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I'm delighted to announce that we're amongst the finalist of this year's Bristol Property Awards. The team have all worked really hard to achieve this recognition and whether we take the prize or not I'm really proud of them all.  Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction This will be the second year of the Bristol Property Awards celebrating the dynamic Bristol property sector. From residential to commercial, lettings to new builds, civic buildings to bold re-imaginings, Bristol is jam-packed with exciting and forward-thinking property businesses who are helping to shape Bristol's skyline. Property matters to us all. Professionally in financial terms; aesthetically in its creativity; practically in somewhere to live or work. As specialists in construction recruitment across the South West our goal is to ensure that we are the go-to recruiter for our clients and candidates. By offering our candidates the best opportunities in the region we can ensure that our clients have the very best choice of staff and talent working within their business and on-site. We're delighted to announce that we qualified for two categories; employers and suppliers and services.  EMPLOYER 'This Award recognises the best employers in the sector – tell us about your staff retention, incentives, development, and anything else that makes your company the best in Bristol when it comes to employment.' How did we qualify? The average tenure of over 9 years, all bar one of the team live in Bristol All of the staff have worked their way up including our Director, we like to develop people into their roles Three internal promotions in the last 12 months with two more on the horizon in 2021 Moving to bigger bespoke fitted premises on Victoria Street in January 2021 to accommodate a bigger team and give them a better working environment Regular competitions & rewards revolving around hitting targets, demonstrating our values, and passing milestones – prizes in the last 12 months have included holidays, surfboards + lessons, high street vouchers, and many more Three members of staff currently taking part in a 12-month recruitment apprenticeship Monthly training sessions in recruitment hosted by either our leadership team or external providers Katie Smith ‘I started at Thorn Baker fresh to recruitment and construction, the success I’m currently enjoying comes from the support and development I’ve received. Recruitment can be tough but it’s incredibly rewarding, I love nothing more than going out on-site and seeing the exciting projects that are happening in the area. Seeing a completed building or housing project knowing that I’ve played a part in supporting that build is a great feeling. My career has been supported continuously throughout from both Jack and Rob. From learning the ropes to becoming a Managing Consultant it’s been great. Our internal training plan covers every aspect of what we do. I’m currently working on an external Level 3 Management qualification – knowing that I’m working for a company that cares about my development as much as I do means a lot to me.’ Rhian Newman ‘Thorn Baker have given me the freedom and trust to really put my own ideas into practice and it’s been an incredibly rewarding 12 months, and I feel very lucky to work for a company whose goals are so aligned to my own. We’ve been really busy over the last year launching a new team within Thorn Baker Construction and will be working on a more refined look for our White Collar offering across the South West – There are some great things to come and we can’t wait to share them with you. Thorn Bakers’ entrepreneurial approach, their continued ability to remain true to their core values of been People-Driven, Positive-Minded, and Solution-Focused make this such a great place to work. Staff are rewarded and recognised for their efforts and each member of the team really cares about the business. It’s not about individuals here it’s about ‘team’ and that’s rare to find in a recruitment environment.’ SUPPLIERS AND SERVICES 'This category showcases suppliers to the industry and key support from a professional service to property in the Bristol area. Although the service may be broad, the judges are looking for examples specifically relating to work within the local property sector. The Judges are looking for customer service, customer satisfaction and an efficient service.' How did we qualify? Jobs Filled Locally: 574 Number of People Working over the Year: 1620 Supporting Candidates: Supplied CSCS funding for over 100 candidates Training Candidates: Supplied various other training courses including asbestos awareness, working at heights and manual handling – most of the time free of charge. Worked Closely with Local Job Centres: worked closely with 3 job centres in Bristol helping people get back to work + get reskilled to be able to work in the construction market Weekly Customer Service Calls: Conducted with an average score of 4.45 out of 5 across the office 92% of our customers would recommend us to a colleague or friend 93% retention rate, we track our returning clients and over 9 out of 10 return to us with their recruitment needs Unique Proven Process: Ensures both high retention and delivery rates Jack Parfitt ‘The last 12 months at Thorn Baker Construction have been by far the best in my career. Myself and the Bristol trades team have smashed two internal records; generating the most amount of GP in a single month and hitting our highest number of workers out at any one time.  Not only are we supporting more, now than ever, local contractors we’ve implemented and rolled out our Proven Process which is at the heart of everything we do. It ensures that we deliver a quality service to our clients and candidates alike.' If you'd like to pass on your congratulations or maybe you'd like to learn more about the awards you can contact them here. ​

I'm delighted to announce the launch of our specialist offsite construction team, helping our clients to source the very best talent to meet the ever-increasing demand in the offsite construction sector.    Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction As Construction industry recruitment specialists launching our new service focussed on sourcing talented professionals for the Offsite construction industry only seemed natural. When you’re looking to work with recruiters that specialise in Offsite, Design & Technical, Sales, Manufacturing & Operations and Professional - we’re proud to be your go-to recruiter. Thorn Baker Construction’s Offsite team are working with companies across the UK to fill positions currently available within the thriving modular building industry. The team draw on their collective experience of over 50 years in recruiting people across the whole construction sector to support those in traditional onsite roles to obtain new jobs within the offsite industry. Spearheading the team is Offsite specialist Rhian Newman who is building on her considerable experience in the offsite construction sector. Rhian comments: 'I have specialised in the offsite construction industry for almost 10 years and I am always impressed by the innovation and talent within the sector. With the Government’s aim to boost production levels within the construction industry, particularly housebuilding, and as society looks for more sustainable designs for improved environmental impact, we are seeing a greater demand from clients for the supply of a range of trades and professionals to meet the growth of the modular sector.' 'Drawing upon Thorn Baker Construction’s excellent candidate relationships within the industry, we are well placed to identify people with the transferrable skills required for off-site and therefore enable our construction industry clients to fill the large number of vacancies currently available across the UK.' In addition to helping our clients to fill current vacancies, the Offsite team is also liaising with colleges and employers to create courses providing training in the skills required to have a successful career in offsite construction. Based in Bristol, Rhian and her team are liaising with Bridgewater College to develop a new modular construction skills course. In addition, the team are also working closely with the Bristol Housing Festival, advising on the role of offsite construction, using modern methods of construction, can play in providing affordable housing in Bristol and the South West. Rhian adds: 'Modular construction can accelerate the delivery of more affordable houses and social housing across the UK. Our vision is that Thorn Baker’s Offsite team will play a valuable role in plugging the skills gap between the types of job vacancies and skilled workforce available to fill positions created by the growth of the sector. We also want to build awareness that the opportunities in the sector as a whole have increased and of their appeal to talented people within the industry or those considering a career in construction. I’m looking forward to working with construction companies, local authorities and talented people looking to develop their offsite careers and thereby assisting with the delivery of exciting projects across the UK.' When you’re looking to work with recruiters that specialise in Offsite, Design & Technical, Sales, Manufacturing & Operations and Professional - we’re proud to be your go-to recruiter. Contact your Offsite team today to discuss how we can support your business needs.

​PM Boris Johnson has announced the most radical reforms to our planning system since the Second World War. So if you’re looking for a new project to get stuck into now could be the perfect time to spruce up your CV and we’ve got 5 top tips on what all construction professionals should be including in their CV’s Rhian Newman: Business Manager Professional & Offsite The construction sector is one of the largest in the UK economy – employing 3.1 million people or over 9% of the workforce. And with Boris Johnson’s recent announcement it looks like the ‘play’ button is about to be pushed, if you haven’t already you can read the announcement right here. There’s no shortage of CV writing tutorials, we understand that as a busy construction professional you just don’t have time to wade through all of the advice. So we’ve put together a quick top 5 tips on what to include in your CV. 1. Profile: simple and to the point It is important to keep this section brief and to focus on your experience and personality. Using generalised comments such as “I am a hardworking, pro-active, honest person” won’t make you stand out - everybody says that (but you’re not everyone!) This section is your chance to demonstrate what makes you uniquely suitable for the roles you’re applying for. Try turning the tables, if you were hiring what would you be looking for in that person? You should always include: Skills that are significant to the role you are applying for Personality traits that would benefit the job and the company Areas or sectors you’ve worked in previously that are similar to the project Remember the person hiring may have to read a lot of CV’s. Simple, clear, and to the point. Avoid CV cliché’s and you’ll help yourself to stand out in the crowd. 2. Skills/Expertise: expand but keep it relevant Do you feel like you have more skills to talk about but you couldn’t get them into your profile? This is the perfect place to put them. Bullet points are your friend here, list out all of your skills that would perfect for the role. Again keep it relevant and bear in mind the person reading this, it’s a great area to make their life easier. 3. Education/Qualifications – keep it simple This might feel more significant if you’re looking to get your foot on the career ladder, but it’s important to include this information whatever your level. Reference as a simple, chronological list: what you studied, where, and when. You don’t need to include all of your GCSE/ O Levels. Keep it concise, for example, Eight GCSE’s inclusive of Maths and English. Those are the two main things people are looking for so make reading your CV simpler where you can. 4. Experience: consistent and mind the gaps This should be brief and chronological. You don’t need to go in-depth on every project you’ve been involved in or the company you’ve worked for. A good idea is to focus on your last five projects or the last three companies, include your other work history but expand on these. Again make use of bullet points rather than lengthy descriptions. Highlight the major achievements of your job. Did you complete the project on time/ early? Was it on budget? What kind of budgets are you used to working with? A simple format that will hit all of the bases is: Dates Company name (if you used an agency ensure you use the company name, not the agency) Job title Key duties and projects Be sure to include any promotions, they’re achievements and companies want to know what you have done successfully. 5. References: show that you’re confident Don’t be afraid to name people on your CV. Add their job title as well, if you’re not comfortable adding phone numbers just say that you can supply contact details on request PM Boris Johnson has announced the most radical reforms to our planning system since the Second World War. So if you’re looking for a new project to get stuck into now could be the perfect time to spruce up your CV and we’ve got 5 top tips on what all construction professionals should be including in their CV’s. Rhian Newman: Business Manager Professional & Offsite The construction sector is one of the largest in the UK economy – employing 3.1 million people or over 9% of the workforce. And with Boris Johnson’s recent announcement it looks like the ‘play’ button is about to be pushed, if you haven’t already you can read the announcement right here. There’s no shortage of CV writing tutorials, we understand that as a busy construction professional you just don’t have time to wade through all of the advice. So we’ve put together a quick top 5 tips on what to include in your CV. 1. Profile: simple and to the point It is important to keep this section brief and to focus on your experience and personality. Using generalised comments such as “I am a hardworking, pro-active, honest person” won’t make you stand out - everybody says that (but you’re not everyone!) This section is your chance to demonstrate what makes you uniquely suitable for the roles you’re applying for. Try turning the tables, if you were hiring what would you be looking for in that person? You should always include: Skills that are significant to the role you are applying for Personality traits that would benefit the job and the company Areas or sectors you’ve worked in previously that are similar to the project Remember the person hiring may have to read a lot of CV’s. Simple, clear, and to the point. Avoid CV cliché’s and you’ll help yourself to stand out in the crowd. 2. Skills/Expertise: expand but keep it relevant Do you feel like you have more skills to talk about but you couldn’t get them into your profile? This is the perfect place to put them. Bullet points are your friend here, list out all of your skills that would perfect for the role. Again keep it relevant and bear in mind the person reading this, it’s a great area to make their life easier. 3. Education/Qualifications – keep it simple This might feel more significant if you’re looking to get your foot on the career ladder, but it’s important to include this information whatever your level. Reference as a simple, chronological list: what you studied, where, and when. You don’t need to include all of your GCSE/ O Levels. Keep it concise, for example, Eight GCSE’s inclusive of Maths and English. Those are the two main things people are looking for so make reading your CV simpler where you can. 4. Experience: consistent and mind the gaps This should be brief and chronological. You don’t need to go in-depth on every project you’ve been involved in or the company you’ve worked for. A good idea is to focus on your last five projects or the last three companies, include your other work history but expand on these. Again make use of bullet points rather than lengthy descriptions. Highlight the major achievements of your job. Did you complete the project on time/ early? Was it on budget? What kind of budgets are you used to working with? A simple format that will hit all of the bases is: Dates Company name (if you used an agency ensure you use the company name, not the agency) Job title Key duties and projects Be sure to include any promotions, they’re achievements and companies want to know what you have done successfully. 5. References: show that you’re confident Don’t be afraid to name people on your CV. Add their job title as well, if you’re not comfortable adding phone numbers just say that you can supply contact details on request

