Enigma: At the Forefront of Electronics

image: Haris Awang

The effects which the latest technology trends, such as 3D printing and wearable technology, are having on our everyday lives are exciting and profound. Enigma People Solutions feels privileged to be working with clients who are at the forefront of today’s technology, in fast paced industries which affect the way our world works today and the way it will look and work in the future. With clients ranging from companies specialising in the design of medical devices to music and sound products, camera and imaging technology, smart sensors, as well companies committed to the provision of greener energy.

Some of our favourite technologies that clients of ours are working on include:

Visible light communication –  one of our clients is leading the field in the use of the visible light instead of radio frequencies for wireless communication. Their goal is to create high-speed wireless access that offers substantially greater data densities than Wi-Fi along with security properties that eliminate unwanted external network intrusion. Their expectation is that combining lighting and data services will offer reduce costs, infrastructure complexity and energy consumption.

Laboratory equipment  – another client, a global developer and manufacturer of high quality, robust and innovative automated laboratory equipment for both the academic and industrial sectors of pharmaceutical and biotech research. Our client’s focus is to reduce material handling costs and put the discovery tools back in the hands of the scientist. The ability to combine cutting edge science with first rate engineering, enables this company to design and develop unique and novel products. We are excited to see the range of skills used by this company including product design conceptualization, prototyping, mechanical and software engineering to final manufacture and sale. As with many companies in this sector close relationships have been formed with academia and pharmaceutical companies to understand the technological needs of industry and to provide solutions to optimise workflow and reduce costs.

Our client working on power system solutions develops solutions that are used by power system operators and planners worldwide for improving power system security, securely increasing power transfer levels and tracking power system performance, including dynamics, model validation, tuning of power system stabilisers and more.

In short, this company is forging new ways to monitor and reduce power usage and wastage providing this with real green credentials. What has excited the people we have placed with this client is the thought that they are doing their bit to conserve energy and reduce energy wastage and in doing so making a real impact on the world today.

These technologies are fast changing the world that we live in and as always it’s an exciting time be a part of this industry. Although we are excited to see what the new trends like wearable tech and 3D printing will bring to the industry we wondered what other technology products or innovations inspire and excite you?

Do you agree that these new technologies will radically revolutionise how we live our lives? That they will continue grow to allow small UK firms to compete on an international level?

If working with these innovative and exciting technologies is what inspires you, then get in touch (hello@enigmapeople.com) and find out how you can play your part in the industry. For more information on our vacancies visit www.enigampeople.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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When Is It Time To Bring In A Recruiter?

Photo: Lauren Hammond

 

A recruitment consultancy is rarely a company’s first port of call when it comes to growing their team. As human beings we can be quite stubborn and insist that we can fix our problems ourselves. More importantly, we can fix them without spending any money.

But sometimes DIY recruitment causes more problems than it solves, and you can find yourself spending money when you’re trying to save it. You need to determine early on whether or not this is a job for you or for a recruiter.

This can be difficult to tell sometimes, so we thought we’d give you a hand in identifying the signs.

The Role Is Not Your Expertise
It’s hard to hire the best .NET Developer if you’re not actually sure what a .NET Developer does, and more importantly what they specifically need to do well in order to benefit your company. This is why specialist recruiters exist, to know exactly the type of person you need for your company when you’re not quite sure.

The Role Is Specific
If you’re looking for a role that’s flexible and that you can mould around the right person then maybe you could be better off looking on your own. However if your team is missing a specific skill set then you need someone with experience in getting those hard to find talents. Recruiters know who has those skill sets, who’s available and who would fit perfectly within your existing team.

You Don’t Have Time
Recruiting a new hire is difficult and time consuming and not something that every manager has time to do. While using a recruiter costs money, so does not having time to work on your own projects because you’re too busy trying to find your new hire. Think logically about how much time and money it will cost to focus on hiring and you might find that it would be cheaper, and much less stressful, to bring in a recruiter.

