​We are excited to announce that Meridian Business Support has been awarded a Best Companies 3-star rating – the highest accolade Best Companies offers! After receiving the 2-star accreditation in 2021, our teams have been working even harder together to ensure we have an inclusive and open culture that enables people to thrive and enjoy coming to work. As a result of their brilliance, Meridian has now joined this exclusive list of 3-star rated businesses across the UK. Meridian’s CEO, Derek Skelton commented:“I am always proud of the Meridian family and this rating is testament to determination of each one of them to live and breathe our values, delivering best in class service to our customers. Meridian’s culture is one of the best out there and it is fantastic to have this recognised by Best Companies and join the 3-star elite.”Meridian will soon be able to share our UK wide ranking within the recruitment sector and we are excited to see the business continue to go from strength to strength. ​https://www.b.co.uk/companies/meridian-business-support

​This week marked the start of stress awareness month, a month based around lessening the effects of stress and discovering their causes so issues can be tackled head-on. Stress can be experienced in many different ways, it can help to motivate us to achieve things in our daily life, but too much stress can affect our mood and cause us to feel anxious.Research shows that 74% of the UK felt overwhelmed or unable to cope at some point over the last year following the impact of the pandemic, changes in the ways of working, and the uncertainty of the job market during this period. Although restrictions have now lifted and life is seemingly heading back to some level of normality, the impact of such stresses can be long-lasting. Stress Awareness Month aims to help people pick up on what makes them stressed and address issues head-on before they affect day-to-day life, and now post-pandemic aims to help people feel a sense of normality in the workplace. Stress presents itself in many ways, therefore needs to be dealt with through different means. Throughout this month, we will be looking at the ways in which stress can be reduced in the workplace. We have listed some ways to face stressful situations, whether they be physical such as going for a walk, doing some exercise, or getting a break away from your computer or phone, or mental, such as talking to a friend or colleague about worries you may have, or making sure you have a clear workspace to focus on your tasks for the day.​Here are some tips to help reduce the feelings of stress to get you through a stressful day:Get outdoors for a walk - Fresh air and exercise are both ways of winding down and helping to relieve stress.Take a break! - Getting away from your screen for a short break can help massively. Grab a cuppa with a friend or colleague and take 5 minutes to switch off!Get some exercise - Exercise releases endorphins in the brain to make handling stress that little bit easier.Listen to your favourite music - Make a playlist of your favourite songs and take some time to switch off and relax.Make a list of priorities for the day - tick off each point on the list as they're completed to keep track of what you've achieved throughout the day.Clear space, clear mind - Remove any distractions you may have by having a spring clean. This could be your workspace, one room, or your whole house!Lessen your screen time - Sometimes our phones can be the biggest distraction day-to-day. Try to take some time away from the screen for a little while each day.Talk to a friend or colleague if something is worrying you. Always talk to someone if you’re feeling stressed or anxious and get things off your chest. A problem shared is a problem halved.Set yourself a challenge - focus on something completely new, such as taking up a new hobby or sport to keep your mind active.We are very fortunate at Meridian to have a very supportive team across all of our branches. If you ever find yourself struggling, please reach out to someone you trust, there will always be someone to help. There are also many online resources available such as MIND, MentalHealth.org, and ReThink.https://www.mind.org.uk/https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/living-with-mental-illness/wellbeing-physical-health/stress-how-to-cope/https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/getting-help