​The last few weeks have been a huge learning curve for us all - when will construction sites open again? How can we all stay safe in a construction working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic? We've been asking our clients these questions and in this blog, we'll look at what support you need and want from your recruiter. Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction Over the last 10 weeks, I've learnt more (in some cases) about my colleagues, candidates and clients than I have in the last 16 years - I'm sure this is the case for a lot of you as well. The team and I at Thorn Baker Construction have also developed our industry knowledge about everything from PPE to risk assessments, well-being to resilience. Some key stats from what we've been doing over the last 10 weeks include; Organised and delivered over 300 hours of training to our staff on a variety of subjects: mental resilience, recruitment compliance, team building and the best ways to manage teams remotely to name a few. We will continue adding to our training program on a weekly basis. We've furloughed over 600 of our temporary candidates: this has ensured that those without money or work have not gone without. Now working with over 50 candidates, brand new to Thorn Baker, who were seeking advice and direction on the furlough system due to not receiving help or direction from their previous employers. Working closely with over 100 of our regular clients to take on board all of their individual risk assessments, the changes being put in place and messages that needed to be cascaded down to the workforce. Our Managers have attended weekly meetings/webinars with the REC, HMRC and APSCO to ensure our knowledge base is up to date, and we're confident with the latest changes as they happen. We have purchased a stock of FFP2 masks and latex gloves: developed a system to get them to our clients and candidates anywhere in the country in less than 24 hours if required. Adjusted all of our procedures and vetting questions when taking on job requirements for our clients and candidates alike to match the government guidance as well as what our customers need to know. My mission as we headed into lockdown was that I wished for us to come back stronger, smarter and easier to work with when we came out, we still have work to be done we are getting there. Our values could not have been more relevant in the last 10 testing weeks; Solution-focused: You can see from the above that our focus is to make our clients and candidates lives easier where we possibly can. Positive-minded: When the world is reasonably full of negative news right now and this value has been preached from the rooftops, we’ve tried to keep the smiles on our faces at all times. People-driven: We're holding daily meetings since this started and grown closer to our colleagues, candidates and clients. Hopefully, our strengthened bonds are a sign of what is to come. A lot of our learning over the last 10 weeks has come from having quality conversations with those in the construction industry. We feel that good quality communication and collaboration in the coming months will be the key to make the coming challenges easier and more efficient for all involved. Over the last two weeks we have asked our clients two questions in order for us to continue to improve our services; What can recruiters do to improve service post-COVID-19? The top 3 responses given by our clients were: But what were the other responses? We actually received quite a few ideas from this question but the top 3 we're definitely clear. The other responses we received were: What is the one thing recruiters can do to improve efficiency for you? The most recent report from Glenigans has said that: across England and Wales, only around 16% of sites are still suspended, and with Northern Ireland starting to reopen sites and Scotland gearing up gearing for a planned easing of the lockdown from 15 June, activity is picking up pace across the UK. Also, a spike in the number of planning decisions on large projects suggests that the industry has a potentially growing pipeline of planned projects as the lockdown is eased further over the weeks ahead. You can view the full report on their YouTube channel right here. From our survey results and the positives coming from governing bodies alike it feels like we're slowly creeping into a sense of normality (well the new normal!). And the overall message I'd like to give to our clients and candidates is that simply when you are ready we're here to support you. Whether you need staff on-site, advice and support on supplying PPE or if you're a candidate who's not sure how furlough could work for you - contact us.  The service we provide is built upon our core values: Solution-focused, Positive-minded and People-driven. That's what we do and who we are. If you need support don't hesitate to contact us right here. The last few weeks have been a huge learning curve for us all - when will construction sites open again? How can we all stay safe in a construction working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic? We've been asking our clients these questions and in this blog, we'll look at what support you need and want from your recruiter. Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction Over the last 10 weeks, I've learnt more (in some cases) about my colleagues, candidates and clients than I have in the last 16 years - I'm sure this is the case for a lot of you as well. The team and I at Thorn Baker Construction have also developed our industry knowledge about everything from PPE to risk assessments, well-being to resilience. Some key stats from what we've been doing over the last 10 weeks include; Organised and delivered over 300 hours of training to our staff on a variety of subjects: mental resilience, recruitment compliance, team building and the best ways to manage teams remotely to name a few. We will continue adding to our training program on a weekly basis. We've furloughed over 600 of our temporary candidates: this has ensured that those without money or work have not gone without. Now working with over 50 candidates, brand new to Thorn Baker, who were seeking advice and direction on the furlough system due to not receiving help or direction from their previous employers. Working closely with over 100 of our regular clients to take on board all of their individual risk assessments, the changes being put in place and messages that needed to be cascaded down to the workforce. Our Managers have attended weekly meetings/webinars with the REC, HMRC and APSCO to ensure our knowledge base is up to date, and we're confident with the latest changes as they happen. We have purchased a stock of FFP2 masks and latex gloves: developed a system to get them to our clients and candidates anywhere in the country in less than 24 hours if required. Adjusted all of our procedures and vetting questions when taking on job requirements for our clients and candidates alike to match the government guidance as well as what our customers need to know. My mission as we headed into lockdown was that I wished for us to come back stronger, smarter and easier to work with when we came out, we still have work to be done we are getting there. Our values could not have been more relevant in the last 10 testing weeks; Solution-focused: You can see from the above that our focus is to make our clients and candidates lives easier where we possibly can. Positive-minded: When the world is reasonably full of negative news right now and this value has been preached from the rooftops, we’ve tried to keep the smiles on our faces at all times. People-driven: We're holding daily meetings since this started and grown closer to our colleagues, candidates and clients. Hopefully, our strengthened bonds are a sign of what is to come. A lot of our learning over the last 10 weeks has come from having quality conversations with those in the construction industry. We feel that good quality communication and collaboration in the coming months will be the key to make the coming challenges easier and more efficient for all involved. Over the last two weeks we have asked our clients two questions in order for us to continue to improve our services; What can recruiters do to improve service post-COVID-19? The top 3 responses given by our clients were: But what were the other responses? We actually received quite a few ideas from this question but the top 3 we're definitely clear. The other responses we received were: What is the one thing recruiters can do to improve efficiency for you? The most recent report from Glenigans has said that: across England and Wales, only around 16% of sites are still suspended, and with Northern Ireland starting to reopen sites and Scotland gearing up gearing for a planned easing of the lockdown from 15 June, activity is picking up pace across the UK. Also, a spike in the number of planning decisions on large projects suggests that the industry has a potentially growing pipeline of planned projects as the lockdown is eased further over the weeks ahead. You can view the full report on their YouTube channel right here. From our survey results and the positives coming from governing bodies alike it feels like we're slowly creeping into a sense of normality (well the new normal!). And the overall message I'd like to give to our clients and candidates is that simply when you are ready we're here to support you. Whether you need staff on-site, advice and support on supplying PPE or if you're a candidate who's not sure how furlough could work for you - contact us.  The service we provide is built upon our core values: Solution-focused, Positive-minded and People-driven. That's what we do and who we are. If you need support don't hesitate to contact us right here.

In these unprecedented times, the spread of Covid-19 has prompted the Government to postpone the reforms to the Off-Payroll Rules (IR35) which were due to come into effect from April. Paul Jackman: Thorn Baker Group CEO Speaking last night in the Commons Budget debate, Chief treasury secretary Steve Barclay announced the reforms which effectively clamp down on disguised employment would be pushed back by one year.to April 2021 Whilst the majority of our clients and impacted workers had already prepared for the changes, they have proved unpopular and onerous for many to implement. The IR35 rules came into effect back in 2000 and the key part of the reform was that clients would now decide if a role was inside or outside IR35. HMRC estimated that as many as 9 out of 10 roles were incorrectly determined to be outside IR35.  That decision will now remain with the worker (contractor) for another 12 months. Thorn Baker welcome this decision as we have several other legislative changes to comply with from April including the provision of Key Information Documents and Written Statements of particulars to our workers. We’re very much operating as usual at the moment in our desire to keep workers working so please do get in touch if you want to discuss how we can help you. If you’d like to know more about IR35 check out the previous blog here. 

Over the years we’ve raised a lot for our chosen charities – in this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the fantastic charities we’ve raised money for over the last couple of years. Nicola Aram Marketing Manager Thorn Baker Group Rod Stewart once said ‘You know I think I could give a little more back to charity.’ This is something that our staff at Thorn Baker Group have in common with Rod. As a Group our core values People-driven; Solution-focused and Positive-minded. These values are fundamental to how we run as a business and they really do shine when we take a look at all of the fundraising that our staff does. Dress Down Pay Day Over the years we’ve climbed mountains, walked/ run marathons, relay bike raced, rowed, baked, dressed down and golfed (to name a few) to raise money. Whilst everyone who decides to do a little themselves we do have a Thorn Baker tradition that everyone takes part in. On payday each month we have a companywide ‘dress down’ day where participants make a donation, a winner is drawn and they get to choose which charity the money raised is donated to. So far our dress down day has raised over £16,000 for the following charities: British Heart Foundation Macular Society Macmillan Cancer Support St Peters Hospice The British Red Cross Society Teenage Cancer Trust Rainbows Hospice Headway Ben’s Den Christmas Jumper Day (Save the Children) Cancer Research UK The Bobby Moore Fund Cystic Fibrosis Trust Alzheimer’s Society Ability Net Middlesbrough & Teesside Philanthropic Foundation Children’s Hospice South West Breast Cancer Research Maggie’s Nottingham SASD Mind RSPCA Walkersnotts 52 Lives Crohn's and Colitis UK  What's Happening This Year? This year is looking to be busy on the fundraising front - the Thorn Strollers will be taking part in Race to the Tower again, it's a fully-supported, award-winning ultra marathon for runners and walkers to take on the stunning Cotswold Way. Everyone will be taking part to raise money for their charities of choice. Keep an eye out for their JustGiving pages, every donation helps! Our Chesterfield branch will be running events throughout the year to support their chosen local charity Ashgate Hospice Care.  Their services are free of charge to patients with any life-limiting illness and they extend our support to patients’ families throughout these tough times - they rely entirely on donations. The team kicked off with a relay bike race in their office which raised over £400, the target for the year is £4000 so it's a great start. The next event coming up is a boxing match where our Branch Manager Rose Joseph and Consultant Thomas Kemp will be in the ring! Their colleague Curt Walker is training them ahead of the match - good luck both! If you'd like to read about how the team is raising money and donate you can do that here.

