Tag: hiring

Recruitment isn’t always straightforward. Beyond finding the right skills for the job, recruiters face unique challenges that can complicate even the best-laid plans. At Advance TRS, we’ve developed ways to handle these issues efficiently, ensuring our clients and candidates both get the best possible experience – looking at 5 unexpected challenges in recruitment.

1. Managing Candidate Expectations

Candidates often come with set ideas about salary, benefits, or role progression. Balancing these expectations with market realities can be a challenge.

  • Our Approach: We start with honest, transparent conversations about salary ranges, role requirements, and growth potential. By setting realistic expectations from the start, we help candidates see the full picture and reduce the chance of surprises later in the process.

2. Balancing Client Needs with Candidate Fit

Clients often want very specific skills or experience, but matching these exact needs with candidate availability isn’t always possible.

  • Our Approach: We focus on understanding the core requirements and identifying transferrable skills that could also benefit the client. By presenting flexible options and explaining how candidates’ experiences can align with the client’s goals, we maintain a strong balance between exact needs and realistic matches.

Understanding Client Needs: How Sales Professionals Deliver Value in Recruitment – Advance TRS

3. Handling Counter Offers

In a competitive market, good candidates often receive counteroffers from their current employers when they announce plans to leave.

  • Our Approach: We prepare candidates for this possibility by discussing it early on, helping them weigh the pros and cons. If a counteroffer does come in, we guide them to consider their long-term goals, making the decision that’s genuinely best for them—not just the highest offer on the table.

How to Deal with a Counter Offer – Advance TRS

4. Navigating Rapid Market Changes

The built environment can experience rapid changes in demand due to new regulations or project funding shifts.

  • Our Approach: We stay informed on industry trends and client pipeline needs, which allows us to anticipate shifts and adjust our recruiting approach. Our agility ensures we have a proactive plan, keeping placements steady even in a fluctuating market.

5 Ways to Stay in the Loop with Industry Trends  – Advance TRS

5. Managing Post-Placement Support

The work doesn’t end after a candidate is placed; support during onboarding and early stages is just as important for a successful placement.

  • Our Approach: We keep communication open with both clients and candidate’s post-placement. By checking in regularly, we ensure everything is on track, address any early concerns, and maintain long-term relationships that make future placements even smoother.

Recruitment is full of unexpected challenges, but at Advance TRS, we thrive on tackling them head-on. By staying proactive, transparent, and flexible, we ensure that both our clients and candidates have the best experience possible. Our ability to manage expectations, balance competing needs, and provide ongoing support makes us a reliable partner in the recruitment process. No matter the challenge, we’re here to find the right solution and deliver the results you need.

Culture & Core Values: What Sets Advance TRS Apart – Advance TRS

If you think you’re up for these recruitment hurdles, check out our Work for Us page to see current opportunities!

Job searching in 2022? You may find yourself wondering if writing a cover letter is still necessary, and our answer? Absolutely. It is thought that at least 56% of employers still expect a cover letter to accompany a job application.

A cover letter shows prospective employers that you’re committed to the job and willing to put in the extra effort. It can set you apart from other candidates and help you stand out from the crowd.

We conducted a recent survey and found that 34% of candidates least like writing a cover letter in their job search. So, we’ve put together some tips to give you confidence in submitting a cover letter and make the process easier:

Research the company

Before writing a cover letter, you should take some time to dig a little deeper into the role you’re applying for and the company. You can then use this information to tailor your letter accordingly.

Some things you want to find out are:

  • What does the company do?
  • Who are their competitors? (this develops your understanding of the industry)
  • Who are their target audience?
  • What skills and experience do they value?
  • What does the role involve and how does this sit within the rest of the company?

Start with a header

Include all essential information about yourself, including name, phone number, email, and the date you’ve written the letter on. Most of this information should already be on your CV, but this saves the employer having to go between the two documents.

Write an impactful introduction

It’s essential to catch the employer’s attention from the very first paragraph. Most candidates start with a simple introduction, stating who they are, their interest in the role and previous work experience.

For example, “With over 10 years’ experience at my current company, I wish to apply for the role of Creative Director being advertised on your website.”

As this is quite generic and a common opening from candidates, you could get lost in the sea of cover letters the recruiter is receiving.

To really grab their attention, start off introducing yourself and your top 2-3 achievements (most relevant to the company or role). This is a great way to impress the employer and shine the light on yourself.

