So what is the industry doing wrong – well according to the survey, end [...]]]> I attended an APSCo members meeting last week and one of the items under discussion was a survey of 173 end user clients of APSCo members undertaken by Innergy.  The survey, ‘Raising the Bar’ asked a number of questions around the reasons for using recruiters, what they wanted to see from recruiters and how they viewed them.  The results of the survey showed that most organisations viewed recruiters somewhere between toleration and disgust. Hmm.

So what is the industry doing wrong – well according to the survey, end user clients want recruiters to:

• Provide innovative  pricing models
• Be more customer led
• Employ better people
• Provide technical solutions
• Be better communicators

That got me thinking – surely good recruiters would be doing all that anyway?  But this was 173 organisations –  a not insubstantial number.

The meeting then moved onto a client panel – and here’s where I got a real shock. The subject under discussion was:  ’How can recruiters help you attract and retain people with the right values and cultural fit for your business’.  The panel included Greg Allen Head of Recruitment for Nokia who said that when his organisation organised a briefing  session and round table discussion for all PSL agencies  on Nokia’s culture – what good looks like – what sort of  people they are looking for – in fact all the things that would make the recruiters job easier – half the agencies didn’t bother to show.  I was genuinely shocked.

What are you doing to enhance the client experience?

I’m on on of my rants again I’m afraid.

OK so the euro zone is in chaos, the economy isn’t great and it looks as though we will have a few tough years before things get better.  But do you know what?  That’s life. In the good times, every person, every company and every country spent too much. Fact. So now we all have to take a bit of a hit and pay it back.

And while we’re about it I have to say that not every market is [...]]]>  

I’m on on of my rants again I’m afraid.

OK so the euro zone is in chaos, the economy isn’t great and it looks as though we will have a few tough years before things get better.  But do you know what?  That’s life. In the good times, every person, every company and every country spent too much. Fact. So now we all have to take a bit of a hit and pay it back.

And while we’re about it I have to say that not every market is in the doldrums.  There are pockets of really positive activity out there. Several of our clients are trying to seed some good news into the media  - and do you know what – by and large  they aren’t interested. Why? Because they just want to dish out their daily diet of doom , gloom and more gloom, Well I’m  fed up of it.

And if you take us as an example – we have grown every year since 2007.  It’s not been easy,  In fact it’s been bloody hard work but we are growing, we are making money and we are taking people on.

So please – let’s just get on with it  - and bloody cheer up. Have a Fab Christmas – and a PROSPEROUS New Year

was on corporate giving and discussed their work with Chance UK, a children’s charity. Our client was naturally very happy.

You may think that’s where the story ends. But it doesn’t.

Chance UK got in touch with us recently to say that as a direct result of the article in The Times, they had received three new corporate donations totalling over [...]]]> PR works. Here’s an example: We secured an article in The Times featuring Antal International, a recruitment client of ours. The story

was on corporate giving and discussed their work with Chance UK, a children’s charity. Our client was naturally very happy.

You may think that’s where the story ends. But it doesn’t.

Chance UK got in touch with us recently to say that as a direct result of the article in The Times, they had received three new corporate donations totalling over £100,000.

From our point of view, it’s another example of how high quality PR work really can affect the bottom line.

Q: Why do you use PR?

A: We use PR [...]]]>

For some recruitment businesses, the decision to undertake PR can be a hard one. Recruitment is hugely results driven and ROI is easily measurable. PR is different, and it can take some time to see results. With this in mind, we thought we’d feature a Q&A in each newsletter with a recruiter who uses PR, and why they do so. This edition we speak to David Leyshon, MD of specialist technical and engineering recruiter, CBSbutler.

Q: Why do you use PR?

A: We use PR as a key element to achieving our ultimate business goals: namely to promote the company as an employer of choice, build the brand amongst target communities and, in all cases, to create positive messages for the market place.

Q: How do you measure ROI?

A: ROI within PR can be somewhat qualitative. While loose financial returns can be applied to media insertions, we largely base it around feedback from stakeholders. And in the case of candidates, the number of applicants who refer to key PR events, such as awards.

Q:What advice would you give to recruitment businesses considering PR?

A: Be clear about your priorities and business objectives, define your strategy and agree a set of expectations via measurable service levels e.g. the number of media articles per quarter. Once you’ve decided on your goals, hold regular reviews to discuss performance and fine tune the approach and tactics used. Be prepared to enter into a two-way partnership; the quality of work delivered by PR professionals is highly dependent on the material your team offers up – they cannot perform miracles!

