Category Archives: Recruitment

Agri Tech, Agriculture, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Recruiting for specialist roles in agritech

Written by Matt Johnson, agritech recruitment specialist, Jonathan Lee Recruitment

Like many industries where improving sustainability is concerned, agriculture is undergoing a huge transformation. Technology and innovation are revolutionising the agricultural landscape like never before, developing new ways to feed an increasing population while tackling the impacts of climate change.

The sector is growing rapidly, supported by millions of pounds in investment from the Government, including grant opportunities which are driving innovation and growth on an unprecedented scale.

It has led to the creation of a range of exciting new career paths outside of the more traditional agricultural roles which have dominated the industry for many years.

Agritech relies on more specialist and technical expertise across areas such as AI and automation, precision farming, smart irrigation, design, software and data science.

As is often the case with a new and fast-growing industry though, the challenge is finding appropriately skilled staff in the numbers needed. There are not enough new graduates or trainees coming through the education system to fill all the roles, and it can be difficult to know where to target recruitment campaigns when jobs are particularly specialist or nuanced.

This is where partnering with specialist agritech recruiters can make all the difference. When an industry is relatively new, or roles are niche, recruitment has to be a lot more strategic if it is to succeed in finding the right people and attracting them to your business.

As experts in the engineering, manufacturing and technical sectors for over four decades, agritech was a natural progression for us. We opened a new office in Telford’s Agri-EPI Centre so we could be closer to the flourishing agritech enterprises who need our help in solving their recruitment challenges.

Our specialist technical expertise is enabling us to support agritech businesses in finding new hires across automation and controls, electrification and fuel cell development, electronics and embedded, research and development, design, software, data science and more.

Maximising your chances of recruitment success

Adopting a more strategic approach to recruitment can help maximise your chances of success, especially when demand is high but skilled workers are in short supply.

Tailored recruitment strategies

Attracting top talent starts with taking the time to understand your company ethos, mission and values and building this into your recruitment strategy. It means effectively communicating your business as a good place to work and taking the time to identify, plan and prepare for your recruitment needs.

Researching the market

Before you start recruiting, it’s important to research your sector and identify where the skills you need might be found. This could be another industry where skills are similar and transferrable, or a particular location, where certain technologies are clustered – we all know, for example, that Shropshire is a real hub for agritech innovation.

Going beyond skills and qualifications

Recruiting based on desired values and behaviours, rather than specific qualifications, and being prepared to add any training needed, can help you find candidates who share your passion. Recruiting on competencies opens up the potential to attract a much wider variety of candidates with the right attributes.

Standing out from the competition

Maximising your chances of success also means ensuring you are positioning your business as a welcoming and attractive place to work. This will involve researching salaries available in similar roles and also understanding other benefits people look for in a new career, such as flexible working, location, wellbeing, inclusive environment, pension and maternity benefits.

Adopting flexible solutions

It might be that the best solution lies in temporary recruitment, whether that’s short-term contracts, or even hiring freelance consultants for specific phases of the project. This can make it easier to access the specialised expertise you need without the expectation of having to make any long-term commitments, particularly when you’re recruiting for a grant-funded project.

Unlocking your talent pool

As a recruitment business partner, we use a variety of methods, including our decades of experience and network of contacts across technical, engineering and manufacturing sectors, to find suitable candidates. We will actively engage with your potential new hires using targeted measures such as reaching out to our own database, referrals, targeted advertising, professional networking sites and appropriate social media platforms.

To find out more about how Jonathan Lee Recruitment can support agritech businesses, visit www.jonlee.co.uk, or contact agritech recruitment specialist, Matt Johnson, on 01952 987033, or email matt.johnson@jonlee.co.uk.

 

Careers, Christmas, Food & Drink, Hospitality, News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Greene King Puts the Spotlight on Festive Hiring with Innovative Careers Site in Partnership with SmartRecruiters

Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer is enhancing its holiday hiring efforts with the launch of its new festive careers site. The site has been designed to help Greene King meet the demands of the holiday period and will see 580 vacancies go live throughout the country, open to candidates from all backgrounds and experience levels.

