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Eventus Recruitment Group > Articles by: Eventus
13Oct

Cost free ways to maintain your mental health

With the ever-increasing living costs impacting our lives and our mental health, I wanted to have a look at ways we can maintain our mental health in cost free ways.

Speaking with my Eventus colleagues we shared our practical solutions and came up with some great ideas how to keep costs down.

Walking / running / jogging for mental health

This is the most obvious and proven way to help keep a healthy mind. There are so many benefits to walking and running. As well as being completely free, not only with the natural endorphins but the benefits of being amongst nature.

According to Bupa – “Being in or interacting with nature holds many of the same benefits as walking and exercise, such as improving your mood and reducing anxiety. After a long walk, you’ve probably noticed how much better you feel for it. In fact, seven in ten (70 per cent) UK adults say that being close to nature improves their mood. Being in nature, or even just observing it, helps you connect to the world around you. It gives an opportunity to empty your mind of daily stresses and tasks, and become present in that moment. Mindfulness is a wonderful practice, grounding you in the here and now; focussing on what you can see, hear or smell. Walking in nature is the perfect time to dial into your senses and notice how you really feel.”

Mindfulness Apps for mental health

You can get some great free mindfulness Apps to help with day-to-day stress and to keep on top of your mental health. Research from Carnegie Mellon University published in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that regular use of a mindfulness app can provide stress intervention when in a pressure filled situation. The study found evidence that smartphone meditation app usage reduces cortisol levels, as well as systolic blood pressure in response to stress. Some of the well-known Mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Calm can be trialled for free.

Alternatively Mind has some Mindfulness exercises and tips to try, which can be accessed here.

Reading

According to exploreyourmind.com reading can help with anxiety and depression. “The therapeutic power of literature is amazing. When you’re invaded by sadness, anxiety, and stress, reading novels and poetry can transform your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.”

There are some great community book swap programmes around. Why not see if there are any in your area or start one today in your local town! Or join your local library or head to your nearest charity shop to get some great books at affordable prices.

Talking to improve mental health

Talk, talk, talk! A problem shared is a problem halved.  Mentalhealth.org reiterate how talking about our feelings isn’t a sign of weakness, it is part of taking charge of your well-being and doing what you can to stay healthy. You are not alone.

“Talking can be a way to cope with a problem you’ve been carrying around in your head for a while. Just being listened to can help you feel supported and less alone. And it works both ways. If you open up, it might encourage others to do the same.”

With 1 in 6.8 people experiencing mental health problems in the workplace, especially women in full time employment are nearly twice as likely to have a common mental health problem as full time employed men. (Mental Health Foundation)

It’s more important than ever to do what we can to stay on top of our mental health. Try out different methods of caring for your mental health and be consistent with practicing what works for you as an individual.

Take time for yourself to support your mental health

Put some time in your calendar to do something you enjoy. Doing things that we love is important for our mental health. When we have busy schedules, it’s very easy to shelve the things we want to do and to put others first. Even if it is just 15 minutes, allocate some time for you to support your mental health. Remember, it is okay to say no.

Alternatively, try a new activity to relax and chill out, such as yoga or mindfulness colouring. There are plenty of free yoga tutorial videos on Youtube and free apps for drawing and colouring.

Blog by Shelley Gilchrist, Recruitment Resourcer for Eventus Finance and Eventus Recruitment Cheshire.

Get tailored Career Advice and Recruitment Support

The Eventus Recruitment Group are award-winning recruitment specialists in the Finance, Accountancy, Legal and HR sectors. We have an experienced and knowledgeable team of industry experts, passionate about finding the best candidates to help businesses thrive. Based in Lancashire and Cheshire, we have regional specialists covering the whole of England and Wales.

If you are looking for your next role or are recruiting, please get in touch here for a confidential discussion.

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How We Work

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Further Reading

Maintaining a Healthy Work Life Balance

8 ways to reduce stress cost free

Work Life Balance Importance

Mental Health and coping during the festive season

 

13Oct

Maintaining a healthy work life balance

How to maintain a healthy work life balance

The past two years have taught us the importance of striving for a good work life balance.

A good work-life balance is a difficult thing to get right, particularly if you work to deadlines like in the legal and financial sectors.

As we all carve out a new normal, we’ve been having an increasing number of conversations with people who are struggling with their work life balance, now that they have returned to the workplace. Maintaining a healthy work life balance is important for our mental health and well-being.

Below are some tips that both employees and employers can use to ensure that we all benefit from a good work life balance.

Employees

Speak up

If you are struggling speak to your manager. They might be able to make adjustments to your workload or offer flexible working. It also helps to review priorities together, so you can be in control and on top of your workload. Employers understand that there are some extenuating factors that can impact your work. Internally, they need to know where pressures lie in order to address them.

Look after yourself at work

It’s important that you look after your health whilst at work – drink plenty of water, take proper breaks and don’t skip lunch. Sometimes taking a step back for a couple of minutes can help you think clearer and make you more productive.

Accept your life stage

There are times in your life when you have less time than normal. For example, when you are moving house, have really young children or starting a business. If you can relate to this, there may be little that you can do to change your circumstances. However, simply accepting that it is just a phase of your life and remembering that it won’t last forever will make you feel less stressed. But also making any little changes can definitely make an impact, even carving out 10 minutes for yourself during the day would be a benefit

Expand your timetable and prioritise

Write a list of everything you have to do and prioritise what’s important both in and out of work. If it’s not possible to get everything done in a week consider expanding your timetable. Rather than stressing about managing to meet up with your friends or family, schedule it on a fortnightly or monthly basis instead.

