Human – People & Culture

Author name: amy@recruithuman.co.uk

Taylor Bracewell Meet the Experts, 5th July 2016

We are pleased to be presenting at the next Taylor Bracewell Meet the Expert Event. Based in Fountain Precinct, this is one of a selection of events hosted by Taylor Bracewell in which you can network over lunch then Meet the Experts to understand more about a specific topic. This event focusses on Recruitment and Apprenticeships and specifically ways to avoid the pitfalls of costly hiring mistakes. If you would like to attend please book here. We hope to see you there!

Taylor Bracewell Meet the Experts, 5th July 2016 Read More »

Write drunk, edit sober.

Applications forms: How to keep your word count to a minimum. I was asked recently about how best to keep within a word count limit on application forms. My first instinct was to shudder; I’m not a fan! Application forms serve a purpose in an organisation whose size requires them to follow a systematic approach to applicant tracking but as a rule, I dislike them. They no more represent the human being you might work with on a day to day basis than the job description represents the real-life day to day challenges and objectives of the role they are applying for. But I digress… If you do find yourself in the situation where you have to complete an application form and much like the first few times you ventured onto Twitter find yourself incapacitated by the word count, my top 3 tips are this: It is imperative that you endeavour to keep your word usage to an absolute minimum. Keep it simple. Don’t use 5 words where 3 would suffice. If you can remove a word and the sentence still make sense, remove it!   Treat it like a trailer Imagine the interview for this prospective role as a movie of your career, life and skill set. More career and skill set. Let’s be honest, the interviewer won’t need an insight into the awkward teenager who had their head flushed at high school or an in-depth account into that night in Andalucía! You should imagine the interview to be like a movie and the application form is the trailer. You need to make them want to buy a ticket!   Write drunk, edit sober. Now we’re not openly advocating you write under the influence. But there is some truth in what Hemmingway said. Don’t worry too much about the first draft; it’s not going to be perfect first time. As Hemmingway suggests rattle off a first draft then leave it alone for a while and come back with a fresh pair of eyes. If you would like any more advice on this or any other aspects of job searching, HR or Recruitment please get in touch.

Write drunk, edit sober. Read More »

Candidate feedback

We love hearing back from candidates we’ve helped, even more so when we manage to change their perception of recruiters. We received this last week from James. “I usually hate dealing with agencies and get bombarded with rubbish that I’m not interested in.  Your company was a pleasure to deal with.  I wish you all the good fortune for the future, you’re running a great company”.  

Candidate feedback Read More »

Why is Sheffield, and the North in general, great for business?

