Employment - Summer Slow Down
The Summer Employment Slowdown - Myth or Reality?
Depending on how you interpret the Employment slowdown, it can be both. The summer slowdown has been a genuine problem for the US economy over the last few years. However, the data revealed in the ADP's National Employment Report (July 2013) indicates that this year it may be avoided as job-growth figures remain strong, but some industry sectors might struggle to fill their new positions. Whether it's a healthy or a struggling jobs market, the myth or reality of the summer employment slowdown is not to do with whether the jobs are there or not. It is simply the experience of delays at that time of year.
Recruitment - A Question of Logistics
Candidate Availability
Keep the Employment Process Moving
Candidates should keep searching during summer. Be available - isn't it more important to secure a job than go on holiday? Be patient - expect the process to take a little longer. Consider temporary roles. Many companies backfill their summer employment shortages with temporary staff This is a great way to get known within the company and these can sometimes lead to full-time positions. Remember the process can just as easily speed up as it can slow down as companies take advantage of staff availability before their holidays. So it really can pay to keep searching for employment over the summer.
Recruiters - Plan the Employment Process in Advance
If you plan to hire over summer get your process rolling straightaway. Plan interview dates well in advance so you know which staff you have available to conduct them. It may be significant to see which candidates will forego or interrupt holidays to secure a job and which let holidays take precedence. Source your ideal candidates well in advance if you are looking for college or university graduates. They will be keen to know they have secured employment.
Moving on from the Recession - The Employment Market
Since 2008, the global economy has been a continual talking point, making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Credit crunch, sub-prime mortgages, double-dip recession these are all terms regularly bandied about and which now seem part of our public consciousness.
Casualties of the Recession
There have been some fairly spectacular casualties of the recession, with a number of high-profile companies folding, high-street stores being forced to close and big names in industry making many people redundant.
Employment Market
Austerity is another watch word of the last few years, with cost-cutting measures introduced by the coalition government in a bid to curb the country's borrowing and pay back some of the mammoth debt. All of which has had a massive effect on employment figures, with job losses occurring in just about every area of the employment market.
UK Dipping in and out of Recession
With the UK dipping in and out of recession, it can feel difficult to believe that there is any positivity to take from our financial status at the moment one upbeat headline is almost invariably countered with another, more negative one. The London 2012 Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 helped to lift the UK out of recession, but with talk of a triple dip this is short-lived good news.
So far, so depressing. But if you are in the employment market whether trying to get a foot on the ladder or looking for work following redundancy then there is some hope.
Employers Still Need High-Quality Candidates for Their Roles.
Experience is still valued and qualifications do count for something. It is important to try to see beyond the headlines, looking positively at what is actually out there and not becoming bogged down in a sea of negativity. There is no escaping the fact that the country is suffering an economic crisis and has been doing so for a number of years. But the key factor coming across from employers in all sectors is that if people can prove themselves then they are in with a good chance.
Make Yourself Stand Out from the Competition in the Employment Market
Competition for every role is much fiercer these days than in the past. More and more people are applying for the same job, short-lists are becoming longer and interview processes are becoming more involved. The best advice is to work on making yourself stand out from the competition, demonstrating to potential employers just what skills you have to offer and emphasising how and why you will do things differently and better than the other people they are considering. Show them how you can and will improve their business and prove that you have the capacity to make it happen.
It can often be tempting to hold back a little and it is not often easy to blow your own trumpet. But this isn't a case of boasting or showing off. It is all about being effortlessly confident, focusing on the skills and competencies you do have and using these to strengthen your recruitment case.
Moving on from the recession.... the Employment Market
Written by Chima Kanu of Circle Square Talent
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If you have been made redundant and are looking for outplacement support, Circle Square now provides an outplacement
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who would like our help moving on. Always Forward also offers an online Careers Service and Redundancy advice to support you through this transitional time.
