Author: Direct Response Employment

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3 ways a Recruitment Agency can support your business!

3 Ways a Recruitment Agency can support your business.

When it comes to recruitment and hiring it can often become a stressful and time-consuming process with some businesses not knowing where to start or simply not having enough time to sift through applications, arrange interviews and ultimately find the right person for the job.

This is where an agency comes in, an agency will work with you in finding out exactly what you need in terms of candidate skills, experience and personality fit. Taking the stress away from the recruitment process and freeing up your time to focus on your business.

Here are just 3 ways a recruitment agency can add value to your business.

Candidate Attraction – giving you access to a higher pool of candidates.

Direct Response will manage the whole process on attracting candidates for your job role. We will create an eye-catching job description, showcase what you have to offer and advertise these across a wide range of job boards and social media channels ensuring your job is seen by those looking for new opportunities.

At Direct Response we all have established a large database of candidates over the years meaning we have access to candidates who may not be active on the job market but could have the skills you are looking for, giving us a greater pool of candidates to approach on your behalf.

We Manage the process for you.

Having to sift through a large number of applications can be time consuming, but here at Direct Response we will handle all that for you. We will manage all applications and short list candidates who are suitable for the role. We will pre-screen all candidates, discussing the role in detail, salary expectations and so on before sending all suitable candidates over to you attached with a CV and profile detailing their suitability for the role.

Once you have selected which candidates you would like to interview, we will manage the interview process for you, scheduling and assisting with the all-important interviews.

Offer, Rejection and Negotiation.

So, you have found a candidate you would love to join your business and its time to make an offer, we will support your business in making that all important job offer.

Direct Response will assist with the whole offer, negotiating salary, carrying out references checks and supporting with the onboarding process of your new recruit.

We will also ensure any candidates you have been declined during your recruitment process   are informed within a polite manner so you can concentrate on what you do best within your company.

If you would like to find out more about how Direct Response can support your business, then get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

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Holiday Pay April 2022/2023 April

Just a reminder to all of our temporary workers that we are coming up to the end of the financial year, so all holidays need to be taken before April 6th, 2023. This would have been explained to you at registration and detailed in the application and induction process.

  • If you look at your payslips it will tell you how many holidays you have accrued.
  • You must give at least one week’s notice of any holiday requests.
  • Holidays cannot be carried over into the next financial after April 6th, 2023
  • You cannot work and be paid holiday.
  • You cannot take holiday whilst on sick leave.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all holiday is taken before the end of the Financial Year 6th April.

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National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on the 11th January.

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11 raises awareness of the persistent issue of human trafficking. Though the entire month of January has already been recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is specifically dedicated to awareness and prevention of the illegal practice. This holiday is also separate from the World Day Against Trafficking Persons, as established by the United Nations. Since the Senate established this day of observance in 2007, it has drawn massive public support from individual donations to government-organized events. The horrific injustice of human trafficking can affect people of any race and background, and on this day we are all called to fight human trafficking wherever it exists.

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Mental Health in the workplace.

World Mental Health Day At Direct Response

Mental health can affect us all at different times in our lives and with work being here we spend a lot of our time during the working week, its important that employers and colleagues alike to be able to support those who may be experiencing mental health in the workplace.

Its important that your employees are aware they can come to you should they be struggling or generally just need some time out or someone to talk to and it’s an employer’s job to ensure you have that open door policy to allow employees to do this.

However not everyone feels comfortable when it comes to talking about their feelings or asking for help, so how do we recognise if someone is struggling within the workplace.

Is you employee / colleague struggling with mental health and what are the tell tell signs to look out for.

  • Isolating themselves from other workers and being very quiet or not talkative. Now there are some people who generally are just not that talkative but if an employee or colleague who was once very talkative and social becomes distance and starts isolating themselves from how they normally behave it could be a sign they are going through some troubles.  
  • Having increased absences from work.
  • A person may become more aggressive and suffer from increased mood swings.
  • Having difficulty concentrating at work and no motivation to complete tasks.

Sometimes it can be easy t spot a change in someone’s behaviour or if someone is perhaps not in a good mood, we can pick these up easily but there are times where people who may be struggling and out on a go mask so to speak.

Which brings me on to what can we do in the workplace to encourage mental health awareness and what support can you provide?

