Are you worried about the downturn in the economy? Concerned about how the flood of people coming onto the job market will affect your job search prospects? Have you been applying for jobs for a while, but while you’ve had the odd interview job offers have eluded you?

Then you’re probably wondering who is getting the jobs out there, and what they’re doing to succeed in the current climate.

Follow up:

Whether you’re facing redundancy, or you’re currently looking for work, there’s so much you can do to stand out from the competition and increase your chances of finding work which is personally, professionally and financially rewarding.

Successful Job Search in a Recessionis a one day hands-on workshop by Career Coach, Peter Emelone to show you how to:

- Identify your skills, knowledge and experience and get clear about what you have to offer and the benefits your offering will have to a prospective employer

- Get yourself organised and set a clear focus for your search which is targeted towards companies and areas of the market which are expanding, so you’re not waiting time, money or energy on companies or sectors which are vulnerable and could put you out of a job next year

- Create a job search strategy which will generate the maximum number of opportunities in the shortest space of time.

There’ll also be opportunities to:

- Get feedback on the impact of your CV and whether it’s doing you any favours in terms of how you want to be viewed

- Practice your interviewing skills so that you come across as the credible and experienced candidate your potential employer has been waiting for.

- Explore how to cope with the emotional side of the job search from how to cope with the impact of job loss to how to maintain a positive attitude throughout your search.

Follow up:

Acas has played a crucial role in the amendments, drafting the new Code of Practice which provides guidelines employers and employees should follow when addressing workplace disputes. The Acas Code is designed to encourage employers and employees to resolve workplace problems early on, to prevent costly and stressful employment tribunals.

The new approach will place less emphasis on the mechanics of managing disciplinary issues, grievances and dismissals and will create more flexibility to resolve problems early before they escalate.

Under the new rules employment tribunals will have the power to adjust awards if employers or employees have failed unreasonably to comply with the Acas code.

Minister for Employment Relations, Pat McFadden said: “Tribunals can be costly, time-consuming and draining for people and businesses alike.

“We have changed the rules so that employers and employees will have greater flexibility to deal with grievances and disciplinary issues at work at the earliest opportunity. Acas’ expanded helpline and conciliation services will play a key role in delivering this”.

John Taylor, Acas Chief Executive said: “These changes will give businesses more flexibility when dealing with workplace problems. Often a quiet word at the early stage of a problem is all that is required to ‘nip things in the bud’. This should help improve relationships between managers and employees: cutting down disputes whilst saving time, money and stress for all concerned.”

Acas will be providing a free early conciliation service in certain types of cases which could otherwise become Employment Tribunal complaints. This service will help resolve workplace problems at an earlier stage and is available through the enhanced Acas Helpline which will be open for longer from 6 April.

The changes come as a result of the Dispute Resolution Review carried out by Sir Michael Gibbons which looked at how the current statutory three stage procedure for discipline and grievance issues was working in practice. The Review suggested repealing this procedure in favour of a revised Acas Code of Practice for businesses to follow.

Research by Institute for Employment Studies revealed that the Acas helpline helped to avoid around 16,000 employment tribunals in 2006, saving business £120 million.

What you should think about — if you are an employer:
Review your disciplinary and grievance procedures so they are compatible with the new law
Identify where a more relaxed and informal approach to dealing with problems at work may be appropriate
Train your managers in how to deal with problems at an early stage which could stop them from escalating

What you should think about — if you are an employee:

Keep an open mind about new ways of resolving work problems. The best solution is often an honest discussion with your employer

If your employer suggests it, consider mediation. (A third party) (or) someone from outside your workplace can often help you overcome big problems

Try to avoid an employment tribunal. In many cases, there will be other ways of solving your problem at work which will involve less cost, stress and time.

More information and guidance on the changes are available here and (new Acas Code on Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures)

For press enquiries please contact:

Alexis Molyneux-Brand: 020 7331 2352 Or Will Spratt: 020 7331 2367:

The role of the HR manager must parallel the needs of his or her changing organization. Successful organizations are becoming more adaptive, resilient, quick to change direction and customer-centered. Within this environment, the HR professional, who is considered necessary by line managers, is a strategic partner, an employee sponsor or advocate and a change mentor.

Strategic Partner
In today’s organizations, to guarantee their viability and ability to contribute, HR managers need to think of themselves as strategic partners. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives.