You’ve Already Tried To Hire And Were Unsuccessful
You’ve posted your ads, gone through the applicants, maybe even interviewed a few… and still nobody is ticking the right boxes. You don’t know what’s going wrong so you need to bring in the professionals who do, and who will make sure that the next round will go right.

If you recognise any of these signs then we can help! You can email us at hello@enigmapeople.com or give us a call on 0141 332 4422.

Other Helpful Links
8 Mistakes You’re Making When Writing A Job Spec
How To Maintain Healthy Candidate/Client/Recruiter Relationships
The 3 Most Common Lies Told By Recruitment Agencies

6 Ways a Recruiter Can Help Your Job Search

Exclusive access to vacancies and interview tips & techniques are among the top reasons a recruiter can help your job search. We revisit the top 6 reasons…

Enigma People Solutions

So a recent survey tell us that most of us are happy in our jobs, however for a third of those surveyed, a new job would still be very welcome. With the economy picking up pace and nearly half of UK of technology firms looking to hire additional staff over the next year, now is the perfect time to be thinking about your options.

If you are wondering how a recruiter can help you in your job search, here are 6 of the most important reasons:

1. Market Information and Industry Knowledge

Recruiters can offer expert advice on the jobs market, trends and other knowledge a candidate wouldn’t necessarily know. They can give impartial advice on roles and companies, as well as the most common lies to look out for in job descriptions.

1. Salary Information

Recruiters understand what’s available in the marketplace for your skill set, what salary levels should…

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The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 18th July 2014

We bring you the best technology, business and digital news from the past 7 days:

• Apple and IBM Break With the Past, Forge Mobile Alliance
• New Internet Domain .scot Launches
• Jaguar Land Rover Showcase Virtual Windscreen Concept
• Microsoft Announces Biggest-Ever Job Cuts: 18,000 in the Next Year
• UK Third Most Desirable Job Market Worldwide
• 8 New Jobs People Will Have In 2025
• Scottish Government Announces £2.5m for Rural Broadband
• Contractor UK: Lords Seek Views from Digital Contractors
• Adidas Win World Cup Social Media Buzz
• Google Nest and Samsung Join Forces and Create Internet of Things Standards Group
• What Level of Education Do Startups Look For When Hiring? 
• Chromebook Could Mean the End of OS X and Windows in Schools
• Electronic Overhaul for Scottish NHS Care Record System

For all the latest news, industry updates and technology vacancies follow Enigma People Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter @enigmapeople

Before All Else, Be Armed

Technology vacancies in Scotland are at a record high and the gap in the jobs market for these skills has pushed up the price of specialist IT staff such as developers and electronic engineers to 3 times the national UK average.

The market is suffering from a war for talent, where companies are fighting for very scarce specialist talent. When the UK recession hit, not enough companies were in a position to hire graduates 3-4 years ago. This has resulted in a vast under investment in Scottish talent. Not enough people were getting hired and so unable to gain the relevant industry experience that employers are now looking for. Today this demand has risen dramatically with UK Tech companies having grown at a rapid pace. The sector is now performing better than it has in decades. In Scotland in particular, this success can be attributed to the vast number of start ups in ‘tech hubs’ Glasgow and Edinburgh, so much so that tech jobs in Edinburgh now rank as the second highest paying salary in the UK, closely followed by Glasgow.

With high growth comes high demand; so how can employers today fulfil their requirements for experienced IT talent, when not enough of it exists?

I believe that instead of taking part in the battle for talent employers must instead focus on putting a stop to the skills gap; do more to offer long term training and development and incentive programmes which will not only build up long term staff retention but help stop the “war” for talent.

For any good candidate, despite what experience they may have, continuous learning and development is what excites them and often their reason for applying and accepting new jobs. What we need to remember here is that specialist IT talent is unique, in that those looking for a new job are often less concerned about the money but more interested in the technologies involved, the environment they will be working in and the opportunity to create something wonderful with their sought after skills.

