Multitask Personnel, the South Yorkshire based specialist recruitment consultancy, have grown the client base of their trades and labour department by adding twenty new accounts in September 2021. The client wins come as part of a key internal drive to develop new business in the construction, M&E, building services and fit out sectors, to meet growing demand for skilled labour as businesses open their doors for new recruits across the UK. Led by Clive Bateman, Managing Consultant of the Trades & Labour division, the team at Multitask Personnel help tradespeople find suitable employment in temporary, contract and permanent positions, ensuring clients can fill their vacancies quickly and efficiently, with the right people for the job. Clive Bateman, Managing Consultant at Multitask Personnel Clive comments: “We’re really pleased to bring so many new clients on board. It’s a fantastic achievement for our hard working Trades & Labour team, but it’s also a great sign that recruitment, up and down the country, is as active as ever in these specialist sectors. “We’ve taken on a range of job roles for our clients, anything from groundworkers, dryliners and ceiling fixers, through to joiners, electricians, labourers and painters, to support businesses who are actively recruiting in the shopfitting, interior fit out, civils and construction sectors. “As a nationwide recruitment consultancy, we are placing candidates in roles from the north west to the south east, and everywhere in between, so it’s great to see recruitment picking up on a national level as well as regional. “Recruitment can be a daunting task for hiring managers, particularly if they have numerous roles to fill, so it is our job as specialist recruiters to make the process as straight forward as possible by submitting the right people for interview that match the brief. As a proactive agency, we have a large talent pool of candidates who are ready to work meaning roles can be filled in a timely manner.” Multitask Personnel strategically align their recruitment divisions to provide an all round service for businesses that have a mix of blue collar, white collar and support staff. This means employers don’t have to go out to multiple agencies for different types of employee. Read more about Multitask Personnel’s services to employers here.

Multitask Personnel, the Rotherham based specialist recruitment consultancy, has strengthened its’ Construction desk with the appointment of Mark Taylor as their new Recruitment Associate. Mark, who has a number of years’ experience working in industry in construction and building maintenance, brings an additional ‘client side’ skill set to the team as it continues to grow amid renewed activity across the sector. Working on permanent construction positions, Mark will be responsible for growing the candidate database as he works towards becoming a 360 recruitment consultant. Mark Taylor, Recruitment Associate at Multitask Personnel Mark comments: “I’m delighted to join Multitask Personnel and to develop a career in recruitment. My experience of working within the construction industry gives me additional knowledge of how businesses in the sector operate, which will not only help employers as I know how they operate, but also help candidates as I will be able to identify the key personality traits and skill sets required to work in the industry. “My aim over the next six to twelve months is to become an all-round recruitment consultant by utilising my contacts and understanding of the sector, whilst learning from the experienced recruiters here at Multitask, to repay the faith Claire and the team have put in me. I’m relishing the opportunity.” Claire Lee, Managing Director at Multitask Personnel comments: “Mark joins the construction desk at a key time as the industry starts to experience rapid growth again. We always need to stay ahead of the game in recruitment to ensure we can meet demand and exceed our client’s expectations, and with the forecast of increased growth in the sector we have identified the need to strengthen our team. “Mark brings a new skill set to the team because he has worked on the client side, so whilst the wider team will be able to teach him about recruitment, he can also advise our more experienced recruiters on some of the key traits of the industry. “We’re looking forward to developing our combined knowledge to the benefit of both employers and job seekers and would like to wish Mark a really warm welcome to the team.” Mark Taylor becomes the fifth new recruit to join the Multitask team in 2021, and can be contacted on 01709 820102 or enquiries@multitaskpersonnel.co.uk

September and October have, traditionally, always been a good time for job hunting. Schools are back, summer holidays are over, and people have had plenty of time to re-consider their current position, especially if they’ve been lazing on a beach somewhere. This year, however, is somewhat different It goes without saying that the Coronavirus has had a major impact on the jobs market. Almost 11.6 million jobs from approx. 1.3m UK employers suspended as many businesses were forced to close or slim down their operation. From the initial national lockdown in March 2020 and the additional localised measures through to the autumn and beyond, staff were transferred on to the government’s job retention scheme (furlough) and, in some cases, even made redundant. Furlough has now come to an end and when combined with the fall out effects of Brexit, and the future uncertainty of the Covid pandemic, there is no denying that the jobs market has changed dramatically in the last 18 months. So, if you’ve recently returned to work and are now considering a new role elsewhere or are someone looking for first time employment, the question is, how is this affecting the current employment situation and how do you identify a job that’s right for you? Demystifying the job specification As the UK economy bounces back, businesses are now looking to recruit staff, either to fill vacancies or to enable them to expand as confidence grows in their sector. