tax and NI deductions, before making the net payment to the contractor. Given it’s been over four months since the delay to the off-payroll tax changes was announced, we thought it would be useful to explore what has happened since, how contractors and businesses have reacted and explore some ways recruiters can get ready for next April. Contractor hiring nosedives, but impact of delay difficult to gauge While the news that reform had been deferred offered contractors hope at a desperate time, the devastating impact of Coronavirus means there has been little to celebrate. According to data released by KPMG and staffing association, REC, contractor hiring experienced its worst month in March for 11 years. In the months that have followed, hiring activity across the board has continued to decline as the Coronavirus lockdown saw the need for new staff fall dramatically. However, this unique scenario means it’s difficult to gauge how much of an impact the delay to IR35 reform has had on contractor hiring. In the next few months, and as businesses return to a new normal, we may be better placed to measure what effect the deferral has had on the demand for contractors if any at all. Big businesses reverse contractor bans More obvious is the reversal of contractor bans and blanket IR35 assessments, many of which occurred as a direct result of the deferral. Many companies have made a U-turn and will once again engage independent professionals. This includes the likes of Shell, Aviva, Deutsche Bank and Vodafone, each of whom have reportedly changed their position regarding the reform and have lifted their contractor bans, for the time being at least. While the long-term consequences of these changes, when finally introduced, are uncertain, the fact that many high profile firms engaging thousands of contractors have reassessed their strategy is a welcome development, even if it is only for the short term. What should businesses do now? When taking into account the confusion and concern surrounding the off-payroll changes, the fact they have been pushed back by one year allows businesses extra time to prepare. This can only be a good thing, particularly when you consider the ongoing economic challenges. So the question is, what should businesses do, whether recruitment firms or companies engaging contractors? While there are a number of ways businesses can approach the changes, including learning lessons from 2017’s public sector changes, generally speaking, this is what companies are encouraged to do: Prepare early, don’t wait until the reform lands on 6 April 2021 Don’t panic, avoid contractor bans and blanket assessments Focus on accurate IR35 decisions, given status must be set with ‘reasonable care’ Consider the benefits of engaging contractors deemed inside IR35 through an umbrella company If you'd like more information about IR35 or are looking for your next contracting role please connect with our Head of Contracts Jack Cascarino on LinkedIn.

Our head of .NET recruitment Arjun Gillard recently caught up with Principal Engineer at Chip, Guilherme Reis who has a proven track record within the financial industry, B2B, outsourced services, technology, and consultancy. With the theme of helping software developers go from good to great, they discussed Guilherme’s career to date, tips on how to get into software development, how to improve as a developer, how to get noticed by companies and recruiters, as well as answering your questions. Guilherme, what’s your background, and what skills do you think are important for developers to have? I started as a software developer more than ten years ago. I always got this feeling that I liked technology so for me it was the way to go and I started coding when I was 15 years old. And it was a real passion for me to see something building up and then from there I graduated from Uni, I started my own agency and then went on to other agencies as well. I moved to the UK from Brazil three years ago and joined a digital agency focusses on the financial sector as a team leader. The challenge was how to manage expectations for the job and managing people as well. As a software developer you’re always asking yourself these questions around how can I improve myself, how can I move forward in the direction I want to? What are the skills I need to learn for my stack to progress? For me, it was always important to have a goal. And it’s not only about the skills the market is requesting you to have but also the softer skills. I think that the market is huge because we have so many options right now and there are so many roles opening with the market picking up again. One thing I can see is that the market is expecting you to not only have the technical experience but also the softer skills, someone who can communicate and express themselves and can work together in a team. If you can have the tech stack skills and the softer skills, then you’re already so much more ahead of everybody else. I always enjoyed talking and interacting with people, so it was an easy way to start being a leader. I think stakeholders can see if you’re trying to push stuff forward and eventually you become the point of contact for the company. How did you find it coming from a completely different country? Did you face any challenges? I think the language is a blocker and sometimes I don’t know if I am expressing myself the right way. I’m also sometimes nervous about getting the position if my English isn’t 100%. When I was 15, I was learning English through the whole coding experience with the help of YouTube videos. Before I came to the UK, I also tried to improve my English. I can remember my first stand-up in the UK with ten people and I couldn’t understand what they are talking about. That was crazy. It’s different but for me, it was fun at the same time. You’ve got to be open for this type of learning experience. The other side was the gap in technology.  I think São Paulo is at the same level in terms of technology but there is no comparison to the experience and depth the UK has. The UK is the leader for the financial sector, and I believe we have so many more startups here than in the US for example. So, there is no way for me to compare the UK with any other country. Artificial Intelligence and deep learning mean you have more opportunities to do cool stuff that will change the way people interact with money and their financial data. So that is the gap that I got to fill in when I joined the UK.   Q&A I completed a Bootcamp in C# development after graduating and am currently working at a .NET house, but the software is not .NET. Is there any advice you could give me to get into a .NET role in the future?    If you really want a role in .NET you should look for a role in that market. If you want to be able to demonstrate more experience join a few freelance projects. The market doesn’t care solely about past experience unless it’s for a senior role where you’ll have to have a proven track record. As a junior, as soon as you can prove you know how to code in .NET, that’s fine. Create a plan of how you are going to move on and don’t be afraid to jump to another company, that’s how the software engineering market works in order to achieve progression. Also make sure you’re active on LinkedIn, that your profile is up to date and you’re posting and commenting on things that are relevant. Create a portfolio on GitHub and show that you’re active in the community. Make sure you are getting involved in side projects to show you understand the principles when people ask you about them during the interview. You can also post tech tests on your GitHub or Stack Overflow. Doing these things will give you a much higher chance of getting the job you want. How do you get noticed? How do you put yourself out there? Start by finding a really good recruiter you feel comfortable and confident with and get their take on the market. Use your initiative as well when you have an interview with a certain company. Do your research and map out the company and connect with the individuals who are going to be interviewing you and drop them a little message saying “I’m really looking forward to and can’t wait to discuss X, Y, Z with you.” You’ll set yourself apart from the other candidates who just show up to the interview. After the interview send an email to the people you met and thank them for their time. Don’t forget to give your recruiter feedback as well as they’re in your corner. How do you progress your career? Don’t get comfortable! Sometimes you see yourself doing the same stuff every day. If you feel like you’re not learning anything new, you’re not moving forward and there isn’t anything coming up that is going to change that, you’ve got to move on. When you value yourself and know you have the potential to learn and to grow more, you have to leave where you are now at some point to jump to another stack. You can also look at online courses or freelance projects to achieve this but I truly believe the best way to learn more is working with this in a hands-on environment. Sometimes I applied for roles when I wasn’t 100% sure about the technology. If for example, you want to improve your current company’s tech stack just use your own initiative and do some work on it in your own time and show them what you’ve done, why you’ve done it and ask them about their thoughts. This shows that you are going the extra mile. You should feel proud of what you’re doing and take ownership as well. What traits set great developers apart? There’s not really one single trait that makes the difference between a good and a great developer, it’s more of a combination. Proactivity is definitely important as is having the technical knowledge and knowing what great architecture should look like. At the same time, you also need the soft skills to be able to express yourself. Being able to break down technical jargon into easier language for people who are non-technical to understand is important. Get everything you need to know wrapped up in 13 handy tips to make your LinkedIn profile shine and get yourself noticed!  Some recruiters have said that I need to settle for a lower salary if I haven’t had a UK job before. Is that true? It depends entirely on the organisation. Some clients would offer less of a salary if you haven’t had a job in the UK previously but on the other hand, there are companies that love candidates from Easters Europe, for example, because they have very good universities out there for computer science and they will pay above market rate. You need to get yourself out there to as many companies as possible but if you find you’re struggling to find a position then it might be worth being more flexible with your salary expectations, at least for the interim. You can come in and after your probation period of 3-6 months show what value you have delivered for the company and ask for your remuneration to be improved. If you're looking for a new role in the current market you really need to make yourself stand out. There will be people who have been made redundant or on furlough who have had to take salary cuts to ensure that their business keeps going so utilise the tips we’ve given here to stand out. If you’re interviewing and not getting positions, ask why. Ask for proper feedback and find out what you fell short on, not just that another candidate was stronger.    Do companies look unfavourably on candidates who have worked at one tech company for a long time in comparison to candidates who have worked at a few? Some companies will look at the time you spent with at each company, but many don’t.  You have your own reasons for why you left that place be it culture, progression or another reason. Some companies look for longevity (2, 3, 5 years+) but newer companies and startups don’t care as much. To give you a better idea of the industry trend, the average tenure within .NET is 1.3 years. What do you think about meetings? Are they a waste of time for developers? Sometimes the number of meetings can feel overwhelming. While you might be expected to attend some meetings, too many meetings are not helpful for developers because it breaks their concentration and productivity. I am struggling to get interviews that offer visa sponsorship. What should I do? It can be difficult to get a job in the UK if you require a visa. A good place to start is to take a look at these companies that offer sponsorship. If you can prove that you are very good, getting sponsorship can be easier. Another way to go about it is to approach the companies, show that you’re a strong candidate and offer to work for them remotely as a contractor. This would involve opening your own company in the country you live in and invoicing the UK company for your work. After you’ve showcased your work, you’re more likely to get sponsorship through the company you have been working with. Do years of experience really matter? After you’ve got two years of experience it doesn’t matter at all. You don’t need to wait till you have five or six years’ of experience to start applying to senior positions as long as you have the experience and can talk on the same level as the person who is interviewing you. Make sure you are confident in your tech stack and highlight this technology throughout your CV. Do you have any more questions? Connect with us on LinkedIn and start a conversation! Arjun Gillard Guilherme Reis​

As we move into August it’s hard to believe how much has changed since the majority of us walked out of our offices back in March. Many of us had barely heard of Zoom or MS Teams let alone relied on them as part of our everyday lives and whilst flexible working was becoming ‘a thing’ the thought of a fully remote workforce would have been laughed at. But how things have changed - unprecedented you might say! In a period of time that will go down in history and which in my opinion will change the way we live and work forever, I wanted to share some of my experiences, in particular how Covid-19 has shaped and in many ways changed the landscape of the tech market forever as we slowly but surely see the road to recovery on the horizon. I’m no economist nor would I claim to be however following ‘lockdown’ the immediate aftermath was palatable and despite the tech market historically being more resilient to change than others (and in many cases being the catalyst for change itself) even it couldn’t withstand the initial barrage that Covid-19 brought. Uncertainty, panic and leaving many companies and people wondering, “what do we do?” After all, there’s no textbook for this (well not one I’ve come across). Having lived through the crisis these last few months and seeing first-hand the devastation it’s had on so many people and businesses across the board, rather than digging up what we already know (i.e. vacancies down, recruitment spend down, etc) I want to focus on the future; what we’ve learned and where we’re going as an industry (well as I see it anyway) and in particular the positives we can learn as an industry and how we’re all adapting and redefining industry standards. After nearly four months of navigating some fairly choppy waters, we’re now starting to see the mist clearing and companies talking with far greater optimism than ever and looking to the future with more confidence – and hiring! After all, until a successful vaccine is developed, Covid-19 won’t disappear so in the spirit of ‘getting on with it’ that’s exactly what we’re doing and in so many ways are embracing technology to enable the industry and the economy to get going again. ​A huge part of the recovery and which I’m sure will continue to re-shape working practices has without a doubt been our adaption (whether we wanted to or not) to remote working - and what a seismic shift that’s been. I don’t look back on balancing the running of a business with homeschooling with great fondness (just ask my wife!) but if it taught me anything it’s been the importance of ‘effective’ remote working over a prolonged period, something that would have been alien to so many people before this crisis hit. It’s also taught me and so many people I’ve spoken to the importance of having a clear purpose to our days, managing both our physical and mental well-being and over and above everything, supporting each other, both in our personal and professional lives. How companies have adapted to the new ways of working has shifted beyond recognition, with the likes of tech giants Google, Twitter and Fujitsu offering remote working permanently and many others following suit. Office space is also under further scrutiny and with many companies building even greater flexibility into their workforce planning for the future, including increased use of hot desking, the days of the traditional physical office expansion have changed. In a recent poll, we ran around the future of working from home, 50% of responses said that post-COVID they’d want to be in the office 1-2 days per week, 44% fully remote and only 6% saying they’d want to be back full-time. That in itself tells a story and it’ll be the companies who adapt to the post COVID world who in my opinion will thrive whilst others less willing to adapt will find themselves going backwards. The rules have changed, and employers need to embrace them. And with this shift, the approach to hiring is also changing. Remote interviewing and remote onboarding across so many organisations has broken down the barriers that would have existed before and in many ways make the recruitment process from both sides much quicker and simpler than ever. It has also opened up a whole new talent pool for companies looking to hire with far fewer restrictions on location as a barrier and in turn, providing even greater options for the rich tech talent out there too so a win-win for everyone – well almost. Tech talent now more than ever needs to be nurtured and supported and the winners will be those companies more willing and able to engage and provide a community (in many cases remotely) that keeps people feeling valued and with a clear sense of purpose that goes well beyond their day to day job, invigorating their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) at every opportunity. There will, of course, be challenging times ahead and tough decisions for companies and people to make however the comeback is on and it’ll be the tech businesses and the talented professionals within the industry who will be a huge driving force in us coming through the other side better than ever before. What do you think?  Would you like to share your opinion on the above topic? Connect with me on LinkedIn to start the conversation. 

