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Making the switch from permanent employment to contracting can be one of the most exciting times of your career. The first major decision you need to make as a contractor is how to operate; do you work as an employee of an umbrella company or through your own limited company? You may be wondering, which option is the best for you? Thankfully, help is at hand. We have all the information you need from the experts at Parasol, including the pros and cons of each pathway, so read on for advice to help you make a well-informed decision. What is an umbrella company? An umbrella company is an excellent choice if this is your first venture into contracting or you’re planning on only contracting for a short period of time (for three-six months, for example). The main reason many contractors choose an umbrella company is the ease of use and less administration. If you decide to go down this route, you are considered an employee of the umbrella company. You will receive a contract of employment; as well as giving you peace of mind, this also entitles you to the benefits given to a permanent employee. This includes: Holiday pay Sick pay Maternity/paternity pay As well as receiving these benefits, you will also be able to claim business costs and expenses. The only drawback is that you can only claim these back if they are incurred during an assignment. Advantages of working as an umbrella employee Working as an umbrella employee can be the simplest way of operating whilst you’re contracting. The umbrella company will automatically deduct Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on your behalf, so once you receive your salary, the money is yours with no need to worry about additional liabilities. What is a limited company? A limited company is a company which you can set up in order to carry out your services. They have their own legal identity; this allows you to own company assets as well as having a business bank account – this account must be separate from your personal finances. If your limited company makes any profit, it then owns this profit. Although contractors working through a limited company can receive more money than those working under an umbrella company, this increase in income is a result of slightly more paperwork each month. You will need to raise your own invoices with your client and – with the help of your accountant – make your own National Insurance and tax contributions. Advantages of contracting through a limited company Forming your own limited company and working as a limited company director can be the most tax efficient way of working. In terms of expenses, limited company directors are also able to claim on a bigger selection of expenses than those working through an umbrella company. Forming a limited company gives you the ultimate control over your business finances, providing the freedom you perhaps first expected when you decided to become self-employed. Working as a limited company director is a great option for those who are planning on contracting for the long-term. A quick overview of both options So far, we’ve explored both contracting under an umbrella company, and through a limited company. It’s now your choice to take charge of your career, and decide which way is best for you. To summarise, an umbrella company could be the best option if you’re new to contracting and want to avoid the hassle of paperwork. It is also the best option for you if you’re intending on contracting only for a couple of months at a time. A limited company does come bundled with slightly more paperwork and added responsibility but if you’re planning on contracting long-term working through your own limited company could be a great option. Helping you decide Whether it’s a limited company or umbrella company you choose, we hope our guide has been useful in helping you decide which option fits you best. For a tailored recommendation, leading umbrella company Parasol offers a set of simple questions designed to point you in the right direction. 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.

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. I wanted to interview Mike and find out how he did it and what advice he would give others who face similar challenges in this talent short market. JM: Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time out to speak to me. MS: No problem James. Background JM: First off Mike tell me 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. JM: 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. JM: So, what was the plan? MS: I needed to hire six people including a Technical Lead to be based out of our Banbury office. JM: 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. JM: 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 JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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. JM: 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 JM: 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 JM: And what about the interview process Mike, has that had to change? MS: Not too much, I do a telephone interview first (anything from 20-60 mins), then invite them in to 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... JM: 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 work space 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. JM: Mike that’s great and I’m sure people reading this will find it really useful to help overcome any hiring challenges they have at the moment. MS: No problem James, speak soon. For more information about White Springs and what they can do for your sales performance click here or contact them on 020 7754 5924. If you wish to discuss your tech recruitment strategy and how to overcome any current hiring challenges you have then please contact myself, James Mills, on 01727 809 074, james@understandingrecruitment.co.uk or www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmrecruits

One of the many benefits of working at Understanding Recruitment is that you’re entitled to a three-month sabbatical after you’ve been with us for five years. Our Delivery Manager Nicola and her husband Tom who is our Head of DevOps and Cloud went on Sabbatical before tying the knot in 2018, as our first Understanding Recruitment love story. We caught up with them to reminisce about their three months of exotic travels… Why did you decide to go travelling? We both love visiting new countries and experiencing new cultures, and the sabbatical offered us the opportunity to do this for an extended period. We could comfortably afford to travel how we wanted to during this time with the added security and benefit that our jobs would be there for us to return to. Which countries did you visit on your sabbatical and why did you choose them? We travelled to Japan, Australia, Bali, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, and Dubai. We had been to Thailand several times before and were really keen to further explore South East Asia. I have family in Australia on the East Coast, so it was a great excuse to visit them. Tokyo has always been an area of interest and we thought it was a great opportunity to go there too whilst being in that part of the world. Dubai was a stop off on the return to the UK so thought it made sense to stay there for a few days too! How did you go about planning your sabbatical? We used specialist travel agents to help us plan most effectively and to advise us on our route. We also contacted family in Australia for advice and did several months of internet-based research, booking most flights and hotels before we went. We also made some bookings whilst we were out there so that we didn’t have to stick to a rigid structure. How did you fund your travel? We worked out an average budget per day and then saved our commission earnt at work to build up to it! What was the most useful thing you packed? We had smaller bags designed to keep all clothes as one within the backpack making them a lot easier to find each day (i.e. one bag for shorts, another for swimwear)! Which place was totally different to how you imagined? Dubai was totally different to what we expected. On the day we arrived there was a storm and the city flooded to the point that we couldn’t get off the plane for an hour when we arrived because it was stuck in a puddle! It is also very cosmopolitan compared to the more rural vibe of Asia where we had just come from. Have you had any bad experiences whilst travelling? Small amounts of money were stolen from our backpacks and rooms where a safe wasn’t available, but this didn’t happen often. What was your favourite moment? It’s a tough call between staying with a wider group on a catamaran for three days whilst sailing around the Whitsundays in Australia; which included snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, swimming with giant sea turtles and going to Whitehaven Beach, and seeing the light and water show at the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. What has been the best food you have eaten and where was it? We went on a Vietnamese street food tour in Hanoi which was amazing. Did you make friends along the way? Yes, we met lots of people in most places, particularly Oz and South East Asia. What, if anything, would you do differently? We would potentially go to less places and spend more time at each by doing so. What destination would you recommend to people? Hands down it would be El Nido in the Philippines – Las Cabanas Beach! Where will you go next? So far, we’ve got Egypt and New York planned for this year.

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.