The Greene King jobs site recently secured the prestigious Happy Dance Award for “Best New Careers Site” at the 2023 Tiara Talent Acquisition Awards. The recognition stems from the site’s successful implementation of multiple sub-brands whilst allowing individual Talent Acquisition (TA) teams access to update their own content, clearly highlighting the site’s impressive personalisation, flexibility, and interactivity.

 

Lindsey Stone, Greene King’s Head of Talent Attraction & Resourcing, emphasised the importance of this initiative: “It goes without saying that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of year for us, and with that, it is one of the busiest times of year for hiring. Greene King manages 1,600 pubs across the country and it. is essential that we have a careers site that is easily accessible and manageable by individual talent acquisition teams.”

“The new Greene King careers site doesn’t only serve as a gateway for potential employees, it also offers jobseekers a unique glimpse into life at Greene King – showcasing authentic stories from team members that reflect the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“Our mission is to be a trailblazer when it comes to inclusion in the hospitality industry. We want to embody this commitment to everyday inclusion through our new site. We chose to partner with SmartRecruiters to build a site that mirrors our brand values and culture and brings those aspects to life by delivering an excellent candidate experience,” Stone added.

 

Rob Symons, EVP Strategic Partnerships at SmartRecruiters, highlighted the challenges faced by the UK’s hospitality sector in recent years, particularly concerning staff shortages. “For Greene King, optimising the candidate experience was crucial to attract and hire the best talent. We are excited to be a part of this transformative journey,” Symons added.

 

About SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters enables Hiring Without Boundaries™ by freeing talent acquisition teams from legacy applicant tracking software. SmartRecruiters’ next-generation platform serves as the hiring operating system for 4,000 customers like Bosch, LinkedIn, Skechers, and Visa. Companies with business-critical hiring needs turn to SmartRecruiters for best-of-breed functionality, world-class support, and a robust ecosystem of third-party applications and service providers.

For more information visit www.smartrecruiters.com or www.linkedin.com/company/smartrecruiters.

 

 

 

 

Education, News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

The Protocol Group Showcases New Business Identity At AOC Conference & V.I.P Event

A NEWLY formed business group says it is “on a mission” to provide solutions to the staff shortages currently impacting the education sector.

The Protocol Group made their vow while attending the Association of Colleges (AOC) Conference 2023 earlier this month.

Over two days, The Protocol Group also used the event to present its new brand identity and connect with education industry professionals.

The Nottingham-based group also held an exclusive V.I.P dinner event for C-suite education industry professionals.

Held at the ICC Birmingham across two days, the AOC conference is regarded as the biggest networking event in further education.

Amir Qureshi, the CEO of the Protocol Group, said he felt it was essential the business was present across three stands to showcase how it can be a brilliant partner to the attending education industry professionals.

Amir said: “The AOC conference is a vitally important melting pot for the best minds in education. It was essential that we as The Protocol Group and our subsidiary businesses were there to connect with education professionals and show them how we can provide a huge value add to their work lives.

“One of the biggest issues in education right now is staff shortages, and our mission is to change that. What better place to present this ethos than in a room full of the people our work will provide the most benefit to.”

The Protocol Group also brought star power to the AOC conference, hosting a ‘beat the pro’ competition at one of its three stands with legendary Olympic sprinter Derek Redmond.

There was a prize for the conference attendee who was able to beat Derek’s score or come the closest on the reaction-based Batak board game

The night before the opening day of the AOC conference, the Protocol Group held a V.I.P dinner event at the Marco Pierre White restaurant overlooking the Birmingham skyline on the 25th floor of the cube in Birmingham.

Hosted by Redmond, the event saw close to 100 attendees indulging in the finest food and entertainment whilst discussing the deeper issues within education and recruitment and hearing the future plan for The Protocol Group.

Summarising his thoughts on the success of the event, Amir said: “I’m delighted with how special our V.I.P event was. A great networking opportunity with some of the industry’s best minds, fine food and even famous faces; it ticked every box.

“Most importantly, it was a real pleasure to give a speech explaining my vision moving forwards for The Protocol Group to a room of people that could have an exciting involvement with the business.”

