Mike - "carrying on as normal"

wintertime. The scene, not so surprisingly is of the lead character job hunting!

Rob Ford, Bristol Branch Manager comments: “It was a bit of a surreal experience for the team, we only had a weeks notice; we arrived on the Monday to find our office had had a re-brand – we were ‘North London Recruitment’ for the day! The crew of around 30 were like a military operation getting set up for filming very efficiently. We had to carry on working ‘as normal’ so we were extras for the scene which was a nice surprise. We still managed to fill lots of bookings and find work for lots of temps so it was a pretty good day. I’m looking forward to seeing the episode and looking out for the team, especially Mike who may have had a little crush on the lead actress!”

The Team with Hannah Tionton

SWITCH is from the makers of Being Human and is about four young women living in Camden North London. Hannah, Jude, Grace and Stella are friends who share a unique bond– they’re young aspirational witches living in a trendy contemporary apartment in the heart of fashionable Camden Town. But with a spell book nestling on the shelf, they’ve got a better chance than most of adding a bit of magic to their lives. Starring Lacey Turner and Caroline Quentin.

With over 10 years recruitment experience including trades and labour and the construction management market Andrew is definitely seen as a key part of Thorn Bakers plans in the future to further develop our excellent levels of service to both candidates and clients.

Outside work, Andrew plays rugby to a high standard and loves spending time with his daughter and drives a very masculine Audi A4 cabriolet!!

Matthew Page, Construction Divisional Manager:

 ‘’Andrew is a key strategic appointment for us and I am extremely pleased to welcome him to our team. Our Bristol team have enjoyed an excellent start to 2012 and we have strong expansion plans in place to offer an even greater personal service to our clients across the South West and South Wales.’’

Should you have any construction recruitment needs within the South West or South Wales you can contact Andrew in our Bristol office on 01173158550 or directly on andrew@thornbaker.co.uk 

Q. What music do you like?
A. I like many types of music, current CD in my car is R’n'B, however I have to admit my guilty pleasure is Justin Beiber!

Q. What is your favourite holiday destination?
A. Got to be America….I have family in New York and San Francisco, and have also been to LA and Las Vegas, both of which I loved

Q. What is your favourite food?
A. I am a vegetarian, so no meat, however I do like a good veggie curry…

Q. And your favourite tipple?
A. Malibu and cranberry juice with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Q. What is your most embarrasing moment?
A. Only a couple of weeks ago, soon after joining Thorn Baker, I stepped off the bus only to be run over by a young lad on a bicycle! I ended up on the floor, which the the passengers on the bus found highly amusing!

Q. What is your claim to fame?
A. Having dinner with Billy Connelly at his house in LA.

Q. What are your likes and dislikes?
A. I am really in to ice hockey, and go to watch the local Nottingham team The Panthers, also love music gigs….biggest dislike is people spitting…ugh!

Q. Any hobbies or interests?
A. Just started a keep fit campaign, so you will find me pounding the streets of Nottingham in my new running gear…I also play golf and more than anything enjoy spending time with my 15 month old niece, Eva.

Q. What car do you drive/would you like to drive?
A. I currently drive a BMW Z4, but would love to have a Range Rover!

If you require any assistance with recruiting for either your temporary or permanent vacancies you can contact Gracie on 0115 947 2005 or 07805934775, or at gracie.anstey@thornbaker.co.uk

Matthew Page, Construction Divisional Manager Comments:

‘’This pattern of incremental growth has been reflected by our own experiences during the first quarter; we have seen good growth in the South West and London and in particular from our Civil Engineering and Shopfitting & Interiors divisions. Similar to our clients, decision makers continue to rate ‘value for money’ and ‘quality of service’ as the most important factors when choosing a supplier.’’

Paul Jackman, Director of Thorn Baker comments:

“For both hirers and jobseekers, there are many positives to be found in the latest report; confidence is clearly returning on a more consistent basis. It is early stages of course as there is little evidence of pay pressure for permanent roles. Whilst there has been a reported slowdown in the temporary jobs market, I’m pleased to say we have definitely bucked the trend during March, with a noticeable increase in temporary bookings. Clients that may have been a little cautious about the impact of the AWR ( Agency Workers Regulations) are realising that it really does have a minimal impact providing you use an agency that is, as we are, on top of its game in keeping it’s clients complaint and competitive.

