The Office for National Statistics said average weekly earnings growth including bonuses slowed modestly to 1.4 percent in the three months through December, in line with forecasts.

Excluding bonuses, pay grew by 1.3 percent, slightly undershooting expectations. That was the weakest rise since three months through June 2010.

Wage growth remains well below inflation, which held at 2.7 percent in January for the fourth consecutive month.

Whilst companies have to remain competitive to win business and keep their costs low – keeping staff morale high can be a struggle if any increase in wages remains below inflation.

So with the job market so buoyant do workers need to move jobs to ensure they get a pay rise?

If you feel you’re underpaid then just walking is not always the best policy, particularly if you enjoy your work and are good at it. Think about approaching your boss to negotiate a pay rise but plan your strategy in advance and ensure you give your boss good reasons why you are worth more.

Bosses looking to keep good people on know that it is not only money that keeps people motivated, but a combination of security, pay, challenge, feeling valued and work enjoyment. Knowing that your company provide all of this will ensure a low turnover of staff and a happy workforce.

If you really believe that your company don’t tick all the boxes above, as an employee you need to assess what motivates you at work and how you can achieve that – but it’s a two way street. You have to provide the goods that the company employ you for – hard work, getting it right, achieving results – will you do this in a new company who will pay you more?

So a big question – do you stay or do you go?

If you decide to go and your current company then decide to give you the pay rise you wanted, what do you do? Well you could ask why this didn’t happen before, will the company still value you when they know you have been “disloyal”. You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy, from this day on your commitment will always be in question. Accepting a counter offer rarely changes the factors that drove you to look for a new job in the first place.

Thoughts?

UK jobseekers have the highest number of new employment opportunities at their disposal for three years and the jobs market is significantly more buoyant than a year ago.The final quarter of 2012 saw the highest number of new employment opportunities on offer for three years and a 10% year-on-year rise in new vacancies available during December.

As far as AV Jobs is concerned that would certainly be reflected in our Audio Visual vacancies, which are continuing to come in on a daily basis. Indeed in the first 3 working days  in 2013 we received multiple job vacancies from our clients showing an increase already of 30% against December’s high.

The largest monthly measure of conditions and trends in employment opportunities in the UK indicates that the market is over 10% stronger than it was this time last year and registered consistent quarterly growth over the course of 2012.

Commenting on the latest figures, Mark Rhodes, marketing director at reed.co.uk, said:
“2012 has been a year of consistent recovery for the jobs market. We have seen growth across the board in the majority of sectors and regions as employers become increasingly less cautious about their approach to taking on new personnel.

“While the wider economic climate makes it difficult to make predictions for the year ahead, the growing sense of optimism among employers is likely to persist and leading official indicators such as the latest ONS figures also continue to point towards an upward trend in jobs growth. There will undoubtedly continue to be bumps along the way but 2013 promises to be another year of continued recovery.”

Vacancies at AV Jobs are UK wide and cover sales, engineering, operations, hire and retail across Audio Visual channels. They include jobs from Manufacturers, Distributors and re-sellers and all jobs shown on the website are current vacancies.

If you are looking for a new challenge then do send your CV to us at cvs@avjobs.co.uk and if you are looking to fill a vacancy within your organisation, then please call or email pat@avjobs.co.uk or David@avjobs.co.uk at 0844 884 9150 for a confidential discussion.

We also have a number of excellent middle & senior managers and directors looking for a new challenge in the Audio Visual marketplace – so if you are looking for someone to hit the ground running and make a positive contribution to your bottom line, then do call us asap.

Whilst most of us are enjoying the Olympics, another article in Forbes tells us why people who have participated at an elite level in any sport will make great employees.

“Current research indicates that individuals who have competed in elite level athletics, i.e., collegiate, international, or professional level competition possess higher levels of emotional intelligence than their non-athlete counterparts,” says Richard Mendelson, I.O. psychologist and founder of Dynamic IO Consultants.

You may not interview many Olympians but worth asking the question at interview to find out how focussed and determined an applicant can be.

And finally, an excellent article in The Guardian about adapting to the changing job market – certainly food for thought as it effects most of us. What are your thoughts on how we can adapt?

So how can your company attract and keep the best? What motivates employees?

Show me the money!

Everyone has different motivations for working. Reasons for working are as individual as the person, but, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something we obtain from work impacts our morale, motivation & the quality of our lives.

