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  • Four nominations by Recruiter magazine

    Technical and engineering recruitment specialist, CBSbutler has been shortlisted for no less than four awards in the 2010 Recruiter Awards for excellence! The firm, which has already won two major awards this year – ‘Best Employer’ at the London and South East Recruitment Awards and ‘Recruitment Company of the Year’ at the APSCo awards, has been shortlisted for: Agency of the Year Best Technical Recruitment Agency Best Client Service  Best Recruitment Agency to Work For“We are absolutely delighted,” said Managing Director David Leyshon. “It’s testament to the whole team and the tremendous amount of enthusiasm and buy in to our behaviour and values model which really does influence the way we work with clients, candidates and our own people.” Winners will be announced at the Recruiter Awards on 14th April at the Grosvenor House Hotel. March 2010
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  • Engineering must be encouraged

    A survey undertaken by engineering and technical recruiter CBSbutler has shown that almost half (48%)  of employers in the sector feel that the Government should invest more into the school curriculum to encourage young people to take up careers in engineering.  Almost a third (30%) believed that incentives should be offered to employers to take on apprentices. According to a report by the Engineering and Technology board, the UK needs 60,000 engineers over the next seven years. Population changes mean that the number of school leavers will decline by 16% by 2019, leaving a reduced talent pool. Commenting on the results, David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler said, "It is crucial that more is done to encourage our young people into engineering and technical careers if the UK is to remain competitive.” See how CBSbutler are helping to promote engineering, science, technology and maths to young people, in their work with Surrey SATRO.   Read more about the Science and Engineering festival for schools.    
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  • Needing more than big billers to succeed

    Should recruiters be rewarded solely on their billings? Says David Leyson, writing in Recruitment International, Feb 2010 Now here’s a debate. Should big billers be promoted into senior roles because they are big billers? Are big billers always the best managers?   While no-one would argue that recruitment is a performance driven culture, disengaged employees, managed by poor leaders, are far more likely to underperform. If the recruitment industry wants to be taken seriously in terms of offering career paths and career development then shouldn’t the sector be looking at being a bit more innovative in terms of their reward strategies and bigging up their employer brand? Traditional forms of reward in the recruitment sector are almost always based on ‘hard’ targets but in my view, in order to retain your best people, there needs to be a qualitative (behaviour based) as well as a quantitative measurement of success. This not only engenders goodwill amongst your consultants and your clients but is also a great tool in ensuring that your staff become rounded business professionals, proud of who they work for –and not merely motivated by the size of their pay packet. For too long there has been an accepted view that the biggest billers are promoted the fastest.  I can’t remember how many times I have heard the statement “This is a sales role – the only thing people are interested in are billings and commission. There will be many of you reading who agree – but they will not be the ones who engender client loyalty, help develop and mentor your people, or truly add value to your business. The building of talented workforces and lasting customer relationships is absolutely key in driving competitive advantage.  Furthermore, sustainable business success can only be achieved through competent managers who are also critical for retaining the best talent.  Consequently, encouraging an approach that leads to a purely monetary focus will always be at the expense of softer skills such as teamwork, staff development and customer service – not forgetting leadership and management development.  By linking financial rewards to behaviours, recruitment businesses can really lift performance across all areas of their operation. How do I know? Because we have done it. We introduced a new performance management scheme which links 40% of our staff quarterly bonus to the achievement of both hard objectives and behaviours. These are: Self development ( and the development of others) Drive for results Teamwork Problem solving and decision making Customer focus Managing and influencing change (for Managers) Organising & planning We have a set of key indicators to reflect performance against each of these behaviours – basically a set of evidence.  These, combined with the achievement of management objectives determine a performance score which subsequently determines the level of bonus. It’s about looking at the bigger picture – and not just the short term financials.  If you have a sales driven team who are used to being rewarded on financial results then I can’t pretend you won’t lose a few people – we have  and that included some big billers but that’s often no bad thing.  It tends to remove people with poor attitudes or questionable values. Moreover, it avoids having an environment when being a great financial performer or producer can excuse bad behaviour. On the basis that behaviours are generally value based – you end up with a far more cohesive team that strongly outweighs losing the odd high performer. Often it’s those high performing sales people who are promoted into management roles when in fact, they lack the basic attributes required to manage your most valuable asset – your people.  Building on the behaviour model, we also launched a ‘good boss programme’.  This involves getting 180 degree feedback from sub-ordinates in order to determine gaps in management behaviour.  By using 1-2-1 coaching, we have been able to address the management weaknesses and drive performance together with achieving high levels of employee satisfaction – our employee satisfaction surveys demonstrate a  95% +  satisfied rating. In the words of one of our  managers: “ I’ve completed the company’s good boss programme which is superb as it makes you look at your behaviour as a manager – and how you can get the best out of yourself  and your team.  In other companies I’ve found that people can get away with bad behaviour just because they are top performers – that just wouldn’t happen here as you are judged on a number of things – not just the level of fees that you make.” So what’s the bottom line?  Is it measurable? Well, in our case, we can clearly demonstrate that sales have increased by around a quarter since implementation of the new behaviour linked performance management scheme. In addition, on-target and objective delivery has increased by 36% and key accounts have grown by 42%.  From a qualitative point of view, we have experienced a far greater buy-in and application to business improvement actions and in up- skilling across all levels. In summary, I believe the lack of sophistication in managing performance within the recruitment sector has been to the detriment of building sustainable and quality operations because of the overwhelming emphasis on short term financial results.  Behaviour linked reward schemes ensure a holistic approach is taken to developing and harnessing valuable talent. Our customers are driving change – isn’t about time you changed with them? David Leyshon is Managing Director of specialist technical and engineering recruiter CBSbutler
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  • Staff find jargon a big turn off

    According to research by technical and engineering recruiter CBSbutler, staff are becoming increasingly disillusioned with so called management jargon.   Almost a third of people said that they used jargon and ‘management speak’ to liven up dull meetings and over a third thought that jargon made them look more credible.  However the overwhelming majority thought that jargon was pretentious to the point of being comical with one respondent comparing his manager to David Brent! The workplace is full of clichés, buzzwords and industry jargon that often leads to a "disconnect" among co-workers says Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon. “When people hear others speaking in strategic/management gobbledygook they quickly get turned off; complex ideas have to be explained in the most simple and accessible manner for them to be accepted.” The survey’s tip five most hated phrases were: Blue sky thinking Getting all your ducks in a row Thinking outside the box Touching base Opening windows of opportunity Jan 2010
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  • 2010 predictions

    Delayed recovery and skills retention are two biggest issues for business leaders As we enter a new decade, 40% of business leaders think that a delayed recovery is one of the biggest issues they will face.  That’s according to research carried out by CBSbutler, the specialist engineering and technical recruiter. Over a third (35%) are not expecting any recovery until the third quarter of 2010 and almost a quarter (23%) fear a double dip recession. “One of the biggest eroders of confidence during this recession has been uncertainty – and judging by the results of our survey, it looks like that uncertainty is set to continue”, says David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler  Interestingly, the second biggest issue identified was skills retention with 30% of respondents feeling that the retention of key skill sets once the recovery gets underway would be a major issue. “There has been a lot of research out recently citing that a large percentage of people are dissatisfied or unfulfilled in their jobs – retention is consequently going to be a key issue in any recovery”, added Leyshon.  And in the engineering sector, with news recently that the UK needs to find nearly 45,000 skilled engineering workers by 2016, employee attraction and a stellar employer brand will be crucial.” Poll results: As we enter a new decade – what do you see as the biggest issue on your business agenda? Delayed recovery   40% Retention of key skills  30% Succession planning  10% Change of government  10% Expensive credit  10%    
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  • APSCo 2009 award winner

