Succession planning: What is it and why is it important?
Staff turnover is inevitable, but succession planning can help you identify, develop, and nurture your team to be ready to fill key positions within your business as soon as vacancies arise.
Steve Warnham
Steve is a freelance copywriter, editor and content producer. He has been researching, writing on and talking about the recruitment and employment market for over a decade.
His work explores the macro and micro trends affecting businesses in their recruitment. From advice on hiring best practice, to unpacking large-scale research projects; his pieces seek to provide actionable insight to help employers define their people strategies.
You can find out more about Steve’s work at www.stevewarnham.com
All by Steve Warnham
How to conduct a return to work interview: A comprehensive guide
Return to work interviews are central to facilitating a seamless return for employees following a leave of absence. Learn how to conduct them in our guide.
How to write an effective job description: Best practices and insights
A well-crafted job description not only attracts top-tier candidates but also serves as a vital tool for internal alignment, effective management, and long-term talent development.
How to use ChatGPT in recruitment: Transforming the hiring landscape
Discover how AI-powered ChatGPT can streamline the hiring process, automate tasks, and improve the candidate experience.
Market update: green shoots on the horizon
At the start of May, as the UK Government gears up to announce plans to re-open and restart the economy, Totaljobs statistics suggest that there may be a cautious return of confidence among employers and recruiters.
Surge in applications for agricultural roles
In response to growing consumer demand and labour shortages, farming and agricultural roles on Totaljobs see a significant 83% spike in applications, whilst searches for ‘fruit picker’ are up 338%
30% increase in new applicants on Totaljobs as candidate activity remains high amid market uncertainty
The outbreak of Covid-19 has affected the UK’s recruitment landscape, but with candidate activity remaining high, recent developments have led to a rise in job opportunities across logistics, farming and core healthcare roles.
Below you can find a range of trends and statistics, shining a light on some of the UK’s core industries and the latest from the UK’s job market.
Working relationships: avoiding rivalry at work
Recent research from Totaljobs has found that 6 in 10 UK workers have someone they consider to be a ‘work enemy’.
Overcoming the UK skills shortage
Totaljobs and Robert Walters recently surveyed over 5,000 UK professionals and employers in order to shine a light on the challenges facing British recruiters.
The resulting report, “Solving the UK Skills Shortage” has revealed that two thirds of recruiting businesses expect to struggle to find the candidates they need. What’s more, half of UK employers believe that Britain’s departure from the European Union will worsen the problem.
30 Interview Questions for Successful Hiring
You’ve written a job advert and drawn up a shortlist of candidates, but before you can go ahead with a job offer, you need to go through the interview process. We’re here to help by looking at interview questions to ask candidates for more efficient hiring.
What to look for when screening CVs
The average job advertised on totaljobs receives 20 applications from qualified candidates, driven to relevant jobs by a clever traffic strategy and advanced search and match technology.
While deciding where to advertise, we know that the number of applications you can expect to receive is often a deciding factor, but sometimes it’s hard to remember what this actually means.
20 applications means 20 CVs on your desk, which means 20 potential interviewees, and you being tasked with deciding which ones are the most qualified, relevant and best to contact.
While we don’t envy you, we can give you some tips to help...
How to identify unconscious gender bias in job adverts
With diversity and the gender-pay gap a key focus of many UK organisations, we have conducted extensive research into how the language of a job ad could impact on diversity.
Using previous academic research from The University of Waterloo and Duke University which outlined a series of male and female gender-coded words, we analysed 76,929 job adverts over a six week period to assess the frequency of gender-coded words in UK recruitment.
Popular on Totaljobs
Employee benefits: how to create an employee benefits package
Employee benefits have become increasingly important for organisations looking to attract and retain talent. Discover how to create a benefits package that stands out in a competitive landscape.
Hiring Trends Index: a look at the recruitment landscape of Q1 2024
Totaljobs’ Hiring Trends Index informs recruiters about the latest trends in the UK job market based on insights from 1,000 HR leaders. This edition looks at the first quarter of 2024 with a focus on how businesses are impacted by skills shortages and the measures they are taking to tackle them.
8 Steps to conducting a fair salary review
Regular salary reviews are vital for employers looking to retain high-performing employees. Learn how to conduct this process fairly and objectively.
Salary benchmarking: A guide for employers
Benchmarking salaries is vital for organisations to remain competitive in the hiring landscape. Learn how to ensure your pay keeps pace with the market.
