Job Market News : January 2007 - May 2008
Inclement Climate ... Almost half of Uk business leaders (43%) create a demotivating working environment for staff, a new report has found. A survey of 2,863 employees across 51 firms by management consultancy Hay Group found a further 16% only managed to generate a neutral environment, meaning more than half (59%) of managers were failing to create a positive working climate. But almost a quarter (23%) succeeded in creating a high-performance environment and an additional fifth (18%) were able to generate an energising atmosphere. Of those who created a high-performance climate, 70% used a combination of affiliative participative and coaching leadership styles. Hay Group claims that 30% of business performance is dependent on a motivational working climate. Source: Hay Group
Health and Safety. . . More than half employers believe future health and safety laws should shift more responsibility onto employees, new rearch shows. The survey of 250 employers also found that nearly three-quarters of respondents felt the cost of complying with health and safety laws had increased over the past year. Stress topped the list of fastest growing risks to health and safety in the office, cited by 45% of respondents. Trips and falls came second, with almost a quarter of those surveyed naming it the fastest growing risk. The issue of least worry to employers was bullying, as only 2% said it was the fastest growing risk to health and safety in the office.
Source: Consult GEE
Bullying . . . four-fifths of workers have been bullied in the workplace, according to a survey by the Samaritans. And 83% of the 2,600 respondents admitted they would rather say they were sick with an illness such as flu than admit to being stressed. Over a third (38%) of employees aged 18 to 24 said they were unlikely to talk openly with their managers about bullying and stress at work. Meanwhile, more than half of other age groups said they had been bullied by their managers. Almost half of those surveyed (43%) felt their bosses tried to get as much out of them as possible regardless of their stress levels, and nearly a third (32%) said their employer turned a blind eye to workplace stress. Source: Samaritans
Equality . . UK employees are unhappy about levels of discrimination against disable people in the workplace, research has found. A survevy of 984 full-time workers across the UK asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with various workplace issues on a scale of 0-100%. Satisfaction with attitudes towards people with mental disabilities achieved an average level of only 37%. Workers were also unhappy about attitudes towards staff with physical disabilities (47% satisfaction level) and attitudes to religious beliefs (42%). But satisfaction levels with gender equality were surprising. Men admitted to being only 57% happy with their employer´s accommodation of gender equality, while women were 64% satisfied. Source: Unum
Workplace Stress . . . the most annoyiing office worker habit that stresses out other colleagues is making excuses to avoid work. An online survey of more than 1,000 employees across the UK, by HR Services provider Ceridian, showed 21% of respondents were most irritated by tall tales to shirk work. A further 11% cited tantrums and arguments in open spaces as the most stressful behaviour from colleagues. However, 58% said they would not complain to their manager about colleague´s stress-inducing behaviour, and two-thirds would refrain from making a complaint to the HR Department. Source: Ceridian
Latest studies show ... despite an increase in the number of companies offering flexible working, employees are failing to reap the benefits, according to new research. A survey by the Orange Future Enterprise Coalition found that 40% of flexible workers said they were not able to make more use of their leisure time and did not have quality time with their families. Almost half indicated that flexibility meant working more during free time, evenings and weekends. But the survey of 1440 UK workers also found that 50% thought that being able to work more flexibly will be an important factor in choosing their next job. Source: Orange Future Enterprise Coalition
Relocation - arranging accommodation is the top challenge faced by HR managers relocating staff into the UK from abroad, according to research. A survey of 100 HR professionals worldwide by NatWest Global Employee Banking found that this was the main difficulty cited by 25% of respondents, followed by obtaining a visa (20%) and finding a suitable school for the employee´s children (18%). UK companies spend 1,500 hours and more than ₤400K relocating staff each year. The most desired country for relocation owas Australia, follo
Source: NatWest Global Employee Banking