    Specialist engineering and technical recruiter, CBSbutler has been named “Recruitment Company of the Year” (£21 - £100m T/O) by APSCo, in its annual staffing industry awards. The judging panel said that CBSbutler:  “Continues to invest heavily in its staff and processes and not for the first time, impressed judges with its unerring commitment to providing a high quality service to its customers, as well as demonstrating sound business management practices.” “This year’s awards have been the most hotly contested yet “, said APSCo Chief Executive Ann Swain, “with a record number of entries in all categories. The standard of the entries get higher every year and all entrants have the right to be proud of their achievements in what has been a hugely challenging year for the recruitment sector.” Commenting on the company’s success, David Leyshon(pictured left), Managing Director of CBSbutler said: “We are absolutely delighted with the accolade, particularly given the credible competition and rigorous selection process.  Whilst we’ve faced some challenging times this year, our results and achievements are a great testament to the team’s sustained commitment to building an outstanding recruitment business.   CBSbutler’s success is firmly down to the quality of its’ staff and the positive people practices that harness their talents.’’ Dec 2009   
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  • Helping our heroes

    Running 10k for the wounded. Six CBSbutler recruiters braved the strong winds along the sea front  to run the Brighton Brookes £10k on Sunday 15th November in aid of Help for Heroes, a fantastic charity that provides practical and direct support for wounded service personnel. Without a professional runner in the ranks, the sights of skin-tight trouser clad professionals and club runners who appeared to be doing a 5k to warm up for the 10k were slightly daunting, However the start line approached and an assortment of stretches were copied off those who looked like they knew what they were doing!   Mingling with the likes of the Norman 'Fatboy Slim' Cook, they took positions for the 10 kilometre course that travelled from Brighton Marina to Hove and back. Initially the team all ran together but once into the race, they all settled into their own pace. 45-plus minutes later, sprint finishes and flushed faces ensued as all team members crossed the line with either a grimace or a smile. The team all delivered with a combined distance of 60k (37miles) and each completed the in the following times: Joe – 01.01.32 Ed J – 48.31 Ed B  – 54.05 Greg H – 50.09 Rachel  – 01.10.22 Phil (not pictured) – 56.19 For two months prior, the team had been fundraising for 'Help for Heroes’ and the push for donations was a success, with £1,700 raised before the race and some donations on the day Post-race the management team of CBSbutler pledged to match the amount – taking the total amount raised to an impressive £3,400.  “It’s a particularly poignant charity for us as we are heavily involved in the defence sector.  Also the boyfriend of the daughter of a staff member was recently injured – and one of his colleagues killed - whilst on duty on Afghanistan as part of the counter IED force” said David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler.
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  • CBSbutler - best employer

    Triumph at the LSE awards CBSbutler receive their award from Paul Ross CBSbutler has been named ‘Best Employer’ at the London and South East Recruitment Awards, sponsored by the REC.  As if that wasn’t praise enough, the company also received a ‘highly commended’ certificate in the ‘Best Induction, Training and Career Development category’. Managing Director David Leyshon said: “We are absolutely delighted with this award.  As an organisation, we are passionate about not only providing a culture where an individual’s contribution to the organisation is recognised and valued but also providing an environment that’s simply a great place to work!” The judges felt that CBSbutler demonstrated a strong employer brand which was evidenced through its values and culture across a number of areas including a positive approach to managing both good and bad performance; the provision of an ongoing training programme that supports best practice and continuous improvement and providing an environment where individuals are encouraged to take ownership for their own decisions and autonomy is seen as a valued skill. Nov 2009
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  • Concern over retention says employment survey

    A recent survey we conducted has has found that over 60% of employers have concerns about losing key staff in a recovery. The survey, which questioned over 300 organisations, revealed an underlying threat of a disenfranchised workforce which may be biding its time until things get better.  Couple that with the latest employee outlook research from the CIPD which has found that that job satisfaction has dipped significantly compared with the Spring and Summer and it is not hard to see why employers may be worried for the future. The CIPD research also found that 40% of employees would look to change jobs during the next year suggesting a potential exodus of talent when the job market recovers. David Leyshon Managing Director of CBSbutler says that the survey results should act as an ‘early warning system’ for employers.  “Arguably, many organisations may feel that their employees should just be grateful to have a job, but even in a recession, employee engagement is crucial for long term retention strategies.” Leyshon gives the following advice: Undertake regular employee satisfaction surveys to identify gaps and areas for improvement. Keep People in the picture: Ensure that there is frequent, honest and transparent communication with employees and stakeholders Build and protect the culture: It’s important to stay focused on your culture, people and values as in a downturn; this is the area most likely to get compromised Support your team leaders: Make sure they understand their strengths and development areas Focus: Keep your workforce focused on short term delivery and effective execution Be co-operative and collaborative: Managers should work with their HR Teams, who need to proactively own and partner with Team Leaders / Managers to help them keep staff motivated and morale high
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  • Time for change?

    Time to fight back and improve your work/life balance....says David Leyshon Greg is a Redhill recruitment consultant who works for CBSbutler - an engineering and technical recruiter. He’s bright, articulate and highly skilled; in fact he is exactly the sort of person that CBSbutler would give their eye-teeth to employ more of. But unfortunately they can’t, because every weekday morning just like Greg used to do, they are on the 06.56 from Merstham heading for an early start at their jobs in London. Despite the fact that Redhill has good accommodation, great social life and infrastructure and a thriving local economy, too many of our best people have given up the idea of working here. For companies like my own, the specialist recruitment consultancy, CBSbutler, that desperately need this level of talent to fuel growth, it’s a major headache. So, given the horror stories that pour out of practically any commuter at the slightest provocation, why do so many people spend up to two hours hiking backwards and forwards to the capital every day? The problem seems to stem from the fact that, Redhill still suffers from the old perception that provincial towns can only offer lower paid, low skill jobs. And, unfortunately statistics seem to back this feeling up. Apart from at a relatively few large companies in the area, there does seem to be a ‘glass ceiling’ for jobs locally. Yet working in Redhill doesn’t have to mean compromising on your career. Perhaps where employers are going wrong is that they are simply not shouting loud enough about what is on offer. Until December 2008, Greg worked at a London recruitment consultancy. He lives not far form Redhill - in Caterham - and decided to look for somewhere he could utilise his skills - and work locally. He found it at CBSbutler.  “I’m a Surrey boy born and bred. My family is here - and my mates are here.  I spent six years travelling three hours a day to get to my job in North London and to have that three hours a day back to yourself is amazing!  I can leave home at the same time and get into work an hour earlier. People talk about being able to earn more in London but it’s just not true - I was spending over £2,000 per year on a season ticket - that soon cancels out any ‘so called’ London Weighting.” To grow CBSbutler, we’ve had to attract and retain precisely the sort of people who are ‘natural’ commuters. Due to the nature of our business – specialist recruitment for companies in such areas as technology, engineering and energy around the world – we look for highly motivated and informed recruitment consultants. And, given everything that I’ve said already, we’re acutely aware that they aren’t exactly hanging around on street corners. We’ve fought back against the Surrey ‘brain-drain’ by playing London at its own game. That’s meant paying upper quartile salaries, and providing the sort of opportunities for career development normally not seen outside the capital. We’ve developed training programmes, arranged company get-togethers and treat staff like ‘grown ups’ capable of making sensible commercial and career decisions. It’s also meant being imaginative and innovative when it comes to hanging on to good people. We recognise, for example that the recruitment business can be a challenging and demanding environment. That’s why we foster a family atmosphere with flexible and part time working options. If we can do it, why can’t you? Even the most enthusiastic commuter is acknowledging that the trains to London are getting busier all the time, so now is the time for action if you want to make your business more than just another SME. Think what you can offer, your image and how you can tap into the goals and ambitions of that mobile talent pool. It’s time to fight back – Redhill 1, London 0! David Leyshon,Managing Director If you want to work for CBSbutler,view our current roles
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  • A trio of nominations