Most of you have been there. You’ve felt excited and geared up about a new job opportunity, maybe gone to an interview or two or at least applied, but then - silence. Nothing; no calls, no emails and especially no feedback to let you know where it went pear shaped or if the recruiter is still thinking about you. Unfortunately, mutual “ghosting” and the bad habit of not giving candidates feedback hasn’t helped people’s negative perceptions and experiences of the recruitment industry. And who can blame the critics? The issue of feedback has been a constant conversation within our industry for as long as I’ve been in recruitment (which is a pretty long time). Interestingly, the whole candidate experience was the main discussion topic at Understanding Recruitment’s Strategy Day earlier this year and is an area that we’re keen to improve in our “year of the candidate”. My personal ethos is an aspiration to provide feedback (positive & negative) to all candidates at all stages of the process. I think it’s the only way to provide the best service to those looking to take the next step in their career. Despite this ethos I'm not naive enough to think that we provide feedback to the satisfaction of everyone all of the time, despite having won multiple awards and been recognised for our approach to customer service. There can be a number of reasons behind this: lack of care from the recruiter’s side, lack of feedback from clients, recruiters chasing the short term £ rather than the caring about long term reputation, recruitment companies who advocate the wrong behaviours amongst their employees, recruiters focusing on people who they’ll place now rather than people who could be of interest in the future, human forgetfulness, candidate behaviour and many more. To recruiters who aspire to be better, reputation is key, and we want to exceed expectations. Why then, is giving feedback still an issue? It’s a tricky situation with most recruiters juggling multiple roles, clients and candidates all the time and there only being so many hours in a day. So how can we still give people the personal experience they’ve come to expect without burning ourselves out? I don’t have the perfect solution and we’re still working on what that solution might look like for us as a business. I suspect we’ll end up with a combination of the use of smart recruitment & AI tech for a certain amount of automated feedback while also continuing to provide the vital human and personal contact in order to build long lasting relationships. Like a lot of traditional industries recruitment is experiencing a lot of disruption that will raise standards, put candidates at the centre of the business and give you, the customer a better experience. I hope so anyway! I would love to hear your opinions and suggestions on how we can make the feedback issue a thing of the past. Connect with me on LinkedIn to start a conversation.

Searching for your next career move can be hard-work, a bit of a hassle and in some cases pretty nerve-wracking. Although recruiters can’t promise to calm the butterflies in your stomach before the big interview, they're here to help you secure the job you want. Here are 7 thing recruiters wish you knew... Be honest – honesty is the best policy when working with a recruiter. Be transparent about what type of role you’re looking for and let them know straightaway if you’re not open to new positions. This way you’ll get the most out of working together and don’t waste each other’s time. Working exclusively with one recruitment agency is also the best way to simplify the process of finding your next role. Recruiters will always have multiple roles that they’re working on so the chances of you getting a new role increase when you work with one recruiter instead of multiple different agencies. Give feedback – recruiters put a lot of work into getting you that interview and really appreciate a catch up after the interview or at the end of the day (yes, we will probably still be working past 6pm). Although this may seem like a bit of a waste of time, it really helps the recruiter get a better understanding of how the interview went and gives you a chance to share your thoughts on the experience. It also helps your recruiter move you forward in the interview process if you are still interested in pursuing the role. Make time – recruiters know that most candidates are currently employed and probably at work when they call. While this can be a nuisance for candidates, recruiters do try their best not to disturb your day too much and will double check if you can talk. A good recruiter should be discreet and respect that you’re at work and can rarely talk privately. An initial conversation with a recruiter will take around 10 minutes so making time for this at some point is crucial. This initial conversation will help your recruiter understand what you’re looking for and what your expectations are. This will also help them paint a better picture of you when they put you forward to the client. It’s also a way of making sure they find the best role for you and only send you to relevant interviews. Make sure you look at all the information your recruiter sends you before an interview and do the recommended research, so you’re prepared. Also listen to their interview advice as they’ve worked closely with the client and have a pretty good understanding of what type of person they’re looking for. Don’t be shy - recruiters are busy people and work quickly. Having 100+ applicants for a position is not unusual so if you sent in your CV and haven’t heard back from them after a few days, give them a call to follow up. This will help recruiters prioritise your CV as someone who has shown interest and will set you apart from other candidates. Due to the high number of applicants, recruiters can’t always get back to you if you’re not the right fit for the role. So, getting in touch is a sure way to find out if you weren’t the right fit, if the maximum number of candidates have been sent to the client already or if there are other similar roles that you might be more suitable for. Patience is a virtue – recruiters may seem to ask a lot of random questions but it’s all for a reason. They need to build your profile, so they can find you the best roles, tell clients about you and make sure they are aligned with you in your search. For example, we may ask you how you think your employer will react when you hand in your notice. This is not just us being nosey, but actually gives us a good indication if you’re really serious about leaving your current company. Most companies will try and keep candidates with a counter offer because it costs them more to hire a new person. We genuinely think that companies should pay people what they are worth instead of increasing their salaries when they threaten to leave. In our experience, 90% of candidates who accepted a counter offer wind up leaving the business within six months anyway. Once you decide you want to leave, commit to the decision and don’t be fooled by short-sighted counter offers. Remember why you started your job search in the first place. A salary increase won’t change the atmosphere you work in, the work you do or that manager you don’t get along with. Be seen - LinkedIn´s search engine gives priority to fully completed profiles so unless you have completed every section of your profile chances are recruiters can’t find you. You can also share your career interests with recruiters on LinkedIn. This option can be activated on your profile and will not be visible to your network so is a good way to let recruiters know you’re looking for a new challenge and what that looks like. Recruiters also use a wide range of job boards so if you’re looking for a new role make sure your CV is visible here too, so we can contact you with relevant opportunities. Stand out – Looking through CV’s is a huge part of a recruiter’s day and they come across the same buzzwords again and again. Overusing words like motivated, initiative, organised, and driven can actually be an indicator of a lack of time and effort going into your CV creation. To stand out, tailor your CV to each role you apply for. The best way to do this is to run through the job description and highlight the key experiences required for the role. Then show how you tick every box and let your personality shine through.

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.

