Happiness
20-Mar-15
Today is International Happiness Day and its Friday! Need I say more! This wonderful celebration of Happiness is not exactly common knowledge, and I am thinking why not?! So let me tell you why you should know about it! After watching the shenanigans of St Patricks Day on Tuesday, and persevering with Valentine’s day (actually I probably had the best treat, being treated to a Go Karting session, I’m not a bears and cards person) I thought I would shout about something I am passionate about….Happiness! In whichever form it comes to each individual. I am a member of a group devoted to research in Happiness, in all aspects of life. And recently they have sent me a pack with some great ideas on how to encourage people to embrace well-being and positive social behaviours. Interestingly this group, Action for Happiness, found through years of research that one of the most important factors to happiness was the importance of our “connections with other people”. However, in today’s modern society there seems to be a real challenge in making these connections. They go on to state “We are surrounded by people, yet we feel genuinely connected to almost none of them” Source:- Action for Happiness, Happiness Pack 2015, page 2. Technical advancements and social media have led to fast moving business transactions and the ability to be in contact with a broad amount of people. However is quantity better than quality?? Only you can answer that, however in my instance I am definitely a quality person. As an agency, working with people is what we do, and this societal shift to technology based business has impacted us in many ways, most importantly it has led to people being reluctant at times to register in person, preferring to do it over the phone, or sometimes purely by email!! Don’t get me wrong we are pro-activists in the online movement…hence this blog, our Facebook page, Twitter plus we perform Skype interviews to assist ...
Finding your perfect match! Easier said than done I hear you say....
02-Feb-15
Whether it’s finding your perfect partner, house, employee or dream job it can be a challenge. But luckily the recruitment market is picking up and clients and candidates are benefiting from a buoyant job market. So how can you find your perfect job or candidate? When my team first spoke to me about this blog and our social media theme the first thing that came to mind was how much our job sometimes feels like a dating agency. So much so in fact we have often thought about opening one! With this analogy in mind I was thinking about how we can help when finding your dream job or candidate so here goes, let’s see how this works.... Thinking about on-line dating websites the first thing to think about is what you really want and who you want to attract. What is your check-list? What are your short-term goals/long-term goals? What would you be prepared to flexi on and what is definitely non-negotiable!! Next it’s all about your profile, CV or job spec. Let’s face it if someone doesn’t like what you have to say about yourself they won’t give you a second look (or maybe only when they have exhausted all other avenue’s and had a glass of wine or two) not what you ideally want! So make it positive, succinct and tailored to what you want. Job boards and social media sites give you the option to post a picture of yourself so think about what your profile picture says about you? Let’s be fair folks, people will make an impression of you from this - it’s only natural and we all do it. If you look a little bit worse for wear after a night out or are wearing your “beach attire” what might you be saying? It’s definitely something to think about as I know many of our Employers check out candidates before they come for interview. So you receive a message! Excellent someone is interested!! Do you play the game, play hard to get? Or respond immediately? In the case of finding your dream job or perfect candidate, you need to respond immediately, time is of the essence as ...
The New Year New Job Resolution
12-Jan-15
It’s that wonderful time of the year when almost everyone around you is setting New Year’s resolutions to get fit, get healthy, lose weight, stop smoking…blah blah blah! Chances are it is nothing we haven’t all tried before let’s be honest! The party season and holidays normally mean healthy eating and no drinking go out the window! Let’s face it we often follow the status quo “everyone else is doing it, so shouldn’t I?” So, what’s the point in setting goals? Do New Year’s resolutions really work? Or do we continuously just set ourselves up to fail? Personally, I have not been an advocate. Maybe it is due to a fear of failure, maybe I am a realist, whatever the reason and one thing I do know is that they haven’t worked for me! Personally, I prefer to set myself goals throughout the year that I continually work towards and review, (perhaps a mere excuse to allow me to keep moving the goal posts?!) but enough self- analysis, whatever your thoughts on resolutions, or the approach you choose to take, there is no doubt that a positive mind set and consciously and continually working towards achieving your goals, is more likely to result in success as opposed to plodding along and waiting for things to happen by chance. This year, we decided to join the crowd and share with you all our company resolutions: Raising our brand – We pride ourselves as being ‘people in a people business”. So we aim to raise awareness with both our clients and candidates about something we believe we do well Engagement with clients and candidates –Having recently launched a new website and ‘upped our game’ on the social media platforms, we would like to use these tools to engage with the people that matter (yes that’s you)! Raising the profile of our candidates – Well they are pretty amazing! We value our candidates believing there is a place for everyone, or in the words of one of our senior consultants, Dana, ‘it takes all sorts to make the world go round’ (she loves a saying). We are proud ...