It’s generally well known that changes to the governments ‘off-payroll’ rules (known as IR35) for the private sector come into force in April 2020. If your organisation engages or hires contractors/self-employed workers then you’ll probably find this blog a useful read. Paul Jackman: Thorn Baker Group CEO As you’d expect with any change in employment legislation we’re well prepared to keep our clients fully compliant.  This blog will give our perspective on the challenges ahead and will be updated from time to time as we approach the deadline – it’s not legal advice and we’d strongly recommend you check out the suggested links for further reading at the end of this blog. What is IR35? Introduced back in 2000, IR35 is a set of tax rules that was introduced for workers (who typically refer to themselves as contractors) who provide their services via an intermediary, typically their own limited company. The aim of IR35 is to tackle tax and National Insurance avoidance by individuals who are effectively known as what is termed a ‘disguised employee’. Workers are either ‘Inside IR35’ where PAYE deductions must be made or ‘Outside IR35 where PAYE deductions do not need to be made Simply put, if the workers' relationship looks like one of an employer/employee relationship, there is a good chance they are inside IR35 and PAYE and National Insurance deductions must be made. What Changes will happen in April 2020? The responsibility moves to the end client for deciding if an engagement is inside or outside IR35. Currently, this decision is for the worker to make.  If however the end client is deemed to be a ‘Small Company’ then the responsibility stays with the worker Is My Business a Small Company and Therefore Exempt From These Changes? If your business meets at least two of these requirements you don’t need to be too concerned about the changes to IR35 Annual Turnover less than £10.2m Balance Sheet total less than £5.1m No more than 50 employees We’ll be using Companies House to verify the status of our clients accordingly. If you are a small company then you don’t need to read any further. How Do I Know Where These Types of Workers Are in My Business? Only by carrying out a thorough audit of everyone in your business that is not a direct employee and who may be in your business next April. We have discovered that many of our clients have limited knowledge of the methods that non-direct employees are engaged. For example, your recruitment agencies may be using a wide variety of vehicles to provide the people who fill your vacancies, be that through PAYE, CIS intermediaries, Umbrella Companies or Personal Service Companies.  Many clients have a significant number of ‘direct hires’ that IR35 impacts such as IT consultants, part-time FD’s or those individuals that are brought in on a project-specific basis. Things to consider: Who in your company is best placed to do this audit? Who may be joining you between now and April 2020 and what is their employment status? Deciding If a Role is Inside of Outside IR35? Making this determination runs to a level of complexity way beyond a mere website blog but a good starting point is to use the online tool CEST (Check Employment Status for Tax). HMRC will stand by the outcome providing you have used reasonable care to use it. The latest version came out as recently as the end of November 2019. There are other methods, most commonly being the use of IR35 consultants – or your own professional advisors. You’ll need to decide who is responsible and accountable within your business for making the decision (s) and how you will maintain appropriate records. If you have a HR department they should be well underway with IR35 preparations. Anecdotal evidence for the roles that we specifically recruit for in the Construction and Facilities Management Sectors suggests that they will virtually all fall within IR35 Cascading the IR35 Decision If a client makes a decision on a role, the decision and the reasons for that decision need to be passed down to all parties in the supply chain including the worker. This is usually done via a ‘Status Determination Statement’ (SDS) which the end client has to prepare and issue. We’ll have to assume that all our roles are within IR35 unless we receive an SDS to the contrary. Who Makes Deductions if Inside IR35 The Fee Payer (i.e. the organisation last in line who makes payment to the worker’s intermediary) is liable for making the correct deductions for deemed employment so clients can rest assured that Thorn Baker can operate this compliantly and make the necessary quarterly reports to HMRC. Liability If an incorrect decision is made and a worker is treated as outside IR35 when they should be inside IR35 then liability will rest with the party that has failed to fulfil its obligations – so if the wrong decision is made then the end client will be liable for unpaid PAYE and National Insurance. Ok, I’m Starting to Get This. What’s This Likely to Mean in Commercial Terms? So this is the really interesting thing – let’s examine this from two perspectives, the cost to hirer and the cost to the worker. Workers/contractors are very vocal online about how these changes are going to significantly impact their take-home pay. These are the workers who 1) currently deem themselves to be outside IR35 and thus benefit from let’s say ‘beneficial’ arrangements and 2) believe they will be deemed to be inside IR35 once the end client makes the decision. (One could argue that in this case perhaps the workers have made an incorrect determination – but nevertheless they currently are liable and responsible for that decision) We’ve done the sums and they are quite startling. For a hirer that may have a worker via a PSC outside IR35 on £25 hour x 40-hour week = headline pay of £1000/week, a typical weekly ‘take-home’ pay will be £805. Moving this worker to full PAYE employee status with Income Tax, National Insurance and Holiday Pay Contributions will increase the cost to £34.22/hour to maintain the same take-home pay. And that’s before any agency, including Thorn Baker, adds on their desired mark up. How many people can afford to have a significant reduction in take-home pay? How many end-users can afford to pay 37% more for the same individual doing the same work as before? If the end-user cannot or will not pay any more, the take-home reduction will be of the order of 20% Quite simply, the costs of end users making ‘inside IR35’ decisions may be quite alarming for many clients, especially if tied into long term contracts where the cost of workers is a significant proportion of overheads. Solutions It’s not the scope of this blog to talk about workarounds or explore loopholes but with planning, the right advice and enough time it may be possible to redesign roles to fall outside of IR35. With our first-hand knowledge of our clients and the sector’s that they operate in we expect the vast majority will deem all their roles to fall within IR35. What will then happen may include Transition to Perm (We will happily discuss a sensible take on fee) Continue to pay as a PSC but make PAYE deductions Move workers to Umbrella solutions Move workers to agency PAYE With the exception of taking on permanently, it will cost a fair bit more. Small Companies may find themselves gaining a competitive advantage as their hiring costs are impacted less. The Thorn Baker Approach As Corporate Member of the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) and APSCO (The Association of Professional Staffing Companies), we have frequent updates on IR35 and access to qualified legal support. You can be assured we’ll keep you, our clients, compliant. Because the scope of IR35 is so vast, across all of UK businesses and not just our specific sector knowledge, and carries significant liability issues we would remind you that this blog is simply our current perspective. What we are doing is talking to clients on a daily basis to ‘nudge’ them towards dealing with their IR35 challenges and our Directors and Senior Managers are putting IR35 on the agenda of every relevant client meeting to ensure we’re adding clarity and transparency to future arrangements. If you would like to discuss any of the points raised in this blog, or simply  arrange a conversation about IR35 then please contact the writer paul@thornbaker.co.uk 07970 075160 Useful Links gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax gov.uk/guidance/understanding-off-payroll-working-ir35 gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-status-manual/esm11000

If you're a Contracts or Operations Manager working in the Facilities Management, Building Services Maintenance or Soft Services Industries, and you often find yourself frustrated and stressed out when hiring new staff - this is the blog for you. Joanne Crampton, Head of Thorn Baker Estates, Facilities & Maintenance ​ 1, Create a timescale by working backwards from the ideal start date. So you need a Commercial Gas Maintenance Engineer in place for a new contract starting on 2nd December - work backwards from that date: One week for onboarding before contract start = ideal start date of 25th November. Taking into account four weeks’ notice (standard for a good Engineer with excellent work history already working elsewhere) means you’ll need to have an offer in writing to them by no later than 28th October. Two weeks to complete 1st and 2nd stage interviews will mean booking out time for the first round of interviews week commencing 14th October. You want a selection of candidates to see on the days you’ve planned for interviews? You’ll need a week of advertising (or better still, a week for your specialist recruitment agency to find candidates ready for interview on your chosen dates) – so that means having your job spec and ideal profile ready by 7th October.  Working back from the ideal start date gives you and your recruitment partners a realistic and sensible timeframe to work to. 2, Get organised. This goes hand in hand with the above – if you want to hire someone for your team you’re going to need to plan time out of your normal workday for advert writing, CV reading and interviews. Don’t try to just cram it in around your workload – this will only lead to frustration and stress. The most important thing is making sure that you have dates earmarked for interviews – great candidates can form a bad impression of a company very quickly if you can’t put aside time with a reasonable amount of notice for an interview. You can read more about candidates biggest bugbears in this great article from Glassdoor here  3, Make sure you know what you are looking for. This might sound like a no-brainer but in reality, a lot of Hiring Managers start the process without having a clear idea of exactly what they're looking for – leaving them upset when the wrong type of candidates start flowing into their inbox. You need to be able to articulate very clearly (either on an advert, to your internal recruitment team or your agency partner) what specifically you're looking for. Make sure you cover qualifications, skills, experience and personality otherwise you will soon find yourself frustrated at the amount of time you are wasting interviewing the “wrong” candidates. Ask us about our TalentMatch system and how we can help you figure out what you’re looking for – or just fill in our enquiry form here. 4, Set service levels for each stage of the hiring process. We work in an industry where service level agreements, procedures and deadlines determine what we do every day and in what order. So why should your recruitment process be any different? Agree with your internal recruitment team, your specialist agencies and most importantly yourself what service levels you will work too. For example: 24 hours to respond to a CV/application. Three business days to arrange an interview. one week to get an offer of employment out. Whichever part of the process you are at you should have a relevant service level, which has been agreed and communicated to everyone involved. This will prevent frustrations with the expectations set for yourself, your internal and external recruitment team, and most crucially - your candidates. Give us a call on 08444 060086 to talk to one of our specialists about our Proven Process and how agreeing service levels with our clients helps to reduce their hiring frustrations. 5, Enjoy it! A lot of people view recruitment as a necessary chore rather than a positive opportunity to strengthen their team. A lot of the time you’re forced to hire someone new because one of your team has left or had to be let go - it’s time-consuming and in the current climate, from the skills shortage to Brexit to worry about, it’s also very hard work! With the right positive attitude, recruiting a new member of staff can be a brilliant experience. You’ll meet new and interesting people, gain valuable market knowledge from your recruitment partners, have the opportunity to forge great working relationships with internal recruitment staff AND find someone who can actually make your working life easier in the future. What’s not to love?

Are you a Construction Professional who can’t hire enough skilled Trades & Labour and White Collar staff to ensure your sites are completed on schedule and within budget? You will find this blog useful.  Rob Ford, Head of Thorn Baker Construction The skills shortage within construction and infrastructure is a much-discussed subject across the industry. As specialist recruiters, the team and I can definitely lend an outside view as to why there is a shortage of skilled Trades & Labour and White Collar staff. Over the last month, the team and I have been conducting a survey to get an insight from those at the coalface of the subject – you! We’ve been speaking with Construction, Commercial and Project Managers who are struggling to hire the very best Site Managers, Technical staff or Trades for their sites. With Brexit still being a heavily discussed issue, we expected a lot of answers to focus on this but the results were surprising… Survey Results: The Top 3 Causes of the Skills Shortage in Construction Apprenticeships ‘I believe one reason for skills shortages in the UK construction industry is due to the lack of apprenticeships for school leavers. Schools should also encourage pupils to undertake work experience with construction companies to promote an early interest in the numerous trades within the construction industry and the route to site, contract & project management.’ Brendan Alexander, Project Manager  Like Brendan, many others that we spoke with agreed that apprenticeship availability was a major issue – especially when the Construction industry remains a large contributor to the UK economy. The ONS recently stated that It generates almost £90 billion annually (6.7% of GDP) and employs in excess of 2.93 million people, the equivalent of about 10% of UK employment. However, only 1% of employers have looked to take on an apprentice or inexperienced staff member for training to ease the skills shortfall. The government has invested over £1 billion into training and apprenticeship schemes; however, the schemes alone do not guarantee employment. Earlier this year we wrote a blog about an apprenticeship scheme that was being developed specifically for people seeking a career in health & safety – you can read it here. Poor Image ‘For whatever reason, I believe some people tend to look down at tradesman and choose the university route as they believe taking an apprenticeship is a step-down. I believe in a not so distant future there will be a massive shortage unless this is bottomed out.’ Ben Hebden, Junior Contracts Manager  The current poor image of the Construction Industry has a detrimental impact on construction businesses’ ability to recruit and retain people with the right type of skills.  The CITB Report Changing Perceptions: The Growing Appeal of a Career in Construction has shown that the overall appeal of the construction industry as a career option for young people is low, scoring 4.2 out of 10 among 14 to 19-year-olds. It is perceived to be about 'being outdoors and getting dirty' and most suited to 'young people who do not get into college or university'. Wage Related This response whilst being our third most popular opinion was split across the North, Midlands and the South. ​ So, what is the average salary for Construction jobs? The average salary for Construction jobs according to Total Jobs is £42,500. How much Construction jobs pay varies across UK locations and industries – when you break down their cross-section (sample size of 14, 456 people) the breakdown of the average is: The North: £57,059 The Midlands: £47,500 The South: £59,122 When you take into account the difference in average living costs across the country it’s easy to see why the Midlands and the South are more vocal about wage issues in these areas. It’s been a valuable exercise to conduct this survey to not only get our clients viewpoints but also for us to sit back, take stock and reassess how we source our candidates. Also, it raises the point of how we might be able to help the construction industry to fill the ever-growing skills gap that Construction Professionals now face on a daily basis. Supplying both white and blue-collar workers across the UK I would like to think we have our finger on the pulse when it comes to staffing availability. If you’d like to discuss the results of our survey, maybe you have a different point of view – contact the team today.

