Interim government employment once appeared to be a permanent part of the job market, but Federal cutbacks are taking their toll as department heads wait for spending reviews before committing to hiring any new interim employees. According to Charles Wilson, the head of the public sector at Penna Interim, the effects have been devastating, “with no interims being taken on unless it’s for a business-critical or front-line post. In large government departments taking on an interim means going directly to the director-general of finance.”

The same mentality is affecting many public sector non-permanent positions, and according to Jamie Houlder, the Director at the Hays Public Services, the “reluctance to take on interims to fill business-critical positions” has increased because employers simply ask their existing staff to absorb the workload while they search for permanent replacements.

The majority of the part-time/contract jobs have fixed-term contracts that range from 3 to 12 months, and are either employed in IT projects or serving as “seat warmers” while recruiters search for more qualified candidates. Currently, this  market is worth £300-500 million per year, although the exact figure is hard to calculate because many such appointments are informal and made through word of mouth contacts.

Most interim employees are usually quite qualified – if not over qualified – for positions they hold and often have decades worth a private sector experience to contribute. Even though there are claims that some interims make more than the Prime Minister, their pay cannot be directly compared with salaries that include benefits, insurance, retirement plans and a lower overall tax rate.

Another threat to interim jobs are the many soon-to-be redundant civil servants who are trying to stay in the work force by re-branding themselves as interims. Interim jobs in the IT field, CRM and procurement seem to be the most targeted for this type of strategy.

Experts are also noticing that the pay interims usually command is suffering as well. The director of BIE, Steve Dengel, says that even though interims are far cheaper than “calling in one of the Big Four accountancies as consultants,” but even that hasn’t stopped employers from tightening down on their budgets by designing contracts with terms that have performance stipulations. Dengel explains, “I suspect we’re going to see price reductions that change the way terms are paid… we recently placed an interim chief executive in a quasi-public body, and while the day rate has remained steady it’s been done on the agreement that 20% of their pay will be held back until they’ve hit agreed targets.”

However, some interims are becoming more valuable, especially those skilled in cost reductions, lean manufacturing solutions and change management. Such project managers have seen up to a five-fold increase in their pay rate, even in the public sector. The managing director of Interim Partners, Doug Baird, explains that “demand for lean and six sigma specialists is likely to grow. These project directors have a really specific skill-set, so demand for them can increase at the same time as other consultants are facing cuts.”

Perhaps the single most important effect of your job advertising is the generation of good quality candidates. It is one of those statements that is much easier said than done. Here are some tips for drafting an advert that will help you to generate those quality jobseekers.

• Choose a job title that reflects accurately the job role and responsibilities.
• Include an overview of your company and mission statement if you have one.
• Consider the age range of the candidates you are trying to attract by using words and phrases that are familiar to them.
• If you are trying to attract the millennial generation try using words such as flexible, challenging, opportunity for growth etc.
• Be as clear and concise as possible. Create interest with a catchy phrase to keep the jobseekers reading.
• Include your company logo for brand recognition.
• Look at what makes your company unique and emphasise this.
• Use bullet points for qualifications, responsibilities and requirements no more than six to ten is best.
• Check that everything is spelt correctly and the grammar is good.
• Try not to make the advertisement too long as jobseekers will rarely read to the end.
• Give clear instructions on your chosen method of application. ie Completed application forms only will be accepted.
• Try to include keywords that relate to the position so that the internet search engines will pick up on these.
• Look at other employers adverts to make sure your company stands out.
• Ask for a quote from a current employee on what makes your company great to work for.
• Try to include a salary scale.
• Try to bear in mind that you are selling your vacancy to jobseekers.

If you would like some assistance in perfecting your job advertisements the Land-Force Customer Care team are here to help.

The new Equality Act is set to become law from October 2010, replacing nine existing laws with a single Act of Parliament. The aim of the new Act is to make it easier for staff to understand their rights and employers to understand their obligations.

Covering issues from gender pay gaps to pre-employment health screening, the Act is far ranging and it is your obligation to ensure you comply. For more information visit www.equalities.gov.uk

If you want to recruit and retain good staff, people must want to work for you in the first place and enjoy it once they are on the team. But how do you become an ‘employer of choice’? This is not something that happens overnight but rather is a reflection of your branding and the way you treat and motivate staff. Does your organisation have a clearly articulated strategy? Is communication with staff open and transparent? Are employees encouraged to engage with the business and valued? Are your terms and conditions competitive amongst your peers and do you offer training and development opportunities?

Ultimately your success as a business is based on the performance of your employees – they are your most precious asset and your most important audience so take time to involve them and understand their motivations and it will pay off as you will attract and retain higher calibre employers.