 

EVs and Automotive News, News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Tackling the looming EV technician skills crisis: preparing for the electric revolution

As the UK gears up for the green revolution, the automotive industry faces a critical hurdle in the form of a shortage of trained electric vehicle (EV) technicians.

It’s widely accepted that action is needed to tackle this shortage and ensure EV adoption doesn’t stall due to a lack of skills in the repair and maintenance of vehicles.

While much of that action involves higher level measures such as commitment to policy, funding incentives and education opportunities, energy recruitment specialists say there are also steps that individual automotive businesses can take to protect their own futures.

Experts at Jonathan Lee Recruitment, which has more than 45 years of experience in sectors including transport, advanced technology and renewable energy, have shared some top tips for tackling the EV recruitment challenges.

The firm’s Associate Director, Lee Elwell, discusses the issue.

The challenges

According to recent reports from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), there is a huge shortage in the number of electric vehicle technicians needed as the roll out of EVs continues.

The professional body estimates the market will need 103,000 qualified technicians to work with electric vehicles by 2030, rising to 124,000 by 2032. Its adjusted forecast warns of a potential shortfall of 16,000 by 2032.

The skills shortage has been exacerbated by a number of issues impacting independent garages in particular, of which there are around 30,000 in the UK. These include:

  • Driver ambivalence towards electric vehicles
  • An increase in the average age of vehicles on the road resulting in more work on fuel-based cars
  • Existing workforce shortages – around 24,000 vacancies – making it harder to send people on the relevant training courses needed

The situation hasn’t been helped by the Government’s decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars for a further five years until 2035. Despite this, many vehicle manufacturers have already committed to going fully electric and will be continuing with planned timelines regardless.

The opportunities

While there are challenges for businesses to overcome in tackling EV recruitment, the situation does present an opportunity for those which can invest the time and effort in preparing for the drive to electric. There are almost one million electric vehicles on the roads already and a shortage of skilled EV technicians means the garages which are equipped with the people and knowledge are well placed to take advantage of growing market demand.

The solutions

There are steps that automotive businesses can take to tackle these recruitment challenges head on and give themselves the best possible chance of finding the people they need in the numbers required.

Upskilling existing mechanics

There’s no getting away from the fact that meeting the EV technician shortage is going to involve investment in training and recruitment. But with the future being electric, it’s surely worth making the investment and getting ahead of the game.

Training courses and qualifications are widely available to upskill car mechanics to be able to work on electric from organisations such as the IMI and others. As well as future-proofing businesses, investing in employee development demonstrates a commitment to the workforce and the environment.

Short-term contractors

The general age of cars on the road has risen and already understaffed independent garages are struggling under increased workloads. This, together with the delay on the 2030 target, means EV training has probably slipped down the priority list. Garages could be too busy to send people on training courses, even if they wanted to.

Using contractors in the short-term to free-up training time for permanent members of staff, could provide an immediate solution that protects a business for the future.

Unlocking the talent pool

When skills are in short supply, it’s worth adopting a more strategic approach to recruitment, especially when the usual methods of posting on local jobs boards isn’t working. Partnering with a recruitment specialist can help unlock a business’s talent pool. That means building relationships with schools, colleges and training providers to attract new recruits, identifying people in other sectors with transferrable skills and targeting adverts in the places most likely to be seen by potential candidates.

It means knowing just where to look for those people who might not have the exact qualifications needed, but do possess the competencies and values that could make them the ideal candidate.

Creating a talent pool

Another solution could be for businesses to consider creating their own talent pools by offering training schemes or apprenticeship programmes so they have a homegrown team of skilled technicians to deploy for the electric revolution.

Getting recruitment ready

When skills are in short supply, businesses need to work harder to make themselves stand out. The first step to recruitment success is to make sure the offer and package is right by benchmarking salaries and other benefits, while clearly communicating the business’s mission and values. Factors such as a work-life balance, development opportunities, flexibility and wellbeing support can often be a deciding factor when candidates have more than one offer on the table.

Planning for recruitment

Whether new staff members are needed now or in the future, working with a recruitment specialist to plan ahead and identify the strategies that will get the results can make all the difference.

