Category Archives: HR Services

Compensation & Benefits, Employment, Health & Welfare Plans, HR, HR Consulting, HR Education, HR Services, Human Resources, Human Resources Law, Training & Safety

Agility UK Launches New Website

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Agility UK has launched a new website to promote its health and safety and employment law training and advisory services to businesses across the UK.

Indicating significant progress for the organisation, the launch of the new website better promotes the company’s range of cost-effective, flexible and solution-focused health and safety and employment law services.

In a triangulated initiative between a web development team, a leading digital agency, and a design agency, the new website offers refreshed branding, improved usability and more comprehensive information regarding each key area of service provision.

The website is also built upon strong SEO foundations and as such will enable further exposure for the business through more prominent positioning on the main search engines for targeted keywords.

Managing Director of Agility UK, Keith Townsend, commented on the launch of the new website: “The new website provides a better platform for Agility UK to showcase its range of services to prospective customers and to advertise a wide range of employment law and health and safety training courses across the UK. It is more attractive and user friendly than our previous website and provides a wealth of additional information to the reader.

“Across the Agility UK Group we have made a significant investment in online marketing of late in terms of time and money and we expect to receive a return on investment through better exposure on Google and an increase in conversion rates. Pleasingly, we have already seen some fantastic results with health and safety courses and seminar bookings in particular.”

Through the website users will be able to browse interactive training course calendars, offering clients easy access to when and where health and safety and employment law training courses are taking place nationwide. Courses can be booked online using a simple form or via the contact details displayed throughout the website.

Coinciding with the launch of the new website are the launches of the new Agility UK Facebook and Twitter pages, as the company’s marketing expands into the social web, and the launch of the new Windmill Leasing website – the company’s business car leasing division.

Agility UK now has a viable platform to syndicate news, blogs and key services within the online arena.

Via EPR Network
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MBA & Company Rides The Wave Of New Business Trends As MBA Employment Diversifies

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Business specialist MBA & Company has stayed a step ahead of the industry with its approach to the changing nature of the MBA jobs market.

After the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and the expected shortfall of MBA job opportunities in traditionally large employers – such as Citigroup – many economists and industry experts suggested that the role of the business post-graduate, a staple of the financial booms in the 1980s and 1990s, was becoming irrelevant.

However, MBA & Company proved it was ahead of the trends by predicting the market’s response: the demand for MBA jobs may have diminished in the archetypal financial skyscrapers; however, a host of new employers, in new sectors, and new ways of working have arisen.

Amazon.co.uk, for instance, is now a huge employer of MBAs. As more and more companies go online; and as business strategy becomes crucial to all public services and commercial ventures in the recession, the role of the MBA has transformed to encompass freelancing, off-shore and consultancy opportunities in a wide range of sectors including retail, education, security and politics.

MBA & Company, established during the downturn and challenged to find a solution to the inevitable cut-backs in the multinationals, predicted this very trend. By responding to the diversity of employers’ requirements, and understanding how MBA knowledge can support their work, MBA & Company has developed reliable recruitment solutions for an unpredictable world.

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36 Months Of Jobs, No Not Steve The Other One…

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toplanguagejobs.ie, Europe ‘s Number 1 Specialist Provider of bilingual jobs and multilingual jobs goes back through the last 12 months to sum up international markets.

Jan 2009 – Google to cut 1—recruitment jobs

Even though Google revenues being an estimated $ 23,650,563 and an improvement of 9% on 2008, Google cut 100 recruitment jobs in 2009. This was one of the most talked about items in Q4 of 2009 purely because a lot of people believed a small percentage of companies to be ‘recession proof’, apparently the recession hit everyone. Google also fell $13.35 or 4.3pc to $300.97 on the 15 th January 2009 in Nasdaq stock market trading.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/

February 2009 – U.S. lost 598,000 jobs in January

The second highest report story over the last three years was the gloomy financial impact of the recession on the U.S job market as a whole. Employment in the U.S. jumped by 7.6% in one month alone. Since the recession began in 2007, the US has lost 3.6 million jobs in total (until 2009)

“It’s also important to keep in mind that the job market is local – the most recent unemployment rates coming out of major metropolitan areas like Milwaukee, Baltimore, Boston and D.C., for example, reflect much brighter employment pictures than other regions of the country,” said Tig Gilliam, CEO of Adecco Group North America, in a statement. “Even more critical than where you live or what you do, educational accomplishments have the greatest impact on an individual’s ability to find a job.”

