Welcome to our July newsletter
This is our July newsletter featuring a mix of industry news, helpful information from recruitment industry experts, tips to help you improve and grow the profitability of your business and, of course, lots of news from ourselves at Recruitment Matters about our training courses (including our first Saturday course date for 'Introduction To Management'), products and services.
We are pleased to feature the latest article 'How To More Than Double Your Direct Mail Response Rates' from our regular contributor, 'Marketing Mentor,' Alastair Campbell. This one was sent to us by Alastair while holidaying in Crete – that's dedication for you!
A number of you have called to discuss details of our new job seeker training project and how you can earn vouchers by helping your candidates. Click our Quick Guide or read below for full details.
If ever we needed reminding that the recruitment industry is a global market and that most of us are hurting right now, here's a sad story from Oz - British recruitment consultants working in Australia have been forced to come home to the UK.
Since the recruitment downturn began last year, hundreds of British recruiters working in Australia on '457 visas' have been forced to return after losing their jobs and failing to find new sponsorships in the required time frame, according to Australian recruitment and human capital web news service shortlist.net.au.
UK recruitment consultants make up the vast majority of the employer-sponsored work visas issued to Australian recruitment companies.
Leading Australian rec-to-recs say that in most cases they are now declining to represent recruiters who require 457 work visas to enter or remain in Australia because there is virtually no demand and the revised application process is too slow and complicated, Shortlist reports.
Turnaround Recruitment managing director Ben Richardson said that most recruitment companies now wouldn't look at recruiters who required visas unless they had extensive experience in the local market, a strong network and top billing history. This contrasted with the situation 18 months ago when high demand and Australia's streamlined visa application process meant recruitment companies were keen to look at recruiters from overseas with no local experience.
Richardson says that at the peak of the market, "probably around 30% to 40%" of the entire recruitment consulting workforce were foreign residents on 457 visas. "A lot of those people have been retrenched and have had to go back already."
He says his firm still got a lot of inquiries from overseas recruiters about sponsorship and potentially working here, but in most cases it declined to represent them. "There's a lot of recruitment companies that have now got a blanket rule that they don't want to see people from us that need a visa, and they'll tell us that early on in the process."
He says even in cases where recruitment companies had vacant sponsorship spots in their workforce, they would still usually prefer a local candidate because of the "headaches" in the new visa process.
Other stories in this issue highlight the swings and roundabouts of this recession, with the latest report of a surge in unemployment, news of more recruiters in financial difficulty and a probable leap in acquisition activity. On the other hand we've got CEO's suggesting that there are some grounds for optimism, a report of a slight increase in the number of resourcing roles and even the BCC suggesting that the worst of the recession could be over. What do you think?
In the latest instalment of our regular feature 'Recruiters' Guide to Researchers,' we have a very helpful article from Exacta's Julie Barlow and Jillian Mallaby on the value of 'persistence.' We also feature tips from our trainers Warren Kemp and Matt Wilson, all of which are featured in 'Credit Crunch' and on the tips section of our website.
We very much like this to be an interactive newsletter and we welcome your comments and feedback and will be happy to feature your contributions on important industry issues and your advice on how to improve the success and professionalism of our marketplace. As you now know, in return, we show our gratitude by featuring a link to your company, as a contributor to this publication.
We at Recruitment Matters have a simple underlying philosophy to everything that we do, and that is, by helping each other to improve, we all stand to benefit in this large, dynamic and ever evolving industry.
Please send your potential editorial contributions to ken@recruitmentmatters.com.
We can help your out of work (and/or difficult to place) candidates
Advise the candidates you can't help to contact us and be rewarded for it – earn free vouchers!
Quick Guide
Out of work applicants/candidates are difficult to help and can be very time consuming.
So what can you do that takes up very little of your time?
We might just have a solution for you - and one that will help you directly in another way too. At RMI we have come up with two courses for job seekers – a one day course 'How To Secure The Right Job In A Competitive Market' aimed at the mid to senior level people and a half day one 'Make Your CV And Interview Count' aimed at the lower salary and entry level guys. Both are designed with the out of work individual specifically in mind – people who you can't afford the time to help. We will take them through CV writing, job searching and interview skills. See Make your CV & Interview Count and How to secure the right job in a competitive market. for course overviews.