Job Satisfaction - employees salaries are the only aspect of their jobs they are more satisfied with than last year. An annual job satisfaction survey by disability insurer Unum found that although salary satisfaction had increased from 53% last year to 54% this year, workers were growing less satisfied with many other aspects of their role, including the working environment and benefits such as health cover and gym membership. The biggest drop - 52% in 2006 to 47% this year - was in satisfaction with the amount of autonomy workers were given. The survey was based on responses from almost 1,000 full-time working adults. Source: www.unum.co.uk
Unemployment - The unemployment rate was 5.4% in the three months to June, down 0.2 of a percentage point on the quarter and down 0.1 of a percentage point over the year. The number of unemployed people fell by 45,000 over the quarter and by 29,000 over the year, to reach 1.65 million. The claimant count for jobseekers allowance in July was 855,300, down 8,500 on the previous month and down 99,800 on the year. Source: National Statistics www.statistics.gov.uk
Disposable Income - Managers in emerging economies are enjoying more disposable income than those in Western countries, according to research. A report by Hay Group found that managers in countries such as Russia, Turkey and Mexico were enjoying much higher levels of buying power for their pay than their counterparts in advanced economies such as the UK and US. The study, which covered 47 countries, ranked the UK at fortieth for management buying power and the US at twenty-fourth. Managers in oil-rich and tax-free states such as Saudi Arabia took home the highest disposable incomes, with pay equating to buying power in excess of $220K (₤108K). Source: Hay Group
Latest studies show - More than half (57%) of UK recruitment agencies believe the proposed temporary agency workers bill would place unnecessary pressure on businesses relying on temporary workers, according to research. The survey of 100 senior managers in the UK recruitment agencies, by Bibby Financial Services, found that only 14% of respondents viewed the bill - which would give temps the same rights as permanent staff - in a positive light, expecting it to increase the number of people looking for work. More than a third of respondents (34%) said the bill would encourage firms to stop using temps regularly. Source: Bibby Financial Services
Graduate-level vacancies are set to rise for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Graduate Recruitment Survey 2007, produced by the Association of Graduate Recruiters and based on responses from 219 employers The survey found that the number of graduate positions was anticipated to rise by 12.7%, a significant increase on last year´s rise of 5.2%. Accountancy and professional services provided most vacancies (23%), followed by banking or financial services (12.2%). Employers received an average of 29.2 applications per vacancy, with fast-moving consumer goods companies leading the way at an average of 104 applications per post. Source: association of Graduate Recruiters
Graduate Salaries - Graduate pay has slowed to an average starting salary of around ₤20.8 according to research by Hay Group. The 2007 First Rung Graduate Pay Trends report found that despite a 2.5% rise since 2006, wage inflation for graduates lagged behind national levels of 3.5% over the past year. Engineering was the best paid, boasting an average starting salary of ₤22.197. The report, based on information from 499 UK organisations, also showed that, for the second year running, public-sector starter salaries were racing ahead of those in the private sector, with the average salary for graduates joining the civil service being ₤21,885 - 3.1% above the private sector at ₤21,223. Source: Hay Group
Staff Morale - Staff morale is lowest in the public sector, according to a new research. In a survey of 490 UK managers by management institute Roffey Park, nearly 40% of respondents in the public sector said orale was low in their organisation. In the private and not-for-profit sectors, the figures were 16% and 6% respectively. The largest number of respondents citing high morale were in the not-for-profit sector, with about 30% saying this was the case. Source: www.roffeypark.com
Public Speaking - British bosses find public speaking the most terrifying business activity, according to research. The survey of 200 UK senior managers and directors, by the Aziz Corporation, found that almost half (42%) of bosses claimed that speaking in public was the most daunting aspect of their job, with 34% having had a bad experience of the activity in the past. Compared with other business tasks, 60% of respondents said they found addressing a large conference very difficult or quite difficult. The most daunting form of public speaking for executives was a TV interview, which 80% said they would be scared to face. Source: www.azizcorp.com
