Congratulations to all those that have secured full time roles through us this week
Congratulations
Fair and Equal Opportunity and Treatment!
The Direct Response team were busy on another training course yesterday presented by the responsible recruitment toolkit covering Fair and Equal Opportunity and treatment in the workplace and recruitment process.
Here at Direct Response, its important to make sure we remain compliant and that we are regularly updating our skills and knowledge to ensure we offer a fair recruitment process and equal opportunities for all.
Well done team and Thank you RRT, we look forward to the next training session.
Celebrating our 23rd Anniversary
Responsible Recruitment Toolkit
Responsible Recruitment Toolkit is a not-for-profit, global programme whose mission is to drive ethical and professional recruitment and labour supply that is good for workers, recruiters and clients.
Direct Response Employment Services is one of seven companies in the country to achieve RRT Business Partner status. This means we have uploaded evidence to publicly demonstrate our commitment to responsible recruitment.
You could become the next business partner to find out more about RRT and how your company could be the next business partner please follow this link.
Congratulations
On behalf of the team at Direct Response Employment Services, we want to congratulate 11 local candidates who have been in a temporary role for 3 months and have been offered permanent roles on Monday. This is not only a fantastic opportunity for them, but how encouraging during times like this, that we are able to celebrate growth in a local company too. Great achievement for all involved!
Video Interviewing – How to make that great first impression.
If Covid has taught us anything, it is how quickly people and organisations can adapt to new ways of working with a lot of employees adapting to working from home, offices being out of bounds which has meant new ways in conducting and carrying out interviews for open vacancies.
With the current technology surrounding us and the various applications such as Zoom, Microsoft teams, Facetime and much more video interviewing has become a normal part of the interview process and it is here to stay.
Video interviewing and face to face interviews are very similar in the sense that you can both see each other face to face and carry out normal questions and answers as part of a typical interview, but what are you missing and what should you pay attention to, to ensure you make a fantastic first impression during your video interview.
We have conducted a quick guide on things you should be considering when preparing for your Video Interview.
Dress Code:
Dressing smartly for an interview is an absolute must in any interview circumstance and more so when video interviewing. We appreciate being at home, you feel comfortable and let’s face it we often want to sit around in our PJ’s or our comfy clothes so its easy to feel like this when attending an interview from the comfort of our home.
Ensure you would dress the same and present yourself smartly as if you were attending a face-to-face interview on site, Suited, and booted as they say. It not only gets you in the right frame of mind for your interview but also sets a fantastic first impression.
Technology:
No matter what equipment you are using for your interview computers, laptop, phone etc always ensure you test your equipment before the video interview.
Ensure the appliance is amply charged or plugged in, check your internet connection, and ensure you have the right apps downloaded for your interview.
It is also a good idea to check your camera is in working order and positioned well so the interviewer can see you clearly.
Room Lighting and background:
This is an important factor to ensure you are in a bright space for your interview, you want to ensure your interviewer can see you clearly and that the room is not too dark.
Its also important to make sure you have an appropriate background, so check there is no offensive posters or pictures behind you.
If you are using Zoom or teams and the various backgrounds, you can set may seem like a good idea but during an interview its best to keep it simple.
Remove Distractions:
Make sure you are clear from distractions, if anyone else is within the household advise them you are not to be disturbed and to try and ensure any voices, music and TV are kept low for the duration of your interview.
Ensure any pets are left outside of the room to avoid any unwelcomed guest appearances.
Last but not least, Relax and enjoy your interview and if you follow the above you are sure to make a great first impression.
Workers Rights Checklist
You can download in several different languages
Pay rate guidance April 2021
National Minimum & Living Wage increase as From April 2021
| Apprentices | Age 16-17 Years | Age 18 – 20 Years | Age 21 to 22 years | Age 23 + |
| £4.30 | £4.62 | £6.56 | £8.36 | £8.91 |
Preventing Illegal Working
We have been busy in the office today with the team completing their RRT training on preventing illegal working, keeping up to date and to ensure we are at the top of our game with compliance.
It ensures we are fully up together with the correct right to work checks and ensuring we know how to spot fraudulent documentation as well as ensuring we know what routes workers can take, understating the EU settlement scheme and work permits.
If you are unsure and want to have a chat with us about responsible recruitment and ensuring you are doing the right checks on your employees, please give us a call for a chat.
Labour Market Update
Official figures released in February show that the unemployment rate has remained at a near record low of 4.4%, with the employment rate at a near-record high of 75.2%. The figures also show that groups across society are accessing new job opportunities:
• Every region across the UK has seen employment increase since 2010
• Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010
• There are a record-breaking number of workers aged 50 plus in work, reaching 10 million. The latest Labour Market Outlook report from the CIPD gives an overview of the current situation and predictions for how the market is likely to move forward. The data indicates:
• The number of vacancies remains well about historical average levels at 823,000
• Wage growth is projected to remain subdued in the year ahead at around the 2% level – despite signs that two thirds of employers have vacancies they are struggling to fill
• The rate of growth in the number of EU nationals continues to slow (although the net migration figure is still rising)
• Further labour market expansion is being constrained by a lack of supply. Those who employ EU nationals are more likely to invest in training and recruitment from a wider range of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups than those that don’t.
This appears to dispel the assumption that companies with high proportions of EU nationals are choosing not to recruit locally; the recruitment of EU nationals in many cases would appear to be a necessary strategy, rather than a choice.
