Jayne Wogan

Although this year has presented many challenges, not least that many workers have had to spend some time on furlough, there have also been some great opportunities for people to expand their skills and to contribute to charity, their local communities and society in general.   Matthew Heath, Associate Director of our Search and Selection recruitment team, has continued to pursue his passion for motorcycling by successfully completing an assessment to work alongside the Midland Freewheelers, a charity "Blood Bike" organisation based in the West Midlands, UK  part of the National Association of Blood Bikes; https://www.bloodbikes.org.uk/ The National Association of Blood Bikes' member groups are all staffed by unpaid volunteers, who provide this service to the NHS, free of charge.  Their members transport blood, platelets, samples, surgical instruments, human donor milk and many other clinical products across the UK & Ireland.  The last 12 years has seen the greatest increase in the number of blood bike groups, meaning that the UK mainland now has a coast to coast blood bike service, provided free of charge to the NHS. It is fair to say that the blood bike industry has become an integral part of the NHS front line services, delivering a robust service to professional standards. The fact that it is free of charge is just the icing on the cake. The Midland Freewheelers, the group that Matthew supports, provides a completely voluntary service in support of NHS hospitals, clinics and organisations where products, documents, medication and other materials require urgent transport across the region on a 24 hour basis.  More information can be seen at https://www.midlandfreewheelers.co.uk/. Our Chairman, Jonathan Lee commented;  "One of our core values at Jonathan Lee Recruitment is to care.  As our VMV state, we are committed to contributing to progress in our community and to caring about our environment, to provide a brighter future for everyone, giving our people and partners a framework that encourages social connection, compassion and positivity, making work both a passion and a pleasure.  Matthew's activities uphold this superbly and we are very proud to support his efforts.  Well done Matthew!" As the markets that Jonathan Lee Search and Selection support continue to return, contributions from Matthew and his colleagues across the UK on a voluntary basis provide a service which can support the UK’s workforce and families to get well and, hopefully, safely return.

Jayne Wogan

30/09/2020 charity

The COVID-19 pandemic is by no means over, but with restrictions being lifted and normal life beginning to return, the Government is urging businesses and consumers alike to get the UK economy moving.   Whilst this should be a cause for celebration for UK manufacturers, it is complicated by the Job Retention Scheme support beginning to tail off from August. Unemployment is predicted to reach a 30-year high over the coming months and many UK manufacturers are facing the reality that it might not be possible for all their employees to return unless order books grow quickly and substantially. This urgency is manifesting in an increased and renewed demand for sales professionals across our manufacturing client base to help them penetrate new customers and markets to trade their way out of the current economic furrow. So we know salespeople are in demand, but has anything changed? DIGITALISATION The lockdown measures enforced across the world meant that business leaders had to quickly adjust to new models of engaging with their customers.  In many respects, the pandemic accelerated the digital trends that were already in motion, forcing the manufacturers to jump into their digitalisation and technology implementation plans associated with Industry 4.0 with both feet. Customer behaviours had been evolving and shifting towards digital channels for some time.  According to McKinsey & Company in their report The B2B digital inflection point: How sales have changed during COVID-19, customer’s preference for digitally enabled sales interactions and the ability to self-serve even in B2B has shown its sharpest increase since 2019 but the things they value most remain as speed, transparency and expertise. REMOTE WORKING Born of necessity due to the lockdown, the shift towards remote selling has been swift and adoption and harnessing the array of video conferencing technology for sales has been impressive and with social distancing still a priority, it looks as though it is here to stay. WHAT ARE EMPLOYERS LOOKING FOR? With digital channels and remote selling on the rise, many established sales professionals who have traditionally relied on their face-to-face interpersonal and rapport building skills to gain trust and customer loyalty are finding the transition challenging.  The fact remains that the ability to sell across various channels is becoming more prevalent and with many of our clients, the personality traits and attitudes are taking an equal importance to the sales experience and product knowledge.    Julie Thomas specialises in commercial and sales recruitment for Jonathan Lee and says "a lot of the recent focus has been on candidate profile and attitude.  We are seeing clients switch from searching for salespeople with a 'little black book' to a focus on creative, dynamic, focused hunter-gatherers who are able to adapt quickly and come up with ways to support the sales process through technology and digital channels to their advantage. It's about recognising the times we are in, and coming up with new ways to forge and maintain relationships with customers and prospects that is driving success."    To some extent less is more when presenting candidates for a sales role. Potential employers want to see succinct and punchy CVs that show added value, rather than extended narratives on past job responsibilities. The key things candidates should focus on in their resumés include: Profile (energy, adaptability, innovation) . Headline factual achievements, KPIs, Targets, major wins.  Don’t get dragged into too much detail, this will be explored at interview. Industry relevance and specific technical ability where required, but also highlighting transferability where relevant. COVID-19 has changed the way we work and it looks to me that many of those changes are here to stay, so it’s important that candidates really embrace the digital tools available to them and adapt their style and approach for the new normal. If you are looking to hire sales professionals or if you are looking for your next role in sales, please get in contact with Julie. Julie Thomas, 01384 446168 or  julie.thomas@jonlee.co.uk

