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<title>News Feed | Ascendant Recruitment</title>
<description>News Feed | Ascendant Recruitment</description>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/</link>
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<title><![CDATA[Tough Penalties for Rogue Employers]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=10</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Government today published the Employment Bill aimed at toughening penalties for rogue employers who pay under the minimum wage.&nbsp; It also seeks to strengthen the powers of the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.

Commenting on the Bill, Tom Hadley, the REC's Director of External Relations said: &ldquo;We welcome this Bill as it aims to crack down on those employers and agencies that are breaking the rules.&nbsp; REC members abide by our Code of Professional Practice as well as the law.&nbsp; It is not right for them to be undercut by agencies that are cutting corners and mistreating workers.&rdquo;

The Bill aims to introduce new penalties for employers who do not pay the minimum wage.&nbsp; The Inspectorate who governs the recruitment industry will also be given more investigative powers and access to unlimited fines for those who flout the law.

Commenting on these new powers, Tom Hadley added: &ldquo;Over recent years, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has re-focused its resources to a risk-based approach.&nbsp; The plans to increase the number of inspectors as well as the powers of the inspectorate can only be welcome by the recruitment industry.

&ldquo;Our industry should be applauded for placing 1.3 million people into temporary jobs every week.&nbsp; For too long the actions of a few rogue agencies have tarnished this reputation.&nbsp; The REC hopes that the new powers and resource for the inspectorate will result in the rogues being put out of business for good.&quot;

The REC polices its Code of Professional Practice through a complaints procedure.&nbsp; For further information see: http://www.rec.uk.com/about-recruitment/standards/Complaints-Disciplinary-Procedure]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=10</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Managers not managing underperformance]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=9</link>
<description><![CDATA[According to research by Watson Wyatt Managers need to do more to help poorer performing staff."Managers find it easy to motivate high performing indviduals but are not so adept when it comes to supporting poorer performing employees" says Carol Hathaway of Watson Wyatt."Some of the greatest opportunities for improved organisational performance lie in helping Managers raise the bar for moderate and poorer performers but it appears from our study that few employers are doing this".In it's 2007/2008 Global Strategic rewards study Watson Wyatt found that only a third of poor performers said their Manager does a good job in commuicating expectations for organisational financial performance, of establishing goals for their individual performance linked back to business objectives or of providing direct feedback on their personnal performance.However, a top performer was 66% more likely to say that their immediate Supervisor does a good job of communicating organisational and performance management issues than a poor performer would, the survey found.]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=9</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Job Interview]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=8</link>
<description><![CDATA[Personal Hygiene has been cited as a key problem among job hunters with 47% of recruiters questioned said they had received negative feedback from employers found a survey recently conducted by the REC.The survey also revealed anecdotes such as acandidate turning up in a ball gown for an interview with a fashion company, another candidate claimed he was very proficient at Sony Playstation, several candidates tried to charm their interviewer by offering them sweets and one candidate was too cain to wear her glasses at interview and mistook a cupboard for the exit on her way out.Almost all respondants (93%) had received feedback from employers about a job hunters interview appearance with 16-20 year olds identified as the worst offenders for dressing inappropriately. Casual clothing was an issue according to 63% of recruiters with one in four (23%) mentioning inappropriate footwear, one in three (29%) citing revealing clothing and one in five (19%), excessive jewellery.]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=8</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[National Minimum Wage to rise this October]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=7</link>
<description><![CDATA[The National Minimum Wage (NMW) will rise from October 2008.Adults who receive GBP5.52 an hour will receive GBP5.73, 18-21-year-olds will get a rise of 17p an hour to GBP4.77 and 16-17-year-olds will be paid GBP3.53, up from GBP3.40.The government said nearly one million low paid employees, two thirds of them women, will benefit from the increase.The government has also boosted funding for enforcement of the NMW and is planning tough new penalties for rogue employers who underpay staff as part of the Employment Bill, now before the Parliament.Business Secretary John Hutton said: "The National Minimum Wage remains one of the most important rights introduced by the government in the last decade. Before it was introduced, some workers could expect to be paid as little as 35p an hour; our legislation has ensured that can no longer happen.""I am proud of the minimum wage; it makes a real difference to the lives of many of our lowest-paid workers and protects them from exploitation. It also creates a level playing field for business and boosts the economy."When the NMW was launched the main rate was GBP3.60.New measures which aim to enforce the minimum wage and crack down on rogue employers include a fairer method for dealing with NMW arrears, calculated so that workers do not lose out as a result of underpayment and increasing the maximum penalty for non-payment of the NMW to an unlimited fine. The most serious cases of non-compliance will be tried in a crown court.]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=7</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Working Mums]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=6</link>
<description><![CDATA[ Most workers feel their bosses do not
do enough to encourage women on maternity leave to return to work,
according to research by Monster. 

