Why work with Courtney Recruitment?

Anticipated Recruitment Trends for 2024 #1:

The decline of the hybrid work model

It seems as though as we move into 2024, the likelihood of people working from home or on a hybrid basis is going to decrease, a welcome change for many, but not so for others. The sustainability of the working from home model has been put to the test & questioned, and as a result, seems to be becoming less commonplace. All manner of companies have tried and tested it with varying degrees of success, but even those who have enjoyed great success with the hybrid model are moving towards bringing their staff back into the office.

Since the pandemic, it has typically been the small businesses who led the way in bringing staff back into the office, with the larger employers happy to remain hybrid or have staff work from home full time, but recent data shows that even major companies like Google, Apple & Meta are recalling staff to now come and work at the office, which is expected to cause a serious ripple effect.

Whereas the near normality of working from home or on a hybrid basis has bred a brand new expectation amongst hundreds of thousands of employees to be allowed to work in this way, changes that the major employers will usher in will bring a wave of change in attitudes during 2024 towards such work options being on offer. In turn this is of course bound to change peoples attitudes to the potential of hybrid/home working. Whereas it has grow to be an expected part of the vast majority of new job offer packages, hybrid and home based working is likely to deplete as the year goes on.

Who knows where we will be by mid 2024, and at the end of the year. Will working from home still be ‘a thing’? Will it still be expected, or hoped for by job seekers?  Or will be see a return to pre-pandemic days?

Courtney Recruitment, named 'Liverpool Recruitment Company of the Year 2023' provides permanent recruitment services to the professional services sector in and around the Liverpool City Region, and has done so since it was established in 2015. The company is headed up by experienced recruiter, Elaine Courtney who started her recruitment career in 2002. To contact Courtney Recruitment, call 0151 601 6263.

Lockdown ripple effect on the business landscape & on employees

What a
time it’s been of late. For some this lockdown period has been more challenging
than others, for some it’s been a great opportunity to step off that hamster
wheel of life and relax, take stock, reassess & improve. For others the
need to cease trading has caused heartache and real difficulties. No matter how
it was for us, coming out of lockdown and returning to what will now be our
‘new normal’ will take some getting used to for all of us.

It has certainly had, and will continue to have its impact on business. The new normal will be different, I’m fully expecting to see a totally different business landscape now, from co-located workforces now, teams spending a lot of time working from home with just some days in the office, to some working permanently at home, and being part of regular team video calls to keep in touch.

I'm expecting that companies may feel a little hesitant to recruit staff on a permanent basis for a short period, and are more likely to bring in temporary or fixed term contract workers, or may instead unfortunately feel that they need to let people go. As understandable as making redundancies is, at a time of real need, purely as a last resort, it seems that businesses will need to  beware of ‘over pruning’. It is predicted that numerous larger companies may downsize excessively, which in turn could create a significant surge in demand for talent once business recovers.

All of
these factors point to what is going to be a major change in the employment
market now in 2020 and beyond (it is odd that I hear those last 2 words in a
Buzz Lightyear voice now? Too much Disney watching downtime with my daughter!),
to my mind furthered by a number of factors.

From
numerous conversations since lockdown began with job seekers and businesses, it
seems that the lockdown period has given a lot of people down time to reassess
what’s important to them in life – in much the same way people often do during
summer hols and at Christmas time. A sort of epiphany – And we’re seeing people
who now wish to change their jobs completely, they want to retrain and change
track altogether. They are looking for a completely new path, I’m going to call
this a ‘track change’. This will create an oddly slow ripple effect, as people
will make their move at vastly different stages, according to when they reach
either this realisation that they want to move on, or undertake and complete
any relevant training to facilitate this, or when the move is financially
viable for them.

I think
we will also see a lot of employees who are not keen to return to their current
employer due to the way they were treated during lockdown. Some employees talk
of great communications with their employer keeping them in the loop as to
what’s going on, checking in with them to check they are ok, sending out little
gifts or care packages even! Other have had a very different experience
altogether which seems to have left many, a silent many people disgruntled
about their employer, disengaged and now flicking through job ads as a result.

And then
there are those who may be close to retirement, and may have had a taste of
what is to come and would like to start that new lifestyle sooner than planned.
They are realising that this works for them, they quite like this, and in some
cases are chatting to their employers just to let them know that they might
just not want to come back!