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 77,500 more jobs on offer between April and June 2021 than there were in the same period pre-Covid. This is reflected in the fact that we are now seeing the jobs market starting to open up and businesses re-commence hiring. How do you know what the employer is looking for? As we’ve said in previous blogs, the traditional ‘job for life’ is now a rarity. Anyone who started work in the mid-2000s will probably experience at least 10 different roles before they retire. Also, especially over the last 18 months, there has been a massive expansion of the ‘gig economy’ with its myriad of short term contracts, freelance work and hybrid working. This is something that is likely to be the future way of working as we come to terms with the ‘new normal’. In all cases, the prospective employer will produce a recruitment document that defines what they are looking for and contain all the ingredients needed to perform the job. This document provides a valuable insight into the advertised role and is usually divided into two parts. The job specification and the job description Despite their importance in helping elaborate on the requirements needed to perform the job effectively, we find that many applicants spend little time interpreting their content and researching the job vacancy. First. Let’s explain the difference between the two. Job Description An employer will usually draft a job description first. This will give prospective candidates a feel for both the position and the company as it provides a wealth of information about the vacancy and what is expected from the applicant should they be appointed. If it is an existing position, it will state the (previous) job title – e.g. Gas service engineer. If a newly created role, the job title may be more ambiguous. The remainder of the document will then go into more detail so make sure you read on. Also, with many vacancies now being posted on the internet, you may find job titles are ‘standardised’ thereby allowing them to be picked up by search engines. A detailed job description should enable a prospective candidate to understand what type of person they are looking to attract, but not necessarily why. It will also avoid referencing any negative points – see later. What does a job description contain and why are they relevant to job recruitment? A fully detailed job description outlines the company’s expectations, such as targets, goals, and aspirations. It also helps provide a framework for the recruitment advert by providing a certainty of purpose. This enables candidates to be fully aware of what the job entails and what it involves. The job description, therefore, will cover the responsibilities of the job. If an existing position, this may be a fairly standard response but if it’s a newly created role (say due to expansion or change in trading) it might be more fluid and flexible. A 21st Century job description will also now feature details about the culture of the organisation. Many applicants are (rightly) concerned about their prospective employer’s eco-friendliness, working conditions (hybrid working) and management structure. The job description will also give you a guide to remuneration and rewards. This might be a salary range and will include incentives and ‘perks’ such as social events, bonuses, birthday off etc. This should give candidates a good feel for how financially rewarding the position is. By the time you’ve finished reading the job description, you should know what the job is (title), what it involves and who you report to (responsibilities) and what rewards you will receive for carrying out your duties (remuneration). Job Specification On the other hand, a job specification is a more succinct statement that defines the job criteria. This is almost a tick box exercise where you check off the necessary attributes to apply for the position. This will include qualifications, skills, experience, educational standards etc. In most cases it will also include the required level of competence and / or amount of experience. In addition, some employers will add additional criteria such as those considered necessary and / or desired. These can include physical requirements (heavy lifting / working at heights), professional qualifications, and previous experience (e.g. minimum 5 years on the job experience). These will either be included in the job specification or, more likely, as part of a separate person specification. Applying for a job One of the most important aspects of applying for a new job is interpreting the content of both the job description and job specification.  However, it’s also a good idea to dig deeper and discover more about the role before you start the interview process. As we said earlier, a job description will not usually include negative aspects, especially why there is a current vacancy. Is it a new position or replacing a member of staff who has left? A good place for exploring is LinkedIn. This is a goldmine for information, such as company and employee profiles galore, and all with a story to tell. How long do people stay at the company, is the post vacant due to internal promotion or have they moved on, how long were they previously in the job and did they have the experience and / or qualifications you are being asked for? All this information is freely available on social media platforms, and you can delve even deeper if you subscribe to LinkedIn Premium under the job section tab. By doing your research and comparing the content of the job description and job specification with the information gleaned from LinkedIn, you should be able to build up a clear picture of the role and whether you should submit your CV for consideration. For further information on what it takes to identify the best jobs, contact us on 01709 820102 or enquiries@multitaskpersonnel.co.uk