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​​ATA Recruitment are excited to announce the launch of our new Managed Service Provision platform, Engage.​ATA Engage is the technology platform that drives our Managed Service Provision. ​It centralises all of your recruitment & workforce management functions into one, user-friendly system – minimising time wasted on recruitment processes, and maximising time spent growing your business.​Paul Crompton, Managing Director explains “We invested in ATA Engage to provide a technology solution which naturally compliments our recruitment and workforce management offering. ATA Engage will provide our clients with complete visibility and control of their recruitment activities and temporary workforce through a cloud based platform, delivering efficiencies and maximising access to the best talent available.” ​Visit our Engage hub to learn more​Get in touch ​​

Are you giving yourself enough choice when recruiting?​With the skill shortage at its worst since 1997, staff availability having reduced at its quickest rate in history and with over 1 million vacancies open across the UK economy currently (a 20-year high) the knock effect has been huge. According to a recent report by the Open University:​​67% of employers have had to put their salaries up to compete for talent at a cost of £2.16 billion 47% have said that failure to attract the right talent has had a serious impact of business agility and performance51% have left vacancies unfilledThe average time to fill a role currently sits at 1 month and 22 days. If you then add in an average 1-month notice period roles are remaining empty for an average of nearly 3 months​So rather than just increase salaries to try and attract top talent, how about considering changing your recruitment policy and therefore not only giving you more options, but hopefully saving you time and money too.​So, what is recruitment policy? Here at ATA, we break it down into 3 key areas:​​Physical facts – typically this will cover qualifications, knowledge, length, and type of experienceSkills – this is skills a person has developed during their career to date, for example using a particular 3D design package such as Inventor, or how a maintenance engineer might fault find using a PLCMotivations and Aspirations – this is what makes the person unique, it’s what drives them and makes them the person they are​Let’s discuss physical facts. In the current climate with many companies experiencing increased demand whilst being short on head count, the natural reaction would be to try and hire with the relevant physical facts, a round peg for a round hole if you will. If you can find these people, then great as they will “hit the ground running” needing minimal training and support. However, for me recruiting based on physical facts comes with associated risk. How long will it take you to find that person? With the industry norm on time to hire being nearly 2 months, what’s the impact on your team of having that role being left vacant? How many engineers are demotivated right now with the amount over time they are having to do to cover the gap? Could the added pressure actually lead to you losing another member of staff? Also, when recruiting from the industry the risk of counter offer instantly goes up, if the person you are hiring is of the right quality then their current employer will fight to retain them and will certainly incentivise them to stay. If this does happen then you’re right back to square one.​What about skills? Just because an Engineer has 10 years’ experience in a role, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee they are the right fit for your business, so what’s the alternative? We encourage our clients to think about transferable skills rather than experience. If an engineer can demonstrate that they have the key competences to do the role as long as they get the right support and development, then instantly you will have more candidates to choose from and typically hire faster.​And motivations? If you then couple skills with identifying the right personal traits that fit your business, i.e. honesty, work ethic, ability and desire to learn, if you can find the right transferable skills and the right motivations and aspirations then we find our clients hire quicker, make better decisions, the time and money they save not waiting for their ideal industry candidate can be better spent training and developing those transferable skills and making the most of their motivations and aspirations.​All the above is great in theory, but actions speak louder than words. Can ATA prove that this way of thinking actually works? We’d like to think so. So far this year:​We’ve filled 51% of our vacancies once interviews have taken placeWe give each customer on average 3.5 qualified CVs for each role. (Each candidate has been fully interviewed for at least an hour)On average 2.4 interviews take place per role to make a placementOur time to hire is 22 days, a whole month quicker than the industry average.​Now is the time, if you have vacancies to understand your marketplace of candidates, possibilities available and ultimately reduce the time (and costs) of vacancies. Work with us on your Recruitment Policy and uncover the opportunities of new candidates ready and available to you.​To discuss the details of this article in more detail, get in touch with ATA Recruitment Director, Chris Addison. ​Email: christian.addison@ata-recruitment.co.ukTelephone: 07787 289 367