The poll found that only 17% of workers felt their employers did
everything to encourage women back to work, but a further 36% believed
that their employer would discourage mothers to return to work because
they would rather employ someone without commitments. 

Employment legislation provides new and expectant mothers with
special rights and protection, including: the right to takes time off
for antenatal care; maternity leave and pay, return to work to the same
job; request flexible working and protection from suffering a detriment
or dismissal on pregnancy grounds.

However Julian Acquari, Managing Director of Monster UK and Ireland , said the measures were not enough. 

He said: Our poll demonstrates that, despite legislation, there is
still a feeling among workers that new mothers do not receive the
support in coming back to work that they deserve from their employers. 

"Women's careers don't end with having children - many women look
forward to rejoining the work force, not to mention that raising a
child can be expensive and many new mothers still need to work to
provide the vital added income."




			]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=6</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Challenging times for Engineering]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=5</link>
<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;The engineering sector is suffering from a graduate candidate shortage says the confederation of British Industry (CBI). &nbsp;Sarah Morris at the CBI in the South-West told the BBC: &#8220;Over the next four Years we&#8217;ll be creating two million new jobs that need science, technology, engineering and maths. &nbsp;We&#8217;re calling onto the Government to invest a modest &pound;120 million in specific careers advise, to show young people exactly how promising a career in engineering can be. If we don&#8217;t do something, Britain will loose jobs to foreign competitors.&#8221;&nbsp;Paul Alekna Says: &nbsp;With little emphasis placed on how are we going to dress our marketplace for success it&#8217;s not surprising to see suitable talent move for technology based industry instead of engineering. &nbsp;Without doubt investment in appropriate apprentiship schemes would provide a better platform for future success. Let&#8217;s hope the CBI&#8217;s proposals stick&#8230;]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=5</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[The Power of a PA]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=4</link>
<description><![CDATA[We have worked with many seriously talented PA's over the Years and having recently met with Dr. Gareth Osborne; Chairman of the Association of Personal Assistants (APA) the following is an extract from his personal blog highlighting the significance of the unsung hero's at work:
&nbsp;
It's a simple mathematical calculation but if new research by the Association of Personal Assistants (APA) is right then every senior manager, leader and principal must employ a PA if they want to achieve and exceed corporate targets. In a report published today the APA details the results of its survey of over 5,000 business leaders and suggests that their effectiveness is hugely enhanced by having an Aid and most report an improvement in excess of 30%.

If the average salary of a CEO for the Top 500 listed companies in the UK is over &pound;750,000 per year then a 30% increase in their effectiveness is sufficient to fund an entire department. And that level of return on investment makes real economic sense says the APA. In a small business, where the owner director fulfils every major management role, a PA is doubly essential to ensure all the competing plates are kept spinning and none of the business critical ones are dropped; in this size business MDs also suggested that their PA is the sole guardian of their corporate quality of life and director of their work life balance.

