16 profile
Supporting employers in the Thames Valley
While high unemployment figures in the headlines may suggest a surplus of available staff the real picture is more complicated according to Hays in Reading, the leading recruitment expert. Employers face an ongoing challenge to attract and retain the best employees for their organisation
Mehran Yadegari, director, explains: “Despite high unemployment skill shortages remain a pressing issue for employers. In fact, the recent CIPD/Hays Resourcing & Talent Planning report found that 82% of organisations have had recent difficulty filling vacancies. We work closely with employers to help them understand the recruitment trends in the region, supporting them in attracting and retaining the best people for their organisation.”
especially when the market is evolving as quickly as it is at the moment.
“More and more employers are coming to us for advice on trends in the market and how to recruit the best people with the right skills, and the rates of pay necessary to attract them. In turn, candidates seek our advice on the opportunities available to them and we can help them make those decisions.”
particularly for senior roles, looking for candidates who are able to offer a broader range of skills.
“Someone hired for their HR expertise may also need skills in areas such as communication, business partnering or learning and development,” said Goulding. “In an SME, a finance director might find themselves responsible for IT or HR on top of the finance role."
Recognising the importance of workplace culture
Hays is sponsoring the Best Company to Work For category in this year’s Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards, having seen the importance of workplace culture when it comes to attracting and motivating employees.
“Across the diverse range of employers in the Thames Valley region we have seen the difference that workplace culture and practices can make to the success of an organisation,” continued Goulding.
“Cultural fit plays a huge role in both an individual’s success at work and the overall success of the organisation, and the Best Company to Work For award is a great way of recognising those companies that understand and embrace this.”
The team works hard to engage with Reading’s business community; one recent quiz night raised over £2,500 for Alzheimer’s Society, as part of Hays’ UK wide fundraising efforts for the charity.
To help young people in the local area into work, Hays regularly holds workshops and advice sessions to help 18-24-year-olds improve their CVs and interview technique, and there are ambitious plans to work with local employers to set up a regional work experience scheme.
Mehran Yadegari and Chris Goulding
Hays’ Reading operation is led by Yadegari and fellow director Chris Goulding, who head up a team of 70 recruitment consultants covering a range of disciplines, including finance, marketing, construction, HR, procurement, IT and office support. The roles recruited for range from senior executives for major corporations to office support staff for SMEs, across permanent, temporary and contract roles.
“We’re able to make a real difference to employers because we can provide specialist advice in our different sectors,” said Yadegari. “For example, we don’t just have consultants recruiting for general IT roles, we have individuals who focus solely on IT infrastructure or development. In the construction team, our experts really understand the different trades and have an in-depth knowledge of the area’s employers.
“Some people assume we are just ‘job fillers’ but we are so much more. We bring real value to the recruitment process, which is really important,
www.businessmag.co.uk Encouraging signs
This perspective on the local employment market means Hays is able to see encouraging signs in the employment market for the coming months.
“We’re seeing an increased demand for temporary and interim workers, which is fuelled in part by some companies taking on interims before they commit to permanent staff,” continued Yadegari.
Although many businesses are still adjusting to hardships in the economy, demand for specialist skills in professional services has remained stable.
“There will always be a demand for professionals with skills in key areas such as taxation, treasury or corporate governance and even in the current climate these skilled individuals will often receive more than one job offer,” he added.
With a large pool of candidates for some roles, employers are able to be more demanding,
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY –SEPTEMBER 2012
“We have a huge client base and we would love to use that to put a programme together offering work experience, it’s another part of our goal to be seen as an organisation which adds value, not just as recruiters, but as part of the community,” concluded Yadegari. “For us, it’s about doing things differently and that’s how we want people to recognise us.”
Details:
Mehran Yadegari 07889-747875
mehran.yadegari@hays.com
Chris Goulding 07912-073940
chris.goulding@hays.com www.hays.co.uk
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