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It’s never been more important to step up your candidate game. In this digital age, marketing talent can have a huge impact on your bottom line. This realisation is driving fierce competition. And, as employers battle it out to secure the best people, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. This fight for marketing talent is only going to get fiercer. With McKinley Marketing Partners, predicting in their 2019 Hiring Trends Report, that 62% of marketing managers will look to grow their teams in 2019. So, how do you become an employer of choice? We have brought together some simple tips to help you become a most-wanted employer for marketing talent. Make Candidate Engagement a Priority In a talent-short marketplace, candidates have the luxury of choice. And first impressions count. Every touch point you have with a candidate, from setting up an interview to discussing benefits is a chance for them to see who you are, and negative experiences can hurt your chances of landing the best people. Make sure that you create a process based on people, not transactions, and build meaningful relationships with candidates from day one. Keep Things Simple The more complicated your processes, the more likely candidates are to walk away or simply not take a closer look. If it takes hours to navigate complex forms or they can’t find the information they need quickly online, you’re going to lose people fast. This is even more important in marketing roles, where clunky processes and systems are going to be a red flag to digitally-aware candidates. Streamline your process, use smart technology, and make it easier for people to connect. Think Outside The Capital In the UK, London has traditionally been the home of marketing talent and many organisations start their search there. But the market has evolved, and such a narrow search could hurt your chances of success. We are seeing amazing marketing talent coming out of every region in the UK. And right now, we have a wealth of candidates in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire. Think bigger and look further – it could be game-changing for your organisation. Looking to grow your talented team? Henry Nicholas can help make it happen. As specialist marketing and PR, data and insight, digital, technology and creative recruiters working across the UK, we know the people who can make a big difference in your business. Find out more, here, or contact us on 0117 317 8103 to talk marketing, talent, and connecting with the best candidates around.

Henry Nicholas Consultant, Poonam Thaker talks about her specialist territories in the home counties and why they’ve become the place to find and place outstanding talent in marketing, digital, and eCommerce. Although one in three new jobs created in the UK over the past decade has been in London, there’s been a considerable growth in three regions outside of the city. Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire are rapidly becoming key areas for ambitious marketing, digital and eCommerce professionals due to them being home to some of the most exciting blue chip organisations and innovative startups in the UK. I work with some fantastic clients located in these regions who are looking for talent and offering amazing opportunities for career progression and development. Additionally, each has a commitment to nurturing company culture, an increasingly important selling point for today’s candidates. As a result, and despite talent shortages in the fields of marketing, digital and eCommerce elsewhere in the country, businesses in these three regions, in particular, are seeing substantial competition for roles. This means a lot of clients who may not be actively recruiting will do so for a first-class candidate, and it’s my job to match them with candidates who would be an excellent fit for their business. If you’re looking for an exciting role in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire regions, or you’re a business in search of outstanding talent, contact me on 0117 317 8103 or let’s connect on LinkedIn. About Poonam After 10 years living in the Big Smoke, Poonam joined Henry Nicholas to conquer new territory and become a fully-fledged Bristolian. After completing her MA in Marketing and embarking on a career in this field, Poonan decided to move into recruitment, putting her knowledge to the test to find the best marketing talent out there. Having both client side and agency side experience, Poonam brings eight years’ of recruitment experience, with expertise across Marketing, Digital and Ecommerce in an array of industries such as retail, travel and leisure. She truly understands what it’s like to be on the other side and what a client really needs, and applies her unique and transparent approach to get the best for her candidates. Her ‘turf’ is within the SE region, focussing on Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.​