It's a great opportunity for you to be able to help them, as well as enhance your reputation as a caring recruiter, and financially help them attend! So how does it work? Well, when they contact you, you can advise these job seekers of the courses available and if they come to us as a referral from you, they can book their course of choice at a discounted rate of £50 off the one day course and £20 off the half day course. When you receive appropriate calls or emails, you can quickly turn them round by pointing them in our direction. You could even mass email your out of work/difficult to place candidates to help keep in touch with them and issue them with the details. The bottom line is that by giving these people help and thus generating goodwill, you will create more valuable time to get on with working with candidates and clients you can help (and generate a fee for).
And here's your added bonus!
For every person you refer to us who attends a course you will earn a choice of High St or Tesco vouchers or RMI training vouchers to be redeemed against our training courses.
After each course we'll update your statement summarising your voucher earnings for you to claim as and when you wish. For each of your candidates who attends one of our courses, you can choose from the following:
One day course 'How To Secure The Right Job In A Competitive Market'
£50 RMI Training Voucher redeemable against our training (build them up to 100% off)
£25 High Street Voucher
£25 Tesco Voucher
Half day course 'Make Your CV & Interview Count'
£20 RMI Training Voucher redeemable against our training (build them up to 100% off)
£10 High Street Voucher
£10 Tesco Voucher
RMI training vouchers can be added together to pay for up to 100% of training course costs – both open courses and in-house sessions, too. There's no limit to the number of vouchers you can earn and they are valid for 12 months from date of issue.
When you send the job seeker the course details or link, simply send them a booking form (which we will provide you with and will have a reference code to confirm your company as the referral source). If it's easier, then just email them a link to our site and ask them to quote your unique reference code when they book. Candidates need a code to get their discount so you are sure to get the credit.
Advising a job seeker to contact us for help could give them the key skills and knowledge they need to increase their chances of getting a job – a strong CV and great interview skills with very little effort (but lots of the glory!) from yourself.
So what do I do now?
Email info@recruitmentmatters.com with the word 'YES' in your reply or, if you wish to discuss further, email ken@recruitmentmatters.com or call 0800 0749289.
If you do wish to participate in this venture, we will email you the details of both courses for you to forward to your candidates, a booking form with your unique reference code on it and website link with details for people to view as applicable. Let us do the rest – we will sell them the benefits of attending and after each course runs you will get a list of those attendees who came from you with the appropriate vouchers.
NB One referral booking attending a one day course means that you could then attend our "Credit Crunch" half day course free of charge! Nothing to lose – everything to gain - no catches – no small print. Ask your admin team to email 100 of your recent "can't help" enquirers. If only 6 of those signed up to us you've got a free one day open training course place that could improve your chances to win more business. In-house rates available upon request. If there are 4 of you in a team and just one of your candidates per day signs up that's 20 x £50 = £1000 worth of training earned in a week for being polite!
'The 'Marketing Mentor' - Marketing Advice for Recruitment Companies
Contributor: Alastair Campbell, The Marketing Mentor Programme
How to more than double your direct mail response rates
Have you ever wondered how you can increase the response rates to your direct mail letters? Some companies I have worked for - particularly in the recruitment industry - say that direct mail 'just doesn't work for them'. Whilst nothing can be guaranteed, there are 7 simple steps you can take today that will increase your direct mail response rates. If you are doing none of these at the moment, they will AT LEAST double your the number of enquiries they generate.
- Have a clear benefit driven headline with 17 words or less. Make it clear how you can help your prospect. Don't worry about witty puns or clever word play - just give a clear credible benefit at the start of your letter.
- Target your letter. Don't write to a broad audience. If you are contacting Secretaries to the MD of paper manufacturers, make it clear that this is your audience. Better to create a series of targeted letters than a 'one size fits all' one.
- Make it easy to read. People don't really want to read your letter - so if it's written in a clumsy manner with a complex structure it gives an excuse to stop. Instead use short sentences and short words. Use technical language only sparingly and only if it establishes your credibility in their industry.