Switch Off

It’s important to switch off after work, so you don’t take your stresses home. I like to write down or put in my calendar my ongoing tasks and things I need to complete the next day, before I leave the office or close my laptop if I’m working from home.

Try getting some exercise after work to clear your mind. In addition, schedule some time to relax. Have a long bath, or watch a movie or your favourite TV programme.

Set a deadline each day to switch off your smart phone and stop checking emails. To help you sleep, try doing the same with your personal phone an hour before you go to bed.

Don’t be a perfectionist with everything in your life

We all like to do everything well and to the best of our ability. However, sometimes when you are very busy it’s better to let your target of perfection slip than your relationships with those close to you.

Employers

Check In

Schedule regular meetings with your employees to make sure they are happy and not overwhelmed at work. Doing this allows to you identify any potential issues before they snowball, identify areas of improvement and will make your business a better place to work.

Encourage discussion

Encourage your staff to talk openly about their feelings in the workplace. This creates a mini support network, allows for honesty, things to be addressed and positive change to happen in the workplace.

If people are afraid to speak up, feelings and problems are internalised, which will ultimately make them worse.

Be flexible

The pandemic has shown that employees can be flexible in terms of working location and hours and still be as productive. It’s important that employers recognise this and take it forward in the new normal. For example, if an employee has a hospital appointment and it’s nearer to their home than the office, let them work from home. Flexibility works two ways, if you are flexible with your employees, they will be flexible with you. For example, if you want them to work late one day to meet a deadline.

We are finding that more and more candidates in the Legal, HR Finance and Accountancy sectors are looking for more flexibility, and those employers who don’t provide this will ultimately lose out in the war for talent

Rewards

Reward your staff for their hard work, it will make them feel valued and increase loyalty to your company. We find that valued employees are always more productive. Try a team building event or offer incentives. For example, half a day off spent as a team doing something fun if they reach a milestone. Read our top tips for creating successful team building events here. We recently had an evening in London and it really boosted team morale, but it doesn’t have to be this big. What about a team lunch or breakfast even?

Get support with your work life balance

Half the battle of a good work life balance and being happy in your work is doing a job that you love. As the Chinese Philosopher Confucius said: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” If you are unhappy in your current role or are looking to work in Law, HR, Finance or Accountancy, we are here to help.

We are award-winning specialists for Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors. Established in 2009, we have a wealth of experience in recruiting the right candidates with the skills and efficiency to help businesses thrive across the UK. To view our latest jobs, please click here or get in touch for a confidential discussion.

If you would like support with recruiting, please click here to contact us. We offer a bespoke and tailored service to help you find candidates that match your business and requirements.

For further tips on maintaining a healthy work life balance, please click here.

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11Oct

The Eventus Recruitment Group are hiring in Lancashire and Cheshire

The Eventus Recruitment Group continues expansion in Lancashire and Cheshire

Due to significant growth and a successful year, the Eventus Recruitment Group are hiring additional staff for both their Lancaster and Wilmslow offices.

Recruitment Consultant and Resourcing Consultant Job Opportunities

They are looking for a Recruitment Consultant and Resourcing Consultant for both their offices. No prior recruitment experience is required as full training will be given. However, a sales background is preferred.

The last 12 months have been successful for the group, who specialise in Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy recruitment. They have supported the job search of over 800 professionals and supported many businesses nationwide with recruitment and their retention strategies.

Careers in Recruitment

Amy Watson, Associate Director said: “It really is an exciting time for the Eventus Recruitment Group. We have a unique business model, in which we act as more than just a recruitment partner; we take time to get to know our clients’ businesses and act as an extension of an HR function, advising on staff retention and employee benefits in addition to purely recruitment. As a result, our clients see us as the go-to recruitment partner and use us time-and-time again.

“Recently, we’ve completed our latest review and updated our benefits package, to ensure our employees are rewarded for their great work and commitment, ensuring that we continue to be one of the best workplaces in the region. Some of the changes include enhanced annual leave, free legal advice, health insurance, a work from anywhere policy, enhanced maternity and paternity pay, enhanced incentives, an Awards Ceremony and additional social events.”

Jo Hood, Principal Consultant at Eventus Recruitment Cheshire, added: “Can I just say, from a place of being in recruitment for a long time, you could not be joining a more nurturing business. You will learn and develop beyond your wildest dreams.”

Employee Benefits and Rewards

As well as a competitive basic salary we offer an excellent commission structure that is uncapped and rewards your individual hard work and determination. You will also be offered excellent and structured training tailored to your individual needs. You will also be given the tools and skills to progress your career within the business. We have regular conversations with our employees about benefits and review our benefits package. We also offer:

• 25 days holiday plus an extra day at Christmas to do your shopping!

• Westfield Health Scheme

• Pension scheme

• Two annual company-wide social events as well as quarterly rewarded incentives 

• Genuine career progression path with promotion prospects clearly defined

• And many more benefits.To view all our benefits and rewards, click here.


How to apply for these jobs

For more details on working for The Eventus Recruitment Group and our available vacancies, please click here. If you are interested in working for us, we would love to hear from you. Please email your CV to Amy Watson at amy.watson@eventuslegal.com.

11Oct

Top Skills Employers are looking for in the Finance Market

Top Skills Employers are looking for in the Finance Market 

Working in Finance and Accountancy recruitment I speak to businesses and employers daily about the skills they are looking for from their future employees. So, when I started to think about this blog my initial thoughts and reactions are that there are two sides to this … what skills are employers looking from a technical point of view and equally what are employers looking for character and personality wise.