Each month, we’ll be catching up with a member of our team to find out more about who they are and what they do at Henry Nicholas. This week we have our latest recruit, consultant Poonam, who joined Henry Nicholas after living in London for 10 years, to become a Bristolian and conquer new territory. After completing her MA in Marketing, Poonam chose to move into recruitment to put all her knowledge to the test and find the best marketing talent out there. Having both client side and agency side experience, Poonam brings eight years’ worth of recruitment experience, having recruited for brands such as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Maplin, Mothercare, Hilton Hotels and the Casual Dining Group. Poonam, welcome aboard! What does a typical day look like at Henry Nicholas? Thank you! I was brought into Henry Nicholas to help build out a specific business unit and my day is split between contacting candidates and clients. In the morning, I spend time proactively looking for fresh talent across various channels, aiming to connect with 10 new A-star candidates across my regions every day. I’ll usually speak to clients in the afternoon, showcasing the benefits of my candidates, as well as sharing and learning essential market information and mapping. What type of roles do you recruit for? I’m looking for strong marketing candidates to fill roles across marketing, digital and eCommerce in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire regions. What makes a successful recruitment consultant? In short, you have to build trust with both candidates and clients. This requires an honest and fresh approach in all communication. Tenacity, dedication and a real passion for helping people secure their ideal role also helps! What are today’s candidates looking for from an employer? It depends on the region. Those who move outside of London are looking for a new challenge and may feel limited by their location, or feel they can’t get the same opportunities as they did in the City - that’s just not the case! I have some great clients who are looking for talent and who offer amazing career progression and development. As a result, there’s a lot of competition for great roles in key regions outside of London, and culture is a key selling point. How about employers? There are a lot of passive clients who may not be actively recruiting but they would for a first-class candidate. It’s my job to let them know which candidates are available and would be an excellent fit for their business. How would you sum up the culture at Henry Nicholas from your experience so far? It’s a great place to work for an experienced recruiter; you’re given the autonomy to work your market in your way. John is an amazing Managing Director and so approachable, and the whole team is willing to learn from my experience too. The office provides a really fun environment, and everyone is so friendly. Certainly not your typical recruiter. If you’re looking for an exciting role in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire regions, contact Poonam at Henry Nicholas today on 0117 317 8103.

The stakes have never been higher when it comes to recruitment. Industry-wide skills shortages have made it increasingly hard to identify, attract and retain great talent in what is now a candidate-led market. As a result, tried and tested recruitment processes no longer generate the same success they once did, with hiring teams suffering the consequences of making common mistakes. Here, we look at some of these mishaps and how employers can avoid them. Copying and pasting Writing accurate job descriptions take a lot of time and effort, so the temptation to use an existing one and just changing a few details is understandable. However, the only way to stand out from the competition and attract the very best candidates is by crafting an accurate and engaging description that’s tailored to the person you’re looking for. Additionally, a poorly written description, or one that lacks effort, may lead to applications from the wrong candidates and result in a lot of wasted time sifting through them and potentially having to start the search again. That’s why it saves time, in the long run, to get your job description right first time even if that means spending more time on it than you usually would. Going rogue in interviews In an effort to make candidates more comfortable, some employers keep things casual in interviews. While this might work to take the edge off an interviewee’s nerves, you might fail to gain vital information about the candidate’s skills, qualifications, experience and aspirations. Freestyling it can also increase the risk of unconscious bias playing a part in the selection process. Instead, ensure you have a clear structure to interviews with set questions that help make comparing candidates a lot easier. Additionally, always try to have more than one person in each interview so that you can compare notes and ensure you’ve captured everything. Radio silence Great candidates are likely to apply for several positions at once, so if you don’t act fast, the chances are they’ll be snapped up by a competitor. It’s crucial to be thorough when it comes to your recruitment process, so if it takes time, it’s critical you keep any candidates in the loop about the reasons why. If you regularly have candidates getting in touch for feedback about an application or a status update, it’s probably time you reviewed the process to see if you can speed it up, or at least keep in contact with candidates. Failing to ask for feedback Candidate feedback can hold the answers to any recruitment issues you may have experienced so far. Successful hires will only tell you so much, with feedback likely to be positively biased. However, unsuccessful candidates can provide a more balanced view of their experience. A lot of employers believe there’s little value in this, as the candidate is feeling rejected so likely to be negative, but it can be incredibly useful. One of the best ways to capture this feedback is through an experience survey which is sent to all candidates. And remember to always record the data you gather from this and use it to make positive changes to your overall process. Going in blind You may end up looking for a professional in a field where expertise is lacking in your current team. For example, if you require a tech professional to manage a particular system, or you’re introducing a marketing department to your business for the first time. Not having a full understanding of a role or the skills, experience and attitude a person needs to do it successfully increases your chances of making the wrong hire. This is where using a specialist recruitment agency can help, allowing you to tap into expert knowledge that your in-house team might not possess. Through selecting the right recruitment partner, you’ll get access to valuable insights and advice that will help you find the right person or team for the job. If you’re looking for a specialist recruiter for the marketing & PR, data & insight, digital, technology and creative sectors, Henry Nicholas can help. Find out more about the work we do for our clients here or contact us on 0117 317 8103 to discuss your requirements with our experts.

