Insights – Page 4 – Tyson Wilson

Recruitment agency says there are employers hiring right now

Tyson Wilson Recruitment has today (Friday October 1) said that the ending of the government-backed furlough scheme will cause stress for many workers, but there are plenty of options available.

Michelle Tyson, director of the agency said that while some employers may not be able to retain staff most will be able to continue with staff employment.

“It is an extremely stressful time for those who have not yet received reassurance that their employment will continue,” she said.

“With 36,000 on furlough by the end of July it is inevitable that some businesses will not be able to keep all the staff who were on furlough.

“If you are in that situation, you will naturally be concerned but options remain open.”

Ms Tyson said that it is an opportunity to look at what career path you wish to take.

“The reality is that a lot of sectors are experiencing staff shortages,” she explained.

“Across hospitality, retail, call centre, haulage and the care sectors there are vacancies.

“While many may not think you have the skills in these areas, or others, many are offering training for new recruits.”

Ms Tyson also said that for many they may not want to take on a new permanent post until they have assessed what next.

“We know that there are full time and part time temporary positions open in many sectors, and it may suit to look at a temporary job until the employment picture becomes clear.

“The Bank of England has said there may be a small rise in unemployment, for those affected we can assure them there are jobs open right now.”

The government’s furlough scheme was set up to support employers by paying 80% of wages, and in August and September it was reduced to 60%, with businesses paying 20%.

“The reality is that some businesses will close or reduce the number of staff but for those that have lost their job they need to remember that the position may became available again. And, it is important that they retain good relations should they need a reference.”

Ms Tyson said that they currently have a range of jobs across Northern Ireland for people to apply for immediately.

“We want to support those who have found themselves out of work at this time,” she said.

“Our team will walk you through the next step in your career journey, and make sure you find the post that is right for you and right for your circumstances.”

Established in 2015 Tyson Wilson Recruitment has developed its services for prospective employees and those with staffing requirements, including not charging a fee until appointment of successful candidates.

To apply for a post or to find out more about how we can help please visit tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk.

For further information please contact Tina Calder, Excalibur Press, 07305354209 tina@excaliburpress.co.uk

You will almost certainly have heard of IR35 as it is a term which is mentioned commonly in regards to employers, recruitment agencies and contractors alike.

IR35, or as it used to be known, off-payroll working rules, is designed to shape the legislation which determines whether or not a contractor who operates through a limited company or personal service company will be designated an employee of your organisation for tax purposes.

From 6th April 2021, the way the government approaches IR35 will change and so it is essential that contractors and employers both seek to understand how IR35 and the changes may impact upon their relationship.

So what is changing?

Formerly, when it came to private sector companies, the burden has been on the contractor or employee to determine the status of their own employment arrangement for each individual contract.

This means that before the change in IR35 rules, it was up to an individual contractor to declare their contract as falling within IR35 and therefore pay the appropriate tax and national insurance contributions associated.

However, the change in the rules means that from 6th April 2021, it will be up to the employer to establish whether or not the person is indeed an employee of the company. If it is discovered that the contractor is actually an employee of the organisation, and subsequently is not declaring their true rate of pay, and so as a result aren’t paying the correct tax and national insurance, then the employer organisation could be liable for extremely large fines.

Furthermore, if it is found that other than the fact that the contractor is invoicing through a limited company or personal service company, they would be a permanent employee, the employer organisation would then be liable to cover all of the costs associated with employing someone such as tax or pension contributions.

What do you need to do next?

If you believe that how you interact with your contractors may or should change as a result of IR35, it’s important to engage with a number of next steps.

Firstly, it is important to determine if you are a small, medium or large organisation by HMRC’s standards, this is because the new IR35 rules will not actually apply to small businesses.

Once you establish that you are a medium or large business, there are a number of things you should consider doing next:

Identify and review your current relationships with contractors and consultants.
Ensure that the terms under which you engage with contractors and consultants are clear and that they fairly and accurately reflect the relationship between you both.
If you believe that any or all of them may be indeed employees rather than contractors for IR35 purposes, you should consider changing their employment status to reflect this. You may want to explore the possibility or zero-hour contracts or casual working agreements.

Understanding and addressing IR35 compliance within your organisation is both important and necessary if you are someone who regularly engages with contractors or personal service companies.

This will ensure that you are tax compliant, will avoid any hefty fines as a result of non-compliance with IR35 and you won’t need to take on the commitment of adding someone to your payroll permanently and full-time

We have put together a handy guide to help you better understand the key components of IR35, its impact on how you do business and of course how the changes in particular might impact you.

For more information about IR35 download our guide HERE or contact Michelle Tyson at Tyson Wilson Recruitment on 07860636486 or info@tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk

Tyson Wilson Recruitment has urged employers to not make hasty staffing decisions as the government-backed furlough scheme comes to an end.

Michelle Tyson, chief executive of the agency said it was a worrying time, not helped by the lack of news of any further support for businesses.

“It is an incredibly stressful time for those wanting to ensure continuity of trading,” she said.

“At the end of July there were 36,000 people on furlough and there will be those that chose not to return to full-time working and those that have found another position.

“Add into that the sudden increase in staffing costs means tough choices will have to be made, but the important thing is not to rush into snap decisions.”

Michelle said that it was a time to consider all scenarios.

“It could be that you are left with a staff shortage,” she explained.

“The good news is there are still people looking to get back into work. For those that need a little time to see how the books are balancing it may be that recruiting temporary staff is an option.”

The recruitment specialist said it was deeply disappointing that further measures had not been put in place to mitigate the increased costs at a time when so many businesses had lost so much revenue during lockdown.

“While the furlough scheme and other reliefs such as rates holidays have helped it would have been preferable if the government had taken a step down approach,” said Michelle.