- Focus on one central point or offer. Don't use one letter to make a host of different offers, talk about a host of different services or give the complete history of your company. Instead make one point that you think will be of interest to them clearly and simply - explaining the benefits all the way.
- Put yourself in their position. Imagine what you could do that would really help the prospect. Is there something that will save them time or money? What can you do that their current recruitment
company is not able to offer? If you can find out what this is, hammer home the advantages clearly.
- Give a 2 step offer. One of the most effective ways of increasing your response rates is to make a free offer for something - a salary report, an interview tips booklet, a free CD - something that will
appeal to your key audience. This will increase your enquiry rate and generate lots of warmer prospects. They are not ready to buy just yet but they have raised their hands to show a possible interest in what you do.
- Include an order form. You don't have to be selling anything in the post in order to include a form. Make it as simple as possible for people to enquire by including a list of areas you think they may
be interested in. If you are offering a free report include the chance to apply for this as well (not the report itself). Then put your fax number, phone number and an e-mail address on the form to encourage them to reply in the format of their choosing.
- Remember a PS. Tests show that the PS at the end of a letter is the second most read part. Use it in include a re-statement of your main offer, give a time sensitive date, a warm customer testimonial or give one final reason why they should get in touch.
Out of all of these 8 areas, the headline is the single most important area, but add in all of these elements to your letter and watch your response rates increase dramatically. And, of course, once you have got a good letter that works on one area, then it can be adapted to work in all your others too.
Alastair Campbell runs the Marketing Mentor programme which offers a free one day marketing seminar followed by a free 17 month marketing support package for recruitment company owners or their senior staff. He is running his next free evening marketing seminar on June 25th. Visit www.themarketingmentor.co.uk, email alastair@idealmarketingcompany.com or telephone 01858 445543 to find out more.
Executives still prepared to move
Despite the recession, 75% of currently employed executives are likely or very likely to consider a new job opportunity.
According to the 2009 BlueSteps Executive Mobility Survey, the most important factor in an executive's decision to leave their current employer is poor company values, with 74% of respondents rating this as extremely important.
The executives surveyed for the report maintain traditional ideas of executive mobility, with 57% expecting to work for four to seven organisations by the end of their career and 48% saying that two years is the shortest tenure an executive can have at an organisation without compromising the value of one's CV.
Della Giles, director of BlueSteps.com, says: "This openness toward new opportunities during a difficult and unstable economic climate indicates that executives realise the importance of taking career management into their own hands, and that mobility plays a large part in that.While executives are still concerned with traditional things like professional development and responsibilities, they are also now more concerned than ever with the company culture and values."
Don't talk about recruitment with your clients
Clients spend a small amount of their time actually recruiting and a much larger part of their time on other aspects of their business. In these troubled times they are taking more phone calls from recruiters than ever before all enquiring about potential vacancies. Do you think they might be getting fed up by now?
When the client does have a vacancy they need help with, they will call a recruiter and one that they trust. So what do clients look for in a recruiter? Well, industry knowledge and competitor knowledge are high up there on any list. So, put simply, in the dealings you have with them leading up to a vacancy you need to prove your worth as an industry expert. That means talking about the market and their competitors with them, keeping them up to date or at very least showing them that you are up to date. So when calling them up, give them information that will help them and snippets they will be impressed with thus nudging you a few places up the rankings of potential preferred recruiters each time. You will get what you want when you help them get what they want – and everyone wants market information.
Warren Kemp is MD and lead trainer with Recruitment Matters. For more tips, advice and information on Recruitment Matters visit www.recruitmentmatters.com/free.php, telephone 0800 0749 289/ +44 (0)1483 755559 or email warren@recruitmentmatters.com.
UK unemployment rises by a record 281,000
UK unemployment rose by a record 281,000 to 2.38 million in the three months to May, the Office for National Statistics has said.
The jobless rate increased to 7.6%, the highest in more than 10 years.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefit increased by 23,800 in June to 1.56 million, which was less than analysts had forecast.
Unemployment among young people has been especially acute, as firms cut jobs to reduce costs in the downturn.