Why you’re suitable for the job

In your second paragraph, describe your professional skills and how you meet the role requirements. Read the job description and identify which of the responsibilities are of high importance for the employer. You’ll need to demonstrate how you meet these and why you’re the perfect fit for the job.

If you’re trying to change role, industry, or struggling to meet all requirements, think about skills and attributes that are transferable.

Try to be specific and give examples of your skills in action.

For example, a statement like “I’m a team player” is very vague.

A statement such as “In my previous role, I worked with a team of 10 on a project and ensured everyone was working towards the same goal. This project led to a 12% rise in sales in first 3 months of completion” is more specific and showcasing what you can do.

What you offer the company

Now is your opportunity to emphasise what you can do for the company and that you’ll be a good fit for their business. This is also a great time for you to state exactly why you want the job and why you’re passionate about working for them.

Again, don’t be too generic just for the sake of writing something. It’s very easy to look up the values of an organisation and simply say these align with your own values. Instead, be as specific as possible, giving example of something they’ve done or detailed knowledge of their culture.

Closing the letter

Wrap up your cover letter by thanking the employer for their time or consideration and include a call to action. This could be the opportunity to discuss further or arranging an interview.

At this point, you should also double check the length of your cover letter. Whilst it is important to cover all the information we’ve advised; you don’t want to put off an employer because it is too lengthy. Aim for half a side of A4 or at a maximum, one A4 page.

Finally, make sure you proofread your letter before sending. Having put so much effort into producing the perfect cover letter, you don’t want to be let down by any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. There are some great online tools such as Grammarly that can help you check, or maybe even ask a friend or family member to look.

Our final checklist

  • Have you done your research into the company?
  • Have you provided all essential information?
  • Does your introductory paragraph make an impact?
  • Have you detailed why you’re suitable for the job?
  • Do you state what you can offer the company?
  • Did you close the letter with a call to action?
  • Have you checked the length of your letter?
  • Have you proofread and checked for errors?

Why Advance TRS?

We offer an in-depth candidate management process supporting you through interview, remuneration negotiation, resignation, counteroffer and notice period. Our consultants go out of their way to keep you informed throughout every stage of the recruitment process.

View our latest jobs and find your next opportunity!

Due to freedom of movement within the EU, up to 31 December 2020, citizens from any EU country were able to move to the UK without having to apply for a visa, and start work right away. 

With Brexit, this changed from 1 January 2021. Free movement has ended and the UK has adopted a points based system, much like the one in Australia. For employers, this means that you have to register as a licensed sponsor to hire eligible people from outside the UK.

The new system transforms the way in which employers recruit from outside the UK and means that you now need to obtain a sponsor licence to hire from outside the UK, with the exception of Irish citizens.

Becoming a sponsor

There are some steps you need to take before applying to become a sponsor which include checking that the people you want to hire will meet the requirements for coming to the UK for work, as well as checking whether your business is eligible.

To apply, you will then need to choose the type of skilled worker licence you want to apply for and put appropriate systems in place to act as a sponsor. There is an application fee that will need to be paid. 

Once you have finished your application, you should have a decision within 8 weeks. If you are successful in becoming a licensed sponsor it will allow you to recruit skilled workers from anywhere in the world for 4 years. 

Workers’ requirements

Anyone coming to work in the UK will need to have a job offer from an approved sponsor, the job offer must be at the required skill and salary level and they must speak English at the required level.

When looking to hire someone from outside the UK (excluding Irish citizens), there are minimum skill and salary thresholds the role you are advertising must meet. Those are as follows:

  • Minimum skill level: Set at RQF3 which is equivalent to A level
  • Minimum salary threshold: The higher of £25,600 or the ‘going rate’ for the job; some employees may be paid less than £25,600, for example if their job is in a shortage occupation
  • Applicants from outside the UK must also meet English language requirements

If the worker meets the above requirements and you are a licensed sponsor, you will be able to sponsor their application to come to the UK to work.

EU citizens already working in the UK

The new system will not apply to EU citizens already living and working in the UK, and there are no further steps for you to take as an employer. EU citizens and their family members living in the UK by 31 December 2020 should apply to the EU Settlement Scheme which we have spoken about in a previous blog.

Those eligible to apply for settled status must do so by 30 June 2021.
If you would like to find out more about the new points-based immigration system, you can listen to the podcast episode the Home Office recorded in partnership with Intelligence Squared.