What are you really waiting for?
21-Nov-14
Following on from our “Who's behind the wheel” blog last week, which focused on the realities of being in a 'candidate driven market', this week the focus is on taking action! Many people assume the market is really slow at this time of year and they need to wait until January to really make that 'fresh start'. But is that TRUE?? Let me tell you the market is buzzing and we are busier than ever! Yes really!! For both temporary and permanent roles, the time really is now. Contrary to popular belief, most organisations are still actively recruiting permanent staff to start before Christmas or for the 1st January. And Temps are just as busy with non-stop bookings coming in for Reception, Admin and Finance roles - our clients are looking for staff and they need you! You may be asking yourself 'have I missed something?' No! This is a common misconception and to be fair historically, the start of the year is when people start looking but employers can take a while to get back into the swing of things meaning that things don’t really kick off until mid-late January. Saying that, the market is almost impossible to predict! The reasons for this have been documented as ranging from inflation rates to the weather! But whatever the reason it is great news for employers and job seekers alike. Of course, we wouldn't expect you to just take our word for it, take a look at this fantastic article from the Recruitment Buzz site. With information from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (the official guys), the article provides accurate information on the present UK labour market. In a nutshell...it shows recruiters are reporting continued growth in permanent placements, higher vacancy numbers, but a shortage of good candidates (yes that's you). If that's not official enough, the really official people at the BBC also felt the need to scribe about Unemployment rates and pay growth in the private sector (note to boss..cough cough)! So whether you are currently looking for ...
Who’s behind the wheel?!
05-Nov-14
The candidate it seems! And I should be the first to notice the change in the employment market over the last year, having endured one of the worst recessions to date. For I am one of those ‘crazy’ consultants that started their career in the midst of the recession in 2009, when jobs were thin on the ground and we were witness to companies downsizing or shutting up shop right before our eyes. Mass redundancies and instead of the usual introduction call of ‘have you got a job for us?’ the tone changed to something like ‘please pass on my contact details to the people you are making redundant’. Not that we had many jobs to offer them. Oh how the times have changed, and rightly so after so many years of high unemployment. Fast forward to November 2014 and we have more jobs than we have people! Well, not quite that extreme, but there is a definite shortage of talent/people in the market at the moment, most likely a result of increasing employment and improving economic conditions, driving business confidence and resulting in some ‘loosening of the recruitment budget belts’. So what does this mean to the recruiter/employer? Here are our key observations:- Candidates are moving fast: Savvy recruiters and employers are moving fast to secure their talent, and they are taking no prisoners. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the saying ‘you snooze you lose’ recently! I debated with a head-hunter on this matter, as he was in the rare position of arguing that he has no-one else working with his candidates. They could spend 3 months deciding they want to work for a particular company, therefore unlikely to just change their mind on a whim. Whilst this is true and relative, for all of us employers that recruit within the entry to mid management level roles, we don’t necessarily have this luxury. More negotiation on salaries: Slight increases in salaries to secure talent. Companies are vying for that same small talent ...
As a family-run recruitment agency that’s worked with local employers and jobseekers for years, we’ve seen our fair share of policy changes shake up the employment landscape. Some come and go without much impact - others genuinely reshape how people hire, work, and build careers.The Government's decision to shift from “day one” unfair dismissal rights to a proposed six-month qualifying period has already sparked strong opinions. But from where we sit - working closely with small businesses and candidates every day - there are some practical considerations worth highlighting.Here’s what this change may mean in practice. A More Balanced Approach for Small BusinessesMany small employers have been nervous about the idea of day-one unfair dismissal rights. For a family-run shop, a small café, or a growing start-up, every hire is a big investment - not just financially, but emotionally too. When you’ve only got a handful of staff, getting the hiring decision wrong can put real pressure on the whole team.By setting a six-month qualifying period, the government has created a workable compromise. Employers still need to treat people fairly - and most genuinely do - but they now have a realistic timeframe to assess whether someone is the right fit without immediately worrying about tribunal risks.By setting a six-month qualifying period, the Government has introduced a compromise that aligns more closely with how most businesses already manage probation. Employers will still need to treat people fairly (and most genuinely do) but they now have a more practical timeframe to make sure the role and individual are the right fit.This will, in our view, make some business owners more confident about hiring again, especially after years of economic uncertainty.A Win for Jobseekers Too — Especially Compared to the Old Two-Year RuleWhile six months isn’t as protective as day one, it’s still a significant improvement on the previous two-year requirement.Many people - especially those ...