Bounce back with ATA Recruitment Contractors​According to a report compiled by REC and KPMG, the UK is facing the worst staff shortages since the late 1990s. Whilst this is across several industries, it is hitting the manufacturing and engineering sectors particularly hard. The demand for engineering and manufacturing staff is at its highest for several years and this is causing companies major issues keeping up with orders.​According to a recent report from the Open University:47% have said that failure to attract the right talent has had a serious impact of business agility and performance51% of permanent vacancies have been left unfilledThe industries average time to hire currently is 52 days, add 1 month notice could lead to 3 months to hire somebody. A contractor is a perfect stop gap solution until that person starts.Hiring permanent engineers continues to be difficult, not only because of the shortage of engineers but also due to engineers not wanting to move roles in these uncertain times. Whilst it’s a challenge to recruit permanent engineers, a lot of companies are turning to contractors and temporary engineers to help plug the gap they are currently experiencing. This is a quick way to solve your staffing problems and is an easy, flexible, high-quality solution and here at ATA Recruitment we can help you with that. ​In the last 3 months, we have experienced a high increase in demand for contractors.The number of contract vacancies we have been briefed on by clients has doubled from Q1 to Q2The number of contractors working through ATA has increased by 47%ATA’s contract division is highly efficient and we continue to place around 60% of the vacancies we are briefed on.​How hiring an engineering contractor can help you as demand has increased​Hiring contractors is a great strategy to increase skills and grow teams especially when requirements are constantly changing. Contractors can be extremely useful in times through a permanent skill shortage as businesses try to keep up with demand for their product. There are many benefits that contractors can provide to your organisation, and we’ve outlined them all for you here:​1.ATA has a large pool of skilled engineering contractors available​We have been supporting the manufacturing industry for decades, which means we have built up an extensive database of contractors for our clients. We have contractors available across all types of roles, so whether it’s a hands-on manufacturing role or a senior appointment you need, ATA is able to deliver contractors suited to your exact requirements.​2.​Reduced time to hire​ATA Contract has an average time to hire of 4.5 days from vacancy brief to offer acceptance. This shows that you can access those niche-skills quickly, making your business flexible and ready to cope with increases and decreases in demand.​3.Contractors are a flexible resourceThe great benefit of using contractors is that you can engage with them quickly and release them quickly. Usually, contractors have a very short notice period and the process to let them go isn’t complex, you are paying for a service and if you decide you no longer need that service, you can stop using it. Contractors understand the nature of this and know they could one day be engaged on a contract and the next let go.​4.It isn’t as expensive as you thinkIt’s impossible to determine the cost of hiring an engineering contractor – this will completely depend on the experience they have, the work required, and the sector they’ll be operating in. Remember when you are recruiting somebody permanent, the estimated additional costs on top of the salary are 33%, which includes employers NI, holiday pay, sick pay and other benefits, this is usually reflected in the contractors hourly rate along with some additional compensation for lack of long term security. The contractor is only paid for the time they work, which is great value for money, considering how sickness pay alone can impact your annual salary bill.​5. Payroll is coveredContractors are typically paid weekly, and we have a fantastic back office team that manages this all for you. All you have to do is approve the timesheets and we’ll do the rest. We will make sure there are no issues with the contractors pay and any queries will be dealt with by the team directly with the contractor.​6.Risk mitigated by ATA RecruitmentOur compliance team are excellent at mitigating risk, we have everything covered from making the sure the contractors have the right level of insurance through to advice on IR35. Our consultants are fully trained to offer your business advice on a process to allow you to arrive at the correct SDS (Status Determination Statement) for the contractor.​If you would like to find out more about how a contractor can support your business, whether it’s now or something you may be considering for the future, please contact us by completing the form below or emailing info@ata-recruitment.co.uk. We would love to hear from you and discuss how we could help you.​​

Post Pandemic Recruitment Challenges ​​What a difference a year makes! At the height of the pandemic in 2020, the majority of companies had stopped all recruitment and candidate availability was the through the roof, primarily due to furlough and redundancies. ​Fast forward 18 months, and according to a recent article by the Guardian, the UK economy is experiencing its worst labour shortage since 1997. Staff availability has reduced at the quickest rate on record and from January to July 2021 there’s been a 200% increase in vacancies being advertised online. As a result, it’s safe to say the demand is certainly outstripping supply right now.​What is causing this reduction in candidate availability? ​The obvious reason behind this reduction in candidate availability is that 1.3 million non-UK workers have left these shores through the pandemic due to Brexit, which has, of course, created a huge gap in the market. ​In terms of the remaining UK workforce, there is still a lack of confidence in the market as candidates continue to remain with their current employers for fear of losing their comfort blanket of furlough. Similarly, to many, the risk of changing roles appears just too great in the current climate. ​Alternatively, those that are looking to test to the water are only willing to move for improved working conditions and package(read our Candidate Survey 2020) which presents a whole of different set challenges for employers.