What I've learnt during the lockdown in the UK is that there are many who have thrived in the environment of remote working. I have seen colleagues work on a more intense and productive level than within the walls of our office. However, for some, working remotely can be a very difficult and lonely experience. Personally, I have sat between these two camps. There have been days over the course of the last 3 months that I have been able to complete multiple tasks that would have otherwise taken weeks to get round to. Nevertheless, after the first couple of weeks of working from home, I did find myself staring at my kitchen walls or at the same email for 15 minutes at times. This style of working is not going to be short-term. As social distancing continues in the UK and across the world, remote working will be our safest way of containing the virus when ‘going to work’. Additionally, as workers have been given the opportunity to work from home more regularly, the demand for this will ultimately rise in employment requests. As a recruiter, I have already seen a huge rise in this demand even after the pandemic comes to a close.  I spoke with industry leaders within the Machine Learning & AI space about what advice they would give to get the most out of working from home. So whether you love working from home or despise it here's what they said...   Senior-level Data Scientist - UK based Medical Research Organization Create a daily working routine at home: start your day with planning the tasks and deliverables for the day and try to maintain your working day organised and structured (including lunch/coffee breaks). Remain in contact with colleagues via Zoom/Microsoft Teams, even outside of scheduled calls. It can help to reduce the feeling of being isolated. Exercise every day: sitting at home working all day long can be frustrating and stressful, even from the comfort of your home. Get your daily endorphin boost to avoid those negative side effects.   Leading Computer Vision Scientist  Try E-lunches (on video) with different colleagues including people you don't normally have lunch with. Enjoy short sessions of playing computer games with colleagues like skibbl.io. Try to reduce meeting durations by 25%.   Reena Singh HR & Recruitment Manager - iProov  Communication is key - tell your manager or HR that you are struggling with the transition. Together they can look at what exactly it is that you're struggling with and what support measures can be put in place. Book in a daily break in your diary for the same time every day and be sure to step away from your laptop/computer.  Most importantly, remember, it's OK if you're not OK. We're all going through a very unusual time that none of us has experienced before. There will naturally be a lot of anxiety, struggles working from home, strains on the relationships at home - all these feelings are normal and it's OK to feel like this. This is a very small fraction of our life in comparison to the rest of it; things will get better.    Founder of a leading start-up organization in London Exercise! Switch-off somehow with an activity. (I cook) After that activity, absolutely no more working. Use the flexibility to make your life easier than it was before (go do the groceries at 10 am if it makes your life easier).   Charles Ball, COO at Chronomics Charles has been working remotely during the pandemic and is keen on keeping the team communication levels up. Chronomics organizes regular quizzes in order to keep social interactions consistent. He also explained that there should be an emphasis on employers looking towards the future, rather than solely at the situation right now. He has been actively reviewing where his company is going to be in a year’s time and then discussing that with his current team. These conversations are helping to soothe anxieties about the pandemic, with an honest and open approach to staff. He has also been hosting regular Webinars about producing tests for employers to use on its staff to relieve the pressures of working back in an office, especially in areas such as central London where public transport is more frequently used.   Here are a few links where employers can look at options produced by Chronomics for testing and risk assessments: https://www.chronomics.com/coronavirus https://covid.chronomics.com/risk-calculator If your company is interested in Coronavirus testing please contact charles@chronomics.com   His top his are as follows: Test your company to instil employee confidence. Provide regular communication to staff, no excuses. Exercise – do not work without leaving your desk, even if it’s a walk to grab a coffee.   For more working from home tips check out these blogs:​ 7 Effective Ways to Work From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak 6 tips to make anyone more successful at remote work, from a reporter who's been doing it for 20 years 5 Tips to Successfully Work at Home   ​I would say, all in all, it is really important to separate your working life from your home life. So if you are not a seasoned professional in remote working, it can be a very new and tough challenge. However, what the professionals I interviewed all had in common are the following points: Exercise or just walking in breaks Communicating with colleagues Creating a structured routine that you stick to This ‘new normal’ will undoubtedly cause anxieties and feelings of uncertainty for many, however, it is important to reap the benefits of working from your home as well. For example, you might have a shorter commute or more flexible working hours. Or it could be simply saving a bit more cash than you typically would be able to. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with remote working and I hope these tips will help you cope in the meantime!   You might also like: Your guide to remote onboarding Dump the Slump 5 ways to stress less at work Use the 80/20  rule to beat procrastination 5 tips for better work eating   Any questions?  Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn, email at aheneghan@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or phone 01727 809 403.  

It’s that time of day again. It has arrived. Your eyes feel sandpapery as you struggle to keep them open. Your whole body feels lethargic, but your workday is far from over. It’s the dreaded 3 pm slump, and it hits hard several times a week, at the very least.  Even though you only have a few hours of work left you’re not sure you’re going to make it without a quick desktop nap. Why does this keep happening and how can you avoid the 3 pm slump all together? Here are some ideas to help you out if taking a siesta isn’t an option!   Why do I have an afternoon slump? The feeling of tiredness and fatigue is a natural response to circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are our body clocks and control our sleep cycles, making us sleepy between the hours of 2 - 4 am and 1 - 3 pm. Too little sleep, carby lunches, dehydration, and high-stress levels can also be contributors. Here are 5 ways to stress less at work.   Get Up The benefits of movement cannot be overstated in this case. Stretching, getting up and moving around can be one of the best ways to wake yourself up. Taking five minutes to get up and walk to the water cooler or to a co-worker’s desk can have great benefits. Hitting the gym on your lunch break also boosts your productivity once you get back to your desk. If you can, sit in the sun for 10 minutes or better yet, go for a quick walk outside. Walking meetings are also something you can put in place. Sunlight helps reset your internal clock. It also reduces the amount of melatonin your body produces. Sunlight is also the best source of Vitamin D proven to have many health benefits.   Interact Humans are social animals and interactions with others rev us up. If you’re working from home, having a quick video chat with a colleague can act as a great pick me up. If you’re back in the office, consider talking to a friend in the office to re-energise. Rather than sending that work-related email, go and talk to the recipient in person. Talking, smiling and laughing with others will make you feel less drowsy. Try to schedule collaborative meetings for the afternoon instead of in the morning. You can also give the Pomodoro technique a go. Work in 25-minute bursts with 5-minute breaks between. Then take a longer break after five 25-minute sets. There are several apps you can use for this but a normal timer will do the job.  Don't forget to give your eyes a rest from staring at your screen every 20 minutes. Look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.   Snack Not all snacks are good for you. While you might be craving carbs, cutting them out can help prevent an afternoon slump in the first place. A chocolate bar has a quick energy surge, but an even quicker drop. Go for fruit, veggies, nuts or a small quantity of dark chocolate containing caffeine. Minty chewing gum is also known to be a stimulant and chewing helps the brain fight lethargy. Don’t forget water either. Most of us don’t drink as much water as we should. But staying hydrated can help you stay awake and alert throughout the day. A mid-afternoon cup of green tea (avoid coffee) is also a good idea. For more work eating tips click here.   Plan Ahead Review at what times you’re most productive and schedule your most demanding tasks in at that time of day. Save easier tasks for when you’re not at the peak of your productivity curve. Most people’s concentration declines after an hour. So next time you feel your focus fading, switch to another task to change things up a bit. Listening to your favourite high-energy songs will also pick you up and make you feel pumped. Spotify has a great selection of playlists or you can create your own. Lasting throughout the day without hitting a slump starts with getting a good night’s sleep. You know your limits, and you know the consequences of pushing those. Save yourself a lot of effort and headache and stick to a bedtime that’s suitable for your body’s needs. Also, consider what you’re eating throughout the day. Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. Find what you like, but also consider the long-lasting health benefits of those foods. Yoghurt and whole-grain cereal are a couple of the many options at your disposal. Your body will thank you. Same goes for lunch. Getting the right nutrients at lunch is still important. Protein is a go for lunch, while you may want to cut back a bit on the carbs.

The annual Stack Overflow Developer Report has been going for almost a decade and holds the record for being the largest and most diverse survey of coders across the world. This year’s survey results bring together a whopping 65,000 developers’ preferences outlining how they learn and upskill, which tools they are using and what they want from their careers. 55% of this year's respondents identify as full-stack developers and about 20% consider themselves mobile developers. The most common combinations include back-end, front-end, and full-stack developers. It is important to remember that this survey was taken before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation and that the salary data does not reflect the economic impact the pandemic has had. For that reason, we haven’t gone into too much detail on the survey’s employment stats in this blog, but you can still view these in the full report here. Most loved tech For the fifth year in a row, Rust held the top spot for the most loved technology. In second place was TypeScript with Python falling into the third position on this year’s list, closely followed by Kotlin and Go. In terms of web frameworks, ASP.NET Core proved to be most popular followed by React.js and Vue.js in third place. When it comes to platforms, Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes make up the top three most loved by developers. On the other hand, WordPress continues to be the most dreaded platform joined by Slack Apps and integrations. Survey data also revealed that just under half of developers use Windows as their primary operating system with the rest split between macOS and Linux. A total of 825 respondents said they use GitHub as their main collaborative tool, followed by Slack and Jira. When asked about researching new tools, 60% of developers said they ask other developers about new tech or visit developer communities like Stack Overflow. Trying out new tools via free trials also proved popular. Unsurprisingly, around 57% of respondent felt they have a great deal of influence over the technology purchased by their organization.  Gender  Women developers account for almost 12% of developers in the US. In countries such as Germany, Brazil, and Poland, the participation rate is about half of that, which goes to show there is still much work to do to reach appropriate gender representation in the field. This is consistent with other research that women leave tech jobs at higher rates than men, highlighting that the industry has a way to go towards creating an environment where they feel included and can thrive.  Approximately 1% of this year’s respondents that write code professionally are transgender. Salaries According to this year’s data, developers who use Perl, Scala and Go tend to have the highest salaries globally averaging at $75k. It is interesting to see that while Perl is among the most dreaded languages, developers willing to use this technology are compensated with a higher salary. In the US, Scala Developers topped the income chart with an average salary of $150k followed by Go with $140k. Approximately 75% of respondents worldwide completed at least the equivalent of a bachelor's degree or higher. Of the respondents that write code professionally and studied at the university level, over 62% have a degree in computer science, computer engineering, or software engineering and just under 10% have a degree in another engineering field. Learning new tech Around 75% of respondents said they like to learn new technology skills every few months to keep up with innovations highlighting how crucial it is for developers to keep their skills fresh in order to stay relevant in their field. Visiting the Stack Overflow developer community was the first thing developers (a huge 90% of respondents) did when they got stuck on a problem. 52.8 % also found that watching tutorial videos or calling a co-worker or a friend was helpful. 78% of respondents said they also code as a hobby. However, developers with children or other caretaking responsibilities were less likely to do so.  Working overtime Over 75% of developers surveyed work overtime at least occasionally, defined as one or two days per quarter with 25.5% working overtime 1-2 days a week or more. Almost half of the respondents rated their company’s onboarding process as good while a fifth had no onboarding process at all. It would be interesting to see how the sharp increase in remote onboarding would impact these stats and if companies have invested more in their online onboarding experiences. Overall, developers seem to be satisfied with their jobs, with almost 65% reporting that they are either slightly or very satisfied with their job.  When asked about which three characteristics would most influence their decision to choose one job offer over another, the languages and technologies they would be working on were the most important. The office environment, company culture and flexibility of schedule were also top priorities. 

Whether you're working from home or are back in the office, stress can creep up on you sometimes. While some low-level stress can be helpful to get motivated, research shows that higher, chronic levels of stress can be detrimental to your mood, body and relationships. Here are some helpful steps to keep your sanity and stress levels in check. 1. Surround yourself with positive people. The people you surround yourself with at work can make a huge impact on your level of peace, satisfaction, and positive outlook. Hanging out with negative colleagues can contribute to your stress, especially if the crowd you’re with likes to complain. Choose who you associate with wisely. Find supportive and relaxed individuals who are fun to be around and nurture rather than hinder your mindset. 2. Take care of yourself. Reducing stress at work is often dependant on what you do outside the workplace. Pay attention to your physical and emotional needs. When these needs are met, you are stronger and more resilient to stressful situations. Regular exercise provides stress relief and improves mood. Being active can also help you burn off nervous energy and see things more clearly. Healthy food choices and plenty of rest also make you more resilient. Remember to put yourself first and meet your basic needs. 3. Work smarter, not harder. Regain control over stressful situations at work by prioritising and organising your work by the level of importance. Splitting up bigger tasks makes them less overwhelming and don't forget to give yourself credit for completing them. Try making a list of to-dos daily then, tackle the tasks by priority level and do the difficult ones first. Be willing to compromise if you are unable to complete everything you wanted to in a day.  Developing an end-of-day ritual when you finish work like tidying your desk and making a to-do list for the next day can also help you switch off. Find more tips to help you maximise your productivity and overcome procrastination here. 4. Focus on what you can control. Uncertainty is a source of stress for a lot of us. Try to focus on what you can control instead of getting upset by outcomes you can't. Spend some time identifying your stressors. What triggers your stress? What isn't working for you? What works well? Knowing this makes it easier to communicate with your manager and colleagues who may be able to make some changes to help you. Whether it’s scheduling things back-to-back, double-booking appointments, or trying to fit too much into a single day, over-commitment can also leave you stressed out. Many times, we underestimate how long a project might take us. We set personal goals that go unmet simply because we underestimate time. Unachieved goals may result in added stress. Focus your attention on the should and musts and drop tasks that are unnecessary. Avoid multitasking and give each task your full attention. It often takes longer if you're trying to do too much at the same time. 5. Harvest the good. ​It’s easy to get wrapped up in complaints and what is wrong with the workplace so take some time to think about the good things in your life and at work. Did something good happen today? Is there something you are grateful for? Consider writing it down. You might be surprised by how long the list is at the end of the day. Reviewing the day's highpoints with your colleagues is also a great way to instil more positivity into your team.   A healthier focus allows you to reconnect with what you like about your job, rather than what you dislike. Maybe your job highlights a skill you enjoy, such as managing projects or programming. Rather than focusing on the deadline of the project, live in the moment. Focus your attention on the happiness the job brings and what you are contributing by doing it. When you focus on what you love about your job you are happier and more content while doing it.

With the end of lockdown insight for the UK, the recent focus has shifted from survival to how the economy can begin to get back to work. It is estimated that 935,000 businesses signed up for the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Despite its cost of over £10bn, it remains of significant importance to our economic recovery. Employees will continue to receive 80% of their monthly salary up to £2,500 paid for by the government in June and July. From the 1st of July, the government is giving employers the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back on a part-time basis. It will be up to individual businesses to decide the hours and shift patterns their employees work when they return. Claims from July will be restricted to employers currently using the scheme and previously furloughed employees. The scheme will close to new entrants on 30th of June 2020 with the last three-week furloughs before that point commencing on the 10th of June 2020. On the 29th of May, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that employers will have to start sharing the cost of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. From August employers will have to pay Employer National Insurance and pension contributions for their furloughed employees. In September employers will be expected to also pay 10% of furloughed workers' salaries, increasing to 20% in October 2020. This means that people on furlough will continue to receive 80% of their salary up to a cap of £2,500. What will employers be expected to pay for furloughed employees? June & July: - Employers are not required to pay anything. The government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 as well as Employer National Insurance and pension contributions. August:  - Employer National Insurance - Pension contributions The government will continue paying 80% of wages capped at £2,500.  Employers who have not made a claim for Employer National Insurance costs or employer pension contributions will be unaffected by the change in August as long as their employee's patterns don't change. September:  - Employer National Insurance - Pension contributions - 10% of wages to make up the 80% total to a cap of £2,500 The government will pay 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50.   October:  - Employer National Insurance - Pension contributions for furloughed employees - 20% of wages to make up the 80% total to a cap of £2,500 The government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875. ​ There is no doubt that this tapering system will provide some form of relief for the estimated 7.5 million people covered by the scheme and their employers. Guidance for Self Employed  The Chancellor also extended the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme with those eligible able to claim a second and final grant in August that will be capped at £6,570. The second grant will be worth 70% of their average monthly trading profits and is paid in a single instalment.  Individuals can still apply for the first grant (a taxable grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profits, capped at £7,500) until 13th July. So far this scheme has seen 2.3 million claims worth £6.8 billion. Find out more about both schemes here.

