Sainsbury's is to create more jobs

According to a recent article by UKPA, Sainsbury's is to create 500 jobs in the next year, due to expansion plans in the next 12 months

The UKPA article also reports that Gwyn Burr, Sainsbury's customer service director, said: "I am thrilled to be able to announce the creation of these new jobs on our counters and cafes, particularly in the current economic climate.

In the company's interim results on 10 November 2010, they had the following statement about
their commitment to their employees and the Job Market.

"Sainsbury's invests considerable resources in training and development. In May, we opened our Bakery College, an industry first, to ensure 1,500 bakery colleagues are able to deliver great quality fresh products to our customers. We continue to expand and improve our apprenticeships and so far this year we have recruited nearly 200 new apprentices across our bakery, meat and fish schemes. This is in addition to over 2,000 new jobs we have created in the first half and the 14,000 seasonal jobs we will be recruiting for Christmas. Our graduate scheme remains one of the most highly regarded and sought after in the industry. This year we have over 100 opportunities for graduates and students to work with us in a variety of different positions across the business. We recently became the first food retailer to be awarded a gold accreditation from 'Investors in People'. The award recognises our commitment to improve our business through investment in our colleagues. "

No doubt that their new training initiatives will enable skills transfer internally as well as into the community and have a positive impact on society and the job market as a whole.

Paddy Power to create 1440 new Jobs

On Wednesday 17th November 2010, Paddy Power Plc. issued their interim results in which they included a statement about many new jobs that will be created.

Overview:
Now before we all get too excited about this news, we need to keep in mind the following:
- These Jobs will be created over the next 2 - 3 years
- These Jobs are spread across 3 countries
- There were only about 150 - 160 jobs listed on their job board at the time that this statement was made.

How these jobs will be split:
In a further press release it was announced that 500 jobs will be based in Ireland, with 375 of these jobs in Tallaght on the outskirts of Dublin - 86 of these positions being open at the time of the announcement. 810 jobs are said to be based in the UK and the remaining 139 jobs going to Autralia.

From the Interim Management Statement:
Commenting on the results Patrick Kennedy, Chief Executive, Paddy Power plc, said:
"The strong growth in Group profitability in the first six months has continued into the second half,
with a particularly strong performance in our international online businesses and UK Retail activities.
We are also continuing to invest in our scale and capabilities to position the Group well for 2011 and
beyond in its existing and potential future markets. In this context, we are also today announcing the
creation of 1,440 new jobs in Ireland, the UK and Australia, to be in place by December 2013.”

IT Recruitment At Risk Of Being Overwhelmed

In the constantly evolving world of IT recruitment, a unique challenge is currently unfolding – a massive influx of job applications inundating every available position. What's driving this unprecedented surge? The answer lies in the relentless wave of redundancies sweeping across the IT industry, reshaping its very core.

The IT recruitment industry is struggling to cope with the volume of applications for any given position. We believe this is due to the sheer number of redundancies currently being forced upon a battered industry.

In a recent post we discussed the related issue of increasing demand, but the underlying job figures are questionable. Vacancies are open for longer and pay packages are raising as the Industry grapples with finding the right candidates for the advertised vacancies.

The Ripple Effect of Redundancies

The IT industry, known for its dynamism and resilience, is facing a formidable adversary in the form of redundancies. The global economic turmoil caused by various factors, including the ongoing pandemic, has forced numerous companies to make painful decisions—laying off skilled professionals who now seek new opportunities.

The consequence? A surge in job seekers flooding the IT job market. While this might seem like a boon for hiring managers, it's led to unexpected challenges.

Vacancies Unfilled, Pay Packages Swell

As the IT industry continues to grapple with the influx of applicants, an intriguing paradox unfolds. Despite a seemingly vast pool of talent, job vacancies remain open for longer durations than ever before. This prolonged hiring process places additional strain on organizations seeking to fill critical positions promptly.

To attract the right candidates, many companies find themselves resorting to raising pay packages—an enticing offer for potential hires but an added expense for organizations already navigating turbulent financial waters.

Hearing from the Frontlines: Your Perspective Matters

In this tumultuous situation where demand and supply are locked in a constant tug-of-war, your voice as a hiring manager or recruitment agent is invaluable. We want to hear your insights, experiences, and opinions on this intricate situation—whether you concur with our observations or have a unique perspective to share.

Closing Thoughts

As the IT recruitment industry navigates through these uncharted waters, it's imperative to recognize the intricate dynamics at play. Redundancies, while a challenge, have also injected the talent pool with experienced professionals seeking new opportunities. Balancing this influx with the industry's demands is the key to sustainable growth and success.

Your perspective is an essential piece of this puzzle. We invite you to share your views, engage in a dialogue, and together, we can unravel the complexities of IT recruitment in a post-redundancy era. The IT talent challenge is real, but with collaboration and shared insights, we can chart a course towards a brighter, more resilient future.

If you are a hiring manager or a recruitment agent we would like to hear your views on this situation - whether you agree or not!

IT Recruitment in London on the rise again

In late 2010 the IT job market seems to still have an unabated appetite for good candidates.

You would have noticed, as we did that there is a steady rise in the daily, weekly and monthly trends of job postings related to IT professionals during the last 6 to 8 months on the various job boards out there.

Certainly over the last few years there have been many redundancies in this sector, with some of these plans still playing out. Many of the people that have been in IT positions before have now changed career or started their own business or in the case of migrants have simply packed up and gone back to their birth countries or tried to follow the money elsewhere. This has led to a shrinking pool of suitable candidates in the London IT market.

Add to the depleting pool of people those that have purely left their place of employment due to better opportunities in other sectors, areas etc. and you will find that the IT recruitment market now sits with more vacancies for longer.

Since the 2001/2002 dot com bust, there has also not been much of a revival of staff training bonanzas we witnessed in the latter part of the 1990's. This means that the CVs or Resumes received for a given vacancy does not always have the right skills or as it was the case a decade ago, complete overkill of skills as candidates marked off one qualification after another.

One can speculate about the quality of candidate that gets made redundant - therefore not adding the required tallent to the pool of available candidates... but that would be wrong - or would it?