Practical Advice for Employers Who Want to Hire Better
Straightforward guides on recruitment, retention and getting more from your hiring process — written by the team at Howard James Recruitment.
Hiring guides
Guides to help you recruit smarter
Whether you're struggling to attract candidates, losing people too quickly or just want to sharpen your hiring process — these guides cover the issues employers ask us about most.
How to Hire Staff Quickly in the UK
The steps that make the biggest difference to time-to-hire — without compromising on quality or rushing a decision you'll regret.
Read the guide → AttractionWhy You Can't Fill Your Vacancy (And How to Fix It)
The most common reasons roles go unfilled — and what you can do about each one, from salary to brief to search method.
Read the guide → RetentionHow to Reduce Staff Turnover in Your Business
Hiring well is only half the job. This guide covers the practical steps that keep your best people engaged and in the business longer.
Read the guide → Job descriptionsHow to Write a Job Description That Attracts Candidates
Most job descriptions underperform. Small changes to how you write and structure them can significantly improve the quality of applications.
Read the guide → Cost of hiringHow Much Does Recruitment Cost in the UK?
A clear breakdown of what recruitment actually costs — agency fees, advertising, internal time, and the hidden cost of a slow or failed hire.
Read the guide → Job advertisingWhy Your Job Ads Aren't Getting Applicants
If your vacancy isn't generating applications, the problem is usually one of a handful of things. This guide helps you diagnose and fix it.
Read the guide → Offer stageThe Real Reason Candidates Reject Job Offers
Offer rejections are more preventable than most employers think. Understanding why they happen is the first step to stopping them.
Read the guide →New from Howard James
Hiring soon? Ask us about Flex Fee
Flex Fee gives you the full permanent search — including passive candidates — with the fee spread equally across 12 weeks. If the hire doesn't work out before then, payments stop. You only pay for the time they were with you. No upfront lump sum, no rebate process.
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Quick Reference · At a Glance
| What this section covers | Practical hiring guides for UK employers — covering speed of hire, candidate attraction, job descriptions, recruitment costs, staff retention and offer management. |
| Who produced this content | Howard James Recruitment — a UK specialist recruitment agency covering commercial, finance, HR, operations, sales and administrative roles. |
| Guides available | How to hire staff quickly · Why you can't fill your vacancy · How to reduce staff turnover · How to write a job description · How much does recruitment cost · Why job ads aren't getting applicants · Why candidates reject job offers |
| New service | Flex Fee Recruitment — permanent search quality with the fee spread over 12 weeks. Payments stop if the hire doesn't work out. |
| Get help with hiring | Submit a vacancy → |