​With so many cleaning products on the market and more and more launched every week it's difficult to know what to choose. Do you go for value for money? Or is it familiarity, the great salesperson or a reliable manufacturer/supplier? Andrew McCafferty Facilities & Soft Services Recruitment Consultant ​Whatever the reasons for purchase they are essential to the job and your company. As a cleaning and soft services specialist recruiter, I'm always speaking to people in the industry and here are some of the products that people, like you, are talking about. UBIK 2000 Universal Cleaner Concentrate This powerful, versatile cleaner and degreaser from Clover Chemicalsquickly dissolves grease and grime to leave a spotless finish. It's been highly recommended for cleaning in the food industry especially as it is great with body fats but it is as good within communal shower areas.  FreshnIT Sanitary Cleaner This is top for washrooms as it neutralises odours at the source and has a long-lasting fragrance. An adding bonus to this product is that Freshnit is safe to clean and freshen all washroom surfaces, including; sinks, taps, baths, walls, doors, floors, fittings and fixtures, toilets, bidets and urinals. If that isn't good enough it's also pH neutral. Transgel Graffiti Remover This product is highly recommended by the Transport industry. Although it is an expensive product it's fantastic at removing graffiti - designed to remove old, thick and sun-baked graffiti from porous surfaces, tarmac, galvanised shuttering and other galvanised surfaces, murals from wooden fences, road marker paint and thicker paints such as gloss paint. It can also be used for paint spillages. Vacuums Vacuums are essential for cleaning companies. Key needs are power, capacity and durability to save time and money in a margin critical industry. Not many people look passed the Numatic range especially Henry. A British Icon with over 36 years of service and still a great performer. It's one of the best value and reliable vacuums on the market and has been since Bonnie Tyler had a Total Eclipse of the Heart. Cloths Another staple of the cleaning armoury is cloths. This was a tough one to pin a favourite as many different cloths have been mentioned. One of the better cloths that is absorbent and can be used on multiple surfaces was Norwex which is also very easy to clean in just water. Other products include Zwipes and Vibrawipe. Of course, we're all different and people like different things so I accept the products listed might not be your preference. This is why there are so many products on the market. What do you think? It would be great to know what you would recommend and why. 

Flexible working is becoming an increasingly popular option for both Employees and Hiring Managers across employment sectors. There's been a rise recently of 61% in the number of employers that have the option available. This increase is mainly based on office work, which is far different from the types of work undertaken retail and warehouse staff. In this blog, we will be looking at whether flexible working is a viable option across industrial employment sectors. As well as how you as a Hiring Manager could use these options to boost your current and future workforce. Matthew Dann, Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Director What does flexible working mean? ‘Flexible working’ is an umbrella term that defines a variety of ways that employees can enjoy a better work-life balance, including: Remote working: Working from home or another out-of-office location, such as a coffee shop Job sharing: Responsibilities of a role are split between two people Compressed hours: Allowing employees to work longer hours and fewer days Annualised hours: A certain number of hours are spread flexibly throughout the year Staggered hours: Staff members work the same number of hours but can have start and end times that better suit their lifestyle Flexitime: Employees must work ‘core hours’ but can take advantage of flexible start and finish times when necessary Engage for Success have reported that manual and service roles can still benefit from certain types of flexible working – such as compressed hours and job sharing – and 53% of employers have said that they believe all industries should make it an option for their workers. ​What are the benefits of flexible working? A better work-life balance Increased productivity (82% of employees say they get more work done when working flexibly) A less stressful commute More flexibility for personal needs Greater job satisfaction Many employers agree flexible working improves the workplace by: Boosting morale (70% of employers agreed that staff were happier in their role) Increased productivity (58% noted that flexibility resulted in better performance) A more relaxed and pleasant office atmosphere Lowered costs and overall emissions Better overall organisation and communication There’s even ‘national day’s’ celebrating the benefits of flexible working: Flexible Working Day, Work Wise Week and National Work from Home Day Flexible working is great! But is it achievable in an Industrial workplace? In our recent blog, the top 6 issues hiring managers will face this summer, and how to overcome them, we looked at the challenges that all Hiring and Production Managers face during seasonal peak times: Hiring Time Planned Vs. Unplanned Absences Candidate Quality Flexibility Needed Unexpected Orders High Temperatures in the Workplace Many of you already know that a temporary job can satisfy both businesses and workers. Temporary work offers more flexibility than a permanent position and is increasingly becoming popular to meet individual’s needs. Businesses are now seeing this as a great way to recruit, test candidates abilities and how they fit into their working environment.  Can you as a business apply flexible working even further within your business? The employment world is changing and in order to retain the very best workers, businesses need to adapt with it. Ways that you could apply flexible working are: Extended operating hours: this would allow shift flexibility if you don’t already have this in place and expands your operations to cope with the 24/7 expectations of modern customers. Job share: this can help to attract a skilled workforce that requires part-time hours and needs a better work/life balance. Health and Wellbeing: flexibility may help to improve health and wellbeing and, as a result, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. What are the potential barriers? The Undercover Recruiter has stated that some potential barriers include: Potential operational difficulties, additional costs and resistance from managers Possible pressure on workers who aren’t requesting flexible working Potential negative impact on customer service and quality of work Problems in scheduling work and shifts with varied work arrangements to consider Difficulties in communicating with employees not working on organisational premises ‘Flexible working’ & ‘work/life balance’ are very real issues for today’s workforce. The Industrial Recruitment sector is now well into peak season, and candidates have greater choice of assignments than ever before – it’s vital that we all look at ways to both attract and retain job-seeking candidates. If you'd like to discuss any of these points further you can contact your local branch here.

I'm delighted to announce our specialist construction team in Nottingham have welcomed back Demi to support the industry in finding the best construction jobs and Trades across the Midlands. Rob Ford, Thorn Baker Construction Director We recently announced the reopening of our specialist construction team in Nottingham and welcomed back build and fit-out sector specialist Demi Harman, following a 10-year hiatus.  Due to a UK-wide shortage of construction skills, many businesses are increasingly looking for specialist support in finding the right talent for a range of construction projects, including commercial development, residential housing, shop fit-outs and office refurbishment, as well as demolition. With a heritage in Nottingham and it being centrally located in the UK, it makes sense for us to build our latest construction team here. Plus, we’re really excited to have Demi back with us to drive the business forward. Demi is a familiar face on Nottingham’s building and construction scene and has re-joined us to head up the new team and will be joined by colleague Khial Farrow, an experienced fit-out Recruitment Consultant, who will be relocating to Nottingham from London to build up the team. Two further new jobs will be created from August onwards and the team has plans for rapid expansion into 2020 and beyond. Our construction team will be operating out of the Groups Nottingham head office and its set to be officially open from August 2019. Initially, we will focus on all trades including carpenters, joiners, bricklayers, electricians and plumbers, as well as general labouring jobs. The move is the latest from Thorn Baker Group to ensure Thorn Baker Construction is the market leader in recruitment for the construction sector. Demi commented: 'It’s great to be back in the Thorn Baker team after over a decade away. A lot has happened in that time and it’s fantastic to see the growth and enthusiasm in the Group for its staff, clients and candidates. I love Nottingham and there are some really exciting construction projects underway across the East Midlands that we hope to support, providing high quality, site-fit, ready-to-start candidates.'   Here at Thorn Baker Construction, we’re absolutely committed to finding our clients the very best Trades, Labour and Professional Construction staff. We work with businesses who struggle to hire every day, understanding what a business needs is what makes us great at what we do. If you'd like to discuss your current recruitment needs you can contact Demi here. Want the latest Construction industry news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here

Seasonal peaks are approaching and companies like yours will need extra support from your recruitment partner. This blog will be helpful for Hiring and Production Managers like you, who will be facing these challenges, and how you can overcome them. Michael Martin, Nottingham Branch Manager Summer is here (even if the weather doesn’t always agree) and I know from speaking with my clients that the same topics come up year after year – unplanned absences, how long it takes to hire, candidate quality needed. The great news is that with careful planning and the help of your local branch you can overcome all of your seasonal hiring challenges.   Hiring Time The nature of the temporary work beast is to hire the best workers and train them to be ready in time for your busy peak – all within an already condensed timeline. At a time like this, it’s crucial to make the right hire the first time around. Start your hiring process early, make sure that your recruitment partner is working with accurate job descriptions; are there any perks to working at your business? Do you have the best cob van in the area? We all know the power of a great breakfast cob… ‘The team has daily contact with me ensuring all staff supplied have turned in and to address any issues. I am very impressed with the standard of service and professionalism – nothing has been too much trouble. I would highly recommend the team.’ Broxtowe Borough Council Planned Vs. Unplanned Absences This happens in all businesses, we can plan our teams holidays but emergencies and last minute requests come up – Illness, holidays, childcare, sudden departure. Working with a recruitment partner is a quick way to fix all (and any other) of these sudden needs as they arise. We’ve worked in the Industry for over 30 years and understand how critical these hires are and we’re ready to support you with both planned and unplanned absences. Candidate Quality A big challenge that our clients face is finding people at short notice with the skills they need, competition for skilled staff during peak times can be high. A quick and easy way to overcome this hurdle is to team up with a recruitment partner. No more scrambling to post your advert on as many jobs boards as you can – we can take care of this for you and will have been speaking to the very best candidates face to face well ahead of time. Our database has been growing for over 30 years, so you can be sure that we already know the best people.   ‘Since the team have been onsite at temporary staff morale has improved which I put down to the team treating their staff as people instead of numbers. I have no hesitation in recommending the services of Thorn Baker.’ Plastique Flexibility Needed The beauty of a temporary job is that it can satisfy both businesses and workers. Temporary work offers more flexibility than a permanent position and is increasingly becoming popular to meet individual’s needs. Businesses are now seeing this as a great way to recruit, test candidates abilities and how they fit into their working environment. As temporary specialists, your Consultant can quickly provide your business with qualified staff for both long and short time jobs. Unexpected Orders Things happen. We all know that orders from clients can come through at the last minute. By working with your Consultant you can rest assured that we will always be working on your candidate pool. With regular site inductions and in-house testing, we’re there when you need us, helping to support you in fulfilling your clients’ orders.   'I have used Thorn Baker for well over a decade, I know the office well and the service is as strong and consistent now as it ever was. It outshines the competition on every aspect of labour supply. I trust my contact and if a problem does come up it is dealt with immediately.’ XPO Logistics High Temperatures in the Work Place The summer weather can mean uncomfortable temperatures for some in a manufacturing and logistics environment, which can lead to dehydration. Symptoms of dehydration include headaches and poor concentration & attention span. To keep our clients performing at their best the sales team will be delivering our branded water bottles, to not only keep you hydrated but also reduce single-use plastic cups (following on from our blog; Treasury Mulls over Packaging Taxes to Reduce Waste in On-the-Go Packaging). Please keep a look out for them! We work with businesses like yours who struggle to hire throughout the year as well as seasonal peaks every day. By understanding what a business needs and successfully delivering it time and time again we make our client's hiring life easy - simple. If you'd like to discuss your current and upcoming recruitment needs you can contact your local branch here. Don't miss out on all the latest industrial news, tips and jobs Subscribe here

