Today is eSift's 6 month birthday!! It has been an amazing 6 months which have flown by.
We are still so excited about our service and the brand and are looking forward to what the next 6 months are going to bring.
This month we did our first two exhibitions, the first one was two weeks ago it was the CIPD Recruitment Exhibition at Olympia and then we did a local one at Kempton Racecourse. Both were really worth while doing and generated different things for us.
We decided last minute to attend the Olympia event so the rush to get everything done was huge not only did we have the banners to design and organise but also to decide on lighting and furniture. However all the stress and pressure was definitely worth it, the exhibition was fantastic it allowed us to speak in detail with people we would not have been able to. Being face-to-face meant people understood Geraldine and I and that we could portray our passion and belief in what we do.
At Kempton we met a number of local businesses who potentially we could work with on a Business Partner level to recommend our clients to.
We believe that exhibitions is where we need to spend our time.
From this point on we need to consolidate we have a huge amount of information and client prospects that we need to continue to work through to make sure we provide those companies with the best possible service rather than continuing to generate new leads and ending up not being able to manage.
Our team of 10 consultants are on stand-by and despite the hot weather and sunshine are ready to work.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
HR
Here is something we wrote for the Changeboard website...
Introduction
As organisations change their business strategy to respond to the current economic crisis human resources departments have become overwhelmed with day-to-day people management issues. And as senior HR managers become increasingly focused on managing consolidation, while having their own departments reduced, now is the time to outsource non-critical HR tasks, argues Claire Blackwell, Director, eSift.co.uk.
Industry Consolidation
The past six months has seen the focus of human resources mangers dramatically alter as their attention has shifted from planning for the future to focusing on the ‘here and now’ as HR teams struggle to keep up with day-to-day human resources issues.
In addition to the management of increased day-to-day HR activities, such as overseeing shorter working weeks, re-negotiating staff contracts and managing employee redundancies, many human resources teams have seen their own departments dramatically reduce, leaving senior HR managers without day-to-day administrative support.
The effect of the economic situation was felt in HR departments within the US approximately six months before the UK. The results have seen headcounts frozen and a dramatic reduction in HR professionals with many HR teams functioning with only a core staff. There has also been a focus on consolidation throughout many businesses and a direct emphasis on continually employee cost reduction.
As certain industries have begun looking to recruit, some HR teams have been able to recruit for critical posts. However, the changes that have taken place throughout the economy during the past six months have created a range of new recruitment challenges for HR managers. These include a higher number of applicants for every vacancy and a broad diversity of applications from potential employees offering a range of skills. With smaller departments and a lack of administrative support the task knowing where to advertise cost effectively and having the time to CV sift, screen candidates, plan interviews and respond to each applicant is now an overwhelming challenge.
New challenges facing the industry
As the human resources industry struggles to keep pace with the changes affecting it, insights by eSift.co.uk have shown the five most pressing issues human resources managers currently face. These include: -
Managing the existing workforce and offering re-assurance to the employees who will remain especially after a widespread redundancy process
Implementing and completing redundancy plans in a timely and professional manor
Change management within their own department and throughout the company
Reducing costs throughout the HR team
Looking at ways to outsource to specialists in certain areas, i.e. recruitment and training
Although each of these issues are likely to resonate with many HR managers throughout the UK and internationally, the issue of recruitment has been one of the most prominent areas highlighted. Further research into this confirms that management boards are allowing HR managers to recruit critical hire’s, but are tightly controlling recruitment costs.
Conclusion
There is little doubt that 2009 will be a tough year for the human resources industry. HR managers will be pressured to focus on strategic HR issues, but with a reduced administrative staff struggling to handle the day-to-day activities. The next 12 months will also see an increase of contract and interim workers within the HR industry as many organisations focus more on outsourcing.
Many organisations will recruit critical staff; and only after the HR team has audited current staff resources to ensure existing headcount is being used to its full potential. Any recruitment that does occur must be proven with a watertight business case and the successful candidate must meet both current and future business needs.
Overall 2009 will be a year of consolidation on the back of large-scale recruitment freezes.
HR Managers will look to get their house in order before embarking on any growth plans and
when they do they will use a recruitment method that delivers in a cost effective way,
reducing pressure on their internal HR team and outsourcing the non essential HR tasks.
Introduction
As organisations change their business strategy to respond to the current economic crisis human resources departments have become overwhelmed with day-to-day people management issues. And as senior HR managers become increasingly focused on managing consolidation, while having their own departments reduced, now is the time to outsource non-critical HR tasks, argues Claire Blackwell, Director, eSift.co.uk.
Industry Consolidation
The past six months has seen the focus of human resources mangers dramatically alter as their attention has shifted from planning for the future to focusing on the ‘here and now’ as HR teams struggle to keep up with day-to-day human resources issues.