You can read the full article here.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG Report on Jobs – published 11th April 2012 – provides the most comprehensive guide to the UK labour market, drawing on original survey data provided by recruitment consultancies.

Key findings in the report are:

-Permanent staff placements increase for third month in a row
-IT & Computing sector leads upturn in permanent job vacancy growth to eight-month high
-Permanent staff salaries stagnate
-Candidate availability rises at weaker pace
-Differing trends in permanent and temporary appointments suggest a link to Agency Worker Regulations
-Permanent placements increase further but temp billings decline

Recruitment consultants reported a rise in permanent staff placements for the third month in succession during March, albeit at a slower pace than February’s nine-month high. In contrast, agencies’ temporary/contract staff billings decreased. Although moderate, it was the fastest drop in short-term appointments for over two-and-a-half years. Panel members frequently indicated that employers had chosen to convert temp workers into permanent employees due to the effect of Agency Worker Regulations.

Vacancies rise at faster pace

Overall demand for staff strengthened in March, as the number of vacancies available to jobseekers rose at the fastest pace since July 2011. The pick-up in growth was driven by a stronger increase in permanent job vacancies, which offset a slower rise in the number of available short-term roles.

Slowdown in candidate availability

Growth of permanent staff availability eased further in March to near-stagnation. Temporary/contract staff availability meanwhile rose at the weakest rate since August 2011.

Permanent salaries flat

Starting salaries awarded to permanent hires were broadly unchanged in March, following a modest decline in February. Temporary/contract staff pay rose modestly, with some panellists highlighting the inflationary impact of Agency Worker Regulations.

Tom Hadley, Director of Policy and Professional Services for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, says:

“We have seen a rise in permanent appointments every month in the first quarter of 2012 with vacancy growth now at an eight-month high. This is good news for job-seekers and a positive indication of increasing employer confidence. Recent tax changes announced in the Budget, the Youth Contract and reductions in red tape for businesses, that came into effect this month, should further boost employer confidence and accelerate hiring activity.

“As demand increases, the need to address the disconnect between the skills employers are looking for and what job-seekers have to offer, will become more pressing. Expertise in IT and engineering, as well as workers in catering and driving, continue to be sought after. The Government needs to do more to address the supply side of the equation, ensuring school leavers, graduates and other job-seekers get sound advice on the skills and qualifications they need to secure the jobs they want.

“This month’s data shows a slight decline in appointments of temporary workers. This may in part be linked to employer uncertainty over the Agency Worker Regulations, although it could mainly be due to the fact that increasing business confidence has resulted in more employers being prepared to take on permanent hires rather than temporary or contract staff. The benefits of flexible staffing arrangements are well established and other REC data provides some positive indications in terms of the outlook for temporary work in the UK.”

Ronnie McCombe, partner at KPMG, comments:

“It’s encouraging to see permanent placements in positive territory for the third month in a row in 2012, albeit slightly down on last month’s high.  This provides further hope that the employment market will win through to a stronger recovery as the year progresses.  Sectors such as IT & Computing and Engineering/Construction continue to perform well.  However, it is certainly still too early to call a jobs recovery.  There remain real tensions beneath the surface.  Some of the rise in permanent placements appears to stem from employers simply switching temporary workers to permanent status due to the higher entitlements that the Agency Worker Regulations have given them.  And while it is heartening to see that overall vacancies are rising, salaries are stagnating meaning the economy is likely to carry on feeling the pinch from cost conscious consumers reluctant to part with their money.

“There are grounds for cautious optimism but recovery remains fragile and could all too easily be blown off course.”

The Report on Jobs is a monthly publication produced by Markit on behalf of the REC and KPMG. To subscribe to Report on Jobs, please contact: economics@markit.com.

It comes as little surprise to report that the vast majority of our clients are using temporary workers in the same manner as before the AWR, although they share with us our frustration at the significant additional bureaucracy that we are subject to. The regulations have, in many cases, strengthened relationships with our clients, improving efficiencies and service levels wherever agency workers are used. Fear of increased costs has dissipated as the reality is that for many clients, there has been no additional costs incurred at all.