    Three more award nominations for CBSbutler Following on from our nominations for ‘Employer of the Year’ and ‘Best Training and Career Development programme’ in the London and South East Recruitment Awards, we have been shortlisted for an incredible three further awards. Growing Business Awards: Sponsored by the CBI, these awards celebrate tomorrow’s entrepreneurial stars and today’s heroes. We have been shortlisted for the ‘People and Performance’ category which is awarded to a company that has most successfully devised and implemented modern people and/or process management practices to transform its overall performance APSCo Awards: The focus of the APSCo Awards for Excellence is on professional standards and we've been shortlisted as ‘Recruitment Company of the Year’ in the £21m - £100m category. National Online Recruitment Awards (NORAS): Following the recent development and re-launch of our website we have been nominated for ‘Best Small Agency’ website. Commenting on these nominations, David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler said: “Without trying to sound too complacent, being shortlisted for awards is becoming a bit of a habit. We have won a number over the past couple of years and hope to repeat our success with this latest batch of nominations. It’s a real testament to the team here at CBSbutler - a team that I am incredibly proud to lead.”
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  • CBSbutler nominated again

    After being named as a finalist in the London and South East Recruitment Awards, CBSbutler is hoping to add two more awards to its collection. They have been short listed for the 'Best Induction, Training and Career Development Programme' award as well as the prize for 'Employer of the Year'. The award ceremony will take place on 13th November in Portman Square in London to recognise the achievements of those involved in the recruitment and HR industries in the South East. “We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice that invests heavily in developing its staff so we’re delighted to be up for these two awards” says David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler. “This is a tough market and we realise that means it’s more important than ever to make sure our staff are well looked after. It’s a great morale booster to be in the running for these awards and recognised as a leader in our field!”  
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  • Raising morale

    Low spirits lower profits writes Dave Leyshon, in Business Edge magazine in August 09 Disgruntled employees’ treatment of customers is often one of the biggest revenue killers, while their own high turnover raises recruitment and training costs. People unhappy at work are also a growing part of the UK’s annual sick-leave bill which runs into billions of pounds. Small, mostly costless, adjustments can give morale an instant lift: share the burden: stay behind to be with staff who are forced to work long hours, and chip in to the tasks that are overhanging them; a problem shared is easier to bear, even if not exactly halved show kindness: the worse someone’s feeling and the less they expect, the more boosted they are by small gestures elasticate the shackles: give people as much freedom as is compatible with doing the work - no unnecessary conduct or dress codes, more time off the job if people work more efficiently on it provide an escape:  if an activity’s inherently spirit-sapping, ensure there’s a place people can flee to recharge – e.g. chill-out room, regular works outing, alternation with more interesting jobs Longer-term restorers of morale safeguard against further loss: care with up and down-sizing: compulsory job cuts are among  the biggest morale killers; even those kept  on can have  confidence crushed even while the axe hangs  above  then  and ‘survivor guilt’ after it falls on friends or colleagues. However growth – by recruitment or merger - can also hurt, as newcomers upset old networks and routines fairness on pay: top rates aren’t essential, but fair rewards are. Share-out of profits must be weighted to those who most deserve it.  ‘Rewards for failure’ at the top of the tree demoralise those on lower branches, especially when their own rises have been strictly performance linked peer pleasure: how co-workers regard them is central to how good employees feel. Praise means more to them and criticism is taken as constructive, when it comes to them directly from a colleague. blame is compounded, arousing resentment, when given in front of one talking cure: letting people speak freely helps gauge the extent of low morale, and how best to raise it. Knowing their words will be heard, and not held against them, is their first upward step. The most-cited morale slayer, as economy enters tougher times, is a leader who can’t communicate, or inspire trust, when there’s crisis in the air.
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  • Technology assisted recruitment

    New ways to solve old problems. Industry changes means recruitment firms are looking at new ways at solving old problems in 2009. By Stephen Neale with comments from Dave Leyshon   Technology offers us endless solutions. But whether you are the biggest or smallest firm, spending money on luxury systems is no longer an option. The vendors keep pushing more products, but in these unprecedented times recruiters want to know first that the new stuff is cost-effective. Phil Brown, who heads up the recruitment process outsourcing division at Northgate Arinso, is a big advocate for technology. But he believes the first priority to surviving the recession is convincing customers not to give up on recruitment. “Don’t stop, is my message” he said. “Talent management at this time is more important than ever. And it’s not just about new people that are coming in, it’s about those you already have. Companies that can’t react will suffer most. “If you are looking for niche talent, the market has more now, and at better rate. It’s better to recruit now. The more enlightened ones are taking on.” Cost Effective So how is technology helping recruiters in 2009 while remaining cost effective? Top of the stream is innovation around the internet, according to Mr Brown, as businesses increasingly look to affordable web based innovation. Among the leading providers is SHL, a supplier of online systems that allow recruiters to use psychometrics. The results from psychological assessment over the last 18 months are impressive. Howard Grosvenor is head of consulting at SHL, whose recent work includes assessments with Group 4 Securicor. Psychological tests of drivers saw them rated into high and low scoring zones. SHL revealed that those who scored lowest were four times likely to crash a Securicor van. “This particular assessment identified drivers who were accident prone,” said Mr Grosvenor. “As a psychologist myself I have no doubt that this sort of information makes a difference and really impacts on bottom line results. We put in some tools for another organization involved in insurance sales in the financial services. Those who scored high sold £200,000 more products than the bottom performers.” In the future SHL could soon be allowing applicants to perform actual work-based task assessments online to complement psychological tests. Web Based Solutions Multilingualvacancies.com is another leader in the web-based solutions market. Associate director, Miranda Reid, said technology was both reducing costs and improve service by adding value to the global recruitment process. As a web based job board and CV database, her company has introduced video CV technology to the site. Focusing on multilingual recruitment, the system acts as a screening tool to help assess the level of language skill before committing to an interview. “This aids the short listing process enormously,” says Ms Reid. “I can’t think of a better way to assess a candidate’s language skill than to see and listen to them speak it. For the candidate it means that they have the opportunity of showcasing their language skills and really selling themselves in front of the employer which increases their chance of getting an interview.” While the sophistication of the equipment is high, all the candidates need to use the multilingualvacancies.com system is a webcam and a microphone. They can even use their mobile phone. Traditionalists may point to written CV’s, which can describe qualifications and level of competence. The problem for recruiters is the quality of tools on the market available to applicants, from the spellcheckers to online translators. “The recruiter is perhaps not getting a true picture – with the video CV, potential employees can actually demonstrate those skills,” explains Ms Reid. Another technology fan is David Leyshon, managing director of CBSbutler, the specialist engineering and technical recruiter. Automation His company has witnessed first hand back office and service delivery automation that delivered two key benefits: measurable savings and improving ties to client’s internal processes. He said this has already delivered a 36% increase in conversion rates of vacancy to placement. “Many of our service levels with our clients are both measured and controlled by online software systems, which gives us reliable and an objective measurement of savings,” explained Mr Leyshon. “We can regularly evidence a greater than 40% improvement in fulfilment rates by more efficient management of supply chains on behalf of our clients. In some cases, this can add up to tens of thousands of pounds. “Given that the competition has increased significantly, any tool that can give competitive advantage is extremely valuable. In addition, the ability to get closer to customers and ideally integrate thereby achieving a strong retention mechanism is also critical. For example the use of proprietary vendor management software in managed service programmes and the integration of back office processes, e.g. billing and reporting.” Developers of course are more aware than ever of the desire by recruiters to get closer to end users and clients. HB RIDA – a joint initiative between Hamilton Bradshaw Private Equity and The recruitment Industry Development – is a team that has developed a unique set of programmes to help recruitment business owners adapt their own firms to the rapidly changing market. Job Boards HB RIDA’s Alex Strang says there has never been a better time for businesses to get more traffic onto their own site to cut dependency on job boards. This is already happening, in part, naturally because there are more people out there working to win fewer jobs. Strang’s advice is to couple this natural flow with a little focus and minimal spend on increasing visitor rates with data capture. “Very quickly you’ll end up with a pool of candidates that you can market not just job ads to, you can also start to deliver different types of content to them too,” he said. Online customer relationship management (CRM) is an example of content that can work to improve efficiency and delivery, according to Strang. “If you stop to consider that many applications made online don’t even receive an automated response, let alone an email or phone call from a human being then it becomes clear that there is clear scope to use this as a way to protect the reputation of your firm,” he said. “Something as simple as including job search tips, market overviews are a light years away from the silence that many job seekers get post application.” Get this working for your online applicants – archive them on a database, which can be built up over time – and dependency on job boards declines. “Job boards will continue to have a place in the mix, however shifting the mix from job boards to self sourced is a big win,” says Strang. “Lower costs – and crucially, a far higher chance of generating an exclusive candidate.” Colleague is another industry provider that understands how technology is helping recruiters to be more efficient by enabling better and more accurate CV parsing. The specialist software company has provided integrated data management solutions for the recruitment industry since 1994. Colleague was the first software provider in its field to become a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. Features such as online timesheet management integrated with back office and payroll systems have removed the need for multiple data entering which is time consuming and leads to mistakes. And while there is agreement that candidates like feedback and content, the bottom line is they want that both job and the rewards that come with it. Technology is of course aiding the process here to. Will Minns, managing director of Colleague Software Ltd said “Candidates like to be paid on time and employers like timely and accurate invoices and a good integrated system will help you achieve this consistently and in much less time than it takes to run a paper timesheet system. “Integrated systems work alongside software already widely used, such as Outlook, which users are familiar with. “These common screens and interfaces allow consultants to manage their workflow and email seamlessly without switching in and out of different software.” So what of the future and is it possible that human interaction could be taken out of the process completely in the near future? Not a chance, according to those at the coalface. Zanni Young, is research manager at Eban, the financial executive search firm operating in London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Zanni is based in their London office. Time efficiency and the need for fewer back office staff is the way technology is helping to reduce costs. But for Eban, while new technology is spearheading the drive to reduce costs, traditional tools and face to face contact remain the key elements in the process. “There is no alternative to human involvement as the ‘paper fit’ of qualification and job specification is only half of the equation,” she says. “The other half is based on personality both of your client firm and your candidate and technology cannot replace the need for human involvement in that.” The Phone For HB RIDA’s Alex Strang too, the most important technology to surviving the recession is the human brain and the telephone. “This may sound flippant but it’s true,” he said “There is no one killer product that will save the day or reinvent the market. Getting it right is about making sure that the technology serves the people, the business and the bank balance – never the other way round. Will Minns, managing director of Colleague Software Ltd adds that while a really good IT system and software package will reduce the time spent on admin and free up time for consultants, recruitment is the ultimate people business. “ You could never replace a skilled consultant’s decision making and experience with a computer and fancy software,” he said. “Good recruitment technology isn’t designed to replace consultants. It helps them spend more time doing what they do best. “Clearly being able to communicate effectively is a key requirement of running a successful recruitment company so at its most basic level you can’t do without a phone and email. However, communications will generate lots of information which recruiters need to manage effectively so a recruitment company will need a good front office software application which enables them to manage data for large numbers of candidates. Whether they come to them in person, over the phone or via their website. In my view no single piece of technology will help recruiters survive the recession but a fully integrated recruitment software system encompassing all the latest admin reducing technology will certainly give them a lead over their competitors.” Recruitment Consultant - June 2009
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  • Workforce up-skilling