With 750,000 new digital jobs by 2020 the UK is facing a huge tech skills shortage. Brexit could help fill this gap. “Could” being the most important word in that sentence. Before my recruitment days I spent a summer working in parliament between my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Studies. In my time there I witnessed a vote to leave the EU, a change of Prime Minister, and an unprecedented amount of shadow cabinet resignations. It was a crazy time. Almost 3 years on I have left parliament, finished my studies, started my recruitment career finding top talent for the UK tech market and then switched to doing the same for the Berlin Tech scene. Being English and recruiting into an international Berlin naturally the topic of Brexit will come up in conversation whilst I’m on the phone, and sometimes people are interested to hear my opinion. If anything, I was expecting to become much more Europe-centric in my stance whilst recruiting into Berlin. But this has not been the case. Why? Well, one thing that stands out about Berlin tech is its truly international nature. Each day I speak to tech professionals from all corners of the globe: Egypt, Brazil, China, the Lebanon, and I could literally list the countries all day. The relative ease of obtaining a visa goes some way to addressing the huge skills shortages in Berlin. Something I think maybe the UK can learn from as they look to attract talent in a time where a good Software Developer has a large list of vacancies to choose from; or should I say a large list of recruiter’s emails to choose to reply to. In Recruiting into the Berlin market what I’ve realised is that, yes! Europe is a big place and something that should definitely be treasured. But, the rest of the world is even bigger, and in each corner of the globe is an immense amount of talent that can, not only address the skills shortage, but also add some real value to the UK’s tech industry. Of course, Brexit has the potential to make the UK look inwards which would be catastrophic. Conversely, it could actually give the UK Tech market an opportunity to look at the wider world for strong tech talent, and it is this that can make the UK realise how big the world actually is.

Well done on getting a new role! Handing in your resignation can be the most daunting part of the process, so here are some tips on how to do it in style. HOW TO RESIGN GRACEFULLY 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within six months as the underlying issues never go away. 50% become active on job boards within 60 days. 1. Plan ahead. Write down what you want to say and list the reasons why just to remind yourself. If you need to practice it with a partner/friend, then do. 2. Be firm and assertive but always remain professional. 3. Thank your manager for all their time and effort but reinforce that your mind is 100% made up and that you would like them to respect your decision. 4. Have a resignation letter with you and get a leaving date confirmed. 5. Be selective on the reasons why you're leaving or where you're going. This information will only be used to sell against your new opportunity. Usually employers act in one of three ways when you hand in your notice: 1. They may thank you for your time and hard work and wish you all the best in your next role. That's the easiest response to get as the employer has accepted your resignation. However, still make sure it's official with your resignation letter and leaving date secured. 2. They may take it personally and be difficult about the whole situation. Fortunately, it's not that common, however you need to remain professional and rise above this. Remember, you're doing it for your best career interests. 3. They counteroffer. All of a sudden you gain a promotion and a pay rise due to your resignation. Sometimes this is enough to persuade an employee to stay on however beware that 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within 6 months as the underlying issues never go away. Just remember the reasons you started to look for a role in the first place. HOW TO HANDLE COUNTEROFFERS 1. Your employer should pay you what you're worth from the beginning, not when you threaten to leave. 2. If you accept a counteroffer, you'll always be considered a fidelity risk. You've already lost their trust and shown your lack of loyalty. 3. Counteroffers are often made to give the employer time to replace you. 4. While a counteroffer may make the situation more tolerable in the short term, your reason for wanting to leave still remains. 5. Counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit. Are you prepared to threaten to quit every time you deserve better compensation?​ 6. Decent and well-managed companies don't make counteroffers. We'll always advise you to decline counteroffers made to you by your current employer.

We can't promise to take away the butterflies, but we can share our interview tips with you. It's time to step up your interview game... Stage 1 Research the company Find out as much as you possibly can about the company. Look at the latest company news, their annual reports, website information, and anything else you can get your hands on. This shows your enthusiasm and interest and will also make you feel more prepared. If it's a close match between you and another candidate, it can make all the difference. Arriving early You should plan your route and give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Plan for the worst-case scenario i.e. traffic jams, nowhere to park and so on. Aim to get to the interview at least 20-30 minutes early. If there is a remote chance of being late call a member of Understanding Recruitment so we can make the client aware. Understand your CV Know yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses and achievements? You should try and plan for what questions may be asked during the interview as well as providing examples to back up your answers. These are typically for competency-based interviews (usually lead by the Human Resources department). First impressions count You should always dress appropriately for interviews. This is your first opportunity to impress the client and get off to a great start. Research the company and figure out what the dress code is for the current employees. If in doubt, always dress smartly. Being overdressed is definitely better than being too casual. Stage 2 Smile and offer a firm handshake As well as being a strong cultural and technical fit, it's also good to portray yourself as someone who would be a real asset to work with. Always offer a firm handshake when you meet interviewers. Even make an effort to get on with reception whilst you're waiting as this feedback does filter through. If an interviewer is unsure about you, they may well poll others you passed in the corridor or briefly met. It may not be fair, but it is common practice. Communicate concisely and listen carefully Thoughtful and concise communication is the key to successful interviewing. Listen very closely to the interviewer and don't interrupt their question as this can be extremely frustrating. Also use positive body language. Be respectful It's important to show the utmost respect to everyone you meet throughout the interview process from the office junior through to the CTO. Everyone you meet will be part of the decision-making process. Don't ramble The most effective interviews are those where an interactive two-way conversation prevails. Make sure you answer the question directly without any rambling. Each answer should be no longer than 1-2 minutes. Stage 3 Provide examples There's nothing more powerful than backing up an answer to a question with an example of how you demonstrated that particular capability/characteristic. That's why it's important to try and predict some of the likely questions and plan out your responses with strong examples. Prepare questions Asking a few questions during or at the end of an interview can be a really positive sign to an interviewer while also answering any lingering queries you may have about the role. Make sure these questions are well thought out and relevant but also of interest, rather than purely for the sake of asking a question. If you're interested in the job, tell them! Too many candidates don't let the client know exactly how interested they are in the opportunity. If you're keen on the position, it's crucial to express your high level of commitment. Don't be afraid to ask what the next stage would be and whether they would want to be informed if you receive another offer in the meantime (this may well speed up the process).​ Communicate concisely and listen carefully Don't blag - you'll eventually be found out. We've already discussed the importance of being prepared for the interview which means that there should be very few hidden surprises. However, if you do get that "difficult question" that you're struggling on, don't blag an answer, be honest, and say you don't know, but that it's an area you'd be keen to learn and explore further.

