Franchising - a look at candidate quality

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Category: Blog

Published on Tuesday, 10 April 2018 13:31

Written by Mike Reynolds

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How do we solve the NHS skills crisis?

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Category: Blog

Published on Thursday, 08 March 2018 14:25

Written by Mike Reynolds

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Recruitment Agency Now recently spoke to Purity Kirigo from Match Options about the NHS skills crisis, and what steps are needing to be taken to help ease the problems. Match Options are healthcare recruitment specialists.

Recruitment is a challenge in any industry, however the highly regulated healthcare sector is tougher than most.

Not only do employers have to fight against an acute skills shortage and an ageing population, but it is the only sector where the stakes are so high that organisations cannot take any chances with candidates who do not have the exact requisite skill set.

The acute shortage of qualified health staff across the board in the UK means that organisations need help finding quality staff. The demand for qualified doctors and nurses has never been so high, both in the NHS and private care sector. Many are worried that the lack of qualified staff is undermining the quality of everything from community practice to intensive care nursing. But what can we do to try and ease this burden?

Skilled employees in high demand

This is possibly the biggest issue facing the healthcare sector in regard to recruiting. The UK has an ever-ageing population and the numbers of doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners is dwindling. This obviously puts all the negotiating power into the hands of candidates and puts a great deal of pressure on health organisations. As they need the staff, and competition for these people is fierce, what should these organisations do?

The only solution for hospitals and other healthcare organisations is to make a concerted effort to look after their staff a lot better and to create enticing benefits packages that will make people want to work for them. This means offering them better pay, better promotional opportunities, less strenuous hours, flexible working and generally treat them like the high-end commodity that they are. It is even important to get the little things right, like providing working kettles and fridges. The candidates have all the power, so the only way to attract them is to give them what they crave.

Experience versus education

There has always been a question over whether you go for education or experience in the healthcare field. The simple answer must be both. If experienced individuals are available and affordable then do not turn them away, as they won’t be available for long. Similarly, with graduates, treat them like they are important. Hiring recent graduates is great for many healthcare providers because it’s cost-effective and rewarding, but be warned they will get gobbled up pretty quickly. Organisations should maybe consider forming partnerships with local universities and training programmes, so they are reaching students before they come onto the market.

Ageing population

There will be an extra five million people over 65 in the next 20 years, which brings about a list of problems for the housing, health and social care sectors. Like we have said before, this is having a big effect on the numbers of doctors and nurses that are available. While there’s no way to prevent people from retiring, healthcare organisations should begin developing proactive recruitment strategies that prepare for their departures. This will ease the burden associated with having to continually hire new individuals to fill vacant positions that are left behind by senior level employees.

Our ageing population is also placing huge pressure on our hospitals and care homes, who simply cannot find enough care staff. The lack of qualified medical staff is being exacerbated by the increase in population and life expectancy. Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said in the Commons recently that in the past six years, the number of people over 80 has increased by 340,000 and life expectancy has gone up by 12 months. Patient numbers are increasing, and therefore hospitals and ambulances are finding it impossible to keep up with demand.

The same is true for the care sector, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the UK, and this trend can only continue. More and more elderly people will require care, but there simply will be no spaces available. The government will have to invest to create more care facilities, fund more combined home care, and care staff will have to be much better rewarded.

What can we do? We clearly need to look after our medical staff much better, reward them and make it a far more attractive profession to remain in. We also need to remove barriers to entry and encourage skilled candidates from abroad. This problem simple won’t go away – action is needed now.

Case study

Cambridge-based businessman, Marshal Konzvo, who recently launched his new Match Options healthcare recruitment business, is determined to try and do his bit to ease the skills shortage which is currently threatening the NHS.

Marshal, who is 37, started his Cambridge Match Options franchise in January 2017, and so far he says things are going better than expected. Previously Marshal had worked in the IT sector for 12 years, where he managed to save enough money to finance his new business venture himself.

He explains: “It just felt like the right time to get involved in this sector, I had an idea I wanted to move into recruitment, but when I started to do my research into healthcare placements it started to really stand out. There basically has never been more demand for qualified healthcare practitioners, whether that’s doctors, nurses and particularly care staff. Organisations simply can’t find enough quality staff, so they need help and this is where we come in.”

Match Options

Match Options is a recruitment agency providing healthcare staff on a temporary and permanent basis. It not only places doctors and nurses but healthcare assistants, care support workers, and domiciliary care workers. It also places health workers in the likes of schools and prisons, meaning the market potential is huge.

Match Options has been successfully operating in the care sector since 1999 providing high-quality services to the local communities it works in; there are currently seven company-owned branches and four franchisees throughout the UK. With the huge market potential on offer the company is now seeking additional franchisees who are committed and passionate about growing the business throughout the UK.

The article can be found here: http://www.recruitmentagencynow.com/how-do-we-solve-the-nhs-skills-crisis/

Scottish Franchise Week - 24-25 April 2018

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Category: Blog

Published on Thursday, 15 March 2018 14:25

Written by Mike Reynolds

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SCOTTISH FRANCHISE SECTOR ON TARGET TO BE WORTH £1BN BY 2020

bfa announces dates for Scottish Franchise Week, incorporating Franchise Opportunities Scotland, in April 2018

Scottish franchising will be worth an estimated £1bn by 2020.  That’s the prediction made by the British Franchise Association (bfa) as it announces its plans for its annual Scottish Franchise Week, which takes place 24-25 April 2018.