Communication Skills

I think as a finance professional, the person that is trusted to interpret and convey financial information within a business it is imperative to have strong communication skills.  It’s a complete misconception that accountants and finance people are just buried in figures all day.  The ability to help people understand the bigger picture and to bring these figures to life is a huge part of the role.  A good finance person listens as well as they hear.

Trustworthy

Another sought after characteristic has got to be trustworthy. A good finance professional, regardless of the level of seniority, has got to instil faith in people.  An aura of reliability I would say.

Lifelong Learning

This may seem a strange one but I think the desire to keep learning is a great trait in the finance sector.  In a discipline where things are forever evolving and changing the finance professional who is always studying and keeping abreast of changes is the one that everybody will want.

 

In respect of skills that clients are looking for I would say that is everchanging but there are certain skills and experience that are always sought after and attractive …

Ability to contribute strategically

Candidates who have a commercial awareness are really sort after.  The finance and mathematical knowledge plus the ability to contribute to strategic decisions is so valuable.

Technically savvy

Finance departments are relying more and more on technology so the more IT literate you are the better.

Customer Service Orientation

Not a skill that is perhaps first in a finance person’s role but as markets and therefore specs change desirable finance people are equipped with this attribute.  An accountant’s scope has been expanding for a long time and general business knowledge is becoming a must.

Having a specialism

Any areas of expertise can always make a candidate more desirable.  Experience in areas such as Regulatory Affairs or Revenue Recognition to name a couple.   

To have formal qualifications

This will obviously differ depending on if you are looking at industry or practice but a formal channel of study is generally preferable to qualified by experience.  Look for the opportunities to get training that will make you more valuable as a team member.

Written by Jo Hood, Principal Consultant at Eventus Recruitment Cheshire.

About The Eventus Recruitment Group

We are award-winning recruitment specialists placing talented professionals within the Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors.

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to both businesses and candidates, to grow your team or to enhance your career.

If you would like help hiring for a vacancy or are looking for your next role, please click here to contact us for a confidential discussion. We have offices in Lancashire and Cheshire and recruitment consultants based across England. This means we are best placed to find the top talent in your industry and location, as well as the top job opportunities.

I had a great experience with this agency. Jo, the consultant in touch with me for the job I have applied for, really made the difference and I do believe that her advice and assistance made the difference. Very professional, always available, 100% satisfied. – Milena, placed legal candidate.

Get In Touch

Further reading

How to make your Finance CV stand out.

How to start a career in Finance and Accountancy.

28Sep

How to write the perfect job advert to attract top talent to your firm

How to write the perfect job advert to attract top talent to your firm

Job adverts have hit a record high! As a result, it’s important now more than ever that job adverts are effective in attracting candidates and they are designed to fill your firm’s job vacancies. A perfect job advert will rank online and will be written to stand out over your competitors’ adverts to attract the top talent in your sector.

Looking online there are so many poorly written job adverts and descriptions, with spelling mistakes and with vital information missing. Things such as salary, job responsibilities and experience / skills required. These adverts aren’t doing the role or business justice and won’t attracted talented candidates.

The job advert to potential candidates is the same as the CV to hiring businesses. It is where first impressions are formed, and often the deciding factor as to whether someone will apply to the job advertised.

So, what are the dos and don’ts of job adverts writing to make your adverts stand out?

Don’ts of job adverts

Don’t rush your job adverts

Not putting enough time aside to create job adverts will inevitably mean they are not as effective as they could be. Vital information for candidates could be missed and mistakes could easily be made. This will lead to your job adverts not ranking online nor on job boards.

A poorly written job advert will actively put candidates off applying for a role. Especially if it was short, lacking detail and lacking effort. It would make them think the role (and therefore, them) aren’t important to the employer.

Don’t miss vital information off job adverts

Job adverts are your opportunity to sell the job role and company to potential candidates and stand out above the competition. If there isn’t enough information on the advert people won’t apply. They should be able to get a good understanding of the role and the company from the job advert. If they don’t, they are more likely to move onto the next job advert than contact you for more information about the role.

Dos of job adverts

Do take your time to produce the job advert and reflect on the job

Before you start writing, think about what you would want to know about the role and company if you were thinking of applying for the position and hadn’t heard of the company before. Make sure this information is included in the job advert.

Have a clear structure to your job advert

Doing so makes the job advert easy to read.

Use subheadings. Bullet point if necessary for role responsibilities or rewards / benefits. 

Hook the reader

There are thousands of job adverts on the internet, providing lots of competition for your job adverts. As a result, it’s important that job adverts start off with some valuable information about the job or company. This will make your job advert stand out to prospective candidates. Make them want to read more and not skip to the next job advert. Think about what makes your job / company different. Also, think about things you offer that prospective employees want from their employer.

Include as much detail as possible on job adverts

The advert should include everything that potential candidates would want / need to know about the job. What will make them interested in the role? It’s vital that there is enough information in the job advert for them to decide whether they are skilled for the job role and can see themselves working at your firm.

Include:

  • Role responsibilities – main duties, tasks and responsibilities of the job role you are hiring for.
  • Personal specification – skills and experience required. What you are looking for in candidates.
  • Type of role / location / hours etc…
  • Introduction to the company
  • Benefits and rewards
  • How to apply for the job
Always include benefits and rewards on job adverts

Work-life balance is a huge thing to professionals and prospective employees at the moment. As a result, it important that you list benefits and rewards in your job adverts. For example, things like holiday allowance, flexible working, hybrid working and bonus scheme. To view our guide on employee benefits please click here.

Proof your job adverts

Once your job advert is written, always give it a final proof or ask a colleague to double-check it for you. Often your job adverts are the first thing that potential applicants see of your company. So, if your job adverts are full of grammatical and spelling mistakes, it could give professionals reading your adverts a bad impression.