Homeworkers - Employers cite improved productivity as the greatest benefit of homeworking according to research. The survey of 400 companies by HR service provider Ceridian found that although only 25% of companies currently permitted homeworking, key benefits included increased productivity, greater commitment from staff and higher morale. The survey also found taht 86% of the 100 firms that did offer homeworking did not attempt to measure the financial benefit to the business. The most commonly cited pitfalls included employees abusing the system, health and safety issues and restricted communication. Source: Ceridian www.ceridian.co.uk
Hot jobs - According to a survey by Manpower, the jobs employers are finding difficulty in filling in 2007 compared to 2006 are ranked in order as follows:
2007 Hot Jobs 2006 Hot Jobs
1. Sales Representatives 1. Sales Representatives
2. Skilled Manual Trades 2. Engineers
3. Technicians 3. Technicians
4. Engineers 4. Production Operators
5. Accounting and Finance Staff 5. Skilled Manual Trades
6. Labourers 6. IT staff
7. Production Operators 7. Administrative Assistants/PAs
8. Drivers 8. Drivers
9. Management/Executives 9. Accountants
10. Machinists/Operators 10. Management/Executives
Source: www.manpower.com/researchcenter
Sickness Absence - Almost half of employers promote staff health initiatives and benefits to reduce sickness absence, according to new research. A survey of 382 employers in 16 European countries by Mercer Human Resource Consulting found that health screening was the most popular benefit offered to staff (60%) followed by flexible holidays (35%) and flexible working (53%). The survey also found that employers had varying opinions on how much of employee absence was down to genuine ill health. Over a quarter of respondents believed less than 20% of staff absence was sickness-related, although a similar proportion thought more than 80% of days off were caused by ill health. Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting. www.mercerhr.com
Skills Shortages - Nearly 40% of UK employers are struggling to fill positions owing to a lack of staff with the right skills, according to research. Manpower´s 2007 Talent Shortage Survey of more than 1,800 UK employers revealed that the hardest positions to fill were in skilled manual trades such as electricians, carpenters, bricklayers and plumbers, administration and engineering. On a global basis, employers having the most difficulty finding the right people are those in Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Talent shortages were found to be least problematic in India, Ireland and China. Source: www.manpower.com/researchcenter
HR Management - People managers will be central to the workplace of the future, according to research. A survey of 165 international HR directors by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that almost two-thirds (62%) thought there would be an HR chief on the board of most organisations by 2015. The majority 85% thought attracting and retaining talent would be their biggest challenge over the next five years, followed by providing clear metrics for HR performance (65%). Almost half (46%) believed executive pay levels across Europe would be more transparent by 2015. Source: www.pwc.com
Salaries - Workers in China, India and Eastern Europe will receive the bigggest pay rises in 2007, according to research. A report by management consultancy Hay Group found that `real´salary rises this year would be greatest in China, with a predicted increase of 7.8% for professionals, 7.9% for administrative workers and 8.9% for senior management. Employees in India, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia can also expect good pay rises, while rises for workers in the West are expected to be much lower: real wage rises are predicted to increase by onlyt 1.5% for UK workers and by 1.4% for those in the US. The figures are based on 13,000 employers´ expected increases in salaries once inflation has been discounted. Source: www.haygroup.com
Job Creation - More than 34,200 jobs were created across the UK´s 21 key industries in February - a 2% increase on February 2006. The insurance and pensions sector recorded the biggest increase in job creation compared with last year, with 155 jobs created, up from 6.
Source: www.adecco.co.uk www.mandis.co.uk
The Fall of Female Managers - The number of female senior managers in major UK businesses has fallen by nearly half (42%) in the past five years, according to a new study. The study by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that women currently account for just 22% of senior manager posts in FTSE 350 companies, compared with 38% in 2002. The report attributed the drop to higher childcare costs and increasing numbers of women setting up businesses on their own. Geographically, the highest proportion of women in senior roles was in central London (7%) followed by London (6%) and Glasgow (6%). Findings based on data from 10,000 UK management roles.