EV mechanics will play a key role in shifting society towards a cleaner, greener mode of transport, so it’s vital that the looming skills crisis is tackled head on.

For help with EV recruitment, contact Lee Elwell (Associate Director, Energy) on 01384 446154, or email Lee.elwell@jonlee.co.uk.

 

Digital Skills, News, Recruitment, Recruitment News, Technology, Thought Leadership

2024 is Age of Smart Recruitment: The Year of Tech Driven Hiring.

Written by Paul Marchant, Regional Vice President, Northern Europe at SmartRecruiters

We read about it every day. A major challenge in the EMEA job market currently is the shortage of digital skills. Over half of UK businesses struggle to find employees with the necessary digital skills – and to make matter worse, 46% of the european workforce lack the basic digital skills needed for conitnued business innovation. The difficulty businesses face when trying to bring in digitally skilled talent is such that they can’t afford to leave any stone unturned. They have to have an efficient, always-on recruitment process in place so that they can bring the right talent in as and when it is available.

To bridge this gap, organisations are turning to innovative HR technologies, such as AI-powered recruitment platforms. These platforms use machine learning algorithms to identify and match candidates with the right skills, whether or not they have the prior experience, greatly improving the size of a potential talent pool.

 

The HR and recruitment industry in the EMEA is going through exciting changes as we get closer to 2024. Research shows that integrating HR systems with third-party platforms is becoming increasingly important. According to Deloitte, 84% of organisations believe that this integration is crucial for boosting HR effectiveness and efficiency. It allows for smooth data exchange, streamlines processes, and improves the candidate experience.

But how exactly is HR and recruitment in 2024 being shaped by the integration of third-party platforms, addressing the digital skills shortage, and adopting AI-powered technologies?

 

Embracing the Third-Party Integration Revolution.

The reality is that a one-size-fits-all approach no longer suffices in 2024 to meet diverse recruitment needs. Continuous technology advancements have prompted comprehensive vendors to recognize the significance of third-party integrations. For example, Microsoft’s Viva seamlessly incorporates HR technology into existing workflows, aligning with the trend of utilising technology through users’ preferred channels.

Third-party integrations are vital for achieving overall business success, extending beyond technical HR professionals. Integration capabilities and interoperability have become critical factors in technology acquisitions, as companies increasingly understand the necessity of seamless integration with existing systems and workflows. By embracing third-party integrations, businesses unlock the full potential of diverse technologies, boosting productivity and fuelling innovation.

For instance, a company using an applicant tracking system (ATS) can benefit from integrating it with third-party assessment tools. These integrations allows seamless evaluation of candidates’ skills and qualifications, making the hiring process more efficient and effective.

It is vital for organisations to recognise the significance of third-party integrations in HR technology. By embracing these integrations, businesses overcome limitations and unlock the full potential of diverse technologies, ultimately increasing productivity and innovation.

 

Unleashing Hidden Talent and Embracing Skills-Based Practices.

The demand for tech skills in 2024 is soaring as organisations embark on their digital transformation journey. AI revolutionises the hiring process by enabling companies to embrace skills-based practices. AI algorithms can identify transferable skills, giving rise to internal skills marketplaces and mobility programmes within organisations. This development allows employees to uncover hidden talents and explore new career opportunities.

The convergence of AI and the skills agenda has led to a thriving vendor market, offering AI-powered solutions for skills management. By harnessing the power of AI, organisations can efficiently identify and leverage their workforce’s skills, leading to enhanced productivity and overall success.

 

AI will continue to be a major trend in 2024, capturing the attention of HR professionals. Industries heavily reliant on frontline workers experience a growing demand for AI-driven solutions. However, the adoption of AI may vary across regions due to privacy laws and regulations. The transformative power of AI remains undeniable.

Cultural and legislative factors shape attitudes towards AI, resulting in differing levels of adoption across geographic markets. SmartRecruiters understands this and offers organisations the flexibility to deploy AI based tools on their comfort level, empowering them to effectively manage risks. Implementation of AI is heavily influenced by cultural nuances, with different markets having diverse interpretations of diversity and inclusion. Our mission is to provide a comprehensive and diverse perspective by leveraging cross-customer datasets worldwide, ensuring fairness and mitigating biases in AI models.