What do candidates want to see on job adverts?

These are the some of the main thing candidates and prospective employees want to see on job adverts:

  • Role Responsibilities
  • Location / working hours
  • Salary
  • Experience / skills required for the job vacancy
  • Holiday allowance and benefits
  • Type of role (permanent or fixed-term contract)
  • Working days and patterns
In addition, including the above in job adverts will help your job adverts rank on online job boards.

Get specialist help with job adverts

At the Eventus Recruitment Group we are a team of recruitment specialists in Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy. We can support you with the writing of your job adverts to ensure they are effective and stand out to talented professionals. In addition, we speak to professionals who are active in the job market on a daily basis. As a result, we are best placed to advise you on what the top talent in your sector are looking for in their next job and from their employer. Get in touch today here for a confidential discussion about your recruitment needs. Alternatively, email info@eventuslegal.com or call 01524 34400 to talk to us.

"Eventus is our default provider because they understand our business. Time has been taken over the long term to really understand the various elements of the services that we provide, which means that the candidates they provide are capable of delivering what we need when we need it. In addition, we feel that we can pick up the phone at anytime to discuss potential developments and we know that Eventus will always take a long term view of our requirements and put our business needs first."
testimonial image
Jessica, CEL Solicitors
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Further Reading

Tips to ensure your recruitment process is successful in acquiring the top talent and filling your job vacancies.

Staff benefits your employees want.

The best questions to ask candidates in the job interview

21Sep

The Great Resignation

What is the Great Resignation and how can you avoid it happening to your business?

Wherever you’ve looked over the past two years, the headlines around the “Great Resignation” are everywhere.  “Forget Going Back to the Office—People Are Just Quitting Instead” says The Wall Street Journal. “The Great Resignation: How Employers Drove Workers To Quit” reads another from the BBC. And Forbes has come up with the phrase “Turnover Tsunami”.

What is the Great Resignation?

Coined by Organisational psychologist Professor Anthony Klotz in May 2021, the term refers to a predicted swell of people leaving their jobs in the wake of the pandemic either because they had put off resignation during a lockdown or because the pandemic had highlighted their desire for a better work-life balance.

Two factors leading to the Great Resignation

Analysis of Office for National Statistics data for 2021 offers some insight into this phenomenon in the UK context. It suggests two factors at play:

  1. That employees would have delayed or avoided job moves during the height of the pandemic as this would leave them ineligible for furlough.
  2. Second, job vacancies dipped significantly in the early part of the pandemic as businesses did not want to risk recruiting at a time of uncertainty when the day-to-day situation was unpredictable and wildly fluctuating.

As the economy has emerged from the pandemic and confidence increased, so too have job vacancies and moves – indeed, vacancies in the UK rose to a record high between March to May 2022 (source). This is great news for jobseekers, but less so for employers that are keen to hang on to star talent.

There have been many studies undertaken that underpin these findings, including our own recent employee satisfaction survey that showed that a poor work-life balance and ineffective management being the primary drivers for looking for a new role. Furthermore, only 36% of those surveyed described themselves as “inactive” when asked about their job seeker status. People are on the move!

What is important to employees who are resigning?

As much as Jacob Rees-Mogg might wish otherwise, it is clear that remote and hybrid working is here to stay. Conversations that I have daily with candidates, repeats time and time again that most workers would prefer more flexibility over work hours. After all, who wouldn’t prefer being able to flex their work time to pick up their children from school, meet up with friends or simply be at home rather than battling through the daily rush hour at the same time as everybody else.

It’s not only employees who stand to benefit from increased hybrid working – organisations can slash hefty office costs by switching to a hybrid model while enjoying increased productivity from workers. Moreover, research from the University of Birmingham Business School has shown that hybrid working is an important part of overall job satisfaction and plays a big role in employee retention.

What can you do to stop the Great Resignation affecting your business?

There are many elements that you could look at, but here are 5 suggestions that may go some way to combatting turnover in your team:

  1. Understanding is key! Once you have a clearer understanding of what motivates your employees, and what needs have to be met to make their work meaningful, then you can take steps to adapt your management style. In addition, personalise the work experience accordingly.
  2. Put in place appropriate policies, processes and resources to support flexible working, including remote and hybrid working. Establish a workplace culture in which both employees and employers understand that, to be successful, flexibility must work both ways; Including managing expectations around how time is split between the workplace and home, hours of work and delivery of outputs.
  3. Encourage and assist employees in maintaining physical and mental health when working flexibly.
  4. Establish social and work-focused connections within teams via regular formal and informal meetings, both in person and remotely.
  5. Poor leadership is a factor for many job moves (almost 33% of people in our recent survey, the top answer, cited this as their reason for moving). So, invest in the development of your management team. Offer training and development of their management skills, rather than just technical.
Other resources to prevent the Great Resignation happening to your business

We have other blogs / guides on other topics that can help you to retain staff and ensure your employees feel valued, rewarded and motivated in the workplace. All of which will help you to prevent the great resignation from impacting your business:

Written by Amy Watson, Legal Recruitment specialist covering North East and Yorkshire at the Eventus Recruitment Group.

I have used Eventus, and Amy Watson in particular, for a number of years and have always found them to be friendly, helpful and professional. They really take the time to understand the firm, and the roles that we are looking to fill, so that only candidates that fit our requirements are put forward. I would have no reservations in recommending Amy and Eventus. – North Yorkshire based Law firm.

14Sep

How to quit and find a better job

So, you’ve determined that you want to find a better job – fantastic. Now what? You need to find that new, better job for yourself. Deciding that you want to move jobs is a big enough decision to make as it is. So, it’s important to come up with a thorough approach to finding that new job for you!