Your CV is your digital handshake and the first thing your potential employer sees. Here's how to make a great first impression. The tech market is growing rapidly and there's an increase of talent. This makes your CV a really important tool to help you stand out from the crowd. Your CV should always be role specific and provide a brief, but full account of your working life, including your interests and academic achievements. Personal Information - Name - Address - Telephone number - Email address - DOB (optional) Employment History - List your employers in date order (starting with the most recent) - The role you held in each company - A short summary of your tasks and responsibilities Education - GCSE's & A-levels (or equivalent) - Degree - Any other professional training or qualifications - Relevant skills Interests - What you like to do outside of work Referees -Whether they can be contacted COVER LETTERS Some roles require you to submit a cover letter. It should be a short statement to summarise your CV, highlighting why you're right for the job. Remember to tailor your cover letter to every position you apply for. Here's an example: Dear Name (or Sir/Madam as appropriate), Opening Paragraph: Identify yourself; state what position you're applying for and where the vacancy was advertised. Second Paragraph: Cover: why you're interested in the job/work and why the company appeals to you. Mention your academic background, relevant qualifications and related work experience. Third Paragraph: Mention that you've enclosed your CV/completed application form - and cover any additional points of relevance. Finally: Close with the following: your availability to interview, your expected salary (or current package), and a positive final sentence to encourage a positive response. Yours Sincerely, Your name

We think of Product Managers as the CEOs of the product, responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for that product or product line. With the tech industry booming, the role of Product Manager, is becoming increasingly significant. But how can you make sure you stand out from the crowd when you’re looking for your next challenge? We've put together some tips for you to step up your game! Your CV 1. Listing your achievements should form the core of your CV and lets employers know what you’ve done. While it does sound like common CV advice, you’d be surprised how few people do it. Did you lead the development of a new product? Did you look after the product from the research phase to release? Did you implement a new way of gathering customer feedback? Were you the champion of the team methodology? Let us know about it! 2. Be clear about what type of product you worked on and were involved in building. Was it data analytics, a B2C restaurant app, a new e-commerce platform, EdTech, or something like a challenger bank? The type of product you have experienced with is crucial to securing your next role. Also mention what size of business you built a product within. For example, you could say: “I work/ed for a global retailer and built the analytics product, that enabled managers across the world, to know which lines were selling and which weren’t.” 3. Be succinct - no one wants to read long statements about everything you’ve ever done. The less you write, the clearer it is to see what you’ve actually done, so focus on the stuff that really matters. 4. Don’t forget to mention challenges you’ve overcome. Did you come into a product behind schedule? Did the stakeholders hate your product ideas? Or did you hate the stakeholders’ ideas but pushed back anyway? Product leaders like to know you can be relied on to make a difference to the business, so make sure to mention the difference you’ve made in past roles! The Job Search 5. Product Managers are some of the most active, when it comes to giving back to the community they work in. At the start of your job search, it’s worth increasing your activity on social media channels, attending meet-ups, or creating something in your own time to showcase your skills. Hiring managers love to see that you’re passionate about creating brilliant products outside of work too. 6. Knowing the market is important to your job search. Understand who the movers and shakers are, and which are the growing sectors. This will give you lots of insight into the type of roles to apply for, but also a lot to talk about at your interviews. Try to be a little savvier in your research, we all know who the challenger banks are. Common Interview Feedback We Get from Clients 7. Too often, candidates don’t have enough specific examples to illustrate what they’ve done. This leaves hiring managers thinking they were just part of a team, told what to do by someone else. To avoid this, be clear about what your involvement was and think of situations you can talk about as examples. 8. Another piece of common feedback we hear a lot, is that the candidate didn’t demonstrate leadership capabilities. Even if you’re joining a large team, Product Managers must be able to lead people in some capacity. They must be able to guide anyone, from stakeholders, to developers, designers, all the way to the CEO. This doesn’t mean you have to be a micromanager, but you do have to be a natural leader of people and demonstrate this. 9. Being clear and concise is difficult to prep for but is always analysed in a Product interview. Many candidates aren’t clear enough. You’re going to have to be able to communicate effectively with everyone, so interviewers need to know you can speak about a subject clearly and concisely. Normally this is judged by asking questions such as “What did your role entail?” or something along the lines of “Tell us about a product you’ve worked on.” General Interview Tips 10. Do your research and make sure you know the company you’re interviewing with. A lot of clients will test your knowledge and ask what you would change about their product. Being prepared will not only avoid any hesitation in your answer but will also show that you’re interested in the role and the company. 11. Avoid talking too much about your team and focus more on talking about yourself. While you want to show that you’re a team player, and speak about your team’s achievements, always saying the team did this or the team did that, makes it seem like you had no real control.

Our Head of Contracts Alexandra Martuccio works with all our Contractors daily. Here are her top tips to secure your next contracting role! 1. Don’t be a generic consultant or jack of all trades. Most clients we work with are looking for specific skill sets for their projects. 2. Make sure to read the role that is advertised in detail. If you have experience in the skills mentioned, make sure to highlight these on your CV. Only include the relevant skills you think match the role and describe what you’ve achieved by applying them in past roles. 3. In addition to skills, list relevant work experience you’ve had that is similar to the role you’re applying for. 4. What is your unique selling point? What makes you stand out from the other 500 applicants? 5. You may have the skills for the role but does your CV tell the same story? It’s the first thing we (and the client) see. 6. Clients and I don’t need to know your blood type or how many pets you have – keep it professional! 7. LinkedIn is your shop window and where clients find you. Double check that your CV and your LinkedIn profile match in terms of contract dates, companies and job titles. 8. Quantity is not always quality. CVs don’t need to be 20 pages long to be good. Just include the most up to date roles over the last 5-8 years in detail including a few bullet points followed by job title, client and dates. 9. Make sure your CV looks presentable and double check for spelling mistakes and alignment issues. Ask someone else to take a look for you and make any changes we might suggest before we put you forward for a role.​ If you're a contractor looking for your next challenge why not get in touch? Click here to email the Contracts team or browse our current vacancies here. Connect with Alexandra Martuccio on LinkedIn.

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? We recently launched an App we’ve called i-Q that offers users a combination of advanced technology and cutting-edge methodology. It helps businesses of all sizes get more in-depth candidate assessment and streamlines the recruitment process, eliminating unconscious bias by using a scientific approach to the process. Using the App’s features, clients determine what factors are most important to them in the hiring process which helps minimise unconscious bias and means candidates are selected on both their suitability for the role as well as their behaviours being in line with the organisation. It also assists in writing job applications, includes psychometric testing and candidate videos. We can also help clients calculate the cost of a bad hire with our cost calculator tool which has really helped to illustrate to our customers the significance of getting this right. 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.” “To help clients, tackle the issue of employee retention, we've also launched i-Q, a unique candidate assessment App. It offers a new recruitment experience for both clients and candidates that is much more user friendly and intuitive than the usual process. The app makes all the information about candidates accessible on the go, including candidate video profiles. i-Q also combines methodology and technology and assesses candidates using recognised tools, such as McQuaig behavioural profiling. Overall the app is designed to reduce the recruitment costs and we guarantee a 96% retention rate over 12 months.”