The salary conversation: How pay transparency can improve hiring and retention
2 in 5 HR leaders in the UK say that they often lose candidates because salary wasn’t discussed soon enough in the hiring process. With the majority (70%) of workers knowing how much they should be paid for a job, discover how salary transparency can improve hiring and retention.
Quality of life index: The best UK cities to live and work in 2023
New research from Totaljobs ranked quality of life factors for 15 major UK cities, spotlighting the greatest each area has to offer people looking for the best work-life balance in 2023.
Explore our insights to see which cities come out on top as UK workers look to stretch their pay. Discover how your city compares and get tips for attracting a new talent pool open to relocation.
Giving interview feedback to unsuccessful candidates
Breaking bad news to candidates is a natural part of hiring. Providing comprehensive feedback to those who have been unsuccessful can set employers apart.
30 Interview Questions for Successful Hiring
You’ve written a job advert and drawn up a shortlist of candidates, but before you can go ahead with a job offer, you need to go through the interview process. We’re here to help by looking at interview questions to ask candidates for more efficient hiring.
An employer’s guide to managing Gardening Leave
Gardening Leave can seem like a win-win situation. For employers, it’s a way of protecting the business when an employee hands in their notice. And for employees, it means they are paid without having to work. But it’s not without its complications, from costs to potential claims. So, here’s our guide on how to handle Gardening Leave without any thorny (legal) issues.
User guide: using the Totaljobs CV Database
Below is your step-by-step guide to using the Totaljobs CV Database, a tool which lets you take control of your hiring by easily searching for candidates.
Filter searches by skillset and location, see candidates’ application history, contact the best suited, and set up alerts to find others who fit the brief.
Decoding Global Talent 2024: Almost a quarter of workers worldwide are looking to move abroad for work
Totaljobs (as part of The Stepstone Group) and the Boston Consulting Group have partnered again for the Global Talent Survey – one of the largest workforce surveys in the world. Drawing insights from 150,000 workers in 188 countries, the first report Decoding Global Talent 2024: Dream Destinations & Mobility Trends in the series decodes international mobility trends of workers.
UK industry salary and benefit trends for 2024
Based on 23 million job ads across 30 industries, new Totaljobs research reveals the latest salary and benefit trends shaping recruitment in 2024. Download our Salary and Benefit guides to find out what candidates are looking for and how your compensation compares.
Product training webinars: Get more from your Totaljobs tools
Join one of our free product webinars for insider tips, tricks and handy tidbits on how to use the full suite of Totaljobs products, and level up your search for candidates.
How to conduct a second interview
Once you’ve interviewed the first round of candidates in the early stages of a recruitment process, the second round requires a very different approach. The aim of a second interview is to assess the candidate in more detail, get to know them a bit better, and can help recruiters confirm if the candidate is the right one for the role.
12 Exit interview questions you need to ask employees
Discover key exit interview questions that can uncover valuable insights into the employee experience and aid future talent retention.
Trending on Totaljobs
How to conduct a competency-based interview: A step-by-step guide
With 37% of HR leaders navigating challenging skill shortages, there’s never been a better time to learn how to conduct competency-based interviews. This structured interview style assesses the skills and abilities a candidate can bring to the table, helping you to access a wider pool of talent, hire more objectively, and ultimately find the best person for the job. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
UK wages play catch up with the inflation
The most recent ONS estimates of labour market data (13th June 2023) show that wage growth picked up in April 2023. This is set to make the Bank of England’s plans to halve inflation more difficult, making another raise in interest rates likely. The market is still tight; therefore, redundancies and unemployment in the UK remain low. Meanwhile, long-term sickness is at an all-time high.
The ROI of Relocation: Why investing in a strong relocation package pays off for employers
With 65% of UK workers open to relocating, employers can expand their talent pool by providing support with relocation costs. In this article, we delve into the concept of relocation packages, the benefits they provide, and how you can create an offering that attracts the candidates you need for long-term success.
AI vs. Human – Jobseekers think AI shouldn’t make hiring decisions
Workers from the UK, US and Germany think humans should make the final decision to hire, but still share the excitement about AI’s potential at work and in the recruitment process.
How to write an effective job advertisement that attracts top candidates
With 27% of businesses saying they expect filling vacancies to be a key challenge this year, creating effective job adverts has never been more important. In this guide, we examine how you can write job ads that stand out in a competitive market, highlight what your business has to offer and attract great candidates.
