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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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!

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 

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.  

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

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.

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.

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.

BOSTON, Mass., July 10, 2019 (UNDERSTANDING RECRUITMENT) -- This past week award-winning technology, software and digital staffing consultancy Understanding Recruitment, has opened its first stateside office in Boston, Massachusetts. In the city dubbed to become the AI capital of the world the team will be working closely with candidates to bring them the most relevant, challenging and innovative career opportunities within Artificial Intelligence and Backend Engineering.   The new office is being led by one of Understanding Recruitment’s most successful consultants, Matthew Ferdenzi, who successfully developed a team of six consultants specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning recruitment in the UK. Matt will now be focusing on growing the Boston office over the next few years and brings with him a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ferdenzi commented “Moving to the U.S. has always been one of my personal goals and Understanding Recruitment have given me the platform to go to Boston and set up my own office and take the bull by the horns really. It’s a massive opportunity and I’m hugely proud to be taking our business stateside. We think that Boston is a global hub with a flourishing tech market and a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to speaking to new candidates and expanding our client base over the coming years.” Ideally located between Boston’s historic North End and ever-evolving West End, Understanding Recruitment has opted to make the WeWork 200 Portland Coworking space their new Boston address. As well as covering Boston and the surrounding cities, Understanding Recruitment recently expanded into the Berlin tech market specializing in Java technology recruitment. With exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories the business is also aiming to boost their worldwide headcount from 50 employees to 100 by 2022. Founding Director of Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chris Jackson concluded “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve had in Boston so far and with Massachusetts recruiting more Artificial Intelligence jobs per capita than all other U.S. states except Washington, I look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength. Opening up in Boston was a very strategic decision that we took because we truly believe that the Boston tech market is strong and is evolving from its biotech roots towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies.” ENDS About Understanding Recruitment Inc. Understanding Recruitment is an award-winning technology, software and digital staffing consultancy with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and the United Kingdom. As well as covering the U.S. and the U.K., Understanding Recruitment also specialize in Java recruitment in Berlin, Germany. Having recently celebrated their first decade in business they have been recognized with several industry awards over the years including 'Best Staffing Firm to Work For 2018'​ at the SIA Awards for the third consecutive year. Their team of specialists operate across all areas of Technology and Digital covering both contract and permanent roles, including Java, DevOps & Cloud, Mobile & Web, .NET, Machine Learning & AI, FinTech, Project / Program and Product Management, Cyber Security, Infrastructure & Support, Testing & QA, Architecture & Design. Contact information: Understanding Recruitment Jana Timm jtimm@understandingrecruitment.co.uk (01144) (0)1727 809 340

As part of our ongoing growth plans, we’re excited to announce that our new Boston, Massachusetts office is now open for business! ​In the city dubbed to become the AI capital of the world the team will be working closely with candidates to bring them the most relevant, challenging and innovative career opportunities within Artificial Intelligence and Backend Engineering.  ​ The new office is being led by one of Understanding Recruitment’s most successful consultants, Matthew Ferdenzi, who successfully developed his team of six consultants specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning recruitment in the UK. Matt will now be focusing on growing the Boston office over the next few years while our UK team is now in the capable hands of Hannah Beach. Understanding Recruitment Inc. Chief Operating Officer Matthew Ferdenzi said “Moving to the U.S. has always been one of my personal goals and Understanding Recruitment have given me the platform to go to Boston and set up my own office and take the bull by the horns really. It’s a massive opportunity and I’m hugely proud to be taking our business stateside. We think that Boston is a global hub with a flourishing tech market and a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to speaking to new candidates and expanding our client base over the coming years.” Ideally located between Boston’s historic North End and ever-evolving West End, we’ve opted to make the WeWork 200 Portland Coworking space our new Boston address. As well as covering Boston and the surrounding cities, we recently expanded into the Berlin tech market specialising in Java technology recruitment. With exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories we’re also aiming to boost our worldwide team from 50 employees to 100 by 2022. Our Founding Director Chris Jackson concluded “We’re thrilled with the success we’ve had in Boston so far and with Massachusetts recruiting more Artificial Intelligence jobs per capita than all other U.S. states except Washington, I look forward to seeing the business go from strength to strength. Opening up in Boston was a very strategic decision that we took because we truly believe that the Boston tech market is strong and is evolving from its biotech roots towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies.” If you'd like to find out how we can help your business grow in The States get in touch with Matthew Ferdenzi mferdenzi@understandingrecruitment.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Lily joined us as part of our Digital and Data team based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire that specialises in placing tech talent in the Charity Sector. She has made a fantastic impression on the business so far, breaking the Understanding Recruitment record by placing three candidates within her first two months. She also recently won our ‘UR of the month’ award at the monthly stand-up that acknowledges team members who live and breathe our values.  In this blog she shares her experience of working in recruitment so far… I joined Understanding Recruitment just over two months ago now and it has been the best decision I have made in my career so far! I can quite easily say I’ve enjoyed every part of the journey. I started as a Data Recruiter with absolutely no prior experience within the Recruitment sector, in fact no sales experience at all. At first, I was a little apprehensive about starting my new job and I really didn’t know what to expect. Prior to joining Understanding Recruitment, I went to Sandringham School and studied Geography, Sociology and Psychology at A Levels. I really enjoyed my time in sixth form and found my subjects fascinating however I wasn’t passionate enough about any of them for me to think that going to University would be beneficial. I was more passionate about starting to make money straight away and getting a head start in my career, so I became the Manager of a local café. Although I had a rough idea of what I thought recruitment would be like, I imagined it was going to be a very simple process and that there wouldn’t be much to it. I soon realised that there is a lot more to recruitment than most would think. There are so many different factors that contribute to being a successful Recruitment Consultant but fortunately I can confidently say that I’m learning from some of the best in the industry! My experience so far in recruitment has overall been very successful but I’m aware that not all days are good days. Due to the nature of the role every day is very different, and I have experienced very good days but also not so positive days. It’s normal and I have realised already that those not so good days just motivate me to work even harder the following week. "I’d say the most important thing to remember is not to take things personally when things don’t always go the way you’d hope as there are always highs just around the corner." A typical day for me as a Resourcer consists of checking emails and adverts, speaking to candidates, searching for CVs on job boards and LinkedIn, prepping candidates for upcoming interviews and much more. "My favourite part of my day would be getting on the phone and building good relationships with my candidates and helping people find the perfect job for them. Of course, the best part is placing candidates and I was extremely happy when I placed my first candidate last month, it was the best feeling!" My advice to anyone thinking about starting a career in recruitment who is in the same position I was two months ago is that if you’re financially driven, hardworking and passionate about being successful then definitely give it a go. I was provided with excellent training which has set me up for what I’m hoping will be a very successful career ahead and I can’t wait to progress further within the industry.