​Saturday 5th March marked the day of our annual Meridian Conference & Awards at the beautiful Carden Park Hotel, sponsored by The Access Group, Brabners, Corinthian, Exchequer Solutions, FluidOne, Gallagher, Altodigital, Aziz Coach Service, Veritas, and W Denis. Each year Meridian brings together the team from across the country to celebrate their hard work and incredible achievements throughout the year including a number of new awards this year following a record year of achievements in 2021.Following an introduction from Meridian CEO, Derek Skelton we had an update on the past 12 months and what an amazing year it was for Meridian, including 33 promotions across the business and an incredible number of job roles being filled. We were delighted to see many awards being presented during our day event including our graduation and financial awards and long service awards; Student of the Year – Charlotte McMeechanCommunity Champion – Samantha BealeLargest Perm Fee – Fred EwingQuality Award for Compliance – Trafford ParkOutstanding Team Contribution – NRCUnsung Hero of the Year – Cathy KendrickMost Improved Branch of the Year – Glasgow Long Service Award - 5 yearsJanet CalthorpeOlivia BodleyLouise KetteringhamDeimante LekuteGemma LakinPaula DragonskaAdam TemmeNicola ThomasSteph SopjesDerek SkeltonAdrian SafferyGary CallowStephen PearsonAnd many more awards, presented by Head of Learning and Development, Jamie Abbott and honorary ‘Professor’ for the day, Derek Skelton. We were delighted to be joined by guest speaker, Roz Savage, the first woman to row solo across the worlds ‘Big 3’ Oceans – The Atlantic, Pacific & Indian Oceans, rowing over 15,000 miles, around 5million oar strokes and spending over 500 days at sea in a rowboat, with injuries along the way, and most disastrously – a broken stereo! Roz is now the holder of 4 Guinness World Records and an MBE for services to fundraising and the environment. Roz addressed the Meridian team on the importance of resilience and perseverance through difficulties, this was proven by 4 members of our team joining Roz on stage ‘rowing’ a mile whilst being splashed by ‘waves’ along the way. One way of getting through the struggles was to ‘begin with the end in mind – your funeral’ and not leave behind any regrets. Roz profoundly stated ‘I want to look back and know I did my best and tried my hardest. I realised I wanted to leave a legacy’ a statement to live by!Following a catch-up at the bar with colleagues and friends from branches across the country, our evening event commenced, with everyone dressed to the nines and celebrating our colleagues once more presented by our esteemed host, Rob Latimer. We presented many of our incredible team members with awards during the evening;Best Newcomer – Carmel BardsleyBest Client Facing Customer Experience – Rebecca AmesBest Candidate Facing Customer Experience – Karen BrownBest Internal Customer Experience – Alan OrmesherSupport Services Department of the Year – Credit ControlManager of the Year – Clariss SkeltonKey Account Manager of the Year – Rob RichardsOnsite Biller of the Year – Danielle AveryTemp Biller of the Year – Colette SmithPerm Biller of the Year – Fred EwingBranch of the Year – Wakefield Next A-Z Branch of the Year – ExeterOnsite of the Year – HelloFreshMeridian Ambassador Awards – Lana Bennett & Danny HardingChief Executives Award – Steph SopjesLong Service Award - 10 YearsPiotr NaroznyNatalie LomaxFrancesca WoodsfordLong Service Award - 20 yearsTom AndrewsCathy KendrickAnton GleaveCath HaslamSteve PittWe also had a special award to present at the end of what was an amazing evening of celebration addition to the Meridian Hall of Fame this year. The Hall of Fame welcomes people who contribute to the foundations of Meridian and uphold our company values, and this year's recipient was our Financial Director, Jeanette Barrowcliffe.The day concluded with dinner and dancing following an exceptional day and a raffle to raise money in aid of Leonard Cheshire. Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to our sponsors, the AV team, the organisation team and the Carden Park staff for helping us to celebrate in style!