And as
the contracting market has had quite a shake up, we may well see people who
typically only wish to carry out high value contracting work looking for jobs
they might not overwise have gone for, due to the lack of contracting work just
now. Again, this will have quite an effect on numerous recruitment processes,
if a percentage of applicants across the whole jobs market are people who don’t
actually want the job they are applying for! Mayhem!

Overall,
with the track changing as a result of the epiphanies, those feeling disgruntled
with their employers, the pre-retirees and the contractors all in the mix, this
is going to make it a difficult time to identify talent, true talent that has
the experience and skill set mix that your business needs, but also those who
have their heart set on moving into the job you have to offer and are not in
the job applications process for the wrong reasons.

The hunt
for talent is going to become more difficult, that’s for sure! The needle in
the haystack effect will be with us for some time. Never has it been more
important to have a solid, robust process in place when you need to recruit,
and to understand the potential new pitfalls. It is key to make sure that you
have someone who can advise and ask you challenging questions, to help
determine whether you need someone temporary, permanent or on a fixed term
contract, to help you pin point exactly what skills and what type of
person/people you need to bring in to your business, someone with expertise who
is happy to share the thinking with you on your recruitment plan.

A
relationship with a recruiter that you know, that you trust and that you know
you can depend on to get the right result every time you need them is going to
be vital as we all take every positive step that we can to rebuild our economy.

Written
by Elaine Courtney, Director of Courtney Recruitment.

www.courtneyrecruitment.co.uk

Ready to bounce back?

It’s on its way, the good times will return once again, and possibly sooner than you think!

We have
been through unbelievable times of late, we’ve all sat and nervously watched
the daily briefings when they ran each day – and we’ve all heard the word
‘unprecedented’ a million times over, we’ve worried of what will happen next,
we’ve missed our families and our friends lovely faces and we’ve no doubt all
wondered what the ‘new normal’ will be like.

But right
now feels good! The overall picture of the grip this virus had has changed very
much, and whilst we have to exercise caution on an ongoing basis, it seems to
be a level of caution that we have learned to live with already. We’re cautious
if we come into contact with others, if we nip to the local shop, or if we’re
out for a walk. We know how to be careful now, we’re good at this stuff now –
So let’s take this forward and carefully look to get the world of work moving
again.

Over the
recent weeks and months, I’ve researched on an ongoing basis, to understand
what’s happening and what is likely to happen. The picture has shifted about
here and there, but what I find now is overwhelmingly positive if I’m honest.
This was backed up recently when Investec showed that the UK GDP will see an
(that word again) unprecedented decline in Q2 of 26.8% – of course, that’s
understandable, but the great news is that this will be followed by a recovery
of 25%! Almost back to where we were, which is far better than most of us were
expecting.

There
have been numerous doom mongerers out there warning us all of the huge economic
downturn, the doom of the economy etc etc. it seems wise not to pay too much
attention to the scaremongering and focus on what the economic research tells
us.

The
economic downturn was not based on a struggling economy – it was driven by an
international need to stop what we were all (almost all) doing. As soon as we
all go back to doing what we did, surely a new form of ‘business as usual’ is
within reach?

And don’t
forget, business is based very much on relationships. If your clients recognise
the quality of the work you do, or the quality of your product, it’s a safe bet
that as soon as they need to spend in that area again, they’re right back to
you. Maintain your relationships, help your clients out even when they’re not
buying from you, do what you can to help them and maintain the goodwill vibe
you have going. Keep the conversation going. People want to help others where
they can, I find that this has always been the case, but never moreso than now
with the amazing sense of community spirit that has emerged during this
lockdown period.

There
will be much change for us all to deal with as we move forward, but from the
amazing support we can offer one another, we can all pull together, help out
our friends, colleagues, business contacts where they need it and we will be on
the happy road to recovery in no time!

Written
by Elaine Courtney, Director of Courtney Recruitment.

Staying Calm for the interview itself

So, you’ve landed the interview! Great news! Well done you, you’ve obviously presented yourself well to this point, whether that’s via your CV, a telephone interview, a registration meeting with a recruitment agency or all 3.