    Upskill and develop staff to progress, writes David Leyshon in Recruitment Consultant, May 2009 We all know that recruitment is a people business – that’s a given. But often the people in the industry are judged purely on the numbers the produce and are promoted to management on that basis. But what if they are great billers but bad managers? What happens to the morale of the rest of your workforce then? Training and development is not about giving your consultants and managers the skills to recruit – it’s about continually up-skilling and making them better business people - and potential leaders. That’s one of the reasons we introduced our Good Boss Programme which was designed to improve workforce. Every six months team members complete a confidential 180 degree survey to rate their manager against a wide range of criteria and behaviours. The resultant diagnostics are used to determine improvements and an external management coach then holds one to one sessions with each manager in order to close the identified gaps. As a result our latest employee survey rating for management competence has increased from 62% very satisfied in 2007 to 84% very satisfied in 2008 and we are hoping to improve even further on that figure this year. Succession planning is also key and can be a key inhibitor to growth if not addressed. We have an 18 month leadership and management programme for high fliers and aspiring managers aligned to our succession plan. There is a clear set of criteria that staff must attain for entry based on performance, behaviours and values and assessments are hep every three months. Last year five out of six staff successfully completed the programme and four have progressed into management roles enabling us to meet our organisational growth targets. And what about ensuring that your consultants are kept abreast of sector trends in your specialist area of recruitment? A clients engineering manager recently delivered a presentation to our recruiters which gave an excellent insight into the workings and business processes of a major defence equipment manufacturer. We also send out consultants in client training courses on products and technologies so that they are familiar with the clients job requirements – one of our account managers recently attended a course on a clients process control system. The result? We are now master vendor to that client. Traditionally the industry has also rewarded consultants by commission based on hard financial targets – an approach that leads to a purely monetary focus often at the expense of softer skill such as teamwork, managing change, problem solving and cistern focus. Consequently, at the end of 2006 we decided to take a more holistic approach and launched a new performance management and appraisal process which combines both hard financial objectives and also key behaviours. We have seen great results from this including the development of far more holistic skills and competencies among our consultants as well as improvements in team work including a 36% increase in inter-team placements. We also deploy consultants at client sites to ensure that sales and service delivery team members get an in-depth understanding of customer requirements. As an industry, our success or failure is linked inextricably to the quality of our people and in today’s market, more than ever, clients need added value service offerings which call for a while range of skills over and above the old fashioned view of putting ‘bums on seats’.   By continuing to develop your people – your only true asset – you will succeed – whatever the market conditions.
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  • 2009 recruitment business challenges

