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Eventus Recruitment Group > Articles by: Eventus
01Nov

8 cost-free ways to reduce your stress

Juggling commitments in both your professional and personal lives can very easily lead to us dealing with increased levels of stress. In particular, this is amplified in times of change and we’ve seen so much of it recently. Here, the Eventus Recruitment Group shares eight things you can do to reduce stress in your life and they won’t cost you any money.

1. Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about sitting in the here and now and letting everything around, pass you by. You’ll be amazed at how just taking time out for just one single minute can have an impact on your stress levels. Just sit somewhere and rest. Listen to your breathing and simply observe. Take in what you see, without judgment.

There a lots of downloadable apps that can help with mindfulness, including Headspace and Calm.

 

 

2. Breathing Techniques

If you’re feeling worn out and tired, a wonderful technique to de-stress is to simply breathe.  If you’re feeling stress, you’re likely to be taking shallow breaths, which deprives your body of oxygen. Take slow, deep, steady breaths. Do this a few times, wherever you are and it will have an impact on your relaxed state.

3. Exercise to reduce stress

It’s simple, exercise helps to release endorphins also known as ‘feel good’ hormones while using up some of the hormones you release while stressed. Get some fresh air or try a home workout in your living room.

4. Practise Meditation

Meditation reduces stress by decreasing hypertension, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It helps you have a restful sleep and supports your body in more efficient oxygen use.

Start by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position and closing your eyes. Try to breathe as naturally as possible, but focus your attention on your breath and how your chest, shoulders, rib cage, and stomach move each time you inhale. Try to maintain this for around 2-3 minutes at first and then build it up to around 10 minutes a day if you feel yourself getting stressed.

5. Get More Sleep

To reduce stress, the National Sleep Foundation suggests to get a good night’s sleep of around 7-9-hours. Their website has lots of sleep tools and tips.

6. Yoga

In the same way as meditation helps to reduce stress, so does yoga. Hatha yoga includes certain postures and breathing practices to transform the mind into a more settled state. There are lots of relaxing poses to help you relax in yoga, for example, the extended child’s pose, where you rest on your knees and hands but lengthen your arms forwards and sink your hips backwards, creating length in your spine.

You can read more about yoga at the NHS website.

7. Listen to Music

We’ve all experienced how certain songs can transform us into a completely different mood. Set up some playlists of your favourite music. Slow and quiet classical music has the best effect on reducing stress.

8. Avoid Caffeine

Finally, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and  nicotine will reduce stress levels. If you’re looking to swap an alcoholic nightcap, choose a chamomile tea instead. Chamomile helps calm the mind.

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 candidates and businesses, to guarantee a strong fit and 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.

“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.”– Former candidate of the Eventus Recruitment Group.

If you would like help hiring for a vacancy, please click here to contact us.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.

27Oct

Autumn Budget: What does it mean for the legal and finance sectors?

Autumn Budget: What does it mean for the legal and finance sectors?

Rishi Sunak has today outlined his Autumn budget. Here is a snapshot of what was said and the key things to note for companies in the legal and finance sectors.

Housing

£24bn will be earmarked for “a multi-year housing settlement”.

£11.5bn of which will be set aside to build up to 180,000 new affordable homes, which he says is the largest cash investment in a decade. Brownfield land will be targeted for the new homes.

Following the Grenfell disaster, £5bn will be made available to remove unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings. This will be partially funded by the Residential Property Developers Tax. This will be levied on developers with profits over £25m at a rate of 4%.

 

Policing, Courts and Rehabilitation Services

Today’s budget will fund the government’s ambition to have 20,000 new police officers.

It also provides an extra £2.2bn for courts and rehabilitation services. Rishi says the budget will also improve funding for responses to rape cases.

In addition, £3.8bn has been allocated to the “biggest prison-building programme in a generation”.

 

Transport and the Northern Powerhouse

£21bn will be spent on roads and £46bn will be spent on railways. More than £5bn will be spent on cycling infrastructure, and the same will be spent on local minor roads. The government have also committed to spend £5.7bn on London-style transport systems across city regions.

However, the decision about Northern Powerhouse Rail and part of HS2 has been kicked down the kerb for now, with the announcement of the Integrated Rail Plan to come soon.