Manufacturing and construction were the hardest hit with a total in excess of a quarter of a million jobs. Los Angeles was also the hardest hit city in the recession losing 82,000 jobs in 2008.

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2009/02/02/daily50.html

December 2009 – Europe stocks jump on US jobs data

In third place the most talked about story was that European stock markets looked to overtake recovery of due to lack of improvement In US employment that revived hopes of a total recovery. The FTSE gained 0.2% while the Paris rose 1.3% & 1.1% in Amsterdam.

European stocks gained slightly after the publication of the US job report. British Airways jumped 2.81% after Citigroup raised its recommendation on the share from ‘buy to ‘hold’.

Analysts cautioned that the improved but mixed labour picture could be a blip as unemployment continued to rise.

‘This report, despite its unevenness, will likely create some real euphoria in the investor community. It is the first time we can start thinking that the job situation may be turning around with some gusto,” said Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors.

Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute said the report showed ‘‘finally some healing” but warned that ‘‘unemployment … is expected to continue on an upward trend until we start adding jobs in a healthy way, which will likely not happen until next spring or summer.’

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/europe-stocks-jump-on-us-jobs-data-20091205-kbdu.html

December 2010 – US loses 85,000 jobs in December

The fourth most talked about story was the US unemployment rate finally holding steady on 10.0% with renewed optimism from the government reporting a turnaround in the labour market.

Gains in jobs were key at this point showing a turnaround was possible. With a net gain of 4,000 jobs in November rather than the reported 11,000 loss was the first positive month after 22 months of losses.

“We’re getting a steady but very slow improvement in the job market,” said Robert MacIntosh, economist at Eaton Vance.

Most notable mention – Government sector employment fell by 21,000 in the month.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/business/992102/us-loses-85000-jobs-in-december

January 2011 – Obama to recast agenda to focus on jobs, deficit

President Barack Obama recast his high-stakes address to the American people on 27 th January 2011 to address jobs and the economic deficit that has been plaguing the west since 2007.

The main purpose of the address was to convince his ‘prime-time’ audience that he understands the economic pain and blight that is being inflicted on them and his proposals for a new job-creation push.

The overall deficit for the US is was estimated at $1.35 trillion in 2010.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE60L4MC20100127?p=1

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New Staff Development Program Takes a Different Approach with Startling Results

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93% of study participants reported an improved sense of wellbeing at work after completing Life Code Matrix, a new program that takes a fresh approach to staff development.

Dr Kathryn Owler who conducted independent research on Life Code Matrix, found the program differed from other wellness programs in that it appeared to create intrinsic motivation and the potential for sustainable change.

“People came out of the program with a clearer sense of identity and were able to align themselves more positively with their work” she said.

“They experienced their work more creatively with a sense of discovery. They were being fully ‘there’ at work.”

Unique aspects of Life Code Matrix that Dr Owler identified were that the process did not require mental effort; rather participants once they had identified who they were through the process were able to effortlessly be that person.

It was also efficient in that the process did not require constant repetition or reinforcement to create sustainable changes in behavior and attitude.

Life Code Matrix was initially developed by experienced business and life coach Cilla Sturt as a result of identity issues she experienced growing up in a different culture. Limitations she observed professionally with traditional coaching and staff development models led to the programs unique approach.

For more information go to http://www.lifecodematrix.com/research-results/.

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Hays and The Times Name Louisa James as PA of the Year 2011

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Hays and The Times have announced that Louisa James, of Wandsworth, London, has triumphed in the Hays and The Times PA of the Year Award 2011, being named the country’s top PA. Her energy and enthusiasm have seen her expand her role, embracing significant project management and organisational leadership such as being actively involved in the ‘Jamie’s 30-minute meals’ award-winning app, helping her secure the top spot.

