Recruitment across Hampshire and Dorset continues to be a challenge for employers with candidates firmly in the driving seat when it comes to choice considering the variety and number of jobs available. Aspire Jobs has hit the ground running in 2024 with a good deal of new and repeat client business keeping our growing team very busy indeed!

My crystal ball is out again! What will happen to recruitment in 2024?

If you're thinking along these lines, believe me, you won't be alone! 

With Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you for considering Aspire Jobs to assist with your career search and transition this past year. We will be closing our office from December 22nd through to January 1st to relax and recharge for the New Year. But don’t worry, we’ll be back with a fresh perspective on January 2nd, ready to help connect you with new opportunities!  

As we wrap up 2023 and bid the (new and bigger) office a temporary goodbye for the holidays, I want to send my sincere thanks for your tremendous support this past year.  We shut our doors at 1pm on the 22nd of December, and will swing them back open at 8:30am sharp on January 2nd, refreshed and ready for an exciting new year!

If you're considering a career change sometime soon, there are steps you can take now to ensure you're ready to make the move smoothly when the right opportunity arises. Being prepared will allow you to act quickly and put your best foot forward with potential new employers.

Cronofy has produced its third annual Candidate Expectations report. 6,500 candidates across the globe have been surveyed to understand their preferences and frustrations with the hiring journey. The findings are crucial in understanding what the candidate wants and expects from the hiring process.

It's easy to say, isn't it? Far harder to actually achieve. Disconnecting from your business or your job is incredibly hard.  As a business owner myself, I know that only too well.  I read an article this week in The Global Recruitment that made me stop and think.  There is a particular comment in there about leading by example. How managers (and of course business owners themselves) should set the scene as to what's acceptable while on holiday. I know the pressure I feel when I'm away on holiday to check in and keep in touch, and this article really made me think about that carefully. I've summarised the article here for you and if you would benefit from reading the full thing, I've included the link further down...

Finding and engaging with the right recruitment agency can significantly impact your job search success. Recruiters are valuable liaisons between candidates and potential employers helping to match skills and aspirations with suitable job roles.  

Whether you took some time off over the summer or have been working hard throughout, I hope this newsletter finds you fit, well and raring to go! We've had a busy time of it at Aspire Jobs, we've moved office - within the same building, but to a larger suite so that's kept us busy. Plus getting ready for Becky's return from maternity leave on September 18th. We can't wait to have her back!  Hopefully, in our next newsletter, I'll be able to share some further team expansion news... watch this space. The growth in the Aspire Jobs team is reflective of the wider market. It's still buoyant in terms of the quantity of jobs available and still tight in terms of candidates available. But by now we're used to it and so we soldier on! I've continued with my networking, such an important thing to do whether your business is busy or not. The most recent event was the Bournemouth Airshow - what a spectacular annual event it is and one that I always enjoy. I'm more than happy to chat with employers looking to recruit who don't know where to start, or want some help with salary benchmarking, writing compelling job ads and interviewing advice. Sending very best wishes.

Whether you took some time off over the summer or have been working hard throughout, I hope this newsletter finds you fit, well and raring to go! We've had a busy time of it at Aspire Jobs, we've moved office - within the same building, but to a larger suite, so that's kept us busy. Plus getting ready for Becky's return from maternity leave on September 18th. We can't wait to have her back!  Hopefully, in our next newsletter, I'll be able to share some further team expansion news... watch this space. Sharing this article with you today, I hope you find it useful...