Sunak is also cancelling the planned rise in fuel duty, because with fuel prices at the highest level in eight years, he is “not prepared to add to the squeeze on families and small businesses”. This equates to a saving of around £8bn over the next 5 years.

 

Businesses hardest hit by the pandemic will get 50% rates discount

Sunak has confirmed a 50% business rates discount for companies in the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, for one year. The maximum discount a company will be able to claim is £110,000.

 

Change to Bank Taxes

Sunak has cut the bank surcharge that was introduced by George Osborne in 2015 to 3%.

With corporation tax rising to 25%, banks will now have to pay 28% instead of 33% on their profits.

 

National Living Wage Rise

The government has accepted the recommendation to make the living wage £9.50 an hour. Rishi says it will give those workers an additional £1,000 a year.

The universal credit taper rate will be cut from 63% to 55%.

 

Finally, for those who like a drink…

Alcohol duty is being simplified. Stronger spirits and wine will become more expensive. However, weaker alcohols like beer and rose will become cheaper.

There will also be a small producer relief, similar to the small brewer relief, which will include small cider makers.

In addition, Sunak is ending the duty premium on sparkling wines and cutting the duty premium on fruit ciders in line with apple ciders.

To support pubs, he’s announced a draught relief – a 5% duty cut on draught beer and ciders served from draught containers over 40 litres. This could cut the price of a pint by 3p.

 

About The Eventus Recruitment Group

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. If you would like support with recruiting, please click here to contact us. To view our latest jobs or if you are looking for your next role, please click here.

“I’ve used many recruiters for finding legal jobs for myself and then when I set up my own firm for recruiting staff and I can honestly say that Eventus has been the best. They really have listened and have only ever put forward candidates that really fit into my company perfectly. They have helped my company grow and I would have been lost without their services. Can highly recommend this company.” Jessica Hampson, Manager at CEL Solicitors

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.

 

Source

BBC News

 

26Oct

How to effectively look for a new job whilst you are employed

It’s been said that job searching is a full-time job in and of itself. However, there are ways to make your job search a little easier. Here are some suggestions:

LinkedIn

By far, the most obvious suggestion here is to make yourself available. LinkedIn is an invaluable tool when it comes to showing that you are open to new opportunities. Keep your LinkedIn up-to-date and ensure your contact details are displayed in your profile. So if someone hiring comes across your profile, they have a clear understanding of what you can offer and can easily contact you. Second, and this may sound obvious, but LinkedIn is not a sounding-off board for you to air your grievances. It’s a professional platform to encourage networking. There’s nothing wrong with showing some personality, but make sure this doesn’t hinder your chances of being considered as a real potential investment. Similar can be said for your online presence – don’t put anything online that would cause concern or worry to an employer. Employers and recruiters look at all your personal social media accounts! To read more on making your LinkedIn profile stand out, click here.

Let Recruiters Support Your Job Search

Second, if a recruiter or a potential employer contacts you on LinkedIn, reply! Admittedly, people are bombarded with messages from recruiters on LinkedIn. However, if one of them stands out to you (perhaps you look at their profile and see that you have things in common, for example), or they have an role that you like the look of, there’s no harm in asking to arrange a call to discuss options. Some recruiters, including myself, work directly for candidates. I anonymously talk to law firms on behalf of many solicitors and legal secretaries to see if there are potential opportunities for the right person. Being proactive is always good, and recruiters do that on your behalf! For free!

However, one caveat is that I would recommend getting the recruiter’s assurance that your CV and your name won’t be mentioned to any law firms. This is something all recruiters should be adhering to with the GDPR rulings, but some of them can be a little cheeky in how they do so. I will not send a CV without written consent, for example, so my candidates know that they are in control of the process.

Perfect Your CV

Make sure your CV is up-to-date before you start your job search. So, you can quickly send it out to firms or apply for jobs you suit your requirements. However, it’s important that tailor your CV to each job application as not all job roles will be the same. Check out all our tips for writing your CV and ensuring it stands out to prospective employers here.

So, you have started your search and you have been asked to interview at a law firm, what next?

Schedule your interviews outside of your working hours as much as you can. Be honest and upfront about your availability. We find that companies who are hiring are often flexible with interview times. People can only have so many excuses to be out of work. Ask for times after work or at lunch. If you’re working from home, ask if the interview can be online. The last thing you want to do is leave a sour impression with your current employer as you look for new opportunities. Click here to view our top tips for interviews.