Here are some tips to help you with finding a better role:

Job security

First and foremost, it’s worth asking yourself if you want to first quit, and then find yourself a new role. This is very much up for you to decide. However, I would air on the side of caution. Having a job is important, not just because you need a job to afford to live, but also, going to a job interview and being able to show that you have been able to hold down a steady role looks good to your future employer. If you’re already working your notice, have a solid answer for the person interviewing you as to why you have decided to handle things that way.

A better job?

So, you’ve decided you want a better job, which begs the question; what is a better job? Again, this is a question that only you can answer. What is it that you haven’t enjoyed about your current role, and what will make you feel better about your next role? Following on from this, is what you want reasonable? Have a clear sense of what is a must have in your next role, and what can be compromised on. It might be that your next role doesn’t immediately tick all the boxes until you’ve got your feet under the table, but this is common. Once you show your new employer what you’re worth, you’ll be sure to reap all of the benefits accordingly.

Choose your next job wisely

It’s also thinking carefully about what sort of roles you are presented with when you’re looking for your new, better job. If you can afford to, take the time to think about what you have been offered, and if it’s enough of a change for you to accept the position. If you can afford to be somewhat picky when it comes to your new role this is helpful; after-all, you spend so much of your time at work that you want it to be something you can find enjoyment or fulfillment from.

Out with the old, in with the new

It might seem like a silly thing to say but think carefully about your new role compared to your old role. Is it what you want? Is it categorically enough of a better role for you to hand your notice in and not be at all swayed by the prospect of being given a counteroffer or a financial bump to your salary? It is all too common for your current employer to give you a counteroffer for a variety of reasons. For example, it’s easier to give you want you want than it is for your employer to see you leave and then have to re-hire someone like yourself.

8 Tips to help you find and secure a new job

Having now read all of the above and looking for a new job is still the right career step for you, here are our top tips for securing your next role:

  1. Perfect your CV. Make sure your tailor your CV to each application. Check out all our tips for writing your CV and ensuring it stands out to prospective employers here.
  2. Use job boards and recruiters to help find suitable opportunities. We do not charge candidates for helping with their job search. Furthermore, we have links to top employers and have access to job opportunities that aren’t available on job boards. Contact us today for a confidential discussion about your career. Or find more about the support we offer candidates with their job search here.
  3. Be as flexible as possible when it comes to arranging interviews. We understand that it can be difficult when working.
  4. Make sure you are well prepared for interviews. Think about and prepare answers to the questions that you think you could be asked. Always research the company and make comparisons to your skills, experience and values. Remember to prepare 5 questions for the interview / interviewers. So, you have at least 1 question to ask at the end of the interview, when they ask “do you have any questions?”. Struggling to think of questions to ask? Check out our handy guide on interview questions here.
  5. Use the STAR Technique to answer interview questions. Watch the video further down in this article to find out more about the STAR interview technique.
  6. Don’t hand in your notice until you have your full job offer in writing. And once you have, continue to work hard and leave on good terms, as you will not a reference and shows your professionalism.
  7. Be prepared for a counteroffer from your current employer. This is a rising trend and tactic used by employers to keep hold of staff. As it’s cheaper to retain staff than train new employees and it prevents a temporary loss in work output. Find out more about counter offers here.
  8. Always respond to your recruiter or a prospective employer as soon as you can.
STAR Interview Technique

Taking on a new role is a challenge, and it’s an exciting one. It’s made even more exciting when you know you’re going into a better job that is well-suited to what you want for your career, and for yourself. Hopefully these tips help give you some guidance on how best to handle leaving your current role, and how to find a better job!

Get help with your job search

We are award-winning recruitment specialists placing talented professionals within the legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors.

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to both candidates and businesses, to enhance your career or to grow your team.

For candidates, we can help you to find your next opportunity at no cost to you. To view our latest jobs, please click here.

We also support you in applying for jobs through finding suitable roles that fit your requirements and skills, CV writing and preparing you for interviews. Get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Get In touch
"I initially contacted Eventus Legal to help me secure a new role…I was introduced to Nikki Phillips, who was keen to assist. She was friendly, pro-active and determined to help me. Nikki was amazing throughout the whole process. She certainly went above and beyond! She even communicated with me out of hours! Nikki swiftly assisted me in securing a new role and was there for me throughout the whole process. I could not recommend her enough!!"
testimonial image
Elizabeth Bolton
02Sep

100km Challenge in September for St John’s Hospice

The Eventus Recruitment team have vowed to each walk, run, cycle or swim 100km in September to raise vital funds for the North Lancashire and South Lakes based St John’s Hospice.

After seeing their flower appeal at Lancaster Castle last month, we realised that most of our team had a story about how the hospice had helped our family and friends. As a result, we wanted to do something to help the hospice and we thought the 100km challenge was the perfect way to do it.

Our Plans for the Challenge

Taking part for Team Eventus in the challenge is Amy Watson, Joanne Hood, Nikki Phillips, Erin McKnight, Emma Guy, and Lucy Evans. We are fundraising as a team, but we are each committing to individually walk, run, cycle or swim at least 100km this month.

Some of the walks we have planned are Heysham to Morecambe, Ingleborough, Tatham Fells and the Swiss Alps. Emma might try cold water swimming if she is brave enough, too.

If you are reading this, please could you consider sponsoring £1 (or whatever you can afford), to help the hospice with it’s vital work and to continue caring.

Our Associate Director Amy Watson starting her 100km journey in front of the North Face of the Eiger, in Switzerland.
How your donations help

Here’s just some of the ways that your donations can help St John’s Hospice’s patients and their families:

£2 could pay for a cup of tea and a biscuit for a patient or their visiting relative.

