The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands survey highlighted a further steep expansion in permanent placements in March, and one that was the sharpest since the end of 2021. Meanwhile, temporary billings rose for the twenty-first month in a row. The rise in permanent salaries eased for the second month running to the softest since last September, though inflation of hourly pay rates for temporary staff accelerated to a four-month high. Finally, skilled staff shortages contributed to the sharpest reduction in permanent candidate availability since last October. The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands. Further rapid rise in permanent placements The rate of growth in permanent placements across the Midlands quickened at the end of the first quarter. The increase was rapid overall and the sharpest seen since last December. Recruitment consultancies indicated that placements had risen following stronger demand for permanent staff from clients amid sustained shortages. The increase in the Midlands was the fastest of the four monitored English regions. March data pointed to a continued increase in temporary billings in the Midlands. The rate of expansion quickened from February and extended the current sequence to 21 months. Respondents suggested that clients were becoming increasingly confident to fill vacancies with temporary staff, while there was some evidence that more temporary workers were available. Growth in temp billings in the Midlands was the second-fastest of the monitored regions, behind London. Permanent vacancies increased at a marked pace in the Midlands during March. The rate of increase quickened for the second month running and led to the sharpest rise in permanent vacancies for four months, yet was the slowest of the four monitored English regions. Demand for temporary staff also rose steeply in the latest survey period. The pace of expansion accelerated from February to the quickest since last August. Sharper decline in permanent candidate numbers The Midlands saw a further reduction in the supply of permanent candidates during March. The rate of the decrease quickened to the fastest since last October. Anecdotal evidence suggested that people in work were reluctant to move at present, while some recruiters cited shortages of suitably experienced staff for permanent roles. At the national level, the reduction in the availability of permanent staff was quicker than that seen in the Midlands. Recruitment consultancies indicated that temporary candidate numbers decreased at a marked pace in March. That said, the pace of reduction slowed from February to reach the softest for ten months. A number of respondents indicated that skills shortages had contributed to the lack of available staff for temp roles. Permanent salary growth eases for second month running Permanent salaries for new joiners in the Midlands increased for the thirteenth month in a row in March. While historically elevated, the rate of inflation eased to the softest since last September. A combination of a lack of suitable candidates and pressure on recruiters due to higher costs of living were behind the increase in permanent salaries. The rise in permanent salaries in the Midlands was the slowest of the four English regions covered, however. Pay rates for temporary staff rose sharply during March. The rate of inflation accelerated for the first time in four months and was the quickest since November 2021. Recruitment consultancies indicated that candidate supply shortages had been a leading factor behind higher pay rates. Moreover, the increase in the Midlands was the second-quickest of the four monitored English regions, behind the North of England. Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, people consulting partner at KPMG UK, said: “The Midlands saw a rapid rise in job vacancies during March, albeit at a slower rate than the North, South and London regions. “The dwindling supply of candidates is frustrating employers, not just those that are looking to grow, but also those simply trying to replace staff who might have left through the pandemic. This presents more worry for businesses, many of which are already tackling a myriad of challenges, not least the incredible rise in operating costs as inflation rises. “The Midlands has long been known for its resilience and job seekers in the region should take hear that the market is creating attractive opportunities for candidates. Unfortunately, many businesses may struggle to offer competitive enough salaries that can meet expectations.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “We can clearly see that labour and skills shortages are driving inflation in these latest figures. Starting salaries for permanent staff are continuing to grow rapidly, partially due to demand for staff accelerating and partially as firms increase pay for all staff in the face of rising prices. “Record COVID infection levels are also pushing up demand for temporary workers, particularly in blue collar and hospitality sectors, underpinning the ability of temps to seek higher rates. “However, the overall number of permanent placements being made has stabilised in recent months. This is no surprise after a period of historically high growth, and in the face of more economic uncertainty. “Even so, the jobs market is very tight. Businesses will need to broaden their searches and be creative in making their offer to candidates more attractive, in consultation with recruitment experts. But government can help by incentivising investment in skills and people during the inflation crisis.”