The company

Handle Recruitment is the leading recruitment consultancy for the media and entertainment industries. With more than 30 years’ experience, Handle has grown to encompass the wider demands of the increasingly complex media and entertainment arena. It is the only consultancy to have divisions dedicated to providing permanent, temporary, contract and interim solutions across all core business functions.

The challenge

BlueSky PR started work with Handle in 2010 with the brief of providing PR and communications support. Following [...]]]> The successful social media campaign

The company

Handle Recruitment is the leading recruitment consultancy for the media and entertainment industries. With more than 30 years’ experience, Handle has grown to encompass the wider demands of the increasingly complex media and entertainment arena. It is the only consultancy to have divisions dedicated to providing permanent, temporary, contract and interim solutions across all core business functions.

The challenge

BlueSky PR started work with Handle in 2010 with the brief of providing PR and communications support. Following the successful creation of multiple Twitter accounts for each division within Handle, there was a clear need to increase the follower numbers to heighten brand awareness. Handle set BlueSky the task of devising a social media campaign that would increase followers in the long run and highlight Handle to both job seekers and potential clients.

The solution

After an initial brainstorming session, BlueSky decided that a competition was the best option. However, the real issue would be how to get the information to the correct people, who would then follow them on Twitter. It was decided that the competition would be announced via email to Handle’s contacts and posted on its blog.

While Handle decided on what the competition prizes were to be, BlueSky came up with the questions. The competition details were hosted on a hidden page of the Handle website with a few questions about the company. The answers to all the questions were scattered throughout the site to encourage entrants to have a good look at the whole website and learn more about the business. In order to be sent the link to the hidden page, entrants had to follow one of the Handle Twitter accounts. They were then sent the unique website link to enter the competition.

The competition ran for two weeks, by which point the number of followers across the eight Twitter accounts had increased by over 800. Furthermore, the number of candidates that registered for jobs during the competition and in the following two weeks increased by 20%.

What they say

“We knew we had to increase our social media following but were unsure how to go about this. Once we had decided on what sort of prizes we would give away, BlueSky handled all aspects of the competition and came up with some great ideas. Following the competition, we have maintained our high Twitter following and have noticed a significant increase in candidates approaching us about opportunities. ”

Gill Bell, HR Director of Handle. 

However, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for our own organisation over the past few weeks, I have been quite literally gobsmacked at the poor level of effort, courtesy and basic communication skills displayed by applicants.  We hear lots of stuff about how we need to really engage [...]]]> I have read many articles and blog postings about the candidate experience – hell I even wrote one myself bemoaning the bad service candidates get in terms of engagement and feedback.

However, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for our own organisation over the past few weeks, I have been quite literally gobsmacked at the poor level of effort, courtesy and basic communication skills displayed by applicants.  We hear lots of stuff about how we need to really engage with Generation Y – but have we gone too far? Do Generation Y now  feel that they have to make no real effort?  And is that one of the reasons that graduate unemployment is currently so high? Are we creating a whole generation of people who think that they can just sit back and wait for the ever so eager employer to find them within their ‘talent communities’?

A few examples:

• The applicant that I interviewed– a good degree, good A level grades and relevant work placement experience. When asked what had appealed to her about the role, she answered: “Dunno really – I just thought I could do it!”
• The applicant who, during a telephone screening interview, asked our Account Manager:  ”How old are you? Yousound really young!”
• The graduate  applicants ( and I’m not talking about just a few) whose covering letters and CVs are so full of spelling mistakes it makes me want to throw my hands up in despair at the current state of our education system. One was actively seeking a “roll in pubic relations.”
• The applicant who e-mailed me to say that he thought his experience would be of interest to me and directed me to site where I could find out more about him. I didn’t bother – because he couldn’t be bothered to sell himself.

Am I just a grumpy old woman?  Is there something I’m missing? Is it too much to expect applicants to make some effort to engage with ME?  What do others think?

The search is on…

A fantastic new opportunity has opened up at BlueSky PR for a great writer, account handler or media relations bod to take on a new challenge!

Who are we?

We’re a niche PR agency with clients in both the recruitment and business education sectors. On the recruitment side, we handle a variety of multi-sector recruiters at all levels and, on the business education side, we cater to the press needs of some truly prestigious, global schools.

We’re a small but [...]]]>

The search is on…

A fantastic new opportunity has opened up at BlueSky PR for a great writer, account handler or media relations bod to take on a new challenge!