Source: PrivewaterhosueCoopers www.pwc.com/uk
Key Line Manager Attributes - Leadership and communication skills are the attributes most UK workers respect in their immediate line manaager, research has revealed. A survey of 2,000 employees by YouGov and Imprint Search & Selection found that 51% of respondents said communicating effectively was a line manager´s most important trait. Forty-three percent said leadership skills were important, and 35% said managing and resolving conflict was a vital attribute. The survey also found that Richard Branson was the most respected business leader for his innovative thinking (43%) although only 5% of respondents thought this was an important trait in their line manager. Source: Imprint Search & Selection www.imprintsearch.com
Recruitment Trends - Just under half (45%) of UK employers plan to recruit new employees this year, according to new research. The survey of 24 UK hiring managers and 421 workers, by jobsite CareerBuilder.co.uk also found that 31% anticipated no change in their headcount in 2007, while 12% expected decreases. Twenty per cent of employers said they would recruit in bulk, expecting to aedd more than 100 new staff to their workforce in the year ahead, while 40% said they would recruit up to 50 new workers. The most common types of positions that employers said they would be recruiting included sales, IT, accounting and finance, customer service and healthcare. The top ways that employers planned to recruit and retain their staff included increasing salaries for existing employees (82%) and rehiring retirees from other firms or providing incentives for workers approaching retirement age to stay with the company longer (30%). Source: www.careerbuilder.co.uk
Staff Retention Initiatives - More and more companies are turning to training and development to motivate and retain top talent, according to a recent survey. The research by recruitment firm Robert Half International found that three out of four managers (73%) used training to retain and motivate staff. This was followed by career development programmes (37%) and financial compensation (31%). The global survey of more than 2,300 HR and finance managers also found that 26% of managers thought new starters first entering the workforce failed to adapt to corporate culture during the first three months of their tenure. Source: www.roberthalf.co.uk
Earnings - Average earnings excluding bonus payments increased by 3.7% in the year to December, down from 3.8% the previous month. Including bonus payments, the increase was 4% down from 4.1% in November. Private-sector pay growth excluding bonuses was 3.9%, compared with 3.1% for the public sector, including bonus payments, private-sector pay growth stood at 4.1% compared with 3.2% for the public sector. Source: www.statistics.gov.uk
Poor recruitment practices ... are damaging brands and turning off both potential employees and customers. Research by Capital Consulting found 23% of jobseekers had been treated badly by a prospective employer. Fifty three per cent said they would avoid purchasing products and services from a company that had treated them poorly. The survey of over 2,500 adults also found 55% of jobseekers would tell at least three people of their experience. A third of respondents had been asked irrelevant questions (34%) or asked to do unrelated tests (30%). Source: www.capitalconsulting.com
A Perfect Career is a careers advice website for jobseekers at every level and from all career categories and market sectors. The site covers: Changing Career ∙ Top Careers ∙ Career Helpline ∙ Changiing Jobs ∙ Banking Career ∙ Legal Career ∙ Training Career ∙ IT Project Manager∙ Job Market News ∙ CV Writing ∙ Resume Writing ∙ CV Help ∙ CV Resume Tips ∙ Sample CVs ∙ Interview Advice ∙ Interview Preparation ∙ Interview Questions ∙ Interview Answers ∙ Interview Tips ∙ Recruiter Viewpoints ∙ Job Hunting ∙ Executive Search ∙ Interim Careers ∙ Cover Letter ∙ Job Application Letter ∙ Thank-you Letter ∙ Follow-up Letter ∙ Job Applications ∙ Statement in Support ∙ Students & Graduates∙ Top Consulting firms ∙ Top Accounting firms∙ Work Problems ∙ Networking ∙ Managing Redundancy ∙ UK Outplacement Service and Job Search Links to leading recruitment agencies, executive search agencies, and quality education and training sites in the UK, Europe, USA, UAE and Asia