Following on from the above point, bear in mind that a job interview is just an interview. Don’t assume that because you thought it went well, that it went well. You still need to do your current job to the best of your ability. Remember, your current employer will be the person your new employer will most want a reference from.

Finally, don’t be hasty. An interview may have been promising, and even better, you are given a provisional offer, but don’t hand your notice in! Don’t do a thing, or tell any of your colleagues until you have the offer in writing. Be discreet, tactful, and ensure that everything in the offer contract is exactly as you want for it to be. If something isn’t in writing and you were told that it would be, query it with the company or the recruiter. Once you are happy with what you have been offered in writing, then you can proceed with handing in your notice, and indeed, working the notice period.

Let us help you find your next role

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to enhance your career. 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.

If you would like help hiring for a vacancy, please click here to contact us.

25Oct

Counter Offers – what are they and should you accept one?

Counter Offers – what are they, are they successful and should you accept one?

After weeks/ months of job searching and applying, your hard work pays off and you receive an offer for a job you’ve set your heart on. You make the nerve-wracking decision to leave your job and when you hand in your resignation letter, your employer presents you with a counter offer. What should you do?

In recent months we’ve seen an increase in counter offers and there is a very good reason for this – read on to find out. Here we explore counter offers and everything you need to know…

What is a counter offer?

Put simply a counter offer is when your current employer tries to get you to stay after you’ve handed your notice in or told them you are leaving. They might try and match or beat the salary offered by your prospective employer, increase your benefits package, decrease your working hours, or give you the promotion you have been requesting for some time.

Why do companies counter offer?

When it comes to working for businesses, people come and go, right? Yes, that’s true, but it’s also a huge issue for companies. Especially now with businesses being more cash-strapped than pre-covid, companies can’t afford to lose people and recruit new ones to replace them.

On average it costs an employer 33% of the leaver’s annual salary to replace them. When an employee leaves, it takes time and costs to replace them. It’s costly to train a new employee and their productivity is always lower when they first start. However, depending on the industry and job position – for example, an executive/ director role – the cost of replacing an employee can be over 200% of their annual salary.

In addition, companies know your loyalty to them is broken and are likely to change their behaviour towards you, as they know it is likely that you would be leaving within 12 months. A counter offer is still beneficial to them as it buys them sufficient time to look for a long term and skilled replacement.

Are counter offers successful?

For companies, if accepted by the employee, they are successful in temporarily saving costs, keeping productivity high, holding on to talent and buying themselves time to find a skilled replacement.

However, for the employee it isn’t the same story. Research shows that 80% of people who accept a counter offer from their current employer end up leaving within 6 months. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 people who accept a counter offer leave within 12 months. There are many reasons for this:

  1. Some employers will change their attitudes towards you knowing you were wanting to leave, and relationships can become strained.
  2. You may start regretting accepting the counter offer weeks or months down the line.
  3. There is always a reason why you applied for a new job in the first place and went through the full recruitment process. You may find that despite the increased salary or benefits package that the issues are still there and that you still want to leave.

Should you accept a counter offer?

Receiving a counter offer from your employer can send you in a whirlwind of self-doubt and make you question why you are leaving. However, it is important that you don’t make a rash decision that you might later regret. Take time to consider your options. If the only reason you were leaving is because you felt that your employer wasn’t paying you enough and now they are offering you a decent salary, then it may work. However, you should ask yourself why they thought you weren’t worthy of that salary previously and why they hadn’t already offered you it when they can now.

But if it was another reason why you were leaving, the chances are it won’t work out. As the thing and/or people that spurred you to look for another role, will still be there and can often be intensified as the frustration of not leaving takes hold and you will find yourself looking for another job and starting over in the recruitment process later down the line. And you will have now missed out on the chance of the new role you had got and possibly burnt your bridges with that firm.

How we can support you

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to enhance your career. 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.

“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.”– Former candidate of the Eventus Recruitment Group

If you would like help hiring for a vacancy, please click here to contact us.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.

Sources

Recruitment-software.co.uk

Employee Benefit News

21Oct

Counter Offers – what are they, are they successful and should you accept one?