The accuracy and reliability of AI models heavily rely on the quality of input data. Each organisation plays a crucial role in providing appropriate and unbiased inputs, such as job descriptions, to achieve optimal outcomes. Their contributions are integral to the overall success and effectiveness of the AI system.

 

Looking ahead to 2024, the HR and recruitment domain in EMEA will experience ongoing changes driven by emerging technologies and evolving market demands. Third-party integrations will be highly valued for enhancing productivity and fostering innovation. AI-powered hiring practices focusing on skills will address the digital skills shortage, facilitating growth and career advancement within organizations. Automation and efficiency will be key macro trends, optimising workforces and enabling businesses to focus on higher-value tasks. AI will continue to play a major role in HR technology, transforming various industries.

As we move into 2024, AI will further advance and integrate into HR and recruitment practices, enabling businesses to thrive in an ever-changing technological landscape.

 

News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Recruitment Firm Launches Groundbreaking New Group As It Sets Out Aim To Become Best In Class & Dominate Education Sector

“WE’RE GOING TO CHANGE THE WHOLE INDUSTRY.”

A new business group has launched that will transform recruitment services within the education sector, it can be announced today.

The Protocol Group, a parent company to three subsidiary businesses, has ambitious plans to dominate the UK education industry – and to become the “best in class”.

The newly rebranded group, which boasts 28 years of experience and recruitment excellence, is on a mission to become the go-to partner of all UK education institutions.

It aims to provide every aspect needed in the recruitment process, helping to make it as effective and easy as possible – while also keeping costs low for its clients.

Announcing details of the launch, Amir Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer at The Protocol Group, said “Our mission is clear, but it is ambitious, and it is wide ranging. We’re going to change the whole industry. We want to be a disruptor.”

The Protocol Group will fill a gap in the market which the current recruitment businesses’ have left open.

 

Mr Qureshi said: “At present the recruitment industry currently suffers from providing a one-dimensional service which does not attend to the full spectrum of needs education institutions require.

“We’re not happy with the way recruitment currently works, the industry hasn’t changed for 20 years. The whole sector is stale, which is why we’re determined to change the game.”

 

The Protocol Group provides staff members for all levels of education, ranging from nursery level, through to school level, all the way to higher education and special education needs.

The roles the group covers are not only limited directly to teaching staff, but also the other staff needed for the running of any education institution, including support staff, such as groundskeepers, lunch staff, cleaning teams and more.

 

Mr Qureshi said: “By delivering complete service recruitment solutions for our clients, we can fill any role. More and more clients are now joining us because they see how our team can quickly and consistently help them find the people they require to transform their services.”

 

This relaunch marks an exciting new chapter for The Protocol Group.

Via a team built on nearly three-decades of experience, they will be based out of seven offices in London, Manchester, Hertfordshire, Aberdeen, Birmingham, and Stamford, as well as its main head office in Nottingham.

This nationwide network of expertise means The Protocol Group boasts a team who are delivering levels of service its rivals are unable to match.

 

Speaking on how The Protocol Group will differ from other recruitment services, Mr Qureshi explained: “We don’t want our services to be a transaction, we want to be a bespoke partner to these education institutions. When it comes to education recruitment we quite simply pledge to be ‘the best in class’.”

Outlining how The Protocol Group will be doing things differently, Mr Qureshi continued: “Our services are built on decades of experience in delivering excellence and instinctively knowing what our clients need. We work with clients to provide the solutions they need. As a fast-growing company we’re quickly creating an environment where curiosity thrives, diversity is embraced and where everyone can learn and grow together.”

 

The Protocol Group recently announced the launch of two of three subsidiary businesses, Bookmark and eSafeguarding, which are key pillars of the group and respectively act as a recruitment database and cutting-edge DBS checking service.

With every aspect covered for all education recruitment needs, The Protocol Group is designed to be a holistic full-service partner of education institutions. This means education institutions can put their full trust in The Protocol Group to handle the recruitment process from start to finish, rather than working with multiple different companies which are not fit for purpose; or even having to hire internal staff to handle these issues.