£5 could buy a simple hand-held fan to keep a patient cool and comfortable.

£10 can buy a ‘Worry Monster’ to help a child express their fears and worries before and after the loss of a loved one.

£20 may pay for a therapy session for a patient or their carer; to encourage relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety.

To leave a donation please click here.

Thank you for your support. You can keep up-to-date with our progress throughout the month by following us on social media. We are on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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02Sep

How to recruit in a candidate led market

Businesses are still struggling to fill vacant job roles due to a shortage of staff in many sectors. As legal, HR and finance recruiters, we are seeing candidates receiving more than one job offer. In such cases, the candidate has the freedom to choose which offer to accept and firm to work for. As a result, when it comes to recruitment, the ball is very much in the court of the candidates instead of the employers. So, when recruiting what do you need to do to make sure you are the company that the candidate chooses to work for?

Review your offer

Review what you offer in terms of salary and benefit packages to ensure your offering is still competitive. Whilst salary is still very important, presenting a good benefits package can often be the winning edge over competitors. Offer hybrid working and / or a flexible working pattern if you can. In a recent survey we conducted, 61% of respondents said that flexibility over working hours is the most important element in a benefits package – over holiday allowance, pension contributions and other benefits.

Job adverts

Make sure the salary and all benefits are clearly communicated on job adverts.

Flexibility and responsiveness

Be flexible with interviews dates / times – if you can’t, be upfront with your availability to make it as easy as possible to schedule interviews with candidates.

Answer the candidates’ questions as honestly and quickly as you can. Being responsive and keeping the process moving is key to recruiting in a candidate short market.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Feedback

Feedback straight away or as soon as you can. Set a deadline with the candidate / recruitment agency to issue interview feedback prior to the interview. Try to feedback to the candidate / agency within 24 hours of the interview, even if the process is ongoing with other candidates. Giving feedback will “keep them warm” and engaged with your company. If you hang around for too long you could lose the candidate.

Even if it’s a no, give thorough feedback. Candidates who don’t get any feedback will likely disengage and could be inclined to tell others about a perceived bad experience.

Timing

Get the offer letter out the same day as you make a verbal offer. Not just a standard template, include some personalised touches as to how they performed. Make them feel wanted.

If you are using a recruitment agency, keep in regular contact with your recruiter. Respond to their messages as soon as possible. Even if you don’t have an update provide a deadline as to when you will be able to provide one.

About The Eventus Recruitment Group

The Eventus Recruitment Group are award-winning recruitment specialists in the Finance, Accountancy, Legal and HR sectors. We have an experienced and knowledgeable team of industry experts, who are passionate about finding the best candidates to help businesses thrive across the UK. To submit a job to us please click here, or get in touch to discuss your recruitment needs. We offer bespoke recruitment solutions, which we will tailor to meet your recruitment needs and business goals.

Candidates

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group we believe that happiness at work is a must have for everyone. We offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to enhance your career. Using our expertise, we can help you to find your next opportunity at no cost to you as a candidate. We recruit for all roles within the Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors. To view our latest jobs, please click here.

We also support you in applying for jobs, through finding suitable roles that fit your requirements and skills, CV writing and preparing you for interviews. Get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Words from clients and candidates

““Eventus Recruitment is our default provider because they understand our business. Time has been taken over the long term to really understand the various elements of the services that we provide, which means that the candidates they provide are capable of delivering what we need when we need it. In addition, we feel that we can pick up the phone at anytime to discuss potential developments and we know that Eventus Recruitment will always take a long term view of our requirements and put our business needs first.” – Ormrods Solicitors

“I’ve worked with Nikki and Siobhan at Eventus Recruitment and found them both to be, not just professional and helpful, but that they genuinely care about each individual circumstance. They listen and are empathetic and constantly made me feel like I had a good friend on my side during the recruitment process, always with my best interests at heart.

I would recommend Eventus Recruitment in a heartbeat. Thank you for all you’ve done to help me!” – Sophie, successful legal candidate placed in the North West.

31Aug

CV Writing – How to write a stand out CV

CV Writing

CV writing is an important part of the recruitment process. Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is often the first thing a prospective employer will see of you, and first impressions really do count when it comes to job searching. In addition, your CV is the instrument that allows a firm to decide whether they want to interview you. So, take time when you are CV writing and have a think about the following:

 
  • A short paragraph to provide a personal statement highlighting your key skills and career aims. Use this opening statement to catch the eye of your potential employer.
  • Personal details: including a contact telephone number and email address. Also, if you have a well-developed LinkedIn profile, which supports your job search, include the direct link.
  • Qualifications: to include all from GSCE onwards, Date of Admission, Professional Qualifications and Memberships.
  • Work experience: (paid or voluntary), with responsibilities and achievements.
  • Key or transferable skills
  • Any additional relevant skills, such as language skills or specific IT skills.
What not to include on your CV

When CV writing, do not include the following:

  • Your age
  • Your marital status
  • Your health status
  • Your nationality
  • Your educational institution addresses
  • Minor training or qualifications unrelated to the post applied for
  • Your references
Tailor your CV

Equally important, is to ensure your CV is accurate and targeted for the job you are applying for.

Personalise your CV to every job you apply for. Identify the skills and experience required from the job advert and job specification of the job you are applying for. Then ensure you include the relevant skills and relevant experience on your CV.

Tailor your CV
Make it engaging. Sell yourself!

Importantly, your CV writing should be engaging, professional and easy to read. Above all, ensure you get across your unique qualities, personality, experience and skills. Critically, don’t lie on your CV. Employers will certainly run background checks to ensure no false claims are made.