Jayne Wogan

27/07/2020 commercial

In any business, the single most important resource is your people. With the onset of Industry 4.0, many businesses had been planning for digitalisation and more flexible models of operation but it was something that was being worked towards gradually.  The speed at which the Covid-19 pandemic took hold globally meant that, for many business leaders, this evolution was kicked into overdrive with particular emphasis on enabling remote working and monitoring, with existing continuity plans being changed on the fly and emergency measures to keep people safe and the business trading remaining fluid and uncertain. With recovery on the horizon and talk of a relaxation of the current lockdown rules, it is now more important than ever to think about your recovery planning, people strategy and the journey towards a “new normal”.   Every business is, of course, unique and will have its own individual challenges when planning for recovery but we thought the tips below might be useful to factor into your thinking when planning for recovery.  ADAPTING YOUR PEOPLE STRATEGY Employee health and wellbeing has to be the top of the agenda and the primary driver in decision making about getting back to work in a structured and safe way. Review your Business Needs Analysis.  Are the needs and priorities of your business the same as they were before the coronavirus outbreak?  Ask yourself whether there are new skills needed to aid recovery.  This might be in digitalisation and IT infrastructure to allow more flexible working, it might be in facilities planning for social distancing or maybe your supply chain has been disrupted and you need specialist skills to get this back on track. Engage with your customers and suppliers.  To get the best picture of what is happening in your market and supply chain, leveraging your relationships with external parties is a critical input to the planning process. You could also include your contractors who may have useful intelligence you can use to drive decision making. Design a framework for robust and frequent staff communications.  In order to keep your people supporting your priorities as we move towards recovery, it’s important they understand the why and the when of your plan and their part in it. Structure your return to work protocols.  How are you going to check employees are healthy before returning to a place of work?  Do you have a plan for workplace sanitisation and maintenance?  Undertake role and staff profiling.  It’s useful to identify which roles are location dependent and can only be performed at your facilities and which can be performed effectively remotely. Understand your space. In order to respect social distancing, new measures may need to be considered to protect staff.  Do you need to introduce PPE?  Do you need to change your office or facilities layout, do you need to procure screens or to manage access to communal areas? Identify any training needs associated with changes to your documented processes and procedures.  How will you ensure your staff are fully aware of the new arrangements and their responsibilities? BLENDED WORKING MODELS Determining a way through the uncertainty of returning to work is not straightforward, and many of our clients are thinking about new ways of working that can support the overall business strategy. Some of the key initiatives we are hearing about include: Phased return to work – introducing staff back into operations in a staged plan that aligns with the commercial analysis and mapping and meets the business and customer needs. Rota systems for office attendance - in order to maintain social distancing, employees are being asked to work part of their week remotely and partly on site. Maintaining virtual meetings - even with the return to work, many clients are introducing new protocols for internal and customer meetings, leveraging technology such as Skype, Microsoft Teams and Zoom to protect workers. Split shift models – in manufacturing facilities where space is at a premium, businesses are considering a change to working patterns to ensure continuity of production but also employee distancing and safety BALANCING BUSINESS RECOVERY WITH ANNUAL LEAVE One point we are hearing regularly is that business leaders are concerned about managing annual leave entitlements through the recovery period.  Many workers will have been on furlough for between one and four months so managing a full year’s leave entitlement whilst ensuring business continuity will be a challenge. The Government has changed the rules with regards to annual leave, so workers who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave entitlement due to Covid-19 will now be able to carry it over into the next 2 leave years.   IT’S NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL The key thing to remember is that business is not going to return to normal in the foreseeable future and maybe it never will.  Preparing for a “new normal” is the key to successful recovery planning and your people will be the deciding factor in the success of these changes so it is more important than ever to engage with your teams, ask for their input and listen to their ideas. CULTURE OF COLLABORATION Maybe the single biggest lesson we have taken away from the pandemic is that we are all in this together.  Foster your relationships with customers, partners and suppliers to find ways to collaborate to find solutions to problems and to work together towards success.   If you need help with your people strategy or if you would just like a no-strings chat with one of our highly experienced team, please get in touch.  We’re here to help and support you.    