PA to the managing director at Jamie Oliver Ltd, Louisa was announced as the winner at an awards ceremony held by Hays, the leading recruiting expert, at Flemings Hotel, Mayfair, London on the 19th of May. Louisa has won a five night break for two in Prague, courtesy of Portman Travel. She will also receive a place on The PA Retreat, an intensive residential training programme for management PAs, courtesy of Castalia Coaching & Training.

Louisa said: “I feel so honoured to be chosen as the PA of the Year. I give my job my all, and to be recognised like this is a wonderful feeling. People often don’t realise the huge impact PAs can have in an organisation, so it’s wonderful to be acknowledged like this.”

Second place was awarded to Christopher Juliff, diary, visits and events manager to the NHS chief executive. The judges praised Christopher’s passion for his career and his expertise, along with his outstanding attention to detail in a high pressured environment. They also noted his strong personal commitment to the diversity agenda.

Third place went to Zara Dyer, PA to the managing director at Liverpool Football Club. The judges were impressed by her passion for developing a PA network in the North and skill in being able to support her boss in a way that maximises her time and effectiveness.

As well as the three finalists, the three runners up were: Jennifer Batty, executive assistant to associate and executive directors of Russell Reynolds Associates; Lisa Partridge, PA to Michael Caines MBE and Sharon Walsh, executive assistant to the HR director at Channel 4

The awards were presented by Michelle Mone founder and co-owner of MJM International and creator of Ultimo, the UK’s leading designer lingerie brand.

Michelle declared: “Congratulations to Louisa, who has fought off some stiff competition to claim this year’s Award. She and all the finalists have shown just how valued the roles of PAs and executive assistants really are. People in this role make a considerable contribution to businesses across the country, so it’s great to be putting the spotlight on them.”

This year’s judging panel consisted of: Susie Barron-Stubley, managing director of Castalia, the coaching and training company; Gareth Osborne, director general of the Association for Personal Assistants (APA); Laura Richardson, last year’s winner; and Geoff Sims, managing director of Hays PA & Secretarial.

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US Recruiters Launch Ezra Penland Actuarial Recruitment

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Claude Penland and Sally Ezra, two global leaders in the international actuarial recruiting industry, today as partners announce the launch of their company, Ezra Penland Actuarial Recruitment (“Ezra Penland”) in Chicago, Illinois.

Joining Sally and Claude at Ezra Penland are five outstanding employees. They include Debbie Charbonneau, Kevin Elliott, Dana Kelly, Yvonne McArdle and Emily Moss. To read more about their top quality staff, see EzraPenland.com/recruiters.

Initially, the Group of Seven will be focused on the North American actuarial recruitment market, and then rapidly expand into the global market. It is Ezra Penland’s plan to be the market leader in their niche, as Sally Ezra has spent nearly two decades recruiting actuaries, has developed strong professional relationships and a vast network of clientele. They value her commitment, resourcefulness, her personal attention and, above all, her high level of professional ethics.

Claude Penland is an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He has over twenty years of experience as a casualty actuary and as a web strategist for actuarial recruitment organizations.

Ezra Penland additionally announces the timely publishing of their 2011 industry standard United States actuarial salary surveys at EzraPenland.com/salary. These 11 salary surveys include unprecedented detail on compensation for Property and Casualty, Life, Pension and Health actuaries. The details further break salaries down by consulting, reinsurance and insurance/all other employers of actuaries. An Adobe Acrobat file of all surveys is immediately available to be downloaded, printed and shared.

Ezra Penland is becoming known as the publisher of C-level insurance and reinsurance US salary surveys at EzraPenland.com/c-level. These CEO / CFO / CRO / etc. studies can also be found at LifeSalarySurvey.com, HealthSalarySurvey.com,  CasualtySalarySurvey.com and ReinsuranceSalarySurvey.com.

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Is It Too Little Too Late For UK Education Reform?

TopLanguageJobs, Europe’s Number 1 Specialist Provider of bilingual jobs and multilingual jobs vacancies rounds up what’s going wrong in the EU and students language job market.

Many Brits become complacent when considering learning foreign languages as opportunities are missed for jobs in the European Union.

Learning a foreign language for GCSE students is still not compulsory and may be hampering opportunities for further study and learning another language. Studies show that students taking language GCSEs has fallen from 61% in 2005 to 44% in 2010.