After weeks/ months of job searching and applying, your hard work pays off and you receive an offer for a job you’ve set your heart on. You make the nerve-wracking decision to leave your job and when you hand in your resignation letter, your employer presents you with a counter offer. What should you do?

In recent months we’ve seen an increase in counter offers and there is a very good reason for this – read on to find out. Here we explore counter offers and everything you need to know…

What is a counter offer?

Put simply a counter offer is when your current employer tries to get you to stay after you’ve handed your notice in or told them you are leaving. They might try and match or beat the salary offered by your prospective employer, increase your benefits package, decrease your working hours, or give you the promotion you have been requesting for some time.

Why do companies counter offer?

When it comes to working for businesses, people come and go, right? Yes, that’s true, but it’s also a huge issue for companies. Especially now with businesses being more cash-strapped than pre-covid, companies can’t afford to lose people and recruit new ones to replace them.

On average it costs an employer 33% of the leaver’s annual salary to replace them. When an employee leaves, it takes time and costs to replace them. It’s costly to train a new employee and their productivity is always lower when they first start. However, depending on the industry and job position – for example, an executive/ director role – the cost of replacing an employee can be over 200% of their annual salary.

In addition, companies know your loyalty to them is broken and are likely to change their behaviour towards you, as they know it is likely that you would be leaving within 12 months. A counter offer is still beneficial to them as it buys them sufficient time to look for a long term and skilled replacement.

Are counter offers successful?

For companies, if accepted by the employee, they are successful in temporarily saving costs, keeping productivity high, holding on to talent and buying themselves time to find a skilled replacement.

However, for the employee it isn’t the same story. Research shows that 80% of people who accept a counter offer from their current employer end up leaving within 6 months. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 people who accept a counter offer leave within 12 months. There are many reasons for this:

  1. Some employers will change their attitudes towards you knowing you were wanting to leave, and relationships can become strained.
  2. You may start regretting accepting the counter offer weeks or months down the line.
  3. There is always a reason why you applied for a new job in the first place and went through the full recruitment process. You may find that despite the increased salary or benefits package that the issues are still there and that you still want to leave.

Should you accept a counter offer?

Receiving a counter offer from your employer can send you in a whirlwind of self-doubt and make you question why you are leaving. However, it is important that you don’t make a rash decision that you might later regret. Take time to consider your options. If the only reason you were leaving is because you felt that your employer wasn’t paying you enough and now they are offering you a decent salary, then it may work. However, you should ask yourself why they thought you weren’t worthy of that salary previously and why they hadn’t already offered you it when they can now.

But if it was another reason why you were leaving, the chances are it won’t work out. As the thing and/or people that spurred you to look for another role, will still be there and can often be intensified as the frustration of not leaving takes hold and you will find yourself looking for another job and starting over in the recruitment process later down the line. And you will have now missed out on the chance of the new role you had got and possibly burnt your bridges with that firm.

How we can support you

Here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we offer realistic, honest and straight forward advice to enhance your career. 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.

“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.”– Former candidate of the Eventus Recruitment Group

If you would like help hiring for a vacancy, please click here to contact us.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.

Sources

Recruitment-software.co.uk

Employee Benefit News

14Oct

Maintaining a healthy work life balance

How to maintain a healthy work life balance

The past 18 months 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 with your business and requirements.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.

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

 

12Oct
Team Building Event London

How to create successful team building events

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Team building activities are something that many businesses have put on the backburner since the pandemic. However, they are an excellent way to celebrate your team’s successes and can be a great pick-me-up for staff, as we recently found out in London.

Some people find organising team building activities a daunting prospect. But in reality, this isn’t the case – they can be as big or small as you like.  A team building activity can be as simple as taking your team out for lunch.

In this article, we explore the benefits of team building activities, how to plan team building events and ideas for activities.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”4007″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]

Benefits of Team Building

With workplaces and working practices changing recently, team building activities are great, as they are highly flexible and can take place both in person or virtually. The main benefits are:

  • Boost team morale – team building provides an opportunity to re-group and ensure your staff and colleagues feel valued. It gives you an opportunity to thank your team for their hard work, reward their successes and provides confidence within the team.
  • Improve communication skills and productivity – it allows colleagues to get to know each other more personally, and develop stronger bonds and working habits. Collaborative team building activities will teach them how to work more efficiently together. All this combined will make teams more productive when working together. Team building activities can also be used to build employee’s communication skills by putting staff in teams with colleagues who they don’t interact with on a regular basis – improving interdepartmental working.
  • Develop future leaders – Team building activities can be used to see who is a natural leader and who will step up and take charge. They also allow company leaders to identify any of their staffs’ hidden talents, which could be utilised within the business.