There will also be a third business within the group announced in December, which will further add to the range of recruitment services The Protocol Group offers.

Outlining The Protocol Group’s aims for 2024, Mr Qureshi concluded: “The recruitment sector is changing all the time. And as providers, we all need to embrace that change and the opportunities it brings.

“We are constantly looking to develop new products, new services and new ideas which will transform the sector helping us The Protocol Group and to help our clients and candidates grow with us.”

 

To find out more about the Protocol Group, visit the website here

 

Franchises, News, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Franchise owners driving business dreams forward.

An enterprising Bradford couple who help keep other organisations on the road are in the fast lane to business success after investing in an award-winning franchise operation.

Husband and wife team Tim and Fiona Hennah, franchise owners of driver employment agency, Driver Hire, in Lower Wortley, Leeds, have recorded the highest-ever sales figures for the franchise’s Leeds West division in over 25 years and have turned over £1.2M in just two years since acquiring the franchise.

Tim took on the franchise after over thirty years in the leisure sector, with the last 17 spent as a corporate product and events manager for P&O Ferries. In 2020, just as the Covid 19 pandemic was impacting, Tim was made redundant and, aged 55, was left to ponder his next career move.

After conducting lots of research and realising that he no longer wanted to work directly for anyone, Tim considered a franchise model with Driver Hire, the UK’s largest specialist supplier of transport and logistics staff. It is also one of the UK’s most successful and respected franchise brands.

Having decided that this was the right move for him and his family, he persuaded his wife Fiona to leave her career in healthcare at Bradford Royal Infirmary and join him in his business venture.

The couple were advised by Leeds-based chartered accountant Simon Gray, who, in addition to assisting the couple with investing their own money in the venture, helped them to access and secure funding, enabling them to acquire the Driver Hire Leeds West franchise from the previous franchisees.

Since taking over, Tim and Fiona have driven the business forward impressively. The franchise is expanding rapidly and is one of the fastest-growing, most successful Driver Hire franchises in the UK. There are currently over 100 active recruitment franchises nationwide.

Tim commented: “It’s been a whirlwind two years since taking over the franchise in the summer of 2021. The business we acquired had been running successfully for almost 30 years but was beginning to fade. We brought new levels of energy, fresh ideas and real commitment to the venture, and we haven’t looked back since. Many couples struggle to work together successfully, but it’s worked well for us with our particular strengths and skills complementing each other well. I’m focused on the strategic elements of the business, whereas Fiona is more about tactics and day-to-day operations. Working with our accountant, Simon Gray, was integral to getting the business up and running. It’s important to get the best professional advice when starting a business.

“We’re on course for our most successful year to date this year and the strongest ever for the Leeds West franchise. Last month we had a record-breaking month in terms of performance. Although recruitment is a highly competitive sector, the opportunities are massive, and we feel that our team offers a great deal of valuable experience and first-class customer service skills, which have helped us to build up a loyal customer and driver base. By the time we hit our fifth year, we hope to have grown the business to £2M turnover and increased from the current team of four to at least six or seven.”

The business is also exploring local community links and recently became a sponsor of Farsley Celtic FC for the 2023/24 season.

Added Simon Gray: “Tim and Fiona have had an incredible impact since taking on the Driver Hire franchise. They have brought so much in terms of interpersonal skills, customer service and focus to the initiative and have quickly established a very successful operation. Working very closely with the couple at the decision-making stage was key, helping them secure funding from various sources, and presenting accurate cash flow modelling and forecasts, which helped them to move forward with confidence and realise their business dreams. It’s great to see their business motoring on so successfully.”

Image caption: Tim and Fiona Hennah, franchise owners of driver employment agency, Driver Hire.

News, Recruitment, UK, USA

SmartRecruiters Q3 Release supercharges reach to candidates globally

SmartRecruiters, an All-in-One Hiring Platform, today is introducing the latest expansion of talent acquisition updates designed to broaden global reach and productivity. The new release includes over 27 product enhancements and 15 new partner integrations offering smarter workflows, seamless integrations and bulk actions that empower global talent leaders to achieve more with less.