For these talented individuals what we have found is that it isn’t money that drives them to seek out new challenges, but the opportunity to continue learning and developing their career. The opportunity to widen their experience and the excitement of creating something wonderful with their skills is what really motivates them. Companies who want this talent try to buy it by offering the highest salary however this alone isn’t going to feed their curiosity or keep talent around for long.  They must offer much more and this is where start ups are unrivalled. The opportunity for growth, focussed training and development and the chance to shine can be much greater in the smaller, agile and innovative start ups. It is here that career progression can be achieved, learning opportunities are much greater and individual contributions can really make a difference. If large employers or corporations want to rival this environment they must to do more to replicate the benefits offered by these small companies.

Passive candidates tend to be favoured by employers over hiring someone inexperienced as they come trained and with guaranteed experience. The problem here is it doesn’t allow new talent the opportunity to get jobs and build up their skills or experience. Rather than hiring and developing new talent, employers are ‘increasingly demanding that employees arrive as fully-formed experts in their fields’, and this is exactly what is perpetuating the skills gap.

The problem with pinching talent from one another is that very often it is the company who offers the highest salary tends to win the battle for the talent. Large corporate companies who can offer large salaries and benefits packages to candidates can easily promote theirs as the most beneficial to their career. Not to mention bigger budgets to market their recruitment process and attract candidates.

Shouldn’t it be the employer’s responsibility to put a stop to this, take on new hires, take responsibility for their training and development and do their part to put a stop war for talent? Instead of taking part in the battle for the top talent, train up their own top talent?

I can fully understand the concerns of employers, if employers hire those who – they feel – are below standard what does that mean for productivity? Will their output suffer? It is a competitive market out there and who has time to train up talent?

Yes, taking their most experienced staff away from being productive and spending 3 to 6 months training someone up is hardly ideal. In the short run, it will impact productivity and output. However, businesses need to look beyond this and focus on longer term gains. Look at the bigger picture here and invest in developing talent with the relevant industry skills in order for the market to reach a sustainable equilibrium. For this to happen it is important now more than ever for employers to invest in staff development and focus on staff loyalty; simply advertising higher salaries or better benefits aren’t going to solve an industry-wide problem. In many larger firms we have seen management struggle to reward and encourage their employees. If they have already paid them so much to begin with, a pay rise is not going to seem very significant. They must offer other tangible benefits of working at their company to entice talent and reinforce employee growth and development in the same way start ups can.

Those who may not have the experience can still be a great source of potential talent. In order to tap into that skill, employers must consider the longer term development and growth of that individual. Employers must stop taking part in the war for talent, and instead focus on building the experience of individuals up whilst at the same time building up staff retention and incentive programmes to not only bring in the new talent but also to keep it.

For more industry insights, news and vacancies please follow Enigma People Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter @enigmapeople

Are Software Developers the Football Stars of the Tech World?

As the World Cup gets into full swing in Brazil this week, we ask “Are software developers the football stars of the tech world?”

When looking for talent you want the biggest and the best; correct? The football fans in the office have noticed a striking similarity between the demands of the tech world for developer talent and the demands for champion footballers from the football world.

Galactico superteams or super rich football clubs offer high salaries to secure the top talent to play for their teams and win the leagues. In a similar fashion big corporate companies are pushing up the price for software developers by offering top salaries to secure this increasingly scarce talent. This problem derives from the skills gap where companies are faced with taking on talent which is under invested in, requiring training and development in order for them to grow. Instead they find a quick fix, fill their immediate vacancies and complete their projects by paying premium price for a ready made developer to come in and do the job. We have found that many companies would rather recruit talent which has already been trained up by somebody else than invest in the long term development of talent.

The problem with pinching talent from one another is that very often it is the company who offers the highest salary tends to win the battle for the talent. Large corporate companies who can offer large salaries and benefits packages to candidates can easily promote their team as the most beneficial to their career. Not to mention bigger budgets to market their recruitment process and attract candidates.

Much like the English Premiership where the superstar teams can hoover up all the football talent, but is the biggest always the best? Does it necessarily guarantee success or career satisfaction?

Is the grass always greener on the other pitch? For Footballers and for developers – is moving for money always going to be all its cracked up to be?