5 ways employers can manage stress in the workplace
Stress at work is sometimes unavoidable, and results in UK companies losing millions of working days each year. This article will look at 5 ways employers can effectively manage stress in their workplace and enhance workforce wellbeing.
AI vs. Human – Who do jobseekers prefer to deal with in the recruitment process?
AI is rapidly going mainstream, and people are as excited as they are sceptical about its implications in the world of work and beyond. So, who is winning jobseekers’ hearts when it comes to hiring?
How to create a reward strategy that motivates staff
Implementing an effective employee reward strategy is a tried and tested method of increasing motivation and engagement among your workforce. Learn more about the core elements of a reward strategy and how to implement one in your organisation.
8 Steps to conducting a fair salary review
Regular salary reviews are vital for employers looking to retain high-performing employees. Learn how to conduct this process fairly and objectively.
Quality of life index: The best UK cities to live and work in 2023
New research from Totaljobs ranked quality of life factors for 15 major UK cities, spotlighting the greatest each area has to offer people looking for the best work-life balance in 2023.
Explore our insights to see which cities come out on top as UK workers look to stretch their pay. Discover how your city compares and get tips for attracting a new talent pool open to relocation.
How to reduce bias in interviews
Follow our step by step guide on how to avoid bias in an interview and ensure your organisation can secure the talent you need to drive long term success.
Students are the driving force behind the decrease in economic inactivity
The ONS released its latest estimates of labour market data (16th May 2023), showing a continuing increase in labour participation. This increase is largely driven by students – who are working part-time or looking for part-time employment – as well as self-employed workers. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed for over 12 months has been increasing.
How employers can engage with young talent as the cost of living rises
The cost of living is hampering young people’s career prospects and looks set to deepen long-standing challenges employers have in reaching and attracting entry level talent.
The latest report from Totaljobs, in partnership with Career Ready, shows that due to the rising cost of living, school leavers are confronted with growing concerns around money which threatens their career aspirations. This is having a negative impact on social mobility, with financial factors disproportionately affecting those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The report offers insight into young people’s limitations and employers’ expectations.
How employers can bring entry level opportunities to more young people
According to our research, over half (54%) of HR leaders say it has become more difficult to hire for entry level roles in the last two years. Meanwhile, youth unemployment is on the rise, young people report lacking adequate career advice and face limited opportunities trying to enter the workforce. So, how can employers bring their entry level opportunities to more young people?
Notice periods: An essential guide for employers
With a third of workers looking for a fresh start this year, successfully managing notice periods is crucial. In this guide we’ll examine what employers need to know about the different types of notice periods, their legal obligations and fixed term contracts.
Popular topics
Hiring people
Whether you’ve just started hiring people or you’re a recruiting pro; our free tips, advice and insight will help you adopt best practices and find the best people for the job.
Candidate attraction
What is employer branding? Your employer brand strategy is vitally important to make sure you can recruit the best people for your business.
Recruitment trends
Read the latest employment figures, with an in-depth focus on the UK skills shortage and how government legislation and employment law could affect your recruitment.
Salaries
From salary reviews and pay rises, to performance related bonuses, our tips help you offer company bonus schemes, competitive salaries and benefits to ensure employee engagement and keep hold of the best people in your business.
Retention and development
Your staff retention strategy is fundamental to making sure you keep hold of the best people in your business. Find out what motivates people at work, how you can boost employee engagement, and use training, learning and development to upskill members of staff.
Company culture
What is company culture? From internal communications to work socials – your company culture makes your workplace unique, and is vital to keeping staff motivated, happy and engaged. Use our advice to find out how you can create and harness your company culture.
Managing people
What is employee engagement? Find out everything you need to know to develop company culture and successfully manage people at work. From staff retention tips to how human resources can improve productivity, support employee wellbeing, and embed diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Advertising a job
Find out how to advertise a job vacancy, with free examples and tips to help you get the best response from your job advert.
Recruiter resources
Whether it’s insight and advice from an in-depth report, or a step-by-step Totaljobs user guide, here you can find the resources you need to make recruitment easier.
Diversity and inclusion
Workplace diversity and inclusion is much more than a buzzword. It’s your company’s commitment to raising awareness and supporting a diverse workforce. These are the policies and strategies you need to attract, hire and keep hold of the people your organisation needs regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability and more.