Think Global Recruitment's Charity Pub Quiz - Come along!

On Friday 28^th October we will be hosting a Spooktacular Pub Quiz in Lulu’s bar, Edinburgh, where you can come along and test your wits against the living and the (brain) dead!


In keeping with our mission to help charities both at home and abroad we have picked another two fantastic causes Old MacDonald's Farm & Vintage Vibes!

Old MacDonald’s Farm

Fifteen years ago we assisted Don MacDonald and his family make the move of a lifetime to Zambia. Fast forward to 2016 and after contacting accountants that we had helped to move overseas, we discovered the charity project they had set up all those years ago.

Don and his wife Christine began helping street children in Lusaka back in 2001, inviting them in every Sunday for a shower, a home cooked meal and to get some clean clothes. Noticing the sheer volume of street children in the local community, they felt something needed to be done to help. Old MacDonald’s Farm was born and has since combined several projects on the same site including a home for vulnerable children, a community school and a teaching farm. Over the years their family have grown rapidly with the addition of more young boys staying with them, and at one point they had 40 extra children! In 2013, the BBC made a documentary about the farm which highlighted just how appreciated the charity has become within the Lusaka community.

Vintage Vibes

For our local charity we have chosen one which a member of our team (Tilly) volunteers with. Vintage Vibes is a service that pairs up volunteers with people in Edinburgh who are over 60 years old and are feeling isolated or lonely. The aim of the charity is to encourage friendship between all generations and provide companionship to those who need it most.

“I come from a big family and have always been very close with my grandparents who were always surrounded by many friends and family but many other older people are not as lucky... Vintage Vibes are making a real difference to over 60s in Edinburgh who are lonely and isolated – visiting them in their homes or going out for a walk or a coffee. For me, they were the obvious choice for a charity for us to support at our TGR Charity Quiz Night!”- Tilly

So do you have the intelligence of Dr. Frankenstein or his monster? Come along find out whilst supporting the fantastic work of these two charity projects!

Think Global Recruitment's Spooktacular Halloween Quiz

Location: Lulu’s Bar, George Street, Edinburgh

Date: Friday 28^th October

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £10 - can be purchased by emailing pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Tickets are £10 each, which includes:

- Participation in our 5-round Pub Quiz

- VIP Entry to Lulu nightclub

- A refreshment of your choice on arrival - option for bubbly, beer or non-alcoholic drinks available

- Nibbles to enjoy during the quiz

- Exclusive access to VIP area and table reservation when the club opens to the public at 10pm

There will also be a Spooktacular Photo Booth with props and costumes, and a Raffle on the night

Fancy dress is optional, but encouraged, as of course it is Halloween weekend!

Teams will be up to 5, so please bring along your friends and join in!

Over 18s only.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Market Update: Where are we Post-Brexit?

The results of Markit’s recent PMI (the Purchasing Managers Index) survey has the put the minds of the British public at ease (for now) as the unexpected rebound of the service sector adds to a string of positive market news on exports, jobs and houses.

Markit recorded the biggest month on month increase in the survey’s history and shows figures increasing from 47.4 in July to 52.9, far exceeding the 50 mark needed for growth.The service sector makes up a staggering 80% of the UK economy

 

From these results it is now clear that Britain will avoid the expected recession many thought would follow after the June's historic vote.

"The services PMI completes a triple-whammy of good economic data for the UK in the last three trading sessions and indicates that businesses are returning to normal after the initial shock of the vote rocked confidence," said Neil Wilson, a financial market analyst at ETX Capital.

 

Britain’s economic situation is looking brighter with the value of the pound going up on a seven week high against the value of the dollar - $1.3375, and the value of the pound beginning to steady.

Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley have both 'rowed back' on their predictions after the better than expected results. Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, has described himself as feeling 'absolutely serene' with the banks preparations and actions which he says allowed Britain's economy to 'sail through' the shock impact following the referendum.
 

The City of London, however, is not sitting on its hands and has already stepped up lobbying efforts with the new Chancellor Philip Hammond to ensure that processes are not rushed and to stress the importance of access to the single market. The Financial Services industry accounts for more than 12% of the UK's exports, contributing £60 billion in tax and employing 1 million people.

How are the Big Four after the Brexit vote?

Deloitte

Deloitte’s UK revenues have grown at the fastest rate in a decade, according the latest figures.The company experienced a “landmark” year in Scotland, strengthened its Transaction Services practice in the North of England and Group revenue for Deloitte has increased by 11.2 per cent for the year to May 2016 to £3.1bn.

Managing Partner, David Sproul, has suggested that the government should not reduce hiring skilled migrants: “The government must recognise that further restricting skilled migrants could be detrimental to the UK’s ability to attract global investment and the diverse pool of international talent that has supported our country’s growth”.
 