In addition to the management of increased day-to-day HR activities, such as overseeing shorter working weeks, re-negotiating staff contracts and managing employee redundancies, many human resources teams have seen their own departments dramatically reduce, leaving senior HR managers without day-to-day administrative support.
The effect of the economic situation was felt in HR departments within the US approximately six months before the UK. The results have seen headcounts frozen and a dramatic reduction in HR professionals with many HR teams functioning with only a core staff. There has also been a focus on consolidation throughout many businesses and a direct emphasis on continually employee cost reduction.
As certain industries have begun looking to recruit, some HR teams have been able to recruit for critical posts. However, the changes that have taken place throughout the economy during the past six months have created a range of new recruitment challenges for HR managers. These include a higher number of applicants for every vacancy and a broad diversity of applications from potential employees offering a range of skills. With smaller departments and a lack of administrative support the task knowing where to advertise cost effectively and having the time to CV sift, screen candidates, plan interviews and respond to each applicant is now an overwhelming challenge.
New challenges facing the industry
As the human resources industry struggles to keep pace with the changes affecting it, insights by eSift.co.uk have shown the five most pressing issues human resources managers currently face. These include: -
Managing the existing workforce and offering re-assurance to the employees who will remain especially after a widespread redundancy process
Implementing and completing redundancy plans in a timely and professional manor
Change management within their own department and throughout the company
Reducing costs throughout the HR team
Looking at ways to outsource to specialists in certain areas, i.e. recruitment and training
Although each of these issues are likely to resonate with many HR managers throughout the UK and internationally, the issue of recruitment has been one of the most prominent areas highlighted. Further research into this confirms that management boards are allowing HR managers to recruit critical hire’s, but are tightly controlling recruitment costs.
Conclusion
There is little doubt that 2009 will be a tough year for the human resources industry. HR managers will be pressured to focus on strategic HR issues, but with a reduced administrative staff struggling to handle the day-to-day activities. The next 12 months will also see an increase of contract and interim workers within the HR industry as many organisations focus more on outsourcing.
Many organisations will recruit critical staff; and only after the HR team has audited current staff resources to ensure existing headcount is being used to its full potential. Any recruitment that does occur must be proven with a watertight business case and the successful candidate must meet both current and future business needs.
Overall 2009 will be a year of consolidation on the back of large-scale recruitment freezes.
HR Managers will look to get their house in order before embarking on any growth plans and
when they do they will use a recruitment method that delivers in a cost effective way,
reducing pressure on their internal HR team and outsourcing the non essential HR tasks.
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Flat Fee Recruitment
During this quarter we have also decided to introduce a new service, a Flat Fee Recruitment solution which is ideal for clients who do not wish to pay a penny until they have found the right candidate. This service is suited to positions that may not generate the level of response required through our Response Management service as we also include CV searching. This service has also been popular as it is very similar to the traditional recruitment agency service but without the placement fees.
We will advertise your vacancy on the websites (Reed, Total Jobs and Monster) and CV search on your vacancy.
All this for only £850 per candidate (plus VAT)
We will advertise your vacancy on the websites (Reed, Total Jobs and Monster) and CV search on your vacancy.
All this for only £850 per candidate (plus VAT)
1st Quarter
It is the end of the first quarter and we have done well. eSift has managed to come in just under our ambitious target and Geraldine and I are delighted. Although our spending was higher than we had thought what we have achieved has been great. One thing we have learnt over the past three months has to be the type of supplier we use.
We have two main suppliers at the moment a PR company, and a Telemarketing company. They are companies like us relatively new and small, they are passionate about what they do and in turn are keen to do a great job for us which they do. Both have taken the time to understand our business and believe in the service we provide. These were contacts found through networking.
We attend networking events not in the hope of getting loads of business but to talk through ideas and to give and get feedback from other businesses. It always amazes me how people can come up with something so completely different to you on the exact some product.
We have two main suppliers at the moment a PR company, and a Telemarketing company. They are companies like us relatively new and small, they are passionate about what they do and in turn are keen to do a great job for us which they do. Both have taken the time to understand our business and believe in the service we provide. These were contacts found through networking.
We attend networking events not in the hope of getting loads of business but to talk through ideas and to give and get feedback from other businesses. It always amazes me how people can come up with something so completely different to you on the exact some product.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
eSift - Case Study
eSift.co.uk Customer Case Study: Treatment 4 Water
Background:
Treatment 4 Water is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of chemical equipment and services for water systems in industrial, commercial and institutional property. The company
offers a fresh and innovative approach towards cost effective water management. Treatment 4 Water customers include Hospitals, Prisons, and the Ministry of Defence. The company’s core business involves managing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and is managed by a small team of senior executives focused largely on service innovation. The business has annual revenues exceed £500,000.