Do your healthy eating goals go out of the window every time you’re at work? It's no secret that working environments can have a huge impact on our health and wellbeing both mental and physical. Long periods of sitting at a desk paired with sugary snacks and drinks and lots of caffeine to ‘power’ you through the day are a great recipe for weight gain. But it's not all doom and gloom. If you're working from home at the moment, now is a great time to form healthy habits that will set you up for success when you return to the office environment. Here are our top 5 tips for healthy eating at work to help get you started...   1. Start your day off right Never skip breakfast. According to nutritionists not having breakfast can make you more stressed at work because your cortisol levels are high after losing energy while you were sleeping. If you don’t refuel, your body will start to break down muscle to replenish its energy reserves instead. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will set the tone for the day and make it easier to snack less. Avoid the tempting bacon sandwiches, pastries and the like and rather opt for unsweetened yoghurt, fruit, porridge, smoothies, or whole-grain cereals with low sugar content. 2. Swap your snacks & make a meal plan High sugar snacks are often the culprits driving up your calorie intake. But that doesn’t mean you should cut out snacks completely. Swap them for healthier choices such as nuts, rice cakes, carrot sticks and hummus or protein bars. Planning all your meals out a week in advance may seem like a lot of work but it’s quite easy really and can even be fun! Plan out what you’re going to have every meal and then try to stick to it. A healthy diet is about variety so make sure you are incorporating plenty of fruit and veg and avoid eating the same things every day. Batch cooking your lunches and freezing them on the weekend for the week ahead means they’re ready to grab when you’re in a rush. If you’ve ever calculated how much you spend on lunches a year, you’ll know that bringing your lunch to work makes sense financially too!   3. Stay hydrated Your body finds it hard to distinguish between thirst and hunger. Not drinking enough water throughout the day can make you tired, easily distracted and irritable. Keeping a bottle of water on your desk and making a habit of carrying a water bottle with you when you’re out and about will remind you to hydrate. If you don’t like the taste of plain water try adding some mint, lemon, cucumber, or fruit to give it some flavour.   4. Respect Lunchtime It’s common knowledge that taking some time out at lunchtime makes you more productive and can boost your concentration for the afternoon. “I didn’t have time to eat” shouldn’t be a badge of honour. Always try to eat away from your desk because chances are you’re not fully enjoying your meal or chewing it properly, and you’re also not fully processing the emails or work tasks you’re trying to complete at the same time. Eating your lunch outside (weather permitting!) is also a great mood booster. Your body and brain need a robust and regular dose of nutrients to keep your decision-making abilities, alertness, and focus sharp. If possible, block out 30 minutes on your schedule every day for lunch, and your colleagues won’t unknowingly schedule meetings during that time.   5. Involve your team In an office environment, it’s easy to build unhealthy rituals as a team. That Friday chocolate run, Sue bringing in biscuits or the endless cycle of office birthdays and the cakes that come with them are just some examples. Deciding as a team to address these unhealthy habits will make it easier to hold each other accountable. When you return to the office environment why not pick one day a week that you go out for lunch with a colleague or your team? This will be great for team building and you’ll get to try somewhere new. It’s also a great networking opportunity with colleagues you may not know well or who work in other departments. You’ll learn more about them and might even make a new friend!

Procrastination creeps into our days in many different forms. Sometimes it’s spending endless time browsing Instagram or watching videos on TikTok, checking your emails obsessively throughout the day, or even spending a chunk of your time on low priority busy work instead of focusing on those more important projects. Have you been feeling guilty about putting projects off that you know would make a real difference to yourself and the company as a whole? Or maybe you just feel overwhelmed at the thought of getting started. Either way, if you want to improve your success, become more productive and overcome procrastination for good, then it’s time to apply the 80/20 rule in your life. What is the 80/20 Rule? The 80/20 rule is the concept that 80% of your revenue or success comes from only 20% of your efforts or customers. If you look at the activities you completed during the day, you will find that the top 20% of your daily activities will result in 80% of the results that you achieve. It’s easy for menial tasks to slip in and keep us distracted from the things that can move us forward and bring success and many people slip back into old habits of procrastination instead of focusing on the 20% that will propel you forward. Ask yourself, what tasks and projects would really propel you forward and then make them happen!   How to apply the 80/20 Rule Here are some of our tips to help you maximise your productivity and overcome procrastination: Change the flow of your work. Most people have a habit of looking at their to-do list, and then checking their emails or social media feeds with the idea that they will start on their list after a few mundane and often quick tasks. Instead of letting yourself slip out of productivity like this, jump into your priority to-do items to get them done first, and then you can spend the rest of the day tackling other tasks on your list.   Nobody’s perfect. We all have habits that slow down our progress, and many times these habits are rooted in an attempt to achieve perfection. Re-reading and editing a short internal email for 15 minutes before hitting the send button only makes a small, incremental difference in the big picture. Move fast, complete the task as quickly and accurately as possible, and then move onto the next without getting bogged down by trying to achieve perfection. Why not try Grammarly? It’s a free add-on that you can download for your Outlook emails, Word documents and Chrome Browser that helps you improve your grammar instantly, a real time saver.   All good things come in 3’s. If someone asks you ‘How was your day at work?’ how many of us can honestly measure how successful we were compared to yesterday? A great way of focusing your endless to-do list is to narrow it down to your top 3 priorities. Every day ask yourself: What are the 3 things I want to have achieved by the end of the day? Make sure these are items that add value, propel you forward and should not be put off. Then make as much headway into your 3 priorities as possible and you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish! Doing this also gives you a much better indication of how effective you are on a day to day basis.   Schedule breaks into your calendar. Trying to power through your to-do list without taking any breaks can have negative consequences and will eventually make you burn out. Make sure to schedule some downtime into your calendar: relax, have lunch, read a book, get some fresh air, or play with your kids. These breaks will help to refuel your creativity and make you more effective when you’re focusing on the tasks that really matter. Also, consider taking a day off now and then as a digital detox, where you completely step away from the computer to allow yourself to refresh.   Reward yourself. We all have an inner chimp that needs to be kept happy. Set out to accomplish your most important tasks and agree to reward yourself once you’ve made a certain level of progress and once you have accomplished them. Fancy a cuppa? Make a compromise with yourself to accomplish a certain milestone first and then enjoy your cup of tea that much more. Setting yourself small rewards will also give you more of an incentive to tackle meaningful projects instead of the easy busywork.   As you see, incorporating the 80/20 rule into your work isn’t rocket science. It only takes a little bit of practice, but once you learn to identify the tasks that are propelling your success, then you can optimise the way you work and decrease procrastination. Seeing how effective you can be by applying the 80/20 rule in your own life and reaping the benefits of maximising your productivity is simply a fantastic feeling. So, what are you waiting for?

The tech market continues to boom in 2020 even though COVID-19 has had a significant impact on many organisations' hiring plans. One thing that has not changed is how tricky it can be to find and retain really good developers with .NET skills. The information in our 2020 .NET Developer Report is based on data from our placements, an extensive questionnaire filled out by a highly relevant pool of candidates and from salary ranges provided by our current partners that include some of the best technology-driven businesses across the UK. What’s the current state of the .NET talent pool in the UK? There are 30,000 professionals in the Software Developer talent pool with .NET & C# experience in the UK on LinkedIn.  88% of these are male highlighting the gender gap that is evident across the tech industry, although companies are trying to encourage more gender diversity. Companies are willing to pay above market rate to secure the best talent in the .NET space. With demand this high, many candidates will receive multiple offers, making the hiring process very competitive. On average, .NET Developers decide to move companies to pursue a new job after 1.3 years, highlighting the importance of retaining good talent. We have seen higher salaries being offered to candidates with knowledge and experience of Cloud and DevOps tools. Alongside .NET there is also an increase in demand for TDD / BDD methodologies, CI / CD as well as experience with front-end technologies such as JavaScript, React and Angular. Although an increasing number of companies are taking on .NET Developers without formal degrees, 61% of UK based .NET Developers hold a Bachelor’s degree. To find out more about which universities are producing this talent click here. What does this talent earn? Based on placements we have made in 2019/2020 in London and the surrounding home counties, Senior Developers with 5-10 years’ experience, can expect an annual salary in the range of £60,000 - £100,000 with some earning more than £100,000. A total of 63% of our respondents received an annual bonus with the highest being up to 25% of their base salary. For more salary insights check out the full report.​ Where is this talent located? In the UK, the likes of Lloyds Banking Group, Capgemini and the BBC currently have the largest number of .NET Developers in their workforce. Meanwhile, companies such as Nationwide Building Society, OVO and ClearBank have seen an increase in hiring this type of talent in the last year. Naturally, London has the highest number of .NET professionals with over 7,000 .NET developers choosing to work in the capital. Manchester, Europe’s fastest-growing tech city and Leeds are other top locations for .NET specialists.   Flexibility is key in retaining .NET talent 76% said that their company offers flexitime while 73% said that their company offers remote working although only 7% could work from home unlimited. From our research, remote working was clearly a sought-after benefit for .NET Developers with a staggering 45% saying they would not accept a new job offer if it did not offer flexitime or the option of working from home. The average allowance for working from home was 1-2 days a week and only 16% were allowed to fully work from home should they wish, although we see this changing in the future due to most businesses having adopted remote working policies during the COVID-19 epidemic. We have also found that lots of businesses who were sceptical with remote working are now happy to offer it moving forward. They have learnt a lot about their staff and believe they can trust them to work from home.   What else is important to .NET Developers? The top 5 employer value propositions most important for this talent are: A good work-life balance Excellent compensation and benefits Colleagues and culture that inspires employees to do their best Employees have influence over tasks and priorities Convenient commute to work   Other popular benefits include: Training budgets, training time, dedicated time to work on personal projects Automatic annual pay rise based on inflation & paid overtime Relocation packages & technology discounts To view more benefits, click here.   Let’s chat For any further information about the statistics in this report or other information about the .NET market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me for a chat. Arjun Gillard Head of .NET Recruitment agillard@understandingrecruitment.co.uk +44 (0)1727 809079 or +44 (0)7791 141 227 Connect with me on LinkedIn Schedule a call with me 

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 690m users. It is also used by an estimated 95% of recruiters to find talent. But are you really making the most of what this platform has to offer? With a hire made every 10 seconds how can you leverage LinkedIn to stand out and help you land your dream job? We know that starting a job search can be incredibly daunting and selling yourself is cringeworthy (at the best of times!), so we’ve compiled everything you need to know wrapped up in 13 handy tips to make your LinkedIn profile shine and get yourself noticed! 1. Complete your profile Your LinkedIn profile is one of the most important aspects of your job search and is much more than just an online version of your CV. Complete profiles rank higher in LinkedIn searches and make it easier for recruiters to find you, so make sure you spend time making your profile awesome and gain ‘all-star’ status. LinkedIn helps you out here by measuring the completeness of your profile and gives you recommendations on how to make it even better. Before making any changes to your profile, make sure you turn off the notifications LinkedIn sends your network in the ‘how others see your LinkedIn activity’ section in your Settings to keep your changes private. 2. Put a face to the name Add a clear headshot without a busy background (avoid selfies and photos with your mates down the pub). First impressions count and your profile photo is the first thing connections, recruiters and potential employers will see. Your photo will also build trust. Are you looking for a new challenge? Check out our latest opportunities here. 3. Choose a cover photo Express your professional identity and set yourself apart by adding a cover photo to your profile. LinkedIn recommends using an image size 1584 x 396 px.   4. Customise your URL​ Customise your profile link (ideally it should be linkedin.com/yourname) so it is easy to read and share, then make sure to add it to your CV to make it easy for recruiters to find your profile. Customise your URL by clicking on ‘Edit public profile & URL’ in the top right corner of your profile. 5. Sell yourself with a compelling headline Your headline is your chance to brand yourself in 120 characters and should be eye-catching to stand out. Sell the benefits of what you do not just your job title. 6. Get found easily Include your contact details. It may sound obvious, but many people actually forget to do this. Next, add your location. If you’d like to be found for opportunities closer to home set your location to be where you live instead of where you work The ‘Show recruiters, you’re open to job opportunities’ feature is great if you’re actively looking for a job. Enabling this feature will mean recruiters can find you more easily and you can specify what type of opportunities and location you are looking for. Don’t worry about your current boss finding out, you can choose whether everyone on LinkedIn or just recruiters can see your status. LinkedIn Recruiter users who work at your current company and related companies will not be able to see your career interests and you can easily disable this feature at any point. 7. Bring your career story to life Give your About section some love and outline the most relevant skills for the jobs you want but avoid these common buzzwords. Ideally, this section will be 3-5 short paragraphs long and can include bullet points. What are you passionate about? What key skills do you have and which industries have you worked in? What makes you different from others? Show your personality here and let people get to know you. With rich media you can turn your profile into a portfolio and show potential employers your projects rather than just write about them. Take advantage of the 'featured content' section at the top of your profile where you can feature status updates, articles you’ve published on LinkedIn, documents, photos, presentations or links to web content such as blogs and videos. Add your positions and highlight your achievements and wins for each role. LinkedIn will now automatically visually group different positions you have held within the same company, showing your progression. What did you do, what was the result and who did it impact? Include stats where you can as well as keywords that are relevant to your skills. A good rule of thumb is to have two paragraphs for each role, outlining your role and responsibilities in the first and briefly outlining the organisation in the second. You can also add media and links for each position or simply add a link to the company’s website. Always include a current position even if you’re currently unemployed, so you aren’t left out of recruiter’s searches that usually only cover current roles to get the most recent and relevant candidates. Create a ‘dummy’ job position with the title you are looking for making it clear that you are ‘Looking for New Opportunities’ in the company name box. Do you speak different languages? Make sure to add them to your profile in the languages section. Add skills and ask people you have worked with to endorse you for them. Alternatively, you can choose to add your skills but opt out of being endorsed for them or even better, use the new LinkedIn skills assessment. This feature tests your knowledge of a particular skill with 15-20 multiple-choice questions. You can find this in the skills section of your profile, and it is currently available for tech, business and design skills. If you pass the test, you get a certificate you can display on your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t pass, your results will remain private. According to LinkedIn data, candidates who completed these skill tests successfully were 30% more likely to get hired than those who didn’t. Ask previous employers or colleagues for recommendations. These testimonials are more valuable than skills endorsements and help paint a picture of you and your work. Don’t be afraid to ask them to mention certain skills or a project you worked on with them. Another great way of getting recommendations is asking for them right after someone has praised you for doing a great job on work you completed recently. You can ask for recommendations from your profile in the recommendations area. Add any volunteering roles, accolades, awards and degrees. 8. Search for that dream job LinkedIn’s job search feature is a great place to start to search for relevant jobs and set up email job alerts for your searches.  You can do this using the jobs function or if it is a specific company you want to keep up to date with, navigate to their company page, click to see all jobs and then enable the alert. Doing this will also inform their recruiters that you are interested in working at their company.  LinkedIn also helps keep track of your saved and applied-to jobs so you can keep on-top of them more easily.  Browse our latest jobs and set up custom email alerts from Understanding Recruitment here. 9. Do your research Follow companies you are interested in to stay up to date with their plans and see when they are hiring. Have an interview or an important meeting coming up? Company pages are also a great information source that’ll help you prepare for your interview. Make sure you know who you’re meeting and check them out on LinkedIn (if you don’t want them to see you’ve looked at their profile you can set yourself to anonymous in the settings, just remember to switch this back or you won’t be able to see who’s looked at your profile anymore). 10. Want advice from the experts? Join LinkedIn’s Career Advice feature to get career advice by conversing with other LinkedIn users who are leaders in their field. This feature can be accessed from your LinkedIn profile. 11. Are you asking for the right salary? LinkedIn also has a Salary Insights feature that enables you to see how your salary compares to others in the community by job title and location based on information provided by employers. This feature can also be accessed from your profile and is free of charge. ​ 12. Keep learning LinkedIn Learning is free for the 1st month and offers an array of learning resources to help you brush up on your skills.    13. Embrace interaction LinkedIn is an interactive platform so use it as such and regularly update your status at least once a week. Share interesting articles from 3rd parties or ones you’ve written yourself and like, comment on or share other people’s stuff too. If you really want to get serious about posting content regularly then you may want to use a scheduling tool for your updates such as the free version of Hootsuite. Writing an article on LinkedIn can be a great way to share your knowledge, build your personal brand and position yourself as a thought leader. Mention others in your post and tag them (when relevant otherwise it’s just weird) to build engagement and reach a wider audience. You can also follow hashtags so you see content relevant to you or to explore new industries you might want to move into. To set these up, type in # followed by what you’re looking for into the search bar at the top, then click on follow to see updates in your feed.