    David Leyshon comments in Recruitment Consultant - March 09 Jim Tanfield of Recruitment Consultant talked to three recruiters about their businesses and the challenges ahead. It may be all in the mind, but as the snowdrops make way for daffodils can the staffing sector will itself recession proof by spying the green shoots of recovery in the right places? It is incredibly difficult to have a one size fits all recession, some recruiters are really suffering, some are faring pretty well and others have disappeared altogether. Several big hitters are looking to invest in smaller outfits for numerous reasons including expanding portfolios and having a wider customer base as protection in these unprecedented times. But is it that bad and is good business practice enough to avoid falling into the canyon? Streamlined security With a single office in Croydon and employing 18 staff, CJ Recruitment has its own take on the situation. The company recruits on a generic basis from college level up to directorate positions so is well placed to take a cross-sectional view. Although managing director Catherine Johnstone believes this is by no means the worst crisis she has faced since she established the firm 30 years ago, she has had to make tough decisions regarding the current economic situation. She said: "We opened in `79 in the middle of a recession and found ourselves in the midst of one 20 years ago as well, but it was a very different kind so this time we did try and make sure we were in as good a position as possible with the control we had." The company undertook a complete audit of the business at the beginning of last year which Catherine says was for many other reasons aside from good practice and made sure that everything it was buying in was at the best price available. "We actually had to make redundancies for the first time in 30 years, however, we are a very robust company in the fact that we always have money in the bank and always plan for rainy days; but I think the difference is the lack of control now, if we go under it will not be to do with bad practice, due diligence with clients or anything like that.” Business strategy also had to change as Catherine explains: "We actually cut our database to get rid of those who we thought were high maintenance and low return, that was quite brave at the time, but actually its paying dividends now as the clients we do work with we have very good relationships with." Like never before many of the younger companies are having to get their consultants on the phones looking for business, not so at CJ as Catherine says: "We have not gone out on a sell, sell, sell business on the phone as the clients told us they were sick to the back teeth of all the sales calls." Looking forward Keeping good relations with existing clients is of course a no-brainer as well for CJ and Catherine says the company has a good grip on keeping them close and adds: "We have been running some very successful seminars aimed at clients such as one on the Agency Worker Directive, another on the relationship between HR and agencies and the next one we are holding is to be on grievance procedures." "We are as strong as we can be as we have the most effective team we have had here in 30 years," adds Catherine. "In a perverse way are quite excited about it although you have got to make sure you don’t let people go and take something they wouldn’t otherwise be doing, that is so extreme, that they go and let you, themselves and the client down.” Catherine, who was integral to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation`s Riding the Recession guide, believes July will be the start of the upturn for recruitment. So does being a larger recruiter mean bullet-proofing comes as standard or because there is more to lose the risks are greater? Bigger players CBSbutler's managing director David Leyshon says: “Well I suppose we are slightly shielded in that we are working with specialist technical markets which have remained quite robust.”A lot of our business is related to defence and the energy sector which have an ongoing demand and large investment packages which we are committed to so we are somewhat sheltered in comparison to many others who are really taking a hit." In the last quarter the company did notice slight panic and knee-jerk reactions as people were pulling in the purse strings which David said was keenly noticeable when there were a lot of job freezes being announced. "However since the beginning of the new year we have seen a bounce back," David proclaims. He adds: "In ball park terms our perms business has dropped by about 20 per cent and we have seen our contractor business drop by about eight per cent but we are clawing our way back up now. "We are always proactive whatever the market conditions. and in October last year I did a presentation for the troops really analysing this so-called recession and my message to them was 'look, we have to cut through all of this doom and gloom that the media are throwing at us because that would pull us down if we listened to it'." He continues: "So I broke it down and told them that there is a genuine 30% of this recession being driven by the banks, the credit crunch and the toxic debt of course we all know that. We also know about 50 per cent has been driven by the media, the doom and gloom merchants which are fuelling bad thoughts and would have impact on our clients so we need to see that it’s not all real and we need to cut through it." David also insists that whenever there’s a downturn, that nefarious activities are always a potential pitfall: "Then there is 20 per cent of the recession will be people taking advantage of it, when there is no basis for it. People who look at pricing and decide to demand margin reductions; those who will push up payments. "I have been reinforcing my points to the guys that yes there are challenges but we are in a robust industry and there is still a shortage of specialist talent and I have to tell them to ignore the doom and gloom merchants. "Despite the gloom there are people still recruiting even though there are massive redundancies taking place and there are people recruiting quite heavily, which we don’t hear about much. Those that are taking advantage, we need to be prudent and alert and have counter-measures in place." Identifying need So what is CBSbutler’s strategy to keep the coffers brimming? David continues: "We have taken steps to revisit KPIs and assess higher expectations; we have got clear plans where we are looking to maximise business in robust accounts whereby we are cherry picking and looking to maximise the visibility and distribution of those vacancies across the teams. "We have also got a programme where our managers are tasked with working with their teams to identify areas where there is positive trend of investment such as emerging energy technologies and critical public sectors such as homeland security." The teams are also strengthening foreign accounts such as Qatar. Antal is a player with its fingers well and truly stuck into foreign pies and CEO and founder Tony Goodwin has his own take on the current situation and says: “I think it’s fair to say the whole industry didn’t feel the impact until September or October when it really fed through to the other sectors and disciplines in recruitment terms. "Interestingly in some of our developing markets such as Poland and China most notably, it didn’t really impact until January of this year." He adds: "But now it really has taken hold and I have recently spoken to some of my franchisees across the UK and there has been a notable slowdown in the hiring divisions. "This has impacted on replacement recruitment but it’s expansion recruitment which is all but on hold; with replacement recruitment people are taking longer and being more careful about the people they are taking on, taking longer doing reference checking and prolonging the whole interview process. "They are still hiring and there are still jobs to be had but there is a lot of competition out there and there are a lot of recruitment agencies going after them and chasing them." Tony believes that due to recruitment agencies re-tooling and targeting their guns in prosperous areas that there is a culture of an over-brokered and over-competitive market. He also believes candidates are becoming more cautious as they are thinking 'why should I leave a secure job now to go into something that if they do hit problems I was last in so I would be first out?’ Upbeat advice Antal now in its 17th year has a real eye on the global situation and Tony explains how this economic shift is different: "In 2001-03 it was very much IT tech focused," he says. "There was a general ripple in the rest of the economy in recruitment terms but it was a very sector-specific recession, this time what got hit first was the banking recruitment, so we`d hoped that it was going to be a banking recession, but now the contagion has most definitely spread into all sectors - and globally as well. "We are now looking for acquisitions ourselves and we see this as an exciting opportunity and we are being cautiously optimistic." Tony adds that the Fastrack 100 contains 24 recruitment companies that have been established in the past five years: "They won’t have as good a grip on treasury debt control which is really needed in harder times. They may be offering a really good service but they may be struggling and we want to attract them into international platform." Tony concludes: "No-one is going to buy from a miserable recruitment consultant; those that are miserable will not survive." This is by no means an umbrella view of the industry and in times of recession there are many companies which would rather keep their tactics to themselves. However, all companies need to arm themselves with as many options as possible as unforgiving times call for new approaches.
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  • National Business Award regional finalist

    Specialist engineering and technical recruiter CBSbutler has been shortlisted for the Employer of the Year Award in the National Business Awards regional programmes sponsored by Orange. The award will go to the organisation which can best demonstrate how, through well-adopted company values, the provision of stimulating and supportive workplaces and the active development of all employees, it has applied its human and supporting resources to achieve commercial success. Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award.  As an SMR recruiter, it’s great that our commitment to developing and investing in our people has been recognised.” The National Business Awards Regional Programmes are the UK’s largest combined Regional Awards programmes encompassing England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Winners will be announced in July.
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  • What makes a best company?

    David Leyshon explains in a Recruitment International cover story.
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  • Two Recruiter Award nominations for CBSbutler

    Award winning CBSbutler does it again Having won the award for Best Engineering Recruitment Firm for two years running in the prestigious Recruiter Awards for Excellence, CBSbutler has yet again been shortlisted. The company has also been shortlisted for ‘Best Medium to Large Recruitment Firm to Work For’. The awards, which are held annually, have become known as the “oscars of the recruitment industry” and are judged by a cross section of professionals across the HR, resourcing, corporate finance, government policy, and academia and market intelligence arenas. Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for two awards this year. Obviously we are very keen to retain our title for the third year running and it is particularly pleasing to have been shortlisted for ‘Best Medium to Large Recruitment Firm to Work For’. It’s becoming quite a year - we have just been shortlisted for the Best Employer category in the Surrey Business Awards and we’ve also achieved a two star accreditation - classed as outstanding in eight key areas of employee engagement - from workplace engagement specialists Best Companies. All these awards are a real testament to our superb team - a team which I am very proud to lead.”
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  • CBSbutler - 'outstanding employer'

    Two star accreditation awarded by Best Companies Technical and engineering recruiter CBSbutler has another trophy to add to its growing collection with the award of a two star accreditation from workplace engagement specialists Best Companies. The accreditation scheme is an elite ‘Michelin type’ star rating system for organisations that demonstrate high levels of employee engagement and a two star rating is classed as outstanding in eight key areas: Leadership   Wellbeing   My manager   My team   My company   Personal growth   Giving something back   Fair deal Commenting on the accreditation, Jonathan Austin – Founder and CEO of Best Companies said “I would like to congratulate CBSbutler on their outstanding achievement. Our role at Best Companies is to set a rigorous benchmark so that organisations can become even better employers. David Leyshon and Catherine Agca accept the award from Jonathan Austin Managing Director of CBSbutler David Leyshon said: “We are all very proud - this accreditation has come quick on the heels of the news that we have been shortlisted as the best employer in Surrey. With two consecutive awards for Best Technical and Engineering Recruiter and an REC award for Best Training and Development Programme, it is a clear testament to the company’s efforts in providing an exceptional employee proposition.”
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  • 'Best Employer' shortlist for CBSbutler