Gone are the days when a PA was a glorified secretary (a 'Miss Jones') and even less true is the stereotype portraying the PA as a flunky who runs errands, makes coffee and looks attractive in the outer office. Modern PAs are highly business savvy, using every technological means at their disposal and are increasingly well educated, trained and qualified to maximise their boss's time. They plan meetings and diaries, co-ordinate travel plans and accommodation and process all of the day-to-day issues of an executive office

A PA has to be a great communicator and even better negotiator; managing people's expectations when they hope to access the boss, and making sure that all priority tasks are processed quickly. If you ask the modern boss what takes the most time in their busy working life most will say meetings and emails and their PA is of fundamental importance in managing the problems associated with both. As our research suggests, a good PA is worth a fortune and every business leader should have one.]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=4</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Flexible Working]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=3</link>
<description><![CDATA[The government is to consult business on ways to deal with flexible workings requests.The consultation, published today, follows the announcement that the government would extend the right to request flexible working to parents with children who are 16 and under. The consultation will also consider weather to scrap the requirement for employers to provide formal notification on whether an application has proved successful.Pat McFadden, employment relations minister, said: &#8220;the right to request flexible working has worked well because it helps employees to balance their home and work lives, but at the same time gives employers the right to say no where there is legitimate business concerns.Parenting requirements don&#8217;t end as children get older. We think it is right to extend this scheme and help parents of older children access the flexibility they need.&#8221; Paul Alekna says;Having spent a fair amount of time studying the information we have available to us in-house it is clear that the more pro-active employers are working towards offering alternative employment terms that meet and exceed the common cheers from those us wanting more flexible terms. It is clear these businesses are benefiting from a stronger retention rate and improved skill base; something we haven&#8217;t yet been able to put a price on&#8230;]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=3</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[BBC Highlights importance of recruiters interaction with Job Centre Plus]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=2</link>
<description><![CDATA[Kevin Green, the RECĂ˘‚¬„˘s Chief Executive has appeared on national BBC television and radio today (Tuesday) to highlight the importance of the recruitment industry in working with Jobcentre Plus at a time when cuts are being made to a&nbsp; number of its branches. &nbsp;

The REC has worked constructively with Jobcentre Plus over a number of years which has resulted tangible initiatives such as the Diversity Pledge. As well as this strategic level work, there are also a number of examples of practical co-operation on a local level between REC members and Jobcentre branches. It is now recognised that private agencies provide 40 per cent of all the roles that Jobcentres offer. 

Kevin stressed the close relationship between the public sector and the private sector recruitment industry in ensuring the continuing co-operation between the two so that jobseekers did not lose out and were aware of the alternative ways of finding jobs. 

He emphasised that recruitment agencies were there to assist employers find suitable candidates for their vacancies especially as some were reluctant to use Jobcentres when looking for skilled staff. 
Ă˘‚¬Ĺ“Jobcentres have a key role to play particularly in supporting those jobseekers, who were not sufficiently prepared to return to the jobs market,Ă˘‚¬? he said. 

Kevin was interviewed on BBC Breakfast News by Declan Curry. He was also interviewed on BBC Radio FourĂ˘‚¬„˘s Ă˘‚¬Ĺ“TodayĂ˘‚¬? programme and BBC Radio Five LiveĂ˘‚¬„˘s Ă˘‚¬Ĺ“Wake Up To MoneyĂ˘‚¬?. &nbsp;

In the radio interviews, Kevin also stressed the importance of the Department for Work and PensionsĂ˘‚¬„˘ commissioning strategy and the critical role that private sector agencies should play in getting people off benefit and back into work. 

The REC has continued to take forward a pro-active media strategy to raise the profile of the industry and to promote the views and concerns of members. 

]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=2</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Employees to get right to take out to train]]></title>
<link>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=1</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Government has announced plans for the introduction of a right to request time off to undertake training, as part of its draft legislative programme for 2008/09.The new right will be modelled on the right to request flexible working. Employers will be obliged to consider seriously requests that they receive, but will be able to refuse a request where there is a good business reason for doing so. Employers will not be obliged to meet the salary or training costs to enable a request for time off to train to be met. The Government is to issue a consultation on the details of the proposals.The Government intends to introduce the right through the Education and Skills Bill, which will also create a national apprenticeship service and provide a statutory entitlement to apprenticeships for all suitably qualified young people.]]></description>
<language>EN</language>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0530</pubDate>
<guid>http://www.ascendantrecruitment.co.uk/fxmodules/page.php?page=list-type.php&amp;typeid=69&amp;id=1</guid>
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