If like me, you are a working parent you’re facing the challenge of balancing work and home life like never before. How do you work remotely – and effectively, at that – when your home has also become a school and a playground? Below are several tips my team and I implemented in our own homes to help our families adjust to this novel situation.   1. Making A Plan Making a plan is a great place to start. Children of all ages thrive on structure, and in these uncertain times, it can help give them a sense of normality. It will also make you more productive. Here are some things to include in your plan: time for meals, quiet time, playtime, online schooling and homework. However, don’t stress over maintaining a strict schedule. Remember, this is new for everyone – your schedule will be a work-in-progress for some time until you sort out what works best for you and your family. Sometimes, it helps to involve your older children in managing their schedule and giving them some options for flexibility, so they feel they have more control over their days.   2. There’s An App For That In addition to reading books Audible is also offering a selection of free books for kids Duolingo is a game style language learning app and the school version is designed for children CBeebies learning area has a range of fun and free learning games Zoo and aquarium live streams - there are quite a few zoos and aquariums live broadcasting their webcam streams for you to pay the animals a virtual visit twinkl is an online educational publishing house which is currently providing free educational resources such as activity sheets and live-streamed phonics lessons Scholastic Learn at Home ABCmouse (for ages 2-8) Adventure Academy (for ages 8-13) ReadingIQ For more great apps including learning how to code with Disney characters click here.   3. Sparking Creativity There are tons of creative activities to get the kids away from screens. Here are just some that we’ve been having fun with: Set up an art station with supplies (indoors or in the garden if the weather is nice) Paint rocks Experiment with clay Make your own slime or playdough Get creative with chalk on the pavements Decorate your windows (window markers can be fun) Face painting (great for surprising grandparents on FaceTime!) Have them write and illustrate their own book Set up a still life scene for them to draw/paint Ask them to write and perform a song or rap about something they love Have them develop a play to perform for you at the end of the day (write the storyline, scripts and songs, design and build set and props, put together costumes, perform) Indoor camping can be fun for the less sunny days Build a den with cushions, pillows and blankets For more inspiration check out these 50 crafty ideas that are sure to keep the kids entertained. 4. Getting Active While staying at home means fewer opportunities to be physically active exercise is a great mood booster and keeps your immune system strong. If you have access to a garden or outdoor space now is the ideal time to involve the kids with growing plants and vegetables. You can easily order bulbs or seeds online and many local garden centres are also offering contact-free delivery straight to your door. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can grow things like tomatoes, cress or sunflowers indoors or on your balcony. My son Leo has also been making the most of the outdoors and has mastered riding a bike. No stabilisers or anything, not bad for a 3yr old! We’ve also been joining in with a few initiatives in our village including putting teddy bears in our windows so that when children go out on their daily walks each day, they can go on a bear hunt. Leo has also been busy painting rocks which people have been putting around the village, for others to spot and brighten up their walks. Here are some more ideas that will get their heartrates up: Joe Wickes The Body Coach is hosting a free PE lesson every weekday at 9 am that you can stream on his YouTube channel – some are even fancy dress themed! Kid’s yoga sessions such as Cosmic Kids Yoga are also a fun way to stay active Bring out the karaoke and have them sing and dance to their favourite tunes Build an obstacle course and run a timed contest at the end of the day with prizes Get them involved with completing chores around the house such as tidying up their rooms (check out TikTok for some ‘Clean Room Challenge’ before and after videos and maybe record your own).     5. Staying Connected At times this situation can be stressful so it’s important to stay connected with others, especially whilst social distancing. My colleague’s two daughters schedule in ‘virtual’ playtime with their school class for 30 minutes each day. My family and I also call friends and family via FaceTime to touch base and see each other which has gone down well. There are also some helpful groups for parents you can join on Facebook to share tips and show support for each other. One of these is Parents Keeping Sane During Coronavirus but there are lots more out there. Writing letters to friends and family is also a great way to stay in touch and can lift spirits!     6. Asking For Flexibility Every family is different and depending on your circumstances and the needs and ages of your children, you may want to adjust your working hours to reflect something realistic. For example, you may find it more productive to work early in the morning before your household is awake and then return to work later in the day. Once you’ve agreed on an arrangement with your manager, make sure to share your availability with your co-workers, reschedule meetings if necessary, and block off time on your diary when you plan to be offline.   7. Enjoying Time Together With no daily commute to navigate, you’re in a unique situation to be able to spend more quality time with your family (as testing as they might be at times!) I have found that trying to finish work on time helps me switch off and gives me more of a distinction between work and home life. Using your daily exercise allowance to take the kids outdoors also gives you (and them) something to look forward to. Now is also a great time to explore the night sky. With most businesses and shops shut in cities around the world, stars are even brighter and easier to spot due to the lack of light pollution interfering with the view of the night sky. Here are some ideas from National Geographic to get your family stargazing in no time.  

As more and more employers take their interview process online, the chances are that you’ll be interviewed via video at some point during your job search. Whether you’ve had previous remote interviews or if this is a completely new experience for you, these seven tips will help you avoid the pitfalls and take the stress out of video interviews!   1. Test Your Tech Is your internet connection fast enough to chat in real-time? What room do you have the best reception in? Does your webcam work? Have you checked if your microphone picks up your speech well? Make sure to check these things well in advance of your interview and do a trial run with a friend or family member beforehand to make sure everything is working as it should.   Your interview could be taking place on a variety of different platforms such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts etc. so find out which one they’ll be using. Then get signed up to it and have a play around to make sure you know how everything works before your interview. Don’t forget to send them (or your recruiter if you’re going through one) your contact details so the interviewer can set up the call.   You may want to share your screen during the interview (e.g. to show your portfolio or to complete a live tech test), so double-check that there are no other irrelevant windows open on your desktop.   2. Set The Scene Before your interview carefully assess the background that will appear. Are you in a messy room? A neutral background with plenty of natural light works best. Have a play around to find what computer height and angle looks the most flattering and raise your laptop on some books if needed. How’s the lighting? Arrange some lights so that your face is lit and there are no major shadows, but avoid placing lights directly behind you, since they can interfere with the camera’s ability to focus. Seeing yourself on video can be distracting so practise looking straight at the camera for that all-important eye contact. Finally, keep a pen (that works!) and paper close by in case you want to make any notes or write down any questions you want to ask at the end.   3. Avoid Distractions Your interview is not the time to replicate the famous BBC live interview that went viral for all the wrong reasons. So if there’s anyone else in the house make them aware of your interview.  Be sure you schedule the interview for a time when you will have some privacy, and when any children or animals are out of the house or are being supervised in a non-adjacent room. Remove any distractions such as children’s toys or personal items that may distract from your interview. Also, make sure to either switch off your phone or put it on silent. This also goes for your radio and/or television.    4. Look The Part Even if you’ve spent all day in your loungewear, you want to make sure you still dress appropriately for your interview. Dress as if you were going to meet your interviewer face to face. Not only will this leave a much better impression but also gets you into the right frame of mind. Do your research into the company to establish their dress code (if you are working with a recruitment agency, you can always ask your recruiter for this information). Remember, your appearance also reflects your attitude! Practice speaking clearly and, calmly, and rehearse a bit in the clothing that you intend to wear so that you can spot any potential wardrobe issues ahead of time. 5. Do Your Research Research and prepare for the interview as much as you would for an in-person interview. Delve into their website, look at their social pages and their company news – dig up as much information as possible! Not only will this make a good impression on your interviewer, but it will leave you feeling confident and prepared. If you need to refer to any notes, keep them as minimal as possible so that your eyes aren’t always flitting away from the screen. Are you working through a recruitment agency? Make some time to speak to your recruiter before and after your interview (a good recruiter will schedule these with you).    6. Ask Questions Make sure you go into your interview armed with questions for your interviewer. As a rule of thumb, you should always have at least five questions prepared as some might be forgotten or answered during the interview. If something about the role is unclear now’s the time to ask. You’ll find more great questions to ask in this blog.    7. Show Your Personality Showing enthusiasm about the company and the role in your interview can go a long way. Think about your posture and your tone when speaking to your interviewer – if you are perceived as being bored or restless, it will seem like you’re not interested in the role. Remember - employers want to hire people who want to work for them! Of course, it’s important to be professional and get your points across succinctly but you also have to make sure your personality shines through. Wasting time badmouthing your former manager and the company you worked for is a massive no go. Instead, take the time to highlight your successes and contributions and how you can apply these to your new role. As with any interview, make sure to thank the interviewer for their time and express your interest in the company/position a final time. Finish your interview on a positive and don’t forget to follow up with a thank you message.   If you’d like any more help with prepping for remote interviews please get in touch with us to schedule a call with one of the team. Good luck from all of us at Understanding Recruitment!

Onboarding is one of the most important times for a new person joining your company. Done well, it immerses them in your culture and sets the tone for their engagement right from the start. ​Having to onboard new starters without physically being in the office may seem challenging but companies of all sizes are taking this experience online and we’re here to help you find out how they do it.   Getting Started Find out what common challenges your employees faced when they joined your business. To get this information send out a quick survey to existing onsite and remote employees. Once you're aware of any issues you’ll be in a better place to mitigate these in your remote onboarding.   Pre-Onboarding 1. Have the right tech Send your new starters IT hardware and manuals and make sure to order these well ahead of their start date. A client in the financial cloud space sends their candidate's laptops across the EU using private couriers, who are still operating during the lockdown. Don’t forget that the current situation may cause delays to delivery dates. Make sure to check with your candidate if they’ve received their equipment and need any help getting it set up.   2. Send a welcome package Time to get creative! Sending out a welcome package by post is a nice touch and will make them feel excited to join the team. Here are some things you could include: Items that embody your company culture Information about your company Welcome letter from your CEO (handwritten is always a nice touch) Postcard from the team they’re joining Branded merchandise including homeworking essentials – mugs, hoodies, stress balls Some sweet treats   3. Induction documents Prepping a comprehensive ‘guide’ for their role will make sure new starters get off to a flying start. Here’s what to include:   List of tasks to help them learn about the role and what's expected of them List of handy tools your company uses Where to download useful apps Logins/passwords they’ll need Contact details for their team members Regular meetings   4. Prep for their first day A schedule for their first day/week can help new starters know what to expect and stay on track. We also recommend sending legal and formal documents using an e-signature tool, like HelloSign or DocuSign, so that employees can add their signatures digitally and share contracts with you in a secure environment.   Their First Week 1. Introduce your new team member to the rest of the team on their first day Your weekly team meetings are a great time to introduce new faces. You can also get them to write a short bio about themselves and send it to the team so everyone can get to know them. At the end of the first week get the whole team to check in with the new starter to introduce themselves and their role.   2. Communicate, communicate, communicate Communication is key to making remote onboarding a success and there is an array of tools at your disposal (we’re fans of Microsoft Teams!). Employees at Stack Overflow are mostly home-based across 12 countries and enjoy orientation calls with each member of the executive team where they learn about the company’s history, culture and goals. A healthcare technology company we work with recommends setting up video calls with: Their co-workers Their manager and direct reports Employees from other departments they’ll work closely with HR (as needed)   3. Set up a buddying system Mentors are a great way to guide new starters through your onboarding. They can help make them feel welcome and answer any questions.   4. Set up social events for the team Remote working can be lonely so make sure your new starters stay connected with the rest of the team! This could be online fitness sessions, a Friday happy hour on Skype or team tea breaks on Zoom. There are loads of fun things you can do so make sure to get the team involved in planning these!   5. Create training goals Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Setting smaller milestones can make new joiners feel more at ease. Agree on the targets and goals for their first 30 days as soon as possible and adjust them as needed. Their manager should also discuss goals for their first 30, 60 and 90 days.   6. Have regular check-ins You should schedule important appointments such as reviews and team meetings in advance. Less formal check-ins are ideal to discuss personal and professional goals. They are also a great forum for new starters to share their ideas and suggestions. Don’t try to force your way of working because it has worked until now – be open to change!   For the More Advanced Dell, who have 160k employees worldwide, have a dedicated onboarding website. They also have a "Day 1 success team" providing support via chat, email and calls during the onboarding process. Some companies enable people to learn at their own pace, housing all of their onboarding materials such as pre-recorded videos, guides and company news on their existing intranets. In a mobile-first world, many companies have also designed their own onboarding apps.   Feedback Is Everything To get the onboarding process right make them feel welcome, encourage honest conversations and feedback. New starters bring a fresh perspective so make sure you listen to their feedback, not just about their onboarding experience but on the business as a whole.   Would you like more advice? Download our complete Remote Onboarding Guide here or contact us to schedule a call with one of the team.

