It's Good to Talk

Verbal Communication, Written Communication or No Communication?

Talking on the telephone is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people go out of their way to avoid being on the phone and I am not talking about mobiles. Most age groups are very comfortable with their mobile and we can all hear them talking cheerfully and loudly stately “I’m on the train” or just simply talking loudly into their mobile regardless of whether they need to or not. Yet when it comes to the work environment we all see to have lost our sense of natural communication via the phone. Is it because the phone is a lot larger than a mobile? Does it size make us feel we can not bear lifting the handle like we are suddenly suffering from some kind of phobia?

Or is it is simply because it is so much handier to let the phone slide towards voicemail and hide behind email responses if of course we do get around to responding. It is understandable not to want or to have to respond to an unwarranted email or call but if you have engaged a professional (a recruitment consultant for example or an expert to provide advice) then you should not spend the next while avoiding them. Take a deep breath and respond. It’s not that hard just answer the phone and simply give an honest and candid response. It takes seconds and the person at the other end will be satisfied to a certain degree. If you seriously believe that ignoring calls and emails from people who genuinely take their jobs seriously but unfortunately depend on communication as a big part of their job then you have most probably should not be in the job you are in or maybe that particular part of the job should be someone else’s. The penalty is they will keep ringing or emailing and no one wants that.

The biggest stress factor for recruiters is getting hold of candidates that have registered looking for work or some clients who have requested us to locate candidates on their behalf. An enormous amount of time is wasted just because some one can’t be “bothered” (I use this term loosely but to some consultants it exactly how it is) to respond. Is it a power trip, are they simply too busy or maybe they seriously believe the consultant doesn’t warrant a response even though that consultant may have spent hours working on a position for them and is simply looking for feedback on their work or in some cases to give feedback. I am just referring to a good consultant here. The one that if the contact took the time to get to know they might actually save themselves a lot of time and heartache.

No communication is usually the cause of most problems and it’s no different when it comes to recruitment no matter which side of the table you are sitting at. It’s amazing how relieved/motivated some one can be once a verbal conversation has occurred. So come on let’s start communicating with each other. As BT say “It’s good to talk”.

Reasons for Leaving your Job

Some times as a recruiter when asking a potential candidate what is their reason for leaving their current job they cry back to you and say “but I haven’t left yet”. This naturally is a concern for the recruiter as they want the potential candidate to be clear about why they are thinking of leaving and this reason or reasons should be well thought out. No one wants a candidate who is unsure. Indeed if you are not sure why you are leaving then why are you leaving? Worse case scenario is you could find yourself in a similar position and unhappier.

There are many different reasons why people choose to leave their current employer and even though you might think that the obvious reason is money this is actually far down the list of reasons. Location is by far the biggest reason as most of us want to avoid the congestion of traffic and the long travel home. Other reasons will involve the “glass ceiling” situation where there is no more room to develop further; recently qualified and want to make that career advancement at that point in time; starting to take further studies and want the experience to complement them. When studying for professional accountancy examinations again be clear about which course and why you are taking it. A client recently commented that he wanted a candidate who studied CIMA because he believed that the CIMA candidate knew exactly why he was studying CIMA and what career path he intended to follow.

If the reason for leaving is genuinely negative the candidate should rethink the situation here and how he should explain it without making it a big issue. Make sure good references are available to the next employer as no one wants to take on “baggage”. It's important to leave on a good note regardless.

If the reason for leaving is the next step then make sure you as the candidate have thought through all the reasons why you have the capability and skill set to this promotion. You may also need to explain why your current company is not in a position to offer this promotion to you.

Finally never walk out on a job just because you have had enough. It doesn’t bode well for your next opportunity.

Prepared to be interviewed in a downturn market

July 2008

Prepare to be interviewed in a downturn market

There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the media. Politicians are sending out conflicting messages as to weather Ireland is in a recession or not. Bottom line is though employers are reviewing costs, salaries are frozen or cut (Lisney’s cut their salaries by 10%), if an employee leaves they are not necessarily being replaced. In some sectors like legal, conveyance lawyers are being let go but it’s not all bad news there are employers looking to recruit new staff due to expansion (yes some companies are expanding) and/or replacing staff that have moved on.

What potential candidates need to think about is exactly what is it they really want when they are looking for a new position. They should also prepare themselves well for the actual interview. The market has turned and it is now the employers market in a lot of cases. Candidates want a good environment, challenging role, great benefits, training, good salary with regular reviews, communication, recognition & progression. The Employer wants an experienced and responsible candidate, someone who adds value, excellent attitude, enthusiastic, and committed, stable, reliable and uses initiative.

