Blogs

IR35’s still hot on the lips of contractors and employers alike. And probably because there remains a certain amount of confusion around the topic.After Covid-19 delaying the planned rollout of IR35 into the public sector in 2020, the legislation finally came into effect a year later in April 2021.​Despite IR35 coming into force some time ago now, we know from speaking to ou...

There's no denying that finding great engineering talent is a challenge. So how do you find the best candidates, and go about getting them to join your company?Find out more from our top tips in this free downloadable ebook. Learn how to:- Become an employer of choice for engineering talent- Stand out from competitors during the recruitment process- Provide even unsuccessful...

​If you’re a contractor, you may wonder if there’s a need to engage a middleman. Why use an agency when you’re capable of searching for a new role yourself, right? Well, in fact, there are a number of reasons why that’s not always the best option. While agencies can sometimes get a bad rap, there are a lot of advantages to using them. Many of our contractors have been with D...

​After working for many years in UK Engineering, we know a thing or two about what makes a great hiring experience – onbothsides of the recruitment drive. It’s not just down to the candidates to impress you and employers also need to think carefully about showcasing your brand at the interview stage, as well as understanding them inside-out.There’s a lot to consider… what to...

​Let’s face it, with today’s fast pace of living, finding the time for something like volunteering isn’t easy. Yet statistics show that applicants who can demonstrate evidence of having volunteered are more likely to be successful when it comes to landing a job or accelerating their career.There’s a whole host of reasons why employers find volunteering experience so attracti...

​You only get one chance to make a good impression, so they say and during an interview, it’s imperative to get it right. To maximise your chances of success in securing the roles you really want, it’s a good idea to brush up on your interview skills beforehand. This is an opportunity for the company to find out about you and your suitability for the role. However, it’s also...

​Interviews are always tough – it’s hard to know how to make the right impression. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for success, and getting advice on the subject can only get you so far – ultimately it is up to you to give it your best on the day. On the otherhand, there are definitely things that you should NOT do in an interview, and avoiding these things could re...

​As you job search, you’ll notice that candidates are often asked to also send in a covering letter with their CV. You may consider this unnecessary or a waste of time, but this letter can be just as important as the CV itself.The main purpose is to get your CV read and secondly to get you an interview! Try to imagine the letter as your own personal one page advert. Keep i...

Video interviews are nothing new and have been growing in popularity for the past few years. The COVID pandemic, though, has seen video calls on platforms such as Teams and Zoom become part of the daily work routine. And this of course includes the use of such software for interviewing candidates remotely.​Life may slowly be resuming back to some form of normality, but we’re...

​Only a few years ago, video interviewing was a relatively new phenomenon and tech-savvy, forward thinking companies were using it as a way to speak with potential new hires who were in a different country, wanted a recording of the interview to refer back to, or quite simply, as a way to save time.As a result of the pandemic, though, there’s barely a company in the UK who h...

​There may be light at the end of the tunnel as we enter 2021, but there’s no disguising the difficulties that many companies still face as we recover from the turbulence of the last year. COVID19, Brexit and IR35 are just some of the challenges that businesses have recently had to deal with, so there’s perhaps no better time for leaders to focus on a strategy for resi...

Did you know that ​DATS Recruitment is internationally accredited in the Personal Profile Analysis, provided by Thomas International? This means we can provide you with the tools required to confidently recruit the right talent to fit with your business. Thomas’ psychometric tests have been subject to rigorous scientific testing to determine reliability and validity as psych...

​It’s almost here! After COVID led to the IR35 reforms being put on the back burner this time last year, the new date is almost upon us. IR35 tax changes are set to come into effect in April meaning that companies now have just weeks to ensure they have everything in place. Here’s a reminder of what you need to know. Who’s affected?From 6th April 2021 both clients and co...

​Not many hiring managers can boast a 100% success rate. Almost all of us can admit to having recruited promising individuals that further down the line have not met expectations, whether that be in terms of performance, personality, motivation or loyalty.No matter how well-practiced you are at recruiting new temporary or permanent team members, it remains a difficult task. ...

The IR35 reforms are to be delayed by one year. After months of preparation from hiring managers, contractors and agencies, the Government has announced that IR35 will nownotbe extended to the public sector until April 2021. The decision was announced in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, by Chief Treasury Secretary Steve Barclay, in a bid to protect the economy from the alr...

​Please be reassured that during this unsettling time, DATS is committed to continuing to partner with our clients, candidates and contractors as usual. Our business is open and we’re taking every precautionary measure to ensure the health and well being of our clients, staff and suppliers. We’ve undertaken a full review of our business continuity plan and will continue to r...

With IR35 private sector changes just a matter of weeks away now, you may be wondering what you can do if contractors (PSC) you currently use fall inside of the legislation. Well, there are a number of options that end hirers using contractors can choose. Here’s just some of them:​Option 1: Transfer your contractors to PAYE/umbrellaMost recruitment agencies will offer a PAYE...

​Apprenticeships have long been prevalent in the engineering industry but have grown in popularity in all areas in recent years – maybe owing to the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017. According to UCAS, there are now approximately 1500 different job role apprenticeships available in England, making them an excellent first step onto lots of different career ladd...

​The changes to IR35 legislation come into effect in just a number of weeks now. Do you feel like you’re not yet prepared? Don’t worry – there’s still time to get ready. And even better, we’re here to help!You’ll know by now that the responsibility for deciding whether contractors you use sit inside or outside of IR35 will now fall to you (the end hirer). That means that by ...

​The end of one decade marks a period of reflection, but it also provides a reason to look ahead. British engineering has undergone considerable change in the last 10 years. From the decline in oil and gas production to the arrival of BIM, CAD and 3D printing, technological and political developments have continued to gather pace.As recruiters, we’ve seen the effects first-h...