Unprecedented times. This has to be one of the most used phrases over the last few weeks. The monumental impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on so many lives and how it has turned our world as we know it upside down so quickly is unbelievable.  With offices all over the world emptying out, employees working from home and supermarket shelves bare, companies are facing tough choices. One of which is what to do with their hiring plans. So, what now? There probably isn’t a single business out there that has been unaffected by COVID-19. Uncertainty is not good for business, people or the economy. But one thing is for sure, the choices companies make over the coming days and weeks will no doubt impact on how they navigate and come through this crisis. Roughly 50% of our client base has frozen their recruitment (especially those within aviation, hospitality and other highly impacted sectors) whilst others aren’t showing signs of slowing down and have simply moved their hiring processes online at record speed. And while for most of our clients this has been a seamless process thanks to their tech infrastructure, some are choosing to put jobs on hold or defer their candidates’ interview dates. However, with it being unclear how long the current situation could last, these companies are in real danger of losing out on talent to their competitors. Chris Jackson, our Founding Director commented “Some clients are being really open-minded to adapt within the current climate and they’re the ones that will probably come out of this period of uncertainty in better shape, equipped and ready once the recovery starts. There’s also going to be potentially less competition at the moment for some of the most sought-after talent, so those that are prepared to take the plunge will probably be the ones that benefit the most in the longer term. We’re always here to help and support our clients in whatever way we can do to accommodate this.” 1. Benefits of remote hiring Access to the market has probably never been this good and with most people working from home, it is easier to have a conversation about making a career move with them. Access to a bigger talent pool is another major benefit to hiring remotely. With many EU countries on lockdown, using the likes of Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype or Zoom means you can still access these candidates quicker, and without the cost of flying them in for a face to face interview. 2. Remote interviewing A strong online employer brand is crucial to attracting talent that will have to rely on your digital presence to experience your company and its culture during the remote interview process. Luckily, we live in the age of connectivity with tools like Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype, Zoom etc. at your fingertips. Paired with phone interviews these will be your primary communication channels to connect with candidates during the recruitment process. Many of these tools will also let you record interviews and watch them back later to help make objective hiring decisions, even if you're not meeting the candidate in person. We can also help you facilitate all types of remote testing that is a great way of evaluating a candidate’s code. For example, many of our clients use Codility, an online technical interview and coding challenge to help evaluate candidate’s code easily. If you’re looking for a new role check out our latest vacancies interviewing remotely. 3. Delayed start dates or remote onboarding? When it comes to the onboarding process many companies take this experience digital too. Check out our Guide to Remote Onboarding to get some inspiration. With the help of websites, documentation, and videos alongside digital communication with their team and manager, this process can be just as welcoming as onboarding at the office. Download Your Guide to Remote Onboarding It will be interesting to see if COVID-19 revolutionises where and how we work in the future even after the restrictions are lifted. Whether remote hiring will ever become the preferred method of hiring remains to be seen. Working remotely is already mainstream for so many professions and proving that it works in this situation could revolutionise a lot of office-based jobs in the future, making a remote workforce a reality going forward for many companies. If you’d like some advice about how to move your interview process online or would just like to speak to us about your market, we are here to help and support you with your hiring needs. Java - James Hunt Charity - Tom Rankin Contracts - Jack Carscarino DevOps - Tom Parker Javascript - Simran Hundal .NET - Arjun Gillard Machine Learning & AI - Anna Heneghan Delivery - Nicola Parker Germany - Alex Bloisi USA - Matthew Ferdenzi

You expect lots of questions to come your way during the interview but are you prepared for your interview to be a two-way street? Preparing a set of questions you can ask the hiring manager at the end of an interview will show your interest in the role and company, but it's also the prime opportunity to find out if the job is right for you. Not having any questions makes you look unprepared and uninterested, so make sure you research the company and make notes of topics you can ask about. Your best bet is to prepare at least five questions in case some are answered during the interview or you forget any.   Here are a few suggestions about what to ask when it’s your turn to call the shots. Have I answered all your questions? – This gives you a good chance to clarify any questions or doubts the interviewer still has. You can also expand on answers you may have given during the interview and it will give you a good idea of how you’re doing so far.   What is your company culture like? – It’s a good idea to find out what the company’s philosophy is and if you can see yourself fitting into their environment.   What are the day to day responsibilities of this job? – Hopefully, this will shed some light on what your day to day in your new job would look like and if it sounds like something you want to be doing.   What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 days, 60 days, year? – Find out what expectations they have for the role to see if it aligns with what you’re looking for in your new role.   What are the biggest challenges you’re facing? – Asking about their challenges not only makes them think but also is a way of uncovering trends and issues in the industry.   Who do you consider to be your major competitor? – You should have already researched the company’s competitors but getting your interviewer’s insights can be useful and could be different from the information available on the internet.   What are the challenges of this position? – This question will help you identify areas the role will be focussing on over the next months.   What qualities are the most important for doing well and advancing at this company? – This question can uncover information that’s not in the job description and gives you a chance to show you’re a good fit for the team.   Is this a new position? If not, why did the person before me leave this role? – Asking this will uncover what happened to the person doing the job before and why and how they left.   If you had to sum up the company in three words what would they be? – This can give you an interesting and spontaneous insight into what the company is really like and gets the interviewer thinking.   What do you like best about working for this company? – Asking your interviewer about their personal experience at the company is a great way to gain insight into the company and to make a more personal connection. Watch for any telltale signs here in their expression or body language that might indicate some issues or underlying negativity.   Where is the company headed in the next 5 years and how can I grow in this job? – Find out if the company is growing and if there is room for you to progress your career over the coming years.   Can you tell me a bit about the team I would be working with? – Some companies will volunteer this information and even introduce you to the people you’d be working with during the interview process. If not, it’s a good idea to clarify what the team looks like and what the pecking order is.   What are the next steps in the interview process? – This is a great way of finding out how many stages are left in the hiring process and clarifies when you can expect to hear from them.

Joe Snowdon joined Understanding Recruitment with two years’ experience in a London based recruitment consultancy. Previously a BI, Database & Data Warehousing Recruitment Consultant, Joe started off in our Berlin Java team and now specialises in the .NET space. We caught up with him to see what his experience has been like so far... What was your career journey before joining Understanding Recruitment? Towards the end of my final year at university, I was looking at careers in recruitment. I graduated on the Monday and started work at a recruitment consultancy on the Tuesday. I was there for over two years before joining UR. What do you like best about working at Understanding Recruitment? Compared to where I was working before, there is a much greater customer satisfaction approach. Within the recruitment industry, there are several companies that focus on mindless KPI’s. The targets at Understanding Recruitment are a lot more relevant to the job (no targets of 30+ calls a day, cumulative time on the phone etc.) and reflect a quality over quantity approach which makes us come across a lot better to candidates and clients.​ What would your advice be to recruiters thinking about moving to a different company/different industry? Recruitment is an industry where if you’re not satisfied at your current company, it can be hard to be motivated and work to your full potential. When I was looking for a new company, I interviewed at a few other organisations, but it was only really Understanding Recruitment that I was interested in. Everyone I met during interview stage seemed genuinely invested in the company, and it was clear that every employee is treated well and given the support and encouragement to be the best version of themselves and progress through the company. The opportunities for learning (both internally and externally) started the day I joined and have continued to this day. ​How does the earning potential in the tech market differ to the industry you worked in before? The earning potential at Understanding Recruitment is greater and the commission structure is better. At my previous company, you were only able to earn a commission and there was no option to earn any bonuses. For example, if I hit my annual target here, I earn a bonus, and if I can bring a certain amount of business on, I will also earn a bonus for that. How would you describe the culture at Understanding Recruitment? Everyone works as one. Recruitment is a very competitive industry and can lead to rivalries within businesses, but at Understanding Recruitment that is not the case at all.  It has a really nice social environment, and everyone has been welcoming from day one. The learning environment and personal development is something that is really appealing here. Across all the teams here, everyone is supportive of individuals achieving their goals. There is no favouritism based on your level within the company – everyone is treated equally and on merit. What would your advice be to your younger self? Work is where you spend most of your time awake, so pick somewhere where you are supported and encouraged to achieve your goals, both personal and professional. Curious about #LifeAtUR? We'd love to hear from you!  DM Emily Kitamura on LinkedIn, email your CV to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or call 01727 228 255 to have chat about the opportunities we have for you. ​

The salaries presented have come from candidate placements within the Understanding Recruitment JavaScript team in 2019 and from salary ranges for active vacancies with current partners.   The JavaScript market has given more power to the candidate, so if a Front End Developer is actively looking, they have more options than ever, and are on the market for a much shorter amount of time. This means that London companies and start-ups have had to adapt to create more sophisticated and quicker interview processes. This year has seen a growing demand for JavaScript developers as companies understand that a great user experience of their product / platform is critical for their reputation and brand image.  We have also seen higher salaries being given to candidates with Cloud and DevOps tools experience and knowledge.   Alongside JavaScript, highly sought after skills across the London market include AWS/GCP/Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, TDD and BDD methodologies.   PLACEMENT SALARIES IN 2019   Lead Front End Developer up to £110,000 Normally 4 years+ working with a modern JavaScript framework either React.js, Vue.js or Angular2+.  Also team management and mentoring experience. Senior Front End Developer up to £90,000  Normally 4 years+ working with JavaScript framework such as React.js, Vue.js or Angular 2+. Mid-level Front End Developer up to £75,000 Normally 2 ½ - 4 years working with either React.js, Vue.js or Angular2+. Junior Front End Developer up to £50,000  2 years working with either React.js, Vue.js or Angular2+. BENEFITS (in addition to standard benefits) Remote working -candidates will often prioritise a role that offers remote working.  Paid leave to attend conferences & Meet-Ups.     Relocation packages – for candidates relocating across the UK or overseas. Shares/stocks in the company particularly common in start-ups.  Free food on-site, or ordered in meals such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats etc.    Unlimited annual leave  Private health insurance  Season ticket loans – commonly offered in London.  Personal development and training courses e.g. flying candidates out to attend training in different sites across the world.        Free technology e.g. MacBook, Laptops, Company Phones etc   WORKING EXPECTATIONS & CULTURE Flat line structure – candidates are increasingly asking about company structure and ability to progress within an organisation. Mutual trust / flexible work times, trust in getting the work done and meeting deadlines without micro-management. Budgets for personal development – companies are actively increasing spending on training facilities/programmes. Extended parental leave for both parents (not gender exclusive).     Having clear company values that employees must uphold & "being heard".  For any further information about the statistics above or other information about the UK JavaSript market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me   Let's have a chat! 01727 228 231 Drop me an email simran@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or Connect with me on LinkedIn.