This past week, Understanding Recruitment achieved a significant milestone: we expanded to more than 50 employees worldwide and moved into newly refurbished headquarters in St. Albans, Hertfordshire.  In line with our company values, renowned motivational keynote speaker Pete Wilkinson delivered an impactful talk on winning teams, everyone playing their part and being the best, they can be. Pete, who has managed a large team of 300 people is massively passionate about professionals achieving their potential and spends his time business coaching and supporting Chief Executives and Managing Directors in a range of businesses from small micro businesses up to £130m Engineering Businesses. Following the inaugural opening speech from founding directors Chris Jackson and Dale Swords, the ribbon was cut marking the official opening! The UR team then enjoyed an afternoon socialising in the new office space with a range of canapes and bubbly on tap. As well as covering the UK, we've recently expanded into Berlin and Boston with exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories. But despite the growth, we’ve not gone all corporate. Giving both our clients and candidates a top-notch experience is still our priority! It was also important for us to stay true to our roots and keep the office in St. Albans where Understanding Recruitment was founded in 2007. The only major difference between then and now is that we have a spacious 3,346 square feet to stretch out in. We also have what feels like limitless meeting space with a boardroom that seats 12 people that is ideal for our expansive internal training scheme. The new layout also boasts four smaller meeting rooms fully equipped with state-of-the-art Zoom video conferencing capabilities which means we can meet all our clients and candidates face to face! And there’s two fully stocked kitchens, a large breakout area perfect for team lunches, a custom-made pool table, individual lockers to store gym gear, a library, and plenty of room for expansion. In fact, we still have plenty of job openings and have ambitious plans to grow our team to 100 people by 2020. We have roles in recruitment, account management, business development and back office with openings in St. Albans and Boston. So why not join the team? Working here is pretty ace! Our newly refurbished offices are in the heart of St. Albans in The Maltings Shopping Centre on the 2nd Floor of the 38-40 Abbeyview building. If you’re curious and want to come by and visit, just let us know!

ST. ALBANS, Hertfordshire, 24th June 2019 (UNDERSTANDING RECRUITMENT) -- This past week  award-winning technology, software and digital recruitment consultancy Understanding Recruitment, achieved a significant milestone in their growth: they expanded to more than 50 employees worldwide and moved into newly refurbished headquarters in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. In line with their company values, renowned motivational keynote speaker Pete Wilkinson kicked off the day with an impactful talk on winning teams, everyone playing their part and being the best they can be. Pete, who has managed a large team of 300 people is passionate about professionals achieving their potential and spends his time business coaching and supporting Chief Executives and Managing Directors in a range of businesses from small micro businesses up to £130m engineering businesses. Following the inaugural opening speech from Founding Directors Chris Jackson and Dale Swords, the ribbon was cut marking the official opening. The UR team then enjoyed an afternoon socialising in the new office space with a range of canapes and bubbly on tap. In his opening speech Founding Director Chris Jackson applauded the team for their fantastic achievements over the past years but also thanked Workplace Interiors for their great work on the office refurb and finished off by saying “We’re just at the beginning of where we are going and this office is a massive statement of where we’re looking to go as a business.” As well as covering the UK, Understanding Recruitment recently expanded into Berlin and Boston, Massachusetts with exciting plans for continued growth across new geographical territories. But despite the growth it remained the Founding Director’s priority to stay true to the companies’ roots, keeping the office in St. Albans where Understanding Recruitment was founded back in 2007. The new spacious office boasts 3,346 square feet to stretch out in. There is a new boardroom that seats 12 people and is ideal for delivering Understanding Recruitment’s internal training scheme to new starters. The new layout also boasts four smaller meeting rooms fully equipped with state-of-the-art Zoom video conferencing capabilities. There are also two fully stocked kitchens, a large breakout area perfect for team lunches, a custom-made pool table, individual lockers to store gym gear, a library, and plenty of room for expansion. In fact, Understanding Recruitment still have plenty of job openings and as stated by Founding Director Dale Swords “have ambitious plans to grow the team to 100 people by 2022.” ENDS About Understanding Recruitment Understanding Recruitment is an award-winning technology, software and digital recruitment consultancy based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. As well as covering London and the surrounding areas, Understanding Recruitment have recently expanded into Berlin, Germany and are opening their first office stateside in Boston, Massachusetts. Having recently celebrated their first decade in business they have been recognised with several industry awards over the years including 'Best Staffing Firm to Work For 2018'​ at the SIA Awards for the third consecutive year and ‘Business of the Year 2017’ at the SME Hertfordshire Business Awards. Their team of specialists operate across all areas of Technology and Digital, including Java, DevOps & Cloud, Mobile & Web, .NET, Machine Learning & AI, FinTech, Project / Programme and Product Management, Cyber Security, Infrastructure & Support, Testing & QA, Architecture & Design. Contact information: Understanding Recruitment Jana Timm jtimm@understandingrecruitment.co.uk 01727 809 340

