Here at HT we believe every youngster deserves a start in life but unpaid work cannot be the answer unless it leads to a real career opportunity. Our parent group Twin Systems is a passionate advocate of apprenticeships and trainee schemes but some businesses are now questioning the worth of these government backed schemes

Getting recruitment decisions right is essential at the best of times. However, in times of economic downturn, it seems to become even more critical. The use of a specialist such as Human Touch can minimise this risk. We look at ten steps you should take to ensure you have the best chance of hiring a great employee.

How did Jobs do it? His leadership, management style and business sense were as distinctive as his personality – here are 10 lessons drawn from Isaacson’s biography on doing business, Steve Jobs-style

Making a good first impression is important for building relationships with other people. In business networking, a positive first impression is crucial for forging
profitable, sustainable, long-term partnerships to help build the business and keep it thriving.

When Human Touch places a skilled and professional technologist it is the end of a planned and effective selection process that involves three parties, the new employee, our client and of course Human Touch. Once our successful candidate has commenced their new position then their motivation and performance will be determined by how that is recognised. We have put some tips together to help achieve that performance.

It is very tempting to hire anyone to fill a position. Here at Human Touch we pride ouselves on advising you on all aspects of your role. We will advise you on salary, skill sets and the exact profile that will fit your role – many of our clients value this because -well they don’t want to end up with Homer Simpson! The cost of hiring a weak employee like Homer Simpson in many cases exceeds the cost of leaving the position vacant.

Human Touch has over ten years experience of working with clients to provide skilled IT professionals at all levels within your business. The truth is we have learnt a thing or two about how to select, test and then recruit the very best. Our track record of providing everyone from a strategic thinking CIO to an interim team for a desktop refresh has ensured we have continued to thrive and prosper in these challenging times.

You know you should manage them out but you just don’t get around to it and so you keep them on. Month after month, year after year. In front of you they spout the company line. It’s all rah-rah and go team and let’s make it happen yesterday. It’s all about us and our company. But they say it with a sarcastic smile that you can read like a book but you let it go. You make excuses for them but you know deep down those are your excuses.

What I wanted to create was a One-Question Interview, a stand-alone query that would pierce through the veneer of generalizations, overcome typical candidate nervousness, minimize the impact of the candidate’s personality on the interviewer, eliminate the exaggeration which many candidates adopt as an interviewing ploy and actually determine if the candidate is competent and motivated to do the work required.

Business confidence is on the rise again with nearly three-quarters of employers – 74% – expecting to increase their workforce over the next three months, according to the REC’s July JobsOutlook. A further 66% are looking to increase their permanent workforce in the next 12 months which is encouraging news and counters some of the overly negative press that followed last week’s official jobs figures.