So, now it’s time to turn your thoughts to the interview, and what you can do to make the absolute best of it, and make the experience as stress free as possible.
These tips might help make things a little easier on the day:

• Rehearse – Talking the potential interview scenario over with someone can really help you, rehearse answers to common questions
• Your CV – Read and re-read your own CV, make sure you know it well, as this is usually what the discussion will be based around
• Sleep – Get a good nights sleep the night before, give yourself the best chance by having good energy levels
• Visualise – In a non-arrogant manner, imagine that you already have the job before you go into the interview, take a deep breath of pride and head into that interview
• Context – If you feel as though nerves are really getting the better of you, try to get the situation into context. Remind yourself that ultimately this is just a meeting, a conversation.
• Notes – Take a pad and pen with you, you might want to note down some information given at interview
• Be passionate, be positive – If you’re asked about something that you feel passionate about, it’s fine to let this show. It allows the interviewer to see more of your true personality. Only best to apply this when you’re talking about something positive, not something that really ticks you off though!

And remember – the interviewer is a person, just like you and me. They got up this morning, got ready and came into work, just like everyone else. They just need to meet you, and get to understand your work history and what type of person you are, so help them to understand all of that. Try to relax, and have an open, positive and friendly conversation.

Good luck!

What is the best type of job for me?

What is the best type of job for me?

So, you’re ready for your next career move, but you’re not sure what direction to go in, what role to look for next…

How can you work out what the best type of job for you is? For starters, it may help to get jotting some ideas down. Maybe have a go at brain storming?!

So, think about your own personal skill set, not just the skills you’ve gained in the workplace, but those you have gained in your own time...

What are your best skills?

What are you good at?

Would you like to use skills gained through qualification?

Which of those skills would you like to use more, and which would you like to move away from?

Then think about what interests you…

What interests you about any of the roles you’ve held so far?

What do you love to do?

Can you find a role that will allow you to work with your interests?

What sort of jobs include work involving those interests?

Next, what about the type of company you would like to work with…

What would a good company to work for look like to you?

Would you like to work within a large organisation, perhaps a large corporate, or a smaller business?

What would working for a small business mean to you?

Think of the pros and cons to working for each of these, and what they would mean to you.

Then think about the role itself…

What would you like your role to accomplish? What is the ideal outcome/result of your work?

Do you want to help a company to grow, by winning more customers? If so, could a role in sales be good for you?

Do you want to see yourself as a leader who is able to train others in your area of expertise? If so, is a role in management or team-leading your next step?

Then you have to think about the practicalities of it all, what salary do you need? What location can you get to?

Some people find that they want to help develop others, others want to provide a front of house service, greeting visitors, and some people want to make key decisions on how to drive a business forward. Wherever you are within all of this, as long as you take the time to consider what is important to you, and to find the role and company that is the right match for you, you shouldn’t go far wrong.

How do we know what our 'dream job' is?

How do we know what our ‘dream job’ is?

When we think about our dream job, it can mean a few different things. Sometimes people want to use their skills and do something that they are really good at. Others want to work doing something that they love, and have a great passion for – But some people, in fact many people, are still stuck wondering what they want to do, and where they might end up.   Maybe it was a far easier question to answer when you were 5 years old; a train driver, a doctor, a vet, a footballer, even a movie star!

Getting a job using your skills is a fantastic idea, and can be a highly effective route to employment. Give some serious thought to what you are good at, and as long as you can effectively portray this and demonstrate it to a potential employer, you have a great chance of gaining work using those skills.

Working in a job that you love and have a great passion for, it is said, can mean that you never work a day in your life.  If you really love what you do, it might not even feel like work, for people lucky enough to be in such a situation (I’m glad to say, myself included here).

But if you’re in the jobs market and still don’t feel sure what you want to do or where you’re meant to be, don’t worry too much, this is more common than you might think. Not everyone can picture what their dream job is going to look like, many people don’t know where to start with it, so you’re certainly not alone.

If you don’t know what your dream job looks like, maybe you need to first all think about what kind of thing it needs to involve. Does it need to be something creative? Something office based? Something where you are customer facing?  Do you see yourself working for a large corporate organisation, or a small local company? Does it need to be ‘core hours’ or would you prefer to work evenings and weekends?  What skills would you like to use? How about getting involved more in something you feel passionate about?  There are lots of things to think about, and often ‘brainstorming’ around these kinds of questions can lead to some form of clarity on at least the type of work you want to be involved in.

Don’t forget, there is every chance that your dream job might just present itself to you in some way! I had no idea what my dream job was until I ‘fell into it’ when I entered the recruitment world in 2004. Sometimes chance can intervene and show us the way, and we suddenly realise that we have found what we were searching for. For me, when I started to work in recruitment, I had a sense of feeling as though I was ‘home’, it felt right for me, as it allowed me the balance between connecting and engaging with people, understanding their situation and what they need and working hard to help meet that need. It is a combination of desk work and face to face work, which for me was a great balance.