    CBSbutler has been shortlisted for the 'Best Employer Award' in the Surrey Business Awards. The award recognises  the organisation which has achieved excellence in providing an environment in which employees can develop to their full potential and achieve outstanding success for their business. Commenting on the shortlist, David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler said: “Despite the economic backdrop, we believe passionately in developing our people and will continue to do so. In fact in tough times, it becomes even more important - and you need to make that extra bit of effort. Staff can soon feel vulnerable and insecure which n turn will lead to de-motivation and poor productivity. We are delighted to have been shortlisted and having won Recruiter Magazine’s prestigious award for best technical recruiter for two years running, we hope to add the Surrey Business Award to our ever growing trophy cabinet.” Winners are due to be announced at the awards event on 2nd April. Jan 2009
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  • Recruitment in 2009

    CBSbutler's David Leyshon comments In the Daily Telegraph The picture is mixed for job hunters, but recruitment consultants say there are opportunities out there. The trouble with attempting to work out the state of the jobs market next year is that you have to speak to recruitment consultants. Being consummate sales people, they will tell you it’s not all bad, there are plenty of opportunities out there. In reality, it depends on the sector and ultimately how well individual firms are being and have been run. The picture, predictably, is mixed. “I know someone trying to fill a fairly senior manager job at the moment, in the HR (human resources) field, in Cambridge,” says Steve Huxham, chairman of the Recruitment Society and also managing director of HUX Search and Selection. “In the week the job has been advertised, it has received 13 replies. So where are the 1.8m people out of work? I would have expected the post to have attracted between 50 and 60 candidates by now, but it goes to show how people are sticking where they are at the moment and not looking to move jobs.” Chris Seabourne, a partner at global search firm CT Partners, says it’s a matter of time. “I think people are predisposed towards apocalyptic predictions about the year ahead,” he says, “but there is pent-up demand from the last quarter of this year that will be released in the first half of 2009.” Seabourne sees two areas of growth for the year ahead – in pharmaceutical and in “clean” technology. “The big story is cleantech,” he says. “There is momentum for alternative, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind and the US government is investing in this area. That means other governments will follow, as will private equity funds.” He says there will be demand for large general managers as a result, plus there will be a need for cleantech sales and marketing people. “We’re now in the green collar era,” he says. “The difference between this economic cycle and previous ones is in terms of the public perception,” says Raj Tulsiani, chief executive of Green Park Interim and Executive Resourcing. “This time the Government is involved and helping to shape the message that 2009 will be tough. In some ways this is positive but it also gives credence to the view that things might indeed become dreadful. A few months ago the fear was that we’d talk ourselves into recession and it appears we have done that. Of course some industries have been hard hit, but not all of them and there are signs of optimism fro 2009 out there.” Firms with the right niche focus will handle the downturn better than others. David Leyshon, managing director of technical and engineering recruitment specialist CBSbutler, says there is likely to be continuing demand for people in food preparation, oil and gas engineering, pharmaceuticals, defence and renewable energy. “Petrochemical engineers are in huge demand. The average are in the UK of these engineers is 54 years old, and because organisations haven’t invested in graduate schemes over the last 15 years, there is a huge supply and demand gap internationally.” Aerospace tends to follow automotive and manufacturing with a nine-month delay so the downturn is likely to hit the industry mid 2009,” says Jon Rance, a consultant at Jonathan Lee Recruitment. He says order books at Boeing and Airbus look good at the moment and there are a number of large programmes going ahead, namely for the Boeing 747, Airbus A380 and A400M. “Demand is for stress engineers, design engineers, technical supply chain specialists and fatigue engineers and these are areas where we are still experiencing skills shortages with many companies looking to Europe, including Italy, Spain and France, to fill the gaps.” He adds that many firms, while cutting back on management or project management roles, will look to retain their core engineering capability. Jo Sellwood, managing director of Strategi Search and Selection, says 2009 will force many firms to look at their operations and become more effective. “HR people are central to that,” she says, “and retention becomes more important.” Sellwood believes companies are becoming more cautious when it comes to hiring, perhaps adding in an extra couple of steps in the process to ensure they have the right person. Looking to Europe, Mike Garlick, managing director at IT recruiter MBA, says there remain “hotspots of opportunity” He adds: “ Even though Germany is now officially in recession, a lot of its more conservative banks have actually benefited from the crisis and 30pc of our contractors working in Germany are British. Additionally, if candidates have a specialism, SAP or Oracle for example, they are likely to see themselves very much in demand.” The global picture is no clearer. Tony Goodwin runs recruitment firm Antal International. He founded the business in 1993 and has offices across the world. He’s reasonably optimistic about the prospects ahead, not least because he feels the economic cycle has just about hit rock bottom. “There remains a dearth of talent in places such as India, China, Brazil, Russia and Eastern Europe,” he says. “There are still good opportunities in a number of sectors, including healthcare, transport, waste management, renewable energy and biosciences.” Goodwin’s firm employs 120 people at its two China offices and while global demand may be slowing, the internal market in China remains huge. “We’re planning to open 11 further offices in India and have plans for at least six more in China. So our plans are still on course, although instead of opening with 15 staff, we’ll probably start with more like two or three people. Business is still taking place and life goes on. We’re not panicking.” Perhaps not, but a final note of caution/reality comes from Claire Birkinshaw, a solicitor and legal information manager at Abbey Legal Services. The company offers advice to members of the Federation of Small Businesses. “In October 2008, more than 25pc of the advice we gave was on the subject of redundancy or lay-offs” she says. “When you think we have more than 50 categories that we offer legal advice on, for two topics to currently cover more than 25pc of the calls gives you some idea of the scale of the issue.” Article published 4 December 2008
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  • The right move

    David Leyshon, writes in Recruitment Consultant, Dec 2008 With the ongoing credit crisis and ensuing slump in house prices, estate agents may be forgiven for thinking that their career prospects are looking anything but healthy. But according to David Leyshon, Managing Director of engineering and technical recruitment consultancy, CBSbutler, they could find themselves in high demand within the recruitment sector. Pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV, listen to the radio - two things dominate the economic landscape at the moment - rising unemployment - and falling house prices. However, there are some sectors that, despite the media’s obsession with bad news, are still candidate short and these hiring markets are still very buoyant - including our own area - the sourcing of engineering and technical professionals. With a shortage of skill sets in niche areas, more employers are now seeking talent globally and need professional consultancies like ourselves to help. But trying to attract new recruitment talent into our industry to support these candidate short markets has proved difficult. Many of the good recruiters are staying put where they are and understandably value job security over a career move. While historically there has always been some migration from other sales areas such as estate agency into recruitment, the current housing market means that there is now much more of a potential candidate pool to fish from. There are obvious parallels - sales negotiators and managers from an estate agency background have ideal transferable skill sets: customer service and communication, sales ability, teamwork, persuasion, negotiation and drive - all attributes needed by the successful recruitment consultant. Estate Agency can equip potential consultants with a number of practical skills which can be applied in a recruitment career – the ability to build long term relationships with clients over the phone and in person, sales negotiation techniques with vendors and potential purchasers and a commitment to excellent customer service. These are all skills which are invaluable in recruitment. Moving house and changing jobs are probably two of the most stressful events for a person to go through and having an appreciation and empathy towards individuals can make a real difference to success. Obviously, as with any new recruit one has to be selective and we’re all too aware that estate agency has had the reputation of attracting its fair share of what we might term less scrupulous operators. However many of the large estate agency chains have established highly professional training schemes in recent years and graduates of these programmes are some of the best sales people that I have seen in my career. Estate agency - like recruitment- has had its critics but those who have been successful could well have their skills honed to become a strong recruiter. The benefit of a move quite apart from the obvious disastrous property market at the moment is that lead times are quicker and the potential for fall out, although still present, is a lot less. There is also less weekend and evening working and, particularly in professional and managerial recruitment where fees are often much larger than the average house sale charge, earnings can be significantly higher. We’ve recently been actively marketing within the estate agency market in order to attract new talent. What I have noticed is that good estate agents - apart from consistently over delivering on sales targets - will typically have relationship building, influencing and negotiation skills that are far stronger than other trainees coming into the sector. Take Peter, for example, who joined us a couple of months ago after a career in estate agency spanning eleven years. He decided to move into recruitment mainly because he realised that his sales skills would be directly transferable, and with a young family to support, he felt that both the earnings and career development potential would be better. He’s doing well - and has all the attributes I look for - a willingness to go the extra mile, strong influencing and persuading ability and an ability to efficiently manage existing and potential sales activity. He’s going through our intensive induction training at the moment and is showing all the signs of becoming an excellent recruiter. The slump in property prices shows no signs of abating - but that might just give the recruitment sector a golden opportunity to secure some fresh raw talent.
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  • Manufacturing firms cannot afford to slash IT budgets