Whether you’re at the offer stage for a new job or are gunning for a promotion at your current one, honing your negotiation skills is crucial to getting the salary you want. Yet surprisingly, a survey by Salary.com showed that only 37% of people always negotiate their salaries while 18% never do. In addition, a staggering 44% of respondents claim to have never even approached the subject of a raise during their performance reviews. We’ve put together some tips to help you take your salary negotiation game to the next level! Understand your worth Always use research to inform your negotiation technique. Walking into a negotiation prepared will make the outcome so much better. The better prepared you are the more confident and informed you will come across. If you don’t have an exact salary figure in mind your Manager will have the upper hand from the start and will take control of the conversation very quickly. To avoid this, find out how much the job is worth and then research how much your skills and experience are worth to the company. The Glassdoor salary search is a great tool to do this with but most jobsites have a tool to help you find this information. Speaking to a recruiter can also be useful as they know what people with your experience are worth. Research the salary range for people in similar roles to you to give you a better idea of what you should be earning. Remember this will differ largely depending where you are located and the industry you work in. Once you find a range, set an exact figure that you would be happy with that is both realistic and leaves room for negotiation. To be on the safe side, always ask for more than what you want as your Manager will want to feel like they negotiated with you and got a good deal. Timing is everything After you’ve done your research, you can set the wheels in motion and book a meeting with your Manager. Many people wait till their performance review to start negotiations, but it’s a better idea to start talking to them three to four months in advance, as this is when they set the budgets. According to The Muse, several studies show that you’re most likely to get a raise if you ask on a Thursday as people become more flexible and open to negotiation closer to the weekend. Whichever day you opt for, double check your Manager is available for the meeting and schedule it into their calendar, so they don’t forget. Make sure you have a space for your meeting that is confidential to avoid having an awkward conversation in the hallway. ​ Be persuasive but stay flexible Every negotiation will have an element of back and forth, so you need to be flexible but still stand your ground. Be prepared for some resistance and be sure you have put together a case to show why you deserve the salary figure that you’ve put forward. This is the time to sing your own praises so put together a summary of all your achievements, awards won and testimonials you got from your colleagues. It’s a good idea to talk your Manager through your achievements before you start talking numbers. You can also give them a printed copy of your summary of achievements to look at while you talk them through it. But don’t make it all about the past. Make sure you outline your plans for the future. What projects are you going to take on and how will this help your Manager? Will it free up their time? Do you have ideas that you want to own and implement? Try to put yourself into the shoes of your Manager. What is important to them? Listening during a negotiation is a hugely important part and will let you understand the needs of the person you’re negotiating with. How can you sweeten the deal for both of you? Instead of being forceful, try to convince your Manager that it’ll benefit the business to pay you more. Be sure to listen and understand their views as well as getting your point across. Present all your facts and give them time to consider your proposal, as they will probably have to run it past Human Resources and possibly other Managers. Don’t expect an answer immediately. Consider your options A ‘no’ doesn’t mean the end of the negotiation but usually marks the start of it. If your Manager seems uncomfortable with the figure you have put across ask them why this is and what you can do to convince them to move in your direction. To come to an agreement, you both will have to be flexible, but you need to still stand your ground and not accept an offer that is too low. If your employer has made a counter offer it’s ok for you to ask for some time to consider the offer. Doing this will make sure you don’t panic and accept a minimal increase. When it’s an initial job offer you can also make a counteroffer 10-20% more than their offer. Consider that your benefits are up for negotiation as well, so if your Manager won’t budge on your salary increase, they may be more open to enhancing your benefits such as additional holiday, training or flexible working. Sometimes these can be just as valuable as a salary increase. If it doesn’t work out Most departments have budgets assigned by the wider business and sometimes it might not be possible to give you a pay increase at the time you want one. There may be factors that aren’t known to you so have a plan B in place. It may be that a raise is possible further down the line, but the timing isn’t right now. You need to know the point, you want to walk away from negotiations. Consider what you want to do if the answer is no or the figure is much lower than what you had in mind. Consider the whole package including the working environment, benefits and job role. Is this enough to make you stay without a pay increase? If the company won’t pay you what you’re worth, looking elsewhere may be the best option. But don’t burn your bridges just yet. You still want to keep working with this person for now so staying positive throughout the conversation is important. Once you’ve successfully negotiated a raise, make sure you get a written confirmation of all the details including how your responsibilities will increase.

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

What was your first job? Working in a clothes shop as a Retail Assistant at 16. How did you get into recruitment? After dancing professionally around the world, I transitioned into dance teaching, but I knew it wasn’t as sustainable as I originally thought (especially with back injuries). I knew I needed to start a new career, somewhere where I could grow. I interviewed for many jobs within sales, customer service and recruitment. As soon as I came into Understanding Recruitment’s offices I knew it was a place where I could see myself working long-term. ​ What do you love most about your job? How busy it can be, the harder you work the more rewarding this job can be. What’s your top job to fill? That’s a tricky question as I work on every single contract role that comes into the business. One minute it’s a QA tester, the next a Senior Architect, the next Programme Manager and interim CTO positions! Who’s your role model – in life or in recruitment? My Dad. He started his first ever job as an Admin Clerk in a major oil organisation the Monday after his O ’levels and worked his way up to the top, travelled the world, relocated with his family to America for his job, and made himself extremely successful. All down to hard-work and determination. What’s your favourite meal? Love a bit of Sushi, Mexican and I have a major sweet tooth so loads of chocolate! What’s been your most memorable experience with a candidate? I placed a Java Developer into a Global Publishing Organisation at the beginning of the year, he is French and went home over Christmas before he started his new contract in January. There was a parcel delivered to me at work with a hand-written note about how happy he was to find this role and he was really complimentary of the whole experience working with me and Understanding Recruitment. Alongside the note were 3 boxes of truffles he bought back with him from France. What would be your theme tune? Beyoncé – Who Run the world What is your top tip for candidates? Be as honest and open with recruiters as possible, it is hard as contractors get contacted by us all the time, but it helps us do our job a lot better if we know your current work status/commitments and avoids surprises along the way!

