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Recruitment across the Built & Natural Environment
ALLEN & YORK have a unique blend of recruitment skills and technical knowledge. Every consultant is an expert in their field and has an extensive specialist network.
We are dedicated to making a positive difference to the global sustainable economy, by continuing to deliver excellent specialist recruitment services across our markets.
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Planting for Biodiversity
Paul Carter at ALLEN & YORK is not only our Ecology Recruitment specialist, but he is also a qualified Ecologist with 20 years’ experience in landscaping and biodiversity. As Spring has now officially sprung, we thought it would be fun and topical to share Paul’s thoughts on planting for biodiversity, whether in your own garden or a shared green-space at work or in the community. For the past 20 years, I have advised clients on ways they can promote biodiversity through the planting they use, in both private developments and commercial sites. Ideally, I’d like to work with them to replicate a ‘climax ecosystem’, such as an oak forest, that is interspersed by a range of habitats and a diversity of species seen in meadows, coppice woodland and heath, without any one species dominating. However, we are usually limited on space and this might not be the aesthetic they were going for! So instead, I suggest plants that encourage a healthy habitat for as wider range of insects and plants as we can practically provide. Whilst native planting is undoubtedly going to provide the best opportunities for native invertebrates, it may not provide the visual interest that you’d like. Luckily, many non-native plants can be just as useful for our native insects by providing comparable sources of nectar and foliage for food. Apart from the ecological benefits of providing plants that support wildlife, they increase our quality of life too. The presence of butterflies moving in an outdoor space, or the sound of bird song enhances the experience people gain from a well-planned development. Below are seven plants that I try to include in planting schemes to give maximum benefit to both the human and insect users of a development. Buddleia globosa (Orange Ball Tree) Buddleia davidii is a common site in gardens and brownfield sites across the country, and its late summer purple flowers are undeniably popular with butterflies. However, it has a tendency to self seed and can become a threat to less robust native species. Buddleia globosa, from Peru, doesn’t self seed and flowers much earlier in the year. Its flowers provide nectar for insects of all sizes, from the tiny Lasioglossum bees to the familiar Red Admiral butterflies. Additionally, its evergreen foliage provides important basking sites for insects and cover for breeding birds. Frangula alnus (Alder Buckthorn) The Alder Buckthorn is not a particularly spectacular shrub for most of the year. Its bright yellow autumn foliage, and red and black fruits are its main feature. However, I include it whenever possible because of the range of insects it attracts. Its small inconspicuous flowers are a beacon to various pollinators. It is also the larval foodplant of the Dark Umber moth, and the more familiar Brimstone and Holly Blue butterflies. Birds love the berries. Campanula trachelium (Nettle-leaved Bellflower) A native wildflower that is worthy of a place in any garden. Its tall spikes of blue bellflowers appear every year with no care at all. It will cope with dry shade and will self seed if happy, without taking over. Its downward hanging flowers, as well as providing nectar and pollen, also provide a refuge for bees. Examining this plant during a summer shower reveals masses of bees, of various species, keeping dry. Cotoneaster ‘Cornubia’ This is a large shrub or small tree that is covered in white flowers in spring and red berries in winter. Both these features give it garden value aesthetically, and its semi-evergreen foliage is good for hiding utilitarian structures. The flowers attract pollinators to the point that you can actually hear the tree buzzing with bees and hoverflies. As well the red berries brightening up winter for us, they provide a useful foodsource for birds. My own shrub attracted a flock of over 30 redwings and fieldfares during the snowy weather in March. The reason I planted it was because a few years ago I saw a similar number of Waxwings in a Cotoneaster cornubia down my road. Hedra helix (Ivy) Ivy gets blamed for killing trees but actually it is just an opportunist. If a tree is weak and its canopy is thinning then ivy will take advantage of this. It’s not the ivy getting into the canopy that killed the tree. Rather, it was the tree dying that let the ivy into the canopy. And the benefits ivy brings outweigh any connotations of cemeteries and neglect, especially if cultivars with brighter foliage are used. The flowers are a great source of nectar and pollen for insects before they hibernate. The bee Colletes hederae uses it as its principal food source, and Autumn butterflies are often seen on it. After the flowers, the berries are used by many bird species. Ivy is also the food plant of the second generation of Holly Blue butterflies and Swallowtail moths. Its main benefit though, is its dense evergreen foliage that gives shelter to insects, birds and even bats during bad weather. Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) Fennel is useful for many things. It’s leaves and seeds are used in many recipes. It thrives in the poor shallow soils that are often found on redeveloped sites. For me though, it is the flowers and stems that give the greatest value. The nectar rich flower heads bring a wealth of insect visitors from the hymenoptera, diptera, coleoptera and hemiptera. And they appear at a time in high summer when other flowers have faded. Their hollow stems provide nest sites for Hylaeus bees, and overwintering sites for a range of invertebrates. Pyracantha ‘Saphyr’ I almost didn’t include Pyracanthus as it shares so many traits with Cotoneaster in terms of its ability to attract insects and birds. However, its dense spiny growth habit makes it particularly good in more formal urban environments. It can be clipped hard to give sculpture to planting schemes. Its spines make it useful as a boundary hedge. Also, in urban gardens where high population density can mean there are also a lot of domestic cats, its dense spiky growth can offer a valuable refuge and nesting site for birds. The cultivar ‘Saphyr’ seems resistant to fireblight, which has attacked some strains. Quercus robur ‘Fastigiata’ (Oak) This is a compact and upright growing form of our native oak. Britain was once covered in oak forest and oak trees support a huge number of species. They also grow very big and this can make them unsuitable subjects for developments. This compact and non-spreading form has all the wildlife carrying capacity without the problematic size and can easily slot into contemporary planting schemes to give structure and screening. Gardens and public spaces are pivotal in the preservation and promotion of biodiversity. Careful selection of the plants used can maximise the ability of an area to support a larger selection of native species. As the base of the food chain, the plants provide food in the form of their leaves, nectar and pollen. The more variation there is in flower form, height and time, the more species can be attracted. Insects that feed on the leaves and flowers, will in turn become food for birds and bats. Plants also provide the cover and nest sites required. Most importantly, it can do this in a way that enhances the lives of the people that use the area. For more information on ecology and environmental jobs please contact Paul Carter at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 Browse all ecology jobs
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Sustainable Tourism Encouraged to Protect Environment
Damage to coral reefs, eroding cliffsides and general rubbish left by the explosion of tourists to popular destinations is taking its toll on our natural world, and travel companies are having to address the question of how they can promote a more sustainable model of tourism. Highlighted this week in a BBC report, various tourist destinations are being temporarily closed due to over visiting, including Maya Beach in Thailand, the film location of ‘The Beach’ which is closing this year from June-September to “give it a rest”. The beach receives between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors every day (pictured), who litter the beach and are taken out by day boats, which go in and out over the bay and are damaging the shallow reef corals. Technology and booking restrictions have helped some destinations to manage the crowds. Peru’s famous ancient Inca site, Machu Picchu placed a limited on the number of people allowed to hike the trail in 2015 and it is closed every February for clean-up and maintenance. Tourists must book a time slot in advance and abide by local regulations. In Italy they have been trialling a new app, which shows tourists the number of people walking routes at any given time. When it displays a red warning, the path is overcrowded and unadvisable to join. The Cinque Terre Card is also being encouraged, which allows access to trails and public transport, but also gives a percentage of proceeds back to maintain the pathways and the environment. Stricter rules are almost certainly required, but it is difficult to suggest when countries are concerned about the impact on their income from a reduction in the tourist industry. 22 per cent of Thailand’s GDP is from tourism, which is a significant proportion. However, some new sites such as Caño Cristales, a beautiful river in Colombia, have started enforcing bans on cigarettes, no swimming, no sunscreen or insect repellent in the water and no plastic bottles in an attempt to better protect these areas of outstanding natural beauty. There are several organisations which promote sustainable and responsible travel, here are a selection: Responsible Travel - Sustainable Travel International - Green Global Travel There are also a growing number of sustainability jobs within the travel industry and more information please contact Katie Pereira, Team Leader Sustainability at ALLEN & YORK 01202 888 986 Browse all sustainability jobs
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Health and Safety Jobs Market 2018
