On April 6th 2016 the Finance Bill will be released and with it will come dramatic changes in the travel and subsistence pay for temporary workers in the UK.

Many temporary workers who are employed through an employment intermediary may suddenly find that their current lifestyle is about to undergo a drastic change.

So who exactly will be affected?

Any temporary workers who are working through an employment intermediary like an umbrella company or a recruitment agency who are claiming tax relief on subsistence and travelling to and from the place of work using public transportation (buses, trains, or the Tube).

What does this actually mean for these workers?

To simplify it, temporary workers who are currently claiming travel and subsistence benefits will no longer be able to claim this from April 6th 2016.

They will have to pay for their own public transport costs and will not be reimbursed for these expenses by the Government anymore.

What are the consequences of this to the worker?

These workers will have an overall ‘reduction’ in their net pay. If the travel expenses are not being covered by the Government, then it will come out of the workers’ own pockets.

This can be particularly detrimental to workers who are currently doing long commutes to work and who are already earning low pay rates and who may not be able to afford any further reductions in pay.

Are there any exceptions?

Only one. If a worker under the conditions above was to work in a different location from where they normally work for a one-off assignment then they would be open to claiming his/her travel costs as a 'business expense'.

This is based on the premise that this is an irregular activity which rarely occurs.

What does this mean in the long term?

Workers may be dissuaded from potentially taking on long commutes to work if they believe that this will now take a sizeable bite out of their earnings.

It will reduce the opportunities which are now viable for many temporary workers who depend on travel and subsistence pay to reach their areas of employment.

What does the industry think of this change?

-April 2016 marks a monumental shift in the world of temporary recruitment and may make employment for the average temporary worker more difficult than ever before.

-Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, workers may find that their take home pay will substantially reduce just because of their choice to use public transport to get to work.

-Simply put, it means that come this April a large proportion of the UK temporary workforce will be forced into reconsidering their current employment situation.

So what can you do about it?

To find out whether you will be affected by the legislation changes feel free to call Goldteam Recruitment on 0333 444 0222 to see whether we can assist you in finding a more cost-effective alternative to your employment situation. Let’s talk!

Everyone is always looking for the next piece of advice to get them to the next step in their career, love or life in general.

Most of the time great advice just leads to an evolution from bad habits into better new ones. Or negative mindsets to more positive ones.

When it comes to advice I always turn to my mentors - the people who've been there and done that and I’ve been blessed to have quite a few in my life.

This is especially true in the work place. Below is a small list of some of the best tips I got over the course of my career so far:

Spend less time thinking and more time doing. Now this doesn't mean spend less time planning - planning is always useful. But stop contemplating about things and follow your plan.

Make quick decisions and stand by them. Similar to above, it's the act of indecisiveness which is worse than making the wrong decision. Don't delay, act quickly!

Rejection or setbacks are never a bad thing. If something goes wrong then this is just an experience to learn from and become stronger. Remember every rejection is a lesson.

If you're going to do something go all in! Give it all you've got because if it's worth your time then it's also worth the best of you.

Everyone on the planet has to deal with an infinite amount of distractions however if you've got a good plan in place you will always return back to what you need to do.

So how can you improve your daily schedule and time management?

1) Use the first 20 minutes of your morning to plan your day. Even if this means getting up earlier, it's worth it. There's nothing more important than planning.

2) Work out how you typically spend a working day. Identify the most important tasks and prioritise these tasks to get done first.

3) Identify the least important tasks and find a way to reduce the time spent on these activities. This time can then be used on more important tasks.

4) Avoid rushing! Rushing is a symptom of bad planning and is detrimental to the quality of your work. If you find that you're rushing activities too often then go back and rework your plan.

5) Curb your addiction to social media. I know you want to check who's said what on Facebook or how many likes your post got on Instagram but at work cut it out!

You may not get everything finished, but as long as you follow a well-worked plan you will always get the important tasks completed and have a more stress free approach to the day.

For more fun tips feel free to visit www.goldteam.co.uk

If you're not sure then this article might be for you. Start making changes now to make yourself irreplaceable to your employer.

So what can you do? Here's five easy to implement tips to make you the dream employee that your employer always wanted:

1) Time management.

Are you using your time wisely? Don't over-invest in activities which are going to give you a minimal return. Always remember the 80-20 rule - 20% of what you do is going to produce 80% of your results. Find that 20% that matters.

2) Become sold on you!

You need to put yourself first because no one else will. If you don't start valuing your ideas and suggestions then no one will take you seriously. As soon as you start valuing yourself, the rest of the world will start valuing you.

3) Don't be taken for granted.