In Canada there is a growth of interest in students looking to learn a foreign language. Mandarin Chinese and Spanish are becoming popular, two of the world’s most spoken languages.

Michael Gove who is secretary of state for Education in the UK wants a ‘risky’ reform to the school system, but is this too little too late?

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Major UK Retailers Added To Employee Savings Programme

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Four more major UK retailers have been added to Edenred’s extensive employee savings platform, enabling businesses to offer their staff even more opportunities to save money.

The latest retailers to offer discounts on their lifestyle products are award-winning hairdressers Toni&Guy; beauty retailer Crabtree & Evelyn; online wine retailer Naked Wines and Virgin Experience Days which offer gifts from fine-dining restaurants, spa breaks, theatre trips and holidays.

These companies boost the existing portfolio of discounted vouchers and reloadable cards to more than 50 major retail names, while at the same time helping employers to motivate staff with incentives and flexible benefits.

Each employee registers on a dedicated website and can tailor their requirements to ensure they receive discounts that fit their lifestyle and interest. These special offers can also be passed on to family, ensuring that the benefit is spread further.

Wayne Harrington, product manager at Edenred, comments: “We’re pleased to be working with these major UK retailers to add a wide range of discounts to our employee savings platform which in turn provides businesses with a valuable tool in their motivation and engagement strategy.

“In the current economic climate and with VAT increases and tax changes in full force, there is pressure on disposable incomes. Employers who join employee savings schemes can effectively give their staff a pay rise of almost £1000 a year pre tax, at minimal cost to the business.”

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Hays Survey Reveals Public Sector Job Cuts Will Damage Frontline Service Delivery

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According to new research published by Hays, the leading recruiting expert, the public sector is facing a critical loss of employees, with almost half (45%) of staff in the sector facing redundancy or actively seeking work in the private sector.

Although the public sector is faced with the need to make cuts, pay, career development and job security are all seen to be better in the private sector, resulting in a severe skills loss, which will impact on its ability to deliver frontline services effectively.

The Hays Public Sector Survey 2011 finds that some public sector employers are struggling to recruit staff with the right skills to manage frontline services. Since the Comprehensive Spending Review 18% of employers say it is harder to attract skilled job candidates. Over 80% of employers say uncertainty around job security is the primary factor stopping people looking for work in the sector, followed by changes to benefits (51%) and scrutiny over pay (39%).

Furthermore, headcount reduction schemes and cuts may be draining the public sector of its most vauable employees. 60% of employers and the same level of workers believe voluntary redundancy and early retirement schemes are resulting in the loss of the best talent. Over 60% of staff say they fear the sector will be unable to attract the staff needed to manage the transformation and change ahead.

Andy Robling, public services director of Hays, said: “With such a widespread exodus of staff, it is highly likely that frontline services will be affected. Employers have to make cuts and drive cost savings, but they are also faced with increased demand for many frontline services, such as healthcare and education. The combination of pay scrutiny, fears around job security and critical media headlines means a stigma has started to develop around public sector careers. Many public sector workers are feeling demotivated, devalued and stuck in less challenging careers. The public sector needs to act now to address this before it is too late.”

Asked what areas they would improve to help attract professional staff to the public sector, employers and employees both reported pay and career development as the top two factors. Almost 70% of employers agree they need to review what they have to offer jobseekers so they are perceived more positively, with over a third (38%) saying this is an urgent priority.

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Hays and LCCI Reveal The Private Sector Needs Government Support

Hays, the leading recruiting expert, and The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have partnered to produce a report called “The Challenges of transition: from public to private”.

As the government’s cost cutting measures continue to impact on workers, more needs to be done to support workers through the transition to the private sector, according to the new report.

Around 330,000 people are expected to lose their public sector jobs over the next four years. While both sectors have many similarities, the perceptions the sectors have about each other could limit the ability of ex-public sector employees to quickly return to the labour market thereby risking longer term joblessness.

Through this report, which surveyed the views of public sector employees and private sector employers, the LCCI and Hays have identified six critical steps to ensure the successful transition of the workforce from the public to the private sector: encourage better understanding; incentivise the private sector; identify regional skills gaps; review onboarding procedures; enhance existing support programmes; and promote self-reliance and resourcefulness.

