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​Should you include a section on your CV for 'Hobbies and Interests'? And what should you do if you don't have any?There are mixed opinions on this subject, and not all recruiters agree that they are necessary, however hobbies and interests do inject an element of personality into your CV.Reasons to include themDemonstrate additional skillsHelp you stand outMake your CV more individualCreate talking points for interviewsIf cultural fit is a deciding factor for an employer, or if it's a close decision between two candidates, knowing more about your personality can make the difference.What NOT to includeHobbies and interests can be anything from sports, music and dance to art, blogging and reading, but they do need to be interesting. Saying that you 'enjoy socialising, reading and walking' or 'watching football and spending time with the family' are all fairly passive and things that most people like to do. 'Watching films and TV' can be made more interesting by expanding on the particular genre you enjoy, but it won't help to increase your employability. What interests should you include?Not everyone has Olympic medals or national awards they can shout about, but take some time to think more about the activities you do in your spare time and how they demonstrate skills that are either beneficial or transferable to the workplace. If you take part in a sport, are you part of a team that can show off teamwork or leadership skills? If you are training for something specific, outline your motivations and how dedicated you are to this. With any sport or activity, are you responsible for organising or helping to organise events? When new people join your sports club or team, have you helped to mentor or coach them?Volunteering is also great for demonstrating your skills in working as part of a team, problem-solving, time management and many more. Have you taken part in charity events? Helped out in a soup kitchen? Marshalled at your local parkrun? For school leavers and graduates, a 'Hobbies and Interest' section can really help to fill your CV where you have little work experience to talk about. Think about any extracurricular activities you took part in while studying, or any roles or responsibilities you had such as head boy/girl, committees you were on, clubs, etc..Final tipsThe above advice should give you some ideas to put together a short paragraph to close your CV on a high but, if you really can't think of anything or you're low on space, it's fine to leave it out.Don't lie as you're likely to get caught out in an interview!Always put hobbies and interest at the end of your CV, after detailing your professional skills and experience. If you would like some more in-depth advice or feedback about your CV, please feel free to contact us via info@morepeople.co.uk and any of our recruiters will be happy to help.

Over the summer, students across the UK put on their mortarboards and gowns to officially graduate after years of hard work. There’s no denying that your graduation day is a big one. An achievement that you’ve worked towards your whole life and a day of parents and loved ones looking at you with teary eyes and a fiercely proud look.Now that’s all over, the reality of finding a job should be starting to sink in. While there’s no harm in enjoying some relaxation time, now’s the time to step up the search to find work. A simple Google search of the sector you’re looking to work in will pull up numerous jobs ads, it’s important that you don’t just apply for anything and everything as it’s likely that this will be reflected in your lack of enthusiasm during the recruitment process.While you can’t be expected to be appointed chief executive of a national company straight away - or even any time in the near future - landing a job you love as a graduate is possible. You just need to know where to look and how to apply yourself. Here we suggest five ways to help you land your dream job.1. It all starts with a good CVIn the age of digital media and social networking, having a solid CV may seem like an old-fashioned concept, and a factor that is at the lower end of your priority list. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole recruitment process starts with an application and a submission of your CV, so if you don’t get it right it’s unlikely you’ll even be considered for a role.But what constitutes a good CV? This will vary depending on the industry and role but, nevertheless, there are some elements that ring true for most CVs. This includes keeping your CV concise by removing any information that is irrelevant. If a recruiter or employer picks up a lengthy CV that waffles on, they won’t bother reading it. Information you should include is key skills, education and previous experience. [Read top CV tips from our recruiters]2. Networking eventsThere are many professionals who have found jobs through people that they know because they have been recommended or mentioned. This is why it is important for graduates that are new to the industry to use any connections they have! However most graduates don't have this privilege, which is why networking is vital.Across the UK, there are thousands of events every year, specifically designed to help industry professionals meet others within the industry. As a graduate, this will be a great way to meet important people and gain crucial knowledge. Run a Google search for your target sector or have a browse through Eventbrite.3. Connect!A great way to gain visibility is to makes sure you are on social media and connected with companies, brands, recruiters and industry experts. Today, LinkedIn is a platform that acts a virtual CV, providing professional information on a person while helping them learn about what is happening in the industry.As well as calling candidates, recruiters use LinkedIn and other social media channels to gain information and contact individuals.4.Talk and listenDo you know anyone who currently works in the industry you’re hoping to break into? Or someone that could put you in contact with industry professionals? If so, get in touch with them for a chat about how they got into the sector, what skills are important, and how they would recommend you go about things.The more people you talk to, the better, as you’ll begin to form a more well-rounded vision of the industry you’re interested in.5. Ask for feedbackWhen it comes to interviews, the best way to improve if you don’t get the job is to learn from feedback - something that you may not receive if you don’t ask. Recruiters will give you feedback if you ask them, and may end up pointing out something that you weren’t even aware of before.Whatever the feedback, don’t let it discourage you and take it lightly - after all, the best way to learn is from your mistakes.If you're interested in pursuing a career in the Food, Fresh Produce, Horticulture, Agriculture or Garden & Leisure sectors but could do with a little advice, please do email us via info@morepeople.co.uk or call 01780 480530 to have a chat about your CV and career with one of our sector specialists.