How to plan a team building event

  1. Define your goals – it’s important that you firstly set a clear goal of what you want to achieve from the event as it will determine the activities. For example, rewarding your company’s successes or building working relationships within your team.
  2. Set a budget – set up a budget at the start of the planning process. It can be as small or as large as you like, as long it is realistic to meet your main goal.
  3. Identify a planning team – it can be difficult to organise a team building event individually. Therefore, it could be worth delegating responsibilities. Gaining different perspectives on events, you are more likely to choose activities that everyone will enjoy.
  4. Decide who’s invited – this is an important factor and can be difficult to decide on if you work at a large company. To help, find out if the venue or the activities you have in mind have a maximum capacity and decide whether you would like the event to be compulsory. If it’s compulsory, try to find out people’s availability to determine a date and location.
  5. Choose activities – once you’ve decided your goals, you should have an idea of activities that will align with them. Try to choose activities that are interactive, engaging and collaborative.
  6. Invite people and market the team building event – the final thing to do is invite everyone. Create an agenda and send it around or just provide a date/ general location if you would like it to be a surprise.

Ideas for team building activities

Below are some of our favourite ideas for team building events or activities:

  • Escape Room
  • Mystery Dinner
  • Office Trivia
  • Exploring A New Place
  • Memory Wall – get the team to draw or print photos of memories and put a wall to create discussion and camaraderie
  • Go Karting
  • Cooking Class or Bake Off
  • Visiting A Museum
  • Magazine Cover – get the team to make a magazine cover about a recent success or project
  • Back Of A Napkin – draw the solution to an open-ended problem on a back of a napkin
  • Charitable Activity – for example, walking or an obstacle course to raise money for charity

About the Eventus Recruitment Group

At the Eventus Recruitment Group 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. If you would like support with recruiting, please click here to contact us. To view our latest jobs or if you are looking for your next role, please click here.

We are currently recruiting for a Recruitment Resourcer to join us here at The Eventus Recruitment Group in Lancaster. All employees benefit from fantastic team building events and incentives. Click here for more details.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest jobs and updates from us.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1647344929607{background-color: #83289b !important;}” notification=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]

“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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29Sep

Candidate Referral Scheme – earn up to £500 per referral

Do you know anyone who works in the Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors and is looking for a new role or to progress in their career? We are excited to launch our brand new Candidate Referral Scheme, allowing you to earn up to £500 per referral.

At the Eventus Recruitment Group, we are passionate about matching talented professionals with firms, which satisfy the requirements of both parties – creating successful working relationships, allowing businesses to go from strength-to-strength and candidates to thrive in their careers.

Recruitment across the Legal, HR, Finance and Accountancy sectors is booming at the present and we are seeing employers offer much more flexibility to employees in terms of hybrid working. Everyday we are using our experience and expertise to negotiate new roles for professionals for their preferred working patterns. In addition, salary offers are higher than before the pandemic and many firms are putting bonus arrangements in place to reward hard work.

So, the key question is…who do you know? If you introduce them to us and we find them a new role, we’ll reward you with up to £500 in vouchers! To view the full terms and conditions, please click here.

Get in touch for a confidential discussion.

Meet our Team – Here to Support Candidates in Finding their Next Opportunity

Siobhan Courtney

Siobhan Courtney Eventus Recruitment

Oversees: Legal – Senior hires across the UK excluding North East and Yorkshire

What do successful candidates say?

“I would recommend anyone to Eventus Recruitment Group, and in particular Siobhan. Siobhan is down-to-earth, friendly and supportive – she just ‘gets’ it! Thank you.”

“Excellent service from Siobhan from start to finish and even after the finish which was definitely above and beyond expectations. She had a clear grasp of the brief and was able to deliver several high quality candidates.”

Email: Siobhan.courtney@eventuslegal.com

Amy Watson

Amy Watson Eventus Recruitment

Oversees: Legal – North East and Yorkshire

What do successful candidates say?