“Yes, employers knew it was coming, but a gradual progression in a range of mitigations would have allowed more time to adjust.

She added that during these times of business uncertainty the option of employing temporary workers could be an essential tool in the business armoury.

“We have a pool of candidates who have been registered with us and who are ready, willing and able to work,” she said.

“We can carry out the interviewing, screening and other checks to make sure we have the right person to fill any gaps, or to keep your business operating until the picture is clearer.”

To apply for a post or to find out more about how we can help please visit tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk.

When it comes to remote working one Northern Ireland recruitment firm says employees need to learn and display new skills to secure work from home roles.

A Global Workplace Analytics report said that since 2009, the number of people who work from home has risen by 159%

Michelle Tyson, director of Tyson Wilson is also warning businesses that they “must invest in the right systems and processes” in order to be able to facilitate a “productive, healthy and happy remote working workforce”.

Michelle said that although the rise in work from home opportunities originally surged as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that she believes it’s a trend that’s here to stay.

She added: “The biggest trend that will continue into 2022 and beyond is the working from home and the hybrid working model.

“Statistics from Upwork say that by 2028, 73% of all departments are expected to have remote workers.

“It is undeniable that many companies are becoming more open to hybrid and work from home after being forced to put systems in place to handle the challenges that come with it during the pandemic.”

According to Michelle what this means is business leaders must now recruit differently for those remote roles.

She explained: “In the call centre industry, for example, companies are looking for a new set of skills for people working from home – they now need to ensure those staff have self motivated, disciplined and proactive traits which whilst beneficial previously were not essential because the working model created an environment in which they had to be productive and were constantly monitored by line managers in person.”

This, in turn, means there can be a more flexible approach to talent acquisition.

Owl Labs reported last year that small companies are twice as likely to hire full-time remote workers than their larger counterparts.

However, whilst the future is bright for hybrid and remote working Michelle said one of the biggest challenges for business leaders has been changing the way in which they communicate with their team.

Research published by Buffer suggested that communication was one of the top three challenges associated with remote work behind “unplugging after work” and “loneliness”.

Michelle explained: “Communication is key. Mutual respect in the team is more vital than ever before – for example, in online meetings everyone has to be given the opportunity to take their turn to speak and leaders and colleagues need to learn how to listen.”

Michelle’s top 6 tips for managers and leaders are:

Be available

Michelle said: “Leaders have to ensure they make time available for the staff to be able to check in and ask questions because in an office environment this is very often done off the cuff or on an adhoc basis.”

Connection with colleagues

“When working from home there needs to be an onus on the business leader to create a culture where people feel connected to their colleagues” said Michelle.

Remove the stigma of struggling

Michelle explained: “It is important that staff understand the importance of speaking up when they feel lonely, disconnected, frustrated or lost as a result of the working from home model.

“This can only be effective if they believe their disclosure of these things won’t have a negative effect on how they are seen and treated by management and colleagues.”

Open lines of communication

“One solution that works for many teams is leaving a Zoom or Google Meet call open all day or having a Microsoft Teams, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp or Slack group can help employees keep in contact with each other throughout the day” said Michelle.

Morning emails

“Another way I find works really well is to have communication every morning with your team” said Michelle, adding: “An email for example rounding up the achievements from the day before, outlining new developments, recognising outstanding work and outlining the work and priorities for the day can help people feel more focused and ultimately more productive.”

End of day reporting

Michelle said: “I’ve also found with many of my clients that having staff email their direct line manager an end of day report helps everyone to keep on top of what other departments and their own teams are doing. An end of week report from all departments to each other is also crucial for larger teams.”

Tyson Wilson currently have a number of remote and hybrid working roles in Bangor, Newry, Belfast, Antrim, Omagh and across Northern Ireland including customer support advisors, customer service operators and customer sales and retentions advisors among many others.

To see these jobs and others go to tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk/jobs

For more information on what Tyson Wilson can do for your business contact Michelle at info@tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk

Northern Ireland specialist recruitment company, Tyson Wilson Recruitment is the first recruitment agency to be awarded a gold level innovator award from Innovate NI, on behalf of the Department for the Economy.

The government backed scheme helps businesses across Northern Ireland bring their ideas to the market to help drive innovation in their industry by recognising each business who applies as either silver, gold or platinum standard.

Tyson Wilson’s 2022 award comes off the back of their success two years ago when they won the silver standard for innovation as they embarked on a journey to become the first paperless recruitment agency in Belfast in 2020.

CEO and founder, Michelle Tyson believes this is a step in the right direction for other recruitment agencies to take inspiration from.

“Over the last year, we commercially launched our 2020 silver innovation idea of implementing app and video interviewing technology into the business. After testing it out, we recognised its success and applied for the Innovate NI awards again and were awarded the gold standard.

“Becoming paperless brings so many benefits to the recruitment process from both the candidates and recruiter point of view. For example, a candidate coming for a role with Tyson Wilson has a quicker journey as they receive applications faster which in turn speeds up the recruitment process.

“Investing in paperless technology also helps reduce harmful co2 emissions and helps us do our bit for the environment too” she said.

For those seeking employment, registering on the Tyson Wilson website has never been easier thanks to their new style which involves all interviews being conducted by telephone or video technology and if you’re a temporary worker then accessing payroll is done via an app.

Michelle says this virtual process is a result of how the pandemic has streamlined traditional processes and shaped how businesses recruit staff.

“The industry is changing, especially now that a lot of recruitment consultants are working remotely. So, you have to put these adaptations into place to be able to do that and it saves us a lot of time.”

If you’re a business looking for new staff, visit tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk/jobs to gain access to a wide range of candidates.

For more information on what Tyson Wilson can do for your business contact Michelle at info@tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk