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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.