I’m Tom and I have recently started as Labour Co-Ordinator for the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands, and I’m based on the Mechanical and Engineering team at our Manchester Head Office. A large part of my job is to fill vacancies for clients that need plumbers, electricians, and pipe fitters onsite. I also keep my team informed of who is becoming available and who is currently onsite. Prior to working at Meridian, I went straight from school to playing football full time for Altrincham until I had a knee injury that led me to getting an actual job. From there, I worked as a sales executive before deciding to travel around Europe. I spent two months back home in Avellino, Italy where most of my family are from and after that I travelled around lots of different places including Santorini and Iceland.Shortly after starting at Meridian, I took part in several induction sessions with Head of Learning & Development, Jamie Abbot, where we were also joined by our CEO, Derek Skelton. I have learnt a lot from the sessions with Jamie, and the most important point I have taken away is how much Meridian look after you and they will always be willing to put you through more training if you ever wanted to. The attraction to recruitment came from a financial perspective - money is a key thing for me. If you put hard work in and maintain good relationships, you can make a good career, and earn quite a lot of money! Plus, working for a large company like Meridian can help me to spread my name across the industry. However, my main reason for wanting to work at Meridian was to learn about recruitment, build good relationships with people in the office and to just enjoy being back in work again.​To see how Tom can help you with your next position, contact him at tom.bagnara@meridianbs.co.uk or call 0161 929 3860

​●       The award recognises Meridian Business Support for the way they support small suppliers by paying at least 95 per cent of their invoices on time and within 30 days or less, consistently over the last 12 months.In a great start to the year, Meridian Business Support has been awarded the Good Business Pays ‘Fast Payer Award’, which recognises large companies that have demonstrated excellent payment practice to their suppliers over the past year. Meridian Business Support is an award-winning recruitment agency that operates in multiple specialist markets throughout the UK. We specialise in temporary, permanent and contract recruitment across four key sectors, Built Environment, Health, Office & Professional and Industrial.Analysis of the latest information submitted under the Duty to Report Regulation, shows that Meridian Business Support joins the likes of United Utilities Water, Aviva and Severn Trent Water who were the first to receive the award in October 2021 in paying invoices within a fast timescale.The Good Business Pays ‘Fast Payer Award’ was established in 2021 to recognise businesses that pay at least 95% of their invoices on time and within 30 days or less - in line with the government’s guidelines in the Prompt Payment Code - consistently over the last 12 months. Jeanette Barrowcliffe, Finance Director at Meridian Business Support, commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded the ‘Fast Payer Award’ from Good Business Pays. This is a huge compliment to the Finance team at Meridian Business Support, who are making sure payments are made on time, ensuring our suppliers are looked after. They are a credit to the company.” The Good Business Pays campaign is calling on business leaders to speed up their payments and re-evaluate their standard terms to ensure smaller suppliers are paid when they need it the most. Terry Corby, Chair of the Good Business Pays campaign commented: “I’m delighted to be awarding Meridian Business Support with the Good Business Pays Fast Payer award. The award recognises the big businesses that are supporting their small suppliers by making responsible payment practises a business priority.“Unfortunately, there is still a way to go to make faster payments standard practice. We’d like business leaders to take note and start making changes to their payment practises by complying with the Prompt Payment Code, created to help protect small businesses. Paying invoices faster has never been easier with technology enabled systems available, so there really is no excuse.”Backed by Federation of Small Businesses, the CBI, manufacturers group Make UK, the BCC, IoD and the Creative Industries Federation, the Good Business Pays movement was launched in May 2021 to encourage the UK's largest companies to fast-track payments to small suppliers, helping them bounce back and inject vital capital into the economy.A study carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) in 2021 estimated that if small businesses invoices were paid on the day they were submitted, their revenues would increase by over £40bn per year. This could provide a significant income boost for small businesses, helping them play a stronger role in the UK’s economic recovery. To find out more about the Good Business Pays principles, pledge support for the campaign and explore the CEBR study, visit goodbusinesspays.com.​

Well, what a week it’s been! I’m Sophie and I am delighted to have been welcomed with open arms into the team at Meridian Business Support. I am already thrilled to be here as Content Marketing Executive within the Marketing Team.Having only graduated from Liverpool Hope University in 2019, I am still very new to the working world in my eyes, with a couple of ‘grown up’ jobs under my belt up to now. However, starting at Meridian has opened my eyes to a brand-new sector that I am super excited to learn more about.Meridian Business Support is one of the largest privately owned, multi-sector recruitment companies in the UK, celebrating 30 successful years in the recruitment industry, with extensive network of branches provides over 4,000 temporary staff on a weekly basis and places over 1200 permanent candidates each year and around 210 in-house staff.This week I was introduced to a small number of the team based at head office in Manchester – due to the sheer delight of Covid restrictions, sadly not many of us are in at the moment – however, the team that I have met so far have been super welcoming and I am so thrilled to be working alongside such a positive group of people - very much matching my loud, chatty personality (and ability to get a conversation out of a brick wall!)Meridian has a structure of induction sessions in place for all new employees, I joined the ‘Welcome to Meridian’ session, which involved an introduction from all the new staff, including myself and 11 new members of the branches from across the UK, all the way up to Meridian Business Support CEO, Derek Skelton & Head of Learning and Development, Jamie Abbott. Just getting the hear the genuine enthusiasm coming from the long-standing members of staff and new members was so inspiring to be a part of. Meridian very much keep their staff at the heart of the business and in doing so, retain staff for great lengths of time, as I have seen with people receiving their Long Service Awards - very telling of how much people love working at Meridian! It only takes a scroll through the company Instagram, Meridian Life to show you the support shown to the staff and from the staff in raising money for charity, the celebration of key events in the lives of staff members and the great fun that the team at Meridian Business Support across the UK get to enjoy. All this fun, whilst working hard and providing staff to companies across the UK in need of roles filling in industrial, health, office & professional and so many more roles.Our second session involved a much more detailed introduction to Meridian’s products and services with so many positive notes to pick up on about how the company runs across each of its sectors and how each individual team works to fill the job roles for our clients. With the recruitment sector being worth around £42.3bn, getting the best staff for our clients is key, with over 85 nationalities currently represented within Meridians external staff, but finding internal staff who work well together and enjoy their jobs, also a key aim for Meridian.My time here has only just begun, and I am SO excited for what the future brings for me here at Meridian Business Support. Now onto a few weeks of getting involved in the final planning for the annual MBS conference and another step up in my marketing career.

