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As a long-distance driver, it’s likely you’ll be required to drive in other countries during your career. Seems simple enough but it’s vital you prepare properly for driving in a new country. Here’s our top tips.

Are you on the “right” side of the road? It may seem obvious but if you’re having to drive on a different side of the road than you are used to it can be strange and disorientating. Make sure you concentrate and take extra care when having to overtake other vehicles if appropriate.

What are the rules? Don’t assume that the country you’re driving in follows the same rules as the UK – make sure you’ve checked the relevant highway code and you’re aware of any differences in road rules that you should be aware of.

Plan in advance. Consider your journey in advance and have a think about any stops you might need to make in your route. Whether it be to re-fuel or take a rest, it’s best to plan your stops in advance when in an unfamiliar environment.

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

The things about job searching is that it inevitably results in interviews. Interviewing is a vital part of the job-hunting process; unfortunately you can’t get around it, and it can leave people feeling anxious. If you feel stressed about your next interview, take a look at our top tips for managing your anxiety here.

Take a step back. Concentrate on slowing your breathing and pay attention to your body language; sit up straight, maintain eye contact and try not to seem restless.

Remind yourself about the positives. There’s a reason you’ve been invited to interview – because the hiring manager thinks you might have the skills and experiences needed for the role in question. That’s a good start!

Make sure you’re prepared. Think about your answers in advance to typical interview questions and make sure you’ve taken the time to research the organisation thoroughly.

It’s a two way conversation. You’re making sure this job and organisation is right for you, just as much as your interviewer is assessing your suitability for the role too.

Don’t overdo it on the coffee! A nice cup of coffee might feel like the thing you need to focus your mind but don’t have too much. Caffeine can increase your heart rate and leave you feeling more anxious than before.

Good luck with your next interview!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff Recruitment can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Organisation at work is an absolute must. If you’re not organised at work you’re not going to be effective and you could find yourself falling behind. If you’re not sure where to start with getting more organised at work, but want to improve your efficiency, read on!

Make a list. How can you know what’s a priority if you’ve not made a list? Consider all of the tasks that need to be completed in your day, think about which ones are most important and how long each task will take, and make a list of tasks for the day. You can then focus your energy in completing your list – and completing your most important tasks!

Forget multi-tasking. Multi-tasking at work won’t end with you completing more tasks at once – it’s easy to get distracted and try to do everything at once, but it isn’t very organised. Complete one task at a time to ensure you remain effective and prioritise your tasks.

Can you delegate? If you’re able to delegate work, do so. It’s important that you consider what tasks could be completed by your team or others around you to ensure everyone is organised and effective.

Remember – there’s only so many hours in the day! Whenever you re organising your day remember there’s only so many hours in the day – make sure your tasks fit the amount of time you actually have to complete them!

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

People’s motivations at work can be varied and complex, and when considering motivations, employers should be aware of what motivates employees and makes them loyal. Here’s a few top motivators for today’s workforce.

Getting the balance right is key. Quality of life is important, for well being and good mental health, and people want to feel they aren’t being pressured into staying late at work. Encourage everyone to work their contracted hours only.

Encourage healthy relationships. It’s the people that make it worthwhile – people like to work in strong, motivated and positive teams, and should be encouraged to form friendships and be comfortable with their colleagues.

It’s all about praise. It’s easy to forget to praise good work, but it’s vital you do – a “well done” and a “thank you” goes a long way and boosts people’s confidence and motivation, plus those around them.

What about salary? You may think that a good salary is the most important thing to people – yes, the money’s got to be right, but even if people are being paid over the odds, if they don’t feel job satisfaction they’re likely to move on in the end.

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Forklift jobs are by no means easy jobs. Even with safety measures improving and equipment becoming more sophisticated working in a fast pace warehouse environment can be stressful. So what are the major challenges to forklift work, and how can you combat workplace stress?

What’s the temperature? Often forklift drivers are required to work in changing temperatures, whether it’s outside, inside or in freezer environments. This can be both physically and mentally stressful – make sure you’ve put the right safeguards in place, so forklift operators don’t feel the effects of changing temperatures too harshly.

Looming deadlines. Forklift operators usually work in fast paced environments with strict deadlines, meaning there’s a temptation to rush and potentially cause accidents. Managing workload and deadlines effectively is vital to avoid deadline stress.

Training needs. Training can sometimes feel like an afterthought or another stress for forklift operators. By using our partner organisation The Forklift Truck Training Centre you can remove all the stress out of training and make the process as easy as possible.