Mike Sowerbutts is the Head of Engineering at White Springs, a technology provider dedicated to improving sales performance. They employ approximately 20 employees across offices in London, Banbury, Oxfordshire and San Diego.  After ten years of progressing through the ranks at White Springs, Mike took on the Head of Engineering role with the challenge of recruiting a permanent team of highly skilled software development professionals to be based out of the Banbury office. We spoke to Mike to find out how he did it and what advice he'd give others who face similar challenges in this talent short market.   Background UR: First off Mike tell me a bit about yourself. MS: I studied IT & Media at Lancaster University and was based in Oxford before I joined White Springs in March 2009. I then moved to Banbury in order to be able to walk to work, it’s been a long time since I’ve had to jump in the car and commute to work! I now live just outside of York. UR: But that’s quite a commute isn’t it? MS: It’s a good drive yes – but pales in insignificance to a daily commute, given that for the majority of those years, I have been 100% remote!   The Challenge MS: Moving into the Head of Engineering role and realising the CEO’s ambitions it was quite clear we had to scale up our team and that two developers wouldn’t be sufficient to deliver on the projects we had lined up. UR: So, what was the plan? MS: I needed to hire six people including a Technical Lead to be based out of our Banbury office. UR: And how did you start to go about doing that? MS: Well, I went out to some recruitment agencies and I managed to make one hire inside the first couple of months. UR: That was good then... MS: Well yes and no. From looking at the candidates and interviews we conducted to make just one hire I wasn’t convinced that I could find another six hires of sufficient quality in the right location within the timescale required. I was ideally looking for experience of microservices, Entity Framework and .NET Core 2.0. I needed to change something…   The Solution UR: So, what did you do? MS: I decided to expand the criteria to include the hiring of remote developers who didn’t need to be within a commuting distance of Banbury. UR: Ah okay. What experience, if any, have you had of remote workers previously? MS: I’m one! When I moved to Yorkshire from Banbury I asked to work remotely and while there was initially some hesitation and resistance, the company did have some people in other departments doing it as well as some employees working out of the US so the decision was made to allow me to do it. UR: I’ll come onto what some of that initial reluctance was down to later but for the moment, tell me what your experience was from a recruitment perspective after relaxing the location criteria. MS: I hired the six further people I needed within the timescales I had! I also hired a new recruitment agency to help me as well. UR: What made you choose the recruiter you did? MS: I liked the recruiter, he came across as trustworthy and not too pushy and thankfully he turned out to be able to find the calibre of people I needed. UR: And what did you find with regards to the new candidates that you saw? MS: I started seeing a larger pool of high-quality candidates than I had done previously. It allowed me to be more selective and certain about who I selected as I knew I had more people to choose from. If you are not careful you can hire people for the wrong reasons, i.e. they live locally even if they are not the best for the job. UR: Okay, great, that makes sense. While it seems an obvious positive that you get more candidates to choose from, what about the negatives you hear about employing remote developers? For example, I’ve heard that productivity slumps? Remote Working MS: That hasn’t been an issue. I’ve found that by being more flexible and by hiring the right people they don’t take the mick. UR: Trust people until they give you a reason not to then. What about still being able to foster that team culture and effective communication when everyone isn’t in the same location? MS: I’ve been the sole remote working employee in a team previously and that is difficult, especially when your line manager isn’t the biggest fan of remote working. However, when everyone in the team is remote it becomes easier. We use Microsoft Teams (allows multiple communication channels, syncs through Outlook…) to foster collaboration while also having an open chat where we can have some non-work communication and share our love of Star Wars etc! That may become more difficult with bigger teams but for the size we have it works. We also get together at least once every 2 months and go to developer conferences etc. UR: Sounds great! I’ve also heard that companies are concerned about sensitive data becoming unsafe through the use of remote workers – what do you do to mitigate this? MS: We use BitLocker (a full volume encryption feature included with Microsoft Windows) and Microsoft Intune (a device management solution) to handle this.   Hiring UR: How would you summarise the impact that offering remote work has played in your hiring efforts? MS: It’s definitely been advantageous. I always ask our current developers for any negatives / improvements but there hasn’t been anything up to now. Given that all of them were 100% office based in prior positions, this is telling UR: And what about the interview process has that had to change? MS: Not too much, I do a telephone interview first (anything from 20-60 mins), then invite them into Banbury for a face to face interview including technical tests). Though sometimes it makes more sense to interview at a location closer to both of us. Fortunately, the recruiter I worked with was able to provide a space for this.   And Finally... UR: Thanks a lot for taking the time to do this Mike, finally, for anyone reading this who is considering hiring remote developers what tips would you give them? MS: Okay, first one – look for more than just skillset. If someone’s personal skills are poor then working remotely doesn’t mitigate this, don’t change your team & cultural fit requirements just because they aren’t going to be in the same office. It’s still really important to get the right fit for the team. Secondly, ask the candidate where they plan to work from. You don’t want someone who says the sofa! Someone who can separate themselves from family distractions when needed and ideally has a separate workspace is better. It shows they are taking it seriously as well. And finally, you need the candidate to have fibre broadband so it’s worth checking their location, connection and speeds.       For more information about White Springs and what they can do for your sales performance click here or contact them on 020 7754 5924.  

Codility is a leading online technical testing platform for Developers similar to HackerRank, CoderPad etc - they have recently released their 2018 Developer Report. If you are a company looking to hire technical staff (and even more importantly, looking to retain them!) you should download the PDF without hesitation.   'Companies that just rely on how ground-breaking their tech/platform is to sell to candidates is simple arrogance' So many companies make mistakes when it comes to recruiting. Slow candidate offers, not very relevant technical testing and poor communication of the role within interviews are examples which I see happen all the time. One thing is clear, the companies that are hiring the best candidates are the companies with the best processes in place. These processes give a candidate insight into how a company works, what their culture is, how they can progress their career there. Companies that just rely on how ground-breaking their tech/platform is to sell to candidates is simple arrogance.   Key insights from the report include: Female Developers are not involved in recruiting  Personal Development is more appealing than salary How you should be marketing yourself differently to junior Developers to Senior Developers Majority of Developers jobs are not what they expected.    Within the report, there also is a key point on the importance of giving candidate feedback. Many companies miss out on such an easy point-scorer with candidates by not delivering interview feedback, both positive and negative. Plain and simple, the companies giving feedback are beating you at recruitment (real-world example below)   'Many companies miss out on such an easy point-scorer with candidates by not delivering interview feedback, both positive and negative.' It was only yesterday that I was having a chat with one of my candidates, informing him that he had progressed from his initial tech test to a phone interview. Usually, I work with many companies who would just email me around the lines of 'Hi Mat, Phone interview please - send availability'. However on this occasion they had given him detailed feedback on his assessment, listing what they liked about it and what they would have improved about it. I delivered the candidate the feedback. The candidate remarked that he was very impressed that they had taken the time to give him detailed feedback, compared to other companies, and how that has shown him what kind of company they are. The candidate was pretty enthused about the opportunity, though now through a couple of lines of feedback it has heightened his experience one more notch. From doing something seemingly as small as giving candidate feedback, you will be able to positively differentiate yourself from a huge amount of companies in the tech industry.   'From doing something seemingly as small as giving candidate feedback, you will be able to positively differentiate yourself from a huge amount of companies in the tech industry.' When a candidate receives an offer, you have to imagine that they will cast their mind back through the process with your company. What were the positives? What were the negatives? To hire the best people, you must be covering all the bases in terms of candidate experience, many of which are highlighted in the codility report. The best companies already are. Are you? I have helped to scale successful tech companies that have got recruitment right. If you'd like to talk about refining and creating recruitment processes, candidate attraction, the mindset of candidates or the market - let's have a chat. Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn.