This year has seen some major ups and downs for every business. One thing we believe at Advance TRS is that it is so important to celebrate the highs when they happen to help make the lows more manageable.

As we take some time to reflect on the year we cannot do so without celebrating the amazing new talent that has joined our business in 2020. They have dug in deep and worked hard, in many cases starting their new roles remotely.

Starting new staff from home is not desirable but has been a reality many businesses have had to face and adapt to. All new members have been amazingly flexible and professional, proving to be real assets in their short time with the business so far.

February

Harry joined our business services team to support admin and compliance back in February, just before lockdown #1. He quickly settled into the team, ensuring our systems are up-to-date with candidate and other vital information and he is usually the first person you speak to when you call our main office line.

Chloe joined our finance team a week after Harry and one month before lockdown. To say she had a baptism of fire is an understatement! Chloe had a crash course in our systems but was able to successfully draw on her own knowledge and experience to quickly get up to speed and add value to the team. Working throughout the year, often from home over webcam with the rest of the finance team, Chloe has mastered our payroll process and quickly progressed to Payroll Manager.

Growing our South Coast team

Our South Coast team was joined by Stuart and Sean in May and September respectively, while Tam was added to the team in November. All three of them have been adding value from day one, working hard whether they are based from home or in the office. Moving forward, they’ll benefit from the bigger office space secured in Port Solent, to enable working while adhering to social distancing rules with ease.

Our rail team is joined by three new recruits

More recently, Sam, Joe and Tom joined our rail team in Guildford during November and December. They quickly embedded themselves in the team and even joined in on our fundraising efforts in November, which you can read more about here.

It is safe to say that everyone who has joined us this year has been a huge asset to the team and we would like to extend a big thank you to our new team members for adapting so well to our revised onboarding process and to the whole Advance TRS team for working hard this year, keeping the business going and growing. There is a long way to go yet to weather the storm that is COVID-19, however, we feel positive about the future and we’re ready to take on whatever 2021 has in store!

At Advance TRS we are always looking for driven and ambitious individuals to join the team. If this is you and you would like to work for a business that values its employees’ contribution to its success then we would love to hear from you!

To find out more about our current opportunities, visit our careers page, or for a discrete conversation, contact Paul Metcalfe, Advance TRS CEO on 07793 554 413 or email pme@advance-trs.com.

So why is Training and Development in the workplace important?

Investment in training and development for staff is proven, not only to improve employee  performance within their job, but also helps increase confidence, employee satisfaction and increase morale and consistency within themselves.

Studies have shown that investing in employee development  increases productivity and aids business, ultimately leading to better client relationships, increased sales and increased profit.

The U.K. L&D Report: 2018 – Benchmark Your Workplace Learning  outlines learning and development statistics in the UK. It states that top-performing organisations are five times more likely to have learning cultures, suggesting a culture of learning is a key component of business success.

Key Statistics:

  • 63% of companies with increased turnover in the last year, rated leadership and management development as their top priority.
  • 31% of companies who had grown in the last year used external coaching for senior leadership. That’s twice the average.
  • Companies with decreased turnover were 2x more likely to say their staff does not prioritise learning.

An article by The Independent this year, states that two out of three UK workers have changed jobs because of a lack of training and development opportunities, two out of three employees say training is more important today than it was just two years ago, and four out of five employers believe training has a positive impact on their workers.

Research by Towards Maturity, a research company who are supported by CIPD, reveals that high performing learning organisations, on average, are seeing a 24% increase in productivity and performance as a result of learning done well.  40% of employees who don’t receive the necessary job training to become effective will leave their positions within the first year.

What does it mean to us?

You spend most of your week with your colleagues. At Advance TRS , we are dedicated to ensuring we give our staff the best possible start in their careers with the business. As such, our Training and Development Director, Neil, oversees a comprehensive programme of induction, mentoring, training, ongoing personal development planning and guidance to all staff in the business.

We are committed to giving every employee the best opportunity to grow and advance within their role in the company. To help our team become the best they can be, we provide invaluable mentoring from our experienced recruitment experts.

A happy workforce is key to a successful business. Giving employees a good reason to stay at a company by providing them with training and development opportunities to carry on improving and succeeding is a real must.

If you are looking for your next career move and are interested in joining Surrey’s Employer of the Year, contact Neil for a confidential conversation on 07432 356750. We are always on the lookout for the industry’s next top talent.

Check out our latest internal vacancies here.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”―Benjamin Franklin