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<p>In memory of his father Owen, who died in July 2020 from a very aggressive form of bile duct cancer, 37-year-old Osian was determined to raise money for Cancer Research UK but in a different way, so by using a rowing machine and a Ski Erg (gym equipment which mimics the movements of Nordic skiing) he covered a distance of one million metres, or 621 miles.</p>
<p>Osian, who lives in Cardiff, completed the task in 31 consecutive days covering on average just over 32,000 metres per day, which took him around two and a half hours to complete.</p>
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<p>By raising &pound;5,700 he smashed his original fundraising goal of &pound;3,500 in 34 days, raising around &pound;1,500 more and completing the challenge three days earlier than planned.</p>
<p>Osian explained the reason he decided to take on this mammoth fitness fundraising challenge: &ldquo;There was less than a month between my father starting to feel unwell and passing away, so it was a huge shock to the whole family. Dad was a former headteacher and founded and ran an outdoor education centre in Kent for 26 years, giving disadvantaged children from inner-city London a chance to experience and learn about the countryside. He then retired to his native Pembrokeshire in 2004 but passed away in July 2020 from this aggressive cancer.</p>
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<p>Osian said: &ldquo;I underestimated how tough it would be to cover 32,000 metres a day, and once I started, immediately regretted setting myself the challenge. However, I raised &pound;1,000 in the first 24 hours so that motivated me to carry on! I am so grateful to all of those who supported me in memory of my father, including my wonderful Acorn colleagues who donated in droves.&rdquo;</p>
<p>This is not Osian&rsquo;s first successful fundraiser, as over the two years he&rsquo;s been at Acorn he&rsquo;s raised more than &pound;11,000 for cancer charities, including a challenge in 2019 where he cycled 980 miles from Land&rsquo;s End to John O&rsquo;Groats over nine days, in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support<em>.</em></p>
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<p>Director of Operations, Marc Jones said of the fundraising, &ldquo;I am so proud of Osian&rsquo;s achievement. He is a shining example to us all by raising money for such a fantastic cause at time when he is dealing with his own grief.</p>
<p>&ldquo;We understand that in this difficult time, supporting and raising money for charity is more important than ever, with much needed research being able to continue and make a difference to so many people&rsquo;s lives. Knowing Osian, this won&rsquo;t be the last time we see him do some fantastic challenges to raise funds for charity and Acorn Recruitment will support him every mile of the way.&rdquo;</p>
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Acorn Operations Manager rows and skis his way to a £5000 fundraising target

<p class="__intro">Leading specialist recruitment firm Acorn is celebrating after being recognised as Responsible Business Champions Cymru 2020 by Business in the Community (BITC) Cymru.</p>
<p>For over 20 years Business in the Community&rsquo;s Responsible Business Awards have celebrated businesses demonstrating strong, inclusive leadership, and who continuously innovate to tackle pressing social issues.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Acorn was acknowledged by the judging panel as having in place &ldquo;pioneering, innovative and inclusive employment schemes to solve skill shortages and imbalances in the labour market&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Through partnering with other organisations that are forces for social good, Acorn has been able to rehabilitate ex-offenders, support those at risk from homelessness, increase the representation of women and help the long-term unemployed back into work.</p>
<p class="__intro"><strong>Acorn&rsquo;s Director of Operations, Marc Jones said; </strong>&ldquo;We have seen first-hand here at Acorn by Synergie, what a difference the right support can make, having placed some 40 ex-offenders into permanent positions in the past two years alone."</p>
<p class="__intro"><strong>Bernard Ward, Group Managing Director said:&nbsp;</strong>&ldquo;This is fantastic news for our hard-working Construction Team, and everyone at Acorn is thrilled.</p>
<p>Our Operations Team constantly go above and beyond to build partnerships and create new initiatives to help overcome barriers to employment, and their focus on working to support their communities is relentless. To see this continued hard work being recognised is brilliant and encouraging &ndash; I look forward to seeing their future achievements.&rdquo;</p>

Leading Acorn team recognised as Responsible Business Champions Cymru 2020

<p class="__intro">The&nbsp;<em>Career Changers &ndash; Women into Construction Project</em>, by Encon Construction, has succeeded in getting funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).</p>
<p>Encon is partnering with Acorn Recruitment and a number of other organisations in the sector, including Cardiff Community Housing Association, the Home Builders Federation, Glamorgan Construction Training Group, and Chwarae Teg for a project aimed at tackling the industry skills shortage by attracting more women into a construction career.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a two-and-a-half-year programme which will provide free organisation and unconscious bias training as well as mentorship for 50 women. One of its focuses is on helping&nbsp;support those changing careers, and those employing them, to implement flexible working arrangements as a further step to bringing talented women into the industry.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to become a mentor and hopefully help other women to fulfil their career goals by sharing my knowledge and experience from 20 years in construction,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Antonia John, business development and CSR manager at Encon.</p>
<p>Phil Woodward, Encon&rsquo;s managing director, added: &ldquo;We are the first SME in Wales to have been awarded a CITB commission, and I am thrilled to be working on such an inspiring project that has the potential to transform the way the industry works, and the lives of all who engage with it.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Lawrence Beach, Construction Operations Manager at Acorn, said: &ldquo;We have lots of working examples of women thriving within the construction industry, but the gender gap remains an issue facing the sector. This partnership shows that employers and jobseekers of all backgrounds can work together in pursuit of a common goal, regardless of any perceived differences to the contrary.</p>
<p>We&rsquo;re absolutely delighted to place women into a work environment that they feel not only fulfilled by, but confidently capable of carrying out to the best of their abilities.&rdquo;</p>

