6 key reasons to hire temporary staff in 2021

Posted by & filed under Advice, Opinion.

Over the last 12 months or so we have all experienced a severe disruption individually and to our businesses across the UK and the world. Whoever thought that 13 months after Boris announced the first lockdown that we would still be trying to navigate our way out of it.

I remember some of our team saying “ah it will only last a few weeks” which I thought at the time was optimistic, but I had no idea we would still be in it now!!!

Since the first day of 2021 the property & construction market has been growing in confidence and as a knock on affect we, as a business, have been getting busier. Technically, most offices are still not open as normal and may not be yet for a few months at best. But are you seeing growth and confidence in your business and are you a little short on resource? If the answer to this question is yes… then hiring, onboarding, training and getting any new recruit up to speed must be high on your agenda!

I am writing this blog to raise a question – are you considering engaging temporary workers as a potential solution as we lift out of lockdown and if not, why not?

Here are some key reasons why hiring temporary staff across the business could be the sensible approach to supporting your business growth this year:

1. Commitment free resource – hiring a temporary worker via a temp agency will only commit you to the short notice period agreed
2. Agile resource – this is staffing that you can turn off and on at any point when you need it
3. Temporary to permanent hires – a lot of the temps (50%+) we place go on to being offered assignment extensions or permanent contracts – the “try before you buy” approach
4. Qualified/experienced cover – if you work with a recruitment firm that specialize in your niche its likely they will have people on their books (especially in the current climate) who can hit the ground running!
5. Hassle free/fast process – if you engage the right temp agency they can take away all the hassle of hiring a permanent team member, they can get someone onsite within a day and you only need to sign off a timesheet each week and report on progress
6. Flexible resource – if the initial assignment comes to an end but another team could do with cover or extra resource you can move across a “known/trained” person who can pick it up very quickly and knows/understand your ways of working, IT and standards

So, there you have it, my top 6 reasons why you and your firm should consider temps as a viable option coming out of lockdown. I know from speaking to clients that the work is there but there is still some hesitation around whether we could go back into lockdown and business levels fall… so surely this type of resource (if you can find the right workers/agency) has to be worth considering?

We have temporary workers on our books that are experienced in; sales, customer service, marketing, HR, operations, finance, technical, surveying, construction, project management and much more.

If you are interested in engaging temporary staff or want to explore the options we have available, please get in touch.

The successful persons guide to dealing with rejection at work

Posted by & filed under Advice, Blog, Opinion.

It is never a nice feeling like you have been rejected, especially when you are at work. Of course, your emotions and that completely irrational person within us is probably shouting that you should completely hulk out on the entire workplace and smash everything to bits. But we all know that in the real world this isn’t the approach to take… plus you might rip your favourite outfit!
You might not believe it, but even the most successful people have, at one point in their lives, had to deal with rejection. The thing that sets them apart from others is how they deal with it and move on.
Feel like you need some inspiration in how to better deal with being told that you are not quite up to scratch? Below is the successful persons guide to dealing with rejection in the workplace.

They remember that this isn’t the only path to take
One of the worst things that you can do when you have been rejected from something is to think that it is all your own fault and that you just weren’t good enough. The thing to always keep in mind is that just because you were rejected, that doesn’t mean it was because you were worthless, it simply means that you were not right for that path. Recognise and remember your own value and instead of thinking that this is the only route to take, take another look at your map.

They take the time to think about what happened
Sometimes rejection can come out of the blue, that you can’t pinpoint where it all went wrong. However, just as likely is that there are things that you could have done differently. Someone who is successful can reflect on what happened and know perhaps where they could have made changes. That doesn’t mean that the rejection was all your fault of course, but it is something that can help you with the future.

They ask for feedback
It isn’t always easy to hear what is wrong with you, but sometimes welcoming feedback is the best way to make yourself better and push yourself to succeed. The feedback might be something that you already know about and want to change, but it could also be something that you may not have even been aware of. The important thing is that you can ask the other person to let you know how they see you.

They then improve
It’s all well and good asking for feedback when you have been rejected, but what you should also then do is think about it and make changes. We can all do with a touch of improvement and if you have taken the giant leap to asking for some feedback, then do something with it. Otherwise you might as well have had your fingers in your ears and shouted la-la-la whilst they were talking to you!
When you are feeling down and you are tempted to hide away from the world, remember that even the most successful people in the world probably had the same hurdles. The only difference with them is rather than buying a large tub of ice cream and grabbing a blanket, they dusted themselves off and set about showing those who rejected them just what they are worth. We can promise you, that it is the best revenge to take!

9 reasons why you should have a LinkedIn account

Posted by & filed under Advice, Blog, Starting a new Job.

Hopefully you have already set up a LinkedIn profile and are following our company page to keep in touch with all the latest Property & Construction news, latest job postings and recruitment tips and advice. However, if you don’t have an account here are 9 key reasons to get one:

1) Social media plays a huge role in recruitment for potential employers

2) You need to put the effort in to getting your profile 100% complete and looking the best it can, as this is like your shop window for potential employers – an opportunity to really impress!

3) Grow your own personal network, the broader your network, the higher you will rank in other’s search results. This is vital to be successful in any business, “it’s not what you know it’s who you know!”

4) LinkedIn can assist with your career development and help increase your earning potential

5) You can be proactive and approach/connect with people from Companies you want to work for in the future – build your profile with them!

6) Learn from and be inspired by others and how they have developed their careers – analyse their work history to see what they have done.

7) Keep track of your peers – when you see someone doing well it should motivate you to want to improve

8) Deepen your understanding of a company before interviewing or even joining them

9) LinkedIn is a more visual alternative to the traditional CV!

