Taking your business to the next level

If you have set up your own business and it is doing well, there may come a time when you need to take on additional members of staff. Before doing this you should try and use sub-contractors if possible, to check that you will have enough work to keep someone employed and also to get used to working with someone else and being responsible for their workload.

When you are ready to recruit someone you need to think carefully about the type of work you need them to do, the hours they will be required to work and the salary you expect to pay them. From this, you can then write a detailed job description. Once you have this you need to decide where you are going to advertise the job. The cheapest way is by word of mouth and on social media sites. If this proves unsuccessful then you may need to put an advert in the local newspaper or on a jobs board. If you are looking at advertising with an agency be sure to find out all the fees upfront, as often they will charge you a finder’s fee for finding the right applicant and this can be in the thousands.

 

Helpful hints for hooking that job!

In today’s competitive job market there may be hundreds of applicants for one job, so how are you going to make yourself stand out from the crowd and land your dream job?

  1. Your application. This is the first piece of information that your potential future employer will see about you, so make sure that it is neatly typed up, with no spelling or grammar errors. Check it yourself, spell check it on the computer, get someone else to proof read it. Attach a covering letter to add a personal touch to your application, but keep it brief.
  2. Visit the company if you can. If the company offers pre-application visits (such as schools) Make sure that you go and have a look around. Not only will you get a feel for the place, but potential employers DO notice what you are wearing and how you conduct yourself on these ‘informal’ visits. Be polite, well presented and ask questions.
  3. First (and second) impressions count. Be punctual for the interview, perhaps even doing a ‘dummy run’ in the car the day before. Be smart, but dress for the job you are going for. Nursery teachers should not be wearing 6 inch heels when they are going to be sitting on the floor with three year olds!
  4. Do your research and find out about the company aims and achievements, and make reference to these in interview, making clear how you could benefit them by helping them achieve their future targets.

 

If you do not enjoy your job, it may be time for a change

There are so many of us that are in jobs that we simply do not enjoy. Obviously we all need to make money and work but that doesn’t mean you have to stay in a job that you do not enjoy. Often we may have had to take a position due to financial commitments or maybe you felt that you were pressured in to a family run business that is not really where you want to be. If this is the case then it’s time to take a step back and evaluate your job and see what it is that is making you unhappy.

Working somewhere you do not enjoy or with people that you simply do not get along with can not only be detrimental to the company but can have a negative effect on your mental wellbeing and job satisfaction. If you find that you are in this position then why not speak to a recruitment agency or the local job centre to see what other positions you would be qualified for that you may consider having a career in.

 

 

Tips for recruiting

Finding the right people to work within your organisation who are going to adapt and work with the current culture within the business and also contribute to making it better is a hard task. And even once you have found these people, you need to ensure that you keep them.

Retaining staff who are an asset to your business is a major part of the success of a company. Recruiting can be an expensive process and is always a bit of a risk.

If you are only ever interviewing people who have applied to your advert seen in a local paper or online then you may be missing out on a huge number of people that would be great for the job. These people often are already working in another role and may not have considered a change. Building up contacts within the industry, getting recruitment companies on board and also speaking to university placement officers may allow you to advertise to more.

Taking your business to the next level

If you have your own business then there may come a time when you want to give it a bit of a boost and try and get in more work. Working from home can be great and can really keep the overheads down but often you may miss out on work as people are put off by the fact there is no business address and that you do not have an office. Hiring an office can be expensive and a bit of a risk especially if you have only just recently started up, but did you know that some places offer shared office space. This will allow you to rent a desk in an office and have the option to book a meeting room in which to meet with your clients. Not only can you add an address to your business cards and other advertising but can have a place to call your work premises.

 

 

The recruitment process

If you are in the process of looking for a new job, then you will most likely go through a recruitment process. The recruitment process can differ for each company and each industry. For example some jobs such as becoming a teacher or doctor may have a very strict recruitment process and a lot of it depends on the qualifications you have.

For many jobs there is a similar process such as:

  • See the job advertised and apply by sending in your CV and cover letter
  • Once your application has been received and the closing date has passed then you may be asked to attend an interview.
  • At the interview you may be asked a number of questions and even given a practice task to complete.
  • Some companies then ask people back for second interviews after they have short listed the candidates.
  • After that interview you may be called to offer you the job.

 

Teacher shortage

With the shortage of teachers fast becoming a worry for schools and parents across the country, the government have stated that we should be training up more teachers than are needed. Currently there is such a demand for teachers than when a job becomes available, some schools are having to hire staff that they normally wouldn’t purely because they have had very little or no other applicants. This means that the standard of teaching will drop and this will have a huge effect on the quality of education our students receive.

Many students are being put of training to become teachers due to the stress levels that come with the job, which seem to have increased drastically over the last few years. So the hard part is finding a way to encourage more students to train and qualify as teachers. Oversupplying the education market with teachers is seeming to be the only way to get out of this situation.

 

Sharing ideas at work

When we go to school we are often encouraged to share ideas with each other to find out new ways of learning. As adults we seem to often find it harder to share ideas and learn from one another, like we previously did at school.

People often have their own way of working and it can be all too easy to get stuck in to your own work habits without really considering if there is a better way to do a certain task. Do not be afraid to speak to your colleagues of the management team about ideas you may have relating to a certain task or subject or to even ask their advice on how they think it is best to do it.

Spending a small part of a lunch break or staying behind after work one night to speak to others about the way they conduct their work day could save you hours of time a week and can make you work not only quicker but also feeling happier.

Employment levels

Following the recession, unemployment levels soared from around 5% to 8.5% in 2011. This caused concern for many people and put a massive strain on public resources and funding with many people having to reply on benefits.

During the recession many companies had to cut down on the number of staff they employed and the number of freelancers they used, which meant many people find themselves out of work.

After the UK came of out the recession, it took a long time for the economy to start to recover and bosses were dubious about taking on extra staff. The government have since introduced many incentives for companies to expand and take on new members of staff. These incentives are often financially linked, giving them funding to train staff and take on apprentices.

Only recently have we seen the unemployment levels drop again to that of what they were prior to the recession.

Organisation within your job

Organisation is a vital skill to have in your personal life and in a job. It can not only mean that you can cope with workloads but can also help you to find information or act on information quickly.

If for example you are in charge or contact customers to arrange them to come in for a dental check-up then you will need to be able to organise your day. It may be that you have a certain number of people that need to be contacted in a different ways. Often dentists will send out letters and then follow it up with a phone call. Making sure that all your letters are done and in the post before it is collected will be vital so making sure you are organised is going to play a big part in your role.

Everyone can be organised, but it can take time to get in to a good routine to allow you to do this. If a method you have is not working, then try something new or speak to your manager or co-workers to see if they have any suggestions.