Author Archives: Stephanie Jones

Article by Aaron Morby for constructionenquirer.com

The industry’s best-performing contractors could ban the use of diesel generators on sites within three years.

The proposal forms the central plank of the Construction Leadership Council’s CO2nstruct Zero campaign, which has set a target to cut the amount of diesel used by construction by 78% by 2035.

The CLC has today gone out to consultation on a new route map for the first ever unified plan to slash the amount of diesel used on sites.

Among a series of goals, the CLC aims to get the industry’s best 500 firms to eliminate diesel generators from sites by 2023.

It also wants by 2025 for the industry to switch at the very least to 100% biofuels use for the 300,000 units of construction equipment estimated to be used in construction.

To encourage the switch to alternative fuels, the Council plans to start publishing a checklist of diesel machinery electric alternatives every year for contractors and hirers.

The plan, which has been drawn up by leading contractors, plant firms, clients and trade bodies, wants the ‘best 500’ companies to also publish comprehensive zero diesel plans by 2024.

After this date, it aims for 10% annual growth in the number of published strategies.

The Zero Diesel consultation will remain open until the end of the month, after which feedback will be used to develop a final version of the plan.

Zero Diesel working group chair and HS2 Head of Environmental Sciences Neil Wait said: “As we approach COP27, we are reminded of the commitment that our industry gave last year in Glasgow.

“Our promise was to work together to deliver a Net Zero UK construction sector.

“We can only do that if we have a clear plan to eliminate the carbon emissions from our work.”

He added: “I am delighted that we can now test our proposals to dramatically reduce diesel use with industry and would encourage everyone to play their part in the consultation.”

CLC Deputy Co-Chair Richard Robinson said: “One of the strengths of CLC is its ability to coordinate activity from across the sector ensuring that we can all unite behind a common objective.

“As such, now is your chance to have your say on the way that we will deliver a 78% reduction in diesel use on sites by 2035.”

Draft consultation proposals include:

• Training support to reduce plant idling and an industry fuel-saving ‘tournament’

• Developing a catalogue of diesel-alternative plant and efficiency tools

• Support to develop hydrogen as a fuel source

• Development of checklist to support sites transitioning to electric plant

• Work to improve availability of grid connections to sites

• A target to remove diesel generators from sites

Consultation responses are being collected via the following link.

Despite a hybrid return to the office, interviews continue to be conducted via video link as a first port of call followed by face to face second stage interviews.

So, what can you do to ensure you are invited for second interview?

The do’s

Always ensure you are in a quiet location and that you have a professional looking background.

Ensure you dress appropriately.

Test the video link prior to your interview so you are familiar with it. Also test the sound and picture quality. Have a practice call with a friend or family member so you can adjust if required.

Ensure you have a strong internet connection, and should it fail during your interview you are able to toggle from your phone or have another backup.

Smile and relax, the more at ease you seem the more likely they will want to offer you a second interview.

The don’ts

Don’t have mirrors in your background which could reflect on other areas of your home or the people within it, it is also best to avoid any personal items like photographs etc as this could be distracting.

Avoid cafes if possible, they tend to be too noisy for interviews and you are likely to be disturbed.

Avoid casual hoodies or lounge wear.

Don’t interrupt the interviewer, use the raise hand function if you have a question.

Don’t move too much, stand or leave the room until the interview is over.

By following these simple tips, you know you’re putting your best foot forward.

For a selection of job opportunities, head over to our job board, you can also get in touch with us via our contact page or connect with us on LinkedIn.

Ahead of Sustainability Day on the 26^th of October, we have scoured the internet to find the top 5 tips to be more sustainable at work in 2022.

Of course, some tips may be easier to implement than others, but we can all do our bit for the environment.

1.Reduce plastic usage and recycle.

According to Surfers against Sewage, 12 million tonnes of plastic end in our oceans every year. Plastic has been found in the deepest parts of the ocean, as far as the Antarctic and across UK’s beaches.

From encouraging your team to use reusable coffee cups and water bottles to banning single use plastics such as plastics straws and cutlery.

2.Switch your office energy provider to a green supplier.

This may be a tad difficult to implement especially in shared building but there are quite a few green energy suppliers such as Ecotricity.

3.Offer a cycle to work scheme.

Cycle to Work is a government initiative that we’ve supported for many years which offers employees who want to cycle to work the opportunity to get a new bike and accessories, tax-free. According to the .GOV website:

‘Many employees choose to cycle to work. As well as being one of the healthiest and most environmentally friendly modes of transport, cycling is a great way to reduce congestion.’

4.Consider working in a co-working space.