After 10 years in the business, we’ve seen some significant changes in how recruiters approach prospective clients. While we’ve always been in the business of building relationships, how we go about it has evolved considerably. At Henry Nicholas, we work hard to deliver a modern and quality experience that adds real value at every touch point of the client journey. Here’s how we do it... Finding the time to listen Cold-calling clients to drum up business is now a thing of the past. If we want to work with a particular organisation, we have to earn their trust. There are more recruitment businesses in operation than ever before, so competition is fierce. Why should an organisation choose us above all others? It’s about much more than telling them how great we are; it’s about developing an in-depth understanding of who they are, what they’re looking for and the unique challenges and opportunities they face. The time we invest isn’t spent bombarding prospective clients with communications, it’s about listening and learning through company news, social media timelines, and getting out there and meeting with them where possible. Asking the right questions It’s no longer as simple as getting a job vacancy sent over and hitting the phones to find a suitable candidate. In an era of talent shortages and increased competition between employers, we need to ensure we source the best candidates who are the right cultural fit and therefore more likely to remain with the business. It’s imperative to ask the right questions to ensure we gain a complete picture of a client’s objectives, the role, reporting structure and the type of personality that will complement their current team. This often means we have to ask some confronting questions, particularly if they have high staff turnover, as we need to get to the bottom of what might be going wrong and how we might be able to help them to avoid making the same mistakes again. Communicating in the right way It wasn’t too long ago that picking up the phone was the only practical way for recruiters to communicate with clients. While calling is still a preferred mode of communication in most cases to ensure the recruitment process doesn’t lose momentum, it’s crucial to respect the client’s preferred method of communication. If a client would rather talk via email, on LinkedIn, or outside of office hours, that’s what we’ll do. Being honest Over-promising to win business is counterproductive, so we always begin our client relationships by managing expectations and agreeing on realistic goals that we’re actually able to deliver. If we can’t help a client, we’ll recommend someone who can. It’s better to lose a potential client than fail miserably and face irreparable reputation damage. Recruiters are adapting all of the time to the needs to today’s clients, and it’s no longer about winning as much business as possible, but instead winning the right type of business through an ethical, honest and genuine approach. Stay tuned to the Henry Nicholas blog for all of the latest opinions and insights on the recruitment industry.

March might not be over, but we’ve already been spoilt for choice this year when it comes to creative campaigns. While some have hit the spot, others have generated controversy and sparked heated debates on social media. Whatever the reaction, we think the following campaigns nailed it when it comes to brand awareness. The best a man can get? We take a trip across the pond for our first memorable campaign. In January, Gillette showcased its new take on the established ‘The Best a Man Can Get’ slogan in a campaign from Grey. It took a bold stance against bullying and sexism, looking to men to take responsibility to be better. The video, which went viral on social media, amended the slogan to ‘The Best a Man Can Be’ and caused quite a stir. While traditional audiences recoiled from the message, it generated a positive reaction from mainly women and young men who praised the brand for its bold stance. A quarter of a century of Predator We’re a sucker for a nostalgia trip, and although watching David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane sit on a sofa watching football clips doesn’t tug at the heartstrings, we still harbour a soft spot for it. Created by Iris, the footballing pair wear the gold and white Adidas Predator boots they donned back in the early 2000s when they played for Real Madrid. A much-needed shot of British pride This advert arguably dropped at a time when the British public needed it the most! ‘Made by Britain’ created by Ogilvy shows the people, ideas and values that British Airways believe sum up our nation. Featuring a host of famous personalities including Oscar-winner Olivia Colman and champion boxer Anthony Joshua, the advert captures everything people love about Britain from our penchant for tea to the grit we display when things get tough. And finally...THAT vegan sausage roll Greggs is a British high street staple and has never been afraid to poke fun at itself when it comes to marketing. However, everything stepped up a gear in January when the baker revealed the launch of its first vegan sausage roll and was propelled into the headlines within hours. The video that the company created for the roll received more than 5 million views, with related posts receiving 100,000s of interactions across social media, including an infamous exchange with morning TV antagonist Piers Morgan. Well done, Greggs! What campaigns stood out for you? Stay tuned to the Henry Nicholas blog for more opinions and insights into all things creative.