Jayne Wogan

30/04/2020 News

We are all having to adjust to new ways of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, and for the global recruitment industry this new challenge is being met with a more widespread use of video interviews in the hiring process. It isn’t an entirely new phenomenon; in recent years, as a result of advances in technology and a more global marketplace for talent, we’ve seen a marked rise in remote and digital hiring, particularly the use of video interviewing.  However, it will be a new experience for many hirers who are more accustomed to in-person interviews, and now find themselves having to make decisions based on digital screening processes alone for the first time, which brings with it new challenges including having confidence in getting the company message and culture across to candidates, as well as assessing the candidates thoroughly for both skills and company fit. We’ve put together our top tips that will help to keep your recruitment process moving and give you confidence in conducting video interviews effectively and in selecting the right candidate for you.   1) SET YOUR STRUCTURE It’s good to decide how your interview process will run, noting any key requirements for covering the company profile, timings, standard questions, resources needed and make sure this is documented clearly. This will give you a consistent benchmark for interviews and ultimately make the assessment of the candidates easier. 2) COMMUNICATE CLEARLY WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES & CANDIDATES Putting a structure in place means you can make your team members and colleagues aware of the process in advance. It can be tough to communicate effectively when everyone is in different locations so it is worth agreeing ahead of time who will ask which questions or lead on different parts of the interview which will make the interview flow more smoothly. Alongside this, in our experience, setting the expectations for the candidate in advance will give them a much better overall experience of you as a potential employer. Think about how long the interview will last, what the format will be, which platforms you are using etc. It will put candidates at ease and allow them to perform to their best. 3) TEST YOUR TECH Decide which technology platforms you will be using and test the process in advance. There’s nothing worse than having connectivity problems and starting late which may fluster the candidate and the panel and affect the interview outcome. If the interview will include testing technical skills, you can avoid any awkward interruptions by checking in advance that the tools are set up in a way that makes it as easy as possible for the candidates to complete any online tasks.  4) PICK YOUR SPOT Think about where you will set up for the interview. We all know that working from home can mean there are distractions and interruptions, so it is worth setting up a quiet space where these are less likely to impact the interview session. It’s important to have your mobile phone on silent mode so that the interview flow is not disturbed, and you can give the candidate your full attention. 5) BE PREPARED In any interview situation, we would always advise you to take the time to familiarise yourself with the candidate’s CV and the job description afresh to give the online interview the same formality of an in-person meeting. Preparing questions in advance about the candidate’s specific experience will personalise the experience and convey your interest in the individual. 6) PRACTICE YOUR PITCH One of the disadvantages of online interviewing is that the candidate will not get a sense of your business by seeing the site and the people. It’s good to consider in advance how you can get key messages across effectively about culture, environment, vision and mission. A good way of achieving this is through screen-sharing and making use of visual aids where available and appropriate. The best candidates are likely to have more than one opportunity they are pursuing so it is really important that you present yourself as an employer of choice. 7) BE PROFESSIONAL It should go without saying, but for most of us, video conversations are usually social affairs and it can be easy to slip into this tone. We recommend that your language, personal presentation and behaviours are the same as they would be for a traditional face-to-face interview. 8) GIVE CANDIDATES SPACE It can be more challenging to pick up on normal social cues and body language when video interviewing so in order to get the best outcome, pause and leave space for the candidate to consider and deliver their answers. It’s also really good practice to allocate some of the time at the end of the interview to respond to any questions the candidate may have about the role, the company or the process. 9) CLOSE EFFECTIVELY It’s important that candidate expectations are managed so it’s useful to summarise at the end of the interview, clarify on the process from this point on, set clear timescales and the format for feedback and outcomes.   10) GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS We recommend booking an extra 15 minutes at the end of each interview, so you have the time to write up any notes, to discuss any aspects of the interview with colleagues and to decide next steps where appropriate. Doing this immediately after the interview means the candidate will be fresh in your mind and your notes that drive the decisions on who to appoint are likely to be better.  Here at Jonathan Lee Recruitment we’ve been using video interviewing tools successfully with our clients and candidates, globally, for quite some time. Our team is ready and waiting to help you with your video interviewing needs. There are real benefits to be gained from taking your interview processes online and so video interviews should not be regarded as a last resort. If you are looking to hire urgently, it enables you to connect with the best candidates quickly, particularly important within industries facing talent shortages and can significantly speed up the overall hiring process. Short screening interviews allow you to quickly and efficiently assess which candidates are the best fit for your company, eliminating those who look good on paper but would not fit your team or culture. It also eliminates geographical restrictions – enables you to access the best candidates globally, at your fingertips ​GET IN TOUCH Whether you’re a current client of ours or another business looking for some guidance in digital recruitment, we can help you navigate through these difficult times. Get in touch to find out how. Jayne Wogan Head of Client Services jayne.wogan@jonlee.co.uk 01384 446175