At Understanding Recruitment we put a huge emphasis on self development. So much so that one of our values is dedicated to being 'the very best you'. We also host our monthly Bookclub meetup where we discuss our latest reads.  Here are the team's favourites for you to enjoy! THE SLIGHT EDGE BY JEFF OLSON What it’s about The Slight Edge shows you how to create powerful results from the simple daily activities in your life, by using tools that are already within you. And all you need to make that happen? Discover that "one" thing that will help you achieve that goal, realize a life-long dream or propel you up the ladder to success. About the Author Jeff Olson has built several multimillion-dollar sales and marketing organisations, hosted seminars in every major city in the United States and produced more than 900 television programmes centred on personal development. Over the past twenty years, Jeff has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals achieve better levels of financial freedom and personal excellence. Order it here SHOE DOG: A MEMOIR BY THE CREATOR OF NIKE BY PHIL KNIGHT What it’s about In 1962, fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed $50 from his father and created a company with a simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost athletic shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the boot of his Plymouth, Knight grossed $8000 in his first year. Today, Nike's annual sales top $30 billion. In an age of start-ups, Nike is the ne plus ultra of all start-ups, and the swoosh has become a revolutionary, globe-spanning icon, one of the most ubiquitous and recognisable symbols in the world today. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always remained a mystery. Now, for the first time, he tells his story. About the Author One of the world’s most influential business executives, Phil Knight is the founder of Nike, Inc. He served as CEO of the company from 1964 to 2004, as board chairman through 2016, and he is currently Chairman Emeritus. Order it here CAN’T HURT ME: MASTER YOUR MIND AND DEFY THE ODDS BY DAVID GOGGINS What it’s about For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse coloured his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him “The Fittest (Real) Man in America.” In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this the 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential. About the Author Goggins has competed in more than sixty ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons, setting new course records and regularly placing in the top five. A former Guinness World Record holder for completing 4,030 pull-ups in seventeen hours, he's a much-sought-after public speaker who's shared his story with the staffs of Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and hundreds of thousands of students across the country. Order it here THE COACHING HABIT: SAY LESS, ASK MORE & CHANGE THE WAY YOU LEAD FOREVER BY MICHAEL BUNGAY STAINER What it’s about In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact. Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how--by saying less and asking more--you can develop coaching methods that produce great results. About the Author Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less good work and more great work. Michael has written for or been featured in numerous publications including Business Insider, Fast Company, Forbes, The Globe & Mail and The Huffington Post. Order it here 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE BY STEPHEN COVEY What it’s about To live with security and wisdom, and to have the power to take advantages of the opportunities that change creates, we need fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity. Quite a tall order when you consider that most of us live our lives in a permanent state of flux, questioning our ideals and values and fighting a daily battle with the lack of self-confidence that stops us from taking risks of any kind. But, in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey manages to make it sound as if changing the way, we look at ourselves and the world around us so that we can become more successful both personally and professionally an absolute doddle. About the Author Stephen R. Covey is a renowned leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational consultant, and co-founder of FranklinCovey Co. He is author of several international bestsellers and was named one of TIME Magazine's 25 Most Influential Americans. Order it here FIRST MAN IN: LEADING FROM THE FRONT BY ANT MIDDLETON What it’s about No one is born a leader. But through sheer determination and by confronting life’s challenges, Ant Middleton has come to know the meaning of true leadership. In First Man In, he shares the core lessons he’s learned over the course of his fascinating, exhilarating life. About the Author Ant Middleton is the front man for Channel 4’s hit show, SAS: Who Dares Wins. Born in Portsmouth and raised in rural France, Ant set his sights on a career in the armed forces and didn’t stop striving until he achieved his goal. Over the course of his career he has served in the Special Boat Service, the Royal Marines and 9 Parachute Squadron Royal, achieving what is known as the ‘Holy Trinity’ of the UK’s Elite Forces. Order it here HIGH PERFORMANCE HABITS: HOW EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE BECOME THAT WAY BY BRENDON BURCHARD What it’s about It's one thing to know that habits are important, it's another to know the secret rituals of the world's most successful people. Twenty years ago, author Brendon Burchard set out to discover why some people can easily change, develop skill rapidly and rise in their chosen career field, while others work hard but struggle for decades. What he discovered is a unique set of habits that apply across all areas of our lives, that when practiced lead to success across any domain. In this book, you'll learn: How the world's highest-performing people think, respond to challenge and achieve goals faster than their peers Why high performers shirk the advice of 'just be yourself' and 'do what comes naturally to you' Why motivation, grit and practice are not enough despite the recent buzz When to give up or start over so that you can move ahead faster Tactical advantage habits that help you become 30% more productive in 7 days Absolutely must-do habits to immediately follow for your health, relationships and career. And much more! About the Author Brendon Burchard is one of the most watched personal development trainers in the world. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, his books include The Motivation Manifesto, The Millionaire Messenger and Life's Golden Ticket. Brendon dedicates his life to helping others find their charge and share their voice with the world. Order it here HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE: SMART TACTICS FOR OVERCOMING THE PROBLEM PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE BY GILL HASSON What it’s about Whether it’s a manager who keeps moving the goal posts, an uncooperative colleague, negative friend, or critical family member, some people are just plain hard to get along with. Often, your immediate response is to shrink or sulk, become defensive or attack. But there are smarter moves to make when dealing with difficult people. This book explains how to cope with a range of situations with difficult people and to focus on what you can change. This book will help you to: Understand what makes difficult people tick and how best to handle them Learn ways to confidently stand up to others and resist the urge to attack back Develop strategies to calmly navigate emotionally charged situations Deal with all kinds of difficult people hostile, manipulative and the impossible Know when to choose your battles, and when to walk away About the Author Gill Hasson delivers teaching and training for educational organisations, voluntary and business organisations and the public sector. She has 20 years’ experience teaching and writing on a range of personal development issues; confidence and self-esteem, communication skills, assertiveness and resilience. Order it here THE CHIMP PARADOX: THE MIND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE SUCCESS, CONFIDENCE AND HAPPINESS BY DR STEVE PETERS What it’s about Do you sabotage your own happiness and success? Are you struggling to make sense of yourself? Do your emotions sometimes dictate your life? The Chimp Paradox is an incredibly powerful mind management model that can help you become a happy, confident, healthier and more successful person. Prof Steve Peters explains the struggle that takes place within your mind and then shows how to apply this understanding to every area of your life so you can: Recognise how your mind is working Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts Manage yourself and become the person you’d like to be The Chimp Mind Management Model is based on scientific facts and principles, which have been simplified into a workable model for easy use. It will help you to develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have confidence and choose your emotions. The book will do this by giving you an understanding of the way in which your mind works and how you can manage it. It will also help you to identify what is holding you back or preventing you from having a happier and more successful life. About the Author Dr Steve Peters is a Consultant Psychiatrist and has worked in the clinical field of psychiatry for over 20 years. He specialises in optimising the functioning of the mind and holds degrees in mathematics and medicine. Dr Peters is Undergraduate Dean at Sheffield University Medical School and resident psychiatrist with the British Cycling and Sky ProCycling teams. Order it here GRIT: WHY PASSION AND RESILIENCE ARE THE SECRETS TO SUCCESS BY ANGELA DUCKWORTH What it’s about In this must-read for anyone seeking to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth takes us on an eye-opening journey to discover the true qualities that lead to outstanding achievement. Winningly personal, insightful and powerful, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that – not talent or luck – makes all the difference. About the Author Dr Angela Duckworth is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in non-IQ competencies, including grit and self-control. A highly sought-after international speaker, her TED talk on grit has been viewed by over 10 million people. Order it here MINDSET: CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK TO FULFIL YOUR POTENTIAL BY CAROL DWECK What it’s about Dweck explains why it's not just our abilities and talent that bring us success-but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn't foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment but may jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals-personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area. About the Author Carol S. Dweck is an American Professor of Psychology. She is best known for her work on the mindset of psychological traits. Order it here LEGACY: WHAT THE ALL BLACKS CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF LIFE BY JAMES KERR What it’s about Champions do extra. They sweep the sheds. They follow the spearhead. They keep a blue head. They are good ancestors. In Legacy, best-selling author James Kerr goes deep into the heart of the world’s most successful sporting team, the legendary All Blacks of New Zealand, to reveal 15 powerful and practical lessons for leadership and business. Legacy is a unique, inspiring handbook for leaders in all fields, and asks: What are the secrets of success sustained success? How do you achieve world-class standards, day after day, week after week, year after year? How do you handle pressure? How do you train to win at the highest level? What do you leave behind you after you’re gone? What will be your legacy? About the Author James Kerr specialises in leadership and high performance. He is the co-founder of Fable Partners, the Leadership and Change Consultancy. Order it here UNSTOPPABLE: A 90-DAY PLAN TO BIOHACK YOUR MIND AND BODY FOR SUCCESS BY BEN ANGEL What it’s about Unable to overcome debilitating fatigue and depression, bestselling author and personal development expert Ben Angel set out on a 90-day mission to find and conquer the root of his rut. The result of his journey is Unstoppable, a highly revealing book where Ben gives you a look into the world of nootropics, wearable devices, and nutrition and delivers a guide to help you reduce stress, increase focus, improve physical performance, and eliminate your fears. You’ll hear from world-leading biohackers, neuroscientists, doctors, and New York Times bestselling author Dave Asprey as Ben helps you: Identify the seven triggers causing your brain fog Discover the key to better health, more energy, and a better mood Optimize your mental performance and feel more alert with six nootropics Form new behaviours and break old patterns (the real secret to your success) Interrupt your stress response through breathing Align your biochemistry with your soul’s purpose in three easy steps Use progressive overload to become an upgraded version of yourself About the Author Ben Angel, author of CLICK, Sleeping Your Way to The Top in Business and Flee 9-5, is Australia's leading marketing authority. Founder of benangel.co, a site dedicated to providing entrepreneurs advanced online marketing courses and education, Ben provides easy-to-apply and even easier-to-understand strategies for reaching new customers with ease. Order it here EGO IS THE ENEMY: THE FIGHT TO MASTER OUR GREATEST OPPONENT BY RYAN HOLIDAY What it’s about It's wrecked the careers of promising young geniuses. It's evaporated great fortunes and run companies into the ground. It's made adversity unbearable and turned struggle into shame. Every great philosopher has warned against it, in our most lasting stories and countless works of art, in all culture and all ages. Its name? Ego, and it is the enemy - of ambition, of success and of resilience. In Ego is the Enemy, Ryan Holiday shows us how and why ego is such a powerful internal opponent to be guarded against at all stages of our careers and lives, and that we can only create our best work when we identify, acknowledge and disarm its dangers. Drawing on an array of inspiring characters and narratives from literature, philosophy and history, the book explores the nature and dangers of ego to illustrate how you can be humble in your aspirations, gracious in your success and resilient in your failures. About the Author Ryan Holiday is the bestselling author of Trust Me, I'm Lying, Growth Hacker Marketing and The Obstacle is the Way. His books have been translated into seventeen languages and his writing has appeared everywhere from the Columbia Journalism Review to Fast Company. He was director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, and his strategies in growth hacking and advertising are used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube and Google. Order it here THE POWER OF HABIT: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, AND HOW TO CHANGE BY CHARLES DUHIGG What it’s about We can always change. In The Power of Habit, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg translates cutting-edge behavioural science into practical self-improvement action, distilling advanced neuroscience into fascinating narratives of transformation. Why can some people and companies change overnight, and some stay stuck in their old ruts? The answer lies deep in the human brain, and The Power of Habits reveals the secret pressure points that can change a life. From Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to Martin Luther King Jr., from the CEO of Starbucks to the locker rooms of the NFL, Duhigg explores the incredible results of keystone habits, and how they can make all the difference between billions and millions, failure and success – or even life and death. About the Author Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter for The New York. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, he has received the George Polk, the National Academies of Science and other awards. Order it here

The information in this report is based on our personal data from placements made in 2019 and comes from three major locations – London, Cambridge and Oxford.  The reason we've used brackets is due to the difference in location costs. Based on our information, London would be in the higher salary bracket due to the cost of living associated with living in the capital.   For start-up companies, there's been more of an emphasis on a lower salary package but with vested equity in the company. On the other hand, larger scale organisations are able to offer a higher salary with a bonus instead of equity.   For Research based positions, a PhD has been influential in securing a higher salary – in some cases, without industry/commercial based experience.   Several publications at highly contested conferences are always a huge attraction to companies looking to hire Research talent. We have also seen higher salaries offered to graduates from an Engineering and Research background with internship experience and/or an up-to-date Github (or similar) account. PLACEMENT SALARIES IN 2019 Graduate Machine Learning Engineer £40,000-£50,000 Machine Learning Engineer (1-2 years) £55,000-£65,000 Senior Machine Learning Engineer (3 years+) £85,000-£120,000 Python Engineer (Grad to 1 year) £40,000 Mid-level Python Engineer (2-4 years) £50,000-£70,000 Senior Python Engineer (5 years+) £75,000 - £100,000 Data Scientist £65,000 Senior Data Scientist £70,000-£90,000 Robotics Engineer (Experienced) £50,000 Research Scientist (PhD – 2 years)  £83,000 Senior Research Scientist (3 years+) £95,000 - £120,000 BENEFITS (in addition to standard benefits) Remote working - candidates will often prioritise a role that offers remote working. Paid leave to attend conferences & Meet-Ups.    Relocation packages – for candidates relocating across the UK or overseas. Shares/stocks in the company particularly common in start-ups. Free food on-site, or ordered in meals such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats etc. Unlimited annual leave Private health insurance Season ticket loans – commonly offered in London. Personal development and training courses e.g. flying candidates out to attend training in different sites across the world.       Free technology e.g. MacBook, Laptops, Company Phones etc. WORKING EXPECTATIONS & CULTURE Flat line structure – candidates are increasingly asking about company structure and ability to progress within an organisation. Mutual trust / flexible work times, trust in getting the work done and meeting deadlines without micro-management. Budgets for personal development – companies are actively increasing spending on training facilities/programmes. Extended parental leave for both parents (not gender exclusive).     Having clear company values that employees must uphold & "being heard". For any further information about the statistics above or other information about the UK Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me. Let's have a chat! 01727 809 403 Drop me an email aheneghan@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or Connect with me on LinkedIn.

The salaries presented below have come from candidate placements within the Understanding Recruitment Java team in 2019 and also from salary ranges for active vacancies with current partners.   This year has seen a growing demand for Java developers (also the case for other areas in development including Python, ML etc.) and higher salaries given to candidates with Cloud and DevOps tools experience and knowledge.   Alongside Java, highly requested skills that are sought after across the London market include AWS/GCP/Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, TDD and BDD methodologies. PLACEMENT SALARIES IN 2019 GRADUATE JAVA DEVELOPER £35,000 - £50,000 JUNIOR JAVA DEVELOPER (1-3YRS) £40,000 - £65,000 MID-LEVEL JAVA DEVELOPER (4-5YRS)  £60,000 - £75,000 SENIOR/LEAD JAVA DEVELOPER (5YRS+) £70,000 - £130,000  BENEFITS (in addition to standard benefits) Remote working is the benefit in most demand. The majority of clients are offering it and candidates will often prioritise a role that offers 1 / 2 / 3 days remote working per week.   Unlimited annual leave is also becoming more popular.   Paid time off for charity work is increasing. Weekly Deliveroos / meals or similar. WORKING EXPECTATIONS & CULTURE Flexible working hours in different guises. Some companies give employees full autonomy and say as long as employees work their total contracted hours. Most are happy for people to start / finish early as and when required.  There’s a move towards companies that value professional development. They may facilitate people going to relevant conferences (or even if they can represent their company at a conference), offering training budgets, 10% time working on personal projects during the week etc. For any further information about the statistics above or other information about the Java London market, including competitors, tech on the rise and hiring processes, feel free to contact me. Let's have a chat! 01727 809830 Email me at cyoung@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or Connect with me on LinkedIn.