Make sure you set your boundaries ASAP. If you find that other employees keep offloading their work on to yourself then I'm sorry but you aren't being respected the way you should be.

Final Word

Every decision to develop yourself and to get value from others start with actions by you for YOU. The most important part of self-development is self-empowerment. You're the driving force in your world.

Confidence is a skill which is in huge demand but unfortunately in short supply. It is confidence which impresses interviewers. It is confidence which allows you to step out of your comfort zone and do new things. It is confidence which brings out the best in you.

So how do you get confidence?

Understand exactly what you bring to the table. Focus on your core strengths whilst removing those habits which make you doubt yourself. Look at what you do well and start from there.

Self-acceptance

Realise that the only source of confidence is you. Confidence is a reflection of how you feel on the inside and if you feel a mess then this is going to show in your outwards demeanour. Put yourself and your feelings first.

Dress to impress

Sometimes what you wear can prompt how you feel. It was once said that if you organise your outward appearance, then your mind will follow. If you look like a professional it won’t take look to start acting like it.

Break bad habits

Believe me when I say that if you're lacking confidence, then there are habits in your life which are making you feel that way. Identify what it is that you're doing which is making you feel this way and remove them – ASAP.

Develop a confidence building regime

This isn't as intense as it sounds. Just 2 minutes a day looking into a mirror and talking to yourself is a massive step forward. Many individuals who lack self-confidence lack the strength to even look themselves in the mirror for longer than 10 seconds.

Positivity

Positivity isn't just some fancy word thrown around by people who don't understand what it's like to face real hardship in life. Find ways to be positive throughout your day and this will lead to positive things being drawn towards yourself.

Final Word

Always value yourself, no one has greater importance in the world to you then ‘YOU’. You have to find ways to make confidence building a priority. If you don't, then you choose to live a life which is submissive to the rest of the world as opposed to leading it YOUR way.

Interviews are often seen as a one-sided affair. The candidate goes in for an interview, and is asked a series of questions about him or herself and then after the process is complete they are free to leave and will receive feedback within an appropriate time frame about their performance. Sound familiar?

The actual truth of the matter is that the interview isn’t just about how you answer the interviewer’s questions.

At the end of most interviews, the interviewer(s) will present you with the opportunity to ask any of your own questions. Unfortunately, this is where many candidates go wrong. They invest so much time in perfecting the answers to potential questions they may be asked that they completely forgot to learn any questions to ask the interviewer at the end.

Is this the worst thing? Many candidates will argue no, as they believe a good interview speaks for itself. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

You may have a terrific interview and feel that you have impressed the interviewer with your well thought-out answers. Even more so you may feel that you made a very positive 'first impression' with a firm handshake, an upright confident manner and a positive demeanour.

But last impressions matter too. Candidates often forget that it’s the last impression you make which is the most prominent in the interviewer's mind as it is the last thing they remember about you. And if the last thing that happens in your interview is that you fail to ask any questions when presented with an opportunity then this shows two things to the interviewer:

1) That you weren't as prepared as you could have been.

2) That you just aren't as invested or passionate about the role or company as you've made out.

Now that the importance of asking questions has been made clear, what are the best questions to generally ask at the end of an interview?

Be careful here too - as asking the WRONG type of questions could also make things potentially awkward. One of the questions to completely AVOID UNTIL AFTER an offer is made is 'what is the salary being offered for this role?' and 'can this be negotiated?'

I have written down a list below of generally safe questions to ask at the end of an interview. You do not need to ask them all - but learning two or three or coming up with a couple of your own is probably the best approach to take. Good luck!

Good questions to ask:

1) What is the internal company culture like?

2) Is training provided for this position?

3) Who will I be working under/ who will be my direct Manager?

4) What is the career path for this particular role and how will it develop over time?

5) Will it be possible to contact yourself later with any further questions that come to mind?

For further information regarding interviews and other useful tips to help you secure work, make sure you visit http://www.goldteam.co.uk/jobseeker_resources.php

If you would like to let us know your thoughts feel free to message our Facebook group which is https://www.facebook.com/GoldteamRecruitment/

Nailing an interview is more of an art than a science. It requires constant tinkering and tailoring to the specific client that you are interviewing with. However, there are a few common themes which if you follow correctly will ensure a successful interview and potentially a job offer.

For all employers, punctuality is key. This is universal and tends to be expected. The last thing you want to do is turn up late for an interview. This is more than just being late. It sends out a subconscious message to the interviewers that you lack the skills to manage your time effectively. Basically, if you're late to an interview, then potentially if they hire you then you could be late to work as well.