It’s not every day that your business turns 10 years old, and we want to mark the occasion by looking back at our fantastic decade in recruitment... 2009 What better time to start a business than amid a global recession? I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, so with a decade of recruitment experience under my belt and The Fear by Lily Allen blasting from the radio (it was number one, I couldn’t avoid it), I fired up my laptop, and Henry Nicholas was born. To cement my place as a real business owner, I made a stationary order that included 1,000 envelopes. #Winning Learning curve While Trump was learning how to bully lead on The Apprentice in preparation for becoming the leader of the free world, I was growing the Henry Nicholas team to meet with client and candidate demand. From day one, the world of marketing & PR, data & insight, digital, technology and creative refused to stand still thanks to the emergence of programmatic advertising and new social platforms which changed the game beyond recognition. One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is to keep adapting our approach to recruitment. Traditional recruitment practices are dead, with social media and digital marketing now key to ensuring a seamless experience for both of our clients and candidates. Also, our team concluded that suits are well and truly out, and personal expression is in. 2019 Fast forward 10 years and our client numbers have doubled, which is no mean feat in a time that sees increased competition in our space. What we’re most proud of is that we continue to work with the clients who were with us from day one. We’ve also welcomed lots of new faces to the Henry Nicholas team along the way and celebrated our company successes together on trips to New York, Las Vegas, Dublin, Prague, Barcelona, Croatia, Portugal, Palma, and most recently skiing in Bulgaria! Being based in Bristol has always been a massive advantage for us too. The city has become a real hot spot for technology and creative industries to supplement an already booming financial sector, with further growth expected here in the future. And as for those 1,000 envelopes, I’ve only just got through them. 10 Years at Henry Nicholas Four weddings Three babies (one more on the way!) Eight tattoos Cost of lunch in Bristol has doubled Beards are now trendy We’ve killed five coffee machines ​ Be part of the next 10! As Henry Nicholas continues to grow, we’re looking for talented and driven recruitment professionals and trainees to join our team in Bristol. If you’re interested in making waves in recruitment, then you can apply to join us here.

A decade in business is an occasion that must be marked with something special for the entire team. We’ve organised many team trips over the years to destinations like New York, Las Vegas and The Algarve but this time we wanted to forget about targets and do something a bit different. So, in a bid to escape the bitterly cold British winter we thought it was apt to head somewhere...*drumroll, please*...even colder! That’s right, we packed our thermals and set off for Pamporovo in Bulgaria for a week on the slopes. Oh, and did we mention that, aside from John who dabbled 18 years ago, we’re all ski novices? We got off to a dramatic start with Pamporovo receiving three metres of snow on the day we arrived. While the snow was great news for skiing, it did mean that the three-hour trip from the airport to the resort ended up taking an eye-watering nine-hours. Once we were there safe and sound, it was time to learn how to ski! While we’re never going to give Chemmy Alcott a run for her money, we were proud to conquer the intermediate red runs before we left. That being said, all of us spectacularly bailed on the resort’s most severe black run ‘The Wall’. We’re nothing if not ambitious! It wasn’t all high-octane, with après-ski and fine dining in the evenings, followed by us hitting the Irish bar and ‘The Pub’ before an early start back on the slopes to blow away those cobwebs in the morning. As you can see by our photos, we all had a fantastic time and got genuinely bitten by the ski bug! All that’s left to say is that we’re so grateful to the business for taking us all away on this unforgettable trip, as well as all of our clients and candidates who have supported Henry Nicholas over the last 10 years. Will you be joining us on our next trip? Henry Nicholas is on the lookout for passionate and driven recruiters to join our thriving team in Bristol. Head to our Join Us page to find out more about our rewarding career opportunities and apply today. HN10 ski trip from Henry Nicholas on Vimeo. ​