Candidates will find there is a lot more competition for roles and employers will be a lot more choosey as to who they will take on. For the candidate preparation is the key. Here is a short list of the basics you should have thought about in advance of the interview:

- Research the company. The internet is the obvious starting point but if you are going through an agency your consultant will have a lot more “inside” and relevant information so listen closely. Be warned knowledge about the company is important and it often a question that is asked by the potential employer.
- Dress well. Wear a suit. Employers have rejected candidates who do not make the appropriate effort here.
- Be on time. Work out your journey. If you are very early go somewhere and have a coffee and only arrive no later than 10 minutes before hand.
- Have a list of questions that you want to ask. Do not say “I think you have covered everything”.
- Think about what questions you might be asked.
- Know your strengths, weaknesses and achievements.

Remember the employer wants someone he can rely on and if you really want the job you have got to demonstrate and convince home that he can.

See www.priorityplacements.ie for more information on interview preparation.

Job Hunter or Career Seeker?

June 2008

Job Hunter or Career Seeker

Which are you? I think most of us have realised that the “job for life” has gone or at least slowly slipping away. How great does the idea seem now when women who worked in the civil service had to give up their job as soon as they married. To an extent it was ok then as men were given good benefits and generally a nice pension to live off on retirement. Not the case these days as both men and women work hard to earn a good standard of living and in some situations not a sign of a pension. Property is the new pension.

So getting back to the question, job hunter or career seeker? What’s the difference? The difference is the job hunter simply wants a job to pay the bills and have his/her “beer” money at the end of the week. The career seeker genuinely wants to progress. They usually try to improve their education in order to enhance their prospects and look for jobs that offer progression and training. Unfortunately sometimes the job hunter thinks he is the career person, convinces himself and everyone around him that this is where he wants to be. He comes on board and is enthusiastic in the first month or two whilst getting to grips with the new job and getting on side with his fellow workers but then he realises that it is starting to get a bit harder. He actually has to work for his wage. His experience is not as strong as he stated in his interview. His bosses have expectations of him. It all is getting a bit too difficult so to deal with the problem he has found himself in, so he deals with it by creating a negative atmosphere around him, gets some similar minded individuals on board with him. Sick leave occurs or days of unexplained absences. Then he resigns. The longevity of this person is anywhere between 6 months to 16 months. It is highly likely that this pattern will continue for some years.

What the job hunter should realise is that it is ok not to want the “big career”. There is a good choice of jobs in the market. Consider doing temporary or fixed term contracts instead of making a commitment to a permanent role. Not everybody knows what they want to do when they leave full time education. If you want a career make sure you have set objectives in place. Make sure you are in a position to make a commitment to achieving that goal. It’s an important decision so take a bit of time to think about what you want and what is available. Get advice. Your career is not achieved in a 14 month stint. Lawyers, Accountants, Doctors for example spend years studying and working in training roles before they qualify. It takes time and determination. Unless we win the lotto or come into money most of us will be working for at least 40 years. Don’t waste time in a role that might jeopardise the chance of a better position through poor performance and attitude.

Most employers want their staff to stay for a good number of years where they can progress them – each gaining what they need to make either their career successful or the company doing well. Take time to think about your next job. Be honest about your circumstances and capabilities. You never know you might actually find what you are looking for!

Interviewing – the other side of the

Nowadays there are plenty of tips and articles offering some very useful guidelines to conducting the best interview. Usually these well worn titbits are extremely handy particularly for those who have not been on interview for some time; have been on a number of interviews with no success; or simply are new to the process and want to do their best. From the candidate perspective this is all good. And what about the client? Of course he/she will be delighted that the candidate is so well prepared as there is nothing as time wasting when a candidate cannot even describe his/her own current job, let alone know what he/she is actually being interviewed for (yes I know the agency can be blamed here but lets remember who is sitting in the room and looking for a job).

Now let us consider how the candidate might feel if he/she finds himself stuck in an interview and the client is not prepared. Well there’s a thought! It’s not something you would expect, would you? But it happens. What most people seem to forget is that interviewing is a two way process. Each person puts in 100%. A 100% focus on both sides will make for a good decision. Taking on new staff as you may already be aware is a big investment cost for every company. It is often commented that hiring is harder and more costly than firing. The in depth interviews, the testing and referencing doesn’t always make for the best hire. Some companies, like Google for example are well known for the high number of interviews – anything up to 8 interviews before they offer the position. Other companies find it best to test the ability of the candidate by providing 2 hour long psychometric testing. Each method can work well for differing companies and environments. The key is to find a method and make it work to the advantage of both parties.

From the client company perspective they need to make clear their interview process in advance. The interviewing Manager should be experienced (or know how to structure and control the interview); - they should be able to promote their organisation in the best possible light as there is a lot of competition for skilled candidates, regardless how well known the company is; - be able to explain the job and what is required; - be on time for the interview - their questioning of the candidate should be considered, relevant and planned in advance. Questions like “tell me about yourself” and “what are your weaknesses” don’t necessarily get the best out of the candidates;- The Manager should make notes during and after the interview and be in a position to provide feedback to the candidate; - And finally, the client company should come back to the candidate or the agency within an agreed timeframe.

People are our best assets (future employee, potential supplier, or customer) and from the moment they step in to our company they should be treated with respect regardless of whether they will be offered the opportunity to work there or not. This of course works both ways.