​What’s the knock effect of this for employers? In a recent report by the Open University, they’ve stated that: 67% of employers have had to put their salaries up to compete for talent at a cost of £2.16 billion 47% have said that failure to attract the right talent has had a serious impact of business agility and performance51% have left vacancies unfilledThe average time to fill a role currently sits at 1 month and 22 days. If you then add in an average 1 month notice period, roles are remaining empty for an average of nearly 3 months ​How will employers now combat these issues, what are the options available? Hiring graduate and apprentices? Both make sense as they are low-cost solutions based on salaries, but high cost based on training and the length of time before the reach full competenceTemporary or contract solutions to plug a gap? Short term this makes complete sense and it’s maybe not as expensive as you might think. Read our blog on Bouncing Back with ATA Contractors.Alternatively, employers can be looking at their recruitment policies, is now the time to look at skills rather than experience? looking at recruiting from different industries than they’ve previously hired from? Finally assessing their attraction strategy, just offering a good salary isn’t enough, training, development, further education, progression, working conditions and culture are what makes the difference in not only recruitment but retention too​As employers, it is a unique position we see ourselves in considering the landscape of the market just 18 months ago. There’s so much to consider; candidate shortages, IR35 and Brexit implications; especially as employers devise their talent acquisition and retention strategies for 2022. I’ll be tackling some of these issues in more detail in my next blog, giving you further insight into how your organisation can effectively engage with the candidate market and set yourselves apart as an employer of choice.To discuss the details of this article in more detail, get in touch with ATA Recruitment Director, Chris Addison. ​Email: christian.addison@ata-recruitment.co.ukTelephone: 07787 289 367

​Now that the changes to the off-payroll legislation have come into force, how have businesses and contractors been affected and what will this do to the contract and interim market in the future?​There was a great deal of concern about how companies would deal with the changes and even with the extension of the deadline due to Coronavirus, companies were still leaving it until the last minute to make status determination statements for their existing contractors. ​I worked with several different businesses in the run up to April 6th 2021 and most of them used two different approaches. Some companies opted for a blanket refusal to engage with PSC’s (Ltd Companies) or determining that all contractors were Inside IR35, whilst the rest worked collaboratively with their contractors and the hiring managers to understand the working arrangements (SDC), the financial risk involved for the contractor, engaging a substitute and mutuality of obligation. ​What immediate changes have we seen in the market?​Moving forward now, the market seems to have instantly changed and there has been a large reduction in Outside IR35 roles advertised in the market. On CV Library for example, there are currently 1806 contract engineering jobs across the UK that have been advertised in the last 28 days, only 66 specifically state that the contract is “Outside IR35”. ​A large percentage of clients are only looking to engage with contractors / temporary workers that will now look at “Inside IR35” contracts and be paid on a PAYE basis to ensure they are not exposed to any risk. Whilst this is a massive negative for PSC’s that want to continue with their Ltd company status, it hasn’t reduced the number of contractors / temporary workers applying for contracts. ​PSC’s have been hit doubly hard with the market shrinking due to Coronavirus and the changes in the off-payroll legislation reducing those roles Outside IR35. It has really played into HMRC’s hands as whilst demand for engineering contractors is increasing, there are more than enough people on the market that will consider Inside IR35 contracts or are looking at permanent opportunities. ​For instance, in the last 4 weeks ATA Recruitment have advertised Inside IR35 and Outside IR35 maintenance and design roles, the response has pretty much been equal and the response from contractors is that they don’t feel like they have any choice other than to look at Inside IR35 contracts or at permanent staff roles. ​What do our customers say?​One contractor who has run his own PSC for the last 20 years said “I feel like I have no option now other than to look for a permanent staff role, I will consider an Inside IR35 contract, but it will have to be paid PAYE as I will be shutting down my limited company over the next few weeks once all my invoices have been paid.”​Companies still want a flexible workforce, although only a few companies are taking the route of completing an SDS for each role, they are unlikely to find it difficult to find contractors that will take either an Inside IR35 or Outside IR35 as contractors just aren’t voting with their feet currently. One company we worked with in the lead up to April 6th have said the following. ​“Our flexible workforce is an important part of our business. Before the legislation changed, we conducted a full IR35 status assessment of our current contractors. Our focus is now on continuing to ensure we are compliant with IR35, which is an ongoing process. ​We have reviewed our process for renewing terms with current contractors and for engaging new contractors. As each new assignment requires a new status assessment, we have adopted a pro-active approach to ensure that working practices agreed are reflected in the written agreements. This will help us mitigate the IR35 risk effectively and ensure we are fully compliant." HR Manager – Automation Manufacturer.