As a Facilities Management professional, Building Services business owner, Operations and Managing Director who can’t hire enough qualified engineers quickly enough to deliver your service level agreements (SLAs) you will find this blog useful. It will help you see why the people we have surveyed think there is a skills shortage issue, and a list of solutions that can help you in both the short and long term. Joanne Crampton, Head of Thorn Baker Estates, Facilities & Maintenance A skills shortage within Facilities, HVAC, Electrical and Property Maintenanceis a topic at the very heart of the facilities management and building services maintenance industry. Taking an outside view you could see many reasons as to why the industry is facing such a shortage of Hard Services Engineers. There’s been no end of speculation and debate across the sector as to what is causing the shortage – looking at it from a recruitment agency point of view, our aim is often less of the “Why is there a shortage of Engineers?” and more of the “How do we help solve the Engineer shortage problem?” My team and I have spent the last four weeks surveying the opinion of those at the forefront of the FM industry staffing problems – the Maintenance and Facilities Contracts Managers who are directly responsible for recruiting and managing maintenance engineers. Expecting the responses to be a lot more about Brexit and millennial attitudes, the answers and opinions I received were pretty surprising.            What do Facilities Management and Building Services professionals think is causing the skills shortage? “Whilst they might be great joiners and carpenters, taking a 6 week electrical install course doesn’t make them an electrician.”   Chris Atkinson, the Mechanical and Electrical Manager for Prime Repair & Maintenance (part of Acis Group) is just one of the hiring managers we spoke to who pinned it down to the rise in ‘short course’ availability, with too many tradesmen being encouraged to do an intense short training course to bring their electrical skills up to 17th edition standards, without going through the rigours of a full apprenticeship. Does the Facilities and Building Maintenance Industry Have the Same Pull These Days? “People no longer find it as appealing to do a trade and work with their hands.”   Like Richard Birtwhistle, Contract Manager at Servest Arthur McKay, many others we spoke to feel that the pull of the Facilities and Building Maintenance industry just isn’t what it used to be. Whilst they agree that the number of people taking up apprentices has fallen overall in the last 20-30 years, there are more fashionable and appealing options for apprentices these days. The trend towards studying academic courses at University has been well documented and discussed, and not just in the Hard Services industry.  Are Training Courses Readily Available for Hard Services Engineers? “Within refrigeration there is a huge lack of training colleges, so if you’re not local to a college there’s not likely to be any engineers in the area.”  Andy Holmes, Service Delivery Manager for LH plc, a specialist Refrigeration company in London, feels it can be a bit of a postcode lottery for some trades, with a lack of support for those wanting to train to be a refrigeration engineer. When we looked to find a refrigeration training course in Cambridge for example, the only obvious example was a distance learning course. This poses a hiring headache for those of you trying to support your facilities clients based in these low-density training areas, unless they are lucky enough to find an engineer to relocate or travel extended distances to site.              Could Brexit Affect The Hard Services Skills Shortage? What really surprised me was the lack of comments about the effect of Brexit. Whilst most agreed that their workforce has become increasingly multi-cultural and international over the last 20 years or so, since the Yes vote there has not been the mass exodus of engineers that some feared, and has been reported in the national press about skills shortages post Brexit. Less than 8% of the Facilities, HVAC, Electrical and Property Maintenance professionals we spoke to believed that Brexit was adding significantly to the skills shortage, and maintain that this is a problem long in the making rather than a knee jerk reaction to the referendum. What Next for Busy Facilities Management Business Owners and Maintenance Operations Managers? One thing is clear from the conversations I’ve had with my facilities and maintenance contacts in the Hard Services industry; the industry needs to make itself more attractive, and it’s not just about putting a few more pounds on the hourly pay rate of a Commercial Gas Engineer. To attract the next generation of Hard Service Engineers, there needs to be an image overhaul within the Hard Services industry – IWFM (previously known as BIFM) has already recognised this and have gone through a name change and re-brand exercise. Now it’s time for the Industry leaders to follow suit. As a result of this survey we’ve identified a few things that everyone can do to help with their recruitment in both the long and short term: Short-Term Solutions for the Hard Services Skills Shortage : When you are advertising a job vacancy focus on why working for your company is great: the support, flexibility, improved technology, training budget etc. Whatever it is you are doing really well – shout about it!  Spend some money on your recruitment – whether that is with agencies like us, advertising, specialist job boards, sponsored Facebook adverts or an internal refer a friend scheme etc. A free advert on Indeed is not going to get you the Engineers you want. Working with an agency? Make sure they are promoting your business (not just the job). At Thorn Baker EFM we’re focusing more and more on what Engineers are looking for – so if you want your agency to promote you to their Candidate base, give them the information they need to do so. Remember that Candidates are now in control – they have choices. If you want to hire the best, you’re going to have to treat them with respect, flexibility and sensible job offers. Long-Term Solutions for the Hard Services Skills Shortage: Talk to Colleges and Schools close to your office locations. If they know that there is demand for Engineers there is a greater chance of them offering the courses. Promote the positive image of our Industry to the next generation of Engineers on Social Media – make the most of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram - talk about why being an Engineer is such a great career. Invest in training. There’s a wealth of excellent Candidates out there with the right attitude and the wrong qualifications. At Thorn Baker EFM we’re absolutely committed to improving the recruitment process for Hard Services Engineers – understanding where the problems lie helps us to be better recruiters. We work with businesses who struggle to hire Hard Service and Maintenance Engineers every day. Contact the EFM team today Want the latest Facilities and Maintenance industry news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here

Whether you hire directly or through an agency, this blog will be helpful for Managing Directors and Hiring Managers who need more information about how Modern Slavery can be a risk to their business. Matthew Dann, Director of Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Compliance… A dull subject? Recent statistics from The Global Slavery Index suggest that there are over 136,000 people living in modern slavery in the UK – and in 2018 there were 2352 cases of labour exploitation. You can read the rest of the report from The Global Slavery Index here. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking can be a potential risk to your business, whether via your direct recruitment methods or from a recruitment partner. Are you confident that your workforce isn't affected by Modern Slavery? We take compliance with legislation and industry standards extremely seriously. The people we recruit are supplied to the standards required by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA). We have a dedicated central compliance team, checking worker eligibility and who monitor each aspect of the regulations. How can you spot the signs of Modern Slavery? The GLAA have identified six key areas where labour exploitation can be identified; Restricted Freedom Behaviour Working Conditions Accomodation Finances Appearance You can read the full report from the GLAA here. My team and I work closely with the GLAA, The Association of Labour Providers, and we're a supporter of the Stronger Together initiative. From the very beginning of our recruitment process, through to a worker being placed on assignment - we have their welfare central to our process. Face to face interviews, on-site audits, worker surveys, background checks – these are just some of the tools we use to keep our workers safe and happy. If you have any concerns for the safety of your workforce, feel free to call us for advice – if we can’t help we’ll certainly be able to put you in touch with an expert who can. If you’re interested in attending one of our forthcoming Modern Slavery seminars please register your interest by emailing me today: matthew.dann@thornbaker.co.uk   Want to hear the latest Industrial news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here

I know that as a busy Construction, Commercial and Project Manager you don’t always have time to check the latest Brexit Construction news. With the clock ticking this blog provides a summary of three articles discussing the latest Brexit and Construction news. Rob Ford, Regional Director Thorn Baker Construction A lot has been in discussion over the past few months - do you have contingency plans in place for Trades, Labour and Professional staff on your sites? Could there be a positive in leaving the EU? Below is a quick round-up of the latest news that Construction Professionals like you (and my team) should know about this month.   Arcadis has suggested that a ‘soft Brexit’ could boost UK Construction.   Will Waller, Arcadis’ Head of Market Intelligence, said “Readiness is key. By now many organisations will have post-Brexit contingency plans in place and these should continue to be reviewed and honed.’’. With a ‘Brexit bounce’ being predicted the Construction sector could see output reach 5% this year. Click here to read about how Arcadis predicted the Construction output hike.   Andy Mitchell has written to Construction Minister Richard Harrington asking for him to fight for Construction as the deadline approaches. If you haven’t read about the letter, which Mitchell sent, looking at how the industry could cope with a no-deal Brexit click here now.   Laing O’Rourke Group Finance Director Stewart McIntyre has said that Brexit has ‘no impact’ on UK construction. He has said that ‘Laing O’Rourke has analysed its current order book and pipeline and this review supports an assessment that, to date, a ‘no-deal Brexit’ would present minimal, if any, risk.’ Click here to read about his findings from the company’s 2018 financial review. ​Here at Thorn Baker Construction, we’re absolutely committed to finding our clients the very best Trades, Labour and Professional Construction staff. We work with businesses who struggle to hire every day, understanding what a business needs is what makes us great at what we do. If you'd like to discuss your current recruitment needs you can contact your local team here Want the latest Construction industry news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here

We’re delighted to have been awarded a three star accreditation by Best Companies recognising our extraordinary levels of staff engagement. This is the highest level of accreditation that can be achieved and is the outcome of staff surveys that saw over 85% of our staff complete. Paul Jackman, Thorn Baker Group Chief Executive Officer I’m delighted to be able to share the news that we’ve been awarded the highest possible accreditation with Best Companies which demonstrates that our people have ‘Extraordinary’ levels of engagement within our business. What makes the award especially pleasing is that when our staff filled the survey it was towards the end of the largest programme of change that we’ve ever undertaken. The result is 100% derived from these staff surveys and builds on our 2-star rating from the previous year. So what does this mean? To give you some context with the Best Companies methodology and structure, the scoring covers 8 key areas which are Leadership, My Company, My Manager, Personal Growth, My Team, Wellbeing, Fair Deal and Giving Something Back. We improved our scores in 7 out of 8 areas. So what have we actually done that allows me to boldly say ‘the largest programme of change ever undertaken’ – here’s just a sample of what we’ve achieved in the last 12 months. Evolved to become one Group with three distinct Brands, Thorn Baker Construction, Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment and Thorn Baker Estates, Facilities & Maintenance. It’s been a big structural and mental shift from what was previously Thorn Baker Recruitment with separate Divisions. Re-branded using the fantastic team at Yellowstep to support the evolution Launched four new websites thanks to Volcanic and their marvellous tech We also squeezed in our 30th anniversary in July with a week-long celebration that involved lots of cake, and more cake, and beer and more beer. Launched new core values – Positive-minded, Solution-Focused and People-Driven Changed how we run our company – our Operating System, by adopting Traction. This really is the closest you can get to a secret sauce for a complex UK wide recruitment firm and until now I didn’t want any competitors to know how this can transform your business, it’s the best takeaway anyone business owner will get from this blog. Making a plan for the future... The planning for 2018 goes further back, to roughly May 2017, and we can pinpoint our Annual Managers meeting when Kevin Green made a guest speaker appearance with impact – it really got us thinking about moving to this new structure and realigning what we do. Not everything went to plan – It was particularly painful to have to close a branch in Manchester. Our High Flyers trip to Milan in June 2018 didn’t take off thanks to the Italian air traffic control strike, so we rearranged for September and all was good. As for GDPR, what joy; thanks to our Chairman John Robinson for the diligent project management and training that keeps us (and our clients and candidates) incredibly compliant. So back to engagement, If you’re still reading you're possibly wondering if a more engaged workforce has actually increased sales? Increased the bottom line? It’s a big tick in the box for both. With the same headcount as the previous year, our sales are up around 10%, GP up around 8% and this is starting to wash through on the bottom line. Our Brands are at your service… Fundamentally I believe if our people are happy in their work then our clients and candidates directly feel the benefit. Engagement without capability isn’t much use, and our capability led to the adoption of the ‘know-how you need’ to help better communicate our offering in an incredibly competitive sector. If you’re interested in working for us then please contact Matthew Dann (Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment) Rob Ford (Thorn Baker Construction) or Joanne Crampton (Thorn Baker Estates Facilities & Maintenance) Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

The BBC has reported today that wages excluding bonuses have risen at their fastest pace in nearly 10 years, official figures show. Pay rose by 3.1% in the three months to August, compared with a year ago, while inflation for the same period was 2.5%. Last week, Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane said he saw signs of a "new dawn" for wage growth. The latest official data also showed unemployment fell by 47,000 to 1.36 million in the three months to August. The jobless rate remained at 4%. David Freeman, the Office for National Statistic's (ONS) head of labour market, said: "People's regular monthly wage packets grew at their strongest rate in almost a decade, but, allowing for inflation, the growth was much more subdued. "The number of people in work remained at a near-record high, while the unemployment rate was at its lowest since the mid-1970s." The ONS figures showed the number of people in work was little changed at 32.39 million, down by just 5,000. The average pace of wage growth was 4% before the global financial crisis. Economists have been puzzled why wages have grown so slowly even as unemployment has fallen sharply. Wages including bonuses rose at a pace of 2.7% in the three months to August. In August, the Bank of England said that it expected total pay to be growing at a rate of 2.5% a year by the end of 2018, climbing to 3.5% by the end of 2020. Public sector boost However, Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the latest wage growth rates were unlikely to be maintained. "The recent pick-up in wage growth has been driven partly by the loosening of the public-sector pay cap for some workers," he said. "For instance, most NHS workers received a pay rise of at least 3% in July. "But the government still is keeping a tight lid on pay rises in other departments, while this year's increase in NHS pay is the best in a three-year deal. Public sector pay growth, therefore, likely has reached a ceiling. "The recent upturn in wage growth also has been flattered by the recent rebound in average hours." Analysis: Andy Verity, economics correspondent Here's a reason to be cheerful. In the three months from June to August we had, on average, the biggest pay rise in nine years! But slow down. The fact that 3.1% is the biggest pay rise since February 2009 says more about how weak pay growth has been in the last decade than how strong it has been in the past year. Strip out the effect of inflation (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index) and you get pay growth of just 0.6%. Then look back at the last decade, the worst decade for living standards in 200 years. If you're a half-full person, well we're up by about £25 per week on average since the squeeze on living standards was at its tightest back in 2014. But if you're half-empty, we're still earning about £20 a week less than we did 10 years ago when the global financial crisis struck. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) also said it did not expect this trend to continue. Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC, said: "While wage growth increased again, the pace at which pay growth is exceeding price growth remains well below the historic average, meaning the current squeeze on spending power is unlikely to ease. "Achieving a meaningful improvement in wage growth will be an uphill struggle unless the underlying issues that continue to limit pay settlements are tackled - notably sluggish productivity, considerable underemployment and high upfront costs for businesses." ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