After recently celebrating his eight year anniversary at Understanding Recruitment, Sam McBroom was promoted to Director in recognition of all his hard work and commitment. We caught up with Sam, who also heads up the Java team, about how he got into recruitment, his career progression and Oasis. What was your first job? Working at a sports park as a ‘Recreation Assistant’ – setting up sports equipment and getting involved in the general day to day running of the park. How did you get into recruitment? I was working in the public sector but grew frustrated about the lack of personal and career progression available in the area that I was in. So I looked for a career offering a meritocratic environment with plenty of opportunities to take on more responsibility dependent on performance and recruitment seemed ideal. What do you love most about your job? Two things mainly. The people here are fantastic to work with and everyone gets on really well, regularly socialising together. When you have a tough day everyone is there for you. Secondly, the opportunity and progression available. Working here truly gives you an opportunity to build a team in a specialist area in a rapidly expanding market! What’s your top job to fill? Ironically we’re recruiting a Senior Java Developer to work specifically for another recruitment company! They don’t have the reach or specialist knowledge so we’re happy to help recruit a Developer for them to re-architect their internal CRM system with AWS & Microservices. Who’s your role model – in life or in recruitment? My grandad was a Lancaster pilot in WW2. Once the war finished, he was liberated from a POW camp and worked in the cutlery business in Sheffield. He ended up employing over 150 people and became a well-liked and respected figure in the city. What’s your favourite meal? Tuna, or Steak. Or Tuna Steak. What’s been your most memorable experience with a candidate? I placed a Graduate Developer with a startup company 6 years ago. They’ve since moved into a Senior / Team Lead position and we now help them recruit for the original position we placed them in! It’s a pleasure to be able to work with this person for an extended period of time and build a great personal and professional relationship with them. What would be your theme tune? Oasis – Live Forever What is your top tip for candidates? Work closely with one specialist recruiter in your area. They’ll have a wide range of suitable opportunities for you, so will work with you to find you the position that is truly what you’re looking for.

Relocating cities or even countries for a new job can be an exciting but also daunting prospect. There are lots of things to consider before packing up, so we’ve put together the most important things to think about before accepting that new job. 1. Find your why Before relocating, take some time to write down the pros and cons of the move. Why is it that you want to change your current situation? Is it a step up for your career or are you looking for more job satisfaction? Is the pay package better and will your quality of life improve in the new location? Also take into consideration the negatives such as being further away from family and friends, cost of living and possible language barriers. If you have real doubts about moving, then discuss them with family or friends and remember it’s an option and your choice to make. 2. Get to know your new home Before making the final decision about your move, visit your new home and try to experience it as if you already live and work there. This will help you see if you can picture yourself living and laying down roots there. You’d be surprised how much places can vary from online photos and information and your gut feel will give you a good indication if the move is right for you. Research the place you’re moving to as much as possible. It’s a good idea to see some different areas while you’re there so you can find the one that suits your lifestyle best. If you can’t visit before you move, speak to people already living there to get a better picture. Local social media groups can be helpful to join, and your new employer will be able to offer advice. 3. Ask for help Many companies offer a variety of relocation services including practical and financial assistance to employees who are relocating, so it’s worth asking about this during the hiring process. Even if your employer doesn’t typically offer relocation services, it’s worth negotiating this with them if it’s crucial for you to be able to make the move. Make sure to find out what your moving expenses will look like and if your goods need to be shipped so that you have a basis for negotiation. Some companies may also offer corporate housing. 4. Research, research, research Research your future company as much as possible and find out who you will be reporting into and what the team is like. You can find out more about the organisation’s ethic and culture by asking to speak to someone in a similar role as the one you’ll be doing. Next up think through the logistics of your move. Is it a permanent move? Will you be gone for a few months or a couple of years? Selling a house is one of the biggest complications that relocating homeowners face. So, analysing how permanent your move is will influence if you keep your current property, put your things into storage or opt for the full move. Renting your accommodation is also a great choice to settle into a new city without making a huge commitment. Make sure you know how much your cost of living will be, including accommodation, transport, childcare, other expenses, and tax rates. Your new job may offer a better salary package overall, but it may soon lose its novelty when compared to your cost of living. You also need to find out if you need a visa or residency permit to live in the new county. Visas can take quite a lot of time to process, so tackle it early on. If you already have found a job, the company is likely to sort this part out for you. But you should double check if this is the case before accepting the position. It is also worth looking into taxation as many countries have different tax guidelines especially if you are self-employed. Several countries also have bilateral tax treaties in place for non-residents to avoid being double taxed in your home nation and abroad. The UK for example, has over 100 of these treaties with different states. Your move can also affect your state pension so it’s best to clarify your pension status. To make the whole process easier, the best thing to do is to become a list person and keep a to do list for your current location and one for your destination. That way you have an overview of everything you need to keep on top of and don’t forget anything important during this busy time. 5. Think family If you have family, you need to take into consideration how they feel about the move. Will your partner be able to find work and what is the education system, schools and childcare like? Are there language barriers that will affect integration for your whole family? Is an international school the best option? 6. Your new start Once settled in your new city, make sure you’ve done the trial commute to your new place of work and know how long it takes you. The last thing you want is to turn up late on your first day. Networking will help you make new friends and build your safety net. Your new company may offer social clubs and activities to help you meet new people. Joining sports groups is also a great way to meet people with similar interests. The trick is to say yes, get out and be social. 7. If it doesn’t work out You’ve moved to a new city or country and started a new job. Now it’s turned out to be different than what you expected. Remember that it can take some time to get used to new surroundings and cultural differences which can be stressful but it’s important to stick with it and give your new situation a chance. If you’re still not happy after months and you don’t think that will change, you need to have a backup plan. Is it something job specific that is bothering you and could it change if you discuss it with your Manager or is it the location you are living in? Perhaps your commute is too long which is adding on stress or you’re not making any friends. Analyse why you're unhappy with the situation and see if a simple change could have a positive impact. If after this, the situation is still not working out for you, consider what your other options are. Overall, experiencing a different city or country can be the boost you and your career need. The key is that if you don’t like it, you can always go back, but chances are you won’t want to...

What was your first job? I worked on a farm when I was about 15 during the summers to earn some extra pocket money. The hard work mindset is well founded there! How did you get into recruitment? A friend of mine worked at Understanding Recruitment back in 2016 and I mentioned to him that I was bored at work. He put me on the phone to Jacko (also known as Founder Chris Jackson) and the rest is history! What do you love most about your job? The freedom to be in control of my own success. Understanding Recruitment put everything in place, but it’s down to you how far you go. What’s your top job to fill? I'm always working on exciting roles for Java Developers within the FinTech space so get in touch with me if you’d like to know more. Who’s your role model – in life or in recruitment? Both my parents. My dad pushed me to be the best I can be in all I do, whilst my mum is a constant inspiration. She’s just become an on-call Firefighter in her mid-40s! What’s your favourite meal? You can’t beat a medium rare Chateaubriand steak with peppercorn sauce. What’s been your most memorable experience with a candidate? I took a candidate out for lunch (it was the record deal at the time) and it’s fair to say when I arrived home at 1am I was worse for wear. Did I mention we went for lunch?! What would be your theme tune? Life is a Rollercoaster – Ronan Keating What is your top tip for candidates? Always ask questions, we’re consultants and are always happy to help. If I don’t know, someone here will…

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, Head of Machine Learning & AI 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.