Young people - those up to 24 years old - have been particularly hard hit with unemployment leaping to a 16-year high of 726,000. The number of those out of work for more than a year rose by 46,000 to 528,000, the highest for 11 years.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "It's particularly worrying that over half a million unemployed people have been out of work for at least a year, including 133,000 young unemployed people. With a new generation of school and college leavers soon starting to look for work, our unemployment crisis will get even bigger."
Ian Brinkley, Associate Director of The Work Foundation observed: "The latest figures show steep increases in unemployment and large scale job loss. However, although the overall figures are bad, the labour market is doing better than patterns seen in previous recessions. People are not being shunted off the claimant count into long term sickness related benefits, nor are they dropping out of the active labour market entirely.
"The early stages of the recession were dominated by job losses among the young and full time male workers. We are now seeing significant job losses for older workers and for women - though employment for younger workers is still falling faster than for older workers and male employment is still falling faster than employment for women. This is to be expected as the impact on the labour market deepens and widens."
Katja Hall, Director of Employment Policy, CBI, said "Businesses and staff are doing their utmost to protect jobs, and in many firms we have seen a spirit of flexibility around pay and hours to try to limit redundancies. The rise in youth unemployment is particularly worrying and the government must target more help to prevent long-term damage to a generation."
Samantha Weston, Head of Resourcing at Grant Thornton commented "Today's increase in the number of unemployed 18-24 year olds to 726,000 is a worrying figure for the Government and will only rise further as the class of 2009 graduates. However we must be careful not to put graduates off of applying for jobs altogether. We do not want to fall into the trap of the last recession and be left with a dearth of candidates for management positions in a few years time but instead we should be committed to training those entering the job market."
"In this increasingly competitive job market it is also vital that graduates target their applications appropriately, a generic covering letter just will not cut it with employers in this highly competitive market. Graduates need to show that they have a strong understanding of both the firm and the position for which they are applying and what key skills and attributes they can bring to the role."
Get past the gatekeeper (Final part – Part Four)
What if all of the information in parts 1-3 doesn't work? Well you could forget it, go home, resign, pack your bags and apologise for taking your salary over the last few months, empty your personal belongings from your desk, kiss 'goodbye' the person you have always fancied but never told them you did.
Well no, there are a few more tactics before we go that far. One is to be persistent. Someone once said to me "If you can't get through to the person you want, you aren't calling enough". Think about it, the Receptionist or Secretary goes on lunch, goes to the bathroom, has days off, so do not give up. If you have a troublesome gatekeeper, phone at twenty minute intervals between the hours of 12:00pm and 2:00pm (hiding your number) and I'll bet at one of those timeslots he or she has gone on lunch and you have a new gatekeeper. Now imagine if that had happened and you found out the name of the tricky gatekeeper, then when you get the new one you can say 'Oh hello, that isn't Sally is it?' and when they say no you can simply respond with 'I didn't think so, I usually deal with Sally. Can you put me through to Tom Jones your Finance Director please, thank you?'
Now I'm not suggesting that the tactic above or the other few I am about to mention become part of daily life – I'm simply trying to ensure you get through if it's vital that you do and after more traditional methods have failed. One of the more tactical things you can do is phoning a random number that relates to that company and asking them to put you through to your contact as you have obviously have been misdirected. "Is that Tom's phone – no? – Is that ext 647 –yes? - That's strange, that's the number I have been given for Tom Jones – could you look up his number for me? –Thanks."
Alternatively, you could ask your random number to put you through....that way when your target contact looks at his phone it will be an internal call and not from reception and they are more likely to pick it up knowing it isn't an outside caller.
Another option? Get a direct number for almost anyone in the target department and then, out of normal business hours, phone all the numbers around it getting voicemails. Bingo! You now have your target's direct line – no more gatekeepers!
However the best advice I can give you is to be consistent, be persistent and have the right information and, by that, I mean the right level of information to help your gatekeeper put you through. You can even tell them they will be putting you through! "Good morning, in a moment or two I am going to ask you to put me through to Tom Jones in your finance dept. When you do will I get Tom directly or does he have a secretary?" .....and by choosing either Tom or telling you they have a secretary they are accepting that they will be putting you through!