      CBSbutler's Andy Dunne comments in Computer Weekly (19th November 2008) The economic downturn will be a different experience for IT in manufacturing and engineering companies compared with the last recession in 2001 to 2003. That is the view of Tom Bausemer, managing director of IT services marketplace OrderWork. "Eight years ago, IT was a 'nice to have'," he says. "As a result, certain technologies and certain IT staff could be easily cut from the budget. Since then, CEOs have come to depend on CIOs to enable critical business initiatives, such as product lifecycle management, business process management, and supply chain management. IT has become ubiquitous in manufacturing and engineering businesses, and without IT, they will not survive now." Business-critical The importance of IT to manufacturing and engineering companies is confirmed by figures released by IT market research specialists Info-Tech in August 2008. Info-Tech found that while nine out of ten companies are affected to some degree by the economic slowdown, only two thirds reported that IT spend was affected. In fact, a third reported that their IT budget had increased in 2008, a third were spending the same as in 2007 and just a third had seen budgets cut, typically by 5% or more. The question is: how should manufacturing and engineering companies spend that budget? Bausemer thinks they should concentrate on skilling up in-house with core strategic technologies such as supply chain management, business process management and product lifecyle management, and look to external suppliers for skills in generic cost-saving systems. "Get these core strategic technologies implemented, and look to delay or outsource the non-strategic work such as virtualisation, desktop and server upgrades or new storage projects," he says. Richard Earle, a director of IT services company Cirquent, which has manufacturers such as BMW and Lafarge Cement among its customers, thinks manufacturing and engineering companies should also be looking beyond the skills needed for the traditional set of applications that enhance core manufacturing processes. Customer-facing In addition, he suggests, they should be acquiring staff with experience of customer-facing systems and asking themselves, "Am I talking to customers effectively and efficiently? Have I got the right process and technology in place to deliver enhanced customer satisfaction?" Alongside technical skills in these specific applications, Earle says, manufacturing companies should be looking for people who have good stakeholder management skills and who will be able to help the rest of the business make the transition to new ways of working. Historically, the sector has found it harder to recruit professional IT skills than other industries. SEMTA, the sector skills council for the Science, Engineering and Manufacturing industries, reported just last month that 14% of companies are experiencing a shortfall. However, Andy Dunne, a senior consultant in the manufacturing and engineering team at CBSbutler, feels that, despite a natural urge to cut back in times of recession, now is actually a good time for forward-thinking manufacturing companies to get hold of IT skills that were previously out of their reach. "We are seeing a huge influx of contract staff who want to go permanent because they are nervous about the contracting market, and that is pushing salaries down for a lot of permanent roles," Dunne says. He cites the example of a candidate who was made redundant from a role paying £40,000 a year who has had to accept a new position paying just £25,000. More selective Clearly, this is not good news for candidates. Dunne admits that employers have also used the glut of candidates to become more selective about who they take on, demanding top-notch academic qualifications and certifications as well as experience, for instance. One bright spot seems to be for IT professionals with Oracle Manufacturing skills, especially in the contract market, where rates are booming according to IT Jobs Watch. The market for SAP skills, by contrast, appears to be stagnating at present.   However, Bausemer says the slowdown should be shorter and less severe in employment terms than last time around. "In the lead up to the last recession, IT budgets in the sector were growing in double digits," he says. "This time around, manufacturing firm's budgets have increased in single digits in 2006 and 2007. CIOs have been much more prudent and have already cut most of the fat out of their budgets." So manufacturing companies are less likely to shed large numbers of permanent staff this time. IT staff and employers should also be aware that not all parts of the manufacturing and engineering sector have been affected equally. While companies supplying the construction and automotive industries have been hit hard, government spending on defence and homeland security is holding up well. Going forward, signs are that government agencies will increase rather than decrease their spend in an effort to mitigate the effects of the slowdown, with Dunne predicting that Java and J2EE skills will be particularly in demand. The danger for manufacturing and engineering companies hoping to exploit these opportunities is that they may find themselves constrained by a lack of skilled employees who have the necessary security clearance. "It can take three months to get someone through the 'security check' level of clearance, and even longer for the kind of 'developed vetting' that is likely to be needed to work on solutions for projects such as the National ID card scheme," Dunne says.   Employers should, therefore, be thinking ahead and putting current employees and new hires through clearance if they do not want to end up paying a premium for vetted staff once they win a contract.
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  • How should recruiters cope with the new challenging market conditions?