The year may be past the halfway point, but there’s still time to catch some of the best Facility Management events in 2018.  These events bring together professionals and experts in the field and aim to foster the sharing of experiences in various networking moments. Check out below our the list of events that you still can attend and you certainly will not want to miss.                       1. UK Construction Week: 9th - 11th October 2018 UK Construction Week (UKCW) is the UK’s largest built environment event; bringing together 35,000 construction professionals and 650+ exhibitors at the NEC Birmingham. Free to attend and consists of nine shows: Timber Expo, Build Show, Civils Expo, Plant & Machinery Live, Energy 2018, Building Tech Live, Surface & Materials Show, HVAC 2018 and Grand Designs Live. Showcasing innovation from all sectors, and making it easier for any professional to update their CPD, get inspired by amazing people and projects, and walk away with practical information on new technologies, systems, products and collaborations from around the world that would otherwise take months to research. 2. BIFM Awards Ceremony 2018: 15th - 16th October The BIFM Awards recognise and showcase best-in-class facilities management (FM) and evidence its impact on business, the economy and society. As the industry-leading Awards, the BIFM Awards seek out the gold standard across FM and beyond. Entries come from a cross-section of organisations regardless of size, type and sector from all across the world. This means that being a finalist, or a winner, is a true achievement and testament to the great work carried out by the individual, team, project, collaboration or organisation. 3. Digital Construction Week - Partner Event: 17th - 18th October 2018 Digital Construction Week is an event series in the UK, which is dedicated to innovation and technology in the built environment. The event series features a two-day exhibition with interactive, hands-on demonstrations, free to attend seminars, workshops and classes. networking events, and a full two-day thought leadership conference programme. 4. Smart Buildings: 7th - 8th November 2018 The Smart Buildings Show will cover all key aspects of creating and managing a smart building, including; Building automation systems, energy efficiency, lighting and controls, security, HVAC, smart meters and monitoring,  networks and wireless, software, services and support, building automation and design, building energy management, regulations and consultancy. 5. University & Healthcare Estates and Innovation 2018: 27th - 28th November 2018​ UHEI is a unique event which covers facilities & estate managers across 2 sectors Higher Education and the NHS and is the only national conference and exhibition to bring these two sectors together under one roof which includes everything from design, build and maintaining Higher Education and NHS facilities. 6. International Security Expo (ISE): 28th - 29th November 2018 International Security Expo (ISE) provides a unique platform for the entire security industry to come together to source products, share experience and gain the knowledge needed to address current and emerging security challenges. ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

The Independent reported this month about how the rise in wages will likely reassure the Bank of England its judgement about UK economy – that slack is almost gone and this will result in inflationary wage pressure – is correct. You can read the article below, are the stats reflective within your business? UK wage growth picked up by more than expected in July, official statistics showed on. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that average total pay in the three months to July rose by 2.6 per cent on the same period a year earlier. That was up from the previous reading of 2.4 per cent and higher than the 2.4 per cent City of London analysts had expected. Excluding volatile bonuses, pay was up 2.9 per cent. In the single month of July regular pay was up 3.1 per cent, the most rapid in three years. The rise in wages will likely reassure the Bank of England that its key judgement about the UK economy – that slack is almost gone and that this will result in inflationary wage pressure – is correct. The Bank raised interest rates to 0.75 per cent in August, forecasting that wage growth this year would be 2.5 per cent, rising to 3.25 per cent in 2019. “The labour market figures suggest that competition for workers is finally starting to provide greater support to wages,” said Andrew Wishart of Capital Economics. “Surveys of wage growth suggest that it will sustain a pace of about 3 per cent over the remainder of the year.” The ONS also reported on Tuesday that the UK’s strong employment growth this year is levelling off, with a quarterly rise in the numbers in work of just 3,000. However, the employment rate remained at 75.5 per cent, close to a record high. And the jobless rate was steady at 4.1 per cent. “With the number of people in work little changed, employment growth has weakened. However, the labour market remains robust, with the number of people working still at historically high levels, unemployment down on the year and a record number of vacancies,” said David Freeman of the ONS. ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

An article by Building last week discussed how the construction industry feels sidelined by the government in its vision for Brexit, complaining that ministers just aren’t listening. But is the sector itself partly to blame for failing to present a clear and unified voice? You can read a summary of the article below. In less than seven months the UK will sever its formal ties with the EU after more than four decades of close co‑operation – some would say too close – in order to “go it alone”.  Ever since Article 50 was triggered 18 months ago, UK government negotiators have been in locked in talks with their opposite numbers in Brussels over what will be the terms of the country’s relationship with Europe come Brexit Day on 29 March next year. But these discussions have been tortuously slow and seem to have yielded little. With the clock ticking, there urgently needs to be more meaningful progress towards a deal on which all sides agree. Have you discussed of Brexit will affect your sites, do you have a plan in place? While there have been calls in certain political circles for a “no-deal” exit, the construction industry is clear that leaving the EU without a deal would be disastrous for the sector – with a worsening of skills shortages just one of the likely negative effects. “While we’ve had some good conversations, there isn’t much coming out the other side” Alan Vallance, Riba  So with only months to go before the UK economy steps into the unknown, the charge is that ministers have not acted adequately to enable construction firms to plan for the outcome of Brexit and reassure them that leaving the EU – deal or no deal – won’t leave them out of pocket, bereft of the investment, staff and the materials they need in order to build the homes the country needs and the infrastructure to go with it.     A sense of abandonment  The results of Building’s survey of more than 600 individuals suggest many feel abandoned by ministers, with 65% believing the government is not interested in getting the construction sector a good deal. Just one in 10 thought it was. Depleted workforce Don O’Sullivan, Galliard Homes’ chief executive, agrees, not least because of fears of a depleted industry workforce from next March. “Brexit will trigger an employee shortage in the construction sector as European workers won’t be replaced and others may leave as we exit the EU. No one in government is advising us,” he says. Government engagement The government says that while freedom of movement will end, the UK will still welcome the brightest and best to its shores. This may cater for university-educated high-flyers or those with a few million pounds to invest in the UK, but it’s less clear where this leaves site workers from eastern Europe coming here to help us build the new homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure the country needs. Unclear position Suzannah Nichol, Build UK’s chief executive, says: “Every meeting and discussion we have with government is framed by Brexit. My team at Build UK works closely with the CBI and the heads of the other major sectors, as while there are some sector specific issues the majority of concerns are shared across the business community. We are pushing ministers and officials hard for certainty and clear policy that will help our members keep Britain building.” Ann Bentley, global board director of Rider Levett Bucknall and a CLC member, agrees that the CBI – Common sense Others take a less proactive, but perhaps more pragmatic view. Redrow chief executive John Tutte says he and others “would like to see some clarity as to where we are at, and while you have uncertainty, you always have caution. “We don’t want a really bad deal, but you have to have a point where you need to be in a position to get up and walk away. You would hope common sense will prevail. The EU needs a deal as well.” And Colin Lewis, chief executive of Chesterfield-based housebuilder Avant Homes, acknowledges the level of detail from government has been inadequate, but wonders what ministers are supposed to do. “Yes, I want to see more clarity but I also appreciate that the government doesn’t want to give too much away when negotiating.”   Lewis thinks the House Builders Federation has done a “cracking job” of representing the sector’s interests when dealing with Whitehall, but he also believes ministers might have more on their plate than worrying about what housebuilders think. “That said, I share the concern around the level of uncertainty and I’m very supportive of a drive for greater clarity about what’s going on. But honestly, I don’t think the government knows either.”   You can read the full article here ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

The Construction Enquirer reported that the Confederation of British Industry is calling on Theresa May to drop post Brexit immigration targets or risk construction sites grinding to a halt. The CBI wants an “honest and open debate” about a new migration system which doesn’t wrap workers up in red tape over non EU visa rules. How could this affect your future projects? Its report Open and Controlled calls for “shifting away from controlling numbers to assessing contribution and by investing in local public services where demand has been increased by migration.” The CBI also wants to “replace free movement with an open and controlled immigration system for EU workers.” Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: “The needs are more complex than only ensuring that the UK can attract the ‘brightest and best’. “Housebuilding needs architects for design, labourers to dig foundations and electricians to help finish the job.” The report highlights how overseas workers fill roles across the full range of skill levels within the construction industry – from general labourers (40%), to technical and vocational skilled tradespeople like carpenters (11%), plant and machine operatives (7%) and bricklayers (8%), through to graduate level roles including architects (16%) and civil engineers. It added: “As migrants progress within the industry many move into management positions, with almost 5% now being directors, managers or supervisors. “Workers within the construction industry at all skill levels are often independent contractors or self-employed. “The new migration system must enable European workers to move swiftly and easily between working on different projects, often for different clients. “Replicating a sponsorship model linked to an individual employer, or having to carry out a new resident labour market test each time a worker from the EU moves to work on a new project, will not meet the needs of the construction industry.” Suzannah Nichol, Chief Executive of Build UK, said: “UK construction must have access to skilled people to create the infrastructure and homes that build communities. “The industry has committed to recruit, train and retain home-grown talent but a clear and sustainable migration approach that focuses on key occupations is urgently needed so we can bridge the gap.” Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; “The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline report, published in December 2017, estimates there will be around £600bn of public and private investment in infrastructure over the next decade. To deliver this will require a large and capable workforce which needs to be transient and able to move from project to project as required. A sensible approach to having these skills readily available could be the difference between world-class projects being delivered on time, massively delayed or postponed ” ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

A recent article by The Telegraph has discussed how businesses are being urged to take more notice of older staff as a growing number of EU jobseekers steer clear of UK-based roles in the wake of Brexit. Millions of over-50s feel unsupported by their employer despite rising living costs and insufficient pension savings meaning they plan to retire later than once hoped, research shows. Have you been thinking ahead for your future recruitment plans, how could this affect your business? The study, conducted by Aviva, found over 6m over-50s currently in work planned to retire later than they thought they would a decade ago, but more than two-fifths felt that their career ambitions were not being taken ­seriously. In comparison, just 25pc of those aged between 25 and 35 said they felt the same way. “Employers risk creating a disheartened and discouraged over-50s workforce,” the insurer said. “With a third of the UK workforce set to be aged 50-plus by 2020, businesses are being urged to increase their commitment to older employees.” The findings coincide with a report from the CIPD, which found that employers faced a “supply shock” of staff as significantly fewer EU nationals came to Britain looking for work. According to its latest quarterly report, just 7,000 EU-born workers came to the UK between the first quarter of 2017 and 2018 compared to 148,000 the year before, representing a fall of 95pc. “There has been a significant slowdown in the number of EU nationals coming to work in the UK over the past year. This is feeding into increasing recruitment and retention challenges, particularly for employers in sectors that have historically relied on non-UK labour to fill roles,” said Gerwyn Davies, a CIPD analyst. The research, based on responses from over 2,000 employers, said 40pc of those surveyed were finding it more difficult to fill vacancies compared to a year ago due to a combination of fewer and less suitable candidates. The Government is already fighting to close the country’s widening skills gap by urging firms to fill jobs with more older workers and tackle ageism. Co-op, Boots, Barclays and Aviva are among the businesses which last year promised to increase the number of over-50s they employed by 12pc before 2022. However, Aviva’s research suggests progress has been slow in terms of the support UK companies are offering the older generation. The ability to work flexitime has only increased by 2pc since 2012, for example. “Our findings suggest that older employees have a lot to offer at work, despite the challenges they face around workplace support. To make the most of this, employers need to provide rounded support for this generation where their well-being and work-related needs are considered alongside the financial challenge of saving for retirement,” said Lindsey Rix, Aviva’s savings and retirement director. Richard Borland, Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment Branch Manager commented;  ''Having been in recruitment for the last 25 years I’ve seen many trends come and go, yes the influx of EU migrates over the last 15 years has helped us fill the needs of our clients with both temporary and permanent staff. When it comes to candidates I have always been a firm believer that the mature person is more likely to turn up with the correct attitude to work and do a good job for you on a daily basis, mainly down to the fact that they have responsibilities like mortgages and pensions. When you find these candidates most are happy to re-train and if you can offer what they are looking for in terms of hours and pay you’ll be on to a winner. I’ve placed many over 50’s on temporary contracts over the years with many going on to become long-term and permanent.''  ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