Before implementation, speculation was rife that there would be a significant increase in tribunal claims for alleged breached of the legislation in respect of equal treatment. Unsurprisingly, much of this was peddled by the legal fraternity, keen to win new clients by restructuring their HR processes. The reality is that there are very few signs of any AWR generated tribunal claims anywhere in the UK; certainly we have not had any and do not expect to do so. Keeping ourselves and our clients compliant is what we do best.

In summary, the largest impact of AWR has been on our internal systems, software and training. Business as usual is very much the sentiment as we concentrate on delivering excellent service levels to our clients and candidates.

The REC is continuing to track the impact of the Agency Workers Regulations through the monthly AWR Monitor. This collates the latest data on the agency market as well as the practical feedback from recruiters who have been at the forefront of trying to make the new regulations work on the ground.

Commenting on the latest snapshot, Tom Hadley, Director of Policy and Professional Services, says:

“Implementation has been a huge challenge and the regulations have created specific issues in a number of sectors. However, the AWR has also provided an opportunity for many agencies to build stronger links with clients and to demonstrate their ability to make the new rules as workable as possible”

“The overall demand for temporary and contract staff has remained strong overall despite a slight blip in some sectors.  Looking ahead, a key priority is to continue actively promoting the benefits of temporary and contract work through ongoing research and initiatives such as the Flexible Work Commission”.

Key messages from the latest AWR Monitor are as follows:

• The new rules continue to create significant bureaucracy and cost for agencies, but the demand for temporary and contract staff has overall remained strong, despite a slight blip in some sectors.

• The REC’s JobsOutlook report – which tracks the future hiring intentions – shows that the vast majority of employers plan to maintain or increase their temporary workforce in both the short and longer term.

• There have been very few early signs of workers instigating employment tribunals for alleged breaches of the new equal treatment requirements. This is something the REC will continue to monitor over the coming months.

• The regulations have had specific implications in specific sectors such as industrial, driving and education. The REC will continue to call on Government to review and streamline some of the bureaucracy for agencies and their clients.

• Recent meeting in Brussels have provided an update on how the Agency Workers Directive (AWD) is being implemented across the EU. The priority for the industry across Europe is to use the Directive as a lever for lifting barriers to agency work that still exist in many countries.

For more information on the REC’s AWR Monitor and ongoing ‘Your AWR Advisor’ support programme, go to: http://www.rec.uk.com/regions-sectors/sectors/awr

Where recruitment increases have mainly been in the permanent market, our conversations with clients over recent weeks indicate that temporary workers are still essential to the success and flexibility of many organisations, and Thorn Baker have forged many new relationships in 2012 as a result of our robust compliance and audit procedures in line with the AWR legislation and our provision of information to local businesses on it’s impact on them specifically.

Sam Lawrence, Commercial Div Mgr comments:

“As we close the door on the first quarter of 2012, the impact of the AWR legislation is all too apparent in the hiring styles of many of our clients and businesses across the UK in general. Many organisations are opting to recruit on a permanent or fixed term basis where possible – but is this always the right solution for them? Conversations with many businesses across our Nottingham and Chesterfield regions have revealed that many organisations have not been properly informed on the impact of the AWR legislation to their business, costs involved, and flexible hiring options. This has often led to the option of avoiding temporary recruitment as a viable and valuable option.

Although it cannot be denied that the introduction of the AWR for many businesses, may involve an increase in costs after the 12 week period, these costs are often minimal and frequently not applicable where short term temporary workers are required. We are encouraging businesses to recognise the continued value in hiring temporary workers to cope with short term surges in workload, holiday cover, and to cover a job role whilst seeking a permanent employee. These are often times when productivity can dip, affecting business growth, and profitability. In such cases, a temporary worker is the optimum solution and shouldn’t be avoided as a result of confusion over the AWR legislation and its impact.

As a trusted recruitment provider, Thorn Baker work with our clients and support them with information on all the hiring options available, a clear pricing structure, and the flexibility of each option, allowing them to select the most effective solution for their business. This coupled with our robust AWR compliance procedure has given our clients the continued confidence to hire in the same way they always have, assured that all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted”

Unsurprisingly, the resulting conversations were hugely split, with no clear answer one way or the other coming through. For some FM contracts, hands on experience and the ability to be able to technically assist your Maintenance Engineers was absolutely imperative, and for one of my hiring managers, no kind of higher education qualification could beat a candidate who had completed an electrical or mechanical apprenticeship.