  • Encourage employees to talk, ensure employees know you are there for them to discuss any problems they may be facing and ensure they feel welcomed in being able to express any feelings.
  • Have regular one to one’s with employees, it’s a great way to build a bound with employees, find out how they are getting on in the workplace and gives them the opportunity to express themselves to you.
  • Encouraging mental health support within the workplace such as mental health awareness training or workshops or having dedicated trained individuals or councillors or mental health champions being available, so employees know where to turn if they need that extra support.
  • Respect confidentiality. Remember mental health information is confidential and sensitive. Don’t pass on information unnecessarily – not least because this breach of trust could negatively impact someone’s mental health.
  • Offer flexibility or a free space employees can go to and take some take away from the workplace to have a breather and gather their thoughts.
  • Offer a 24/7 employee assistant program, which is an outside service which employees can access for a range of advice or support.

It is important to remember that an employee who is struggling can feel vulnerable or may be embarrassed to ask for help, so its important to raise as much awareness within the workplace.

Create a supportive and open environment and ensure mental health is not frowned upon and that your door is always open.

If you would like to take a look further about what training or work shops surrounding mental health which may health your organisation, then check out the links below.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-support-mental-health-work

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Ukraine Donations ~ September 2022

Photos from the humanitarian trip to the Ukrainian women’s and children’s shelter in Poland Tommy Sprangle made last week.

Tommy is hoping to plan another trip in October before winter starts and donations of Christmas presents for the children and food are desperately needed as well as sanitary products, Nappies, etc.

A Big Thank you to everyone who has donated it was much appreciated by everyone back at the hostel.

If you would like to donate Please contact us on 07968 408817 or email [email protected].

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1st of October right to work checks are changing, make sure you are up to speed!

Since Covid hit us the home office took a temporary change to the way employers were able to legally check right to work documents. These temporary measures will be ending in September so here is what you need to know to ensure from the 1st of October 2022, you are compliant with your employee right to work checks.

So what documents are you able to accept as part of your right to work checks?

I have included a link below which includes a full list of the right to work documents which are accepted by the home office to confirm an employee’s right to work.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checklist/employers-right-to-work-checklist-accessible-version

Ensure when checking documents, you see the original and take a copy of the original right to work document, signing the document to confirm you have seen the original and dating the photocopy to confirm when you completed this check.  

What if they do not have the correct documents or if I am still not sure if the documents are legit?

If after checking the documents you are still not 100% sure or if candidates are not able to provide original documents, then its worth using the link below.

You can make use of the home office employer checking service which will be able to assist in confirming if your employee or prospective employee as the right to work, using the link below.

Home office employer checking service:

https://www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status

My Employee has a share code, what do I need to do next?

If your employee or prospective employee has a share code, you simply can check the government website using the share code and it will be able to provide if that person has the right to work.

Once you have checked online. Print the confirmation and save within your employee records to confirm you have carried out the check or save digitally.

Check Share code:

https://www.gov.uk/view-right-to-work

So, what exactly is changing from the 1st of October?

During Covid the government put temporary measures in place to assist employers being able to check right to work documents remotely. This involved employer being able to check right to work documents over video call with the employee holding up the right to work document to the camera on a video call and sending a photocopy / photo to the employer for their records.

From the 1st of October this will stop, and employers will no longer be able to check the right to work documents without seeing the original in person or without using a IDSP service which is a third-party service provider which can check an employee’s right to work on your behalf.

Going forward there will be 3 ways you are able to confirm a candidate’s right to work to ensure you are compliant.

  1. Check candidates right to work documents in person and taking a copy of the document, ensuring you date and sign to confirm when you checked the original document.

If checking documents from List A, you will not need to do any further checks on the individual. If checking documents from List B you will need to ensure you do, follow up checks to ensure the individual continues to have eligibility to work.

  • Use a IDSP (Identity Service Provider) to check a person’s eligibility to work, there are many providers that are certified to carry out these checks, you may need to pay a fee in order for them to carry out the checks on your behalf. You will need to obtain a clear copy from the provider of the check and keep this on record for the duration of the individual’s employment and 2 years after that person has finished employment with the employer.

A list of home office approved providers at the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-identity-certification-for-right-to-work-right-to-rent-and-criminal-record-checks/digital-identity-certification-for-right-to-work-right-to-rent-and-criminal-record-checks

  • Use the home office online right to work checking service, it will not be possible to check everyone’s right to work using this service and when this service is not available you will need to complete a manual check.

Ensure you retain a copy of the digital right to work check for the duration of the individual’s employment and 2 years after this.

https://www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status

Where a right to work check has been conducted using the services of an IDSP on British and Irish citizens, a continuous statutory excuse will have been established and there is no requirement to see the documents listed above or to carry out a follow up check.

Where a right to work check has been conducted using the Home Office online service, the information is provided in real-time directly from home Office systems and there is no requirement to see the documents listed above.

Hopefully you are all up to speed but if you ae still not up to speed or want to have a chat with us on checking an employee’s right to work, then get in touch and we would be more than happy to assist.