It’s always useful to have an overview of the current jobs market, whether you’re looking for your next role or growing your health and safety team. At ALLEN & YORK our specialist health and safety team work with practitioners and employers recruiting across all industries, from construction to corporate and have great insight into the current status of the jobs market. ‘Extremely buoyant’, is how we would describe the current health and safety jobs market and this is a great time to look for your next position. There is a high demand particularly for mid-level managers, and the waste and resource management and construction industries are particularly busy. Consequently, competition to attract the best talent is high, due to the increase in available roles and this is being reflected in salaries, with the average salary for all full-time practitioners at £40,000 (IOSH salary survey 2017). Certain companies are willing to pay above market value for the right candidate and interview processes have become more streamlined as company’s speed-up to recruit more quickly and efficiently. Reputational risk and excellent health and safety credentials are high on the agenda, particularly within the construction and property industries, where companies are winning new contracts as a result of demonstrating exceptional safety standards. If you’d like to find out more about more about job opportunities within health and safety, contact Jack Cornick, Team Leader Health, Safety and Construction at ALLEN & YORK Browse all health and safety jobs
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High Job Satisfaction for Sustainability Professionals
As we celebrate Earth Day 2018 (22nd April) it seems appropriate to recognise the growth in job satisfaction and popularity of careers across the environmental and sustainability sector. The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) released their 2018 annual survey last month, which reflects an above average level of job satisfaction (68 per cent), an uplift in salaries (2.6 per cent rise), plus one in three respondents made and upwards or horizonal career move. The sustainability jobs market is currently very buoyant with an array of opportunities across all industries. At ALLEN & YORK we have seen strong growth across the corporate and technology sectors with roles at all levels, as well as excellent opportunities across specialist consultancies. IEMA’s survey reflects a general level of optimism and positivity within the sector, stating that 74 per cent of environmental and sustainability professionals describe their jobs as challenging, with 54 per cent describing it as also ‘rewarding’. The median salary for a sustainability profession in 2017 is £40,000 and 67 per cent of employed IEMA members received a pay rise last year. The sustainability jobs market is a clear reflection of the wider business community's commitment to embedding sustainability into their culture and values and further underlines the vital role that the sustainability professional is playing in the global economy. Download the full survey If you would like to find out more about sustainability job opportunities or recruitment, please contact Katie Pereira Team Leader Sustainability at ALLEN & YORK.
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Health and Safety Insights: What to include in your CV?
Jack Cornick, Team Leader Health, Safety and Construction at ALLEN & YORK and Amanda Clarke, Managing Consultant at Shirley Parsons offer their expert insight and advice for both health and safety practitioners and employers looking to attract the best talent. The video is packed with insights and tips, but if you haven't got time to watch the whole recording, we have summarised the discussion into bite-sized chunks. Firstly, we focus on how to market yourself in a competitive job market and specifically; ‘What to include in your CV’. Your CV sets the foundation from which to build your job application, it is your entry point and will be your first introduction to prospective employers. A comprehensive CV will be no longer than 2-4 pages and include your 'key' qualifications, experience and achievements. Both Jack and Amanda suggest listing only your ‘key’ qualifications; NEBOSH, IOSH, Chartered status etc. with any relevant extras e.g. COSHH. You don’t have to list every course, you can mention this at interview if relevant. Under each job entry, list your key achievements in that specific role. What assignments, projects, strategies did you drive through or were involved in. Highlight where you liaised with team members, managers and department to illustrate your ability to communicate with key stakeholders across the business. Demonstrate your networking and knowledge-sharing, via your memberships, LinkedIn groups, Twitter presence, event attendance and any publications you may have authored. Future employers are looking for a cultural 'person' fit, as well as examining your qualifications and years of experience, and therefore the softer skills are extremely important when presenting yourself on your CV. “There is a strong emphasis on enabling culture change within most employers” Jack comments “with a continued move away from simple compliance-based roles”. You will be required to demonstrate ways in which you have taken the lead and embedded health and safety into the wider company culture. 