You may be a New Year’s resolutions sceptic, but researchers have proven that goals set around this time of year are more likely to be achieved than resolutions we undertake at any other time of the year! As the famous saying “new year, new job” goes, research also shows that the decision to change jobs is one of the most common resolutions that people make every New Year’s Eve (even more popular than joining the gym!). So, if you’ve been thinking about making a change lately, now is the time to set yourself up for success in the new year. Here are my top 10 tips for staying committed to your goals: Your career resolutions should be specific, measurable and realistic - while ambitious goals are good, they’re not always achievable so make sure you set yourself up to succeed by making your goals achievable in the timeframe you set. It’s important not to make them when you’re intoxicated, stressed, or feeling particularly emotional (all common states around this time of year). You need a clear head - think about what you want to change, but also consider whether it is achievable. Do you need more money? Do you want to expand your skill set? Will you need to upskill for your next role and how long will this take? Are you looking for management opportunities that you currently don’t have? Plan your change step by step – making changes to your career is easier when you break them down into more actionable chunks. List what you need to do to get to your goal and get started one step at a time. Formulate your decision constructively - instead of thinking “I will quit my job because I’m unhappy” you need to be more specific if you want to succeed. An example of a better resolution might be: “I will find a better-paid job as a DevOps Engineer where I will use modern technologies like Kubernetes”. Prepare your CV and tailor it to each opportunity you’re applying to, check what’s going on in your industry’s job market, decide what type of role would excite you, search in the right places, get ready for potential interviews and most importantly give it your all! A half-hearted approach to your job searches rarely ends successfully. Focus on what it is you want and forget the rest – it’s easy to get carried away at the applying stage but don’t fall for the temptation to apply for jobs you don’t have the skills for or that don’t get you revved up. Your time is too valuable to be wasted like this. Recruiters will also wonder about your focus if you apply to multiple roles that aren’t related and will be cautious about working with you. Don’t panic if you don’t hear back from a recruiter right away about your application. Giving them a call will set you apart from other applicants and speedier feedback. Be smart with your planning; it’s important to stick at it and have a strategy that won’t burn you out.  Stay confident in your own abilities and don’t give up. Keep track of your applications – working with a single recruiter makes this much easier. There is nothing worse that not having a clue which roles you’ve applied to when you receive a phone call from a recruiter. It’s all about first impressions! Finally remember to reward yourself for even the smallest successes that arise on your way to finding your new dream job! In other words, don’t be like Kevin: Kevin does not like his job as a DevOps Engineer in a small town in Northern England. His boss irritates him, he works with old technologies and all his ideas for improvements are rejected. As his New Year's resolution, Kevin decides that he wants to work in a better-paid job in the centre of London. He starts sending his CV to every company that he thinks might be interested in hiring him. Even though he wants to be a DevOps Engineer, he decides to maximise his chances of finding a new position by applying for nearly every job that he sees advertised. During stage one interviews, he finds that he can’t always remember where he applied, which role they’re talking about and what specific skills the role requires. The interviewers are not impressed, and they all reject him without having had a face to face meeting. By the end of January, Kevin has become frustrated with job hunting. He’s exhausted from the effort of applying for new positions whilst simultaneously working full-time. He gives up and decides to stay in the job where he feels underappreciated.  But what if he had made a better plan before he started looking for new positions? What if he had only applied for a small number of jobs that really interested him, and had given his all to the interview process? Perhaps he would still have had some rejections (that’s an unfortunate reality of looking for jobs). But the process would not have been so draining on him. He would have been more likely to get through the first stage to face to face interviews. And whilst it might not have happened immediately, the odds would have been on his side in the medium-term. If you'd like to discuss your 2020 careers plans connect with me on LinkedIn, drop me an email or give me a call on 01727 225 558. I look forward to speaking with you and wish you a Happy New Year!

Der berufsbedingte Umzug in eine neue Stadt oder sogar ein neues Land kann eine spannende aber auch herausfordernde Erfahrung sein. Vor dem Kistenpacken muss Vieles beachtet werden. Wir haben die wichtigsten Dinge zusammengestellt, über die du nachdenken musst, bevor du den neuen Job im Ausland annimmst. 1. Gute Gründe finden Nimm dir vor dem Umzug Zeit, um die Vor- und Nachteile aufzuschreiben. Warum möchtest du deine aktuelle Situation ändern? Ist es ein Karriereschritt oder suchst du mehr Zufriedenheit im Job? Ist das Gehalt besser und wird sich deine Lebensqualität am neuen Standort verbessern? Berücksichtige auch die negativen Aspekte, z. B. die größere Entfernung zur Familie und zu Freunden, die Lebenshaltungskosten und mögliche Sprachbarrieren. Wenn du ernsthafte Zweifel am Umzug hast, solltest du darüber mit deiner Familie oder deinen Freunden sprechen. Und denke immer daran, dass du die Wahl hast und es deine eigene Entscheidung sein muss. 2. Lerne dein neues Zuhause kennen Bevor du die endgültige Entscheidung zum Umzug triffst, solltest du dein neues Zuhause besuchen und versuchen, es so zu erleben, als ob du bereits dort lebst und arbeitest. So kannst du sehen, ob du dir vorstellen kannst, langfristig dort zu leben und Wurzeln zu schlagen. Du wirst überrascht sein, wie sehr Orte von Online-Fotos und -Informationen abweichen können. Dein Bauchgefühl gibt dir einen guten Hinweis, ob der Umzug für dich das Richtige ist. Erkunde den Ort, an den du umziehst so gründlich wie möglich. Es ist eine gute Idee, während deines Aufenthalts verschiedene Gegenden zu besuchen, um die zu finden, die am besten zu deinem Lebensstil passt. Falls du dem Ort vor deinem Umzug keinen Besuch abstatten kannst, sprich mit jemanden, der bereits dort lebt oder gelebt hat. Und tritt zum Beispiel der örtlichen Social Media-Gruppe bei. Auch der neue Arbeitgeber kann Tipps geben. 3. Bitte um Hilfe Viele Unternehmen bieten Umzugsdienste an, einschließlich praktischer und finanzieller Unterstützung. Es lohnt sich also, im Laufe der Bewerbung danach zu fragen. Auch wenn der Arbeitgeber im Normalfall keine solche Hilfestellungen anbietet, lohnt es sich, darüber zu verhandeln. Zumindest, wenn das maßgeblich für die Entscheidung für einen Umzug ist. Finde heraus, wie hoch die Umzugskosten sind und ob deine Sachen verschickt werden müssen, damit du eine Verhandlungsgrundlage hast. Manche Unternehmen bieten auch Firmenwohnungen an. 4. Stelle Nachforschungen an Lerne dein zukünftiges Unternehmen so weit wie möglich kennen. Finde heraus, wer dein Manager ist und wie das Team aussieht. Über die Arbeitsethik und -kultur der Firma kannst du mehr erfahren, wenn du darum bittest, mit jemandem sprechen zu können, der eine ähnliche Position hat wie du. Denke als nächstes über die Logistik deines Umzugs nach. Ist es ein dauerhafter Umzug? Wirst du für ein paar Monate oder ein paar Jahre weg sein? Der Verkauf des eigenen Hauses oder der eigenen Wohnung ist eine der größten Komplikationen bei der Umsiedlung von Hausbesitzern. Wenn du abschätzen kannst, wie lang du fort sein wirst, kannst du besser entscheiden, ob du deine Immobilie behältst, deine Sachen einlagerst oder ob du mit Sack und Pack umziehst. Die neue Bleibe lediglich zu mieten ist außerdem ein guter Weg, sich in der neuen Stadt niederzulassen, ohne sich zu sehr zu binden. Stelle sicher, dass du weißt, wie hoch die Lebenskosten sind, inklusive Unterkunft, Transport, Kinderbetreuung, sonstige Ausgaben und Steuern. Der neue Job bietet vielleicht insgesamt das bessere Gehaltspaket. Der Vorteil mag jedoch bei hohen Lebenshaltungskosten verpuffen. Ist ein Visum oder eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis nötig? Die Visa-Bearbeitung kann äußerst lange dauern. Wenn du den neuen Job bereits gefunden hast, wird das vermutlich vom Arbeitgeber übernommen. Überprüfe das trotzdem lieber, bevor du die Stelle antrittst. Es lohnt sich auch, einen Blick auf die Steuern zu werfen. In vielen Ländern gelten unterschiedliche Steuerrichtlinien. Besonders für Selbstständige. In mehreren Ländern bestehen auch bilaterale Steuerabkommen für Ausländer, um Doppelbesteuerung im Heimatland und im Ausland zu vermeiden. Großbritannien hat zum Beispiel über 100 dieser Verträge mit verschiedenen Staaten. Der Umzug kann sich auch auf die staatliche Rente auswirken. Kläre daher am besten deinen Rentenstatus. Um den gesamten Vorgang zu vereinfachen, wird man am besten zur To-Do-Listen-Person und stellt eine für den aktuellen Aufenthaltsort und eine für das Zielland auf. Auf diese Weise bleibst du im Bilde und vergisst nichts Wichtiges. 5. Denke an die Familie Wer Familie hat, der muss berücksichtigen, wie sich Partner und Kinder beim Umzug fühlen. Wird der Partner Arbeit finden und wie sieht das Bildungssystem, die Schulen und die Kinderbetreuung aus? Gibt es Sprachbarrieren, die die Integration für deine Familie beeinträchtigen? Ist eine internationale Schule die beste Option? 6. Der Neustart Sobald du angekommen bist, solltest du zu Testzwecken einmal zum neuen Arbeitsplatz pendeln. Zu wissen, wie lang der Arbeitsweg ist, hilft dabei, am ersten Tag nicht zu spät zu kommen. Networking ist wichtig und Freunde zu finden und sich ein Sicherheitsnetz aufzubauen. Dein neuer Arbeitgeber bietet womöglich Social Clubs und Aktivitäten an, um beim Kennenlernen neuer Leute zu helfen. Bei Sportgruppen mitzumachen ist ein sehr effektiver Weg, um Menschen mit gleichen Interessen zu finden. Der Trick ist, einfach „Ja” zu sagen. Geh raus, misch dich unter die Leute. 7. Wenn es nicht klappt Du bist in die neue Stadt oder das neue Land gezogen und hast den Job begonnen. Jetzt stellt sich heraus, dass alles anders ist, als erwartet. Denke daran, dass es einige Zeit dauert, bis man sich an die neue Umgebung und kulturelle Unterschiede gewöhnt. Das kann mitunter stressig sein. Oberstes Gebot ist, nicht gleich aufzugeben und der neuen Situation eine Chance zu geben. Wenn du nach Monaten immer noch nicht zufrieden bist und nicht glaubst, dass sich das ändert, brauchst du einen Backup-Plan. Ist es ein berufsspezifisches Problem? Kannst du die Dinge mit einem Gespräch mit dem Vorgesetzten ins Rollen bringen? Oder ist es der Ort, der Kopfzerbrechen bereitet? Möglicherweise ist der Weg zur Arbeit zu lang, was den Stress erhöht? Oder du machst keine neuen Freunde? Analysiere, warum du mit der Situation unzufrieden bist. Überprüfe, ob sich schon eine einfache Änderung positiv auswirken kann. Wenn die Situation dann immer noch nicht funktioniert, überlegst du am besten, welche Optionen es gibt. Insgesamt kann eine andere Stadt oder ein anderes Land für dich und deine Karriere entscheidend sein. Der Schlüssel ist, dass du jederzeit zurückkehren kannst, wenn du es nicht magst – aber die Chancen stehen gut, dass es nicht dazu kommt...

James Bowler graduated from Swansea University with a BSc in Economics and now recruits Front-End Web Developers across the UK. Here's what he has to say about his experience of tech recruitment so far... 1. Why did you decide to get into a career in recruitment? Coming from an academic background that is traditionally linked with a career in the financial sector, I was looking for an opportunity that offered similar earning potentials without the narrow confines of a role in economic analysis. I gained an appreciation from meeting key members of Understanding Recruitment of the breadth of their client base, from start-ups to established companies and the daily interaction with a diverse range of international people. I have found rewarding the insight into businesses and specifically the importance of technology in shaping their development. 2. What’s the best thing about working at Understanding Recruitment? What has impressed me most at Understanding Recruitment is the supportive culture present within an intrinsically competitive profession and the management style that both motivates and rewards, giving us all a sense of achievement. 3. What would your advice be to a graduate looking for a career in recruitment? No day is ever the same and working in such a competitive field brings high points as well as low points. But if you are prepared to be resilient with a positive outlook then your success is both financially and motivationally rewarding, all within a workplace environment like no other. Curious about a career in tech recruitment? If you are ambitous, financially driven and outgoing we would love to hear from you. Drop Emily Kitamura or Jessie Edwards a message on LinkedIn, send an email to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or call 01727 228 255.

I recently released a 6 question, multiple-choice survey to my Java Developer network to uncover some insights about the job-changing market for Java Developers in the UK. I was inspired by Stack Overflow’s annual software developer survey to explore my market in greater depth. In this article, we’ll be looking at current trends and comparing data across workplace and job-hunting experiences for Java Developers.   1. Current Workplace Experiences ‘Tech stack’ was rated most highly by Java Developers when asked about their favourite aspect of their current work. These results corroborate Stack Overflow's 2019 developer survey. ‘Opportunities for self-development’ were also valued more than ‘company culture and values’. Instead of internal recruiters marketing their offices as being ‘dog-friendly’ and ‘newly refurbed’ – what the market is actually telling us is that, as recruiters (both internal and agency), we should be proactively highlighting career-progression opportunities and aspects like training budgets. Surprisingly, the graph makes for some interesting interpretations as no respondents brought up flexible/remote working options as one of the best aspects of their current work. Either not enough companies are currently introducing these options into work practice or, contrary to current market demand, other factors are still favoured. Realistically, are there any major benefits to working from home if the project/tech you’re working with daily is boring? 2. Challenges to Productivity Three key answers account for approximately 75% of respondents' opinions when asked about their biggest challenges to productivity at work: Lack of career progression opportunities – this is one of the many reasons why the average Java job cycle lasts 18-24 months. It is typically easier to move as a Mid- or Senior Level developer via a company change. Distracting work environment – increased meetings and noisy environments. Being tasked with non-development work – a lot of the Java Developers I’m talking to now are looking elsewhere because their employer has been pushing them towards more hands-off responsibilities. Interestingly, 10% of respondents said that their teams are currently understaffed for the workload. The software development market is notoriously competitive and candidate short. With a record £5.5bn investment in the London tech scene so far in 2019, it’s no wonder most tech companies are looking to hire!   3. Most Important Factors in Decision Making The survey shows that ‘opportunities for professional development’, ‘tech stack’ and ‘remuneration’ are the most influential factors in decision-making processes for Java Developers. This corroborates the data discussed for questions 1 and 2. I was surprised to not see ‘company values and culture’ with a higher number of votes. A lot of Java Developers I have spoken with recently have highlighted the struggle to progress in bureaucratic environments where decision-making is out of their hands/too top-down. My own insights from conversations within this market would rank ‘tech stack’, ‘company values and culture’ and ‘remuneration’ as top factors steering job-decision making. 4. Approaches to Looking for Opportunities There were few surprises here with 46% of respondents mentioning something LinkedIn related as a tool for finding a new opportunity. Whether this is ‘opening yourself to new opportunities’ or applying to the jobs posted on the social media platform, it’s no wonder that LinkedIn is becoming increasingly popular for developers to find jobs that match their specialism. It currently has 20 million jobs listed on its platform! Arguably, 5 years ago this graph would have looked very different as the ‘job board’ option has drastically reduced but does remain present nonetheless with 22% of developers using them! I was expecting slightly more responses for the use of personal networks given the number of forums, slack communities and blogs in the programming space but understand that developers are most probably interested and curious about market insights on various projects and salary info which they would discuss in greater detail with recruiters. Reaching out to recruiters accounted for 12.2% of responses. 5. Working with Recruiters? Good news for all recruiters reading this! Over 36% of responses highlight the value of working with recruiters. This is due to our direct contact with hiring managers and key members in the recruitment process to keep track of applications, prepare candidates for interviews and what questions to expect and provide relevant feedback which can help with the rest of their job searches. Approximately 1 in 4 Java respondents use recruiters as a tool to find out more about the job market and industry insights. From speaking to software developers and hiring managers daily - recruiters (in general) have beneficial knowledge about salary expectations, new projects/tech worth getting experience with and opportunities across various industries. 6. What about Specialist Recruiters? An overwhelming 70% of Java Developers who took part in the survey said that they would work with a specialist recruiter. With the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) predicting that 56% of vacancies in the next 12 months will be filled by agencies, the role of the recruiter is pivotal. Insights around salary ranges, ‘up and coming’ technologies that are worth getting your hands on and specific information about career progression opportunities are just a few things that you won’t be able to get from a LinkedIn advert. Specialist recruiters (in any sector/industry!) speak to many candidates with similar profiles and can have invaluable knowledge on how you compare to others within your profession and importantly, which companies are looking for someone exactly like you. We know the interview processes too, have direct relationships with hiring managers, have case studies of candidates we have placed who have been promoted, negotiate salaries for you – and best of all, our entire service is free! Why wouldn’t you use a specialist recruiter? Overall, for the first survey I have done on my Java market, the research across the Java Development conducted makes for some interesting talking points for both hiring managers and recruiters (internal and agency). Tech stacks and opportunities for career progression are pulling factors to new opportunities whilst distracting working environments are pushing people to new projects. Next time you’re interested in a new role, why not use a specialist recruiter to give you some insights? You could really be missing out if you don’t!     If you'd like to discuss the Java market with me in more detail or want to hear more about how we can work together, message me on LinkedIn, drop me an email or give me a call 01727 809830.