​This company are taking a pro-active approach to contractors moving forward and this is really refreshing to see. Hopefully other companies will take this route when the market changes and as demand increases and supply decreases, companies will utilise limited company contractors in the right way and make fair assessments based on the contract they are carrying out, their working arrangements and the limited companies financial risk. ​What will happen next?​Limited company contractors are so important to the engineering and manufacturing sectors and they are key to the growth of our economy. Maintaining a flexible workforce is essential for a lot of companies currently as there is still a great deal of uncertainty in the market due to Coronavirus. I believe once everything has calmed down, there will be a more pro-active approach taken by companies in making individual SDS’s when they engage with Limited Company Contractors, I just hope there will be enough of these contractors out there and with any luck, they have not all closed their Limited companies. ​If you are a company looking for a contractor / temporary worker or a contractor looking for a new contract, then please get in touch with Steve Harrhy:07827 295 376steve.harry@ata-recruitment.co.ukVisit Steve's profile​

​If anyone had asked me two years ago what I thought the biggest threat to recruitment was within the Engineering Sector, I would have said Brexit…. how wrong I was. The Pandemic has thrown the plans of every business to the wind and left the hiring market in a position not seen before. Pre-pandemic, we were already seeing signs of limited candidate availability, with too few candidates for the number of vacancies. However, things have been worsened by the current situation, with a perfect storm of diminished candidate volumes and a sharp increase in the number vacancies.​What does this mean to businesses currently trying to hire?​Within the Maintenance and Service market, which is arguably the busiest within the Engineering sector currently, it has become increasingly difficult to find skilled candidates for the roles coming onto the market. At the start of the year, this certainly wasn’t the case. We saw a huge surge of candidates coming onto the market due to a combination of factors, mainly redundancies due to the pandemic. We also saw people looking to move due to feeling insecure in their current role due to the same reason. However, this influx has been short lived, with the best candidates being snapped up very quickly. ​To put this into context, just across the first half of 2021, we have seen a 75% reduction in the number of candidates coming onto the market. Whilst simultaneously, we've seen a 100% increase in the number of live roles since restrictions have eased and businesses feel more confident in the market. Although the struggle of finding the right candidates doesn’t end there, according to a recent study by the Open University, 51% of Vacancies remained unfilled!​Every business has had to adapt when it comes to interviewing over the course of the pandemic, with the majority of businesses either choosing to wait to recruit or opting for web based interview software like Microsoft Teams. However, a big issue has been how to train and induct new recruits whilst observing social distancing. Within Maintenance, this hasn’t been as big of an issue, as new recruits are joining established teams and have the support of their new colleagues. Within Service, it is far more tricky. Most Service positions are home based currently, making the task of onboarding and training new Engineers much more challenging. This has had a knock on effect on what most Service Managers are now looking for when it comes to new recruits.​Pre-pandemic, with the ability to bring new Engineers in for training, most hiring managers would look at a broad spectrum of candidates. Now, with the inability to train as effectively due to social distancing, we have seen most Hiring Managers look for candidates from their industry. This, in an already candidate short market, compounds the situation. We are already seeing roles that were fillable 18 months ago go unfilled due to restrictive recruitment policies.​What is the solution?​​There isn’t a 'one size fits all' solution to this issue, as every business and industry sector have their own challenges on top of this. However, there are 3 key things to consider when looking to hire:​Firstly, do you know how competitive your industry is and the availability of candidates with the skill sets you require? Depending on how niche your market is, you may need to consider looking at candidates from outside your industry and who have the transferable skills that can be adapted and trained to suit your requirements. What training and support can be provided? If classroom based training isn’t an option, can new recruits be buddied up with an existing team member to be shown the ropes? Can video based training be used? It's unlikely this is going to be a complete substitute for hands on training, but we have seen a number of businesses adopt this as a strategy to complete product training upon induction. Would a more junior hire, that can be trained and moulded, be a better option?