Some people work for love, others work for personal fulfillment. Some like to achieve goals and feel that they are contributing to something. Others have personal missions they accomplish through meaningful work, whilst some truly love what they do or the clients they serve. Many like the camaraderie and interaction with customers and colleagues and others like to fill their time with activity. Some employees like change, challenge, and problems to solve -  Motivation is clearly individual and diverse.

Whatever your personal reasons for working, the bottom line, however, is that almost everyone works for money.

Compensation, salary, bonuses, benefits, remuneration, money pays the bills! Money provides housing, gives children clothing and food,  pays for holidays and leisure time and eventually, retirement. To ignore the importance of money and benefits as motivation for people who work is a mistake.

Fair benefits and pay are the key to a successful company that recruits and retains committed workers. If you provide a good wage for your employees, you can then work on additional motivation issues. Without the fair, living wage, however, you risk losing your best people to a better-paying employer.

In fact, recent research from Watson Wyatt Worldwide in The Human Capital Edge: 21 People Management Practices Your Company Must Implement (or Avoid) to Maximize Shareholder Value, (Compare Prices) recommends, that to attract the best employees, you need to pay more than your average-paying counterparts in the marketplace. Money provides basic motivation.

Ok you pay the Money? What’s Next for Motivation?

People want:

Control of their own work inspires motivation: including  the ability to impact decisions; setting clear and measurable goals; clear responsibility for a complete or defined task; job enrichment; tasks performed in the work itself; and recognition for achievement.

To belong to the in-crowd creates motivation; receiving timely information and communication; understanding management’s formulas for decision making; team and meeting participation opportunities & visual documention and posting of work progress and accomplishments.

The opportunity for growth & development is motivational and includes education and training, a clearly defined career path, team participation, succession planning – all these things make a difference in motivating your employees.

Leadership is key to motivation – employees want clear expectations that provide a picture of the outcomes desired, with goal setting, feedback and an appropriate structure or framework.

Recognition for Performance Creates Motivation

In The Human Capital Edge, authors Bruce Pfau and Ira Kay say that people want recognition for their individual performance with pay tied to their performance. Employees want people who don’t perform fired, in fact, failure to discipline and fire non-performers is one of the most demotivating actions a company can take – or fail to take. It ranks on the top of the list next to paying poor performers the same wage as non-performers in deflating motivation.

Additionally, the authors found that a disconnect continues to exist between what employers think people want at work and what people say they want for motivation. “Employers far underrate the importance to employees of such things as flexible work schedules or opportunities for advancement in their decision to join or leave a company.

“That means that many companies are working very hard (and using scarce resources) on the wrong tools,” say Pfau and Kay. (p. 32) People want employers to pay them above market rates. They seek flexible work schedules. They want stock options, a chance to learn, and the increased sharing of rationale behind management decisions and direction.

So What You Can Do to increase Motivation and boost Morale?

The key to creating a work environment that fosters motivation are the wants and needs of the individual. Why not ask your employees what they want from work and whether they are getting it? With this information you may well be surprised at how many simple and inexpensive opportunities you have to create a motivational, desirable work environment. Pay attention to what is important to the people you employ for high motivation and positive morale. You’ll achieve awesome business success.

Having been in the same situation myself, I know that it is a frustrating experience and receiving no communication is just one of those frustrations – probably more frustrating than receiving the dreaded “No thanks” letter or email. Looking for a new job whilst you are unemployed is almost a full time job in itself and it really has to be worked at in the same way i.e. with diligence, committment, purpose and a positive attitude.

So how can  you avoid some of the pitfalls and ensure you target job vacancies effectively? First thing is to ensure your CV is up to date and relevant for the job you are applying for. Read the job description  and then read it again and get the boxes ticked e.g.

• Can you really, honestly do the job you are applying for?

Sounds pretty obvious but you would be amazed at how many CVs we receive where the candidate has no experience whatsoever of the job they have applied for.

• Do you have all of the skills that the company is looking for?

Again be strict with yourself – is it wishful thinking on your part or can you really prove that you have the skills to succeed in the job role advertised.

• Have you worked in that industry and in the same sector and discipline that the company is in?

For example you have worked as an engineer in the AV industry but have applied for a job in AV sales – how realistic is this if you have never sold before? Think of the calibre of competing candidates who have a successful track record in AV sales – aren’t you setting yourself up for rejection?