What was your first job? When I was 16 I worked at the local golf club and hotel as a waiter during Christmas parties and I managed to buy myself an iPod touch. How did you get into recruitment? When I left college, I wanted to get a job instead of going to Uni. I never really liked education that much but wasn’t looking at recruitment before I found an apprentice recruiter job here in St. Albans. When I first started I didn’t have a clue what recruitment was! What do you love most about your job? The best thing about recruitment is the opportunity it gave me at such a young age to make a life changing amount of money and manage a team. What’s your top job to fill? One of my long-term clients, who are one of the biggest charities in the UK, are looking for a new Director of Change to build a brand new 5-year strategy. Who’s your role model – in life or in recruitment? I don’t really have a role model as such. I look up to my dad because he did well for himself. I also work closely with Dale, one of the founders of Understanding Recruitment, so he’s someone I look up to and he’s taught me everything I know about recruitment now. What’s your favourite meal? It has to be when my mum makes chicken fajitas. It’s a bit too much washing up to do when I’m by myself! What’s been your most memorable experience with a candidate? Because I work in a specialist market, I sometimes work with candidates for years. One of them kept narrowly missing out on roles for about 2 years. Just when he thought he wouldn’t get a new role, he got the job and he was probably one of the happiest people to ever get a job. I was really happy for him because we had a really good relationship and it was a step up in his career. What would be your theme tune? Guns N’ Roses – Sweet child of mine What is your top tip for candidates? If you think you’re a good fit for the job, follow up with the recruiter with a phone call and make sure to mention the right type of stuff on your CV. Tailoring your CV to each position is really important.

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.

What was your first job? I worked in Watford Market when I was 15 as a “washer upper” on the weekends and after school. I loved it and it was great to start earning my own money! How did you get into recruitment? I was working in a sales role at a jeweller and that’s when I realised I loved to sell and work to targets. I was looking to move away from retail and a friend suggested I should look into recruitment, so I did and here I am 5 years later! What do you love most about your job? I really enjoy interviewing people and finding out all about them and what makes them who they are. It’s also great to see the people I have helped recruit come into the company and become successful recruiters. What’s your top job to fill? We have so many at the moment, so it’s hard to say! All our teams are expanding and with our international expansion it’s a very busy time for me. I’m really keen to get some more graduates on board to join all our other new graduate recruits! Who’s your role model – in life or in recruitment? It would have to be my Mum. To see how hard she’s worked and the position she’s worked up to, considering she only started her career at 30 as a part time Admin Assistant, I just think is incredible. She has really instilled in me that hard work pays off. What’s your favourite meal? I really enjoy a brunch with lots of bubbles but if that’s not available you can’t beat a lamb roast with all the trimmings! What’s been your most memorable experience with a candidate? I once had to apologise and stop an interview because the girl had a spider in her hair and it was crawling down onto her face. When she shook her hair to try and get it out, it wouldn’t, so I had to help her (I also hate spiders) but we got it out and managed to finish the interview, so it was fine in the end! What would be your theme tune? Destiny’s Child – independent woman… no explanation needed What is your top tip for candidates? Make sure you research the business, turn up on time and dress appropriately!

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'!

The Job Search Begins By the time most of us finish university we've already had some experience in the world of work with many working part time over weekends, evenings and holidays during their studies. After all the hard work and study that's been put in over the university years then comes the job search, with most having the expectation that they will go into the field they've been studying towards with Grad Touch stating that 29% of graduates take on roles that they didn't expect to at the point that they graduated. The real numbers... The reality is however that not everyone ends up in the career they expected with a lengthy job search. Just last year Grad Touch reported that on average it takes 108 days to find a job once they've graduated; with a slightly shocking 20% of grads stating that they didn't feel at optimistic about their career prospects and 45% saying they were 'really worried' about their future career. It's certainly not all doom and gloom out there though as as there are some fantastic companies offering well constructed graduate programmes that strive to support their new recruits and see them progress in their careers. What are the options? The options for graduates searching for their first full time role are many, however it's worth pinpointing a few of the most viable options to increase the chance of securing a successful position. 44% of grads told Grad Touch that they secured their graduate role via an online job board, however in addition to taking to the internet to search for your perfect role, we highly recommend speaking with a Recruiter (of course we do!). Ideally a specialist company that works within the sector that interests you most, but that doesn't mean you should rule out areas you hadn't considered. Our other recommendation would be to apply for a graduate scheme. Why choose a grad scheme? Graduate schemes are specifically designed for those leaving University and entering full time employment. A good grad scheme, much like those offered by Understanding Recruitment will take into consideration that this may be your first time working in that kind of environment and offer an appropriate mentor or mentors to help you find your way and achieve success within the company. Most companies offering grad schemes will be looking to develop the grads they take on and help them to grow their skills and experience. They will usually provide a structured approach to your career development so you know what to expect from your time there from the first week onwards. An investment from both sides It's a big investment when a company takes on a graduate, both in terms of their time and the financial implications. There's a commitment from them to make the early months work for the person they take into the organisation, to help them to settle into their new role and to be provided with training that will equip them for the tasks expected of them. Many will have a thorough interview process - we tend to take the view that it's a two way street and needs to work for both the company and the employee. The bottom line is that a good grad scheme will provide you with the knowledge and training needed. It will support you as you progress, providing opportunities along the way and provide a firm basis on which your future career can build upon.

Over the past few years we've been watching the global tech trends with interest, and with our own expansion plan in full swing, we were interested to see the Berlin tech scene developing. We are delighted to have launched our German operation in Berlin this week and are excited to see what the future brings for this new European tech hub. A Creative Community The German capital has long been known as a centre for culture and art within Europe which automatically lends itself to attracting a vibrant and creative community within the area. This is certainly a factor when it comes to the thriving tech scene that has developed in the city. Berlin is experiencing growth with more start ups within tech in the city where new ventures and ideas are being created all the time. The combination of the creative community coupled with a low cost of living makes it the ideal place. In comparison to Silicon Valley or European cities such as London the cost of living in Berlin lends itself to business start ups without the financial pressure of a high cost area. The Tech Giants are already there It's not just the start ups favouring Berlin though, tech giants such as SoundCloud call the city home with their headquarters next door to the remains of the Berlin Wall which divided East and West Germany until 1989. Another big business who have a base in the city is Amazon who run their German operation from the capital. What started out as a customer service centre for the company now encompasses development for technologies management tools and operating systems for the Amazon platforms. Our Future in Germany Our new German operation is now up and running with our Head of Java, Sam McBroom heading it up alongside Java Consultant Alex Bloisi and their growing team, all of whom are looking forward to contributing to the further growth within the Berlin tech market. For companies looking to recruit in Berlin, or candidates searching for an opportunity, please get in touch with Alex via email or by calling +44 1727 228 235. We are also recruiting internally for German speaking team members. Please contact Emily Thomas via email or by calling +44 1727 228 255.