Jayne Wogan

03/04/2020 Video

Staying safe and healthy is the single most important thing for all of us at the moment. For those seeking work it is likely that the recruitment process will include a video interview.   We’ve seen a trend towards using online meetings in recruitment for some time but social distancing has made this option more popular than ever. We are supporting many clients to create a contact-free hiring process. As a job seeker, online interviews can be an alien experience, so we thought we’d put together our top tips on video interviews. This will help you prepare, feel confident, perform well and give yourself the best possible chance of securing your next role.   1. DO YOUR RESEARCH Just as you would for an ordinary interview, make sure you prepare in advance. Knowledge is power so look up the company website and check their social media feeds, this will help you get a feel for the culture and environment of the role. Review the job description or job advert and prepare any questions you may want to ask. Research your interviewers in advance too on LinkedIn to get insight into their backgrounds. 2. DON'T READ FROM YOUR SCREEN Do not skip point 1! Reading from your screen during the interview will not only be obvious to the interviewers, but it will also prevent you from listening and engaging in the conversation. 3. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Think about where you will set up for the interview. Make sure you are in a quiet space where you are unlikely to be interrupted or distracted. Make sure whatever is visible in the background is presentable and will not distract your interviewers. 4. TEST OUT YOUR WEBCAM You’re probably wondering how you may look to the interviewer and it is definitely worth considering in advance. You can check what your background looks like, but also see the camera angle (not too low or too high) or how close or far away you are from the camera. Also, have an appreciation that if you lean forward then the interviewer will get a great view of your forehead. Mac users can use QuickTime player while Windows users can use the Camera app to check. You can even record yourself to see how it all looks. Usually these programs are already installed on your computer/laptop. If you have a computer and no webcam, I recommend requesting a telephone interview. Facetime, for the time being, is best suited for social calls only. 5. CHECK THE CONNECTION Check your connection in advance; a rush or panic to connect when the interview is due to begin will not only frustrate the potential employer, it will also mean you are starting the interview in the wrong frame of mind. 6. ARRIVE '10 MINUTES EARLY' RULE STILL APPLIES Remember that it can take 5-10 minutes to go through the motions and join a video call. You want to be dialling in at least 5 minutes in advance. It’s best to have your mobile phone ready in case you are unexpectedly having trouble connecting – a quick call to explain that you’re having to update software is forgivable, but no call looks like a no-show. 7. BE PROFESSIONAL We’re all used to using video chat in a social context these days but remember, this is a business scenario. Use the language and behaviour that you would if you were physically attending an interview at the client site. Dress appropriately for the occasion, make sure you are presentable. First impressions count, even if they are on camera. 8. BE ENGAGED Almost every job nowadays requires interpersonal skills and it’s important these come across in a video interview. Smile, make eye contact, still use your hands and body language to help you to express yourself and communicate (don’t keep your hand on the mouse) and engage with the people you are speaking with. Let your personality come through. 9. NORMAL INTERVIEW RULES STILL APPLY Practice your answers beforehand as part of your preparation but make sure you really listen to the questions being asked, try not to anticipate too much and read what is happening in the moment. Wherever possible, use scenarios to illustrate your answers. Providing examples makes you more credible and is more interesting for the interviewers. 