​A few years ago – in addition to our Chairman who has been with us for a dozen or so years - MorePeople appointed a new non-exec director to work with the main board to help us achieve our ambitious plans.The value of a non-exec is something that plenty of businesses seem to understand and appreciate, but there are probably a lot of organisations out there who are either missing an opportunity or are stuck in the (eek) 'we’ve-just-always-done-it-this-way' camp.In this short article, MorePeople's Managing Director, Andrew Fitzmaurice, proffers five points (with a healthy dose of movie and TV references!) to think about when considering the impact of a non-exec:Far be it for me to tell you what your business needs – I’m yet to be offered a slot on Ted Talks to discuss the subject – but these are based on not only my own experiences working with our non-exec but also from the tidbits of info I have gleaned from talking to main boards all over the food, ag and hort sectors.1. Brief the non-exec on what you want from them. As with most things in life, you are going to get out what you put in. The idea that a non-exec will arrive and through the art of bonsai simply Mr Miyagi your business into good shape isn’t going to happen. As is the case in all appointments, the objectives, expectations and responsibilities need to be set out clearly otherwise people might end up talking at cross purposes or have no idea whether or not they are adding value.2. Hire the right culture. The person you are going to invite into your business (and board meetings) needs to fit the culture you have (or perhaps serve as an enabler towards the culture you are looking to create). ‘Hire for culture, train for skill’ as the saying goes. Hopefully the non-exec brings with them a truckload of skill but the all-important ‘fit’ shouldn’t be underestimated with a non-exec appointment. Mary Poppins seemed to be the mentor that the Banks’ residence needed but city banker Mr Banks was cut from a different cloth and those cultures clashed often (until he got fired, had a laugh and seemed to re-find his good spirit through the medium of kite flying – imagine that in the 2008 credit crunch!).3. Listen to them. Like bottles and straws (excluding McDonalds latest reformation) floating in the sea, the world seems littered with stories of non-execs who were, well, basically ignored. If you’re going to be paying someone what amounts to a few hundred pounds per hour then you might as well take note of what they’re saying. Their experience and guidance is what you need isn’t it? You don’t have to agree all the time but to simply not listen is surely to miss the point. Insert Mufasa and Simba stampede cautionary tale here.4. Give them time. Your business is undoubtedly complicated and unique (‘we are all unique’ I hear you chant together) and you’ve probably been working there a while and you work on the main board after all so you understand it well. If perhaps you have hired someone from outside the sector – often this is a good idea since they’ll bring challenging new ideas to the table – you need to remember that it is going to take a while to get to know you, understand the sector, and then develop their ideas on what your business needs. It took the improbably-named (and worst on-screen Egyptian of all time) Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez quite a while to make a difference to Connor MacLeod’s swordsmanship to guarantee that he didn’t lose his head.5. Don’t expect the earth. Oftentimes you will find that the advice from a non-exec is to keep doing what you’re doing. I find that, whilst our non-exec is incredibly useful as a mentor and business guide, we often agree on things and we do, for the most part, need to keep doing what we are doing. Cynics will, at this point, roll out the consultant cliché; ‘Consultants borrow your watch to tell you the time and then charge you for it’, but I don’t see it that way. Don’t get me wrong, he frequently challenges us often and holds us to account on the things we need to get done to move our business forwards too but to hear that we are on the right tracks can be just as valuable. Either way I massively appreciate the presence and guidance of our non-exec.Business can be guilty of believing their own rhetoric, doing the same things over and over or wildly changing direction in the hope of finding a magic recipe. Remember, no amount of putting advice from Chubbs was ever going to make Happy….well….er….. happy.To talk to us about non-exec appointments or perhaps you are interested in becoming a non-exec, please contact Andy or Guy at MorePeople 01780 480530 andrew@morepeople.co.uk or guy@morepeople.co.uk.

