Category: Blogs

Due to the fact that we speak to hundreds of companies in a week, I am constantly asked for my opinion on what the future holds, what will the IT landscape look like, what roles are going to be in demand, how is Brexit going to affect hiring strategies. Now if I had the answers to these questions Abramovich’s yacht would pale next to mine!

In short, although there is a lot of doom and gloom out there at the moment, and whilst some companies hiring strategies are on hold, the majority of our clients are business as usual. And our client base is extremely diverse, ranging from start-up Fintech companies to the government.

Why? Well, the answer to this is quite simple…evolve or die and as a result with cloud computing and the ever enhancing digital landscape companies are focussing heavily in IT transformation, and will continue to do so.

As a Recruiter focussing on IT Architecture and Strategy, I haven’t seen any decline in demand for both permanent and interim consultants, and our market research suggests that demand will only increase as more and more small to medium sized business focus more on IT and the profitability it can add to a company when done right.

So I would like to conclude…it is business as usual, it has to be business as usual so chin up and let’s look forward to the exciting innovations yet to come.

– Amir

For more information on the IT Architecture market, contact Amir Rasool.

Data is the key to success and many companies are looking into data to make decisions. According to Raconteur, data is playing and going to continue to play a huge part in the years to come. Currently, Big Data assists companies to make faster decisions with evidence to back it up and can enable more accurate decision making in the process.

In the near future, we can see that personalised marketing to a companies customer base and the prediction of future market trends will be an enormous benefit from Big Data and Data Analytics.

If Data is used correctly, companies can lower risks and in the next three years, Data Analytics is going to have a huge impact on technology, media and telecoms.

 

 

Source: Raconteur

Effective onboarding of new employees improves morale, performance and retention and with new technology, it’s even easier to implement a successful strategy.
 
Here are workforce.com’s top tips for engaging employees and maximising their productivity as soon as they are hired:
 
  • Send welcome messages – either written or video, a welcome message from key personnel introduces new recruits to the senior team and gets them excited about their new role
  • Go online – create an internal portal where employees can complete forms, undertake training and learn about the organisation. This accelerates the process and allows employees to take responsibility for their onboarding too
  • Be social – when hiring larger groups of new employees in one go, create an online community where they can meet other new starters, especially if they are younger. This will help them to settle more quickly and develop a sense of belonging
  • Track tasks – using task management tools can help you to track whether new employees are on track with their onboarding programme, making it easier for you to manage
Using technology can streamline the onboarding process, making it more consistent and ultimately engaging and motivating employees, often before their first day. 
 
Demand for IT contractors has seen a change of direction in the last few months with demand slowly improving month-on-month, despite a small dip in August.

September’s index is the highest the demand has been since the Brexit decision in June with 55.6. Although it isn’t where it was at the beginning of the year where demand sat at 60.2, it is clear that IT contractor demand is regaining steam.

 

 

Although August did see a minor fall in demand compared to July with August seeing an index score of 53.4 against Julys 53.7, this hasn’t hindered the growth of demand. As the uncertainty of Brexit wanes down, employers are becoming more confident in employing for temporary positions. Tom Hadley, REC’s Director of Policy explains that this is “further evidence that UK employers have shrugged off the initial shock of the referendum result,”.

The IT contractor jobs index slow down that occurred for the last 5 months took a downturn in August making it the lowest that market has been for monthly growth in over 2 years with an index score 58.7, 1.6 lower than June and July where the score experienced a plateau. Despite the market being at its lowest, the market is still experiencing growth – an index score over 50 shows growth compared to the previous month.

A report from REC signals that contractors and employers may have been off during the holiday period, thus the demand decreasing.

According to Kevin Green, Chief executive, REC, the UK job market is “entering a new phase”. Kevin explains due to the shortage of talent, employment will still see a growth, but the growth will be at a slower pace compared to the past two years.

With the expected growth of the market and shortage of skills, contractors may see longer contracts and improved pay as employers will want to retain the contractors possessing skills that they are in need of.  

The demand for IT contractors has seen a slow down during the last few months, but the demand has once again started to grow by the end of May.

According to a report from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), April saw a demand market index of 52.9 (score over 50 shows growth over the previous month), making April the lowest index score for the last three years. For the first time this year, the demand for IT contractors has seen a growth compared to its previous month with a market index score of 55.0.

 

Month

Index Score

January

60.2

February

57.4

March

56.4

April

52.9

May

55.0

 

The growth may be due to the uncertainty of the EU referendum, which may make employing contractors more favourable over permanent staff. But will the EU referendum affect the demand for IT contractors after a decision has been made?

The REC’s report also explains that there is a shortage for IT Security, Analytics, Digital, Business Intelligence, Development, Gaming, Mobile App, SQL, PHP and .Net positions. It has also been recorded that there was a shortage of IT contractors with Java, PHP, Development, Digital, Business Intelligence and Business Analysis skills.

The IT contractor market has not seen any improvements in June but it has not declined either compared to results seen in May.

In REC’s (Recruitment & Employment Confederation) latest index report, the demand for IT contractors in June currently sits at 60.3 which has not moved from the previous month. A score above 50 compared to the previous month still signifies growth in the market but what is notable is that this is the first time this year that the growth rate for IT contractors flat lined.