      Dave Leyshon comments in Recruitment Consultant (Nov 08) The UK’s unemployment queue is getting longer by the day. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the number of unemployed people in the UK rose by 164,000 to 1.79m in the last quarter and in September alone those seeking Jobseeker’s Allowance rose by more than 31,000 bringing the total to just short of one million claimants. Pressure on jobseekers to return to employment at the earliest opportunity through Government schemes designed to ensure they become taxpayers as opposed to tax-spenders, mean blanket job applications are bound to spike. Recruiters are going to be busy. The great wave of the newly-unemployed is not the only reason staffing firms are finding themselves deluges with candidates; hundreds of thousands of workers in threatened industries, from banking to construction, are also seeking inclusion on recruiters’ databases to counter the threat of redundancy.  Coupled with a reduction in vacancies, the labour market is seeing a seismic shift. Response rates At the grass roots level in the industry however, optimism about the future still exists. There is a dichotomy of thought about the rapidly increasing levels of job responses – marketing staff are keen to point to the increase in traffic to their websites and use it as a major marketing point, while some consultants will see change merely as increased admin to reach the same targets in a tougher market. “We are finding now we are getting too much response in certain areas, particularly admin, as it’s now so easy to respond to vacancies,” says Synergy Group’s marketing manager David Pyle.   “Our cost problem now is dealing with the increase, but you have to look at each candidate otherwise you may miss the right one – of course with that increase in candidates there’s a huge increase in the quality of the candidates. If you don’t take time to filter properly you will miss out.  Whereas before we were spending a couple of hours dealing with the amount of CVs we are now taking half days or more to go through them and we now feel there is a need for a filtering system.” “I think the changing industry is a good thing as it’s very difficult to make an impact and find opportunities when things are stagnant. It it’s moving up of down there’s going to be opportunities; although this won’t always make us popular we like it to a certain extent and even rub our hands together at the thought of it.  As they say adversity is the mother of invention; the last downturn had a major effect on our growth.” He is quick to point out the caveat that recruitment is too often seen as an easy game to take on for individuals recently made redundant, but believes the barriers to entry erected by VMS are sufficient to keep the adverse effects on the bona fide industry to a minimum. Margin call Tom Liptrot, director of temporary recruitment agency Esprit People and permanent recruitment for Permanent Futures, believes that a battle of sorts is about to commence: “Right now the biggest threat to the industry is an emerging bidding war. With fewer and fewer roles up for grabs, firms are having to be more imaginative about how they win positions,” he says. “The industry sorely needs a period of modernisation. The current glut of recruitment firms in the UK will experience a natural adjustment through mergers and acquisitions, as the less imaginative agencies continue to undercut one another to win the spoils of a counter-productive bidding war.  The more creative and evolved recruitment agencies will survive by finding their own niche markets within the sector and establishing their expertise there. Savvy agencies will also ensure that they get personal with their clients and candidates, understanding their needs and only offering up truly viable matches, rather than a scattergun tactic of putting forward as many candidates as possible in the hope that one will stick.” He is also keen to point out that the economic downturn isn’t all bad news for the recruitment industry adding “There are certainly still placements to be made out there and a noticeable and predictable trend in businesses seeking staff for peak times or as a secure stop gap to give them more flexibility following redundancies of permanent personnel.” Candidate care Kent-based Acorn Recruitment’s Geoff Newman says that a renewed approach to ‘people skills’ and awareness of candidates’ sensibilities are vital in the current climate. “It’s how you deal with the growing number of candidates, dealing with them in a caring manner which is now a great challenge,” says Geoff. “You have to explain to them why you have not put their application forward and hope they understand.” Geoff believes he is well-equipped to deal with the economic downturn and its effect on recruitment having been through two previous recessions in the industry. “I know what to expect, it puts more pressure on our resources and you find yourselves suddenly having to be a lot more proactive rather than reactive, but if anything it will make the dependency on recruiters even more important.” And despite certain areas being hit dramatically by the downturn – most noticeably, according to Geoff, the conveyancing departments of legal firms because of the housing slump – he is another who sees the challenges as potential profits. “We have just had our figures for the quarter up to September and that’s up three per cent on the previous quarter – so it’s not all doom and gloom,” he concludes. Planning ahead This seems to be the message coming through regarding the current state of financial affairs: as with all industries, recruitment is evolving and diverse, nota homogenous, one-size-fits-all entity and certainly not a market where one company’s successful policy will work in another firm during tougher times. But certain policies do need to be in place, No matter how rocky the road ahead, preparation can only help to get the end of the current turbulence. CBSbutler’s managing director David Leyshon has some sound advice. “While there’s no doubt that in some sectors we have entered a client-led market, those recruiters who are now changing their marketing and working practices to reflect this are really already too late.” h warns. “To run a sustainable recruitment business, you need to be giving all your customers – whether they are clients or candidates – a quality service whatever the economic climate.  Those recruiters who had the right candidate at the right time – but who did not offer the service to go with it – will now find it difficult to sustain client relationships.  These are the same recruiters who may now choose to drop service levels to their candidates in favour of chasing clients.” “My view would be that you should be marketing to your candidates more than ever – giving them advice on how to cope in a tightening market, helping them hone the skills they may need to find a new job and making sure that there is an efficient process in place for dealing with big increases in candidate enquiries. They are, after all your clients and more senior candidates of the future.  I have to say that in our sector, technical and engineering recruitment, the war for talent is still very much alive and well – as it has been for some years. But that hasn’t stopped us from being very proactive in providing added value services to our clients. To me that’s just common business sense.” There is no crystal ball which will allow recruiters to see exactly how the present situation will play out but planning for possible outcomes and being responsive to the challenges which the changing market throws up is vital for firms to survive.   And while the industry is undeniably shifting as the candidate-led market flips, the lengthening queue at recruiters’ doors will always be better than no business at all.
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  • Estate agents are 'hot property'

      With the ongoing credit crisis and ensuing slump in house prices, estate agents may be forgiven for thinking that their career prospects are looking anything but healthy. But according to David Leyshon, Managing Director of engineering and technical recruitment consultancy CBSbutler, they could find themselves in high demand within the recruitment sector. “Many hiring markets are still very buoyant”, says Leyshon - including our own area - the sourcing of engineering and technical professionals. With a shortage of skill sets in niche areas, more employers are now seeking talent globally and need professional consultancies like ourselves to help. Sales negotiators and managers from an estate agency background have ideal transferable skill sets: customer service and communication, sales, teamwork, persuasion and negotiation - all attributes needed by the successful recruitment consultant.” “While the demand for property may be on a downward slope, the ubiquitous ‘war for talent’ shows no signs of dissipating. In fact in 2008, a large number of ‘baby boomers’ will retire and recent reports have suggested that there will not be enough graduates with the right skills coming into the market to act as replacements.” Perhaps its time for sales negotiators to ‘consider their future’ and jump to the winning side! Sept 08
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  • CBSbutler - Best Engineering Recruiter

    CBSbutler named ‘Best Engineering Recruitment Firm’ by the Recruiter Magazine in their prestigious Awards for Excellence. These annual awards known as the ‘Oscars of the Recruitment Industry’ are judged by a cross section of renowned professionals from the HR, professional services, academia and consultancy sectors. The judges said that they were particularly impressed with the company’s pro-active and innovative methods of generating candidates and in the ‘going-the-extra-mile’ to exceed client expectations.  In addition, the unique ‘Talent Centre’ concept was recognised for providing an impressive range of value-added services to their clients. MD, David Leyshon (2nd right) accepting the award Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon said “Clearly we are absolutely delighted to have won the award for the second year running.  This certainly rounds of a wonderful year…particularly as it is hot on the heels of the ATSCo award for Best Engineering Staffing Company.  It’s a great testament to all our efforts in delivering service excellence and in creating real value to our clients through ingenuity and best practice.  I’m really proud of the team - they’ve made great progress over the last few years.” March 2008
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  • A hatrick of awards

    ATSCo names CBSbutler winner The Association of Technology Staffing Companies (ATSCo) has named CBSbutler, Engineering Staffing Company of the Year at its annual awards. This is the third major award this year for the Surrey based technical and engineering recruiter. In March, they were named ‘Best Technical Recruiter’ in The Recruiter Awards for Excellence and in October they won the award for Best Training and Career Development programme in the REC sponsored South East Recruitment Awards The judges said that CBSbutler: “Demonstrated a clear and unequivocal understanding of what it takes to address and overcome the key challenges faced in this time of profound skill shortages. Their focus on client and candidate satisfaction was outstanding, underpinned by their investment and commitment to staff development training programmes. Their unflinching dedication to professional standards and attention to detail, for the good of the business and its employees, deserves high commendation. Although competing for this years ATSCO accolade against much larger competitors, their success should be a major indicator and encouragement to other small and medium size ATSCO members that they can win. Size is not crucial - quality and demonstrable professionalism are the crucial determinants” Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon said: “2007 will certainly be a year to remember – to have won three major awards is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff – I’m proud of them all!” November 2007.
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  • CBSbutler wins REC award

    CBSbutler wins ‘Best Induction, Training or Career Development Programme’ in the London & South East Recruitment Awards, which is sponsored by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Following on from its success in ‘The Recruiter Awards for Excellence’ earlier this year, specialist technical recruiter,               Accepting the award  CBSbutler has won ‘Best Induction, Training or Career Development Programme’ in the London & South East Recruitment Awards, which is sponsored by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).   David Leyshon, Managing Director of CBSbutler said: “This is turning into quite a year for us. We won the award for ‘Best Technical Recruiter’ and were finalists in the ‘Award for Training and Development’ in the recent Recruiter Awards for Excellence. To have been shortlisted for this award as well is testament to the hard work and commitment of all our staff.” September 2007  
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  • CBSbutler scoops excellence award

    Technical recruitment specialist CBSbutler, has been named “Best Technical Recruiter” at the Recruiter Magazine ‘Awards for Excellence’: the ultimate recognition of good recruitment practice. The awards, which are held annually, have become known as the “Oscars of the recruitment industry” and are judged by a cross section of professionals across the HR, resourcing, corporate finance, government policy, academia and research, and market intelligence arenas. “The level of customer service that we receive exceeds what I would normally expect of a supplier of resources.” “I believe that we have a “value added” service from CBSbutler” “They constantly strive to become more efficient and effective...” Just a few of the comments from clients which the judges said made CBSbutler stand out from the crowd. Managing Director of CBSbutler, David Leyshon said “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award – particularly as the judges were primarily from the HR community – our end users.” March 2007
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