“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 provided 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.”

Email: amy.watson@eventuslegal.com

Nikki Phillips

Nikki Phillips Eventus Recruitment

Oversees: Legal – Lancashire, Cumbria and Manchester City Centre

What do successful candidates say?

“Huge thank you to Nikki Phillips! She has been great and really supportive from the first day. I have used many recruiters, but Nikki has topped the service from any other!
Will keep in touch and speak soon!”

Email: Nikki.phillips@eventuslegal.com 

Jo Hood

Jo Hood Eventus Recruitment

Oversees: Finance and Accountancy – Cheshire and beyond

What do successful candidates say?

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

Email: jo.hood@eventusfinance.com

Erin McKnight

Erin McKnight Eventus Recruitment

Oversees: Legal – South East (Kent, Surrey and London)

What do successful candidates say?

“Erin is such a professional and approachable person. It’s like talking to a friend! She has been and remains determined to help me achieve the best job for me. Definitely recommend chatting to Erin if you need a fresh start or if you feel it’s time to move onto your next adventure. Erin’s your girl! Thanks for all you do Erin, I really appreciate it.”

Email: erin.mcknight@eventuslegal.com

Shelley Gilchrist

Shelley Gilchrist Eventus Recruitment

Oversees sourcing candidates for Eventus Finance.

Email: shelley.gilchrist@eventusfinance.com

Get in touch to refer a candidate. We look forward to hearing from you.

22Sep

Eventus Recruitment – Couch to 5K Progress

Our Associate Director Amy Watson and Recruitment Consultant Erin McKnight have put on their running shoes and over the last 4 weeks have been taking part in the Couch to 5K.

Below they share with us their progress…

 

Amy

Starting strong… but hitting some roadblocks. I won’t give up!

4 weeks ago, we embarked upon a challenge as a team to undertake the Couch to 5K programme; training ourselves to run from essentially zero to a 5k run in just 9 weeks. We thought #nationalfitnessday was a good idea to update you on our progress.

I have done the programme previously, never actually hitting 5K, but this time I was determined to do so. I started out strong – I found the PaceSetter playlists on BBC Sounds that really help me to keep going, and I was actually enjoying the runs. Bear in mind, the early stages of the programme you might only be running for 1-3 minutes at a time, but still… I was seeing good progress.

Last night I finished the final run of week 4, and in honesty, this week has been more challenging for me. I have struggled to fit my runs into the same pattern of “every other day” and I can really notice the difference when I wait 3 or 4 days between runs. I feel like I’ve lost progress.

Last night was the hardest one yet – not necessarily physically (although my hips weren’t loving it) but mentally. For the first time I wanted to give up, and just walk home (but I didn’t I’m pleased to say). I hear people say that some runs are like that – some days you don’t seem to do as well. But it disappointed me, and I did arrive home a little downhearted.

But, tomorrow I will pick myself up and start week 5. I really need to keep a consistency in terms of when I am running – even if that means going over my lunchbreak, or after I’ve walked the dog in the morning. I will stick to every other day.

I could do with some tips from more seasoned runners than I am. How do you keep motivation high? If I’m struggling now, how do I do it when autumn kicks in with its dark nights and misty mornings?

Please wish me luck! I really want to achieve the 5K this time round. I know this is nothing to some people, but for me, who has never been a runner, it will definitely be an achievement.

Couch to 5k Progress
Amy’s Couch to 5K Progress

Erin

Picking Up the Pace

The couch to 5K has been the challenge that I’ve needed to increase my fitness after the lockdowns. I should be on week 5. However, over the last couple of weeks I haven’t done as much running as what I should have. As a result, this week I’ve re-done week 3’s running routine.

I’m enjoying running along the quay in Lancaster in an evening after work, and now I need to pick up the pace and complete a minimum of 3 runs a week.

Well done ladies. We are behind you every step of the way.

Lancaster Quay Couch to 5K
Photo taken by Erin on her run on the Quay in Lancaster on Monday night

Have you been inspired?

If you have been inspired and would like to find out more about the Couch to 5K, click here for more information and how to take part.

Do you struggle to stay active whilst working? Click here to read our top tips and exercises that can be done at work.