​Secondly, is your package competitive? The main driver of a candidate driven market is that the best candidates can pick and choose who they want to work for. Just like the current situation with the housing market, we are already seeing a number of our clients increasing salaries on roles to try and attract the best talent. However, we also know this is not an option for all. Instead, consider the package as a whole. Following our recent candidate survey on what was important to candidates when looking for a new position, work life balance was a key factor, especially for Service Engineers. This has now been magnified with the events of the last year with many of us taking stock of what we consider a priority. How many nights will the Engineers be required to stay away? Are they compensated for hours worked outside their core hours? Are their diaries managed so that travel is cut to a minimum?​Finally, how are you positioning yourself in the market? Job security has always been of high importance to candidates, even more so now with so many established firms unexpectedly going to the wall. Understandably, candidates are cautious when looking to join a new business. Think about how you can reassure candidates that they are joining a stable business. What progression can be offered in the future? How did your business deal with lockdown? What is driving your current need to recruit? Any business with a full order or service book is going to be a far more attractive offer to any prospective candidate, but are you conveying that message in the market?​The good news is that we are starting to see a steady increase in candidate traffic since the easing of restrictions and, with the role out of more vaccines, those candidates that were nervous about attending interviews or changing roles are starting to emerge. As long as this upward trend continues, it will make the task of attracting the best talent far easier for all. ​If you are a company looking for an Engineer to join your business, or a candidate looking for a new opportunity, then please get in touch with James Campbell:07827 256 652james.campbell@ata-recruitment.co.ukVisit James' profile

​Recruitment is one of the fastest growing professional sectors at present. While this means there is no shortage of opportunities offered, it does mean that when embarking on a career in recruitment, it can be difficult to decide on which sector in the right sector for you to move into.​A career in recruitment offers you a detailed insight into your chosen sector and most Consultants end up becoming experts in their field, inevitably ending up becoming nearly – if not as – informed as their Candidates and Clients. It is the job of a Recruitment Consultant to immerse themselves into their chosen sector; the more knowledgeable you become, the more successful you will be. Most people embark on a career in recruitment for two reasons; you can progress and develop quickly, and you can earn a lot of money while you are doing it. With so much choice on offer, it is important to think commercially about which sector you choose. It is a difficult job – help yourself be as successful as possible by choosing a marketplace that is lucrative and that is growing. If you can also couple this with a genuine passion for the area you work in, you are winning!​I will be totally honest; I had no real knowledge of the Engineering Sector or any real interest in it. After only a few months in role, I not only began to understand why it is a sector that interests so many people but can also see the commercial benefits from a recruitment perspective.​​It is one of the most buoyant markets at present, with no signs of slowing down; according to REC, Engineering & Technical and Construction are in top 3 markets in which we expect to see consistent need for permanent staff in the upcoming months ​​Export sales are increasing; while it is frustrating when going abroad that the pound is so weak at present, it actually has a good impact on our economy. Products that are manufactured here can be exported worldwide at a cheaper cost which will cause growth in our manufacturing sector – creating more jobs ​​​There is a skills shortage; meaning Clients are struggling to find skilled engineers themselves increasing the need to use Consultancies within the sector ​​Investment; a large number of projects are financed by the Government, with over £500 billion worth of planned private and public investment into transportation and infrastructure improvements alone. This investment is only going to increase, creating stability and more demand within the sector​​It’s exciting; the term ‘engineering’ covers such a wide spectrum and is literally relevant in every part of our lives and simple things - how a door opens, how a car runs, how your daily coffee or sandwich is packaged - were all designed by an engineer. Engineering is everywhere, which makes it instantly interesting to us all  ​We believe that we give our Consultants everything they need to start a long-term, rewarding recruitment career. We work exclusively in one of the most lucrative sectors and our employees are all experts in their specific fields, meaning we have a wealth of knowledge we are just waiting to pass down to our new Consultants. This, coupled with an amazing commission structure (you WILL take home at least a third of what you bill) and structured routes of progression mean that for those of you wanting a new challenge have the best chance of succeeding with us.​Due to growth, Ganymede and ATA Recruitment have a number of positions available in the East Midlands and London – and are keen to speak to ambitious individuals. Whether you are a recruitment novice or an experienced recruitment professional, we could have the exciting new role you have been waiting for.​For a confidential conversation about what we offer, get in touch today!​Find out more about a career with Ganymede and ATA Recruitment today. Send your CV to rachael.bailey-frost@ganymedesolutions.co.uk or contact me on LinkedIn today.