Don't forget when you are put through to a level three gatekeeper just tell them who you are and what you want and suggest that they may wish to ask their boss if he might want a conversation with you.
I'm sure the four sessions we have covered will increase your success rate. Practice really does make perfect so do keep trying. Good luck.
Warren Kemp is MD and lead trainer with Recruitment Matters. For more tips, advice and information on Recruitment Matters visit www.recruitmentmatters.com/free.php, telephone 0800 0749 289/ +44 (0)1483 755559 or email warren@recruitmentmatters.com.
Recruiters' Guide to handling researchers
Contributor: Julie Barlow & Jillian Mallaby, Exacta Research
The 3 P's – Persistence, Persistence, Persistence...
Here at Exacta, we are used to finding the proverbial "needle in a haystack". This often means a lot of self-reflection, gusto, and a determined attitude.
We were recently tasked to help a recruiter find an Overhead Linesman on behalf of a well known engineering consultancy. Like any other assignment, we started by drawing up a comprehensive list of companies in the right geographical area who were likely to employ such individuals, and then began the process of identifying the correct individuals within those companies. After two or three days of identification work, we finally had a definitive list of all of the Linesmen who worked in the right area - only there weren't very many of them.
It was then that we discovered that this particular role is one of the jobs that the UK Home Office has put on the official list of 'shortage occupations' - those jobs that are so difficult to fill that they are open to foreign workers because there just aren't enough people in the UK doing the job. Unsurprisingly actually, when you consider that these guys climb semi-live towers up to 650ft tall in British weather to change their insulators and so on…
So how were we going to convince one of these 15 or so targets on our list to leave a company where they had experience, security and probably strong support behind them to move to another company to do a pretty similar job? Ultimately, it came down to absolute determination and focus. We're happy to admit that after approaching three-quarters of the targets there were no takers and we were beginning to worry a little that we weren't going to find anyone. It was on a Friday afternoon (of all times) that we finally managed to track down one guy that we'd left 4 messages for requesting a call back - he said he might be interested, and after a lengthy conversation about the opportunity, that weekend we had profiled him and sent his details on to the client.
Our old friend and oft-quoted Dale Carnegie once said that "most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all," and we think that all of our colleagues here have had at least one assignment where they've had to bear that in mind. We can recall an assignment last year where we were helping a client working for one of the UK's top 10 banks. They were looking to appoint a Credit Risk Analyst a couple of months after the credit crunch had really taken hold. Naturally, one would think everyone working in financial services at that time would be reluctant to change employer, after all it's better the devil you know than the devil you don't sometimes.
We'd approached well over 150 Analysts from a list of around 175 potential targets, and they'd all given us a flat "no" in reply; we were beginning to lose faith that people would even listen to the brief, let alone go for the opportunity, until we finally found someone willing to not only listen to the brief, but who was willing to send a CV the same day. Just imagine if we'd given up hope and reported back to the client that there wasn't anyone out there with 90% of the work done!
It's our belief that even the most obscure of jobs has at the very least an ideal applicant, and it's a researcher's job to find that person and convince them. The perfect candidate might not be in the most obvious place, so some real hard work might be involved to find them, but a good researcher will have variety of tools up their sleeve to do this. Even when one has exhausted all the targets identified, one can start networking with people and eventually get to the right person.
It often just takes a little bit of luck and a lot of patience, but it's often the case that the harder you work, the luckier you are. The researcher that gives up after 99 "no's" from a list of 100 people to approach may as well not have bothered starting the assignment in the first place; sometimes that golden candidate that helps your client secure a juicy placement fee and turns a research assignment from a "decent effort" into a "glorious success" might well be the last person tracked down.
As another old Exacta friend, Albert Einstein, once said: "It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
Julie Barlow and Jillian Mallaby are Research Consultants at Exacta Research, a recruitment research company who provide a candidate research service to help clients find the best possible candidates across all sectors and levels. For further information email david@exactaresearch.co.uk, visit www.exactaresearch.co.uk or call 08000 856 618.