Don’t duplicate on your CV

Don’t just duplicate (copy and paste) your responsibilities from role to role. Your duties may be similar in previous jobs, but not exactly the same surely? If they are, then focus more on your achievements in that role, as they will be different in every position. Show that your time in the role was relevant and you achieved something.

Hobbies and interests on CVs

A common question we get asked by candidates is “should I include my hobbies and interests in my CV?”. We say yes, as long as they are different and less mainstream. Use your interests as a space to make you stand out and make you memorable. After all, many CVs that any hiring manager will see will often look similar. This is your opportunity to leap off the page, and start to cultivate a personality with the firm, even before you’ve interviewed.

A good way to do this is to expand on your hobbies a little, give a little more depth. Enjoy cooking? Great, but talk about particular cuisines you have challenged yourself to master and why. Hiking? What mountains have you climbed recently and what is in your future plans? Travel? Unless its interesting destinations and show an adventurous spirit, it doesn’t count.

Think of them as conversation starters. They are likely to be the area of the CV that the hiring manager picks up on first, a gentle ice breaker into a conversation. So, make them want to talk to you about it, and make them interesting. 

Commercial awareness

Commercial awareness is a very important skill to demonstrate towards employers and involves staying up-to-date on what’s happening in the corporate world on a day-to-day basis. This tells potential employers that you are specifically targeting and interested in that job role.

It is handy to include some ways you demonstrate commercial awareness in an ‘Interests’ section of your CV, such as:

  • Reading news articles
  • Listening to the radio
  • Current affairs podcasts
  • Watching the news on TV
Use positive action words

Positive action words on your CV can enhance your work experiences and give the reader a shortcut into the experiences you have, making them stand out. They let the employer know that you have the required skills and experiences needed for the job role. They also give a sense of clarification and confidence to your CV.

Some examples of positive action words you can use are:

  • Accomplished
  • Achieved
  • Budgeted
  • Conducted
  • Completed
  • Delivered
  • Ensured
  • Efficient in
  • Finalised
  • Guided
  • Implemented
  • Performed
  • Researched
  • Successful in
Don’t include a photo of yourself on your CV

To avoid employer bias during the selection process, it is recommended not to include a photo of yourself on your resume.

Double check your finished CV for typos

Also, don’t make mistakes. Check and double check to ensure no spelling or grammar errors.

CV Length – does a CV have to be two pages long?

We often get asked by professionals with lots of work experience, whether their CV needs to be 2 pages. When people acquire lots of work experience it can be a challenge fitting it in on a two page CV. However, your CV can be longer than 2 pages. Although, it is important that the information is relevant to the job that you are applying for, and that is the information isn’t duplicated throughout the CV.

Eventus Recruitment are here to help you with your CV

Please contact The Eventus Recruitment Group if you would like help with your CV, or indeed if you would like us to write it for you. The CV preparation stage is very much part of our tailored and complimentary service for job-seekers. We specialise in Law, Finance, Accountancy and HR.

Other resources to help you with your job search

We have a variety of other resources to support your job search, including interview tips, handling multiple job offers, and how to stand out in the jobs market to name a few. 

view resources

I can’t speak highly enough of the service I was provided by Eventus, specifically Amy Watson. Amy kept me updated throughout the recruitment process, ensuring that I was well equipped and providing me with the confidence required to be successful in securing a new job. I wouldn’t hesitate to use Eventus again for in the future and would highly recommend them to both friends and family. – Liz, placed Legal candidate in the North East.

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26Aug

Employee incentives to recognise, reward, motivate and retain staff

When I think of possible incentives to offer employees, so many come to mind. As a result, it could be overwhelming to businesses when it comes to making a decision on which incentives to offer employees. Or maybe you are creating an incentive programme to support your benefits package for the first time. This blog explores different incentives and things to consider when making a decision on incentives.

Why should you offer employees incentives?

There are so many reasons why businesses should offer incentives. Employee Incentives are great for:

  • Rewarding staff for their work and for keeping them motivated.
  • Improving company culture and retention.
  • Recognising employee achievements and celebrating reaching milestones and targets.
  • Team bonding.
  • Facilitating inclusion and a positive workplace environment.

Factors to consider when deciding on incentives

Before choosing think about:

  • Budget – ultimately budget will determine what you will be to able offer.
  • Your company set up – do your employees work from different locations? If yes, a good incentive may be to have regular meetups to facilitate inclusion and team bonding.
  • Company size
  • How your company works – is it target driven, sales orientated etc…

Incentives to offer

Here’s a range of different incentives you could offer, which are suitable for different budgets and company cultures.

Monetary incentives

Bonuses – offering bonuses work well in departments that are target driven but can also be rolled out company wide. For example, providing a company-wide bonus when the yearly income target is met or at Christmas to say thank you to your staff.

Vouchers – are a great way to encourage your employees to treat themselves to things they wouldn’t normally. Most retailers offer gift vouchers, so employees could have a choice as to which company they would like the vouchers for; directly helping with any purchases they are planning in the near future.

Team incentives

Award Ceremonies – this is a bit of fun for the whole company and gets everyone in a company interacting with each other. They can also be as a big or little as you would like. Done virtually or in one location.

Days out / Trips away – recently, here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, the whole company went to Edinburgh for a night. We were given £250 vouchers to spend in John Lewis, had a meal at Gaucho and went chocolate making. To us, this is a beneficial incentive, with us being a small company and based at different locations across the UK. It’s wonderful for everyone to get together in a relaxed environment, catch up and have a bit of fun.