On the other hand, my candidate who came from an electrical apprenticeship background and worked his way up from Electrical Maintenance Engineering to a management position felt that he had been passed over for certain management roles because he didn’t have a degree, and was considering going to University as a mature student. (Unfortunately, this candidate is in the wrong location for the above mentioned hiring manager by about 100 miles!).

The problem is that Facilities Management as an industry differs hugely in its requirements dependant on the contract and the environment. So how do you teach this as a degree? Looking through the modules taught at Sheffield Hallam, the main themes are how to manage people, services and finances – probably the three key areas for any FM to consider, whatever the contract, building or environment. However, can a degree like this prepare someone to manage the facilities of for example, a busy shopping centre, with a hundred and one things that can go wrong with the assets on a daily basis, 50 odd demanding tenants, and a difficult client squeezing your budget wherever possible? Or can the daily juggling that every FM has to contend with only be learned through hands on experience and rising through the ranks from the ground up?

Let us know your thoughts! You can email us at fm@thornbaker.co.uk or take part in our linkedIn group poll here.

Joanne Crampton, FM Branch Manager Thorn Baker

Joanna Jagiello, Thorn Baker – Sarah Madden, When You Wish Upon A Star – Sam Lawrence, Thorn Baker with a little girl who will be spending Easter in hospital who didn’t wish to be named.

The initiative has been organised in conjunction with When You Wish Upon a Star, a charity that grants the wishes of children living with life threatening illnesses aged between 2 and 16 years old. In total over 400 eggs have been donated by staff, clients, friends and family as well as a donation of £300 which was donated by clients and Thorn Baker staff on the monthly charity dress down day.

 ”It’s great to see so many local organisations coming together to support such a worthwhile cause. We’d like to thank all of our staff, clients and business partners for their generous contributions which make such a difference, and commend When You Wish Upon A Star for the wonderful work they do year-round”.  Sam Lawrence, Commercial Divisional Manager, Thorn Baker.

 

On Thursday 5th April Staff from Thorn Baker visited the Queens Medical Centre Children’s wards to hand deliver the first batch of 200 chocolate eggs. Over 100 eggs were also delivered to hospices in Derbyshire and the rest will be delivered over the Easter weekend to Children in and around the East Midlands.

“We are delighted that Thorn Baker set themselves the ‘Easter Egg Challenge’ in support of our charity,” said Sarah Madden, East Midlands corporate fundraiser at When You Wish Upon a Star.  “It’s nice to see a local business making a conscious effort to support a local charity. More importantly they have shown that charity isn’t just about monetary donations,  it’s about doing something nice for someone in need.   It’s fantastic that Thorn Baker want to give something back in this way and it definitely put a smile on our Wish children’s faces!”

 

A big thank you to all those who donated:

Finesse Hotels

RH Group

Burnside (Marketing Aids) Ltd

UPS Ltd – who held a dress down day and collected a whopping 150 eggs!

Inc Print Limited

Hot Knife Digital Media

Merida Bicycles

Reydon Sports

Zenith Insurance Management UK Ltd

Russell Ulyat

Adtrak

Anixter Ltd

Myjobs Ltd

Mosca Direct

St Peters C of E Primary and Nursery School

Gerard McGuire – The office security guy who bought 50 eggs!

A.M Profiles

Industrial Ancillaries

Crown Prosecution Service

Capital Cranfield Trustees

Media Maker

Underwood Villa – Girls parents

LikeMinded

Thorn Baker staff

Jamie Talbot has joined the Birmingham Construction Office as Business Development Manager. His role is to develop current,  re-establish past relationships and build new ones.  With 14 years in recruitment, Jamie has the experience and ability to understand client’s needs and tailor make a package to give the best possible service thus resulting in sustainable business relationships for all parties concerned.

Despite residing in Wolverhampton, Jamie has supported Blackburn Rovers (since they won the league) although his support goes as far as a visit to the local pub to cheer them on from there.

He is keen to make an immediate impact and excited about working alongside the current Birmingham Team. If you require any trades and labour assistance in the West Midlands or wish to meet up to discuss your recruitment needs, Jamie can be contacted on 0121 633 8000 or on jamie.talbot@thornbaker.co.uk