A new partnership has been formed between start-up business Reunion and Hub Space; a brand new initiative at The Old School House in Belper, the Home of Creative Holistic Space and Chevin Fleet Solutions. Reunion @ Hub Space will bring flexible cowork spaces to Belper – a first for the town. When Tracey Sowerby realised that Reunion were looking for a space for their coworking plans, she contacted founder Jo Black. Tracey and Ashley renovated the former school house in 2012 and it has been the home of their two businesses, Creative Holistic Space and Chevin Fleet Solutions ever since. The sensitively restored historic building can accommodate around 60 people. However, since working from home became the norm an opportunity presented itself to rethink the use of the Chevin office space. Tracey said: “We have a modern, top spec office environment that currently is not being fully utilised and thought it would be a great fit to work with Reunion who can make great use of the space and open it up to people that need it.” Jo Black, founder and director of Reunion, had been searching for an appropriate location for her community deli and cowork business since the summer, but had several setbacks in finding a site that would be suitable. Reunion have recently acquired 23 Strutt Street, the site of former deli Fresh Basil, but knew that the space would not be appropriate for cowork members. Jo said: “We love the site on Strutt Street, but realised that it may not be the best environment for our cowork members, as we want to welcome all members of the community, including families, and the space may get a bit noisy if you’re trying to host a zoom call! “We are delighted to be working with Tracey and Ashley at The Old School House, it is truly a wonderful heritage building that’s a real asset to Belper, combined with all the facilities that you’d expect in a modern office.” Belper and the wider Amber Valley has many micro and small businesses in the area, and Reunion hopes to bring business owners and remote workers alike together and establish a much-needed business community that centres in the town. The cowork space will be partly shared with Chevin Fleet Solutions, and will have high speed internet, modern desks and chairs, bookable meeting rooms, parking, bike storage and kitchen facilities. Reunion @ Hub Space will be open to booking new members in the coming weeks and expect to open in May. Members will also receive discounts on food at Reunion Deli and gain access to networking events.

Commenting on the Government’s Energy Strategy, published yesterday (7 April), East Midlands Chamber director of policy and external affairs Chris Hobson said: “The Government’s Energy Strategy is a welcome step in the right direction that will help meet our net zero targets, while reducing firms’ and households’ exposure to volatile global energy markets in the long term. “A commitment to including small modular reactors as a key part of the nuclear project pipeline is a boost for the East Midlands given this is one of the key innovations Rolls-Royce is currently working on and, with public backing, could lead to a thriving local supply chain being developed. “There are clear limitations, however. The first step in any energy security strategy must be to reduce demand, yet this plan fails to bring forward support for energy efficiency measures. “More emphasis is required to support and incentivise consumers on cutting energy usage, while we must also be mindful of sending out the wrong message to businesses about the direction of travel towards net zero by developing more oil and gas reserves in the North Sea. The climate challenge is real and we need the private sector fully on board to create the innovations that will overcome it. “We would also have hoped for more action in the short and medium terms. Although the transition to the cheaper, cleaner energy sources of tomorrow is vital, prices are soaring today and businesses need support now. “A combination of global and local issues, headlined by the war in Ukraine, has led to significant rising costs for overheads such as energy, as well as raw materials and people. As a result, 80% of East Midlands businesses expect they will be forced to increase prices over the next three months, according to our Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 2022. “This strategy is a missed opportunity to provide this, which is why we are urging Government to introduce a temporary SME price cap, expansion of the energy bills rebate scheme to include SMEs, and a six-month extension to the Recovery Loan Scheme.”

Have you ever thought about supplying your local council with goods or services? Would you like to access public sector contract opportunities but are unsure where to start? Team Lincolnshire and Business Lincolnshire are set to run a free workshop on this very topic at the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo, taking place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln. Running from 10:15 – 11:45, the workshop will demystify the procurement process and explore the potential which public sector contracts could bring to your business. Team Lincolnshire ambassador Neal Wheatley, director and general manager of RG Carter Lincoln Limited, and Barry Taylor, regional director at Parker Technical Service, will be sharing insightful first-hand experiences on winning a major Lincolnshire County Council contract for the construction of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and how supporting the local economy is a core value within the RG Carter Supply Chain Commitment. Senior commercial and procurement officer at Lincolnshire County Council, Megan Rice, said: “We recognise the frustrations caused and the barriers created through a lack of understanding of the public sector procurement process around why and how decisions are reached. “This event will guide businesses through what is meant by procurement and why public sector bodies must follow certain processes, as well as providing insights into where to find tender opportunities including new procurement pipelines and how to identify supply chain opportunities.”