The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and objectives. The tactical HR representative is deeply knowledgeable about the design of work systems in which people succeed and contribute. This strategic partnership impacts HR services such as the design of work positions; hiring; reward, recognition and strategic pay; performance development and appraisal systems; career and succession planning; and employee development.

Employee Advocate
As an employee sponsor or advocate, the HR manager plays an integral role in organizational success via his knowledge about and advocacy of people. This advocacy includes expertise in how to create a work environment in which people will choose to be motivated, contributing, and happy.

Fostering effective methods of goal setting, communication and empowerment through responsibility, builds employee ownership of the organization. The HR professional helps establish the organizational culture and climate in which people have the competency, concern and commitment to serve customers well.

In this role, the HR manager provides employee development opportunities, employee assistance programs, gainsharing and profit-sharing strategies, organization development interventions, due process approaches to problem solving and regularly scheduled communication opportunities.

Change Champion
The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change.

The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this.

The new Acas paper, The alchemy of dispute resolution: the role of collective conciliation, highlights the importance of these processes in settling disputes at a crucial time. The recent unofficial wildcat action within the power industry and Lindsey oil refinery shows just how fragile collective relations can be when the economy is in crisis.

The paper also highlights the need for HR managers to be trained in the skills needed to manage collective relations in today’s workplace. Many HR managers and trade union representatives are facing uncertain situations that are new and challenging.

Acas has a long tradition of providing collective conciliation in many different parts of the public sector. However, disputes within the public sector are also identified as an area where Acas collective conciliation could be used more. A certain reluctance on the part of some public sector bodies to make full use of the service is noted – a missed opportunity in view of the relatively high level of trade union density in the sector compared to the private sector.

Research into the economic impact of Acas identified that the collective conciliation service provides benefits worth £159 million a year to the national economy. As the country weathers the recession, the role of collective conciliation has never been more important.

Ed Sweeney, Acas Chair said:

”Providing training in the skills associated with collective conciliation, and raising awareness and promoting the use of this particular Acas service, are vital steps in order to prevent disputes getting out of hand and causing long-term damage to British industrial relations.”

Notes for editors

Acas’ aim is to improve organisations and working life through better employment relations. It provides information, advice, training and a range of services working with employers and employees to prevent or resolve problems and improve performance. It is an independent statutory body governed by a Council consisting of the Acas Chair and employer, trade union and independent members.

For press enquiries please contact:

Lou Owen, 020 7210 3920

Follow up:

Every step you take towards securing a new position, obtaining a highly desired promotion, reaching short-term career plans should be based upon a big picture — - your career vision. It is what provides the pathway for your personal success. It is what keeps you on track during disappointments and in the midst of organizational or personal changes.

As the central character in this strategy, you’re the one who has to articulate your dreams, capture your success stories, devise the steps needed to secure an interview, target desired companies, research each company to ensure they fit your interests and goals, and get the interview. We have to know what it is that we’re seeking to be effective.

Recently, I received an email from a business associate who wanted to proudly share a recent promotion within a major corporation. Since I’ve known this professional for over ten years and have heard him speak of his career goals, I recognized how valuable his stepping stones mean to him. His careful preparation, and planned risk-taking, was leading him to career success that had personal value to him and his family. When necessary he had made adjustments and changed jobs, but he kept focused on achieving the big picture.

The steps to creating your vision are similar to the process of drafting a company mission statement or long term plans. If you’ve ever participated in this process, you will understand the concepts. However, due to the size and functioning of corporations, it can take months — - sometimes years — - to complete a mission statement.

That’s not the case when you create your own personal one; the process is considerably shorter and there’s no need to get an entire management team together to complete it. What’s most important is that yours be based on your “reality” and your “dream.” Between those two areas is a gap of compromise that allows you to create a successful vision of your career. Whether you’re searching for a new job, a promotion, or career satisfaction, it’s important to have a vivid picture in your mind of where you’re heading.

It’s important that your career vision be drawn directly from your personal values, family background, financial desires, geographical limitations, physical limitations, etc. At least 25% of it should deal with your Reality.