10. ASK QUESTIONS It’s easy to forget that an interview is a two-way process. Yes, you may want the role, but it is also important that you have all the information you need to make sure it is the right opportunity for you. You may have questions ready to ask that come from your preparation and research but also if topics come up during the discussion, it’s ok to ask for more information.   Not only that, but asking questions helps demonstrate your interest in the company and culture and will show your enthusiasm, something all potential employers want to see.  Following tip 2, if you want to write questions down and refer to them during the interview, put them into a physical notepad – it will make much more sense to the interviewer. ​ If you need any help with your recruitment, setting up online video interviews or with your job search please get in touch with the team. Register your CV or vacancy on our website or give us a call. We are here to support you. Good luck with the interviews! 

Jayne Wogan

31/03/2020 Top Tips

Coronavirus is, unsurprisingly, having a huge impact on the recruitment industry. With the situation changing hourly, businesses and candidates need to be prepared, adaptable and cautious in order to safeguard themselves and others during this unsettling time. ONLINE TOOLS KEEP RECRUITMENT ROLLING  In recent weeks we’ve seen a dramatic rise in video interviewing as many companies are encouraging employees to work from home. Google has moved all job interviews to hangouts, Amazon and Facebook have put all on-site job interviews on hold indefinitely and LinkedIn has made all job interviews virtual.  Web conferencing business Zoom Video Communications has seen a jump in usage and had started to remove the 40-minute limit on free meetings for users in China to help more people to work remotely. IT'S NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM...  This period of uncertainty needn’t affect the recruitment process, we all just need to think of alternative means and using technology to overcome the challenges, without delaying key hires that will contribute to your future success.   Here at Jonathan Lee Recruitment we’ve been using video interviewing tools successfully with our clients and candidates, globally for quite some time. TOP TIPS FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAMS...  We’ve put together our top tips for businesses and candidates to prepare you and your teams during this time. For businesses Update your team on any changes to the interview format - including video interviews Speak to your candidates - if your company is operating a remote working policy, make your candidates aware of the new, online recruitment process Software and hardware check - ensure you have the technology in place to conduct online interviews Show your team how to conduct effective video interviews - it's not that different to being face to face... Technical interviews - make sure you have the appropriate tools in place to enable candidates to complete online tasks Follow up with your team in a timely manner to assess candidates’ post-interview and decisions on the next steps. In the absence of an "in-person" experience candidates may look for a faster turnaround on feedback ​For candidates Follow up with your recruitment -  Don’t pause your job search. Hiring teams will be adjusting to new interview formats and schedules. If you’re collaborative and adapt to the changing process, you may gain a strong advantage over the competition Prepare for a professional interview. Make sure all devices (laptop, headphones, camera, lights and internet connection) are set up properly and tested before the interview. Dress in business attire as you would for on-site interviews. Maintain a professional appearance and speak clearly and be prepared to repeat phrases or questions as you may experience technical difficulties Follow up post-interview to thank the team as per onsite interviews Don’t forget to turn off your camera and exit the platform once the interview is complete! GET IN TOUCH  Whether you’re a candidate or a business we can help you navigate through these difficult times.  Get in touch to find out how. Jayne Wogan, Head of Client Services jayne.wogan@jonlee.co.uk 01384 446175