More recruiters in trouble while acquisition activity is set to increase
The number of recruiters in 'critical' financial difficulty has more than doubled in the past year, according to new research.
The research by business rescue, recovery and restructuring firm Begbies Traynor found:
• the number of recruiters with 'critical' financial problems rose from 24 in Q2 to 55 in Q2 of 2009, a 129% increase
• there was a 90% increase in the number of recruiters showing 'significant' financial distress in Q2 compared to Q2 in 2008
• a 67% increase in the number of recruiters with 'critical' problems in Q2 compared with Q1
Begbies Traynor defines companies with 'significant' problems as those with either a court action and/or average, poor or very poor, insolvent or out-of-date accounts. Companies with 'critical' problems are those with County Court Judgements totalling £5,000 or more and/or wind-up petition related claims.
Nick Hood, partner, Begbies Traynor, says: "Recruitment companies serving all levels of the job market are now starting to feel the severity of the economic downturn and as we approach the seasonally quieter summer period, this may be the tolling bell for severely struggling companies.
"Over the medium term, the situation will only worsen as unemployment is a lagging indicator and its full effects are not going to be seen until even later in the recession."
A 10th of recruitment firms in the UK could change hands due in this recession, according to a new study by financial analysts Plimsoll.
David Pattison, author of the new Plimsoll Industry Analysis – Recruitment Agencies, says: "I am sure any director worth his salt would agree that, in the current climate, there are simply too many companies chasing too little market. With many directors eyeing the exit doors and highly leveraged buyouts consigned to history for the time being, it really is a buyers market out there for cash-rich companies.
"In the Plimsoll Industry Analysis we have identified 172 companies that have a sizeable cash reserve sat on their balance sheets that, due to record low interest rates, is generating nothing. One company has a £42m cash pot; a whopping 80% of turnover. These companies are now in the position to buy up large chunks of market share at rock bottom prices and make that money work for them. They must be like kids in a sweet shop at the moment – all those distressed competitors available at a fraction of their true value.
"The UK recruitment agencies' market is still widely regarded as one of the UK's most fragmented sectors. In our report we analysed 912 companies with a turnover of over £1m per annum and have picked out 105 that are primed to be taken over. Buying one of these businesses represents a massive opportunity for someone to enhance their share of the market. Either way, the market is set for a wave of takeovers in the next months."
Doing things on purposeContributor: Neil Kirby
Eager to learn new things, I went on a PhotoReading course recently. For me, such courses are a chance to learn things that will help me in my work or at home, to get away from the office for a day or two to recharge my batteries, and to have fun.
Being in a different environment with different people can be challenging but also very rewarding. An added bonus from last this course was how it emphasised what happens when we do things for a purpose. I found when I read more purposefully I became more focused, quicker, and enjoyed what I was reading much more. It stimulated lots of new ideas and encouraged me to think again about ideas I've had before.
I came away thinking of the effect if we do more things "purposefully." What if we decide to live life purposefully?
The image that came to mind when I thought of this was that of Hillary & Tenzing climbing Everest. It's Hillary's name in the record books and he went on to leave a lasting legacy in the mountains (building schools, hospitals, etc., for the Sherpa people).
But it was Tenzing – who guided Hillary to the top - who appealed to me. We all have our own challenges to scale – by setting goals, planning what to do next, and overcoming obstacles. We can do it alone, but sometimes life's easier with a Sherpa.
It may sound a bit cheesy, but when I now think of guiding my clients to their own summit (whether building a business, carving out a career, or other aims) I have a real buzz.
Have you thought about your purpose for a while? If not, how can you live your life more purposefully? And if you're in business, do all your people know what your business is really about? They might be more purposeful as a result.
If you have any questions or comments on this article or issues you face, please contact me (in confidence) on 01707 395850 or email me at neil@neilkirby.co.uk. There's no obligation. Neil Kirby is a life coach and a leading practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).
Some signs of encouragement?
The number of resourcing roles has increased for the first time in a year, according to new findings from HR recruiter Aspen Partners International.
