It seems that January pay day precipitated the greatest number of resignations across UK industry for many a year. It sounds paradoxical, but if you want to improve your job prospects the best thing you can do is leave your job, writes Clive Jefferys, JMA Network.
It turns out a lot of people have secured a new role in January and have just broken the news to their current boss. The economy is moving forward at an increasing pace. With two per cent GDP growth last year newsreaders have had the unusual experience of reporting positive statistics, one after another.
Politicians, economists and pundits have been cautious in expressing their joy not wishing to brag, but as my Egyptian friend once said, 'If you want to keep your candle alight, keep it covered!'.
The purchasing index indicates that we are entering a period of significant investment in industry. In other words, lots of capital goods and services sales, and of course the telecoms industry will directly benefit. Presumably this will improve worker productivity too as companies invest in Bigger, Better, Faster tools for their staff.
Across my network of contacts within the channel and fellow recruiters the message is the same - every company wants to expand but can't find the staff because people are hesitant about moving jobs.
The plain fact is that the UK has full employment in so-called white collar professions and so there just aren't any more people to hire. We need the good news to spread and build confidence and find ways to tempt people onboard.
In the meantime employers are fighting over talent and as one of my clients said to me, iIt's like trying to run a football team without having developed the youth squad for the last five years'. It's become a bidding war for the few players that are up for transfer.
In Recruitment Land the big word is Headhunting, and I'm inundated with invitations to seminars to teach me what I already know. The solution is straightforward, but tough to implement. It's not what you know, but WHO you know, that's what vital to securing the right people for your role.