Acorn partners with EnCon's The Career Changers - Women into Construction Project

Acorn awarded place on public services supplier framework

<p>Acorn's Kristy Moore talks to Recruitment Grapevine on how job interviews should never &lsquo;jeopardise&rsquo; an applicant&rsquo;s current position.</p>
<p>Securing an interview is arguably the easier part of the recruitment process, after all it&rsquo;s the first steppingstone for a candidate looking to embark on a new career or change jobs.</p>
<p>However, it&rsquo;s what comes next that can cause some issues &ndash; getting time off to attend said interview.</p>
<p>It&rsquo;s a tricky one, with many employees opting to take holiday in order to attend the interview for their dream role, but it seems one candidate was offered some unusual advice by a recruiter in order to attend theirs.</p>
<p>One Reddit user took to the forum to share his tale, after a recruiter suggested he take a sick day in order to attend an interview.</p>
<p>User u/brvtalbadger pasted the request from the recruiter, which read: &ldquo;Hey again Olly, struggling to get something booked in at the moment to be honest &ndash; do you think there is any way you could be cheeky and pull a sick day to get down on the Thursday at 3pm?&rdquo;</p>
<p>Shocked by the request, the user responded to the recruiter stating that he would like to decline the interview altogether if this was their typical approach, or that the company can wait a week to see him when he can attend an interview in his own free time.</p>
<p>Recruitment Grapevine reached out to some recruiters to gauge their thoughts on this tactic, finding out whether this is a standard procedure for recruiters or something that should never be considered.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When clients are looking for folks to join their company, headhunters are often approaching passive traffic; recruiters should always outline the detail of how they will approach the market, and what clients may expect. In today&rsquo;s market the onus lies with recruiters to educate and inform all parties around the process, and to manage expectations of all involved,&rdquo; said Laura Le Masurier, CEO of Crucial Recruitment.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Often, clients may need to interview outside of working hours. I would not hire someone who &lsquo;pulled a sickie&rsquo; to be at the interview, nor work with a recruiter who employed such methods, it sets an awful precedent.&rdquo;</p>
<p>If a candidate is happy to fake illness, then it may showcase a lack of commitment and responsibility if they can so easily drop their current role to attend an interview.</p>
<p>Similarly, Kristy Moore believes job interviews should never &lsquo;jeopardise&rsquo; an applicant&rsquo;s current position.</p>
<p>&ldquo;With flexible working on the rise, employed jobseekers are finding interviews easier to attend but coordinating them should never jeopardise your current position. You want to leave on good terms,&rdquo; she added.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The temptation to duck out between meetings is always there but I only ever advise caution &ndash; being discovered during company time means an uncomfortable situation for all. In a perfect world, avoid taking time off altogether &ndash; many of our clients understand the difficulties juggling a job search with work presents, often meeting the right candidate outside work hours.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Taking a day&rsquo;s holiday otherwise allows for plenty of preparation time and the benefit of feeling more relaxed. You are entitled to request time away whilst keeping your reasons vague but avoid pulling a sickie at all costs.&rdquo;</p>
<p class="__intro">How to advise your applicant to attend an interview:</p>
<ul>
<li>Work with clients and employers who can offer interviews out of working hours or telephone/video interviews.</li>
<li>Suggest taking annual leave to attend an interview.</li>
<li>Advise applicants not to lie to their current employer, to help avoid any uncomfortable conversations later.</li>
<li>According to CV-Library, jobseekers should also keep their reasons for taking time off vague. This will help to avoid any tricky questions when they return to work.</li>
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Best Practice | How Acorn advises an applicant to attend an interview