 

How do your other Social Media accounts like Facebook & Instagram affect your career – Social Media Friend or foe for your career?

Social Media – friend or foe for your career?

Posted by & filed under Advice, Blog.

Social media impacts every single person’s life on this planet, there are over 2.206 billion active users, a global penetration of 30% – In the UK alone 96% of adults are on Facebook and 1 billion people Worldwide log onto Instagram monthly. As a recruiter I am often asked about the impact of social media on job applications – shall I change my settings to private? Shall I hide people from being able to search for me? Shall I delete those terrible old posts with my tongue piercing and bright pink hair?

Social media can provoke a prejudgement on someone before meeting them – whether you like it or not. Will this be your friend or foe? Career builder conducted a survey last year and found 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. This means 2 in 5 companies browse your social media to evaluate your character and personality! Some employers even base their hiring decision on what they may or may not find. This can both be beneficial and harmful to a candidate for example 29% of employers said they found something they liked on a candidates profile which prompted them to offer the job.  However 1 out of 3 of the employers will drop a candidate due to something they saw on him or her online! 68% of potential employers will look at your Facebook or Instagram during the screening process – let’s keep the pictures nice and friendly!

From a recruiter’s point of view – it can be both harmful and beneficial to a job search. Social media can expose things a potential employer may not like to see – for example that drunken night out at university in 2011 you do not want to remember – let alone the CEO of a company you are applying to! However, also not being able to find a social media account can also be just as damaging – If employers search and cannot find you their thoughts are why are they not on facebook? I can find X person now, they look nice so I will call them instead… Do you get my point?

My thoughts on my own social media account is to not say anything I would not say in front of my Mother (the fact I have my mum on all social media also helps this along very nicely) – cheers Mum 😉 Delete those old pictures and status’s from 2am in the morning after Oceana! Think of your social media as a representation of yourself – how would you like to be perceived?

For further advice on how to make the best use of your social media profiles to maximise your chances of securing your dream job, feel free to contact me.

How to manage stress at work

Posted by & filed under Advice, Blog.

What is stress?

Stress – is your body’s response to pressures from a situation or a life event.  This could be pressure at work, money worries, relationship difficulties or it could be when you experience something new or unexpected or feeling you have little control over a situation.

Flight or Fight response

When we encounter stress, our body is stimulated to produce stress hormones that trigger a ‘flight or fight’ response and activate our immune system.

Stress can cause your brain to seize up at the worst possible times such as during exams, job interviews or public speaking for example.

Life and death situation

This is actually a survival mechanism and is there to protect you. If you’re faced with a life and death situation, instinct and subconscious impulse overwhelm rational thought and reasoning. This might keep you from being killed in an encounter with a tiger, but, in modern life, this is rarely helpful.

It negatively impacts virtually every cognitive skill you rely on to get through the day, including your ability to pay attention, remember, solve problems, make rational decisions, and think critically.

Your inability to think clearly or make decisions reduces your resilience which in turn increases your stress levels.

Heart Focused Breathing Technique

When you find yourself feeling stressed, take a step back, come away from the situation and try this simple technique to guide you to a state of ease in just a few minutes.

The technique is as powerful as it is simple and can be used anytime you want to create greater relaxation or more energy.

Here’s how you do it:

1 – Focus your attention on your heart area. Breathe a little deeper than normal, in for 5 or 6 seconds and out 5 or 6 seconds. You may find that placing your hand over your heart helps you maintain your focus there.

2 – Now imagine while breathing that you’re doing it through your heart. Picture yourself slowly breathing in and slowly breathing out through your heart area.

Doing this technique will help you reduce stress right in the moment, so the next time you find yourself in a difficult situation at work or away from the office, give it a try.

Should you find yourself stressed at work by a difficult boss, have a read of my blog 5 Managers from Hell – which is yours?

It’s not you, it’s me…

Posted by & filed under Advice.

Fallen out of love with your job but still have a soft spot for the industry? We’ve all been there, had a buyer decide to pull out of a sale on a Friday night simply because they’ve changed their minds? Getting stick from your manager because you haven’t hit your viewing target? One of your colleagues is just being annoying?

However, if this feeling just won’t budge, maybe it’s time to move on. But why leave an industry you love, that’s interesting, always being talked about and a lot of fun? There are so many different roles within the Property Industry, it’s not all about the Negotiators!
If you are wanting more of a 9-6, with a higher basic and no commission or targets, why not try an Administration role? You need to have great attention to detail, strong customer service focus and super organisation skills. There are Lettings or Sales Administrator, PA, Property Administrator, Property Management Administrator, Accounts Administrator, you probably get the picture by now! In a nutshell, there are a lot of different support based roles.

Or maybe you want a bit of variety and still want to be customer facing? If that’s the case, why not become a sassy Office Coordinator, Office Manager, Receptionist or Team Assistant? You’ll be responsible for ensuring the office runs smoothly and that everyone is behaving themselves!! You could be the first point of contact and will need to be very smart and customer facing. As well as doing lots administration and support work of course!

You (hopefully) would have developed a lot of very transferable skills whilst being a mega Neg. One of these many skills is being able to handle difficult conversations and situations. This leads me onto Property or Tenancy Management… A job that appealed to me when I first came out of negotiating. That was, until I realised that I’m not the most organised person in the world! Ok sometimes my attention to detail isn’t always on point, but I am working on it… However, if that’s not the case for you, why not give it a go? You’ll always be kept on your toes, there will never be a dull moment, there is lots of people skills and rapport building needed and a lot of opportunity to progress.

Before you pull the plug on, in my opinion, the most interesting and dynamic industry, think about your options, or even better, give me a shout!

Carly Mitchell Tel:0203 587 7691 Email:carly.mitchell@cherrypickpeople.com