22Sep

How to stay fit at work or job searching

When working at a desk or looking for jobs it’s very easy to get carried away and next thing you know it’s 3 hours later and you haven’t moved. Maintaining and/or improving your fitness level is vital for productivity, keeping you motivated to reach your goals and improving your mental health. Here, we share with you some ways to stay active and improve your fitness whilst working or job searching.

Tips for staying active whilst working

  1. Move every hour – even if it is just to stand up or to grab a drink. Put reminders in your calendars or set an alarm.
  2. Try an active sitting chair or standing desk – these are great way to keep your core muscles engaged and allows you to change your position whilst working.
  3. Walk to work or to an interview – rather than using public transport or driving, try walking to and from work or interviews. This will increase your mood, focus your mind and switch off afterwards.
  4. Join us in the Couch to 5k – Our Associate Director Amy Watson has taken part in this and she says it is a fantastic way to improve fitness.
  5. Make use of your dinner break – go for a walk even if it’s just to the shops, go to the gym or join in with an online fitness video. Alternatively, if you have a dog – or if like us you have an office dog – take your dog for a walk.
  6. Do a fundraiser with your colleagues or friends for charity –  we have recently completed the 100km challenge together as a company to raise funds for our local hospice.

Exercises to stay active at your desk

Desk Push Ups

  1. Face your desk and lean against it, with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your arms straight.
  2. Lower yourself until your chest almost reaches your desk, then move back to the starting position.
  3. Repeat for at least 10 repetitions

Chair or desk side planks

  1. With your body in a straight line, place one forearm against the edge of your desk or the seat of your chair.
  2. Raise the other arm toward the ceiling.
  3. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Desk Donkey Kicks

  1. Face your desk and lean against it, with your body in a straight line.
  2. Stand on one leg, with your opposite knee bent at 90 degrees.
  3. Kick your bent leg back as far as you can.
  4. Hold for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for at least 10 repetitions on each side.

Side Lunges

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Take a big step to the side and squat down until your thigh is almost parallel to the ground.
  3. Step back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

On the NHS website there are lots of useful tips on exercise and handy guides containing quick 10 minute exercises, ideal if like us you have a busy work schedule.

About The Eventus Recruitment Group

At The Eventus Recruitment Group 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. If you would like support with recruiting or are looking for your next opportunity, please click here to contact us. To view our latest jobs or if you are looking for your next role, please click here.

22Jun

SQE – What is it and how does it work?

September 2021 sees the launch of the SQE but what is it and how does it work?

Solicitors Qualifying Experience is being brought in to centralise the qualification to become a Solicitor in England and Wales and will eventually replace the LPC.

SQE assessments will be completed after completing a degree and will be separated into two parts, SQE 1 and SQE 2.

SQE 1 will be testing functional legal knowledge via multiple choice questions about the application of law based on true to life scenarios. It looks at the subjects covered in the law degree or conversion course and the vocational practice areas in stage 1 of the LPC. There will be 360 questions over two papers with 180 multiple choice questions on each paper.

SQE 2 tests practical legal skills such as interviewing, advocacy, research, legal drafting and writing along with analysis.

Similarly to Training Contracts which are undertaken after the LPC, Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) will need to be completed and can be done at any point during the qualification process and it can be completed with up to four legal employers. It can include placements whilst studying, paralegal work in a law clinic as well as working for a two-year period with a law firm.

SQE offers more flexibility and helps to provide wider access to the profession with different routes and the QWE supports this as there are a limited number of training contracts on offer each year. Paul Philip, SRA Chief Executive said “The new assessment will mean the public and law firms can have full confidence that all new solicitors meet the same consistently high standards, regardless of how they qualified. As well as building trust and confidence, the SQE should also help widen access to the profession, by allowing different routes to entry, including ‘earn as you learn’ pathways such as apprenticeships.”

However, some have concerns with regards to the new route. Adele Edwin-Lamerton, Solicitor and Chair of the Law Society JLD Committee has said “We are very concerned about the cost of the SQE assessment and the preparatory course. We don’t feel that just because the SRA hasn’t specified that a preparatory course is mandatory, this will prevent students (and firms) seeking a programme of study to assist them in passing the assessment, leaving those unable to afford a course at a disadvantage. Not all universities will incorporate SQE Part 1 preparation in their undergraduate LLB programme, meaning for many there will be an additional cost.”