For more information about our forklift vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Working in a warehouse provides an opportunity for a long and successful career. With demand in warehousing on the way up, now is the time to build a successful career in the warehouse. But where to start?

Take every opportunity to build your skills. If training is offered, take it. Find opportunities to develop your skills in communication and problem solving. You may also need to operate machinery – attention to detail is crucial.

Stay up to date with the trends. The warehouse and logistics sector is growing and developing all the time – by keeping up to date with the latest trends you can ensure you perform your role to the best of your ability.

Build relationships. Networking and meeting industry professionals is a great way to find new opportunities in the future to build your career. Find professional sector recruiters (like us!) you can partner with too to find new opportunities when you’re ready to progress.

For more information about our latest driving vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected]

Interviews are the gateway to a new opportunity – and it’s important to make a good impression. One thing you need to consider carefully is what to wear to your next interview. So what should you wear to your next interview to stand out and make a good impression?

Find out first. There’s no harm in asking the person arranging the interview what the dress code is for the interview in question – if you arrive to the interview in a suit but everyone else is in their warehouse kit you might feel a bit out of place! Asking for guidance on this is perfectly fine.

Does it match? Stick to a maximum of two to three different colours and consider things like your bag, umbrella, your coat – they are all part of your ensemble and where possible should also compliment a cohesive look.

Where what you already own. The danger of buying something new for an interview is that it may not fit, or look and feel right! Where clothes you feel confident and comfortable in.

Prepare in advance! Make sure your chosen clothes are washed and ironed well before the big day. The (not so) secret to success is preparation!

For more information about our latest driving vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

The logistics industry is changing; many companies are starting to invest in new vehicles run on electricity. Although petrol and diesel vehicles won’t be retired just yet, it’s clear that there are plenty of benefits to using electrical vehicles and companies need to start thinking about investing. So what are the benefits?

They’re cheaper to run. OK, so the initial cost of an electric vehicle may be higher than a standard vehicle, however electric vehicles are much cheaper to run, with electric costing nowhere near as much as petrol or diesel.

They’re cheaper to repair. Given the design of an electric vehicle, they have fewer moving parts and as such are easier and cheaper to maintain.

You’re saving the planet! One of the biggest benefits of electric vehicles is that they are friendly to the environment. OK so this may not seem important, but global warming is an issue and companies must take responsibility.

They’re safer. Given the fact that electric vehicles aren’t carrying traditional fuel, should there be a collision, there’s a reduced risk of fire or explosion.

Electric is the future!

For more information about our latest driving vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

Life is busy, that’s for sure! Flexistaff operates nationwide in warehousing and logistics, so we’re used to the fast-paced nature of the sector. Demand is growing and consumer expectation is higher than ever; however, it’s important to remember to give a bit back.

Here at Flexistaff we pride ourselves on supporting our local community as well as the organisations we work with on a daily basis. Keech Hospice is based locally to Flexistaff in Luton; we’ve raised money in the past to support the vital work they do. Over the years we’ve also supported many local and national causes, including raising money to fight breast cancer and for crucial funding for the British Heart Foundation.

To us here at Flexistaff, it’s important we play a part in our local community and give a little back to important causes. It’s something that it really important to many of our candidates and our clients too. Increasingly organisations are playing a more active role in their local communities, which we think is great!

What are the causes most important to you locally?

For more information about our latest vacancies, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us on 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].

We are lucky enough to live in an equal and diverse community, and it’s really important to make sure our workplaces reflect those values. Equality and diversity must be top priorities for any and all organisations – but how can you encourage equality and diversity in your organisation?

Start from day one – hiring. Make sure the wording in your job descriptions doesn’t discriminate or use stereotypical language. Also, removing the names of candidates from CVs so you’re assessing as person purely on their skills can be a helpful way to encourage equality and banish any unconscious bias.

Make equality and diversity everyone’s business. It’s vital that you create a working environment where people feel they can speak out if they have concerns – it’s incredibly important that everyone feels listened to and respected.

Bring other voices in! Lead from the front, but make sure that the organisation hears from other people external to the organisation about equality and diversity. Encouraging other viewpoints and other voices will encourage people to engage with this very important issue.

Flexistaff cares passionately about encouraging an equal and diverse working environment, both within our own organisation and supporting our clients.

For more information about our job opportunities, or to find out how Flexistaff can support your business, contact us 0844 556 2916 or [email protected].