Challenge:
Treatment 4 Water has less than 10 employees and is a small business. With a small team, the business has limited human resources support and as a result, senior managers are regularly involved in day-to-day human resources issues without any formal experience/training.
Without dedicated internal human resources support Treatment 4 Water has traditionally relied on the senior management team to draft job specifications and write advertisements. Relying on senior managers for day-to-day human resources tasks has meant vital management time being utilised on non-essential tasks. This has also meant that the time taken to draft the relevant documents has increased and has significantly lengthened the entire recruitment process.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “Traditionally Treatment 4 Water has always found recruitment difficult. We do not have a dedicated HR team so senior managers are often tasked with writing job specifications. We are a busy team with many customer priorities; as a result non essential tasks can sometimes slip.”
Issues:
One of the most important recruitment issues for Treatment 4 Water is time. Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “The impact on the business of not filling vacancies quickly is huge. With a small team of employees servicing over 90 customers, every member of the team has an important role to play - when we are missing a team member the whole business feels the effect.”
Within the current economic environment it is not surprising that budgets are an issue. However, this is not for the most obvious reason, comments Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water. “In the past we have used a traditional recruitment agency to fill vacancies at Treatment 4 Water. Although this reduced the amount of time we spent on recruitment the service we received was questionable, and at the end of process we received an invoice for over 15% of the salary we paid - costing the business thousands of pounds.”
Solution:
In November 2008, Treatment 4 Water approached eSift.co.uk, the UK’s first on-line recruitment advertising, response management and CV sifting business. Treatment 4 Water urgently needed to recruit a contract administrator to focus on customer relations and manage the progress of contracts.
Geraldine Cole, director at eSift.co.uk comments, “We spoke with Treatment 4 Water on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon we had the job specification drafted, the advertisement written and approved and had placed the vacancy onto job boards including Monster, Total Jobs and Reed.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “One of the areas that impressed us most was the speed of delivery. eSift.co.uk had a team of experienced recruitment consultants ready to act, they worked with us to take a brief and drafted all of the relevant documentation quickly, effectively and to a high professional standard.”
Having received over 80 applications within four days eSift.co.uk presented Treatment 4 Water with each applicants full CV and a list of recommended candidates to interview for a single fee of £450.
Having fulfilled the original brief, Treatment 4 Water asked eSift.co.uk if they could continue to assist with the recruitment process. Having reviewed the recommended CV’s, eSift.co.uk then handled all of the candidate telephone interviews, as well as responding to all of the applications received and sourced and managed the references of the successful applicant.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments “The entire recruitment process took less than two weeks from start-to-finish. The quality and speed of service was outstanding leaving myself and the senior team to focus on our core business.”
Williams continues, “The return-on-investment from eSift.co.uk has been remarkable. Traditional recruitment agencies previously charged us 17% of a candidate’s salary, which worked out at approximately £3,400. eSift.co.uk charged less than 14% of this, delivering Treatment 4 Water an amazing return-on-investment.”
Background:
Treatment 4 Water is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of chemical equipment and services for water systems in industrial, commercial and institutional property. The company
offers a fresh and innovative approach towards cost effective water management. Treatment 4 Water customers include Hospitals, Prisons, and the Ministry of Defence. The company’s core business involves managing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease and is managed by a small team of senior executives focused largely on service innovation. The business has annual revenues exceed £500,000.
Challenge:
Treatment 4 Water has less than 10 employees and is a small business. With a small team, the business has limited human resources support and as a result, senior managers are regularly involved in day-to-day human resources issues without any formal experience/training.
Without dedicated internal human resources support Treatment 4 Water has traditionally relied on the senior management team to draft job specifications and write advertisements. Relying on senior managers for day-to-day human resources tasks has meant vital management time being utilised on non-essential tasks. This has also meant that the time taken to draft the relevant documents has increased and has significantly lengthened the entire recruitment process.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “Traditionally Treatment 4 Water has always found recruitment difficult. We do not have a dedicated HR team so senior managers are often tasked with writing job specifications. We are a busy team with many customer priorities; as a result non essential tasks can sometimes slip.”
Issues:
One of the most important recruitment issues for Treatment 4 Water is time. Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “The impact on the business of not filling vacancies quickly is huge. With a small team of employees servicing over 90 customers, every member of the team has an important role to play - when we are missing a team member the whole business feels the effect.”
Within the current economic environment it is not surprising that budgets are an issue. However, this is not for the most obvious reason, comments Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water. “In the past we have used a traditional recruitment agency to fill vacancies at Treatment 4 Water. Although this reduced the amount of time we spent on recruitment the service we received was questionable, and at the end of process we received an invoice for over 15% of the salary we paid - costing the business thousands of pounds.”