The FMJ reported earlier this month about how Cleaners at the Ministry of Justice and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were planning to strike for the first time over low pay and unfair working conditions. The strikes affected Kensington and Chelsea Town Halls, which took place on Tuesday 7th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th of August and at several Health Care America locations at the end of August. Have you prepared for potential strikes in your business? The workers, who are mostly Portuguese and Spanish speaking Latin Americans and Africans from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Guinea Bissau and Sao Tome & Principe are members of the United Voices of the World (UVW) trade union. Currently, workers involved in all three disputes share three common grievances and have three common demands: An occupational sick pay scheme as currently workers rely on Statutory Sick Pay. SSP is unpaid for the first three days of illness. Thereafter workers will receive just £18 per day from the fourth day of sickness onwards. This means workers are being forced to come to work when sick in order to meet their living costs. Parity of terms and conditions with directly employed staff in terms of holiday entitlements, hours and overtime pay. A two-tier workforce leads to undercutting, a race to the bottom and exploitation say UVW. Payment of the London Living Wage with guaranteed annual increments. The London Living Wage is currently £10.20p/h  – compared to the National Minimum Wage, which is £7.83p/h. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) cleaners work under the OCS contract at three MoJ sites including the Headquarters at Petit France. The strike ballot and vote there saw a 100% turn out and a 100% vote in favour of industrial action. UVW members employed by Compass for Health Care America (HCA) clean eight hospitals and care centres including The Shard, Guy’s Cancer Centre and Harley Street Clinic. HCA is the biggest private healthcare company in the world. Dave Wilson IFMA Fellow and a Director at Morphose commented; “When contractors are prepared to pay minimum wage and clients are prepared to let them, it’s no surprise we have had a race to the bottom on staff wages from outsourcing. This has to stop if we want good service and staff retention.” He added: “Since RICS launched its FM procurement guidance with an emphatic on ethical buying, I firmly believe that fair pay for staff is a critical issue for our industry. It is, in my view, as much of an issue as making sure that contractors don’t routinely underbid and then go bust.” Read the full article from The FMJ here ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

The latest REC/Markit Report on Jobs showed that permanent placement growth had softened to a nine-month low, while temp billings increased at a faster pace. In addition, it highlights that staff vacancies expanded at the quickest rate since last November, there was a decline in candidate availability but there was a rise in permanent staff appointments. Have your recruitment needs been affected by the candidate shortage? Permanent placements continued to rise sharply in July, though the rate of expansion was the softest recorded since last October. Temp billings also increased strongly, with the rate of growth picking up from June’s recent low. ...as supply of candidates continues to drop markedly Recruitment agencies indicated that candidate shortages weighed on permanent staff appointments. Notably, the supply of both permanent and temporary candidates fell sharply in July, despite rates of decline easing to the weakest in three months in both cases. ​Staff vacancies rise at quicker pace... Demand for staff strengthened further in July, with overall job vacancies expanding at the quickest rate for eight months. Growth was led by the private sector, with demand for both permanent and temporary workers continuing to rise at rates that comfortably outstripped those seen in the public sector. ...maintaining upward pressure on pay Low candidate availability and robust demand for staff led to a further steep increase in salaries awarded to permanent starters. At the same time, temp pay rates rose at a marked and accelerated rate that was close to April’s two-year record. Regional variation Permanent placements rose at faster rates in the Midlands and the South of England, but growth softened in the North of England. In contrast, permanent staff appointments fell slightly in London. Growth of temp billings was broad-based across the four monitored English regions during July, with the sharpest rate of increase seen in the North of England. Sector variation July data indicated that demand for staff continued to increase at a considerably stronger pace in the private sector than in the public sector. The strongest increase in staff vacancies was seen for permanent private sector workers, while the weakest rise was signalled for public sector permanent roles.   IT & Computing was the most in-demand category for permanent staff in July. Nonetheless, steep increases in vacancies were also registered in the remaining nine job categories. The slowest rise in demand was reported for Retail workers. Temporary staff vacancies rose across all of the ten monitored job categories in July, with the sharpest increases seen across Blue Collar and Nursing/Medical/Care. The slowest, but still marked, rise in short-term roles was signalled for Executive/Professional. Sophie Wingfield, REC Head of Policy says: “The rise in interest rates for only the second time in a decade may leave some people feeling the pinch. But a new job is one way people can ease the burden on their finances. With our data showing starting salaries continuing to rise, the latest official government figures suggest that we are finally seeing the effects of a tighter labour market feed through to pay. “Following a period of turbulence and big name closures, the World Cup and heatwave had retailers enjoying a ‘summer bounce’ and basking in the sun with demand for temporary staff on the up with many businesses positively revising their hiring plans. Right now students on their summer break can make the most of these opportunities and cash-in while gaining valuable experience and new skills.” Paul Jackman, Thorn Baker Group CEO comments: “There’s nothing in this report that would come as a surprise to any forward-thinking business who are recruiting, it’s a basic supply and demand issue that’s exacerbated by the rate of change in some of the more advanced industries. If clients want to grow in the near future they’ve got a battle on two fronts. Firstly, retain your good people – and that’s not just about remuneration, they’ll need to be engaged, developed and treated well, with sufficient opportunities for progression; if you can’t retain them you’ll do well to maintain headcount. Secondly, when looking to expand your workforce you need to be able to communicate a compelling reason why someone should join you and be able to back it up with a substance that goes beyond even the most powerful brand. Our client’s benefit from what we call recruitment ‘Know-how’ – our ability to effectively give employers access to the type of individuals that will give them a competitive advantage if you’d like to speak to your local team you can reach them through their new websites: Thorn Baker Construction, Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment and Thorn Baker Estates, Facilities & Maintenance.” ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

The Dragon Boat Challenge took place on Sunday 5th August 2018 and the Thorn Boaters were among the 50 crews battling it out over the 200m race course on the River Trent at the Victoria Embankment watched by thousands of spectators. Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition and the fastest growing water activity in Britain today – as well as the most fun! We had 10 people paddling our 30’ boat with a drummer (Samie) at the front beating time and our helm at the tail steering a straight course. The day is always a popular event for our staff and this year was no exception, with lots of food (Aqsa our IT Systems manager has the best chicken recipe!) lots of sunshine and team building we might not have won but we definitely all had a fantastic day! Managing the day Gable Events joined with Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People for the 10th dragon boat challenge to be staged as part of the Nottingham Riverside Festival, this year we helped to raise over £11,000 which is amazing. Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People Rainbows is the only hospice in the East Midlands that provides vital care and support to children with life-limiting illnesses from across the region. They also look after the wider families – mums and dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents – because life-shortening illnesses affect everyone. The money raised will help allow these families to make the most of the time they have together, making precious happy memories they can treasure forever.   Tom Stanyard, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows said; “The Dragon Boat Challenge is an amazing event. With up to 50 companies competing for a number of prizes the day has a great atmosphere. More amazing than the event however is what Rainbows is able to do with the fundraising support we receive from the crews taking part. With only a small amount of guaranteed funding, your support at events like this makes it possible for us to help and care for those families who need it most.”​ Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

A report from the House of Lords’ recently has said that a radical overhaul of the construction sector is needed or the UK will struggle to meet its housing and infrastructure needs. With many of you working within the Housing sector do you agree with this? An FM World article this week reports that the construction sector as it currently operates cannot meet the UK’s need for housing and may struggle to meet the need for infrastructure. And given that the UK already lags behind other countries in construction productivity, and is facing a labour shortage, the government and the construction sector must urgently find solutions. Are you facing these problems within your own business? In Off-site Manufacture for Construction: Building for Change, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee says that off-site manufacture (OSM) can help to increase productivity in the construction sector while reducing labour demands, improving the quality and efficiency of buildings, and reducing the environmental impacts associated with traditional construction. However, take-up of OSM is varied and somewhat limited across the sector because it is working with “outdated and unsustainable business models that are not conducive to OSM for construction”. OSM requires collaboration between clients, designers and contractors from an early stage, but much of the evidence the committee received painted a picture of a construction sector that is fragmented and lacking in trust. These barriers must be addressed by the sector itself and strong leadership is needed from the Construction Leadership Council. While OSM could lessen the labour shortage, the different skills required for manufacturing are currently lacking in the UK labour market and must be developed. OSM will require a combination of skills involving site implementation, digital and procurement. The government must therefore ensure that young people entering the workplace are equipped with the digital skills needed for modern methods of construction, including off-site manufacture. The government’s Construction Sector Deal and its stated “presumption in favour” of OSM, have shown a strong commitment to investing in this area and the committee welcomes many of the initiatives. It recommends that the government should develop and publish a series of key performance indicators against which the success of the ‘presumption in favour’ can be assessed. Where the presumption in favour is set aside and a project goes ahead that does not use off-site manufacture, the government should publish a statement explaining why it has not been used and justifying that decision. In many cases, OSM is suitable for the construction of important social infrastructure such as hospitals and houses.  The committee heard evidence that if the government is to achieve its aim of building 300,000 houses a year by 2020, OSM would be the only way to meet this target because traditional construction methods do not have the capacity to build enough homes.  The government must set out what conditions it will attach to the extra financial support for housing to drive the uptake of off-site manufacture and other innovative technologies. Committee chairman Lord Patel said: “The construction sector’s business models are no longer appropriate and are not supporting the UK’s urgent need for new homes and infrastructure. The construction sector needs to build more trust and create partnerships so that companies can work together to improve the uptake of off-site manufacture, and the Construction Leadership Council should provide the necessary leadership. “The role of the government and the wider public sector is pivotal in a move to greater use of off-site manufacture. The report sets out actions that the committee thinks the government should take including implementation of the Construction Sector Deal, committed execution of the ‘presumption in favour’ of off-site manufacture and a greater move to procuring for whole life value rather than lowest cost.” The Construction Sector Deal would be “bringing together the construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more affordable places to live and learn that use less energy”. The report is available here.    Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has announced the cost of CSCS skills cards is to rise from £30 to £36 from 1st September 2018. Also The operators of a construction industry skills certification register have closed a loophole that had left the scheme open to abuse. Have you experienced any problems with SKILLcards on your sites? Managers of the engineering services SKILLcard scheme were alerted to the fact that a number of people working in the thermal insulation industry had managed to secure heating and ventilating (H&V) installer cards to gain access to construction sites. As a result, site managers were in danger of being duped into allowing workers without the right qualifications onto their projects. SKILLcard and the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) have now removed scope for abuse and confusion, they say. The SKILLcard and TICA programmes are both affiliated to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) that help clients check whether workers have the right qualifications and suitable health & safety training. For thermal insulators, this means holding qualifications that lead to competency as defined by the Sector Skills Council (SSC). More than 60,000 people working in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry hold an engineering services SKILLcard, which also covers building engineering services supervisors and managers. The TICA skill card competence is different to the SKILLcard scheme but, as things stood, thermal insulation operatives were able secure an engineering services card on completing an NVQ Level 2 course as a standalone qualification, getting on site through the back door. This was described as “a blatant abuse of the competence system” by Rachel Davidson, director of certification schemes at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), which manages SKILLcard. “As soon as we were alerted, we closed this loophole in line with our responsibility to uphold professional standards and provide quality assurance to construction clients.” She said it was clear this loophole was being exploited knowingly because the applicants felt they would not immediately qualify for a TICA skill card. Read the rest of the article by The Construction Index here The cost of CSCS skills cards is to rise from £30 to £36 from 1st September 2018 The Construction Index posted this week about the 20% price rise increase applies to all cards administered directly by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). The last price increase was in 2010 but costs associated with running the scheme have increased significantly since then, CSCS said. Chief executive Graham Wren said: “We have managed to maintain the current card price for the last eight years however inflationary pressure, together with increased costs associated with combatting fraudulent activity, have pushed our costs up to the point where the current price is not sustainable. In addition, with our current contact centre provider CITB having served notice to exit the service contract the CSCS board have agreed to invest in new technology and systems to ensure the application process is modernised.” CSCS is a not-for-profit organisation owned by three employer organisations and two trades unions.   Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