At Uxbridge Employment Agency, our tagline has always been “people in a people business”, as we’ve always believed recruitment doesn’t need to be complicated — it just needs to be human.Recently, one of our longstanding clients sent us a testimonial that reminded us why we do what we do. Their words were generous, but more importantly, they captured the essence of what makes recruitment partnerships thrive.Here’s what stood out and why it matters a great deal to us, as their words encapsulated the service we aim to offer; Simplicity Over Complexity“The thing with you guys, it’s like calling a mate to ask for help. There are no complicated processes, no one-hour calls to qualify the role, and I’m not passed to someone miles away I’ve never spoken to.”This really resonated with us because we’ve seen how recruitment can become over-engineered. Many agencies put clients through hoops before any progress is made — long qualification calls, multiple handovers, and unnecessary steps that take time but don’t add value.For us, the process has always been simple: pick up the phone, have an open conversation, and let us get to work. Our clients trust us because not only have we had over 45 years local experience, but we take the time to visit them and understand their business. This means they don’t need to re-explain everything every time and that simplicity saves time, removes friction, and lets us focus on what matters most — finding the right people! Approachability Matters“Guaranteed to take the call in a friendly manner… Nothing is too much trouble, even if it’s just a question about the market in Uxbridge.”Recruitment isn’t just about jobs — it’s about relationships. Sometimes our clients call with an urgent vacancy, but often they just want advice: a sense check on salaries, insight into the candidate market, or a second opinion on their plans.We take pride in being approachable. There’s no “meter running” when you pick up the phone to us. Our role is to be a trusted ...
It’s no secret that August is one of the quietest months in the business calendar. Offices thin out, HR decision-makers head off on holiday, and inboxes are set to “out of office.” But while the world slows down, the savviest hiring managers see this lull as a strategic opportunity.Here’s why making a move now (rather than waiting until the September rush), can give you the edge. 1. Less Competition = First Pick of TalentCome September, the hiring market floods back into action. Everyone is chasing the same talent pool at the same time - and by then, some of the best candidates may already be gone.By starting your search in August, you avoid the crowd and increase your chances of securing the right person before others have even got going. 2. You’ll Get More Time (and Attention) from Your RecruiterRecruitment agencies (ours included) tend to have more bandwidth in August, meaning you get more time dedicated to your search. We’re able to dig deeper into shortlists, move quicker on promising CVs, and really tailor your campaign - all without the usual pile-on that comes in autumn. 3. Candidates Are Still Looking — And Many Are Ready for a September StartNot everyone is on a beach in August. Plenty of excellent candidates are actively looking, especially those: Coming to the end of a contract Relocating over the summer Exploring post-bonus moves Looking to leave before the next quarter begins By engaging them now, you’re in a stronger position to line up interviews and offers for an early September start. 4. You’ll Avoid the September ScrambleIf you've ever tried hiring in September, you’ll know how hectic it gets. Roles build up, internal workloads increase, and hiring decisions are expected yesterday.Starting in August means you: Lock in your shortlist calmly Avoid rushed decisions Onboard early and hit the ground running Final Thought: The Smartest Hires Start EarlyAugust may not be the obvious time to recruit - but that’s exactly why it works. While others hit ...
As summer approaches and many businesses navigate ongoing uncertainty, the demand for temporary workers continues to rise - and it’s not hard to see why. From SMEs to larger organisations, teams across the UK are turning to temps to help manage workload peaks, cover absences, and provide short-term flexibility at a time when permanent hiring is often stalled.We’ve seen this trend play out first-hand as local businesses come to us for fast, reliable temporary support — not just for holiday cover, but as a strategic response to wider hiring challenges.So, what’s driving the surge in temp demand?1. Hiring Freezes & Budget ConstraintsMany companies are still facing internal sign-off delays, spending reviews, or formal hiring freezes — particularly in mid-sized and larger organisations. Even when there’s a business case for extra resource, getting permanent headcount approved can be slow or blocked altogether.Temps provide a way around that. They allow businesses to bring in much-needed help without committing to a long-term hire or navigating layers of red tape.2. Workloads Aren’t Slowing DownDespite caution on the hiring front, the work keeps coming. From customer demand and internal projects to compliance deadlines and seasonal peaks, businesses still need to deliver — and often with fewer people than they’d like.Temporary workers are a practical, scalable way to plug those gaps quickly and keep teams moving.3. The Summer SqueezeWith school holidays just around the corner, many teams are about to feel the impact of reduced headcount even more. Summer absence cover — particularly in office-based roles — is often underestimated, but when multiple people are away at once, the effect on service levels, morale, and output can be significant.Booking holiday cover early ensures the best availability — especially for specialist or part-time needs.4. Temp-to-Perm is Becoming the New NormalA growing number of companies are using temporary contracts as a low-risk way to ...