We all know how important branding is for companies but what about us personally? A personal brand exists whether or not you create it for yourself. Not purposefully building it just means you don’t have control over it. The concept of cultivating a personal brand can seem daunting to most of us. But it doesn’t have to be complex or time intensive and can really help people remember you. Two of our consultants experienced this first hand after recently enrolling in The Recruitment Network Trailblazers programme that aims to develop the next generation of recruitment leaders and runs for a year. As part of the programme’s series of regular London based meetups Hannah and Ben enjoyed a workshop that was all about the importance of personal branding for recruiters. We caught up with Hishem Azzouz from the inbound marketing and creative agency, Hoxo Media, who presented the keynote on the day and shared some of his key takeaways with us: “You can only reach a certain amount of people by calling and meeting them. The amazing part about creating content is that you can reach thousands of people with one post. Recruiters historically just share their new jobs everywhere online, but we all know this isn't successful and quite frankly doesn't work. Recruiters are in a really unique position. They listen to candidates’ challenges and aspirations within their industry along with the businesses in that industry. If you have the courage to start sharing your opinion on candidates/clients’ challenges/aspirations then you can work yourself into an amazing position as a recruiter where you won't just be perceived as someone who helps people get new jobs, but someone who is an expert within their industry. Start sharing your opinion online as a recruiter and take a step closer to becoming a thought leader within your space, which in turn will make you stand out amongst your competitors.” Personal branding isn’t just important for recruiters though. No matter what role or industry you’re in; the more successful you want to be, the more important your personal brand becomes. Whether you just want to improve engagement with your network or you’re aiming for personal branding to open doors to public speaking gigs, you decide how far you take it. As a rule of thumb, the more you put into it the more you’ll get out of it. How to get started Your personality is probably the most unique thing about yourself and being your authentic self is the basis of building your personal brand. Don’t be afraid to let your personality and opinions show in the way you communicate online and the types of stories you tell.   It’s all about communicating and creating emotional connections with your audience. Being honest about what you know and don’t know will also help you build credibility in your industry. Ever Googled yourself? We suggest you do! Google automatically gives priority to your social channels and will list the channel you’re most active on above the others. Know what search results are attached to your name by auditing them and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit your vision for your personal brand and could even damage your reputation. Next up, take some time to determine your personality traits and amplify them to make your personal brand stronger. Here are some questions to ask yourself: What makes you unique? What do you stand for? What are your values and beliefs? What are you passionate about? What do you want to be known for? Who are you? What makes you unique? What is your vision for your personal brand? What is your goal with personal branding? What are your professional goals? Who is your audience? Who can you help? How can you help them? What makes you different? Including images in your updates is best practice but make sure they are copyright free. There are multiple sites that offer free images without copyright such as unsplash.com, pixabay.com and pexels.com. You’re now ready to start sharing your personal brand with the world! Start by posting regularly, experiment with short videos and write content online and offline. Ben and Hannah’s top 10 personal branding takeaways: Do a little, often. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Have an opinion and share it online. Connect with relevant people and follow influencers for inspiration. Engage regularly with other people’s content and posts. Pick your channels and post regularly instead of posting sporadically on lots of channels. Include relevant hashtags. LinkedIn is increasingly becoming the tool to search and find high calibre candidates, it has never been more important to have your own personal LinkedIn brand. It’s key you build your influence within your sector by posting articles on your niche, having an opinion on topics related to that industry and asking peoples’ thoughts on current developments. A new feature to LinkedIn that is predicted to take off more and more, is the production of video content. When producing content and engaging with your audience it’s crucial to persist. Initially traction will be slow, but as you continue posting regularly your following and audience will grow and reach more people. Finally, be patient and don’t expect overnight success. Everyone expects a flurry of engagement but how often do you engage with other people’s posts? Simply posting an update is not enough, so make sure to respond to comments and questions from your audience and engage with other people’s post too. As you see, it doesn’t have to as complex as building a whole personal branding strategy and your own website. With tools like LinkedIn publishing at your fingertips, writing short blogs and sharing your take on a topic in your industry has never been easier. Why not challenge yourself to make a start today?

Euan McGonagle, who specialises in the field of Python FinTech at Understanding Recruitment, recently attended the Unthink Tank event in London.  This edition explored the concept of 'unthinking', inviting leaders and innovators from the tech, disruptor, and creative communities to discuss the issues that impassion and empower them. Technologist, author, applied Artificial Intelligence designer, technologist, accidental polymath, mental health campaigner, and co-founder of 'Us Ai', Pete Trainor, explored the growing role that Artificial Intelligence plays in our every-day lives, from our mental health to our money. Over the last three years, Pete has helped to pioneer an entirely new approach to AI focused products, one that looks at ‘self-evolving systems’ and ‘minimum viable personality’ to help solve societal and human issues. He was recently voted, by the industry, as one of the 5 most influential people in the British digital industry in Econsultancys 2017 industry report. Here's Euan's take on his evening spent at the Unthink Tank: I thoroughly enjoyed Pete Trainor’s talk on the Future of AI in FinTech. The talk focussed on the use of AI as a tool within Financial applications to identify risks to the user’s mental health. In effect, indicators like credit card debt or unusual spending habits are identified and as a result, help is offered to hopefully prevent any harm coming to the user, with a real emphasis being placed on reducing suicide rates. Firstly, I think the idea is absolutely brilliant and the use of technology to possibly save lives can only be applauded. I also think the tech involved is really cool! The ability of AI to learn what is and isn’t normal behaviour, using the data created by the individual and then tailoring its response based on this is a brilliant idea. In my last post I wrote about the use of Open Banking and The FinTech Revolution. This is a brilliant example of that revolution, the use of technology to bring Financial services into the 21st century. Traditionally from an outside perspective at least, the finance sector has looked to make as much money as possible and not think about the customer. I think it’s brilliant that it is moving completely in the other direction with a far more customer centric approach. I think the revolution of the “Disruptive FinTech” has really driven this. The biggest challenge to this kind of technology is to decide where you draw the line between support and surveillance? Ethically, Artificial Intelligence has always thrown up a number of conundrums (although if you believed the media, sometimes you’d think the robots are taking over!). As AI advances, these kinds of issues are going to become more and more prevalent. How we are going to deal with that? I’m not sure… Pete highlighted this issue and put forward a really interesting question on the topic: "Is one person’s life worth more than the privacy of 99 others?" ​ If you're looking for you next tech role in Fintech get in touch with Euan emcgonagle@understandingrecruitment.co.uk 01727 225 551 or check out our latest roles.