Solution:
In November 2008, Treatment 4 Water approached eSift.co.uk, the UK’s first on-line recruitment advertising, response management and CV sifting business. Treatment 4 Water urgently needed to recruit a contract administrator to focus on customer relations and manage the progress of contracts.
Geraldine Cole, director at eSift.co.uk comments, “We spoke with Treatment 4 Water on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon we had the job specification drafted, the advertisement written and approved and had placed the vacancy onto job boards including Monster, Total Jobs and Reed.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments, “One of the areas that impressed us most was the speed of delivery. eSift.co.uk had a team of experienced recruitment consultants ready to act, they worked with us to take a brief and drafted all of the relevant documentation quickly, effectively and to a high professional standard.”
Having received over 80 applications within four days eSift.co.uk presented Treatment 4 Water with each applicants full CV and a list of recommended candidates to interview for a single fee of £450.
Having fulfilled the original brief, Treatment 4 Water asked eSift.co.uk if they could continue to assist with the recruitment process. Having reviewed the recommended CV’s, eSift.co.uk then handled all of the candidate telephone interviews, as well as responding to all of the applications received and sourced and managed the references of the successful applicant.
Kevin Williams, Director at Treatment 4 Water comments “The entire recruitment process took less than two weeks from start-to-finish. The quality and speed of service was outstanding leaving myself and the senior team to focus on our core business.”
Williams continues, “The return-on-investment from eSift.co.uk has been remarkable. Traditional recruitment agencies previously charged us 17% of a candidate’s salary, which worked out at approximately £3,400. eSift.co.uk charged less than 14% of this, delivering Treatment 4 Water an amazing return-on-investment.”
Friday, 20 March 2009
Personality
I completed a few questions to find out what colour my personality is and what that tells me, I have to say it is quite accurate here is what it said:
As a High Yellow you are friendly, enthusiastic and gregarious. Youlike being where the action is and thrive on admiration,acknowledgment and compliments.You are an eternal optimist with an abundance of charisma. Yourstrengths are your enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness and warmth. Youare an idea person that excels in getting others excited about yourvision.You can be more effective by learning to use your left brain more tobecome more objective, concentrate on tasks, follow through, take amore logical approach and more. Anyone who knows me will be smiling to themselves having read the above, I always look at the glass half full and do need the odd compliment to keep me happy!
As a High Yellow you are friendly, enthusiastic and gregarious. Youlike being where the action is and thrive on admiration,acknowledgment and compliments.You are an eternal optimist with an abundance of charisma. Yourstrengths are your enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness and warmth. Youare an idea person that excels in getting others excited about yourvision.You can be more effective by learning to use your left brain more tobecome more objective, concentrate on tasks, follow through, take amore logical approach and more. Anyone who knows me will be smiling to themselves having read the above, I always look at the glass half full and do need the odd compliment to keep me happy!
London
I spent the day in London yesterday, Marc was taking part in the Vertical Rush for Shelter the race up Tower 42 so we decided to make a day of it. Congratulations to everyone who took part and well done for raising so much money for such a great cause. Following the race we took the tube and went to the Science Museum it was the first time both of us have been since we were young, it was great fun. They now have so many interactive activities which were great fun and we enjoyed learning a few facts. Following lunch we went to the Natural History Museum (we had a very educational day!!) again so much fun!!
It is so different going to London for social reasons rather than business, I always laugh at myself when I go to London on business as something magical seems to happen on the train. I get on at Ascot walking at a normal pace smiling and talking to people, I get on the train I sit and look out the window watching the world go by not aware of any changes that are happening. Then the conductor announces we are arriving at Waterloo... I get off the train my head is down and I can't look up and I am walking faster than I can normally run!!? My day is spent like this there is no stopping this until I get off the train back in Ascot. Please tell me this happens to you??
So it was good to be relaxed and enjoy London and really see it like a tourist, to stroll down the pavements looking around at all the people and the buildings, we sat and had a long lunch watching the world go by. It was a great day.
It is so different going to London for social reasons rather than business, I always laugh at myself when I go to London on business as something magical seems to happen on the train. I get on at Ascot walking at a normal pace smiling and talking to people, I get on the train I sit and look out the window watching the world go by not aware of any changes that are happening. Then the conductor announces we are arriving at Waterloo... I get off the train my head is down and I can't look up and I am walking faster than I can normally run!!? My day is spent like this there is no stopping this until I get off the train back in Ascot. Please tell me this happens to you??
So it was good to be relaxed and enjoy London and really see it like a tourist, to stroll down the pavements looking around at all the people and the buildings, we sat and had a long lunch watching the world go by. It was a great day.
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