As an organisation with our finger on the pulse of all things recruitment in the North West, we have an understanding of the skills that firms in the region seek.

But what are the five most in-demand roles in the North West at the moment?

Fork lift drivers – reach and counter balance

These are the two main types of fork lift truck and an increase in demand is generally noted around this time every year as organisations begin to prepare their operations for the busy Christmas period. A rise in orders and products moving through factories and warehouses obviously facilitates a need for this type of professional. In addition, the rise of e-commerce has also contributed to the rising demand, as more staff are required to manage the ever-growing numbers of orders conducted online.

Customer service with sales and order processing

Along similar lines, customer service specialists are being sought after by the more organised retailers looking to get their workforces into shape in the run up to Christmas. This time of year always drives an increase in the number of products bought and with the aforementioned growth of e-commerce, along with the minor resurgence of in-store shopping, retailers are recruiting accordingly.

Commercial financial analysts

The growth of e-commerce has also driven an increased need for data specialists who can analyse huge information stacks and identify trends for their employers to base marketing and promotion campaigns around. Retailers and other organisations are much more reactive now than ever before and seek real-time updates that allow them to refresh their product displays and pricing in line with demand and popularity. These skills are highly transferrable and firms seem open to hiring from other industries, as long as the requisite skills are in place. Professionals in the likes of the financial services industry, are particularly highly sought after for their experience in working with large and often highly complex data sets.

Marketing and brand managers

Having a strong brand has perhaps never been as important as it is today. Commercial sectors across the board are crowded with companies competing over the same narrow vertical market share and are seeking ways to stand out from the crowd. This has driven a major rise in demand for marketing and brand managers who, as with commercial financial analysts, often possess transferrable skill sets and are being hired from other industries.

Production workers

Finally, the run up to the busy Christmas period has also driven a need for manufacturing and production staff across the board. This one is easy to attribute – consumers buy more products at this time of year than any other and rather obviously, professionals are sought after to actually create these products, both physical and digital.

If you’re looking for your next position in one of these highly sought after roles then you’re likely to be in luck, as organisations across the board are on the hunt for professionals to fill their teams – get in contact with the experts if you’re looking for your next game-changing position in the North West.

Take a look at some our other blogs to gain some more valuable career advice

Or take a look at our current roles to find your next game-changing role.

George Osborne (remember him?) and the idea of the Northern Powerhouse have been absent from the public eye in recent times. While the former left politics altogether and now holds approximately 47 different jobs, including Editor of the Evening Standard, the latter suffered from the Brexit vote and the ensuing general election and has, until recently, been relegated to the back burner. However, according to recent reports, the Northern Powerhouse is back on track, but what will it mean for recruitment?

Rising optimism

Jim O’Neil, the former Goldman Sachs economist – who quit as Treasury minister last year after a series of disagreements with the government – is now feeling more positive about the prospect of the Northern Powerhouse project actually happening following the departure of two key advisors. He commented that the resignation of Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill removed two significant barriers that had previously held back the development from taking place. “[Theresa May] has lost the two main internal opponents of the Northern Powerhouse…They would not even use the term.” He also insisted there was now ‘sufficient momentum’ from government to press ahead, adding, “It is up to people locally to take that momentum and carry it on.”

But what would the Northern Powerhouse mean for recruitment in the UK?

The development of the Northern Powerhouse would spell good news for firms based in the Northern regions of the country. In a survey we conducted last year, 75% of companies were optimistic about the potential impact of the project with the main reasons cited as improved transportation links between major employment hubs as well as an increase in population, meaning a larger, skilled talent pool for organisations to hire from.

The success of businesses – aside from those that are now employing robots – tends to hinge on the skills and expertise within their workforces. Without access to skilled talent, firms have little chance of being successful, regardless of the strength or willpower of their leadership. However, in recent years many have struggled to attract the potential employees they need to facilitate growth and expansion and instead have faced significant hiring challenges. The introduction of improved links with the rest of the country, and the knock on investment and development that this infrastructure would attract, could bring thousands of professionals to other areas of the UK, removing the current economic mismatch between the North and the South and potentially creating a myriad of jobs across a wide range of industries.

The Powerhouse is still certainly in the concept stage and there is a major amount of work and activity that needs to take place to even get it off the ground. However, if Jim O’Neill’s predictions are correct and it does get closer to being given the green light, firms across the UK, but particularly in the Northern part of the country are likely to benefit.

Businesses in the North specifically are justified in feeling that the region has been neglected in favour of the South in recent years, however the development of the Northern Powerhouse could change all that. It could level the playing field, respread investment across the UK and mean that businesses in areas that had previously struggled to hire, would now have access to much larger talent pools, what’s not to like?

What benefits do you think the Powerhouse could create for northern businesses?

Take a look at some of our other blogs to find out about employment opportunities in the North.

Or take a look at our current jobs to find your next game changing role.

We recently undertook analysis of the North West employment market which was covered by recruitment publication, Recruitment International and professional body, The Association of Professional Staffing Companies(APSCo) featuring comment from our commercial manager, Tracy Bolan.

The research is based on a comparison of vacancy levels across our broad areas of expertise and highlights the ongoing skills requirements of employers in the region. The findings show that there are increased levels of demand for accountants in practice, sales administrators, sales hire desk controllers and welders here in the North West.

©depositphotos.com/AndreyPopov

Lynn Sedgwick, Managing Director of Clayton Recruitment, was recently featured on the BBC talking about salary negotiations. So what so jobseekers need to know when it comes to that all important conversation and what are Lynn’s top tips?

Do your research

There are a whole host of websites that can help you assess salary ranges for a particular role – Glassdoor.com is one such example. However it’s also a good idea to speak to recruiters – after all we are placing professionals into jobs every day so we have a good understanding of salary ranges. ​

It is also a good idea to research exactly what the role you are applying for involves – will it include lots of overtime or travel, for example. And if it does will you be compensated for this financially or perhaps offered time off in lieu? This is a point that Philippe Gaud, affiliate professor of management and Human Resources at HEC Paris Executive Education makes in the article. “If you want to create the best conditions for a good salary negotiation with an employer, you should first show that you understand the company’s perspective on compensation,”

What motivates you?

When it comes to the actual negotiating, our very own Lynn Sedgwick believes that it comes down to what motivates you:  “A lot depends on how much you want the job – and what your motivators are. If it’s purely about more money, then go for the highest you feel you honestly deserve, but make sure that you have the lowest figure you are willing to accept in your mind before you start.”  If you’re motivated by things other than money – work life balance, for example, then a different approach may best: ​“Decide how much of a compromise you are willing to make and find out when the next pay review would be and how you will be evaluated,” Lynn concluded.

For more top tips the full article can be found here. And more advice from the Clayton Recruitment team visit our blog.

©Depositphoto.com/@ AndreyPopov

Ten years ago only a few of us were getting to grips with the early versions of Facebook and had only just discovered the ability to peer into the private lives of people we’d previously only counted as acquaintances. It certainly wasn’t expected that just a decade later you would be hard pressed to find an organisation, or even many individuals, who don’t have some presence on social media in one way or another.

Roles in social media

Tweets, likes, pokes (remember them?) pulse blogs, pinning and regramming were all just glimmers in Mark Zuckerberg and the likes’ eyes and the idea of having a job solely dedicated to something called social media was obviously unheard of. However, things have changed significantly now and social media has not only expanded into people’s personal lives, but also their working ones in many cases. Social media management roles are now commonplace at the majority of organisations, particularly larger ones and thousands of professionals now work in roles related to the field.

We spoke to the Lancashire Evening Post on this very subject last year with our Recruitment Manager, Tracy Bolan outlining some key pointers about working in social media.

“The average starting salary for Social Media Executives is around £18,000 but pay can easily rise to £35,000 and up for Social Media Managers.”

Career paths into social media

And because the field is so new, there are no established paths into a social media role.

“It’s a relatively new concept and new platforms are constantly emerging, so any firm solely looking for employees with marketing degrees is likely to be fishing in a shallow pool. You can gain a lot of valuable experience by using platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram both personally and professionally and having a ‘relevant’ degree certainly isn’t a steadfast requirement.”

However, social media careers aren’t just about following your favourite celebrities and liking your friend’s tweets, you’re in charge of an entire organisations’ online profile and that can be a considerable responsibility. Dozens of companies have embarrassed themselves by not having properly aligned social media communications and this can do considerable harm. At the same time, social media can also present significant opportunities to make a business look good and in touch with its customers or clients. An organisation that replies quickly to its followers when something has gone wrong, for example, is more likely to be seen as responsive and engaged than one which responds sporadically while also posting updates. The latter approach can leave a customer feeling dissatisfied and would probably make them question using the organisation again, while the former is likely to build more of a connection with the firm.

Social media roles are becoming increasingly common, however it’s a big responsibility and you can also expect to be asked to report regularly on engagement, follower numbers and just about every metric you can imagine. If you’re looking for a role in social media, get in touch with our specialist team.

Unfortunately, the outside perception of recruitment isn’t always an overwhelmingly positive one. All too often the media paints the picture of unscrupulous recruitment firms and materialistic recruiters – both of which are incredibly misleading. In reality it’s only a very small number of firms which give the profession a bad reputation. Recruitment can be an incredibly rewarding career and many professionals are motivated by the satisfaction of placing candidates in their dream role rather than the cash remuneration on offer, as many critics might have you believe.

Recruitment firms are not all alike

No two recruitment firms, let alone recruiters, are the same and unfortunately even a small minority unethical individuals can drag the reputation of the entire profession downwards. Often when people think of recruitment companies, even those who have had positive experiences with recruiters, they remember being bombarded with useless content, or called about jobs they aren’t interested in or suited for. In reality many people’s career paths are shaped by recruiters, and often they can offer a substantial amount of valuable advice and guidance.

Many recruiters are experts in their field and will work to understand what it is that you’re looking for in a new role, and the kind of company culture you’d be best suited to. That’s because the majority of recruiters are truly passionate about their role, and are supported by an employer who fosters their personal growth and provides them with valuable training.

Work hard, play hard

While it’s true that at many firms an individual’s earning capacity is limited only to their own tenacity, most recruiters are driven by the fulfilment of finding a hardworking candidate their ideal role and satisfying their clients. And the suggestion that all recruiters drive luxury cars and take four holidays a year simply isn’t realistic, the role can, at times, be incredibly demanding and recruiters need a strong sense of resilience. The idea that all recruitment firms heavily scrutinise their staff simply isn’t true either, most recruitment firms work hard to support their staff, provide them with thorough training when needed, and regularly reward them for their hard work.

Here at Clayton we know that our people are our greatest asset and we are always looking for passionate and hardworking individuals to join our team. If you are a dedicated and committed professional looking for your next challenge don’t hesitate to contact us!