Mark Staniland, director at Hays said: “As the government cuts begin to take effect there is a growing pressure on the private sector to create new jobs. There is no doubt that public sector employees have many skills in need right across the private sector. However, it is unreasonable to believe that transferring a large proportion of the workforce will not need specialist help to progress smoothly. The government must act now and put provisions in place to support the workers and both sectors need to work together to make sure the skills available are used to their full advantage.”

Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of the LCCI added: “We hope this report will make a meaningful contribution to this important debate, which in turn will help get people in to new jobs while giving a shot in the arm to the London and UK economies. In the months to come there will be many talented individuals from the public sector coming on to the job market which is a great opportunity for employers looking to bring in new skills and ideas to their business.”

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Hays Plc Calls For G20 Action On Global Jobs Creation

Hays plc, the global specialist recruiting firm, has called on governments and industries across the world to take joined-up action to tackle the looming threat of increased global unemployment as the world’s working population is set to increase dramatically. With many countries already at record levels of unemployment, co-ordinated action needs to be taken now to avert future labour crises as significantly more people are set to join the global labour force. To this end Hays has developed a Five Point Plan.

Hays, which placed more than 230,000 people in work across 30 countries in 2010, has published a seminal report; Creating Jobs in a Global Economy, compiled in partnership with economic forecaster, Oxford Economics, illustrating the challenges ahead for employers, employees and governments across the world.

The report forecasts the dramatic movements of workforce, power and wealth across the globe over the next 20 years. The world’s working-age population is expected to increase by over a billion people in this timeframe. However, all of this growth will be developing economies. The developed world will see its workforce shrink and age.

Governments and industries must start to plan now how they will deal with this imbalance, both to harness the economic potential that this larger workforce can provide as well as creating the skills that will otherwise become in increasingly short supply in many areas. Developing markets will face a period of rapid industrialisation and infrastructure construction which will require access to skilled and experienced workers currently unavailable in sufficient numbers domestically. Similarly, the developed markets will need to find ways of maintaining their competitive edge in key industries by investing in the future skills required, albeit against a backdrop of a smaller and older pool of workers.

Alistair Cox, CEO, Hays, said: “Our report illustrates the profound and stark challenges our world will face in the future both to create employment opportunities for a billion more people and balance the mismatch we are already seeing between supply and demand of key skills. Only by thinking globally can governments and companies put in place the environment to solve these conflicting challenges and create the basis for full employment and a sound global economy.”

The report demonstrates the need for employment policy to be discussed at the G20 in Mexico and at the WEF next year. Cox added: “Everyone is talking about the growth in the Chinese population. The fact is that China’s working age population is set to plateau and then decline in our generation, just like many countries in the West. No one is yet talking about how industries will employ the extra billion people who will soon be looking for work in India, Africa and South America. That is a huge opportunity if governments and businesses get it right, but a big social problem if we get it wrong.”

‘Creating Jobs in a Global Economy 2011-2030’ follows the publication last year of ‘Action on Skills and Jobs: The Hays Manifesto for Employment’ which outlined the actions needed to create a healthy employment market in the UK.

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Top Language Jobs Set To Smash 300,000th Registered Candidates Within Days

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TopLanguageJobs, Europe’s Number 1 Specialist Provider of bilingual jobs and multilingual job vacancies gears up for celebrations for the 300,000 th registered candidate.

Aytac Irfan of TopLanguageJobs commented: “There’s no doubt that TopLanguageJobs has become the forefront for bilingual and multilingual jobs throughout the UK and overseas. We are very excited about reaching our 500,000 th registered candidate and will no doubt be celebrating.”

It’s a fantastic landmark for the company and really cements their position as leading bilingual and multilingual job board. With 16 regional websites and more on the way, TopLanguageJobs is sure to grow from strength to strength over the coming months.

With new specialist hires in marketing, development, sales and more we are likely to see the 300,000 th registered candidate very soon.

Look out for celebrations online from TopLanguageJobs once this target is met.

About TopLanguageJobs
Top Language Jobs, Europe’s No. 1 specialist language recruitment job portal.