Sign up to the workshop here.

Opening at 9am, the free to attend Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo, provides everything required for a great day of networking and business generation. Business Link is a proud partner of the well targeted event, which is aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets. As the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. To attend the event, register for free here. To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here. Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here. To see the full list of who is exhibiting click here. Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.

As the rise in home working blurs the boundary between work and home lives, it has become easier for people to work while unwell. But should you? Researchers from Nottingham Trent University studying presenteeism – working while ill – have designed a structured way for employees to consider if they should take time off work due to ill-health. While presenteeism can exacerbate illnesses and have a detrimental impact on productivity, if it is properly managed it can actually play a positive, therapeutic role in recovery and rehabilitation. The process to support employees in their decision-making has been created by Dr Zara Whysall, Associate Professor in Business Psychology at Nottingham Business School’s Department of Human Resource Management, postgraduate researcher Huijun (Regen) Chen, and Dr Maria Karanika-Murray, Associate Professor in Occupational Health Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, who are experts in organisational behaviour and workplace well-being. Dr Whysall said: “The shift to hybrid and virtual working places even greater onus on individual employees to make the right decisions when balancing health and performance demands, because they’re no longer surrounded by managers and colleagues who might pick up on issues and provide support and advice. “The most important thing which determines whether going to work while you’re unwell will be beneficial or detrimental to health is making right choice between sickness absence and presenteeism, considering the nature of the illness and your work demands. “In reality this decision process takes place subconsciously and very rapidly, so making ourselves aware of the possible steps may help us to reflect and become more deliberate in what we decide.” Here Dr Whysall and Dr Karanika-Murray explain the four-step process that employees can undertake:

1. Trigger – What has happened? How badly am I affected?

“People have different thresholds for when ill-health symptoms trigger deliberation over whether to work or take sick leave. For some individuals and some health conditions, the threshold for deliberation may be very low, whereas for others it may be high, and this is likely to be influenced by our emotional states, so this threshold may also change situationally, for instance when we’re experiencing stress,” says Dr Karanika-Murray. 2. Options – Ask yourself how can you adjust your tasks in terms of what, how, when and how much you do during the working day? What is possible and manageable without it being detrimental to your health? Dr Whysall explains: “Behavioural science has taught us that when we weigh up our options, we’re unlikely to do this in an entirely rational, objective way. Instead, the options that we consider to be open to us will be biased by various factors such as framing effects.  For example, in some organisations it depends on the company culture, how others behave and what leaders say and do. The consequences employees experience after they take sick leave may make employees feel that sickness absence isn’t an option for anything other than the most serious health conditions. In contrast, if a manager recently highlighted the importance of managing work-life balance, this may ‘prime’ sickness absence as a feasible option for a wider range of health issues.” 3. Evaluation – Once you’ve identified what you consider to be the possible options, move on to what’s desirable, both in relation to your own goals and the expectations of others.  What are the perceived benefits and risks, and what do you imagine are the potential consequences of your choice? Remember not to only prioritise work concerns such as whether your team will feel let down or if your boss won’t promote you. Instead, make sure you also consider related concerns, for example if you take the day off, will you get better faster? 4. Feedback – reflect on how well your decision served you; was this the right decision? Did it help you achieve your aims? Dr Karanika-Murray added: “Unfortunately it’s likely that we don’t do enough of this kind of reflection and continue to sacrifice our health for short-term gains such as meeting the latest deadline, not getting behind on our to-do list, and avoiding potential disapproval from our manager. But feedback, through reflection, is essential to help us adapt our behaviour and learn how to make decisions that work for us over the longer-term too.” Watch Dr Zara Whysall explain the research in this video.