There are countless reasons why working in a co-working space is beneficial, but from an environmental perspective shared spaces and resources Coworking spaces possess a huge potential to support environmental sustainability due to their inherently sharing-oriented constitution.

5.Print less.

This may seem like an obvious one but going digital is better for the environment but could also save your company money on ink and paper. And, if you really have to print that document, try using recycled paper.

We at Intersect Global have already implement some of these initiatives to do our bit for the planet and be a more sustainable recruitment business.

Want to be part of our team? We are recruiting for a range of Quantity Surveying roles with Civil engineering contractors across London and the South East, send us your CV or connect with us on LinkedIn.

The pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have made a lot of individuals re- evaluate their work lives. Some are on the look out for more money, others more perks or simply a better work-life balance.

You may have read our previous blog post on the optimal times to find a new job – ‘Is September a good time to search for a new job?’ in which we spoke of the most optimal times to job hunt. It seems the recruitment norm remains true this autumn with recruiters reporting an increase in job searches. There have been reports October is predicted to be one of the busiest months for job hunters, as candidates hope to secure a new career before the pre-festive slump in recruitment.

Job hunting can be nerve-wracking at the best of times but especially to be doing so in the one of the busiest periods before Christmas. So, what can you do to ensure that you CV and professional profile make it to the top of the candidate list?

Ensure you CV is up to date and contains the right key words.

Follow this link for our Top Tips on CV writing. The key words employers will look for in your CV will be found in the job ad, so it is important to tailor your CV and covers letter to each ad.

Make yourself known

As well as applying for suitable roles on various online platforms, it is good practice to also check out our website and getting in touch via email or phone to discuss any potential job openings. 

Since the pandemic, people are less likely to have in-person meetings but here at Intersect Global we like to speak to all our candidates whether that be on the phone or via a video call. The more we know you, the more likely it is we can find the right role for you.

Networking

Networking is a great way to meet new work contacts and to get your profile/cv out there and under the eyes of the right person. LinkedIn is a great tool for this and is used by job hunters, recruiters, and companies alike.

There are many articles online which can help you to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

At Intersect Global, we are adding new roles onto our job boards daily so it is worth checking it regularly.

For all queries email us at sjones@intersectglobal.co.uk

Follow the link below for the full article:

https://recruiter.co.uk/news/2022/09/mini-budget-recruiters-give-nitty-gritty-changes-ir35-and-msc-legislation

Article by DEEDEE DOKE of recruiter.co.uk

For a selection of our job vacancies head over to our job board or alternatively check out our company page on LinkedIn and connect with us. Should you have any questions regarding any of the roles we have on offer, you can also email us.

Generally speaking, to increase your chances of finding the job that best suits your preferences, experience and qualifications always ensure that you regularly update your CV and keep looking throughout the year.

That said, there are times of the year where hiring tends to be slower namely December and August. In December, businesses will tend to work towards wrapping things up before Christmas and New Year’s Eve, office environments will be more relaxed and as a norm companies won’t employ new team members during that time as their induction and training is likely to be interrupted by the festive season.

In August, the summer holidays are in full swing, hiring managers and their teams will be on holiday and most teams will function with a lower amount of people in the office.

So, when are the optimal times of the year in which to apply for a new role?

The general recruiting consensus is that September and January are a great time to begin the search for a new job.

Some reasons for this are that hiring managers are now fully back in the office after the festive season or the summer months and will have more bandwidth to divert their attention to recruitment. Recruiting companies also know that graduates will be looking for work then so will dedicate more time to it. 

With September well and truly here, is your CV up to date? For some top tips on CV writing read our CV Writing Blog.

Alternatively, if your CV is ready to go and you are looking for greener pastures, why not head over to our job board, you can also connect with us via our LinkedIn page or email us. 

As of the 1st of October 2022, employers will no longer be able to carry out Right to Work or ID checks remotely.

Photo by Romain Dancre on Unsplash

Read this article by ShipShape to find out what’s changing and how employers will be carrying out these checks going forward.

Are you looking for the next step in your career? If so head over to our job board for a selection of roles on offer, connect with us on LinkedIn or email us.

With the UK set to have another heatwave this week, we were glad here at Intersect Global to read that:

‘Making better use of rain water in London was the focus of a new funding stream announced last week. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced £4M in funding for 19 projects across the capital aimed at building resilience to climate change and that Eleven boroughs will receive £2.85M from the Green and Healthy Streets Fund and funding will also be provided to enable the development of strategic green walking routes.’

Read the full article below:

Intersect Global works with major infrastructure providers and contractors in London and the South East , to see a list of civil engineering roles currently available head over to our job board on our site or alternatively why not connect with us on LinkedIn.