The Aspen Index, which monitors available roles for in-house recruiters in the UK as well as benchmarking this against the wider opportunities within HR in the UK, saw a peak of 171 in July 2008, compared to 39 in June 2009 and a low of 36 in May 2009.
Andy Mountney, director at Aspen International, says: "We're delighted that we'll be able to bring a regular barometer of the recruitment market to HR professionals through the new site, LinkedIn and Twitter. The figures show us that conditions are still extraordinarily tough for recruitment professionals seeking new opportunities and the fall of over 75% in the index in a year shows just how quickly the market collapsed while more recruiters found themselves seeking work."
CEO confidence improves significantly in Q2 2009
New research from the Conference Board suggests that CEO confidence drastically improved in the second quarter of this year. Their Measure of CEO Confidence rose to 55, up from 30 the previous quarter (a reading of over 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses).
Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Centre, comments: "CEOs are considerably more optimistic than last time about the short-term outlook, however, their assessment of current conditions, while also improved, suggests the economy remains weak. Among those expecting an increase in profits over the next year, the majority see cost reductions as the primary driver."
The worst of the recession could be over, according to findings from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Economic Survey.
Manufacturing fared better in Q2 than services, though in absolute terms, the manufacturing sector remains in a worse condition overall.
Turnover confidence was positive for the first time since Q3 last year and it has improved dramatically for manufacturing firms, rising 40 points from -38 in Q1 to +2 in Q2.
Hiring intentions in both sectors grew this quarter, but the BCC predicts unemployment will reach 3.2m by mid 2010.
David Frost, director at the British Chambers of Commerce Director General, says: "These results are sending Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling a strong message from the business community. It is absolutely vital that the improvement in business confidence is nurtured.
"Our economy is based on confidence, and wealth-creating businesses need to know they will be given the freedom and flexibility to drive the UK out of recession and into a sustainable recovery.
David Kern, chief economist at the BCC, adds: "The pace of decline in the UK economy is clearly moderating. The worst phase of the recession is over, but serious downward pressures persist across all sectors and regions. Most key balances are still in negative territory and remain weak by historical standards. Recovery is now possible but it is not yet secure.
"Further corrective measures are still needed to support the economy. The marked improvement in confidence, albeit from exceptionally low levels, is welcome. However, these recent gains can only be sustained if the economy continues to stabilise and the recession ends."
Google alerts
One of the most important things you can do is to keep abreast of what's happening within your market - what's hot and what's not, who is hiring and who's firing, what's in the offing and when there is nothing.
One of the easiest ways to do that is to sign up (free) to Google Alerts.
http://www.google.co.uk/alerts
You simply key in a word or phrase and set it up as an 'alert' so that you get an email with the link when there is activity on the net with your key words or phrases. You can be alerted as it happens, daily or weekly. So you can key in a client's name that you want to be up to date with, a person, a competitor or even jobs when advertised. Candidate and clients want to talk with people in the know. These alerts will keep you fully up to date when there is new activity on the net ensuring you can make the right calls quickly and, most probably, ahead of your competition too.
Matt Wilson is a consultant with Recruitment Matters and is offering a wide range of courses for 2009. For more information on Recruitment Matters, our training courses, services and products visit www.recruitmentmatters.com, telephone 0800 0749289 or email info@recruitmentmatters.com.
Recruitment Matters news
While some of you are about to pack your buckets and spades and head for the coast, why not plan to take in a business development course while you're there? After all, a change is as good as a rest..
Look out for Warren's mini seaside tour – business development courses being held in:
Weston-Super-Mare, Bournemouth & Brighton
And for those of you in London who can't get away from your desks and phones during the week how do you fancy some management training on a Saturday? We know you are busy and every minute counts at work so on Saturday 8th August we are breaking the mould and running our 'Introduction to Management' course for you in London.
The last time our 'Credit Crunch' course will be run live is on August 7th in London. Your last chance and it's still only £49.99 to attend. No one has trained more recruiters in business development this year than RMI. Once it's gone it's gone – see Crunch.
And of course, please don't forget the opportunity to help your candidates and earn vouchers at the same time!