We operate the largest European network of bilingual jobs & multilingual jobs websites and have 1000’s of bilingual jobs available online from leading language recruitment agencies & employers in London, UK & Europe.

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Salary Expectations In 2012

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TopLanguageJobs, Europe’s Number 1 Specialist Provider of bilingual jobs and multilingual job vacancies makes projections on the UK and Europe salary expectations for 2012.

toplanguagejobs.jpg (180×333)Aytac Irfan of TopLanguageJobs commented: “With average salaries rising for some countries in Europe and others falling, we will probably see an overall dip by a small percentage. But hopefully only for Q1 & Q2. ”

With Greece , Portugal and now Egypt having IMF loans to fill their own budget gaps and to avoid bankruptcy, Europe is bound to see a small drop in employment figures for the end of 2011 & 2012.

With UK banks such as Lloyds still awarding bonuses to top employees of up to 420% their base salary, this is not set to conclude any time soon.

In Germany the Deutsche Bank CEO is touted to head the IMF which will surely bring stability and a more conservative view to proceedings in Europe.

In the UK cuts continue with strikes imminent from the civil service union over issues of pensions, job cuts and pay. Ballots will decide whether they go on strike and hopefully effect decisions made by the government. These decisions will be key to the economic stability in 2012 so we must all monitor the situation closely and hope for a brighter future.

About TopLanguageJobs

Top Language Jobs, Europe ‘s No. 1 specialist language recruitment job portal.

We operate the largest European network of bilingual jobs & multilingual jobs websites and have 1000’s of bilingual jobs available online from leading language recruitment agencies & employers in London, UK & Europe.

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How Salaries In Europe Compare

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TopLanguageJobs, Europe’s Number 1 Specialist Provider of bilingual jobs and multilingual job vacancies studies salaries across Europe and is surprised by results.

toplanguagejobs.jpg (180×333)

Aytac Irfan of TopLanguageJobs commented: “Even with the single currency, some countries average is lower than the minimum wage of another.”

Serbians average salary is lower than that of the minimum wage of Croatia . With an average pay of 353 Euros, Serbians earn 32 less than that of the minimum pay of Croatians.

Germans still pay the most social security per employee and company with averages of around 12% of total earnings for both. Slovakia pays the least with totals around 2% of overall earnings.

French employers make the most social security contributions paying out a whopping 17% across the board.

Poor Greece has seen a fall of around 10% in change in earnings since the effects of the last recession and bankruptcy. Portugal on the other hand has seen a rise in change of earnings of 2% even with the bailout of 2011 by the EMU.

Across the globe Soccer stars continue to earn more with an average increase of 12% this year.

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A Strong CV Is Key To Avoiding Graduate Under-Unemployment

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Following the news that more than half of all graduates are either out of work or stuck in menial jobs some six months after leaving university, Guardian Jobs are today stressing the importance in preparing a good CV to give you the best chance of success in the jobs market.

A study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research found that 52% of last year’s university-leavers, that’s 15,655, were unemployed or under-employed six months after graduating.

20%, that’s 59,000 graduates, had no job this year, the highest amount in a decade and double when the recession began in 2008. Worse still, it’s estimated that some 55% of 2011 graduates will be unemployed or under-employed six months after leaving university.

A spokesperson for Guardian Jobs said today “These findings and predictions by the CEBR do make for rather grim reading. It really highlights the importance graduates must make in making themselves appear employable on their CV, which is after all, the first form of contact employers will have.”

To help graduates get the right job, Guardian Jobs have partnered up with The Fuller CV to offer a free CV checking service that promotes the message ‘just say no to bad CV advice’ and highlights the importance of getting your CV checked over by an expert.

To browse Guardian Jobs extensive selection of graduate jobs, and for advice on how to best prepare your CV for the jobs search, visit the Guardian Jobs website.

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Job Search Tips for Holiday Season Beat Conventional Wisdom

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People really do get hired between Thanksgiving and the middle of January! Don’t buy into the myth that it can’t happen for you. The holiday time actually provides great opportunities for job seekers. If you’ve found yourself mumbling, “I need help with my resume,” then a professional resume writing service may be the best gift you can give this time of year. What are some other worthwhile career improvement endeavors?