KPMG
 

KPMG continues to be the preferred UK's auditor for stock market clients, having created six new contracts in the last quarter. The Head of KPMG's deal advisory practice in the Midlands has stated that there is still a healthy appetite for deals in the region describing the environment as conducive.  

 

PWC
 

PWC remains in second place behind KPMG with 369 total clients and has come out confidently stating that London's dynamism means that it would remain agile and resilient to any potential fallout from Brexit and that the City had managed to  'pull away' from other global rivals this year.
 

EY
 

 EY has noted the opportunities for businesses that will come as a result of any renogiations and has stated that due to UK's strong performance in the past year it has retained it's spot as the number one place in Europe for foreign investment.

 

The future is looking a lot brighter than many experts initially thought, we now await to see how the new government intends to take Britain forward.
 

If you'd like to hear more about our market updates then register for our newsletter by emailing pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com.

All the world’s an office - the millennial generation that yearns to work abroad

Millennials are fast becoming the most important workforce segment in the global market and are therefore, not surprisingly, the most popular to study. The figures observing the patterns and behaviours of this generation have suggested a proposition of a simple change in the recruitment practice which could potentially save employers many future headaches.

Life without borders 

 

Where older generations may have saved travelling for retirement, millennials have accepted that they might not have that guaranteed in the future and have expressed this through their own extensive travel habits. They are not intimidated by the prospect of moving for work either. KPMG International highlighted in their study of business students from 23 different countries that 89% said that they ‘would be prepared to move regularly to a different country for the right job opportunity’. Not only that, but 80% of those asked also said they expect to live in 3-6 countries throughout their career. MoveHub’s study found that employment was the primary motivation for those making a move overseas with another study in the US finding that 55% of the generation was currently considering changing countries.

Some savvy businesses have already caught on to this trend by incorporating policies that enable staff to take time out to travel. However, this can be an expensive option with temporary workers required to fill the gaps and the unpredictability of staff returning.

 

Loyalty-lite

According to Deloitte’s international 2016 survey of 7,700 Millennials, 25% said they would leave their current job if offered another one. PwC’s study highlighted that the same figure expected to have six or more employers. The harsh reality of these studies is that an employer could look at their staff and know that two thirds will be gone in four years. This results in a lot of wasted time and resources. It would be fair to presume that due to the attitudes and preferences of this generation a high percentage of those leaving will be seeking some form of international experience. Which leaves you to wonder: what is it that employers can do?

 

The simple solution

To combat Millennials potential lack-of-loyalty and to repel the travel bug, employers need to adopt a different approach to their recruitment strategy. In order to win the war for attracting and retaining talent, the answer lies within shifting the focus from recruiting locally to internationally. Here are the top four reasons why this could be your winning formula.

Investment on both sides

It is true that making a move to work in another country is an investment for both parties, but it can be considerably more of an investment for the employee. They will have had to make commitments that possess a certain level of determination to move. This personal investment encourages loyalty and the drive to succeed in their new life.

The opportunity to learn & develop

The desire to develop oneself and learn new things ranks highly amongst this generation, however this can be difficult at times for a businesses to achieve. The truth is sometimes the employee needs to do the ‘boring basics’ and get the job done. However, if you have an employee coming from outside the country, as the case studies on our online blog illustrate, even starting the same job in a different country comes with an array of different learning and development opportunities. These extra stimuli are free of cost to an employer and ensures the employee constantly feels a sense of self-development.

Citizenship & passport opportunities

Many countries allow employees to apply for citizenship after spending a number of years within their country. This can be a motivational tool for employees within an organisation and allows the opportunity for the employer and employee to develop a closer bond through assistance in the process. 

The lure of a different location

How do you stem wanderlust? Become the destination. Local weekend excursions and cultural activities will excite a new arrival much more than somewhere who has always lived there. Providing this generation with exciting new experiences is essential to making sure they are fulfilled psychologically.

Ticking off both the international and the professional boxes will lead to a more satisfied and content millennial employee. For a generation that strives to lead individualistic lives with plenty of photo sharing moments, to win their affections you should make them an offer that combines both life experience with professional opportunities.

 
 

How can Think Global Recruitment help?

It is important that our clients receive the best service to ensure you recruit the perfect candidates to match your needs.

At Think Global Recruitment we can help by assisting in organising a trip to a country of your choice and setting up an interview schedule with pre-screened accountants that fit your requirements and are motivated to make a move abroad.  The Accountancy Worldwide Forum, is another way of meeting global accountants. Bringing together prestigious accountancy, commerce and financial services companies from all over the world to match with the best accountants in the world.

It can be stressful for companies recruiting internationally which is why we have created an extensive walkthrough guide and have client support available the whole way through the process and even after the candidate has started. This makes the process run smoother for everyone involved.