​There are many different interview types and styles used by hiring managers these days, from informal chats to formal assessment centres, so it’s hard to prepare yourself for all possibilities. One type of interview that is very common, however, is the competency-based interview. Typically the interviewer will ask each candidate the same set of questions to make the job application process as objective as possible. Questions are derived from a competency framework made up of skills that are required to do the job, for example problem-solving or decision-making. Questions generally start by asking you to “Tell me about a time when...” This sounds simple at first but, under the stress of an interview situation, it can be difficult to structure an answer properly to ensure that you include all of the key points and enough detail. We recommend approaching this type of question by using the STAR acronym to structure your answer. What is STAR? SITUATION – Set the context for your example. Where were you? Who else was involved? What was at stake? TASK – Explain what was required of you. What was your responsibility in the scenario? Name others involved and their role in relation to you. ACTIVITY – Outline what you actually did, particularly if you went above and beyond your area of responsibility. What did you come up against? What were the challenges? How did you approach the problem? Be specific in your examples to give the story more credibility. RESULT – Share the successful outcome. How did your input help? What did you learn? What were you most proud of? What challenges did you overcome? Make sure you end on a positive note. Interview preparation If you spend some time before the interview thinking of possible competency-based questions and planning your structured answers, it will help you to articulate it more naturally in the actual interview. Google will give you lots of examples but here are a few to start with: “Tell me about a challenge you faced in the workplace and how you overcame it.” “Give me an example of a time you handled conflict in the workplace.” “Tell me about a time your communication skills improved a situation.” “Give me an example of a change you have experienced in the workplace and how you handled it.” “Tell me about a time that you solved a problem to a tight timescale.” Part of the service we provide our candidates with is to find out what interview style the client will be using so that we can guide you on what to expect and help you with your interview preparation. View our current list of vacancies or get in touch on 01780 480530.

​To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re looking at wellbeing in the workplace and what employers are doing, or not doing, to support their staff. Awareness of mental health issues has massively increased in recent years, but is it now being treated with the same importance as physical health? A recent poll conducted by Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) and Bauer Media Group revealed that only 14% of workers said they would be comfortable discussing mental health worries at work, compared with 42% who felt able to talk about physical conditions. After the ‘Thriving at Work’ report commissioned by the Government concluded that the UK faces a significant mental health challenge at work, a survey of employers carried out by the Buck consultancy revealed that only 26% of UK businesses have wellbeing programmes. Internationally, the average is 42% of businesses. In the same survey, 97% of respondents recognised that wellbeing programmes could help employees to manage stress, anxiety, depression or work-life balance issues, suggesting that there is the need to convert some of this awareness into action. A Harvard Medical School study, however, questioned the effectiveness of wellbeing programmes, with findings that showed no detectable effects on economic measures such as the number of employee sick days. This study looked at fairly short-term impact whereas it could be argued that employee wellbeing is part of an organisation’s much longer-term strategy and culture. CIPD research conducted in May 2018 demonstrated that organisations with a wellbeing strategy did have a lower sickness absence, a better culture around health and wellbeing and generally a more inclusive culture. This report stresses the importance of addressing wellness at an organisational level, rather than just creating solutions for individuals. “If you give employees sushi at lunchtime, or a track to go running, a bit of online stress management, but then send them back into an organisation where the approach is command and control and leaders manage by fault-finding rather than reward and praise, the interventions just will not work.” CIPD president Professor Sir Cary Cooper. Comparing all of these findings, it seems to depend on the approach to wellness programmes offered by employers, an opinion that is summed up effectively in a 2018 report from The British Safety Council entitled ‘Not Just Free Fruit: Wellbeing at Work’. This report states that while there is clear evidence of a link between wellbeing and productivity, there is a general lack of knowledge of the most effective ways to improve employee wellbeing. With an increasing number of companies offering paid-for wellbeing programme options but, with no real guidelines available on workplace wellbeing, you can understand why employers are unsure about where to start. As with any initiative, the purpose needs to be clearly defined first, whether it’s reduced sickness absence, improved productivity or better resilience. It’s also key that there is commitment from senior management to engage with and promote wellbeing, otherwise the impact is likely to be limited. Creating a healthier workplace with open dialogue about stress and wellbeing can only be a positive move and one that doesn’t have to involve a large investment. Does your organisation have an employee wellbeing strategy? We’d love to hear what some of our clients are doing.