“I’m excited about the remarkable progress we’ve made in the past few months,“ said Rebecca Carr, Chief Product Officer of SmartRecruiters. “We’ve been listening to customer feedback and responding with investments that address their largest challenges. In a market undergoing significant change, enabling our users to find quality candidates with fewer resources is top of mind.”

Key features and benefits:

  • Expand job posting reach and visibility with access to over 2700+ job boards, including popular platforms like Indeed and SEEK.
  • Efficiently reach candidates via text and WhatsApp through SmartMessage’s advanced features, including templates, bulk messaging, and expanded geographic reach.
  • Upgraded discovery capabilities, with customizable filters for skills, experience, location, and last active date, to identify premium candidates quickly.
  • Simplifying the process of generating multiple job offers simultaneously, speeding up communication and improving acceptance rates while reducing time-to-offer.

For more information on the Q3 product release visit our What’s New page.

About SmartRecruiters

SmartRecruiters is dedicated to reshaping the future of talent acquisition. Through innovative products and services, we empower businesses of all sizes to attract, select and hire the best talent. SmartRecruiters’ next-generation platform serves as the hiring operating system for 4,000 customers like Bosch, LinkedIn, Skechers, and Visa. Companies with business-critical hiring needs turn to SmartRecruiters for best-of-breed functionality, world-class support, and a robust ecosystem of third-party applications and service providers.

For more information visit www.smartrecruiters.com/news or follow us on LinkedIn.

Energy, Recruitment, Recruitment News

Skills and recruitment must be high on agenda of new battery strategy taskforce

Skills and recruitment must be high on the agenda of the Government’s new battery strategy taskforce if the UK is to succeed in its goal of developing a world-leading battery economy.

Specialist renewable energy recruiters at Jonathan Lee Recruitment have welcomed the inception of the taskforce, which will support the creation of a battery strategy for the UK, but say the significance of recruitment cannot be overlooked.

Lee Elwell, Associate Director at the longstanding recruitment firm, said: “As recognised in the Government’s recent call for evidence for the battery strategy, the design, development, manufacture, and recycling of batteries will play an essential role in meeting our net zero targets. That relates to both energy storage and as the powerhouse for electric vehicles.

“However, the success of these ambitious goals hinges largely on a robust recruitment strategy that aligns with industry needs.”

Seizing opportunities in the battery market

The battery market is poised for transformative growth but this transition from fossil fuels to clean electrification needs a robust battery infrastructure.

The last decade saw the global demand for lithium-ion batteries skyrocket from 0.5 gigawatt-hours to 526 gigawatt-hours, highlighting the potential that lies ahead. 

At the same time, it is predicted that the UK will be producing almost 1.6 million electric vehicles every year by 2040 – all with batteries that need to be made and then ideally, recycled. Plans have been drawn up to meet the cell demand by way of new gigafactories, and there is a need to further develop the recycling element of the supply chain. 

Globally, the battery recycling market alone is estimated to be worth £27bn by 2030 and there are proposals in the pipeline to start building battery recycling facilities in the UK, such as new planned sites by Veolia and Technology Minerals in the West Midlands and LTS in London.

It’s clear to see that the opportunities – and the stakes – in the battery sector have never been higher. But the numbers also beckon an urgent question: Are we ready?

The aspiration to create a circular economy, as presented in Innovate UK’s recent 2035 UK Battery Recycling Industry Vision report, further emphasises the scale of the task ahead. Reclaiming materials from end-of-life batteries, developing sustainable battery lifecycles, and driving innovations in battery design and manufacture are huge undertakings. And like all sectors in renewable energy, they depend upon having a knowledgeable, skilled workforce at their core.

The importance of recruitment

With such an expansive vision for the battery market, the recruitment aspect can’t be relegated to the backseat. Having witnessed the evolutions of numerous sectors over four decades, we understand the pivotal role of a skilled workforce in realising industry ambitions.