​Temporary working and short-term contracts have a lot going for them and may be the right solutions for many workers. Choosing temp work can be a lifestyle choice that enhances your work-life balance if you do it right. That said, temporary working isn’t always an option at all, and for others, it only makes sense in the short-term. The important thing is to consider whether this is an option that works for you.​Temporary working is a permanent choice for many businesses and workers.What we mean by that is the requirements of the working world have changed for many businesses. It is not uncommon for a company to work with temp working as a permanent operational choice. Project work and the rise of the ‘gig economy’ approach means employers sometimes simply do not need the traditional 9 – 5 workforces anymore. As a result, there are some excellent job opportunities available. Temp working is about your lifestyle as much as the available work. Work-life balance matters because it is important for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Temping puts you in control of where and when you work—assuming that the work is available where and when you want it, of course. Undoubtedly, the biggest worry people have around temping is the concern of the available roles suddenly drying up. Yes, that is possible, and it has happened before, but right now, the opposite is very much the case. If you are thinking of temp work, then the first thing to do is speak to your recruiter about what is available around the hours and jobs you want to work in. It gives you time back. Many people choose the temporary option if they are in a situation where working the usual hours is difficult or not possible for them. Caring for others or childcare requirements are two very good reasons for wanting a job that supports your other commitments. For some, though, it is simply that they want to focus on other aspects of their life such as building a new business, travelling, charitable work or just less stress so you can spend more time with the family, relax more and take the dog for a walk. Temporary jobs pay more over the short term. We need to be very clear about what this means, though. While it is true that some temp roles pay more per hour than permanent roles, there is a downside. In the run up to Christmas, for example, you may be able to build up cash very quickly by temping, but the time you can do that for will be limited. If you have periods of not working, the overall pay for a permanent worker soon catches up. Temping could allow you to decide on your actual career. If you are unsure of where your career path is heading, temping offers the opportunity to experience different jobs and work environments. It isn’t unusual for people to temp until they find something they are really interested in. It could ease you back into the workplace if you have been away for a while. If you are returning after a period of illness, giving time to childcare or any other reason, and you want to ease yourself back into the workplace, temping is a great option. So, there are a lot of benefits to not having a permanent contract. The freedom it offers alone makes it worth considering. As we said at the start, though, it isn’t for everyone. Permanent may well be less exciting and less flexible, but it does have security and consistency. The guaranteed pay packet at the end of the month and the long-term job are not things to be discarded lightly, particularly if you have a partner and children to consider. There is also the long-term advancement and training that often comes with permanent working to throw into the mix. In the end, the decision to become a temporary or permanent worker is about how it fits with your lifestyle and budget as much as it is about the available work.

