This post is a bit off piste but I've been focused up to now, on posting about CV and interview tips, tips on social media that are relevant to me as a start-up business but relevant to candidates in their job searches as well.
The last couple of days I wanted to focus on the state of the UK job market, after all, all this talk about increased vacancies and unemployment dropping is great but what does it mean to the candidate on the ground?
The answer - it depends.
As previous posts have stated I'm still currently a direct recruiter, working in an industry that took a huge blow thanks to the financial crisis, for 4 years we saw ups, downs, a takeover, redundancies and eventual ongoing recovery but we weren't the only ones and got off lightly in comparison to our competitors. So whilst the stories particularly in the last 6 mths of growth, recovery and obviously the official diagnosis that we were out of the recession are marvellous news for all, it does not mean that everything is rosy once more.
The north south divide is still apparent, not only in jobs but also in areas such as housing and high street growth, although it would seem that latest job growth is higher in the north than London;
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-englands-permanent-job-placements-boom-while-london-suffers-1468971
But what about the candidate? What do they think and feel?
For graduates this is great news, following massive culls in grad hires across most if not all market sectors, youth unemployment was a very big problem in the UK and still is, although it is dropping, now we are seeing graduate hiring figures not seen for 3 or more years which is fantastic, career fairs are packed with employers and candidates and the need to sell your company is back on the agenda, we are no longer in a client's market, we have to get the good people interested but candidates are still up against it, with thousands of applications to "graduate schemes" (this is no exaggeration, ours has been running for 2 weeks and we're already creeping up to 1000 applicants).
Experienced hire though is another ball game altogether and herein lies my point. For the grown ups of the world, we lived, struggled and for some of us worried, through the recession, i know plenty of people who lost their jobs, couldn't find one and applied to 100's of roles in the desperate bid to get their mortgage paid. Good, bad and indifferent employees were made redundant and for those left behind, it has left a certain sense of fear, that may sound melodramatic but when you have a family to support and bills to pay, you don't want to be in that situation, ever, so its better the devil you know, particularly for people who have stayed at their jobs.
So whilst there is definite growth, are all industries seeing a certain sense of unwillingness to move? We are, candidates are still uncomfortable giving up their benefits and leaving a place often they have worked in for 5plus years. Getting the best of the best to join your company has always been a challenge, in most industries but now when you're trying to convince someone its the right choice you have a harder, longer battle. Lots of people won't move, deciding they're not comfortable with it. This is reiterated in the article I posted yesterday regarding work life balance, candidates who have an established w/l b don't want to lose it, that coupled with this fear of the unknown could mean that more people are staying put, regardless of the acknowledgement by many industries that w/lb is one of the most important aspects of a working environment with increases in good benefits and flexi working arrangements.
http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/worklife-balance-now-more-sought-after-than-earning-big-money-driving-a-fancy-car-#.VDZsM-mcZnA.twitter
Candidates of a certain level of experience just aren't convinced anymore, I'm generalising of course but I think there is a long way to go to see confidence return overall, this particular post could go in all sorts of directions, political skepticism, media furore, benefit schemes, comfort zones, graduate prospects but for me it's quite simple; whilst the dark days of the recession have been forgotten by some, for many, many people, there is a still a sense of caution and as recruiters that adds to our challenge, but then it wouldn't be recruitment without the challenge would it!
As previous posts have stated I'm still currently a direct recruiter, working in an industry that took a huge blow thanks to the financial crisis, for 4 years we saw ups, downs, a takeover, redundancies and eventual ongoing recovery but we weren't the only ones and got off lightly in comparison to our competitors. So whilst the stories particularly in the last 6 mths of growth, recovery and obviously the official diagnosis that we were out of the recession are marvellous news for all, it does not mean that everything is rosy once more.
The north south divide is still apparent, not only in jobs but also in areas such as housing and high street growth, although it would seem that latest job growth is higher in the north than London;
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-englands-permanent-job-placements-boom-while-london-suffers-1468971
But what about the candidate? What do they think and feel?
For graduates this is great news, following massive culls in grad hires across most if not all market sectors, youth unemployment was a very big problem in the UK and still is, although it is dropping, now we are seeing graduate hiring figures not seen for 3 or more years which is fantastic, career fairs are packed with employers and candidates and the need to sell your company is back on the agenda, we are no longer in a client's market, we have to get the good people interested but candidates are still up against it, with thousands of applications to "graduate schemes" (this is no exaggeration, ours has been running for 2 weeks and we're already creeping up to 1000 applicants).
Experienced hire though is another ball game altogether and herein lies my point. For the grown ups of the world, we lived, struggled and for some of us worried, through the recession, i know plenty of people who lost their jobs, couldn't find one and applied to 100's of roles in the desperate bid to get their mortgage paid. Good, bad and indifferent employees were made redundant and for those left behind, it has left a certain sense of fear, that may sound melodramatic but when you have a family to support and bills to pay, you don't want to be in that situation, ever, so its better the devil you know, particularly for people who have stayed at their jobs.
So whilst there is definite growth, are all industries seeing a certain sense of unwillingness to move? We are, candidates are still uncomfortable giving up their benefits and leaving a place often they have worked in for 5plus years. Getting the best of the best to join your company has always been a challenge, in most industries but now when you're trying to convince someone its the right choice you have a harder, longer battle. Lots of people won't move, deciding they're not comfortable with it. This is reiterated in the article I posted yesterday regarding work life balance, candidates who have an established w/l b don't want to lose it, that coupled with this fear of the unknown could mean that more people are staying put, regardless of the acknowledgement by many industries that w/lb is one of the most important aspects of a working environment with increases in good benefits and flexi working arrangements.
http://www.onrec.com/news/news-archive/worklife-balance-now-more-sought-after-than-earning-big-money-driving-a-fancy-car-#.VDZsM-mcZnA.twitter
Candidates of a certain level of experience just aren't convinced anymore, I'm generalising of course but I think there is a long way to go to see confidence return overall, this particular post could go in all sorts of directions, political skepticism, media furore, benefit schemes, comfort zones, graduate prospects but for me it's quite simple; whilst the dark days of the recession have been forgotten by some, for many, many people, there is a still a sense of caution and as recruiters that adds to our challenge, but then it wouldn't be recruitment without the challenge would it!
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