Mit 750.000 neuen Jobs in der Digitalbranche bis 2020 steuert Großbritannien auf einen enormen Fachkräftemangel zu. Der Brexit könnte dazu beitragen, diese Lücke zu schließen. „Könnte", wohl gemerkt. Vor meinen Tagen als Recruiter habe ich einen Sommer lang im Parlament gearbeitet, zwischen Bachelor- und Masterstudiengang. Während meiner Zeit dort erlebte ich das Votum zum Austritt aus der EU, einen Wechsel des Premierministers und etliche Rücktritte im Schattenkabinett der Oppositionspartei. Es war eine verrückte Zeit. Fast drei Jahre später habe ich mein Studium abgeschlossen, meine Karriere in der Personalvermittlung begonnen und Top-Kandidaten für den britischen Technologiemarkt rekrutiert. Dann habe ich das Gleiche für die Berliner Tech-Szene getan. Da ich Englisch bin und für das internationale Berlin arbeite, taucht das Brexit-Thema natürlich in Gesprächen auf und manchmal sind die Leute an meiner Meinung interessiert. Wenn überhaupt, hätte ich während meiner Tätigkeit erwartet wesentlich mehr Richtung Europa zu tendieren. Das war jedoch nicht der Fall. Warum? Das Besondere an der Berliner Tech-Szene ist, dass sie wirklich international ist. Jeden Tag spreche ich mit Fachleuten aus allen Teilen der Welt: Ägypten, Brasilien, China, dem Libanon – ich könnte buchstäblich den ganzen Tag lang Länder aufzählen. Es ist leicht ein Visum zu erhalten. Das trägt dazu bei, den Fachkräftemangel in Berlin klein zu halten. Davon kann Großbritannien vielleicht lernen, wie ich finde. Besonders in einer Zeit, in der ein guter Softwareentwickler eine lange Liste an Stellenangeboten zur Auswahl hat. Oder besser gesagt, jede Menge E-Mails von Recruitern, auf die er antworten kann. Beim Recruiting auf dem Berliner Markt habe ich festgestellt, dass, Ja!, Europa ein großer Ort ist, den wir auf jeden Fall zu schätzen wissen sollten. Der Rest der Welt ist aber noch größer und in jeder Ecke der Welt gibt es viele gute Kandidaten, die nicht nur den Fachkräftemangel beheben, sondern auch einen echten Mehrwert für die britische Technologieindustrie schaffen können. Natürlich hat der Brexit das Potenzial, dass Großbritannien nach innen blickt, was katastrophal wäre. Umgekehrt könnte dies dem britischen Technologiemarkt die Möglichkeit geben, in der ganzen Welt nach starken Tech-Talenten Ausschau zu halten. Auf diese Weise könnte Großbritannien erkennen, wie groß die Welt tatsächlich ist.

We caught up with Understanding Recruitment's Founding Director, Dale Swords, to talk about the latest issue affecting the hiring process. We all have biases we aren’t aware of. It’s a human trait, to be more attracted and form stronger bonds with people who act and look similar to ourselves. After all, familiarity is comfortable. But this is exactly the bias that’s breaking your hiring process one interview at a time.  Would you say most hiring processes are broken? In my experience, companies that are growing quickly sometimes haven’t been deliberate enough about their hiring process and end up allowing unconscious biases to creep into their decision making. Although a lot of companies are already aware of this issue and claim they are trying to make their hiring processes less bias, it is easy to fall into the trap.  In many cases, people don’t even realise they’re doing it. How do people know if they have biases and what do these biases look like? We all have our own biases but aren’t necessarily aware of it. It’s an almost hardwired trait and isn’t necessarily malicious or prejudice.  Most CEOs understand the concept of unconscious bias but don’t believe it’s happening at their company. And that’s the problem. If the bias comes from the top down it can easily get embedded into an organisation.  Some examples of unconscious bias are judging people on their name, gender, origin, the University they attended, and the titles they’ve held. It can also be the initial feeling they give you based on their looks or even what they’re wearing. Whichever it is, the outcome is that people are discounting the candidate from the hiring process or making them first choice for the wrong reasons.  Why is unconscious bias a hazard in the workplace? Encouraging certain hiring processes means they become the norm. Because of the biases, a lot of talent is missed out on because they “didn’t fit” the profile the hiring manager was looking for.  When people involved in the hiring process are encouraged to look for a certain profile or behaviours, that negatively impacts business performance. You could be losing out on talent without knowing it. There can also be legal implications around discrimination. Why is it so important for the hiring process to eliminate unconscious bias? It’s all really about fairness and inclusiveness. Companies that embrace diversity are proven to be much better positioned for innovation and perform better. It also creates a more diverse and inclusive company which research proves makes for a far more productive and successful business. Can a broken hiring process be fixed? The good news is that the easiest place to remove unconscious bias is in recruitment. Taking the time to make biases visible will help companies address them and improve the diversity of their teams. We advise our clients to work with standardised competency-based questions, making sure questions don’t vary between candidates so they are interviewed objectively. Letting interviewers pick their own questions means that their experience of the candidate can vary. While some people might just have a friendly chat based on common interests, others interrogate the candidate. This means that candidates often end up being recommended for the role based on a personal connection rather than their ability to do the job, a fact often supported by the company’s staff retention rate, a statistic often ignored. Having different people with multiple perspectives involved can also help check the unconscious bias of any individual during the interview process. Who is responsible for it? I think it’s the job of everyone involved in the hiring process, from the hiring manager to the person writing the job description, to be mindful of diversity every step of the way.   What role will artificial intelligence play in the future of recruitment? AI is everywhere. Lots of companies use chat bots to run initial job interviews. For example, Nike and Intel use intelligent video software to analyse 25,000 data points from video interviews. AI can see around our biases and is a great tool to extract human emotion, but at the same time that’s what works against it. While it means people are getting the same chance regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, or University attended, I don’t think AI will take our jobs away any time soon. Technology just doesn’t have the human traits needed to make a well-rounded hiring decision, but it helps make it fairer. ​ How is Understanding Recruitment dealing with the issue? In the long-term, we aim to help clients gradually shift away from contingency based recruitment towards a more dependable and focused search approach which supports them in reducing their staff retention, improving their hiring process and enhancing the recruitment process for everyone.