​If you have been trying to get new people on your team recently, you may have found it slightly more difficult than usual. The current employment landscape is not quite as easy to navigate as it was in the past. It’s no wonder then the most common questions we are being asked right now are around how to attract and hire the right people in a skills and candidate shortage. The good news is that not only is it possible to attract the right people, but a few small changes in approach can make a big difference. Keep in mind that if you have a fair offer, money isn’t the only motivator. The first instinct in a skills shortage is often to increase the salary offer, but a huge pay hike may not be necessary if the job itself is appealing. That said, there is a noticeable rise in salary levels for skilled workers and in shortage areas, so it may well be a good time to do a review of your offer. We are happy to help with this if you need our input. Your employer brand really matters to candidates. One of the reasons for the first point about salary is that there are so many other motivators in the mix. Your employer brand is the shop window for your business. In a reduced candidate pool, it’s not just about attracting the right people, your brand also needs to encourage them to connect with you. Look to employ to train where possible. One option to increase your potential pool is to widen your search criteria. We have seen some very successful hires where employers have accommodated the idea of training someone into the role rather than demanding full experience. Of course, this may not always be an option in very specialist jobs, but where it is possible, it can open up new possibilities. Make the offer quickly, then follow up as soon as possible. If you need that great candidate, then other potential employers will also be looking. Once you see the person you want to hire, we suggest you make the offer right away. Hesitating could result in the candidate being snapped up or receiving a counteroffer from their current employer. Once the offer is made, it’s important to keep in touch before the start date to help offset any counter offers. Make the most of your recruitment partner. Talk to us about what you need, and let’s look at options together. With our combined experience, we will be able to work together to make sure you are reaching the right people. Building a development pipe of internal growth will help future proof your key areas. The skills shortage isn’t likely to go away quickly. One option is to build an internal development pipe and employ further down the experience chain to grow people into roles. Having a clear and appropriate development policy will also help attract new talent at all levels. It may take a while to fully develop, but this way, you have a pool of skills rich internal options for new roles. Think benefits, bonuses, and perks. Candidates are often swayed by ‘fringe’ motivations as much as they are by salary. Simple things like gym memberships, a parking space, the option to work from home as well as health plans and similar can mean a great deal to employees. Most importantly, though, they can be the deciding factor when weighing similar offers. If you want to future proof, then remember that Gen Z are not the same as Millennials. They are digitally native, flexible in their approach to the notions of ‘the workplace’ and invested in the ethos and brand of their employers. According to research by the Carson College of Business in the US, Gen Z workers are likely to be worried about their career and have a high level of drive to succeed. It would be wrong to mistake this as a success at all costs approach, though. 75% of Gen Z respondents said they look for an employer to prioritise work/life balance and almost as many felt it was important that the employers’ values matched their own. In terms of defining traits, though, it is the importance of inclusivity, diversity and positive impact that strikes you as high on the Gen Z agenda with the latter being important to over 80%. If employers want to attract and keep a new generation of skilled workers, then clearly, they need to encourage an inclusive workplace, display their business values and be prepared to allocate time to development. Small changes like these will pay off in increased applications and help offset the skills shortage problem. Despite what some of the doom and gloom merchants are saying, there are available candidates. To attract them, you need to have a good recruitment partner and reach out to them in the right way. 

​Let’s start with a clear statement about the employment market as it stands. As a candidate either actively looking for a new role, or perhaps one who is just considering the possibility of a change, you are currently in a very strong position. There are a lot of jobs available, and in many cases, the candidate pool for those positions is smaller than it has been in recent times. That means employers will be a little more competitive when it comes to attracting the right people. As a result, you will probably notice an increase in the potential salary and benefits for roles you are interested in. All of which sounds like good news for candidates, and it is. If you are considering a move, then the chances are, now is a great time to look.Here are a few things to think about:Look at your career, not just the money on the table. Be very careful of making salary the only motivator for your search. Money, as they say, isn’t everything, and that can be particularly true when it comes to moving to a new role. You should look for a pay rise if one is on the table but keep perspective. A few pounds a month is no compensation for a poor career move or missing a long-term opportunity.Think about that skills gap, not the candidate shortage. Skills are always in demand, but the number of available jobs changes. A good career move is about long-term gain, so we will always suggest thinking about what skills or experience the role will give you and how that relates to where you want to be in years to come. With a shortage of candidates, employers may well be more open to training you and upskilling.Take the guesswork out of it all and get a good recruitment partner. Talk to us about where you want to go and what you want out of your career. The more we understand what you want out of your next job, the better we can find the perfect position for you.Look for the opportunity to move up. One of the effects of a candidate shortage is that employers can be more open to moving people into a more senior role. Now may be the right time to think about progression.Take your time and lose the FOMO. It can feel like there are jobs everywhere and hundreds of great opportunities that you should grab, but don’t let the Fear of Missing Out rush you into a decision. Instead, let’s sit down and refine what will be the best for you. Ignore the noise and make the right choices.Once you have made the decision, stick with it. Be very careful about accepting counteroffers from your current employer. Statistically, it is very unlikely that you will end up staying with them anyway, and all the reasons you wanted to move on are not going to go away because you suddenly earn a little bit more. Finally, just a reminder to keep your perspective. Despite the candidate shortage, no employer is going to take someone who is totally unsuitable for the job. So, take some advice on what is and isn’t practical. Probably the biggest advantage of a favourable market for candidates is that you may have the opportunity to work with the employers you really want to work with on more favourable terms than you could previously have hoped for. If that is what you want (and why wouldn’t it be?), then make that your goal. Keep a clear head about where you want to go and aim to go there. The next offer may seem nice, but it won’t be as satisfying as getting that job you always wanted.Contact your nearest Meridian branch and let’s chat about how we can help you cut through all the noise and find the right track. 

