The government has opted to act upon the findings of the Taylor Review of unsecured work. It could mean a cultural change in the way businesses engage with employees. It is also likely to transform the way organisations approach recruitment in the modern age. But will it mean the end to the gig economy?

Also, as one UK firm wins accolades for its recruitment across social media, eBoss looks at how agencies keep a competitive edge.

Pledge for Workers’ Rights in light of Taylor Review

The Uk government has moved to enforce the rights of thousands of unsecured workers working in the gig economy.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said that the government wished to “embrace new ways of working”, but that they would also “be enforcing the rights that people have and are entitled to”.

The move comes in the light of the Taylor Review into the rights of unsecured workers, published in the second half of 2017.

The announcement this week focused on several of the report’s key findings. Those include:

The entitlement to sick pay and annual leave.

The right to request a more secure contractual arrangement;

The prospect of higher minimum hourly wages for workers engaged on a so-called “zero-hours contract.

The author of the original review, Matthew Taylor described the proposals as “substantive”. However, Frances O’Grady, the General Secretary of the Trades Union Council (TUC), responded that the plan would “leave 1.8 million workers excluded from key protections.”

PageGroup wins with LinkedIn: but how can you replicate their success?

LinkedIn remains the most popular social media platform for recruitment agencies looking for top talent. So the title of Most Socially Engaged Recruitment Agency on the network must surely be a fiercely-contended title.

We should, then, all congratulate PageGroup who are – according to LinkedIn themselves – the most engaging recruiters on the platform for the last twelve months.

The accolade recognises the Weybridge-based firm for its multi-faceted approach to social media recruitment. LinkedIn were impressed by PageGroup’s reach, content, and engagement across their platform.

Marketing Director of PageGroup, Eamon Collins said the award “reflects the commitment by everyone at PageGroup to continually strengthen relationships with our customers – whether clients or candidates.”

Melissa Furze, the Senior Insights Manager at LinkedIn, said: “UK recruitment agencies are leading the way when it comes to social engagement.”

Making an impact on social networks

While PageGroup won with a multi-dimensional campaign, you don’t need extensive resources to score a win on LinkedIn. Eboss can demonstrate our own advanced features. The service pack includes a sophisticated LinkedIn Search function, which improves both the results – and the return on investment – of the built-in recruiter function on the site.

Social media is an important part of a modern recruiter’s repertoire. Choosing a recruitment software with LinkedIn integration can help you to compete with the top players, on an even footing.

REC Report outlines skills shortage

We saw last week how recruitment trends were moving towards permanent placements. This week, data released by IHS Markit and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) have found the picture reflected in recruitment agency trends.

The Report On Jobs found a significant spike in permanent placements among agency recruiters in January. The increase represents a 33-month high.

Meanwhile, the number of temporary and contract workers placed in the same period fell to a ten-month low. REC CEO Kevin Green said that the UK was “plagued” by a shortage of skills and labour. He called on a sensible approach to controlled immigration, to lessen the impact on hospitality and nursing. He also recommended expanding the Apprenticeship levy to encompass a broader “training levy” for young professionals.