The tech industry is booming. While that is good news, it means that the war for talent is raging on with no sign of subsiding.  Highly skilled IT professionals are finding that they have their pick of jobs, and no matter how great the perks found across the tech industry are, tech organisations (even the giants of the industry) can’t totally avoid the job-hopping nature of today’s workforce. While talent shortage is set to be the single biggest hurdle faced by recruiters across almost all industries, a recent PayScale report shows that the employee turnover rate among Fortune 500 companies in the IT industry is the highest among industries surveyed. Chances are that employee retention is an issue in your business. And you’re not alone. Nearly half of all employees across the UK are worried they won’t be able to find the talent they need with over three quarters saying they are struggling to find relevant candidates. With employers so keen to fill tech roles quickly, there is a temptation to just hire on instinct (or in some cases, desperation), making bad hires a growing issue across the industry.   What is a bad hire?  We define a bad hire as somebody who leaves your business within the first year of their employment. But it is also someone who just doesn’t have the skills to fulfil their role, who underperforms and doesn’t fit seamlessly into the rest of the team. According to the REC’s latest report, 85% of HR decision-makers admit their business has made a bad hire. 1 in 3 HR decision-makers also think it didn’t cost the business anything when they hired the wrong person, while 1 in 5 stated that they don’t know what the cost of a bad hire is. What is the true cost of a bad hire?  Everyone knows that hiring is expensive. But so is re-recruiting to replace people who turned out to be bad hires. There’s the cost of creating job descriptions, advertising roles, reading through CVs, and carrying out interviews all over again. And it doesn’t stop there. After a new hire joins the business, you need to facture in onboarding costs and training. In most cases, the true cost works out to be roughly 3.5 x their annual salary which, clearly has a negative impact on business.  What are the consequences of a bad hire? Apart from the substantial monetary cost, a bad hire can affect team morale and lead to low productivity. They also have a detrimental effect on your brand reputation over time as they are likely to interact with your customers. Poor performers lower the bar for other employees and bad habits spread like a virus. If an employee is not working to their full capacity, there is bound to be a knock-on effect on the rest of the team. According to Agency Central, 39% of hiring managers said poor hires had cost them productivity. When a team is struggling with lost productivity they may be urged to start assuming additional duties that aren’t really part of their role. In addition to impacting their own performance, it will also affect their ability to meet deadlines and targets. The negative change in the team’s morale will almost always be one of the first indicators of a bad hire. Disengagement is contagious, and the resulting toxic atmosphere puts your remaining employees at risk of leaving also.  In the long run, it’s more difficult for managers and their teams to accommodate a poor performer than it is to invest in recruiting quality candidates. It’s clear that the cost of not firing a bad employee far outweighs the cost of keeping a bad hire in your business.  How to avoid bad hires  While there’s no obvious formula to avoid making bad hires, there are ways to retain employees for longer and conquer the battle of talent. Businesses can start with promoting a flexible and inclusive workforce, implementing soft skills assessment tools and properly inducting new recruits. Low pay, lack of clear career progression opportunities and no flexible working solutions are the main reasons why employees leave. By boosting these, businesses can increase engagement, productivity and teamwork, while also retaining talent for longer. Investing in learning opportunities and innovative training provides a better and more immersive experience to employees while also developing the next generation of leaders. A recent study by Udemy uncovered that 46% of employees cite limited opportunities to learn new skills as the top reason why they’re bored in their current roles and looking for a change. For more tips on how to fix your recruitment process check out this blog. Tools you can use  Using a specialist recruitment agency can dramatically reduce the risk involved in taking on a new employee. Consultants are experienced in matching the right candidates to the right employer daily and are skilled to spot the tell-tale signs of a bad fit from the get go. Dale Swords, Managing Director Understanding Recruitment, recently told the Global Recruiter: “We have a responsibility to our clients to make sure that we offer the solution to an industry wide problem. Ultimately, finding the talent others can’t is what separates the good from the great recruiters.”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are set to be game changers for the recruitment industry and are already changing the jobs of recruiters. ​The recruitment industry has come a long way from reviewing printed CVs spread out across the floor in the 80s, to today’s modern era of digital databases and AI powered search, enabling recruiters to go through thousands of CVs in seconds.   AI is here to stay and has already become a big part of recruiter’s day to day with the likes of LinkedIn Recruiter, that uses algorithms to sift through its database of 7m candidates looking for jobs. Early adopters of this new technology are sure to gain an advantage over competition in a crowded market. A new world of work With this rapidly evolving technology it’s hard to predict exactly where things are heading but according to Forbes, the use of artificial intelligence will play a key part in reducing human racial and gender-based biases. Using machine learning algorithms also makes it possible to screen CVs and applications for keywords and skills that indicate a candidate’s suitability for a role. It’s worth mentioning here that most successful hires are made based on behaviours and softer skills, which AI is not great at identifying yet. This is down to humans not knowing which behaviours to tell AI to look for in candidates but also because AI still lacks human interpersonal skills. According to LinkedIn, there are several ways AI will change the way we recruit:   Programmatic advertising will make job ads more targeted and effective.   Profile augmentation will allow jobs to be recommended based on the job a person wants to do, not just what they do now. This would make finding profiles for new tech jobs, that are hard to fill, such as Blockchain Developers easier as it matches experience with interests and recognises a candidates’ potential.   Chatbots are already being used by some recruiters, answering candidates’ questions 24/7 and can also fill in the gaps in candidates’ CVs, giving recruiters a clearer picture of their suitability for the role.   AI can be used to analyse candidate’s speech patterns to find out more about them but can also check language competency. Advanced competency tests will allow candidates to demonstrate their emotional and cognitive abilities through fun games – a great way to test soft skills that can be difficult to detect.   Video interviews are also set to become automated. A candidate may only have to speak to the camera while the machine takes them through a list of questions. This may help eliminate unconscious bias and saves recruiters’ time. Facial and speech recognition software may can also be used to analyse the candidate’s body language, their tone of voice and their stress levels during the interview.   Finally, automated appointment setting will help recruiters quickly and easily schedule meetings with candidates.     What’s the mood of the industry? According to Tratica Research, revenue generated from the direct and indirect application of AI software is estimated to grow to $36.8 billion by 2025. Bullhorn’s 2018 UK Recruitment Trends Report shows that 29% of recruitment firms consider improving core business efficiency to be one of their top three challenges for the year ahead but only 16% said introducing automation is one of their top three priorities. 30% of respondents believe that AI will create more jobs while 41% think it will lead to job losses. A recent survey by Jobvite was slightly more optimistic with 49% of recruiters feeling positive about the effects of AI automation on their jobs with only 7% believing AI will have a negative effect. 72% of recruiters believe their approach to hiring will need to evolve as AI and automation become more prevalent. Matthew Ferdenzi, Chief Operating Officer at Understanding Recruitment commented: “We’re already seeing the huge potential AI has to disrupt industries across the board. There has been a sharp increase in demand for specialist talent which we predict to continue over the coming years. We already have a specialist AI & Machine Learning team of four people based in the UK and towards the end of the year we’ll be expanding into the American market, opening an office in Boston, that will specialise exclusively in AI and machine learning roles.” Will AI replace recruiters? AI will impact what the job of a recruiter looks like, but instead of a threat, it should be seen as a tool that will make the recruitment process more sophisticated. A modern recruiter needs to be knowledgeable, highly networked and understand the industry. The use of AI will free up their time to put the human element back into the heart of the hiring process. Time saved by automating the mundane and time-consuming tasks including scheduling interviews and sending routine emails, can be spent competing for candidates and focussing on making decisions about which candidate is best for the job. Of course, AI could lead to the loss of admin-heavy jobs, but new roles will also be created. overall, the benefits of automation and other tools outweigh the risk and help recruiters do a better job and be more productive.   How AI can help recruiters In this competitive industry, recruitment firms need to constantly evolve their services to stay relevant. The crucial role of recruiters needs to be to bring people together. AI will free up time for recruiters to meet with more candidates in person and to be more creative in the hiring process. While AI will enable senior recruiters to spend more time on business development and winning new business, more junior recruiters will be able to spend time dealing with candidates and clients from the start which will have a positive impact.