The sector is booming in Scotland, with the latest bfa NatWest survey (2015 survey published January 2016) showing that the implied annual turnover of the sector had increased to £0.8 bn, a 14% increase from the last survey in 2010.  According to the survey some 43% of all franchise systems operating across the UK are currently active in Scotland.

A highlight of the week is the eagerly anticipated Scottish Business Breakfast that attracts hundreds of delegates from both the franchise and broader business worlds.   This will take place at The Grand Central Hotel on 25 April and feature keynote speaker, Iain MacRitchie.  Iain is a Glasgow-born serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.  His career has taken him across the globe, having led the turnaround and transformation of 18 companies as chairman or CEO and as a trusted advisor to 100 others.  Instrumental in leading change in organisations with 50 to 5,000 employees and also having led three start-ups, Iain has an amazing track record in helping develop successful teams and individuals to realise their full potential.   

More recently Iain has turned his skills to social enterprise, setting up a charitable foundation in Glasgow in 2006. He has dedicated five years as a full-time volunteer to lead and develop the transformational MCR Pathways mentoring and talent development programme. He has worked with over 700 disadvantaged young people in Glasgow to help them overcome challenging circumstances.  Iain’s business and charity journey promises to be both entertaining and inspirational.  A panel discussion will follow featuring franchisors and franchisees that will explore the benefits and challenges of franchising.

2018 will see the launch of Franchise Opportunities Scotland, taking place immediately after the Business Breakfast. This unique networking event, organised in association with the bfa, will offer budding entrepreneurs the chance to discover some of the most exciting franchise brands in Scotland.

Attendees will be able to meet with a wide range of bfa-accredited franchises to gain an in depth understanding of the opportunities available in this booming industry. A series of expert-led presentations will shine a light on what to consider when investing in a franchise, and advisers will also be on hand to offer a wealth of free impartial advice to help visitors make franchising their future. More information and free tickets are available now at ScottishFranchise.co.uk.

Two educational seminars will be running during the week. On Tuesday 24 April a prospective franchisee seminar will take place at Wright Johnston & Mackenzie in Glasgow, where the public can find out more about what franchising involves with impartial information and advice.  For those businesses thinking about starting their own franchise, a seminar at Harper Macleod in Glasgow will feature a panel of experts who will offer a comprehensive overview of what factors to consider when starting a franchise.  The seminars are free to attend, for more details please visit www.thebfa.org/events/public-awareness-events

Pip Wilkins, chief executive of the bfa said: “The franchise sector in Scotland is thriving, with a mix of home-grown businesses as well as the big-name international brands. The sector creates thousands of new jobs every year and is a major contributor to the Scottish economy. Many people dream of starting their own business but don’t know where to start.  They may not have a business idea or don’t have the confidence to go it alone but burn with the ambition to be their own boss.  Ethical franchisors offer the proven business idea and support infrastructure to make it possible to achieve their dreams.”

She added: “Scotland has a superb and very proactive support network for franchising including specialist lawyers, accountants, consultants and bankers who are there to help franchisees and franchisors succeed.  Many of these experts will be on hand at our free events and I would urge the public to tap into this wealth of advice and knowledge.  Franchising in Scotland is on an upward trend and I believe the growth in the next few years will see the sector achieving £1bn or more in value.”

Main sponsors of Scottish Franchise Week this year are HSBC UK and Platinum Wave, a leading independent bfa-affiliated franchise consultancy.

Andrew Brattesani, UK Head of Franchising at HSBC UK said: “Scottish Franchise Week is becoming an exciting fixture in the franchise calendar and the team at HSBC is pleased to again support the social element of this fixture. David Kerrigan will lead the team in my absence this year in Glasgow”        

Suzie McCafferty, managing director of Platinum Wave and 2018 chairperson of the Scottish Franchise Forum said: “I love this industry and what it can do for people. Once upon a time I had a shop in Edinburgh selling refillable ink cartridges. Thanks to franchising, and the wonderful support and advice of some of the very people who make Scottish Franchise Week such an incredible success, my business grew to 70 franchised stores across 6 countries. Attending these events could be the key to you finding out if your own business can and should be franchised, or if you should perhaps invest in a franchise yourself. We are very proud to be a long-standing sponsor of Scottish Franchise Week and would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about this fantastic industry right here in Scotland to book onto some (or all) of the events with the bfa!”

For more information about Scottish Franchise Week 2018 or to book places on the business breakfast or free seminars please check out our website: www.thebfa.org/events/public-awareness-events, or call us directly.

For free tickets to Franchise Opportunities Scotland please visit www.ScottishFranchise.co.uk

The Future Of Franchising Is Looking Bright In Scotland

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Category: Blog

Published on Tuesday, 16 January 2018 14:59

Written by Mike Reynolds

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THE FUTURE OF FRANCHISING IS LOOKING BRIGHT IN SCOTLAND

This is the message being relayed by Scottish franchise experts as the industry looks to break the £1 billion barrier by 2020.

In a recent article for Making Money Linda Whitney spoke to several franchise experts about the blossoming Scottish sector, including Suzie McCafferty who is MD of global franchise consultancy Platinum Wave and chair of the Scottish Franchise Forum.

Suzie commented: "Two of the fastest growing franchises i can think of right now are German Doner Kebab and Crolla's Gelateria, both owned by successful, established and entrepreneurial Scottish companies."

Look out for updates about Scottish Franchise Week which will take place in the Spring of 2018 again. 

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