For those of you who may already be in India or have an office or sister company in India, if you want to hear about our training plans in partnership with Talent Fusion, please email India@recruitmentmatters.com
We hope that you enjoyed Warren's and Matt's new tips for this month – you will find many more on our free tips page http://www.recruitmentmatters.com/free.php which is regularly updated.
Please see the schedule below for all our open course dates from July – September 2009.
RECRUITMENT MATTERS: July 2009 – September 2009 Open Training Schedule
To download a booking form, please click here.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 'SUMMER SPECIAL' (10.00am-4.00pm)
Aug 26th - Weston-super-Mare
Aug 27th - Bournemouth
Aug 28th - Brighton
Investment
Discount price of £179+VAT until Aug 7th
Standard rate of £249+VAT thereafter
Link
SUCCESSFUL HEAD-HUNTING (one day)
Jul 29th - Manchester
Sep 9th - London
Sep 14th - Amsterdam
Sep 17th - Manchester
Sep 23rd - Birmingham
Investment £299+VAT
'Bring A Friend' £199+VAT
RMPP rates apply
Includes free CD set worth £99 'Handling Head-Hunted Candidate Objections & Reactions'
Amsterdam: €395; 'Bring A Friend' €295. Includes free CD set as above
Link
CLIENT GENERATION DURING THE CREDIT CRUNCH (half day)
Trainer: WARREN KEMP
Aug 7th - London
Investment - £49.99+VAT!
This date is the last time 'Crunch' will be delivered live – it's your final chance to attend THE business development course of 2009!
Link
TWO DAY INTRODUCTION TO RECRUITMENT (two days)
'Induction for new recruits'
Sep 7/8th - Birmingham
Sep 15/16th - London
Sep 24/25th - Manchester
Investment £495+VAT
'Bring A Friend' £425+VAT
Link
INTERVIEW SKILLS FOR RECRUITERS (one day)
Sep 11th - Manchester
Sep 22nd - London
Investment £299+VAT
'Bring A Friend' £199+VAT
RMPP rates apply
Link
WINNING NEW BUSINESS (one day)
'Telephone Skills For Recruiters'
Aug 14th - London
Sep 3rd - London
Sep 29th - Manchester
Investment £299+VAT
'Bring A Friend' £199+VAT
RMPP rates apply
'Includes free CD worth £99 'Handling Client Objections and Reactions''
Link
GAINING EXCLUSIVE VACANCIES (one day)
Jul 30th - Birmingham
Aug 11th - Manchester
Investment £299+VAT.
'Bring A Friend' £199+VAT
RMPP rates apply
Link
INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT (one day)
'Managing Teams and Motivating People'
Aug 8th - London (NOTE. Saturday)
Sep 10th - Birmingham
Sep 30th - London
Investment £299+VAT
'Bring A Friend' £199+VAT
RMPP rates apply
Link
HOW TO SECURE THE RIGHT JOB IN A COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT (one day)
'In-depth advice to help you take charge of your next career move'
July 30th - Manchester
July 31st - Birmingham
Aug 11th - Bristol
Aug 12th - London
Aug 13th - Leeds
Aug 14th - Birmingham
Sept tbc - London, Manchester, Birmingham, more
Investment £299+VAT
Discounted rate £249+VAT when quoting a promotional code or recruiter's reference code
Thereafter for one month: 1 hour telephone support, unlimited email contact & CV critique
Link
MAKE YOUR CV & INTERVIEW COUNT (half day)
'Top tips and advice to help you get on the job ladder'
July 27th - Birmingham
Aug 3rd - Bristol
Aug 4th - London
Aug 5th - Leeds
Aug 6th - Birmingham
Sept tbc - London, Manchester, Birmingham, more
Investment £99+VAT
Discounted rate £79+VAT when quoting a promotional code or recruiter's reference code
Link
For more information on these courses and our other services and products, visit www.recruitmentmatters.com, email info@recruitmentmatters.com or call Emma or Ken on 0800 0749289 or, if you're overseas, 0044 1483 755559.
Contact us
Recruitment Matters International
2 Oakfield Road
Coventry CV6 1ED
UK
Tel: 0800 0749289
Fax: 01483 761709
Email: info@recruitmentmatters.com
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