So if you’re still trying to work out the whole dream job thing, think about your skills, think about your passions, and don’t forget that even if you’re still not sure, your dream job might just come and find you!

Maybe we can help you find your dream job?  Give us a call and have a chat, call Elaine at Courtney Recruitment on 0151 601 6263. We would love to help!

Or, check out our current vacancies

Celebrate with Courtneys

Today marks a new chapter…

Courtney Reed Group has today unveiled a new identity, logo and website as part of a corporate rebranding initiative. The development, started earlier this year, was undertaken to support our evolution, set out a vision for the future and provide the best business services to meet our ongoing client needs.

After launching the business in early 2015, we are delighted that Courtney Reed group is now recognised as one of the leading local names in recruitment and tender support services. With a new office in the business district of Liverpool City Council, the rebrand coincides with a period of strong growth after seeing a sharp increase in new and repeat clients in both of the key areas of the business, that exceeded revenue projections.

As we change as a company and grow to encompass other services, we are happy that the brand now brings our services together under one masthead and creates a cohesive message for our engaged and loyal audiences. These are such exciting times for Courtney Reed Group and we felt that the time was right to invest in our communications strategy. It’s all about our clients for us, and we developed so much in our first year that we wanted to create a more prominent brand to underpin our values and strengthen our online and offline messages.

Along with a fresh new look, the new website offers easier navigation, improved information and swift access to vacancies. But today is just the beginning and we would love to hear your feedback so that we can make our site and services even better. Please take the time to have a look around and thank you; we are delighted that you are able to join us on our continued journey.

Top Ten Job Interview Tips

Find out about the company before you go

Information is so easily accessible these days that there’s really no excuse for not doing a little research into the company you’re being interviewed by before you go in. Google them, spend some time on their website, read any blogs or press releases you might find, just have a little look around and get a feel for their business

What’s the job?

Make sure that you have a clear understanding of what the role involves, try to get hold of a copy of a job description if possible. If one is not available, read over the job advertisement to absorb any detail you can, and if possible, have a chat with the person who has arranged the interview for you about the role and the duties/responsibilities involved. Get it clear in your mind, so you’re not caught out when discussing it.

Don’t be late!

Being late for a job interview sets the wrong impression immediately, meaning that you start at a disadvantage when it comes to making a good ‘first impression’ as the interview gets underway. Find out where it is, how you will get there, how long it will take you, and allow plenty of time to get there.  Respect the fact that the interviewers may be working to a tight schedule on the day of your interview, so your lateness might cause issues throughout the day for them.

What are you wearing?

Plan in advance what to wear. Make sure that you are presentable, in your best interview clothes. Make sure that they are clean, neat and tidy, and appropriate for the job you’re being interviewed for.

Pay attention!

Although you might be a little nervous, and be trying to think of ways to come across in the best way possible, don’t let these thoughts allow your mind to wander during the interview. Try to remain focused on the person speaking to you, on what they’re saying and asking you.

Answer the actual question

So you’re listening intently, and you understand the question being asked. Make sure that you answer that actual question and don’t go off on a tangent, over explaining perhaps irrelevant things. Adding a little extra detail here and there is no problem, but giving details which don’t answer the question is a big no no.

Why should they pick you?

At some point during the interview, the interviewer might ask you why they should pick you. Be prepared with a great answer. Think about what they might want to hear, think about your genuine answer, think about why you would be an ideal fit for the role, put it all together and create a great answer before you go to interview.

Show how interested you are

If an interviewer has seen a number of people for a job as well as you, and has shortlisted 2 or 3 people including yourself, often one thing that can make a world of difference is you explaining how interested in the role you are. Don’t take up 10 minutes telling them how much you really want the job, just simply express how you feel about the role, about the prospect of getting the job and why you would like the job so much. Enthusiasm for a role expressed correctly might just get you over the finish line!

Relax

Take deep breaths before you enter the interview room, and try to tell yourself that these people talking to you are normal, everyday nice people. They are not trying to catch you out, they are simply trying to find out a little about you, so relax, let the conversation flow and ………

Be yourself!

A good interviewer can see past your nerves, and will be looking to try to see the real you, so try to let that show.