Contact us to discuss incentives further

Employee of the month – having an employee of month scheme recognises the achievements of your staff and brings some healthy competition to the workplace. You can decide on the prize. Some rewards that businesses offer as a prize for the employee of the month include trophies, vouchers, extra annual leave and hampers.  Another option is to have a wheel that the employee spins to determine the prize.

 

Team building activities – great to boost morale, identify future leaders and improve communication and productivity in the company. Some ideas for activities include quizzes, competitions, office trivia, escape rooms and cookery classes. You could even create an office memory wall. Get the team to draw or print photos of memories and put on a wall to create discussion and camaraderie.

Buying breakfast or taking your staff out for lunch – this is a great option for thanking your staff personally for their work and to encourage team bonding in a relaxed environment.

Incentives to support health, well-being and work-life balance

Weekends away – again this rewards employees with something they may not do normally and encourages them to take some time for themselves.

Extra holiday days – people have realised the importance of a work-life balance and are valuing their annual leave more. However, if you do offer this as incentive ensure that the person’s workload is looked after. So, they aren’t returning to a desk piled up with work.

Health and Wellness – there are lots of incentives to offer surrounding health and wellness. For example, paying for mindfulness apps, food / meal subscriptions, health insurance, gym and social memberships. In addition, you could put on company classes or arrange a charity fundraiser to encourage your employees to complete a challenge together. For example, we have just signed up to walk, run, swim or cycle 100 km in September for our local Hospice.

Tickets for activities / days out at their leisure – cinema tickets, sport tickets, theme park tickets etc. Tickets for activities are great to encourage staff to do something different with their leisure time. Plus, they will come back to work with a story to tell.

Career development related incentives

Guest speakers – arranging for a quest speaker to come into the workplace or virtually to give a talk on something relevant to your employees or business, can be very motivational for your employees. The talk could be on a career development or sector related topic, mental health and well-being, or even a non-work related topic.

Funded courses – are good for helping people to progress and for incentivising them in their careers. However, courses don’t necessarily have to be work related. People might want to upskill in other areas. For example, property maintenance, crafts or cooking to name a few.

If you would like discuss incentives and benefits packages further with us, do get in touch. Everyday, we advise businesses on their recruitment and retention strategies.

If you could have any incentive, what would be at the top of your list? Please comment below.

Written by Emma Guy, Marketing Executive at the Eventus Recruitment Group.

Further Reading

The employee benefits your employees want

How to avoid The Great Resignation affecting your business

We can always rely on Erin to find us good quality candidates in a short timeframe no matter what we throw at her. Erin is incredibly professional, diligent and friendly and we couldn’t recommend her any more strongly. – Robert, Practice Manager.

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24Aug

Meetings – do we have them too often? And how to make sure they’re effective.

Sometimes it is necessary to have meetings in order to discuss ongoing and upcoming projects, review targets, share ideas and discuss how to solve challenges. However, is your firm having too many meetings? Do you feel like you always have a meeting to attend?

Why we have meetings in the workplace

Meetings are a common thread through every organisation, giving colleagues and managers the time to collaborate, discuss goals, review and establish projects amongst many other topics. It’s important that attendees understand the purpose of meetings to make them effective.

In order to achieve certain goals it is often the case that there will be collaboration: with colleagues; other teams or departments; and sometimes external stakeholders who aren’t always in a room together; Therefore meetings are required so that everyone can get together in order to share ideas, discuss progress and get things done.

Meetings often help colleagues and other stakeholders to build relationships. It’s much easier and quicker to build strong working relationships with people you see face to face. Decisions are often made quicker when everyone attends a meeting to contribute rather than emailing or phoning around to get things over the line.

In my career I have been in hundreds, maybe even thousands of meetings but I have to say that with most of them it was important I was in attendance. They helped me to build strong relationships, especially with colleagues in different departments, and provided insight into how each department aligned with the company vision and values. It’s also interesting to understand another point of view when meeting with colleagues who carry out a different role or function. During a meeting it is surprising how much you can learn about other parts of the business and what it actually is that other people within the business do.

Don’t be afraid to check whether your attendance is necessary

However, I have also attended and been invited to meetings where my presence wasn’t necessary, and I have felt that I could’ve been much more productive elsewhere. This is a valuable lesson and a few years ago I always checked the agenda before a meeting to make sure that it would be useful and productive for me to attend.

There certainly are times when we can feel that there are too many meetings but don’t be afraid to ask for the agenda. Or to ask the chairperson what it is they think you can bring to the table, if you aren’t sure why you have been invited. This is especially the case if you have tight deadlines and a huge to do list. Don’t be afraid to ask whether your presence is required. Your colleagues are likely to understand that you have to manage your time as much as they do.

Keeping meetings effective

Here at Eventus Recruitment Group we have one full team meeting on a weekly basis discussing successes and market knowledge, sharing ideas, reviewing targets and WIP along with our marketing plans. We genuinely find the meetings useful as everyone brings something different to the table and we get chance to celebrate each other’s success, support each other’s challenges and plan ahead.

However, we can be a little bit of a chatty group if we aren’t kept in order so to ensure our meetings run smoothly and efficiently here are my top tips:

  1. Have an agenda – most importantly stick to it
  2. Nominate a chairperson – ideally put this on the rota so it isn’t the same person each time
  3. Note and distribute agreed actions – include who is responsible and deadlines
  4. Make time for Any Other Business at the end of the meeting – encourage attendees to send their AOBs to the chairperson prior to the meeting so that they can stick to the schedule

I enjoy an effective meeting, often coming away feeling positive and inspired. Especially after spending so long working alone at home during those lockdown days. It’s great to get around the table with my colleagues and collaborate.

Written by Nikki Phillips, Legal Recruitment Consultant covering Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and Wales.

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