Your company’s culture is a huge part of your employer brand and can make or break it. It’s one of the many aspects that can attract, engage and secure top talent. It’s no wonder then that a growing number of candidates ask about culture during the interview stage, seeking transparency, flexibility and authenticity. The Shift With money now being less of a driver, especially for graduates, the focus has shifted to a sense of belonging, purpose and development within the workplace. Job descriptions can no longer just be a long list of what you expect from the candidate but must also give them an insight into what you can do for them. With an average of only 20% of candidates actively seeking new roles, building your brand’s magnetism is more important than ever in the battle for talent. Creating a culture based on your values leads to buy in from like-minded people and higher retention rates. With people spending more time at work than with their families, the ultimate goal for candidates is to find an environment that they can thrive in rather than just survive in. Getting It Right Culture is the backbone of your company but there is no cheat sheet for quick success. Culture has to be built on purpose. It’s not just about providing a pool table; some drinks and flicking the fun switch on. Your culture needs to be ingrained in everything you do from the top down.  Your leader’s actions and decisions reinforce the culture of the company on a daily basis. It also affects how people interact with each other internally and how they treat your customers. Ask yourself what your company stands for. What do you expect from your employees and what motivates them to come to work every day? Building a people centric culture will ultimately lead to business performance and productivity but you need to take care of your people first. During the interview process it’s a good idea for your candidates to meet with multiple people in the organisation to help paint a better picture of your culture for the candidate, as well as making sure the candidate is a right fit for you. And remember, candidates will have a pretty good understanding of what you’re about before even meeting you, through their own research from news articles, word of mouth and social media. What About Millennials? According to Forbes, 90% of Millennials stated that culture is important to them and that it makes them more invested in a company. With 51% of Millennials open to the possibility of another job, culture has the power to attract and retain these future leaders.  With this generation, it’s all about authenticity and they’re likely to spot if you’re pretending to be something you’re not. Being transparent is the way forward. In addition to the benefits you offer, highlight your development programmes and how you give your employees the opportunity to grow and hone their skills. Show people the reality of your business with behind the scenes content that lets them have a unique insight into what it’s really like working for you. According to recent figures from The Global Recruiter, employee stories are 20% more immersive than careers sites, bringing more employees into the recruitment process. 95% of participants said the content was highly relevant and 77% said their impression of the company improved with 98% of participants saying they would apply for the job. Differentiating Yourself When your ideal candidate is torn between your offer, as well as another company’s offer, what you stand for can really make a difference. If both offer packages are similar, a common situation for quality candidates, the distinguishing factor is what you’re all about, and how well it is being represented and communicated to your candidate could be the deciding factor. This is even more important if your salary package is not market competitive.  Your culture could be the deciding factor why quality candidates might reject the higher salary package over yours. It’s all about identifying if the company will suit the candidates´ working styles, behaviours and values. That is one of the reasons, why many candidates are choosing smaller FinTech start-ups over the security of large IT companies. What’s in it For You? Culture can have a huge impact on the level of connection an employee feels with the company so making sure candidates are a good fit from a cultural standpoint is also beneficial to your company. Value-based recruiting is crucial to protecting your culture as you grow your business and hiring someone based on their skill set alone is bound to backfire, costing you twice that person’s salary to replace them when things don’t work out.  Striking The Right Balance Attracting top talent is a hefty time investment but leaders should spend just as much time building the culture that keeps them. While your company’s culture plays a big part, candidates in the tech sector are also concerned about the type of work they’ll be doing, what niche knowledge they’ll be applying and exactly how they’ll be managed. The best approach to finding the right talent is to consider softer skills as well as technical skills evaluating cultural fit, values, beliefs and outlook as well as potential and technical skill.

For a lot of businesses the summer months are an unusual time of year with many questioning if now is the time to recruit or to wait until after the peak holiday season is over before looking to make changes within their organisation. The months of June, July and August are a great time to attract new talent to your business for a number of reasons though and with the technology that we all have at our fingertips these days the process is easier than ever before. In years gone by we could lose weeks with people heading off abroad and being out of touch, but in 2018 most of us travel with a smart phone at the very least allowing for messages, calls and emails to reach us wherever we are on the globe. The technology also allows for browsing through job boards at a time of year when people perhaps have time away from their usual routine and allow their minds to turn to thoughts of the future. ​After enjoying the last few weeks of beautifully sunny weather it's positive news for the British job market with CV Library quoting an increase of 5.9% in advertised roles with an rise of 1.2% in salaries across the UK. So while companies seem confident about recruiting, what does this mean for candidates? According to a recent mid year survey by Totaljobs Group 64% of employees in IT state that they cannot see themselves in the same role this time next year, and while this may not mean they are being pro active in searching for a new role, this could be the perfect time to tap into talent who may be open to the idea of a new opportunity. So why is summer such a great time for the recruitment industry? Here are some of the reasons... 1. Happy holidays The summer period isn't just a time for rest and relaxation, for many it's time away from their place of work and an opportunity to reflect upon their life and career plans. Moving outside of the usual routine can be a time for contemplation which can often lead to big decisions about career plans. Even if someone is enjoying time off at home for the summer, the mid year provides a natural time for pondering over whether they are doing what they had hoped back a few months ago at New Year.  2. Time out With many taking time out over the summer months on annual leave and the usual working week sometimes being disrupted by with flexible working, this is naturally a time of year when it can be more convenient for candidates to take calls regarding potential new roles. With the routine working hours being a little out of the ordinary the opportunity to pop off to an interview goes more easily unnoticed, taking away one of the barriers to a job search. 3. Refreshed and recharged We all know that the sunshine lifts the mood and makes most of us feel happier. After the grey winter months most of us enjoy the warmer weather finding it leaves us re-energised and ready to take on a new challenge. It's that mindset and feeling that leads to refreshed enthusiasm and many being open to new opportunities and a job change. 4. Fresh talent With the end of year marking graduation time for those leaving university, these months see an injection of fresh new talent into the pool of potential candidates. Having successfully completed a degree, graduates are ready to work and actively searching for a suitable position. If you have a job opportunity waiting in the wings that you'd like to discuss, now's the perfect time to begin promoting the role, or as the saying goes 'make hay while the sun shines'!

