Last Friday I was involved in a prisoner re-settlement event at Guys Marsh Prison a Category-C adult male training and resettlement prison located in Shaftesbury, Dorset. This is the lowest category of a secure prison and acts as a stepping stone for selected risk-assessed prisoners to progress into an open prison. I was invited to attend the event as a member of HMP Guys Marsh’s Employment Advisory Board (EAB). EABs were introduced as a joint initiative between New Futures Network and the Timpson Foundation, to act as a platform to connect employers and business leaders with prisons. New Futures Network are a specialist part of HM Prison and Probation Service that partners businesses and prisons to fill skills gap and support prison leavers into employment, and the Timpson Foundation rehabilitates prison leavers by offering supported employment.

I thought it was a  good idea to use this month's newsletter to act as a reminder of what Aspire Jobs is all about. Who are we? We're a boutique (small but perfectly formed!) recruitment agency, based in Ringwood, covering Dorset and  Hampshire. We also handle some nationwide placements for our clients, depending on their specific needs. We're a team of 3 supported by a network of outsourced professional services. The core team is headed up by me, Helen Stacey. Amanda Thompson and Becky Wooden are our recruitment resourcers, Becky is currently on maternity leave. 

Quitting your job deserves some serious thought and intention. We've all been in that place when we'd like to turn on our heels and walk out the door, but for this article, let's put that aside and look at how to resign from a job in the most stress-free and amicable way possible.  This article can be read in full at Monster. Here we've provided a brief summary.

At some point or another in our careers, pretty much everyone needs to overcome self-doubt. What follows is a shortened version of an article by Fred Schmalz focussing on the advice of Ellen Taaffe. If you want to read the full article you can do so here. 

It's a startling headline. It comes from a recent article discussing how 75% of Gen Z candidates are abandoning the application midway through the process. If you want to read the full article you can do so here, otherwise here's short summary of the headlines. The quality of the application process was the main driver of abandonment. If a candidate finds the application too stressful and complicated, they can simply drop it and move to the next. The candidate-driven market has tipped the balance in the favour of the candidate.

You took the plunge, decided now was the time, and handed in your resignation... what happens next? It's quite possible, in this candidate-driven recruitment market, your existing employer will offer you a counteroffer. Whilst it can be flattering, there are some things to consider before declining your new job offer.

If I had a crystal ball that would be an easy question to answer, wouldn’t it! Here are my thoughts as we pick up pace into 2023.

With vacancies taking longer to fill and pay gaps widening, are employers willing to take the risk of missing out on talent or narrowing the type of applications they receive? A recent study by People Managing People showed that 41% of ads for marketing roles didn't disclose salaries, nor did 35% of sales and operational roles, 27% of IT roles and 29% of professional HR roles.

LinkedIn isn't just a recruiting platform it's a place to network, research and learn. Here are some top tips on how to get the best out of LinkedIn, especially when you're job hunting:

2022 has been a difficult year in so many ways. Not just the political turmoil we've faced, but the war in Ukraine and the ensuing cost of living crisis adding to the complex mix. Thankfully Aspire Jobs has had a good year, in fact, a good couple of years though we are very mindful that others haven't through no fault of their own. We've been working really hard to fill our client vacancies and we've done our best to think outside the box, in what is still a candidate-driven market. As with all businesses, we have experienced price hikes, in some cases an increase of over 60% for some job boards. Our positive performance over the last couple of years should see us through the expected recession, though we're not seeing evidence of that yet in the job market, we're keeping a watching eye for it... The support from our clients and wider connections is never taken for granted at Aspire and we'd like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU whether it has been sending business our way, referring candidates or supporting our social media, it is all truly appreciated.

What is the most difficult interview question to answer? We'd wager that it's this one... What are your strengths and weaknesses? Few of us like to 'talk ourselves up' and admitting to a weakness in an interview situation induces a feeling of fear - "if I tell them I'm not good with confrontation, I may as well leave the interview now!!" I came across an article reporting on 5 tips for talking about strengths and weaknesses in an interview. Here they are...

News has been full of gloom and doom about the economic state of the UK of late and if it’s not doom and gloom about the economy, then it’s been focused on the toing and froing of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.   In this month's newsletter, I'm sharing two articles with you. One with a positive spin and one with a not-so-positive spin. It's a confusing time and difficult for business owners to interpret. The articles I've featured about business growth and staff shortages are almost at odds with each other, though when you read them you can see that they both make sense in their own way. According to HRnews “over ¾ of small businesses predict growth next year despite cost-of-living challenges”.