My question is if you’re a talented developer are you content to be a well-paid bit-part player – making appearances from “the bench” or do you want to be the team’s star player? How do you find a balance of which team to play for? Similarly, once you’ve “signed” for one of the “big clubs”, where do you go from there?

Will working for the biggest and most well known company mean that your individual contributions and talents are going to be celebrated and recognised? Or will these be swallowed up and underappreciated? Working for the larger corporate is like playing for the superstar team meaning that you may not necessarily get to be the ‘star’ player and have your winning contribution recognised.

On the flip side to this, developers who have the opportunity to join small start up teams can benefit the same way football players would joining a smaller team. I can’t necessarily speak for footballers but for developers what we have found is that it isn’t money that drives them to seek out new challenges, but the opportunity to continue learning and developing their career. The opportunity to widen their experience and the excitement of creating something wonderful with code is what really motivates them.  Companies who want this talent try to buy it by offering the highest salary but this isn’t going to feed their curiosity or keep developers around for long.  They must offer much more and this is where start ups are unrivalled. The opportunity for growth, focussed training and development and the chance to shine can be much greater in the smaller, agile and innovative start ups. It is here that career progression can be achieved, learning opportunities are much greater and your contributions can really make a difference.

In many larger firms we have seen management struggle to reward and encourage their employees. If they have already paid them so much to begin with, a pay rise is not going to seem very significant. They must offer other tangible benefits of working at their company to entice developers and reinforce employee growth and development in the same way start ups can.

Are you a developer in today’s competitive industry? How do you achieve a balance of finding the right team to play for?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on what matters most to you when you’re looking for a new role, or what would tempt you. Is it all about money? Or is training, career progression, the quality of project, or something else, the main draw?

Speaking of draw – email us with your thoughts – hello@enigmapeople.com and the lucky winner gets a mystery prize!

Let’s play! Brazil Names – If you played for Brazil what would your name be?

For the latest software developer vacancies, news and updates follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter@enigmapeople

D14 – Inspiring Digital Business at Glasgow’s SECC

If you are involved in Scotland’s thriving Digital sector then I am sure you will have heard of the D14 Summit on the 29^th and 30^th May. If not then listen up, as this is an event at Glasgow’s SECC you won’t want to miss!

This is the 4^th year of the event which inspires digital businesses and connects them with the opportunities for innovation and expansion. I caught up with Alisdair Gunn, Project Director at Interactive Scotland. Alisdair has been an integral part of organising these fantastic events since day one and told me a little more about the day.

How has the event grown?

This year’s event has grown to include 9 main session speakers and
over 20 studio session speakers & panel members, quite a vast growth from the first year.

Alisdair has seen a significant growth and engagement coming through from the digital sector in Scotland since the event first began and now incorporates 4 different key markets of Retailing, Digital Health and Care, Education & Financial Services. These key markets will shape the day in keynote presentations, studio sessions, networking and an interactive showcase.

What is the focus for this year?

This year the key aspect is the growth in the sectors. Digital media and the tech industry are transforming our marketplaces. This year’s focus will debate the issues impacting digital businesses and offering fresh perspectives on identifying opportunities for business in this rapidly evolving sector.

The two key objectives for D14 are:

1. Debate and address the strategic issues impacting businesses as well as identifying the opportunities for companies designing, innovating and adopting the opportunities for – and from – the digital sector; and
2. Open channels to the world’s digital pioneers, creating new connections and business opportunities for our community.

The D14 summit is an ongoing journey for those involved and a lot has been done in preparation for the event. It brings together the 4 pre summit sessions held in order to link together the heads of digital with the buyers of digital, identify and discuss key issues in the market, assimilate common points from the industry and shape the thought leadership in preparation for the main event. The D14 summit is a collaborative effort to bring all of this together.

How does the event help businesses and facilitate growth and opportunity?

The event is about linking the digital businesses in the sector to facilitate growth and to recognise and develop opportunities for expansion on national and international levels.