In den vergangenen Jahren haben wir die globalen Tech-Trends aufmerksam verfolgt. Besonders auf die Entwicklung in Berlin hatten wir ein Auge, während unser eigener Expansionsplan in vollem Gange war. Wir freuen uns darüber, diese Woche unsere deutsche Niederlassung in Berlin eröffnet zu haben und sind gespannt, was die Zukunft für diesen neuen europäischen Tech-Hub bringt. Eine kreative Community Die deutsche Hauptstadt ist seit langem als Zentrum für Kunst und Kultur in Europa bekannt. Ganz selbstverständlich zieht das viele kreative und aufgeschlossene Menschen aus der Region an. Das ist auch ein wichtiger Faktor, wenn es um die florierende Tech-Szene geht. Mit immer mehr Startups innerhalb der Technologiebranche erlebt Berlin ein starkes Wachstum. Neue Unternehmungen und Ideen gehen praktisch täglich an den Start. Die Kombination aus kreativer Community und niedrigen Lebenshaltungskosten macht die Stadt zum idealen Ort. Im Vergleich zum Silicon Valley oder zu europäischen Städten wie London sind die Kosten in Berlin niedrig. Für die Entstehung neuer Unternehmen, die nicht den finanziellen Druck einer teuren Region im Nacken spüren, ist das förderlich. Die Tech-Giganten sind schon da Es sind nicht nur Startups, die Gefallen an Berlin gefunden haben. Tech-Schwergewichte wie SoundCloud sind in der Stadt zuhause. SoundClouds Hauptquartier liegt direkt neben den Überresten der Berliner Mauer, die Ost- und Westdeutschland bis 1989 trennte. Ein weiteres großes Unternehmen mit Sitz in Berlin ist Amazon, das sein deutsches Geschäft von der Hauptstadt aus leitet. Was als Kundendienstzentrum begann, umfasst jetzt die Entwicklung von Technologiemanagement-Tools und von Betriebssystemen für die Amazon-Plattformen. Unsere Zukunft in Deutschland Unsere neue deutsche Niederlassung hat den Betrieb aufgenommen. Unser Java-Leiter Sam McBroom leitet den Standort gemeinsam mit Java-Berater Alex Bloisi und seinem wachsenden Team. Wir freuen uns darauf, zum weiteren Wachstum des Berliner Tech-Marktes beizutragen. Unternehmen, die in Berlin nach Fachleuten suchen, oder Bewerber, die nach einer neuen Stelle suchen, wenden sich bitte per E-Mail an Alex oder melden sich telefonisch unter +44 1727 228 235. Wir stellen auch intern deutschsprachige Teammitglieder ein. Bitte wende dich an Emily Kitamura per E-Mail oder telefonisch unter +44 1727 228 255.

June is a month for celebrating here at Understanding Recruitment with this month marking our tenth anniversary in business! Looking back over the last decade it's hard to believe how far the company has come since it's inception ten years ago. First formed by Founding Directors, Chris Jackson and Dale Swords Understanding Recruitment began life with just the two of them in a tiny office, but has experienced huge growth and are expecting to top 60 staff before the year is out with a strategic plan in place for both UK and International growth.  The Groundwork...   Having graduated from Brunel University in 1994 Chris Jackson joined a large IT recruitment organisation based in London. He worked his way up the ladder from Resourcer to Associate Director with achievements such as placing over 250 candidates within an International organisation under his belt.    Similarly, after graduating Dale joined the sector with one of the UK's most successful recruitment firms. Starting out as a Graduate Trainee he gained valuable experience before establishing Understanding Recruitment with business partner, Chris.   How it all began   Having gained a collective 25 years experience in the field, both Chris and Dale decided to follow a long standing dream and create their own company. With a clear cut idea of the company values, they wanted to achieve the two set about establishing an organisation that could really live up to its name.    What's in a name?   The choice of company name 10 years ago was no accident. The title conveys exactly what they wanted future customers to know about them; that they truly understand recruitment and all that it entails for both the candidates and the companies. What makes Understanding Recruitment stand out from the sea of other recruitment firms is the attention to detail. It's been an integral part of the company ethos over the years with the founding partners, and all employees since taking the time to thoroughly understand what the needs of the companies they work, and comprehend the culture in order to successfully place the right candidate.   In the same way, our recruiters strive to discover what makes their candidates tick giving them the edge when it comes to placing them in a position that will be an ideal fit not only for their skill set, but also their working style and personality. We believe that this has been absolutely key to both the success and growth we've experienced over the years with more than 90% of our business being repeat custom.   Growing the team   Starting from a partnership of just two, Chris and Dale soon added to their team with James Mills being the first to join them during their first year. Still with the company a decade on, James continues to help build and develop his team as Head of .NET.   As time has gone by we are proud to have added a number of specialist teams and now have dedicated departments in Mobile & Web, Data & Digital, Dev Ops & Cloud Machine Learning & AI and Fintech amongst other niche areas. Specialising in this way has undoubtedly allowed us greater success with the tech industry growth picking up speed and new areas continuously.    Our head count currently stands at 46 staff, including Financial Director, Suzy Bolton who joined in 2013 having previously been Head of Corporate Finance at Nuffield Health; and Non Executive Director, Miles Hunt who has over 20 years experience in International recruitment and talent management. The next few weeks will see 7 new starters taking on their new roles, and we expect to have over 60 employees before the year is out. The company is growing at such a rate that we have our own Internal Recruitment department devoted to finding like minded people who fit with the company culture and future plans.    A global plan   The wheels are in motion for our international expansion. For 2019 we have plans on the cards for a US office in Boston, Massachusetts.   A celebration   We understand only too well the value of good staff and must give credit to the team around us for a thriving, award winning business. We took the opportunity to celebrate in style at Luton Hoo recently with activities including segway riding, clay pigeon shooting and Apache buggies and of course, the traditional champagne toasts to the future!    

Der europäische Arbeitsmarkt ist zweifellos riesig. Understanding Recruitment wächst rapide und derzeit blicken wir nach Berlin: mit rund 3,3 Millionen Einwohnern die größte Stadt des Landes und eine der größten Europas. Angesichts des Zuzugs vieler Tech-Firmen in die deutsche Hauptstadt erscheint Berlin als logischer Schritt für einen Personalspezialisten im IT- und Softwarebereich. Die Tech-Giganten ziehen ein Deutschlands jüngere Geschichte war dramatisch. Dennoch erholt sich die Wirtschaft weiterhin – das sicherste Anzeichen dafür ist vermutlich das gesteigerte Interesse der Tech-Giganten, die sich in der Stadt niederlassen. Bekannte Namen wie Google, Apple, Amazon und Facebook haben Büros in Berlin. Und das ist nur ein Bruchteil der Tech-Unternehmen, die die Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten für die Branche erweitern. Tech-Firmen wie Facebook müssen nur auf ihr aktuelles Publikum schauen, um den Umfang des Marktes zu verstehen. Die Social-Media-Plattform hat über 29 Millionen aktive Nutzer pro Monat in Deutschland. Lokale Niederlassungen sind daher äußerst sinnvoll, um sicherzustellen, dass sie vor Ort präsent sind. Als Spezialist für IT- und Software-Recruitment haben wir Berlin schon seit einiger Zeit auf dem Radar. Entsprechend logisch erschien es uns, Berlin als idealen Standort für unseren Start in Europa zu wählen. Mit unserer Fachkompetenz und der wachsenden Zahl an Unternehmen, die nach idealen Kandidaten in der Region suchen, sollte einem erfolgreichen Start und einer glänzenden Zukunft auf dem deutschen Tech-Markt nichts mehr im Wege stehen. Wir freuen uns darauf!