​Burnout is a problem that affects all types of people in all types of organisations, and it can sometimes be hard for employers to spot the early warning signs. Sadly, this means sometimes it can progress to the point where it seriously starts to affect a person’s motivation, productivity, and sense of self-satisfaction.In addition, the darker nights drawing in can increase instances of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which can exacerbate any problems with stress and burnout by causing depression, lack of energy, loss of concentration, loss of appetite, and feelings of being under a black cloud. Causes of burnout at work could be due to many reasons, such as lack of control over factors that affect the job, dysfunctional workplace dynamics, unrealistic job expectations, lack of support, work-life imbalance, and many other factors.According to the WHO, when burnout is left untreated, it can lead to serious physical and psychological illnesses such as depression, heart disease and diabetes. In this blog, we look at ways to spot the tell-tale signs, protect your employees and keep your business running smoothly. ExhaustionAn overload of stress at work can cause problems with relaxing at the end of the day and trouble sleeping, which leads to constant fatigue. If your employees seem overly tired or are complaining about not getting enough sleep, this could be a warning sign. IrritabilityHave you noticed someone suddenly struggling to get along with everyone and being irritable? This could be a sign the person is under a lot of pressure and may need some reassurance or help with their workload. Irritability can leave people feeling ineffective and unimportant. MistakesOne of the signs of burnout is an inability to concentrate and remember things, ultimately leading to mistakes being made. You can help staff by being supportive and giving them space to talk about which aspects of their job are overwhelming them. Perhaps some of these can be delegated or made easier? Reassure them that they are not at risk of losing their job and that you just want to help. DepressionBurnout can frequently lead to depression, which can manifest itself as a drop in confidence, acting withdrawn and worrying about workload and deadlines. Encourage employees to talk about how they are feeling in a safe, non-judgemental environment. SicknessWhen people are stressed, they are much more vulnerable to colds and viruses. Have you noticed staff taking more time off sick recently? Perhaps it’s time to dig a little deeper and see if there is more to it than meets the eye.​Cynical and negative outlookAre there signs of a negative outlook and cynicism in the workplace? This can also be a sign of burnout. Cynicism also affects trust and loyalty in co-workers or management and can lead to low productivity. Make sure you have transparent processes and that employees know you are there if they need to talk. Perhaps try changing their routine to see if this helps them feel enthusiastic again. Re-engaging burnt-out employees isn’t easy and can take weeks or months of work on both sides to find the best solution for everyone. Managers need to be aware of their own role in creating workplace stress so it can be addressed and prevented from happening again in the future. It’s important to keep talking to employees individually about how they feel mentally as well as professionally. Make sure you listen properly to their concerns and don’t dismiss them or give negative feedback, and it’s vital not to apportion blame. Ultimately, it’s important to find a solution that works for both the employee and the company to keep everyone performing at their best and promote a happy and healthy workplace. Is a lack of resource causing high workloads in your organisation? Contact your local Meridian branch for advice on how we can support you find your new hire.