Jayne Wogan

12/03/2020 talent management

With Brexit on the horizon and still much uncertainty around what it means for the engineering and manufacturing communities, EEF has dedicated a new section of its website to provide information and support to members. The website offers access to all the latest news and developments, with information on how EEF is working to secure a smooth and orderly exit from the EU.  It also hosts a useful Brexit FAQs, answering the most common questions you have about the UK leaving Europe.    Also new to the site is a Brexit Toolkit, a self-audit tool that delivers a simple, easy-to-understand report to help companies plan for the cost of trading with the EU post Brexit. This tool takes you through the exporting and importing journey of your manufactured products and their parts. 

Jayne Wogan

15/10/2018 eef

Last night, 14 brave volunteers from Jonathan Lee Recruitment took part in the annual mixed netball match in aid of Sport Relief.

Jayne Wogan

23/03/2018 News

Our newsletter for the first quarter is now available to download! JLR Newsletter Q1 2018.pdf Size: 2.69 MB  

Jayne Wogan

20/02/2018 News

To celebrate the launch of our new website last month we held a competition to win a £250 Amazon voucher. Anyone who registered an account with us in January had the chance to win this wonderful prize! All registrations were entered into a draw with the winner picked at random last week. And the winner is... We are delighted to announce that the winner of the £250 Amazon voucher is...Chris Booth Congratulations Chris and thanks for registering. We've emailed you to with more information about how to claim your prize. What's New? The new jonlee.co.uk offers a more visually, engaging and interactive experience, making it easier than ever before to locate suitable jobs. With a suite of new features designed with you in mind, we're confident you'll enjoy the new site as much as we do! Interactive candidate dashboard - manage your personal details, update your CV and track your applications. Social registration and job application - use your LinkedIn account to log in and apply for jobs. Job alerts service - simply set your search preferences, choose how often you want to be notified and receive suitable jobs by email. Contractors zone - with payment information, useful downloads and links to our online timesheet system. Updated FAQs and interactive enquiry forms. New blog and media centre - stay up-to-date with the latest news. Dedicated sector and service pages - meet our teams and learn more about our expertise. Mobile first approach - allowing you easy access to all website features no matter what device. Stay Connected The launch of our new website is just one of many ways we'll be celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. Keep up-to-date with the latest news and announcements here. Contact Us Got a question regarding the new website? Contact a member of the team – we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Jayne Wogan

12/02/2018 News

 #christmasjumperday #JONLEELIFE.    The Jonathan Lee offices have got their jingle bells, tinsel and elf hats out for this year’s Christmas Jumper Day to support Save the Children.

Jayne Wogan

15/12/2017 charity

Last month, global representatives met at the bi annual IMSA International Executive Search conference to exchange knowledge of local markets, international assignments and discuss the global executive search industry.

Jayne Wogan

23/11/2017 Aerospace

Today, Jonathan Lee Recruitment has proudly supported ‘Wear it Pink’ with several fundraising activities to help raise money for Breast Cancer Now. .