90 per cent of health and safety interviews are competency based and Amanda flagged-up the 'STAR' methodology (Situation, Task, Activity, Result) as a good starting point when preparing for a health and safety interview. You may also want to refer the IOSH Blueprint competency-based framework, as a useful self-assessment guide. Be prepared to take part in exercises or impromptu assessments as a means of measuring your level of competency (but more about interviews in our next bite-able summary). If you are applying for one particular job you might want to tailor your CV to the job, but in the main you are more than likely to be sending your CV to several jobs and won’t have time to tailor each time, this is fine. A strong ‘general’ CV, well presented and concise will grab our interest and then we can speak with you and highlight your particular skills to the employer for each specific job. A good recruiter will always speak to you before presenting your details, so we can ‘tailor’ your CV to each employer on your behalf. If you are looking to transition from one sector to another this can be difficult, but it is possible. For example, if you are looking to move from Property into Construction, connect with construction health and safety groups, find out if you can visit or spend time within the health and safety team to gain experience. Ensure you have the relevant qualifications e.g. NEBOSH Construction. Moving from high-risk to low-risk environments can prove more fruitful, so if you are looking to come off the oil rig and into a warm office, your prospects are good and you should certainly mention this in your CV. The current health and safety jobs market is buoyant and there is a high demand particularly for mid-level management positions. With plenty of jobs and competition, salaries have increased to the attract the best talent and this is a very good time to make your next career move. To find out more about the latest health and safety job opportunities contact Jack Cornick 01202 888 986 View full IOSH Roundtable Recruitment Video Browse all health and safety jobs
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UK will have 800,000 unfilled IT jobs by 2020
According to the recent Computer Weekly Salary Survey 2017/2018 UK & Ireland, the UK will have 800,000 unfilled IT jobs by 2020. As such, the sector needs to work harder to both attract new talent and retain and train those it already employs. The sector also needs to work harder to attract more women to the workforce and close the distinct gender pay gap. According to the survey, women are paid 25 per cent less than their male colleagues. The average salary for women is reported to be £59,209 and for men £78,599. Despite efforts to encourage women at all levels into the technology industry, the report suggests the number of women in IT has remained static, with only 17 per cent responding to the salary survey in 2017 (18 per cent in 2016). Overall the UK&I technology sector continues to be well paid, with the average salary range between £50K and £75K and their are distinct areas of increased demand. The technology roles currently on the rise include; cyber security, data scientists, business intelligence analysts, database developers and network administrators. At ALLEN & YORK we have seen a growing demand for IT professionals across our current client base, and we have recently recruited to strengthen our IT recruitment service to enable a wider service offering, including; cloud, data, development and infrastructure. If you are looking for your next IT technology career move, contact the ALLEN & YORK IT team Browse IT jobs
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ALLEN & YORK Join IOSH Recruitment Roundtable Discussion
Here is a recording of a special recruitment discussion hosted by IOSH Magazine, which aims to inspire and inform health and safety practitioners on the various ways in which they can navigate their career path. This is an insightful discussion, which explores current health and safety job opportunities, salary scales, interview preparation and cv writing times, as well as highlighting the importance of developing a company's 'safety brand' and making the most of your soft-skills. Chaired by Louis Wustemann, Head of Regulatory Magazines, Lexis Nexis The panelists are: Jack Cornick, Team Leader Health, Safety and Construction at ALLEN & YORK. Amanda Clarke, Managing Consultant at Shirley Parsons. This discussion explores how candidates and employers can achieve best results in the current jobs market and is of interest to health and safety professionals at all levels and across all industries, we hope you find it useful.
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ALLEN & YORK March and Q1 Award Winners
At ALLEN & YORK we really enjoy celebrating success and rewarding excellence. So, it is with great pleasure that we present our monthly and Q1 award winners: Mark Doherty (Recruitment Consultant), Vildan Cifci (Recruitment Consultant), Charles Cocklin (Principal), Katie Pereira (Team Leader) and Owen Collings (Researcher) Congratulations everyone!
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