Carina Panchal graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a BSc in Psychology before joining Understanding Recruitment in our HQ in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. As part of our Delivery team, she now recruits a wide range of tech related roles, from iOS Software Developers to Marketing Analysts. 1. Why did you decide to get into a career in recruitment? After graduating I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take at the time, so I spent a lot of time researching different jobs and I finally stumbled upon recruitment. Having looked at some recruitment job ads and descriptions, I realized I would be well suited to a recruitment role, as it involves a lot of talking to different people on a daily basis and helping to find these people their dream job! In recruitment, your work is also attributed to you and only you, so it's easy to take responsibility for your hard work. Plus the earning potential and chance for career progression are a great bonus!   2. What’s the best thing about working at Understanding Recruitment? The best thing about working at UR is the company culture. In a very competitive and cut throat industry, UR really look after their staff and invest a lot in training us up and making sure we have all the tools we need to succeed. UR is very much about building each other up, and using the competitive nature of the job in a healthy way, to drive everyone to be their best. Everyone has been very supportive, friendly and helpful, and this has allowed me to have the best possible start to my career in recruitment!   3. What would your advice be to a graduate looking for a career in recruitment? To any graduates looking for a career in recruitment, my best advice would be to thoroughly get stuck in and give everything a go. In this industry, you only get out what you put in, so be prepared to work really hard! Resilience is very important, and being able to keep going after a bad day or week makes it that much better when things do start to fall into place!   Curious about a career in tech recruitment? If you are ambitous, financially driven and outgoing we would love to hear from you. Drop Emily Kitamura or Jessie Edwards a message on LinkedIn, send an email to emily@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or call 01727 228 255.  

Wenn du Teil der Tech-Szene bist, hast du von Berlin und seinem Aufstieg in Sachen Technologie gehört. Aber schauen wir einmal genauer hin und stellen die Frage, was Berlin dir als Software Developer bieten kann. Berlin ist der am schnellsten wachsende Tech Hub in Europa und auf Rang zwei bei Tech-Investitionen. Im Jahr 2018 wurden 3,4 Milliarden Euro in den Standort gepumpt. Und dort hinzugehen, wo Leute ihr Geld anlegen, ist meistens eine gute Idee. Derzeit geizen die Investoren nicht mit Geld für Berliner Tech-Firmen. Daher müssen Unternehmen viele Fachleute nach Berlin holen, damit sie weiterwachsen können und ihre Produkte Weltmarktführer bleiben! Berlin kann einem Software Developer derzeit viel bieten. Die drei wichtigsten Dinge habe ich hier aufgelistet: 1. Wirklich international Um die richtigen Leute zu finden, hat sich Berlin für die klügsten Köpfe rund um den Planeten geöffnet. 2018 wurden 27.241 so genannte EU Blue Cards in Deutschland augegeben. Im Vergleich zu 11.290 im Jahr 2013. Das Ergebnis ist ein Tech-Melting-Pot, zu dem du von überall auf der Welt dazustoßen, wo du arbeiten und wo du viel lernen kannst, und zwar von Experten mit den unterschiedlichsten Biografien. Wenn ein Team viele verschiedene Kulturen vereint, dann herrscht ein große Ideenvielfalt. Wie es so schön heißt: Zehn unterschiedliche Menschen mit zehn verschiedenen Ideen = 100 Ideen. Zehn gleiche Menschen mit den gleichen Ideen machen gemeinsam nur 10 Ideen. Der internationale Ansatz scheint also für die Tech-Firmen in Berlin zu funktionieren und die größten Wachstumsraten in Europa zu erzeugen. Viele Unternehmen bieten ausgeklügelte Umzugshilfe mit beeindruckender Unterbringung, Relocation-Pakete im Voraus, Boni, Relocation-Manager, die dir beim Visaprozess und beim Einleben in die neue Umgebung helfen. "Es ist schwer in Wort zu fassen, aber ein Berlinbesuch reicht, um die Freiheit und Offenheit der Leute hier zu sehen – es ist wirklich eine Stadt, in der du die Person sein kannst, die du schon immer sein wolltest!" 2. Kosten Für einen so bekannten Tech Hub sind die Lebenserhaltungskosten ziemlich gut im Vergleich zu anderen Städten in Europa oder Deutschland. Wenn du nach Mieten in Berlin suchst, findest du Nachrichten zu Mietensteigerungen. Aber relativ gesprochen, sind die Mieten 26% günstiger als in München, 32% günstiger als in London. In Kombination mit steigenden Tech-Gehältern (durchschnittlich 61.000 für einen Software Developer) ist Berlin immer noch der Ort, an dem du deinen Tech-Ambitionen nachgehen und zugleich eine neue Zukunft starten kannst. 3. Sei die Person, die du sein möchtest Bei einem meiner allerersten Meetings in Berlin sagte mir der Recruiter, dass „Berlin der Ort ist, an dem du sein kannst, wer immer du sein möchtest“. Zu der Zeit habe ich nicht verstanden, was er meinte. Aber heute, nach unzähligen Gesprächen und Besuchen, habe ich erkannt, dass Leute von überall auf der Welt kommen und dich niemand beurteilt oder Vorurteile hat und dass es jede Menge Freiheiten gibt, dich auszuprobieren und akzeptiert zu werden.

We’re proud that 47% of our Understanding Recruitment team are females and to further cement our commitment to supporting women in recruitment, we’ve joined APSCo’s (Association of Professional Staffing Companies) Women in Recruitment initiative. Together with over 40 other recruitment companies of all sizes we’ve pledged ourselves to the initiative and aim to attract more females to the tech recruitment profession while also investing in developing and retaining our current female talent. Here’s what our Founding Director Chris Jackson had to say "At Understanding Recruitment we firmly promote gender diversity across our business. 53% of the recruitment market is female yet research identifies specific barriers preventing females from fulfilling their potential within the industry. Joining 'Women in Recruitment' is another positive step in supporting our staff to ensure all genders within Understanding Recruitment have an equal chance of success. We are extremely proud to be part of this hugely worthwhile initiative." ​   As a result of joining the initiative, all our female employees have access to unique benefits provided including: The Power of Me personal development programme - an online personal development programme for aspiring talent in recruitment. The programme aims to help women reach their potential with the help of Leadership Development Coach Katie Botten. It also includes a personal Strengthscope® profile and report based on an online psychometric assessment which provides a detailed insight into an individual’s significant strengths and sources of energy. Access to all WIR networking events Regular WIR updates, research and white papers In addition to the above, members get tips on cultivating a winning mindset and building a support system, which are crucial factors to a successful career in recruitment.   

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest updates in the contracting world, you’ll know that IR35 is the main topic of conversation. But what is IR35, and what does it mean for contractors?  What is IR35? Implemented in the year 2000, IR35 was and still is a tax law designed to combat tax avoidance through the use of ‘disguised employment’. Simply put, ‘disguised employment’ is when a person engages with a business through a limited company to carry out work that would usually be completed by an employee. Operating this way means they take advantage of tax efficiencies, allowing them to pay comparatively less tax and National Insurance. The purpose of the legislation is to ensure that contractors that are in ‘disguised employment’ are paying the correct amount of tax. If you’re genuinely in business on your own account then you will not be caught by the legislation and can therefore, take advantage of the tax benefits available when working through a limited company. The IR35 rules are applied on an assignment-by-assignment basis; and currently contractors working within the private sector are responsible for determining the IR35 status of the contract and paying the correct Income Tax and National Insurance contributions for each contract they take on. However, this is due to change on the 6th April 2020, when the current IR35 rules in the public sector are extended to the private sector. The release of detailed plans On the 11th July 2019, as part of the release of the Draft Finance Bill 2020, the government revealed its detailed plans for next year’s reforms to off-payroll working. These reforms are due to be introduced to medium and large businesses, leaving small businesses unaffected. These medium and large businesses will then become responsible and liable for determining the IR35 status of the contractors they work with. What does all of this actually mean? We’ve explored some of the key points below: The small business exemption As mentioned above, the reforms will not apply to small businesses – as defined by the Companies Act 2006. Income Tax and National Insurance deductions will be paid by the fee payer If your contract is deemed to be inside IR35, then the amount paid for your services will be seen as employment income. The fee payer, the organisation that pays the personal service company, becomes the employer for tax purposes and is required to make deductions for PAYE tax and National Insurance contributions from the contract income. Debt transfer provisions This gives HMRC the power to collect unpaid Income Tax and National Insurance contributions from another organisation in the supply chain, should the entity responsible for paying the limited company (referred to as the fee payer) fail to pay these. Improvements to the Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool The CEST tool is a digital tool designed by HMRC, to help decide if your contract falls inside or outside IR35. There has been a lot of debate surrounding its accuracy, HMRC have advised that they are making improvements to the tool and this will be made available later in 2019. The impact on contractors in the private sector The employment status tests are not changing. The only change is in who is responsible for applying the legislation. If your contract and working relationships are similar to those of an employee then you could be deemed as falling inside IR35, meaning the income from your contract will be subject to PAYE Tax and National Insurance deductions like an employee. Though there is a significant amount of nuanced details for IR35, there are also three key pillars to determining your status: Control: If your client imposes a level of control over your work the project is likely to fall inside IR35. Some things to consider – does your client set your working hours, keep a close eye on your work, and dictate how you approach the work? Do you need consent to be given time off work, and are you able to choose the location in which you carry out the work for your client? Mutuality of Obligation: In permanent employment your manager would typically give you work to complete, and when that was done, they would have more for you. You would accept this further work and the cycle would continue. Both you and the employer are obliged to keep this relationship going until one party terminates the contract. However, if your contract is outside IR35 then you have no obligation to accept any additional work offered and the deliverables may be renegotiated at the end of each contract. Personal Service / Right to substitution: One hallmark of an employment relationship is the fact that you are engaged to complete the work personally. If you have an unfettered right to send a suitably qualified substitute in your place without requiring your employer’s permission, this points towards a business to business relationship Providing support We hope our overview of IR35 has been useful, and that we’ve answered some of your questions. It is important to note that determining the IR35 status of a contract is not a tick box exercise, and a holistic approach is needed. If you are unsure of your IR35 status or have any questions regarding IR35, it is important to contact a specialist contractor accountant. You can also contact our Head of Contracts Alex Martuccio by email alex@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or by phone 01727 228 244. Check out our latest contract roles here. ​Leading umbrella company Parasol offers contractors the flexibility which is part and parcel of self-employment, but with the added reassurance and support which comes with permanent employment.

Relocating cities or even countries for a new job can be an exciting but also daunting prospect. There are lots of things to consider before packing up, so we’ve put together the most important things to think about before accepting that new job abroad.   1. Find your why Before relocating, take some time to write down the pros and cons of the move. Why is it that you want to change your current situation? Is it a step up for your career or are you looking for more job satisfaction? Is the pay package better and will your quality of life improve in the new location? Also take into consideration the negatives such as being further away from family and friends, cost of living and possible language barriers. If you have real doubts about moving, then discuss them with family or friends and remember it’s an option and your choice to make.   2. Get to know your new home Before making the final decision about your move, visit your new home and try to experience it as if you already live and work there. This will help you see if you can picture yourself living and laying down roots there in the long-term. You’d be surprised how much places can vary from online photos and information and your gut feel will give you a good indication if the move is right for you. Research the place you’re moving to as much as possible. It’s a good idea to see some different areas while you’re there so you can find the one that suits your lifestyle best. If you can’t visit before you move, speak to people already living there to get a better picture. Local social media groups can be helpful to join, and your new employer will be able to offer some advice.   3. Ask for help Many companies offer a variety of relocation services including practical and financial assistance to employees who are relocating, so it’s worth asking about this during the hiring process. Even if your employer doesn’t typically offer relocation services, it’s worth negotiating this with them if it’s crucial for you to be able to make the move. Make sure to find out what your moving expenses will look like and if your goods need to be shipped so that you have a basis for negotiation. Some companies may also offer corporate housing.   4. Research, research, research Research your future company as much as possible and find out who you will be reporting into and what the team is like. You can find out more about the organisation’s ethic and culture by asking to speak to someone in a similar role as the one you’ll be doing. Next up think through the logistics of your move. Is it a permanent move? Will you be gone for a few months or a couple of years? Selling a house is one of the bigges