Alisdair says there are 4 key questions we want everyone to think about:

1. What does the future (5yrs) look like for the Digital Sector and how will this impact the 4 key markets: Retailing, Digital Health and Care, Education & Financial Services
2. What will that mean for digital ‘suppliers’?
3. How will it affect their business and resourcing models?
4. What will the interactions between digital adopters and digital ‘suppliers’ need to be like?

The event is an opportunity to learn more about what digital can offer you as a business. If you work within the digital sector or are interested in knowing what’s going on, the event will give you the chance to learn from internationally known key players in the digital sector and share your views and ideas with like minded people.

From recruiting for the most innovative and exciting digital agencies in Scotland to annual sponsorship of the Herald Scotland Digital Business Awards, digital is such a big part of what we do at Enigma People Solutions. This event in particular will prove to be exciting and informative and one I would urge anybody wanting to know more and creative and digital industries to come along!

For tickets and more information on the event visit www.d14.org.uk.

For the latest vacancies, news and industry updates follow Enigma People Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter @enigmapeople

Enigma’s Easter Weekend

Not only does the Enigma Team get to enjoy a 4 day Easter weekend following tonight’s s1 Recruitment Awards at Glasgow’s Oran Mor, but the ladies recently enjoyed an Easter Cupcake Baking Masterclass at the Blythswood Hotel. Although we will be more likely to be munching chocolate Easter eggs all weekend than doing our own baking, take a look at our team building day here:

Enigma Team-building with Cupcakes and Cocktails 

Updates on the s1 Recruitment Awards to follow next week so keep your eyes peeled!

Please note, the office will be closed from Friday 18th April to Monday 21st April.

If you require to speak with Enigma People Solutions urgently you can still get in touch with Director Ben Hanley directly at:

Mobile: 07768 174270

Email: bhanley@enigmapeople.com

Have a great Easter Weekend 🙂

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 11th April 2014

We bring you the best technology, business and digital news from the past 7 days:

• France Ban Work Emails after 6pm For Digital and Consultancy Sectors
• Twitter Redesign Makes Profile Pages Resemble Facebook
• Airbus A380 ‘Super Jumbo’ Lands in Scotland for First Time
• Robotic Pocket Printer Sits in the Palm of your Hand
• UK Can be the World’s Digital Capital if Tech Skills are Fostered Nationwide
• California’s Optoelectronics Firm Kaiam Corporation to Relocate Production Facilities From China and Expand Livingston site
• 3D Printed Big Macs Coming to UK High Streets?
• China Approves Nokia’s Sale of Mobile’s Business to Microsoft
• New Mobile Charger Developed to Power up your Phone in 30 Seconds
• Tech Stocks Drop Again as Market Volatility Continues
• Software Guru to Leave Apple After 18 Years
• Our Latest Blog – Is Disruptive Technology better for Hi-Tech Giants or Small Specialist Firms?

For the latest news, updates and vacancies follow Enigma People Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter @enigmapeople and @in_electronics

 

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 4th April 2014

We bring you the best technology, recruitment and business news from the past 7 days:

• Glasgow Amongst the Smart Cities of the Future 
• British and European Tech Startups Set to Give the US a Run for its Money
• Further Employer-backed ‘Tech Level’ Qualifications Announced
• Accenture Creates 2,000 UK Graduate and Senior Level IT Jobs
• Worlds Fastest Internet Speeds Found in a Small Cabin in In Bjørndalen, Norway
• IBM Launches Digital Marketing Network to Aid Marketers
• Google Is Exploring Offering Wireless Carrier Services
• The Robot Kangaroo That Stores the Energy From its Jumps
• Britain Ranks 13th Best Country in the World
• Europe’s 900,000 ICT Shortfall to be Tackled by Niche Digital Job Boards
• Hungry Hi-Tech Giants: Are Google and the Gang Really Getting Ready to Take Over the World?
• JoyCarpet Introduces Your Baby To Tech Early On In Life

For the latest news and updates follow Enigma People Solutions on LinkedIn and Twitter @enigmapeople

For Tech vacancies follow @IT_JobsGlasgow or @ITEdinburgh