You can find more information about the new pathway here https://www.law.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/sqe/

Sources

https://www.allaboutlaw.co.uk/commercial-awareness/legal-spotlight/sqe-what-the-experts-think-

https://www.law.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/sqe/

02Jun

Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn?

I am a huge lover of LinkedIn, it’s probably the only social media site that I actually spend the time to sit and scroll through and really get involved in posts and post my own content etc.
I am not a huge lover of social media, I find Instagram and Facebook quite boring, but when it comes to LinkedIn, I love to keep up-to-date with what my connections are posting and really get involved.

 

I think it’s very important to use LinkedIn properly and really get the maximum benefit out of it, and so I thought I would share some really useful tips on how to make sure that you are maximising views of your posts and content and how to improve this.

 

Firstly, no matter what your profession, it is really important to build a good profile that looks professional.

Profile picture

Starting with your profile picture, always make sure that it is a professional picture. It shouldn’t be a picture of you posing with family or friends, or posing on a night out, but a professional picture where your face takes up 60% of the frame, and there shouldn’t be anybody else in the picture with you. Make sure you are wearing work attire in the picture also.

Banner

Your banner is also really important. If your company has a specific brand, then use this branding for your logo (get your marketing manager to do this for you if you are unsure), but make sure it is in keeping with your profile and ‘advertises’ you and your company in a professional way.

URL

Your URL is also important and this can be changed. Changing your URL allows you to personalise your LinkedIn and then when connections visit your profile, it has your unique URL on show at the top which looks highly professional. For example, my URL is ‘LinkedIn/legal recruiter – Merseyside’ and this just allows my profile to be more direct and personalised to me.

About you

Your ‘About you’ section is the first chance to ‘sell’ yourself and your skills to potential connections. So make sure to fill in this section just including a few lines about yourself and what you do. It can be kept simple and just try and target it at whoever your target audience is. For example, my target audience would be potential new candidates or clients and therefore I would include a brief description of our company Eventus Legal and my specialist skills in recruitment and which geographic I cover.

What should I publish?

Next, it is important to think about what you publish and maximise the chances of your target audience seeing your content.

Rather than picking up on how many ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ you receive, LinkedIn focuses on something called ‘Dwell time’ which is the amount of time people stay on your posts and engage.
So, the idea is to post content that is going to stay on your platform for longer and as a result your content really needs to hold attention.

Recently, here at the Eventus Recruitment Group, we carried out a series of polls and collated data in from all of our connections. It was a really fun exercise and we will shortly be sharing all of the data collected, but above all, it was the best way to ensure maximum ‘dwell time’ on our platform and increase visibility across our network.
Polls get 10-30% more uplift time than just a regular post.

Posting pictures also gets more uplift time than a regular post and including videos on your post gets a 30-55% uplift on viewing time.
When posting videos, we have started including subtitles as it is handy to know that most videos are watched by people in the office ON MUTE. Therefore, subtitles ensure that the content can still be viewed, even with no sound.

LinkedIn statistics have found that out of our entire network, only 5% of connections will see a post, 5%!!!!
I have 5000 connections and it’s such a shame to think that only 5% will see the posts I put out, and therefore we really take the advice on board to maximise dwell time and post videos and pictures and any other content that will really increase our visibility.

Finally, a really great way to maximise viewings is to include links. But be sure to remember that LinkedIn doesn’t like it when you include the link in the actual post, the link MUST be in the comments section below in order for the post to reach more of your connections.

 

Other important tips to remember are:

  • Make the content interesting
  • Make it personal to you – people want to get to know the person behind the profile
  • Add a single image
  • Write as you speak, make it chatty and casual to encourage conversation
  • Tag any relevant connections or businesses into the post to maximise engagement
  • If using a hashtag, make sure to use a maximum of 3. LinkedIn doesn’t like it when there are too many hashtags used
  • Any videos need to be less than 90 seconds and include subtitles

 

Overall, LinkedIn is an incredibly useful tool for connecting with professionals across the business sector. It can be great for business development, building relationships, selling services, job hunting, learning…and much much more.

 

If you would like to find out more, or want any further information on any of the above, please do not hesitate to get in touch here.

 

Victoria
Eventus Legal Recruitment

victoria.banks@eventuslegal.com

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