Recruitment Advice

Whilst we are all having it drummed into us that those of you that have jobs should be very lucky and those who are looking for jobs can not afford to be picky! it seems that we should all be excited about any positions that are offered to us?

There are some markets that are still very buoyant in the current climate and they are recruiting faster than what they have done over the last few years.

If like me, you are recruiting in a highly competitive market and good candidates are hard to come by, how do you get a candidate to pick you over your competitors? In the market that I am recruiting for it is a relatively young environment and learning new skills is very important. Learning opportunities and development is key for most candidates, pay and benefits are less so important if you can provide career development. Offices that are cool and trendy with nice office furniture can be very appealing.

First impressions are key for both the employer and employee and just as you would want to make a good impression if you were going to a interview you should make the effort for someone that is coming in to be interviewed.

Pontin’s is due to spend £50million refurbishing its six holiday camps in a move upmarket designed to attract more holidaymakers. There will be a major switch this year from overseas holidays to UK holidays, due to the economic crisis and the weakening pound.

Ocean Parks, which owns Pontin’s, says the plans will create more than 2,000 jobs. Initially the existing entertainment, catering and bar facilities will be refurbished. Pontins is promising a ‘re-styled entertainment programme’ and a ’substantially enhanced food and beverage offer aimed at satisfying all tastes and budgets’.

Among the star performers this summer will be the singer Duncan James, previously with the boy band Blue, and entertainer Joe Pasquale.

Butlins has also made a move up-market in recent years. It will be opening the 200 room £20million Ocean spa hotel in Bognor Regis in the summer. The rooms offer flat screen TVs, leather sofas and rainfall showers

What motivates you? A question that will probably rear its ugly head in any interview you attend. If you are applying for a job in a call centre for example and the thought of constantly picking up the phone all day isn’t something that is going to motivate you, then don’t say it will! There is no right and wrong answer for this question, it is just for the interviewer to find out and understand the key to you being successful in your new role.

Your response should be based on your background and experiences and is a chance for you to share what you liked best about your job.

Here are some examples for you to have a look at:

• I was responsible for a number of projects where i directed development teams. These teams achieved 100% on time delivery of our products. I was motivated by both the challenge of finishing all the projects ahead of schedule and by managing the teams that achieved their goals.
• I have always been motivated to do well in any job i have taken on. I want to excel in my role for both my satisfaction and my employers.
• I have spent my career in sales where i have been set targets and have been commission based. The targets and compensation have always been a strong factor in motivating me to be the top sales consultant in my team.

If you are due to attend an interview in the near future then make sure you take my advice on board. Good Luck!

Your interviews are all lined up and now its time to develop some questions to ask the candidates that will soon be waiting nervously in your reception area.

The first thing to do is to take the job description and person specification and develop your questions from there. If this says that the person needs to have experience in a certain area, then make sure you ask about that and just work your way through.

Once you have come up with a list of questions its important that you ask them in the right way. Make sure that you dig deep into what the candidate is saying and don’t be worried about asking them to elaborate or clarify their answer.

One of the best techniques for asking questions is the funnelling technique. This starts with an open question then any probing questions then ends with a closed question.

Open questions - Normally start with how, where, when.

Probing questions - These questions ask for further details to make sure that you have all the information you need.

Closed questions - The closed question is simply just to clarify what has been said and a possible answer could just be ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Once you have you arrived at your interview on time and have sat down with the interviewer, it is at this point you have to stand out from the other candidates that they have met.

Do

• Bring a extra copy of your C.V to the interview
• Greet the interviewer by their tile and surname
• Make good eye contact with the interviewer
• Avoid poor language and pause words such as “like” and “um”
• Have high confidence and energy levels
• Stress your achievements
• Show off your research that you have done on the company
• Show what you can do for the company
• Ask intelligent questions about the job
• Close the interview by telling the interviewer that you want the job
• Ask them the next steps in the process

Dont

• Rely on your C.V to sell you, you are there to sell yourself
• Chew gum during the interview
• be soft spoken, be confident about yourself
• Act as if your desperate for the job
• say anything negative about your  current job or colleagues
• lie or over exaggerate your achievements
• answer questions with a simple yes or no

Going to a interview can seem quite daunting, but if you prepare and research in advance you will have nothing to worry about.

Following these steps will guide you through the process.

Step1 Planning your route

No employer likes it when you turn up late, remember they have a day of planned meetings to attend and can not wait for you. When looking at the route, take into consideration traffic, road works and always make sure you are 15 minutes early. You can always do a trail run the day before to see how long it will take.

Step 2 Researching the company

You should always do some research on the company you are interviewing for, the employer has spent time looking through your C.V and researching you, so take some time to research about them. You can do this via the company website, forums and local news.

Step 3 Dress code

It is always difficult to decide what to wear to a interview and as times have changed it has become more relaxed. Traditionally men always wore there smartest suit and the same for women, however it all depends on the industry, i would always recommend to look smart and presentable.

Step 4 First impressions

The first time you meet your perspective employer, the first few moments are the most important. Greet them with a friendly smile and a firm handshake and always introduce yourself.

Remember to answer all the questions and be prepared for the ones that try to catch you out!

If you know of any other steps that will help to prepare for an interview, please leave a comment below.