Job Search Tips for Holiday Season Beat Conventional Wisdom

Network While Celebrating

• Take advantage of the business socializing opportunities during the holiday season. At events, casually let friends and extended family know you are job hunting. Briefly discuss your career while connecting with people. Follow up later with each person. Attend other parties and networking events: open houses, association meetings, school events and friend’s work parties.

• Hire an executive resume writer adept at guiding you in the complete job search process.

• Send appropriate greeting cards to people with whom you have interviewed recently and to any of your friends who are well-connected. Enclose your business card.

Businesses Don’t Grind to a Halt during the Holidays

• If a job is available, employers still search from late November through December. Keep checking classifieds and online job boards. Check company websites of employers for whom you’d like to work and professional association websites for advertised positions.

• Many job seekers suspend their search during the holidays. This can mean that employers needing to hire full-time employees for the coming year receive fewer applications during that time. That can help your application stand out.

• Many hiring managers are not so busy during the holidays, because employees are taking vacation time. This gives the managers more time to interview candidates.

• Hiring managers experience urgency about staffing toward the end of the year. They don’t want to begin the new year with their team not fully staffed. Interviews for anyone who starts working early in the year must have been in November or December. Companies that have budgeted for first-quarter hiring have to be starting the process now.

• Temporary agencies receive increased employer requests as companies work to meet annual goals and employees use vacation time. Keep in mind that seasonal work during the holidays can open doors to full-time jobs.

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Reed Carer of The Year 2010 Announced

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Lorraine Marshall, a Head Care Assistant in Edinburgh, and Georgia Douglas, a Social Worker in North Tyneside, were Reed Carer of the Year 2010 and Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010 respectively.

At a prestigious awards event at the Waldorf Hotel in London (on Thursday 2nd September), guest speaker Dame Joan Bakewell, the first official ‘Voice of Older People’, commented: “From paupers to monarchs, at some point in their lives everyone needs care. The Carers and Social Workers in this room are doing the work of angels. Their work is right at the heart of humanity and I take great heart in the knowledge that it may be one of you caring for me.”

Chosen from 27 finalists, drawn from 14 regions after a record number of nominations, Lorraine and Georgia each received £1,000 worth of holiday vouchers in addition to the accolade of being named Reed Carer of the Year 2010 and Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010.

Reed Carer of the Year
For the last 20 years, Reed Carer of the Year 2010 winner Lorraine Marshall has been working at Libertus Day Care Centre in South Edinburgh, which supports people of all ages who experience physical or learning disabilities or age-related infirmity. Extracts from Lorraine’s Award nominations include: “Lorraine puts so much effort into looking after us. Nothing is too much trouble for her. She is very kind and caring and always makes time to listen to anything you have to say and can be depended on to help. She is a wonderful example to others.”

Lorraine said: “It is fantastic to receive this award, but the simple fact is that I just love being a carer – encouraging people, promoting independence and helping them live a better life. It is really rewarding working with older people. There is always lots of laughter and I love listening to their stories.”

Reed Social Worker of the Year
Reed Social Worker of the Year 2010 Georgia Douglas is based at North Tyneside Hospital in the Discharge Team, and was nominated for all her support, knowledge, expertise and flexibility. Extracts from Georgia’s Award nominations include: “Georgia is passionate about her job and her team, and will always go out of her way to help staff and especially service users. She is a role model to what a manager and social worker should be.”

Commenting on her award, Georgia said: “It is an honour to receive this award and I am so lucky that it is for a job that I love doing. It is rewarding that I am able to support people in times of crisis and make a positive difference in their lives.”

Commenting on the success of this year’s awards, Reed Social Care Director Leslie Weare said: “We were delighted to receive so many nominations for a large number of exceptional individuals working in care and social work. The judging panel had an extremely impressive selection of regional winners to chose from, and Lorraine and Georgia were both deserved winners.”

Reed Global specialise in Social Care recruitment, and in association with Sue Ryder Care, this year’s Reed Carer of the Year Awards attracted nearly 900 nominations and triggered a donation of £10,000 to Sue Ryder Care by Reed.