FM World has summarised this week the chairman of BIFMs response to members voting at yesterday’s AGM in favour of a special resolution to become the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management. How did you vote, are you happy with the outcome?  Stephen Roots told members that in voting for the new name, “you have also approved the direction we have set out for the next phase of our proud and progressive professional body”. “IWFM will be the professional body for the facilities and workplace profession – working to advance the profession representing those who contribute to workplace productivity and to operating and optimising our built environment.” The four-month long debate over the institute’s ‘Manifesto for Change’ proposals set in train a debate that, said Roots, “has been hugely informative and has engaged our members with our future direction in a way which is a first for us”. To receive special resolution approval, the vote in favour of the name change required three in every four votes – a figure it achieved. “To have achieved that must, I think, be regarded as a resounding endorsement for our new direction,” said Roots. To those who voted against the proposal, or otherwise expressed concerns about it, Roots said that the institute “is today and will remain in future, fundamentally the professional body for all facilities managers”. “What we will now do both in name and indeed is to reframe expectations of the FM role, adding to it without taking anything away – and that includes our Britishness. “We are changing our name, not our geographical focus, but we do acknowledge that many of our members, including those overseas, have broader outlooks and we will continue to work closely with them as we have done for many years. ”We have been preparing the ground for some time to strengthen our foundations and fit ourselves for a future of sustained development. Our plans to refresh our brand and systems are already in progress and now that you have decided, we will adopt our new name and our new look before the end of the year.” ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here  

This week we have been celebrating our 30th Birthday, and it’s been a great one… From Monday's office decorations to Tuesday's breakfast and day-long raffle, 'Cake' Wednesday, Thursdays lunch and TB Quiz through to today's afternoon drinks and extra day’s holidays - it's been a great week. We’re rounding up the week with a big thank you to all of our staff for all of their hard work in helping us to reach this important milestone. Celebrating success has always been important in our business and this week has shown just that.     Our Group Chairman, John Robinson shares his thoughts with us about reaching this important milestone; ‘I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone for their efforts this week in helping to celebrate our 30th birthday and of course for playing a hugely important part in our journey as a business. All businesses are only as good as their people and I'd like to say thanks again to everyone for your contribution to our success. We have always tried to 'do the right thing' by our people and to create an enjoyable environment and culture and I am immensely proud that a good many of you have been here a long time - indeed many shared our 20th anniversary too!  I've seen many changes in recruitment over 30 years of course but despite of the transformation in how we do business and the 'speed to market' we all now enjoy, the fundamentals of what we do continue to be the same - understand the needs of candidate and client, treat them all with honesty and respect and deliver a great service to meet the need. Whatever comes our way in the future, I'm sure that these will still be the foundations of our business for the next 30 years too.  Thanks once again and I hope you’ve had a great week.’​   Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

The Construction Enquirer reported last week that Crossrail contractors are struggling to find M&E workers for the last-minute push to get the project completed because so many sparks have moved to the Spurs stadium site. Will the shortage of Mechanical and Electrical workers affect your projects completing on time? The  Enquirer revealed that electricians on the new Tottenham stadium job are being paid up to £400 a day. And that is hitting sites across London which are facing a shortage of skilled workers. How will competing with these rates affect your project budget? The Enquirer understands that the Costain/Skanska joint venture is currently trying to recruit more M&E workers at its Bond Street Crossrail site. But it is struggling to find sparks because of a glut of work in the capital. One project source said: “There are still hundreds of electricians working on Crossrail and they are looking for more on some sites. “You always need more M&E resources at the end of big infrastructure jobs like this but loads of workers have upped and gone to Spurs where they are paying big money.” Crossrail said the total number of M&E workers across the whole project is winding-down as the scheme approaches completion by the end of this year. But a spokesperson confirmed that recruitment was underway at Bond Street for fit-out work. The new central London Crossrail stations are due to open in December. Andy Marr, Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; ''Available candidates are at a premium and understandably so in a bull market and this, of course, brings huge challenges across the industry, which is another blog entirely. My biggest concern is how we get the younger generation more interested, engaged and wanting to work in the construction industry? This was brought home to me by a family member who decided to pursue a career in construction and spent two years learning a Plastering trade. To cut a long story short, towards the end of his second year he started to lose interest in the industry and ultimately completed the course but decided to work in a different industry. Fair play to the lad, he found and secured a role in the food industry where training, development and progression have begun. I started in Construction recruitment back in 1985 and as I’ve gone through the years the number of good tradesmen that worked with me back in the 1980s and 1990s have started to decrease as those excellent skills and experience retire. My biggest worry is how those trades are replaced and the next generation of construction workers begin their career journey and keep the industry progressing well into the future. Construction is a fabulous industry to be in and those young people who decide to take this particular journey will learn so many great skills and have the opportunity to work on some of the iconic projects of the future.'' ​Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

Your latest EFM newsletter is out now​ It's been a busy month for the FM sector; with GDPR, World FM Day celebrating everything that's great about our industry, ISO 41001 arrived - how have the changes affected your business? Joanne Crampton, Head of Estates, Facilities & Maintenance rounds up the last month for you... ''It’s been another busy month for you FM professionals. Whilst we’re still dealing with the fall out of the Carillion collapse and its impact on the industry, the discussion has now moved on to other potential disruptions to facilities management. The big talking point this month is GDPR and what its effects will be across the facilities and property sector; the emergence of ‘workplace’ as part of facilities management and a potential name change for BIFM, and the new ISO management systems standard for Facility Management. We’re also talking to hard services/building services maintenance businesses about their plans for the new 18th Edition electrical changes (published in July) and how this affects their businesses.''  Read your news in full by clicking here What else has been happening in the FM sector? ISO 41001 is here.  Do you currently outsource FM? How will this affect not only your approach to compliance but your process as well? Requirements, with guidance for use, have been published to help FM teams achieve more efficiency in their work. Drawing on international best practice, the new management system standard constitutes a benchmark for developing and driving an effective strategic, tactical and operational FM regime.  World FM Day 2018.  My team are celebrating World FM Day - are you? World FM Day will be celebrated on the 16th of May the day celebrates the importance of not only the FM profession but the people that work in it (you!). This years theme will be highlighting how facilities management plays an integral role in positive customer, client and employee experience in all sectors, whether it is residential, sport, workplace, healthcare or any other. How are you planning to celebrate do you need some inspiration? Leaner and meaner estate management.  Did you know that the government central estate vacancy rate has been reduced by 40% over the past 5 years? With a combination of vacancy reduction rate as well as a reduction in the size of the central estate the team will have seen some exciting changes in their operating costs, but how much? The State of the Estate 2016/17 report looks at all of the key numbers and facts, click below to read more.  Read your news in full by clicking here Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

Your latest Industrial newsletter is out now  It's been a busy month for the Industrial sector; with minimum wage updates, Brexit, plastic law changes and GDPR - how have these changes affected your business? Matt Dann, Director, rounds up the last month for you... "May sees the start of the Industrial busy season with Easter well and truly behind us. The two Industry hot topics: GDPR  and how will the impact of Brexit on labour during the traditional sector seasonal peaks. In fact, we have already started supplying workers into local companies who are packing product ready for Christmas! Another area that I think will be a hot topic over the next few months is the single-use plastic debate. Is this already a big discussion for your business or are you ahead of the curve?'' Read your news in full by clicking here What else has been happening in the Industrial sector? Net migration of EU nationals to Britain falls.  Data suggests Brexit uncertainty is outweighing UK’s reputation as ‘jobs factory of Europe’, could this affect your supply chain? Nicola White, the ONS head of migration statistics, said: “The figures also show that non-EU net migration is now larger than EU net migration, mainly due to the large decrease in EU net migration over the last year. However, migration of both non-EU and EU citizens are still adding to the UK population.''                                                                        Recycling Must Remain a Priority in Single-Use Plastic Debate.  How will the plastic law changes affect your production? Motivation for recycling must be bolstered as consumers turn their back on single-use plastics, according to a supplier of recycled plastic pallets. Recent high profile news articles on plastics polluting the oceans and conflicting reports about the success rates of recycling could result in a confusing message, warned Jim Hardisty, Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com. Making the Apprenticeship Levy work for you.  Employers have seen the Apprenticeship Levy as a cost for a year now, and many have yet to realise any benefit from it, have you thought about how it could benefit your business? At the Talent in Logistics Conference 2018, Managing Director of Bis Henderson Academy, David Lynch, will outline the value the Levy can bring to businesses and discuss how it can be used to boost skills. Read your news in full by clicking here Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest industrial news

Your latest Construction newsletter is out now It's been a busy month for the Construction sector with the peak season starting, weather causing lots of problems on sites and a Housing growth boost - have these had an impact on your business? Rob Ford, Construction South Director rounds up the last month for you... ''Construction is always the same this time of year for everyone - steady, steady, steady! Then Bang! You're looking for more trades and labour. Whilst there has and will be changes to embrace before the peak season gets fully in the swing (like the minimum wage increase and GDPR), one of the biggest challenges that seems to have hit you all is the unseasonable weather! Thankfully this seems to be on the turn at last and I'm sure that everyone is keen to get their works schedules back on track and make the most of the great weather.'' ​Read your news in full by clicking here What else has been happening in the Construction sector? Outlook brightens for civils contractors.  Civil engineering contractors say that their workload was marginally down in the first quarter of 2018, overall, but orders were up. Was this the same for you? CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “While the first quarter of 2018 has proved a challenging period for many of our members, we believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that industry will act as a platform for secure growth in the coming years.” Concrete sales figures reveal softening markets.  First-quarter sales of mineral products were down this year, with the weather being cited as the cause. Has the weather affected works on your sites? The Mineral Products Association (MPA), which collates the data, said that weak sales volumes in the first quarter of the year could be partly explained by the impact of the unusually severe weather in the UK in late February and early March. Housing drives construction activity recovery in April.  Construction buyers reportedly saw a modest recovery in construction output following the weather-related disruptions seen during March. House building experienced robust growth in April while underlying demand across the construction sector remained subdued, with total new work rising only marginally last month. The increase in new business was the first recorded by the survey so far in 2018. Read your news in full by clicking here ​ Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here

The Net Migration statistics in February could easily cause huge cause for concern for Recruiters up and down the UK.  Net annual migration of EU nationals to Britain has fallen by 75,000 in the past year, with official figures showing this as the lowest level for 5 years. Thorn Baker Industrial Recruitment, like many similar UK firms, will utilise a number of EU nationals as part of its temporary labour workforce, supplying many household names with workers to satisfy seasonal demand in the Contract Packing, Warehouse & Logistics and Manufacturing sectors. Do you use an agency to support your business during peak times? The obvious knock-on effect of the current trend is a reduced labour pool, meaning agencies are often left battling to secure the services of the same candidates - how could this affect you getting the skilled and reliable staff to help with your workload? Rather than shy away from this challenge, I think we can highlight how this could have a positive impact on your industry.  The reduction in available labour certainly offers some challenges, what it does make us do is identify what we can do better not just to attract workers in the first place - how we can work with you to help your business needs. By improving how we manage and retain the services of workers once they have joined us will benefit our clients (you) in the long run. Over recent months we have invested in a worker ‘perk scheme’, offer regular ‘worker of the month’ incentives, and ensure that our worker communication process is effective. We pride ourselves on how quickly we find potential workers positions that suit what they are looking for when they are looking, that uses their skills and expertise - this is additional service that we can bring to help support your peak times, resulting in you fulfilling your clients' requirements.   Want the latest news, jobs and updates from our team? Subscribe here