It’s pantomime season so – 2011 “it’s behind you”!

So we come to the close of another year and the start of pantomime season. It is also when the traditional media round up of  “the best of 2011”,” What have you achieved in 2011” and “What made 2011 memorable” etc. begins.

I’m a traditional kind of person so I thought it would be a good time to share pieces of advice which seem to be “Keys to Success” when planning ahead.

Key 1: “Don’t look back, you’re not travelling that way”. For many, 2011 has been tough but if you only take negatives away from this year, it will more than likely get you off to a bad start for the next.

Key 2: “Have a mix of goals, not just the things you want to do”. Choose some for work , home, family and the community at large.

Key 3: “Share them and make them public”. Two reasons for this; firstly, you are making a commitment to yourself by writing them while cementing that commitment by announcing it to others who are involved and able to help. Secondly, by telling someone about your goals, you are giving them consent to ask you for a progress report…

So to help me fulfil Key 3 (who said blogging is altruistic?!), here are my objectives for 2012:

Career objectives – My primary area of recruiting is within the building services sector of construction (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and Public Health as well as electrical systems in buildings). I’ve been in enforced exile due to changing roles that will be over at the end of January. My objective is simple; let everyone know that I’m back and re-establish myself within the region.

This year Calibre is going to be volunteering in schools to help promote the industries we serve (marketing, civil & structural, HVACR maintenance and building services engineering). We need to find out what we can do, who for and when.

Family and home – My daughter Anna is now nearly 5 and settling well at school so my goal is to support her and ensure that her confidence and knowledge of the world grows by showing her what is out there for her to enjoy. With the house, big projects for this year are raised vegetable beds in the garden, to be built, filled and planted. That means this particular job has to be off the list by the end of March. There is also painting the wooden fence before the garden wakes from its winter slumber and covers it up – lets hope for some dry days in Spring…

Interests – On my LinkedIn profile and Twitter bio I mention that I’m a biker. I will be doing the Royal British Legion Riders 1000 where the aim is to travel 1000 miles in a day raising funds for the Legion. I still need to persuade my wife that I am neither mad or worth divorcing for wanting to do it.

I guess that means that I am now committed!

I’d love to know what your plans are 2012 and how you plan to make it a great year. Please leave a comment below and fulfil your own Key 3!

How to sabotage your own recruitment process; a step by step guide…

My last two posts have primarily discussed things from the candidate perspective, so I thought it would be a good time to look towards the other side of the circle, the employer.

I’ve illustrated the worst case possible using a fictional company called Goode Idea Consult and its Directors, John Goode and Arthur Idea. I have a feeling we could be visiting their offices again in the future, probably in much the same manner as Stephen King does Castle Rock and Derry, but I’d expect with less surreal happenings…

As you would expect, the aim of any recruitment process is to fill a position and resolve a need within the business by employing the best person you can attract in terms of skills, abilities, attitude and personality fit. Some companies are very, very good at it. Others have leaders like Arthur who could take a few pointers from others.

We are joining Goode Idea Consult at the second stage of the recruitment process; Arthur and John have identified that they need extra skills and Arthur is taking the lead on the process with John happy to act as second opinion once Arthur has carried out first interviews.

Arthur is just compiling the Job Description and Person Specification and having heard the news that unemployment in the country has reached a new high with there being a mixed, but generally gloomy outlook in their industry, concludes that they will be able to broaden the scope of the role and raise their expectations of the candidate without increasing the package.

He also decides that anyone who has been made redundant is probably not going to be any good and therefore will not consider anyone with breaks in employment over the last 3 years or who has changed jobs for any other reason than their own volition.

They gather a number of CV’s from various sources and after several weeks of arranging and rearranging interview appointments meet with four people including a particularly keen individual called Percy Stent. Percy has not changed roles within the last three years, has been working for a similar outfit to Goode Idea and even sent a follow up email to thank Arthur for the initial interview. At that meeting Arthur painted a rosy picture of their current workload, the retained project list going forward and the investment in technology that had been made and was committed to in the future.

While Arthur gushes about Percy’s suitability for the role and the company, Percy’s email goes ignored for a week, as do the other candidates, as Arthur insists that anyone looking for a role should be glad to be considered in the current market. The other candidates he has barely discussed with John include someone who lost their job due a sister company in the group folding and the other two people have also been made redundant, each having survived two previous rounds within a much larger international practice.

John finally persuades Arthur that they need to arrange the follow up interview for him to meet Percy. They agree a package that John will offer Percy there and then if the meeting goes well. The interview takes place and John describes the company and their present situation. The description of the company and position varies somewhat from Arthur’s explanation, but Percy remains keen and John offers him the position informing Percy that the paperwork will be in the post the following day.

The offer is sent out three days later, but crucially, it is for a reduced figure for which Arthur blames an administration error for the discrepancy…

Percy accepts the offer once that issue is resolved, resigns his present position and being keen to build a relationship with the Goode Idea team before he starts, emails Arthur to see if it is possible to visit the office and join one of the bonding socials that Arthur boasted of happening most weeks. The email is not responded to (yet again), while as soon as Percy resigned, his present employer immediately started a charm offensive to persuade him to reconsider leaving.

After over three weeks of not hearing anything from Goode Idea, Percy contacts the office and speaks with John who knew nothing of Percy’s emails (or the weekly socials…) and confirms a start time of 9am the following Monday. As John is off that week, he briefs Arthur that Percy will be starting and asks Arthur to ensure everything is ready for Percy’s arrival.