<h5 class="__intro">Top Welsh employers and HR professionals were recognised at the third annual Wales HR Awards on Friday 22 March.</h5>
<p>Hosted by Sian Lloyd, the awards &mdash; launched in 2017 by leading recruitment agency Acorn and commercial law firm Darwin Gray in partnership with the Wales HR Network &mdash; saw individuals and teams from across the country attend a black-tie event at the Exchange Hotel in Cardiff.</p>
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<p><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/m3idjijuhcq9ym6plqzcuxqhflu1" alt="Rising HR Star Emma Beth Smart" width="100%"></p>
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<p>Celebrating outstanding people and businesses for their contribution to HR and showcasing the best examples of learning and people management practice over the past twelve months, the evening featured inspirational keynote speaker, Bafta and multi-award-winning television presenter Lowri Morgan.</p>
<p>Firstsource Solutions Ltd, Gower College Swansea and Companies House were among the event&rsquo;s success stories, with winners announced in 13 categories, including the Best HR Initiative award which has been introduced for 2019 to recognise outstanding innovation and thought leadership across the sector.</p>
<p>HR Team of the Year was awarded to Firstsource Solutions Ltd for how its PeopleFirst plan raised employee engagement, increased governance and promoted a culture centred on employee wellbeing. Gower College Swansea scooped three awards in total, Sarah King was awarded the coveted HR Star Award along with HR Director of the Year for a second year running thanks to her demonstrable impact on her team, organisation and local community, and the team were also awarded Best Use of the Welsh Language.</p>
<p>Companies House took home Employer of the Year for its &lsquo;Flourish&rsquo; initiative which has increased diversity, inclusion and community feeling within the organisation through supportive coaching and mentoring.</p>
<p>A new category &mdash; created by the judges in light of this year&rsquo;s exceptional young talent &mdash; HR Rising Star was awarded to Emma Beth Smart of Monmouthshire Building Society.</p>
<h5>Acorn&rsquo;s Director of Operations for South Wales, Maria Larcombe, said: &ldquo;People development is front and centre to how businesses operate and It&rsquo;s been fantastic to see so many excellent HR professionals come together to showcase the talent driving the future of HR in Wales forward. The standard of entries has been superb and all of our shortlisted individuals and teams have shown the highest commitment to maximising employee potential.&rdquo;</h5>
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<p><img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/uobqcf4b99f2b2c2kwqttw7xe0bp" alt="Winners of 2019" width="100%"></p>
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<p>Once again, it&rsquo;s been a pleasure to host the awards alongside Darwin Gray as partners of the Wales HR Network and I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing what our winners and the profession as a whole can achieve in Wales over the coming months.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Darwin Gray&rsquo;s Head of Employment Law and HR, Fflur Jones added:</p>
<blockquote>
<p class="__intro">&nbsp;&ldquo;It has once again been a fantastic year to celebrate HR in Wales. It is a privilege, as partners of the Wales HR Network, to bring together such incredible talent in one room to shine a light on the hard work and dedication of an often underacknowledged profession. We are looking forward to what the rest of 2019 has in store!&rdquo;</p>
<p class="__intro">&nbsp;&ldquo;It has once again been a fantastic year to celebrate HR in Wales. It is a privilege, as partners of the Wales HR Network, to bring together such incredible talent in one room to shine a light on the hard work and dedication of an often underacknowledged profession. We are looking forward to what the rest of 2019 has in store!&rdquo;</p>
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<p>Take a look through our photo gallery&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/153417838@N08/sets/72157679541032608/">here</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>2019 Wales HR Awards winners<strong><br></strong></h3>
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<p>Best HR Initiative&nbsp;<em>(Sponsored by Human Resourcing Specialist Recruitment)</em></p>
<h4>Conduit Global</h4>
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<p>HR Team of the Year&nbsp;<em>(Sponsored by Bowen Eldridge)</em></p>
<h4>Firstsource Solutions UK Ltd</h4>
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<p>Best Use of the Welsh Language in HR</p>
<h4>Gower College Swansea</h4>
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<p>Independent HR Consultant of the Year (<em>Sponsored by Orchard)</em></p>
<h4>Julie Grabham, JG HR Solutions Limited<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>HR Director of the Year (<em>Sponsored by Quantum Advisory)</em></p>
<h4>Sarah King, Gower College Swansea<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>HR Apprentice/Trainee/Assistant of the Year &nbsp;<em>(Sponsored by ILS Training)</em></p>
<h4>Emma Beth Smart, Monmouthshire Building Society<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>Best HR Professional - Financial/Professional Services (<em>Sponsored by Sweetmans and Partners)</em></p>
<h4>Sophie Grant, Target Group<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>Best HR Professional - Public/Third Sector (<em>Sponsored by ALS)</em></p>
<h4>Carolyn Oliver-Hall, International Baccalaureate</h4>
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<p><strong><br></strong>Best HR Professional - IT/Technology (<em>Sponsored by Activ People HR)</em></p>
<h4>Emily Webb, Liberty Marketing<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>Best HR Professional -&nbsp;<em>Construction/Manufacturing/Engineering</em></p>
<h4>Mags Kerns, Calbee<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>Employer of the Year (<em>Sponsored by Capital Law)</em></p>
<h4>Companies House<strong><br></strong></h4>
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<p>HR Star Award</p>
<h4>Sarah King</h4>
<hr>
<p>HR Rising Star</p>
<h4>Emma Beth Smart</h4>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

News

Acorn Operations Manager rows and skis his way to a £5000 fundraising target

Leading Acorn team recognised as Responsible Business Champions Cymru 2020

Acorn partners with EnCon's The Career Changers - Women into Construction Project

Acorn awarded place on public services supplier framework

Best Practice | How Acorn advises an applicant to attend an interview

Winners crowned at Wales HR Awards 2019

Tag - Recruiting

Tag - Wellbeing

Tag - Jobseekers

Tag - Insights

Acorn awarded place on public services supplier framework

Winners crowned at Wales HR Awards 2019

Best Practice | How Acorn advises an applicant to attend an interview