Who are we?

We’re a niche PR agency with clients in both the recruitment and business education sectors. On the recruitment side, we handle a variety of multi-sector recruiters at all levels and, on the business education side, we cater to the press needs of some truly prestigious, global schools.

We’re a small but busy team, with a good balance between heads-down work and focus and having a laugh. We’re friendly and fair and like to think we play on people’s strengths to really make the best of their skills, rather than pushing them into a job spec.

Is BlueSky right for you?

We’re after somebody with writing, account handling and media relations skills – ideally with all three, but any combination of the above would complement our existing skill set. The successful candidate will be working across our portfolio of recruitment clients, so some experience in the recruitment sector would be preferable.

Your potential is more important than your background – it doesn’t matter whether you’re a junior account handler, an account manager, a marketer, a talented writer or an ex-recruiter with a passion for media relations – this could be your chance to make your move into PR.

The details

We’re based just outside of Harpenden, within easy driving distance of North London. Interested? To find out more about BlueSky PR and the opportunities we have available, contact adrian@bluesky-pr.net

Ok – I know a lot of people will be throwing their hands up in horror but are we trying to put too many people through university?

I recently attended my son’s GCSE options evening and learned about the new English Baccalaureate.  Students who receive an A* to C grade in English, Maths, at least two sciences, a foreign language and either history or geography will automatically be awarded the English Bacc. And why? Well no matter what the official line is, [...]]]>

Ok – I know a lot of people will be throwing their hands up in horror but are we trying to put too many people through university?

I recently attended my son’s GCSE options evening and learned about the new English Baccalaureate.  Students who receive an A* to C grade in English, Maths, at least two sciences, a foreign language and either history or geography will automatically be awarded the English Bacc. And why? Well no matter what the official line is, it will be another way for universities to filter through too many applications. And the reason that universities get too many applications is that the Government has this ridiculous notion that we need to send at least 50% of our young people to university. This apparently is so we can compete with China ( whose young people are doing degrees in maths/science/engineering).  The HRD in a recent post talked about today’s youth being a beaten generation. I agree wholeheartedly with him when he says that everyone should have the right to a decent education – but it should be the right education – and university may not be the right route.

I am old enough ( unfortunately) to remember the old secondary modern system where those who were not academically slanted went on to undertake a highly valuable vocational education. As a country we have this obsession with sending a higher and higher proportion of our young people to university. And so we end up with high graduate unemployment, a two tier system where some degrees are valued by employers as more ‘worthy’ and no plumbers!!

My brother was not gifted academically as he will be the first to admit – luckily for him there was still a scheme called apprenticeships – he left school at 16 went on to qualify as an electrician and now runs his own business, providing employment to others, and therefore contributing to the economy! So basically he does exactly the same as I do.  I went to university – because that was the right route for me -we both got to the same destination – we just took a different route.

Education needs some joined up thinking

I was listening, as usual, to the Radio4 Today programme the other day as I was getting ready for work.  I had risen with a feeling of positive anticipation for the business year ahead.  We’d had to work harder than ever in 2010 but our turnover and profit were up on 09 and our work pipeline was looking good with a number of new retained contracts being signed.  And then on comes the grim reaper himself  Robert Peston ( who I am convinced really works for the [...]]]>  

I was listening, as usual, to the Radio4 Today programme the other day as I was getting ready for work.  I had risen with a feeling of positive anticipation for the business year ahead.  We’d had to work harder than ever in 2010 but our turnover and profit were up on 09 and our work pipeline was looking good with a number of new retained contracts being signed.  And then on comes the grim reaper himself  Robert Peston ( who I am convinced really works for the CIPD).  There then  ensued a diatribe of  depressing predictions – pay squeezes, pay freezes, job losses, VAT rises, unemployment increases. Then I came into work and read the cheery  CIPD Annual Barometer Forecast and wondered if we should all just go home. I am so bloody bored of it all.

And do you know what? This sort of endless  banging on and on about the negative just breeds a what’s the point attitude.  I know personally of at least three graduates with good degrees who think it’s pointless looking for a job because they feel there arent any.  Makes my blood boil!

Yes it’s tough out there but what are we supposed to do – just go back to bed and put our heads under the covers?  

And then a little ray of sunshine  poured into my black day – another prediction and this time positive – and from a group of people who hopefully do really have their  fingers on the pulse – and the evidence at their fingertips –  the holders of the purse strings – Finance Directors.