According to a survey conducted by Reed.co.uk in 2022, the top three employee benefits or workplace perks were:  Flexible working hours (62%) Employer-contributed pension (54%) Remote working access (36%) Creating a diverse and inclusive culture is crucial for attracting top talent. By offering a comprehensive benefits package that supports employees of all backgrounds and abilities, you can foster a sense of belonging and commitment. When you support your employees' personal and professional goals, they will reciprocate by actively contributing to your organisation's success.

First things first... what are soft skills? Soft skills are personal traits and abilities that help you to work well with others. Things like: Problem-solving, creativity, integrity, conflict management, adaptability, and teamwork. They can also be called people skills and can help develop strong and professional relationships in the workplace. They also help you to be a good communicator. People in customer-facing job roles often have strong soft skills, soft skills are however used in all job roles in one way or another.

A boomerang employee is someone who returns to a previous employer after leaving. Their leaving could be for a variety of reasons, and they can be attractive candidates to employers, however, there are some things to bear in mind...  

Strikes and bank holidays are hot topics of conversation in my network at the moment. The kids being home on strike days on top of 3 bank holidays in the month has certainly given May a different feel altogether. The Coronation of the new King and Queen at the weekend gave many across the country something to celebrate and in the world of recruitment, we have seen some stabilisation during quarter 1.  In our newsletter this month we've taken a 'sharing is caring' approach; highlighting 3 reports/blogs that we think will interest, and, be useful to you.

Joanne Rowney is from Vale Career Consulting. I had a great 1-1 with her recently, and she has provided the content for this month's newsletter. Scroll down for Jo's contact details.

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.