The remaining 75% is based upon your dreams — - the bigger the better. Your life long dreams provide the basis of your desires. To connect the conflicting nature of your reality and your desires, it’s important to look for ideal compromises. If you’re able to respect your reality and still pursue your desire, then you’re on the right track. Your career vision should reflect your passionate and strong interests. Most importantly, it should be one that you can vividly capture on paper, verbalize, and be able to see or envision. It does not have to be materialistic — - it should, however, authentically detail your personal long term career goal.

Interviews are designed to compile results of your career-related actions, as well as to determine how well you will fit within the company. These are key measures and important to remember prior to starting your next interview. If you’ve done your homework (self evaluation and company research), then there are no difficult interview questions to answer. There’s only a discussion to take place regarding how well suited you are for the position.

Your vision should serve as the back drop for your career decisions and directly impact the short-terms step of interviewing. Yours should provide the motivation and drive needed for you to succeed within the interview. Each interview provides much needed feedback regarding the extent to which you are dedicated to achieving your dreams. Are you ready to succeed within your career?

By: Pamela Watson

One confusing and rather elusive business is career management, or more precisely called “career planning.” Anyone needs career management; however, only not many people employ or do it. Why? Because many just don’t know how important career management is. A lot of people think that they need not seek other people’s help for they can find suitable jobs for themselves. To find out if career planning would benefit you, you have to know the definition of career management. Actually, career management has more than one definition. The meaning is actually dependent on your purpose: are you planning for a new job or are you looking for ways to develop your present job? To find out what will be good for you, you should search for the meaning of career management. Then you will know if you need career planning or not, and if you do need it, what kind do you exactly need.

Follow up:

Are you contented with your present job? The likelihood is that you are not. Your happiness or contentment should be the first thing you consider. Many workers do not love their existing career for different reasons. Some may have the opinion that they are underpaid; a few may have problems with their colleagues; and others may not like the work in general. Regardless of whatever reason you may have for disliking your work, you can acquire assistance from experts in career management that give this kind of service or from career management centers. They can either find a better career that will fit you well, or they can help you move up the corporate ladder in your present company. That entirely relies on what you want. Once you know the meaning of career management, you will see that everything that occurs to you is rooted in the kind of employee you are, the kind of money you want to be making, and the things that interests you. Based on those things, a good career manager will assist you in searching for a career that contains all of those criteria. Once the career managers have worked everything out, you will feel a lot satisfied not only with your career but also with everything about yourself.

Seeing things through the usual definition of career management, anyone could gain advantage from this service. It is highly improbable that you are absolutely satisfied with your present job in all its aspects. Therefore, you should visit the career management centers near you.

By Abhishek Agarwal.

Follow up:

1. Update your skills and learn new skills: Now is the time to invest more in yourself. Update your skills in your current areas of work. Similarly, learn new skills like IT skills. You may take up new courses or trainings that will enhance your resume and can prove to be helpful not just in your current job but also any new opportunities if the need be.

2. Target your resume for specific jobs: Design and develop a resume that is fully targeted for a specific job that you are applying for. It should not be a generic list of your qualifications and experience. If you are unable to do so yourself, invest some time in learning this skill. Only a professionally targeted resume can take you further to an interview level. Your resume should stand out from the rest and should be appealing enough to the employers.

3.Get yourself noticed: At your current job, take efforts to be noticed. Make sure your boss is aware of your achievements. If you are given an opportunity for a new role and responsibility, take it up. If you are involved in a very important project, you may be safer than most.

4. Make yourself indispensable: Be ready to take on new tasks even over and above your usual activities. Volunteering to take on new tasks helps in making you indispensable as a person who can undertake any activity happily. That will help list you out as an important team member not worth losing. Find ways to contribute innovatively to your company. Be an active team player.

5. Start networking: It helps having a good supportive network. Keep in touch with former colleagues in other organizations, you previous bosses etc., which can help you find other job opportunities whenever the need arises. Be equally helpful to your contact as far as possible, as then only can you expect them to return the favor.

6. Plan your finances carefully: Building up your financial reserves is necessary. Even if you may be given a redundancy package it may take some time to come. If you have some financial reserve to last you at least 6 months, you would not go deeper in the trough. Plan you finances carefully with your current job at hand.

7. Don’t hide: Do not make yourself invisible, considering that you would not get axed because of it. Get up and prove yourself so that you become a bit safer. Your clients and boss need to see results now. Try to solve immediate needs.

By: Sharon Alexander