Via EPR Network
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Foster Care Associates Rated Outstanding In Ofsted Inspections

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Foster Care Associates (FCA) has reaffirmed its status as the UK’s leading independent fostering agency through the publication of recent Ofsted inspection results.

Assessing the quality and standard of services provided in its North West and South West regions, Ofsted judged each category and the region as a whole as ‘Outstanding’ – a fantastic achievement for the fostering agency. The inspectors found extensive evidence to underpin their judgement, particularly from children and young people and the agency’s foster carer colleagues.

The results further support the fostering agency in its ongoing commitment to raising standards of foster care and improving outcomes for children and young people. Through the Team Parenting model of foster care – delivering an extended network of professional support services to the foster carer and the child or young person – FCA is working to change the shape of foster care in the UK.

Regional manager at FCA North West, Colette Abbiss said: “We are delighted to have achieved the highest accolade with our practice being judged as ‘Outstanding’. The outcome is testament to the consistent hard work in the North West and the dedication and commitment of our staff and foster carers to our children and young people. The senior management team and I are very proud indeed and dedicate this achievement to the team effort in striving for excellence.”

Echoing these sentiments, Sheeree Cole, regional manager, FCA South West commented: “The staff at FCA South West are true professionals and they will go the extra mile both in terms of their outstanding practice and in terms of supporting carers. I feel very lucky that I have such a remarkable group of professionals that I have the privilege of managing. They truly deserve the ‘Outstanding’ accolade and I feel very proud that the South West has achieved such a terrific result.”

FCA North West provides an ‘Outstanding’ fostering service throughout the North West Region, delivering foster care in Manchester, fostering in Liverpool, and beyond, providing the highest level of local support to carers. This includes access to a wide range of support professionals, geared at addressing every looked after child or young person’s needs. FCA South West covers fostering in Cornwall, Plymouth, Exeter, and Torquay and across the South West.

Via EPR Network
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Reed Finance Shortlisted For CIMA’s Recruitment Consultancy Of The Year 2010 Award

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Reed Finance have been shortlisted by CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) for their Recruitment Consultancy of the Year 2010 Award, which will be presented on 22 November 2010 at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Reed Finance Divisional Director, Tim Vye, comments: “We were delighted to hear that we had been nominated for this award. In a marketplace of hundreds of financial recruitment agencies, it’s an achievement to have reached CIMA’s shortlist.

“The award judges look for evidence of commitment to the employability of CIMA members and the provision of career advice that goes beyond normal levels of service. This nomination is therefore testament to the excellent service offered by our consultants.”

CIMA is the world’s largest professional body of management accountants, and the CIMA qualification is one of the most sought-after financial qualifications by employers – due to their focus on producing commercial and forward-looking finance professionals and business leaders.

Via EPR Network
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Hays Reports Graduates Turning To UK Call Centres To Get A Foot On The Career Ladder

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Hays, in conjunction with the Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service initiative, has reported that UK call centres are attracting more graduate employees.

Hays Contact Centres revealed that over two in five (43%) call centre managers have experienced a rise in graduate applications over the last twelve months and 35% of call centre workers are now educated to an undergraduate university level, compared to 25% in 2009.

The level of interest from graduates is not surprising, given that there are currently around 70 graduates for every job vacancy compared to just 31 graduates in 2008, suggesting that graduates are making a smart move in turning to UK call centres for employment opportunities.

According to the survey of 286 call centre professionals, working in the industry offers a real chance for career progression, with 54% of call centre agents agreeing they have a clear opportunity to progress beyond their current position, compared to just 40% in 2009. Over half (58%) stated they would like to develop a long-term career in the industry and the signs are encouraging, as 55% of UK call centre managers started out as agents.

The survey also suggests that graduates will benefit from excellent training and development opportunities in the call centre, as 65% of managers spend more than 20% of their time coaching or training team members, and one in four at least 40% of their week.

Simon Thorpe, Programme Director at Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service, said: “There are record numbers of graduates looking for work this year and it’s encouraging that so many are attracted to the call centre industry. UK call centres offer excellent training opportunities and competitive salaries, plus the opportunity for graduates to develop their careers and move up the ladder, both within the call centre and across the wider organisation.”

Via EPR Network
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