When you’re applying for jobs, there’s only a short window in which to impress a recruiter. Therefore, it’s important that you keep your CV relevant, up to date and to the point. That said, many people struggle to write a concise CV, especially if you have a wealth of experience and skills that you want to shout about. Read on for our advice on how to keep your CV relevant with recruiters to ensure you don’t miss the mark. TAILOR IT TO EVERY ROLE Firing out a generic CV isn’t going to get you anywhere. In order to make it relevant, you need to tailor it to every role you apply to. Start by running through the job description and highlighting the key skills and experience required for the role. Then, ensure that your CV demonstrates that you are able to tick every single box. Pay particular attention to your personal profile at the top of your CV as this is what will catch the recruiter’s attention to begin with. MATCH YOUR SKILLS TO THE JOB Now, you can start to match your skills to the role you’re applying to. For example, if the recruiter is looking for someone with great communication skills and a proven track-record in improving customer satisfaction, you’ll need to give an example of a time where you’ve done this. Picking out the main skills and keywords and peppering these throughout your CV is a good tactic for keeping your CV relevant. Just be careful of overdoing it. You don’t want it to look like you’re twisting the truth. KEEP IT TO TWO PAGES As recruiters scan through hundreds of CVs every day, it’s best to keep yours no longer than two pages. Of course, this will vary on a case-by-case basis, especially for the more seasoned professionals. However, anything longer than this and you may start to bore your reader. If in doubt, play around with your margins and font size to fit as much content in as possible. Just be wary that it still needs to be readable! DON’T WAFFLE Similar to the above, avoid waffling on your CV, as this is a sure-fire way to lose a recruiter’s interest. Make it relevant by keeping your sentences concise and to the point. For example, pick out one key highlight from each job you’ve worked in, rather than listing out your daily to-do list. Alongside this, tighten up your wording in places: you don’t need to list out every single grade that you got in your GCSEs – a simple ‘10 GCSEs grades A*-C’ will suffice. MODERNISE YOUR FORMAT Once you’re happy with the content in your CV, it could be time to play around with your layout and format. Some industries welcome creative layouts, while others prefer candidates to keep it professional. Try using easy to read, but modern, fonts such as Arial or Calibri. These can instantly make your CV look much more presentable, modern and relevant. MAKE YOUR CV RELEVANT These are just some ways to keep your CV relevant with recruiters. Remember, you only have a short amount of time to impress a potential employer and your CV should speak volumes about who you are, what you’ve achieved and what your potential is going forward. Spend time tweaking, tailoring and proofreading your CV to ensure that it’s as effective as possible. Putting in the time and effort now will certainly pay off later and you’ll be able to secure an amazing new job, in no time.

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 it's 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 2018 also marks our launch into Europe beginning with the German capital, Berlin. With plans on the cards for the US and a Boston based office for 2019, the wheels are in motion for our International expansion. 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!

There's no doubt about it, the European job market is huge and with Understanding Recruitment rapidly expanding we are looking to Germany where the capital, Berlin has approximately 3.3 million residents and is the largest city in Germany with the second highest population in Europe after London. With tech companies flocking to the German capital, Berlin seems like the logical step for a recruitment specialist in the IT and software field. The tech giants are moving in Whilst Germany has experienced a rocky past, the economy is now recovering and there's no surer sign that the current surge of interest from tech giants who are taking up residence in the city. Household names including Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook all have offices in Berlin, and that makes up just part of the list of tech companies adding to the employment possibilities for those in the industry. Technology companies such as Facebook only need to look to their current audience to understand the scope of the market. The social media platform has over 29 million active monthly users in Germany, and it makes sense for them to have opened local offices to ensure they have eyes and ears on the ground there. As specialists in IT and software recruitment Berlin has been on our radar for some time and seemed a logical move when we began our search for the ideal location to launch into Europe. With our expertise in the field, and the growing number of companies searching for the ideal candidate in the region we are looking forward to our upcoming launch and a bright future in the German technology recruitment market.

Five years ago, our first apprentice walked through our office doors at the age of 18, fresh out of education and his part time job. Today, Tom has become one of our most successful recruiters. At Understanding, we offer an apprenticeship scheme which provides a real opportunity to break into the recruitment industry as well as the chance to gain an NVQ in Business Administration from Oaklands College. Since joining us back in 2012, Tom completed his training and got stuck into the world of recruitment and technology. He had a desire to work in a fast paced, sales focussed business environment following his studies and part time work. After only two years with us, Tom received a national recruitment award as the ‘Best Newcomer’ at REC’s IRP Awards 2014. Tom made it to a shortlist of 7 individuals, surpassing thousands in the process to win the award which was measured on both clients and candidates experience, customer service and overall value added to the organisation. Following on from his first taste of recognition, Tom was Highly Commended for ‘Most Inspiring Newcomer’ at ITA Awards 2015. Since then, he’s carved out his own business area which he started from scratch, focusing on the Charity and not-for-profit sector. As head of the department, he now manages two team members who are also set for a successful career in recruitment with one of them receiving our internal award for ‘Trainee of the Year’. Tom has embraced his role here with us, and regularly exceeds his targets, qualifying for director’s lunches and winner’s trips away to locations such as Monaco, Nice, Portugal, Barbados, Las Vegas, Miami, St. Lucia, Mexico and more. Tom has billed just over £1 million for the company since joining five years ago, and is current holder of our biggest billing month and biggest billing year! We asked Tom for a little insight, for those interested in following in his path: What do you enjoy the most about your role? "I enjoy lots of elements within my role. I like the challenges and problems as they’re made even better when they result in successes. Not only is it great for a sense of achievement, but it feels good to help my clients and candidates meet their needs or even sometimes going above and beyond. I’d be lying if I said the financial rewards and international winner’s trips weren’t also a big part of my job satisfaction. In recruitment, the more you put in, the more you will get out of it". What difficulties have you faced? "Initially, it takes time to learn all the technical jargon but that comes over time with experience. The training modules are really great here though and really helped set me up for a successful career. There can be some long hours sometimes, but it goes hand in hand with big financial rewards".