​MorePeople's CEO, Guy Moreton, was interviewed recently by Garden Centre Retail magazine about recruitment processes and practices within the garden centre industry: What does the state of the recruitment market in the UK’s garden centre sector look like? In our experience the garden centre sector is a difficult one to recruit for, largely because there are just not enough people currently working in horticulture/garden & leisure, and certainly not enough being attracted to start a career in the industry. Compared to other graduate careers, salaries are traditionally quite low, which makes it very difficult to entice candidates of the right calibre. That said, there has been a lot of consolidation recently in the market, which is having a positive impact on recruitment. Larger garden centres or garden centre groups tend to have more to offer in terms of career opportunities, progression, training and development, hence their retention rate tends to be better. Looking wider at the retail sector in general, there has been a huge amount of change over recent years, particularly in terms of the sustainability of the high street. Garden centres are managing to buck this trend by adapting their offering to include more food and leisure facilities that add to visitor appeal. Do garden centres recruit well? Generally speaking, the standard of recruitment in garden centres is not as good as the other sectors we work in, namely fresh produce, agriculture and food manufacturing. We appreciate that recruitment is difficult for some of the smaller garden centres who perhaps don’t have dedicated HR people. Attracting the right calibre of person, or even knowing what the right type of person for their business is, can be a huge challenge. This is where using a specialist recruiter is very effective as we can help the centre to present a more professional image and widen the reach for attracting possible candidates. What processes would you recommend? Obviously we would say this, but garden centres would benefit hugely from utilising the services of an expert for their recruitment. We have two dedicated recruitment consultants for the garden industry, plus a wealth of knowledge from having worked in the garden sector in a previous life, so we will have access to a lot more people than they would themselves. On a more basic level, garden centres often rely on local advertising for their recruitment, which not only limits their reach but also means that applicants are likely to be customers, making a professional recruitment process even more important. In our experience, garden centres only acknowledge shortlisted applicants, which risks them losing customers and is a missed marketing opportunity! What does MorePeople offer to the UK’s garden centres? As the market leader in garden centre recruitment, we offer real expertise in the sector and over 18 years of experience. We are experts in recruitment with a proven track record in helping garden centres to attract better candidates than could be found through in-house recruitment. We thoroughly pre-interview candidates to make sure they are good fit for the company before putting them forward for a role, taking the time and hassle out of the process for businesses. In your opinion, how will the garden centre recruitment market be affected by Brexit? Brexit is just adding to the feeling of uncertainty for all types of retail, including garden centres, so there is a general air of caution around recruitment as we await an outcome to negotiations. A larger concern for garden businesses is how they will manage product imports after Brexit, which will impact on both budgets and staff requirements. Many plants, in particular house plants, are currently imported from Europe and not subjected to any border controls. A ‘no deal’ scenario would certainly see additional requirements for importing plants, including the need to apply for a Phytosanitary Certificate. What can garden centres do to make working in this sector a viable career path? Garden centres need to offer better packages to attract fresh talent to the industry. I’m not solely referring to salary here, but also to better opportunities for training and progression and other elements that help to create job satisfaction. As more garden centres are consolidated into bigger groups, there tend to be more opportunities for the people who work there, so we feel this is a positive change for the industry. Click here to see the current garden centre vacancies that we are recruiting for