Always do your research - this is essential. If you feel you're the type of person who can waddle into an interview and obtain a job position based on your charm and personality alone then you may be setting yourself up for a fall. Not to say there aren't people who can't do this, but they are generally one in a million. I would recommend playing it safe and researching the company you're interviewing for before anything else.

So where would you start? The company website is probably the best place. You don't necessarily need to check the entire website, however there are plenty of good starting points. Always check the 'About' section to gain information about what the company does and some basics about the services it provides. If it's present, also check any information pertaining to the company's 'values' or 'vision'. This will give you a good understanding of the company culture whom you are interviewing for.

Finally, you can check the News section of their website to find any recent information about the company or its affiliates. You can always mention something positive like this in an interview and it immediately shows that you've done your homework.

At the very least you should always try and check a company's social media presence. By checking their Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages you will find basic details about the company and then more recent information involving both outer and inner company events, achievements etc. Bringing this up in an interview at the right time will look very impressive!

For further information regarding interviews and other useful tips to help you secure work, make sure you visit http://www.goldteam.co.uk/jobseeker_resources.php

Recruitment has drastically changed over the past few years. Since its amazing turnaround during the recession, the industry has become much more candidate-led. This means candidates can be a lot more selective over what opportunity they should go for next as they have an excess of recruiters calling and providing opportunities which they can choose from.

So what are the key things that candidates are looking for when selecting a new role?

Typically, salary has been regarded as the most important factor – with the UK average standing at just above £27,000 per annum. However, according to a recent infographic released by the BGL group, there are a number of factors other than salary involved in determining what the best employment choice is for an individual. One of these factors is a clear career path.

Even if the salary isn’t quite in line with a candidate’s expectations, he or she may forgo this if there is a clear path to progression and development within the role. This is particularly true for graduates, many of whom are attracted to graduate schemes with a clear vision of where the role will start and where it will take the individual over time.

Similarly, many candidates may look for opportunities of promotion within a company. Companies with a pro-active culture of internal development and progression are a much more attractive proposition to candidates, particularly for the long term. This is also particularly true with training, as it has been observed that 40% of employees leave their role within the first year if poor job training has been provided.

It is key that if companies are to attract the best talent in the market, they must recognise that candidates have a range of opportunities available to themselves at all times. To assist jobseekers with finding the right kind of employment, Goldteam Recruitment offers a free service to speak to one of our consultants and see whether we have the right opportunity for you. Call now on 0333 4444 0222 or alternatively you can go on www.goldteam.co.uk to see our employment opportunities.

Source:

http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/attract-perfect-employee/

Recruitment has reached a stage where it is pivotal that organisations attract the right caliber of candidates for the right roles. This may seem straight-forward enough, however many organisations seem to be getting it all wrong by doing it internally.

And a bad employee is more than a wrong choice, ever heard the infamous line ‘one bad apple can spoil the bunch?’ This is especially true with employees. So what can be done?

Turn to the professionals. Goldteam Recruitment specialises in finding you the right people, for the right job in the right time frame. We pride ourselves on sourcing the best individuals from our extensive internal database whilst also identifying and securing the best talent externally on job boards, social media and other sources.

We pre-screen all our candidates, ensure maximum compliance to UK regulations and manage all the interview and final selection processes around your needs. Goldteam Recruitment - where business is personnel, pride ourselves on making sure compliance is the last thing you ever need to worry about. Call 0333 444 0222 for a free consultation with one of our Sales team.

According to a study by the CEBR: Centre for Economics and Business Research, unfilled vacancies are costing the UK economy in excess of £18 billion a year!

Though the news may be good for jobseekers, businesses feel otherwise. The number of unemployed individuals for each job opening has halved from a recent high of 5.6 in Quarter 4 of 2011 to 2.8 in Quarter 3 of 2014.

Industries affected the most are construction and professional services who are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit qualified workers. Due to the difficulty in finding the right candidate, CEBR and Indeed.com suggest that the time taken to fill positions with the best person will continue to rise.

According to the study that CEBR conducted on behalf of job board Indeed.com, almost half of UK job listings remain active after one month with 27% remaining unfilled after three months.

The inability to source and recruit the right people for the job poses several problems for the UK economy. The increased time and efforts it takes to resource a business slows down profits and production for the business itself. On the other hand, the inability to earn and in turn spend within the UK economy reduces an individual’s overall contribution to the economic growth of the UK.

In a typical month, research reveals vacancies that businesses have been trying to fill for at least one month represent over £1.5bn in potential economic output, equivalent to around 1.3% of monthly GDP across the economy, and more than £18bn annually. – To learn more, click here