Jayne Wogan

20/10/2017 News

Our newsletter for the final quarter of 2017 is now available to download!  JL Newsletter Q4 2017.pdf Size: 1.69 MB

Jayne Wogan

11/10/2017 News

Last week, our brave team of resolute, relentless runners donned all things hi-vis to take part in Mary Stevens Hospice's Neon Night 5km Run. Having endured a summer of intense training regimes, our elite squad was battle-ready and eager to go! Never will a 5km race be contested so valiantly or colourfully.

Jayne Wogan

27/09/2017 JonLee Life

Engineering and manufacturing specialist consultancy Jonathan Lee Recruitment has strengthened its product development team with the appointment of a new senior technical consultant. Paul Robson brings 11 years’ automotive, motorsport and aerospace experience with a notable specialism in the design, development, design validation and application of high performance electric machines to his new role; sourcing product development experts to the transportation and scientific sectors.

Jayne Wogan

26/09/2017 Automotive

Neon Night 5km Run When:   Friday 22nd September @ 6:30 pm  Where:  Himley Hall, Himley, Dudley Before you continue to read the rest of this blog, envisage your favourite Rocky training montage.... at the same time as humming the theme tune ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ Ready?!

Jayne Wogan

14/09/2017 charity

Last week, the JLR team was treated to an evening of great food, rockin’ live music and of course great company at our end-of-summer party for 2017. Hosted at the fantastic Harley’s Smokehouse Orangery and cocktail bar in Kinver, the evening kicked off with a welcome from Jonathan Lee, our Chairman, who congratulated everyone on their hard work and success for the year to date, welcoming new members of the team and setting our goal to make 2017 another record year for the business.

Jayne Wogan

12/09/2017 events

We've put our team under the spotlight to ask how they would describe Jonathan Lee Recruitment in three words. Click play below to find out! Find out more about us: www.jonlee.co.uk/about-us Learn more about working for us and view our latest jobs: www.jonlee.co.uk/work-for-us

Jayne Wogan

26/07/2017 JonLee Life

Last week, the valiant JLR 11 (plus cheerleaders) faced Higgs & Sons at the most British of summer sports; cricket! The sun shone and as usual, the beautiful backdrop of Hagley Hall provided us with an excellent pitch to commence our annual challenge.  The team was joined on the pitch by a few hundred-thousand hungry red ants who made the most of the opportunity by feeding vigorously on the men in white – especially the poor umpires who held their positions bravely! Winning the toss and opting to field first, we knew from previous games that Higgs have a couple of big-hitters as well as some experienced bowlers, so we had to make a good start.   Matt Heath opened the bowling with Connor Woakes at the other end and after the first four overs we took the first wicket for 25 runs. For this 20-over game,  the run-rate was starting to look expensive. Excellent bowling efforts by Ed, Grant, Lee, Jonathan, Tom, Mark and Richard led to a further 8 wickets falling but at the expense of too many runs. In support of the bowling, we watched some epic exhibition fielding, catching and the occasional refusal (known internally as ‘no way am I catching that ball’!) Richard's first ball took one of Higgs' core batsman completely by surprise, taking his middle stump clean out of the ground. However, Richard's next few balls were very Very VERY wide of the mark. He's promised to work on his consistency for the next outing, but a great performance nonetheless. With Higgs & Sons ending on 161, the target was set for the JLR team. Enter Ed and Mark to open our batting effort. Our hopes were high but unfortunately Ed was caught short on 3. Mark continued through the innings and finally retired on 25. Dave (retiring on 25) and Sam Booker (out on 6), also joined the fray and our score steadily built, but we were still off the pace, Higgs’ bowling and fielding was tight and the target of 161 seemed a long way off. Enter Dan and BIG Tom, who decided to throw caution to the wind and really go for it! With canny shot selection at first, Tom then unleashed the power shots - Bang! his first six cleared the rope, then shortly after two more followed, the last one clearing the bar and social club (missing the beer pumps, thank goodness). This looked to be a winning partnership until Dan was bowled in short order.  Tom had to retire as he had reached his 25, but if not for this rule, he might still be there now! Matt and Connor then batted for the last 4 overs of the game adding 12 to our total but alas, it was not quite enough.  Higgs won by 13 runs.  A really close match and so much fun for all those participating and watching.  The team is already in intensive training for the rematch (!)

