Hays UK jobs and employment blog

  We all have our up and down days at work, but if you feel the Monday blues consistently during the week, this could be a sign that your current job is not working for you. If it’s not, it’s time to consider just when and how you want to make your next move. How to know your job’s not for you: 1. You’re uninspired at...

  ‘It’s just a job’, is something we often say to ourselves after a bad day in the office. But is it? We spend so many of our waking hours at work that to settle for less than a job that is fulfilling, challenging and creatively and intellectually stimulating is to do yourself a disservice. Recognising when it’s time to move on...

  It can happen to any of us, whether you’ve just started a new job or have been in a role for years – something about your job just doesn’t feel right. We all have good and bad days at work, but if the bad outweighs the good, then it’s important to unearth the source of your dissatisfaction.  We have outlined some common...

  If you’re a senior professional, the road ahead holds many exciting possibilities. The wealth of your skills and experience means that many new options are open to you. The trickiest part is deciding which path to take. Your final decision should be dependent on several factors, including your personal skillset, long-term goals...

  Hear us out, it may seem a bit unorthodox to keep in contact with your recruitment consultant even after you’ve started in a new role, but there are advantages to building a rapport with them, even if you have no intention of imminently searching for a new job. 1.Career coaching It’s your consultant’s job to make sure...

  You put in the work, did the research and sailed through the interviews – before you knew it, you landed that job which, on paper, perfectly matched your skills, aspirations the type of company you wanted to work for. Except the role you’re working now is unrecognisable from the one you interviewed for. Perhaps you’re not...

    The word ‘toxic’ is perhaps overused these days, but it’s almost certainly one you’ve heard used when people are describing their workplace. Punishing hours, office politics, infighting and hard-to-handle bosses are all likely to be damaging to employee morale, particularly as their effect is cumulative. This can...

  If you’re already in a senior position, and have lofty ambitions, you need to have a pathway in mind. Being fixated on your next ideal position will help you plan exactly what you need to do to in order to progress to your next big opportunity. Here are some things to consider as you plot out your career course. 1. Your next...

  Everyone has the chance to climb the management ladder if they have the drive, ambition and passion to take the first step. If you’re aspiring to greater seniority, even up to board level, here are some basic tips to help you on your way. Take the initiative Managers should have the vision to spot opportunities that are...

  Leadership isn’t easy, and regardless of the size of your team, the reach of your organisation or how long you’ve been in a senior role, you can always use advice from time to time. But being a leader is also a lonely occupation. Your peers are limited, you must retain a healthy distance from your subordinates, and people from your...

  How a leader can achieve personal development You may have made your mark as a leader, but it's important you continue to focus on your personal development. Ensure you keep challenging yourself by broadening your skills, tackling greater tasks and attempting to attain new goals. This will lend itself to you improving both...

  If you are unhappy with your current salary, it may feel like changing jobs is the only way to get more money. But you do have other options. Negotiate your existing salary Your salary probably isn’t set in stone. Many employers will expect you to negotiate and you have nothing to lose by asking. Spend some time preparing...

  Why do aspiring senior professionals covet board level positions? The money is one factor, board members are among the top earners at their organisations, but board members also have the unique opportunity to make a real difference in their organisations - and can help steer the impact that their organisation has. Aspiring...

  If you are unhappy with your current salary and think you deserve a pay rise, you need to take the time to prepare your case before taking it to your manager. There are a few key questions you should be asking yourself. Once you have worked out the answers, you will be in a much better position to ask for a salary increase. How...

  Feeling like you are stuck in a salary rut can be disheartening. Sometimes it may feel like you will never get a decent pay rise again. But of course that isn’t true, you just need to take some positive action to make it happen. The first step is to find out if you’re being currently undersold. Use our Salary Checker tool to...

  If you haven’t been given the pay rise you were hoping for, that doesn’t mean that you will never get it, or even that you will have to wait a whole year until your next pay review to negotiate an increase. Instead, spend some time thinking about the ways you can prove your worth to your employer and start compiling your business...

  With 92% of employers saying they have experienced a shortage of skills over the last year, skills shortages are at an all-time high. This has a knock-on effect on both staff productivity and employee morale – with 49% of employers reporting that productivity has been hit and 46% saying it has affected morale. While the skill...

  Career success favours the bold Boldness is a defining feature. A professional willing to take big strides, disrupt the status-quo and make difficult decisions with an element of risk will grab the attention of people higher up, and pave their way for the most senior positions. Here are 3 ways you can demonstrate boldness...

  The government has finally launched a review into the changes to IR35 legislation which will affect medium and large private sector organisations and have far-reaching impacts on the way they engage with non-permanent workers. Of course, it’s great news that they’ve delivered on this pre-election promise. However, the...

  Highlighting quantifiable evidence of skills and competencies on your CV is becoming more prominent in today’s market. Stating the increase in overall profits, clients or website visitors that you were personally responsible for, for example, serves to illustrate to potential employees your usefulness and overall value. Such...