We may be only one month in but good news stories have been few and far between so far this year. That’s why we were pleased to see the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report that the number of people in work in the UK has reached a record high. Other findings from the report, which measured the period from September to November 2018, included: Estimated 32.54 million people in work - 141,000 more than for June to August 2018 and 328,000 more than for a year earlier. Employment rate estimated 75.8%, slightly higher than for a year earlier (75.3%) and the highest since comparable estimates began in 1971. 1.37 million unemployed people, 68,000 fewer than for a year earlier. Unemployment rate estimated at 4.0% and hasn’t been lower since December 1974 to February 1975. Average weekly earnings for employees in nominal terms (not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 3.3% excluding bonuses, and by 3.4% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier. Average weekly earnings for employees in real terms (adjusted for price inflation) increased by 1.1% excluding bonuses, and by 1.2% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier. The number of job vacancies rose by 10,000 to a record high of 853,000. What was the reaction? Employment Minister Alok Sharma said to the BBC: "Our pro-business policies have helped boost private sector employment by 3.8 million since 2010, and as the Resolution Foundation's latest report shows, the 'jobs-boom has helped some of the most disadvantaged groups find employment', providing opportunities across society." Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics also told the BBC: "We doubt that wage growth will be sustained over the next six months at November's strong rate. Pay settlements likely will weaken this year, as the previous year's inflation rate usually is the starting point for negotiations. Nonetheless, the labour market now looks tight enough to ensure that wage growth does not slip below the 3% mark." Tony Wilson, director of the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), commented: “With unemployment so low, vacancies at their highest ever and EU migration slowing, there is very little spare capacity to meet employer demands. In recent years, we’ve seen more people joining the workforce from ‘economic inactivity’ – typically parents, older people and those with health conditions – but this is slowing fast, with fewer economically inactive people saying that they want a job than ever before. This lack of capacity may well be fuelling pay growth, and, in turn, may start to feed through into inflation.” Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) director of policy Tom Hadley said at the time: “However the politics play out over the coming weeks and months, employers will need to continue innovating in how they hire and attract staff to fill vacancies. Recruitment professionals will play a pivotal role in finding new ways of meeting workforce challenges in high-demand sectors, ranging from engineering and healthcare to hospitality, construction and logistics.” As we mentioned, anything positive on the news agenda is most welcome right now; however, Jeremy Thomson-Cook, chief economist at currency dealer WorldFirst, offered some perspective in the Guardian: “Employment in itself is a lagging indicator. It is slow to react to positive or negative changes in the economic cycle so, although these numbers are ostensibly for what happened in November, they are more a representation of what happened in the summer. The summer was a good time for the UK economy, and so wage and jobs numbers reflect a time of strong business confidence, heightened productivity and relative political calm. Remember that?” Time will tell, and 2019 is shaping up to be an interesting year for all. One thing’s for certain; Henry Nicholas will continue to work closely with our clients and candidates to ensure in-demand talent is matched to the right roles. Looking to join a team that’s going places? Check out our latest vacancies and apply today.

Bristol is a unique UK city that really does have everything, from creativity and culture to a rich and fascinating history. However, given that it’s home to the Henry Nicholas head office, we would say that wouldn’t we? That’s why we’ve pulled together some ringing endorsements from external sources that prove it really is one of the best places to live and work in the UK today. New York Times seal of approval Bristol was the only English city to feature in the New York Times’ list of 52 places in the world to go in 2018, with the write-up stating: “Edgy, creative Bristol is aiming for another label in 2018: cultural powerhouse”. The article also gave a shout out to the Bristol Old Vic, Britain’s oldest continuously working theatre, St. George’s Bristol concert hall, and the Great Western Railway (yes, really). It’s the best place to live The Sunday Times voted Bristol as the “best place to live in Britain” in 2017, and although it was dethroned in 2018 (damn you, York!), it was name-checked in as one of the “best places to live in the city” according to the Times. The cities on the list were featured thanks to their cutting-edge culture, finest food, buzzing nightlife, and a short walk home. Food, glorious food! Bristol’s food scene has gone from strength to strength in recent years with a host of brilliant new openings and award recognition for established haunts. In fact, Casamia, run by chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, was named the best regional restaurant in the UK by online restaurant guide SquareMeal.co.uk. Voted by readers and food bloggers, Casamia climbed 11 places from 2017 to take the coveted top spot. Ben McCormack, editor of SquareMeal, said: “With its 14-course tasting menu, space for just 35 diners, restricted opening hours and contemporary good looks, Casamia has everything you would expect from an ambitious destination restaurant in one of Britain's most vibrant cities.” Making other cities green with envy For a number of years, Bristol has been associated with the green movement and has gained the status as a Green Capital. Founded in 2007, Bristol Green Capital Partnership brings together over 800 member organisations who are committed to working towards Bristol becoming a sustainable city with a high-quality of life for all. Additionally, Bristol is the UK’s first Cycling City and is also a Fairtrade City meaning it trades fairly with nearly five million workers in 58 developing countries. Not only this, but Bristol is also home to the Soil Association and sustainable transport charity Sustrans, and this week it was reported to be the world’s most vegan city! Top for tech Bristol is one of the top 10 cities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa when it comes to technology, according to investment company CBRE. Beating Vienna, Cambridge and Rotterdam to bag sixth place, it was named a ‘super cluster’ which means there are between 50,000 and 70,000 people in high-tech employment. This is partly due to the presence of telecoms companies such as EE, BT, Nokia and Vodafone, and other large tech employers including Lloyds Banking Group. Tom Morris, managing director at CBRE in Bristol commented: “Our strong universities and vibrant urban environment have made Bristol a magnet for young development talent and the city is attracting tech companies of all sizes.” And finally… It’s home to Henry Nicholas! I know, I know, but we couldn’t resist. Take a peek into life at Henry Nicholas and why it’s such a great place to work in Bristol. Henry Nicholas - Work For Us on Vimeo. Interested in joining our team? You won’t regret it. Find out more about us and what we can do for you and your career, and apply today.