Less is More

If you send out applications for 100s of jobs you are just setting yourself up for rejection time and time again. Why? Because you haven’t really targeted your job marketplace. You must ask yourself what are you offering a new employer? Where do your skills lie, what is your relevant experience, which industries have you worked in, what transferable skills do you have, how can you help a new employer to add to their bottom line, improve productivity, cut costs, save time and so on and so on……

By targeting your vacancies effectively you will be sending out many fewer applications but to people who really do need your skills and experience. As you are targeting your market you can ensure that each CV is tailored towards the job you are applying for as well as ensuring a good quality, relevant cover letter or email is sent with it telling a prospective employer why you are worth interviewing.

I’ve said this before but not ashamed to say it again – check your CV and letter and then check again and then get someone else to check it for you.

There are no excuses for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or sending the wrong letter – all of these will count against you. Examples we have seen include a letter beginning “I have always wanted to work in Financial Services…” when they were applying for job in Audio Visual.

• Keep your CV to two A4 pages
• Highlight the reasons you would be successful in the new role
• Show what you have achieved in your last position(s)
• Don’t just list job responsibilities – show how you improved things.
• Highlight your soft skills -
  • problem solving
  • communication
  • team player skills
  • conflict management
  • interpersonal skills
  • planning and organisation
  • leadership and motivation skills
  • initiative

  etc., these are all transferable skills but don’t just list them, show examples.

One Degree Under

As a Graduate job seeker you will be in fierce competition with others who have more experience and, of course, you need the experience to get yourself on that career ladder. So – highlight the work you did whilst at University (both paid and voluntary, as well as your course work) what skills this gave you. Tell your prospective employer (on your CV or covering letter) what you can do for them, what your ambitions are and what you have achieved so far in life. A degree on its own is just that – a degree. Well done on achieving it but you need to add your personal skills into the mix to prove to a prospective employer that you are worth employing.

It’s Good to Talk

If you’re not used to communicating by phone start practising, because very often the first point of contact is by telephone – either from the recruiter or the employer – so be prepared to listen and to talk confidently about yourself and the skills you can offer.

Communication is key – don’t send out emails, CVs or letters using text speak! Be professional, that way you will be treated professionally and this goes for employers and recruiters too – communicate. Send rejection emails or letters to all applicants – from a jobseeker’s point of view it is better to receive some communication than none at all. Return phone calls and emails as soon as is reasonably possible and, for jobseekers, understand that the employer or recruiter is busy and they will get back to you as soon as they can. We get back to all applicants within 7 working days whenever possible, though we accept we’re not perfect but we do try!

Good luck in your job search and if you would like to comment please do.

2011 that is? With a shaky economy and doom and gloom emanating from all quarters it would be easy to dismiss the year and just look forward with some alarm. However, that’s not necessarily how it is – sure there are doom mongerers out there and always will be,  but the sun is shining somewhere!

The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 has 7 European countries in the top 10 countries worldwide – Switzerland at No. 1 and the UK at No.10 with Sweden, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands and Denmark in between. The report is published annually by the World Economic Forum.

Now I agree that this is just one report and I certainly don’t want to get into macroeconomics (what?), but the year has been profitable and productive for many companies in the Audio Visual marketplace across Europe. When the number of jobs is increasing and the roles include Project Managers, Installers and Technical Architects, then that tells us sales have been made. New jobs coming in over December has been record breaking, with Sales & Marketing positions leading the way, suggesting a positive outlook for the New Year. Here at AV Jobs we saw an increase of over 70% in the number of job vacancies across the UK this year and even higher in Europe (where we have not marketed before).

So what will 2012 bring? Well the economic forecasters vary country by country but the Eurozone issue remains a major focus on whether there will be a “double dip”. Northern European countries (as can be seen in the GCI report above) are certainly better placed to avoid this,  with Business Week, confirming “ German business confidence unexpectedly rose for a second month in December as two economic institutes predicted Europe’s biggest economy will stave off the debt crisis and avoid a recession in 2012.”

However, the UK economy is predicted to shrink by 1.3% in 2012 and more likely to go into recession than Germany. This is clearly not great news but as a growing marketplace, the Audio Visual industry is better placed than most to overcome such obstacles. Some  UK companies are looking to profit from the expanding market for Audio Visual in China and Russia but the vast majority will still be working in the UK and closer to home in Europe.

Maybe we are all optimists  in the AV & Technology marketplace as a recent poll on InAVate shows that when asked “What are your expectations for business in 2012?” – 50% said conditions would improve and 50% said remain the same. No one believed that conditions would deteriorate. (Ok I don’t know the polling numbers!)

So my view for 2012? I believe the first half of the year will remain on a par with 2011 (which is not bad in my opinion) and will start to grow from the end of the 2nd quarter to see a positive outcome for the industry and the AV jobs market as a whole.

What are your thoughts?