Jayne Wogan

23/07/2017 JonLee Life

Last week, Matthew Heath, Associate Director of Jonathan Lee Search & Selection, attended an Aviation Club Luncheon where guest speaker Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Transport, discussed the future of British aviation.

Jayne Wogan

18/07/2017 Aviation

Download our latest newsletter here   JLR Newsletter Q3 2017.pdf Size: 338 KB  

Jayne Wogan

11/07/2017 News

Jayne Wogan

06/07/2017 search-and-selection

The hunt to find Britain’s best manufacturers is on. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has launched the 9th annual Future Manufacturing Awards, designed to find Britain’s unsung manufacturing heroes and most outstanding apprentices.   There are nine award categories that companies can go for. This includes a Developing People Award, sponsored by Jonathan Lee Recruitment, for the company that has done the most to build skills, harness talent and develop its employees. Last year’s winner was Superior Seals, a leading manufacturer of high integrity o-rings and seals, which employs 199 people.

Jayne Wogan

29/06/2017 General engineeri...

Over the Easter period, we reconfirmed the extent of our staff's weakness for chocolate with our Chocolate Hamper raffle, being one of the most eagerly anticipated draws of the year.  Thanks to all the staff who helped to raise funds for our friends at the Hall Green Retired Greyhound Trust.

Jayne Wogan

27/04/2017 charity

As part of the company’s charity diary, Jonathan Lee team members have taken part in several fundraising activities in support of Red Nose Day for Comic Relief.  Last week's dress down day and bake sale proved to be as popular as ever with generous donations contributing to the cause. A special mention must go to Theresa and Steph for their delicious bakes, which went like hot cakes (no pun intended!). Our waistlines are definitely feeling the effects! 

Jayne Wogan

27/03/2017 charity

Last week, Jonathan Lee team members continued its time honoured tradition of partaking in a charity fundraising netball match in aid of Mary Stevens Hospice, Stourbridge. The game was fast, confusing, occasionally aggressive and utterly exhausting! Our noble players on this occasion met on Tuesday night with a slight nervousness in the air. With Lois and Matt taking turns at refereeing during the 4 x 10 minute quarters, the two teams began, asking the usual questions: Where do we start? Where can I go? How many steps can I take? And of course, when is the pub open?

Jayne Wogan

20/03/2017 charity

MIA Motorsport & Automotive Jobs Fair Tuesday 21st March, 10.00am - 16.00pm Silverstone Circuit If you are thinking about a career in the automotive or motorsport sector, then be certain to attend the MIA Motorsport & Automotive Jobs Fair taking place on Tuesday 21st March between 10.00am - 16.00pm at Silverstone Circuit.

Jayne Wogan

17/03/2017 Automotive

Since the incorporation of Jonathan Lee Contracts Limited in 1994, the contractor landscape has changed dramatically in some ways and has remained fundamentally the same in others. The demand in the UK and Europe for a flexible workforce continues to increase and the growth in contracting roles is now outpacing that seen in the permanent jobs category. For many, this has led to the conclusion that contracting is being embraced by hirers as ‘the new norm’.

Jayne Wogan

13/03/2017 contractors

Team members from Jonathan Lee Recruitment attended the Future Powertrain Conference (#FPC2017) last week to learn about the latest innovations in the powertrain industry. The two day event that was held at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, brought together industry and academic experts to explore topics from fuel cells and hydrogen to automated driving and the application of digital technologies.

Jayne Wogan

10/03/2017 Powertrain