Excerpt taken from: Office space boom in Northern Powerhouse Lilli Hender, April 27th 2016 The office space market is soaring in the North of England: Across the five key ‘Northern Powerhouse’ cities, searches on Office Genie were up 56% in the first quarter of 2016 (vs Q4 2015). Searches in the capital, still seen firmly as the UK’s most thriving business hotspot, only increased by 21% in the same period. Of the five major cities, Liverpool experienced the biggest boost, with searches up a whopping 90% in the first three months of this year. Sheffield came next with demand up 78%, and was followed by Leeds (77%), Newcastle Upon Tyne (54%) and Manchester (29%). Many of these cities boast a proud industrial past, but these figures show the future for the North could well lie in its growing population of Office Genie users: Small, forward-thinking businesses working in tech, digital and other innovative sectors. All this seems promising for the future of innovation in the North of England. George Osborne promised to “rebalance our national economy” and ensure the “future of the North is as bright, if not brighter, than other parts of the UK.” The Chancellor’s recent budget promised much, from investment in infrastructure to science and innovation audits, but most of this has yet to be delivered. In spite of this the office space market in the North of England is booming; a strong sign of vibrant local economies: It appears the North of England is doing well anyway! We’ve been discussing our findings, and the Northern Powerhouse in general, with businesses in these cities, to get a view of how business is actually developing, and how people feel about the notion: The view from Sheffield After Liverpool, Sheffield saw the next largest growth in demand [for offoce space] (78%). We spoke to Amy Stephenson, founder of Sheffield-based Human Recruitment, who commented: Why is Sheffield, and the North in general, great for business? There are so many reasons why Sheffield is such a great city for business it’s difficult to know where to start! Firstly, there’s the sheer diversity of different companies and talented people working in the city, then there’s the people. Sheffield has a reputation for being the world’s largest village, where everyone knows, helps and supports each other. Secondly, we have a brilliant retention rate for those graduating from our two great universities, this provides not only a great talent pipeline for businesses but also ensures the city’s social scene remains diverse. Finally, there’s the city’s location itself. With the Peak District nearby, a bustling vibrant city centre, and plenty of things going on, it makes a great place for businesses. Of course, let’s not forget the talented and passionate people who are proud to call Sheffield home! What do you think about the idea of the Northern Powerhouse? In principle, it’s a great idea. There is a huge amount of talented individuals who are not only working in Sheffield, but in cities and towns across the North. A joined up strategy, which allows business opportunities to be shared across all areas, is something that has been needed for a long time. At the same time, it seems a little short-sighted from the Government to relocate the department responsible for delivering the project from Sheffield to London! I am concerned that a two-tier economy may emerge and cities such as Manchester and Leeds will come to represent the North as a whole, just as London is perceived to represent the whole of the South, with other towns becoming little more than commuter stops. How could it impact your business and the city? As a recruitment specialist, it’s highly likely that as businesses continue to invest in the North, they will need to attract and retain experienced and skilled members of staff. There’s likely to be some clear business benefits not only to my company but also to the broader local economy. If it helps to reduce the ‘brain drain’ and encourage talent to stay in the North, great. If, however, it means that the unique identities and business cultures found in smaller towns and cities (Sheffield and Rotherham for example) are lost, not so great. Put simply, we need greater investment in infrastructure; the transport connections across the Pennines need to be improved. I find it a little bizarre that it can often take less time to travel to cities like Birmingham than Manchester because of the poor road infrastructure. The M67 was first conceived back in the 1960s and even today it still only covers five miles! HS3 will alleviate pressure on the M62, but there needs to be better East-West connections which provide broader benefits to the whole of the North. We’ve seen a significant rise in demand for office space in Sheffield, do you have any thoughts as to why this could be? Over the past couple of decades Sheffield has reinvented itself and the local economy has evolved from one being almost solely dependent on the heavy industries such as mining and steel to a much more diverse business hub. It’s home to a range of established global brands, a centre of engineering excellence, as well as highly innovative, fast-growing technology and creative companies. It’s a great city in which to live and work in and it comes as no surprise that office space is in high demand. Read the full article

Why is Sheffield, and the North in general, great for business? Read More »

We won!

On Wednesday we learnt that Team Human had won the Most Innovative Fundraiser Award for the Rotherham Hospice Big Fundraising Challenge. Having turned £20 into £350 over the course of the competition through initiatives like our Soup-er Human soup kitchen, afternoon tea around the Christmas tree, our 3rd birthday celebrations and Hike for the Hospice; where the team walked a total of 50 miles the equivalent distance of the Rotherham borough boundary (with a little help of a treadmill installed in the middle of the office!) Finally we offered a match making service for clients and candidates for a charity donation. We’re proud to support Rotherham Hospice and the work it carries out for the people of South Yorkshire and were pleased when Anne Giblin, came to the office to present us with our award and collect a cheque for £350. To find out how you can get involved with supporting the hospice click here

We won! Read More »

Big Business Challenge

The Big Business Challenge sponsored by Oxley and Coward Solicitors to raise funds for Rotherham Hospice has come to an end and we would like to thank everyone who bought soup, cake, mulled wine, attended our 3rd birthday networking event and sponsored our hike for the hospice and helped us raise £350. It’s been a great challenge;we have loved every minute of it and we would have loved to do more however, both clients and candidates need our help too.       

Big Business Challenge Read More »

Scroll to Top