Our advice when recruiting Millennials:

· Provide a detailed job specification to save time and get the exact candidate you are after. Every detail counts to ensure you get the right fit for your organisation.

· Be honest to the candidate about the role & location so they get the full picture. If you don’t they’ll find out online or worse once they’ve just arrived.

· Stay in touch with candidate after they’ve accepted an offer– they will appreciate the extra time you take to do this and means they’ll feel valued before they start.

 

The Recruitment Industry takes the Brexit debate head on!

The recruitment industry is worth a valued £26bn a year to the UK economy. With the upcoming European referendum, businesses have been trying to constructively contribute to the debate and give analysis of what the impact might be. Reports from within the recruitment sector have been mixed, some worried about a potential skills shortage with others adopting a more relaxed approach.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has been representing professional recruiters since 1999.  APSCo has become a trusted badge of quality within the sector, with an increasingly international profile. For many years its trade delegations have supported the global growth of its member organisations. With the upcoming referendum British membership of the EU, APSCO produced a report on the issue to help inform its members.

Findings from APSCo Report (2016):

·     Two APSCo surveys, in the summer of 2015 and in February 2016, found that support for remaining in the EU had significantly dropped from 80% to 59%, suggesting a growing unease with the status quo

·     For recruitment firms, social and employment policy is one of the most controversial areas of EU competence. Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) and the derived Temporary Agency Workers Directive is viewed as inappropriate European legislation for many professions with ‘no corresponding positive benefits for the independent professionals placed’.

·     From a recruitment standpoint, the Services Directive is the most important concession from the Prime Minister’s renegotiations with the EU, allowing UK firms to get full access to the EU services market. The Services Directive would add 1.8% to overall EU GDP.

·     Any provisions for leaving the EU should be drawn up in consultation with the private sector to ensure that the UK is not left at a disadvantage compared to EU states in terms of competitiveness

APSCo Scottish Forum Debate

APSCo’s Scottish Forum made its own personal contribution to the issue by bringing the debate to their Glasgow meeting, hosting three prominent speakers: John MacLeod (ICAS), John Edwards (Scotland Stronger In Europe) and Iain McGill (business owner). The debate, chaired by Abigail Stevens, Managing Director of Think Global Recruitment, allowed three perspectives: neutral, for and against, with respective proponents providing their own analysis on the issue concluding with questions from APSCo members.

John MacLeod, Partner at Mazars UK, first spoke about ICAS’s official report and how their assessment concludes that rather than a factual decision, people will be heavily influenced by perceptions of subjective issues such as immigration, fairness and national interests. ICAS’s objective report gave an independent review of all of the key figures at play and can be read here. He stated that his job, as a neutral contributor, was sometimes the most difficult ensuring impartiality in all of the assessments.

With neutrality set aside, it then came time for the big debate. As people say that they want to hear the facts, without transcribing the whole debate, and to bypass the hyperbolic statements we have summarised some of the main points.

Four key points that can be concluded from the debate:

-      Three territories have left the EU or European Economic Community

Two territories, Greenland and Algeria, left the European Union’s predecessor, the EEC. The Caribbean Island of Saint Barthélémy withdrew from the European Union in 2012 and instead joined the Overseas Countries and Territories List.

-      Whatever the outcome we will have terms settled by 2018

Under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, the UK will have two years to negotiate an exit, during which time its future relationship with the EU will have to be agreed. The UK would continue under the European Union until that time and by 2019 there will be some degree of certainty as to its position within the continent.

-      If the UK votes to leave, unelected European officials will still retain some power

The European Court of Human Rights will still have an ability to overturn the UK High Courts on social and employment issues as the UK will remain signed up to the European Convention of Human Rights. However, the unelected European Commission (Europe’s governmental cabinet) would lose its authority to create legislation.

-      It’s impossible to know the economic impact of an exit

Although this might not have a numerical weighting attached, it actually has more value than any of the campaign statistics. Since most of the economic arguments are based around future trade negotiations it would be impossible to determine what the economic situation post-exit would look like. There was mutual agreement in the debate that it would rely on a fair amount of ‘crystal ball gazing’ with both sides using alternative figures and experts.

As expected from these debates, it managed to result in more questions than answers. The purpose of this blog was to highlight some of the key issues to the recruitment industry and help assist in answering some of the uncertainties around the referendum. We hope that you have found this article useful and would encourage additional reading on the subject.

APSCo, ICAS, Mazars UK and Think Global Recruitment would like to confirm their neutrality on the referendum issue. Iain McGill was speaking in a personal capacity and John Edwards was speaking on behalf of Scotland Stronger in Europe. We would like to thank all those that contributed to this article through their reports or arguments.