Could the levelling off be the effects of shortages in high demand skills? Bernard Brown, partner at KPMG which co-authors the report, seems to think so and explains that “The number of skilled workers looking for new roles fell considerably…, stifling hiring activity”, he continued. “Recruiters are struggling to fill vacancies for everything from software engineers to sales.”

The IT contractor market areas that were in short supply last month were in Development, Digital, Gaming, Web, PHP and Java.

Regardless of the skills shortage, there is a positive for IT contractors who possess the skills that are in demand. The lack of skills has driven the salaries for the desired skills up. IT contractors are able to request a premium for businesses that a desperate to secure those skills. This is basic supply and demand.

If you are looking for vacancies with these highly demanded skills, feel free to visit the Certes jobs board where we have many vacancies in a variety of industries and sectors .

 

From the most closely contested election in decades to the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 2015 looks set to be a momentous year. In the spirit of future-gazing, here are our predictions for the sectors and skills that will be making the IT headlines in the first quarter of 2015.

Contactless payment

After much excitement and anticipation, smartphone payment technology looks set to finally become a reality on the UK high street. The rollout of Apple Pay is reported to be on the horizon for the first half of the year and, in line with other Apple innovations, the launch of the ‘wave and pay’ service is expected to finally convince consumers on the value of this new technology.

Information security

After the Sony hacking and other high profile breaches, information security has risen up the corporate and political agenda, exacerbating talent shortages still further. With network and information security skills already 7th on Linked In’s list of most in-demand UK skills and new government measures being introduced to support the cyber security industry, talented IT professionals in this sector could enjoy a lucrative 12 months.

Big data

Severe skills shortages have already enabled big data professionals to command higher than average IT salaries and with more and more sectors realising the business benefits of using consumer data to predict future trends, demand for big data experts will grow in 2015. Described by SAS UK and Ireland as the ‘new oil’ that will power the future information economy, big data is definitely one to watch.

The interview is the most daunting part of the job hunting process. It use to be that candidates would have to travel to where their potential employers were located and depending on the distance could be very troublesome for candidates, such as being stuck in traffic, getting lost or travel costs.

To avoid these mishaps, employers are gravitating towards phone and video interviews.

Candidates receive a huge benefit while being interviewed with these methods as the candidates travel cost, journey or the location of the premise is removed from the equation. In all this takes away some stress for the candidates.

But the main question is how do you handle an interview over the phone or video?

 

Prepare, prepare, prepare!

Do not go into a job interview blind. Being under the spotlight has the tendency to make your mind go blank. If possible keep a copy of CV close at hand for quick referencing.

Interviews are a chance for employers to find out more about you. It is also a way for you to find out more about the company and other roles that your job will entail. Prepare some questions for the employer and take this opportunity to gather more information.

 

Dress to impress

Just because you’re in your own surroundings, don’t get comfortable. You might think that having a phone interview this wouldn’t matter and would be more appropriate for video interviews, but if you dress for the interview you will feel more confident. For video interviews it shows the interviewer that you are taking the interview seriously.

 

Your location

Some of us may live with families or roommates and thus background noise will be a given. Be sure to have a room that minimises the noise. Beforehand, inform the people that you live with that you will be having an interview and also make sure that the room that you are in is tidied up, especially for a video interview.

 

Can you hear me now?

If you are attending a phone interview, your best choice would be to use a landline as mobiles may have problems with reception. If you can’t avoid using a mobile, ensure that your mobile is fully charged. The same should be done for your computers/laptops if you are doing a video interview. If you can, keep your laptop plugged in and hardwired for internet access.

 

You speak so eloquently

Even with a face-to-face interview you will need to speak clearly. If the previous tips are in place then this will be easier to do so. Remember, you’re trying to show that you’re the person for the job; if you can’t communicate that over the interview then the interviewer will undoubtedly think that you will not be able to communicate well working for them.

 

Although you feel more at ease in your own home, you should treat your phone or video interview as any other interview.

I’m a search and selection consultant who focuses on two permanent verticals, Heads of Department and IT BRM/BPs.  For the latter, I’ve seen a significant increase in advertised roles over two years as more IT functions realise the importance of the IT BRM/BP department in allowing IT to become less of a cost centre and more of a strategic partner.  The importance of this shift can be backed up by various reports, such as the below from McKinsey.

However, what I’ve also seen is the introduction and subsequent demise of the IT BRM/BP function which based on the general feedback from the IT BRM/BP forums I run is due to culture (see Culture is key). With that point in mind, we’ve partnered with Jon Baxter Associates, an expert in the IT BRM/BP field and produced a simple survey designed to allow us to understand how your current IT BRM/BP function operates and within what context.

This survey is the first of its kind and is an exciting opportunity to share insight with peers. By completing the anonymised survey you’ll also receive the finalised report at the end of November, which gives you an overview of Business Partnering in UK industry in 2016, entry into our prize draw (1st prize £200 amazon.co.uk voucher) and upon request a personalised report (that provides expert insight and opportunities to consider).

The survey will take no more than 20 minutes. Click here to complete the survey. Completion must be before the 1st November 2016

We’ll be providing an overview at the November forum (date TBA) of the insights gathered from the survey results and an announcement of the prize draw winner.

Please also feel free to forward this blog to colleagues and friends within the IT BRM/BP community, as the more data we have the more insightful the survey will be.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself (james.odriscoll@certes.co.uk) or Jon (jon@baxterthompson.com)

 

– James