Eloise’s January 2021 News – New Year, New Plans, New Services, New National Lockdown

Hello and welcome to 2021!

I hope you had a lovely festive break and managed to get some rest and relaxation along the way and possibly some precious time with loved ones.

How has it been for you getting back into a work routine? My team and I had a great first day back at work (from various locations) and completed our 90-day plans for the last financial quarter with lots of positivity, only to be put back into national lockdown on that evening. So, week one of January, like many of you, bit of deja-vu as we are all back to juggling home schooling and working from the kitchen table. Last week felt extremely long but this lockdown I think we are all a little more prepared and know what to expect. If you want suggestions on how to boost your own resilience – mentally, physically and emotionally during these darker months, have a quick read of our Bounce Back Factor blog and also remind yourself about our top tips for working from home.

New Year, new Vanilla services

2020 saw a lot of change for many of us. During the quieter months of the first national lockdown and over the rest of the year I have been speaking to lots of our wonderful clients, sharing resources and encouragement, and understanding how as a business we can better serve you. From those conversations our brand new ‘Know Your Candidate’ vetting and screening service was born. This new service allows you to order a multitude of background checks for your potential new employee. Our service is completely flexible meaning you can vary your requirements from candidate to candidate, order several components or just one, it’s entirely up to you. The types of checks we offer are background checks such as credit checks, criminal records checks, to employability, referencing and many more. Our new mini site is coming soon, but in the meantime if this is a service that would interest you now, do please get in touch with me.

New Year, time to review

In any new year, I always like to review, reset and refocus on Vanilla’s goal. After this crazy, unprecedented year I also thought it would be really useful to research and write about the impact Covid-19 has had on the employment market. This brand new recruitment report includes topics such as vacancy trends, salary implications, productivity and employee working preferences. It’s allowed me to answer questions such as ‘is the market flooded with candidates?’ Or, ‘who is hiring and what’s on offer in the market?’ If you are thinking of hiring in 2021 and need to plan your new approach to help ensure that you get the right person, or just interested in what’s going on in the employment market you can download a free copy here.

If you would like to book a 15-minute chat with me to discuss the highlights of the report and the implications for your business or team please email me on [email protected]

'The State Of Recruitment Report 2021'

December Recruitment Trends

Some positive news show recruitment trends across the country in the month of December revealed the first increase in permanent staff appointments since September, albeit one that was only slight. The slight upturn was driven by increased market activity and greater confidence, partly due to recent vaccine news. Nonetheless, lingering uncertainty over the Covid-19 pandemic, plus Brexit led to the strongest increase in temp billings for over two years as companies opted to take on short-term workers.

Candidate availability continues to expand, due to redundancies and fears over job security, albeit at a slower but still rapid rate.

New Year, new Brexit deal

With trade talks between the UK and EU going down to the wire and deals being made at the last minute, many companies have been in the dark on how Brexit will impact their business processes. There’s been a lot of focus on trade, transportation and supply chain uncertainty – which makes sense, because business disruption in these areas can be hugely costly. But the result is other potential business impacts, particularly resourcing and hiring, have been overshadowed.

Our new blog post, will shine a light on the potential impact of Brexit on hiring. If you haven’t yet considered how Brexit may alter your recruitment plans for next year, this is a must-read.

Happy New Year!

I’m keeping it fairly short this month, but if you need anything from myself or the Vanilla team please let us know. I really do hope your 2021 is full of opportunity, happiness and health.

Eloise

PS Don’t forget to check out the ‘The State Of Recruitment Report 2021’ to see what impact has COVID-19 had on the recruitment market in the East Midlands?

We recruit throughout the East Midlands covering Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and the surrounding areas, especially Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Leicester, Corby and Kettering. We help people find their perfect job and match suitable jobseekers with businesses looking to hire the best candidates across our five specialisms – Sales, Marketing, Accountancy & Finance, HR and Office

Please find below some helpful links:

Gain a new skill in 2021

Study in your own time and at your own pace to get a verifiable qualification with New Skills Academy. With over 700 courses to choose from you’re sure to find a course that interests you. All of the online courses can be studied from your PC, MacBook, tablet or smartphone device. Click here for more info.