By 2040, the battery industry could offer employment to upwards of 100,000 people. As companies gear up for this future, the challenge lies in securing the right skill sets, the visionaries, the innovators, and the diligent workforce that can turn these aspirations into tangible results.

Gearing for the future

“As an organisation with expertise and experience in delivering quality recruitment solutions to the engineering and manufacturing sectors for over 45 years, Jonathan Lee Recruitment is well-positioned to support this growing sector,” Lee adds. 

“Our team of renewable energy recruiters have a deep understanding of what our clients and candidates require. As the UK stands on the cusp of a battery revolution, we’re here, once again, ready to help business prepare for and solve those recruitment challenges.

“Taking the time to look ahead, to identify and nurture the talent pool now is key to success in the future. That means defining the job roles that will be key to delivering a successful battery-orientated economy, while assessing the extent of the skills already out there, those coming through and those that can be transferred.

“Given the scale of the necessity and the opportunity, this has to be supported by a national training and recruitment plan.

“It’s not just about formulating strategies; it’s about ensuring they’re grounded in reality.”

To talk about recruitment for your energy enterprise, please contact Lee Elwell (Associate Director, Energy) on 01384 446154, or email Lee.elwell@jonlee.co.uk.

Employee Benefits, News, Recruitment

Skills shortages and limited hiring budgets are top recruitment challenges for UK companies

Majority of British workers are unhappy with benefits packages.

A new survey revealed that 86% of organisations in the UK have found hiring ‘quite’ or ‘very’ competitive in 2023. 46% have lost out on hiring new talent in the last six months as they ‘can’t compete on salary and benefits’, and 40% expect ‘lack of skilled candidates available’ to be their greatest 2024 recruitment challenge.

Despite this, the research, conducted by global talent services company Morgan McKinley as part of its 2024 Salary Guide, found that over half (52%) of UK businesses still plan to hire in the next six months.

As for professionals, 51% in the UK plan to actively look for new jobs in the next six months. The survey also revealed that British workers were not happy with the benefits they received: 59% being ‘neutral’, ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘highly dissatisfied’ with their packages. The top five desired benefits British workers look for in a job are: Work from home, bonus, pension, health insurance, and flexible working hours.

‘Higher salary’ remains the most valued reason for wanting to move jobs at 42%, followed by ‘meaningful and impactful work’ at 13%. 49% of professionals in the UK are optimistic that they will receive a salary increase in 2024 and 70% of employers plan to increase salary offers in 2024 for certain in-demand roles.

Contracting appears to be more attractive for many, as 48% of professionals currently employed in permanent roles would consider making the switch to contracting, with the main reasons given being ‘better rates of pay’, ‘greater opportunities to develop skills’, and ‘more flexibility’.

 

David Leithead, Chief Operations Officer of Morgan McKinley UK, commented: “The underlying economic gloom caused many employers to slow recruitment; the frenzy to secure new hires has been replaced by companies taking time and care to ensure the best hiring decisions are made. Despite this, the pressure to find new talent has remained, as companies look to drive ahead with change agendas, satisfy new regulatory and legal regimes, maximise commercial opportunities, and respond to turnover.”

“Many employers offered inflated salaries to secure talent throughout 2021 and 2022, so it’s unsurprising that salary offers have largely normalised with fewer opportunities available.”

 

Leithead concluded: “No matter the macro climate, it remains true always that the right talent – that can drive progress and improvement – will remain in demand and companies will pay well to secure them. With the shortage of skilled professionals available, take steps to keep your people engaged, supported and happy; offering benefits that are meaningful to the individual’s specific situation will help here. Benefits around wellbeing and flexibility remain top of the pile.”

The Morgan McKinley 2024 Salary Guide presents up-to-date and accurate salary data for a wide range of roles across the UK, providing hiring managers with industry benchmarks when they are working out what to pay employees and giving professionals more visibility over what they can earn.

Research from 650 businesses and 3,400 professionals was conducted to find out what companies’ hiring intentions are for 2024, what the key motivators are for changing jobs, and what the expectations are for movement on salaries.

 

For the Morgan McKinley UK 2024 Salary Guide, visit: https://www.morganmckinley.com/uk/salary-guide