Monday arrives, and so does Percy at 8.55am prompt. Unfortunately, Arthur is late and has also failed to prepare for Percy’s arrival by letting other members of staff know Percy is joining the company or even arranging a desk.

For the first few days Percy has to use John’s desk while Arthur struggles to put the most basic preparations in place and as the week progresses, it becomes apparent to Percy things are not quite as he expected.

Certainly the picture of the organisation and role painted by Arthur at that distant first interview was pure fabrication, while John’s was at least based in fact, but definitely best case scenario.

Towards the end of the week Percy receives a call from a friend at his former employer asking him to meet up for a drink and a curry. His ex-boss is going to be there and his friend tells him that she will make it clear he is more than welcome to talk about coming back on board at any time…

I’m not going to ask if you think Percy should or will go for that curry, I think I know what I would do assuming that I had not been put off much earlier during the catalogue of  disappointments. The problems that Goode Idea created can be summarised as follows:

-        Raising expectations of applicants without considering if the calibre of person they seek is part of the mass unemployment they perceive and therefore possibly going to be willing to accept a low package.

-        Making a sweeping decision about people who have been made redundant without looking at the big picture; in the present market, continuity of employment is in many respects more important than number of employers.

-        General disorganisation such as making arrangements for interviews.

-        Failing to communicate, either at all, truthfully or with a cohesive picture.

-        Delays and inaccuracy with the offer paperwork.

-        Lack of preparation, and therefore welcome for Percy on his first day.

-        Arthur appears to have assumed that while Percy has started, that he will not finish in a short space of time…

The last point is possibly the big one; even though Percy has ignored all the warning signs that this may well not a good move for him, Arthur could have taken that final step to pushing him out of the door.

So what do you think or have you had a similar experience in real life? Please let me know, or get in contact if there is anything else you would like to discuss. My email is simon.owen@calibresearch.co.uk.

Does your profile portray your confidence as well as your competence?

Does your profile portray your confidence as well as your competence?

I don’t know if it is something you have thought about while writing your own profile, or reading that of others, but for a while I have been wondering whether there is a link between the words on someone’s CV/LinkedIn/facebook profile and their current state of mind. More to the point, will those words have the desired effect?

It seems I am not the only one asking the question, in the Sunday Times (13^th November 2011) there was an article about women being able to spot unattractive men from just their profile, not photograph, on dating sites. The summary of that piece was that the more attractive men were confident in the language that they were using to describe themselves and their situation. Perhaps there is something in this…

Like it or not, when you are writing a profile for business or social networking, or just talking to friends you are selling yourself. At the very least you do not want people to think that you unhappy or unsuccessful.

We’ve all been there; you’ve had one of those days at work and a long standing arrangement to go out for a drink with some friends, one of whom is annoyingly cheerful when you feel like this, always positive about their work and their life in general. They don’t have bad days, only good ones at the bottom end of the scale and great ones at the top. How would you alter your description of your day to that person?

Alter the situation slightly and take the same day at work, but then instead of going out for a drink, you are about to sit down and update your CV or LinkedIn profile. Is it possible that the same frustrations can show in your words and affect your audience?

As a recruiter I’ve read 1000’s of CV’s and profiles in various places such as LinkedIn etcetera, but as someone who enjoys newspapers (old fashioned I know…) and browsing the web to see where I end up, I know it can. Certainly, if you are writing your CV without thinking you are selling yourself you are sadly mistaken.

A couple of weeks ago I was sent a CV with the following paragraph and I saved it with this blog in mind:

“While being unemployed and while looking for a permanent job I have used my time to find jobs such as project management of minor jobs such as fire alarm systems, burglar alarm systems, emergency light systems and electrical design work to keep my hand in so to speak, in effect do anything no matter how small just to keep busy.”

What does it say to you about the author? Take aside the style elements which tell their own story; what do you think was going on in the writers mind?

If you felt that there was a hint of frustration there and a lack of detail which left you wondering just how what work this person had undertaken and how enthusiastic they felt about it, you word the words which are OK on the surface, but was left feeling the same as me about the writer.

The writer had actually been made redundant 18 months ago from a fairly senior position and had only been invited to four or five interviews in that time so any of the emotions we felt on reading that one paragraph are understandable.

Before I submitted his CV to a position, I carried out some minor amendments with his blessing:

“Since being made redundant I have been actively looking for a permanent job and also carrying out a number of minor works for contacts such as project management of installations such as fire alarm systems, burglar alarm systems, emergency light systems and electrical design work to keep my hand in.”

I’ve kept in a similar style of writing and the majority of his words while alluding to him keeping in touch with old contacts and tried to ensure that there is an up-beat feeling to it.

The result of that submittal is that he has an interview secured for the role. I don’t know whether that can be attributed to that change specifically, but if you felt better about his situation, there is a good chance that the employer did too…

So what can you do to come over positively?

First of all, how do you feel? If you are only doing it now to get the task out of the way, don’t bother! Chances are when you re-read it in the morning you will want to start again…

Secondly, have faith in what you are writing. Using buzz words or phrases that you think an employer wants to hear, but you would never use to describe yourself, tend to come over as being flat and having been written without belief – particularly if everyone else is using them too!

Thirdly, think about specific situations when you have excelled. Writing “I am a great Project Manager” may be to the point, but there is no proof or substance to that statement. This may take up more space, but is worth the investment: “I took over the project management of a scheme that was 3 weeks behind schedule and £45000 over budget with just 9 weeks to run. Through working with the sub-contractors, design team and the client I managed to deliver it on time with just a £9000 deficit”. The reader is convinced you are a great Project Manager and the paragraph gives you both something to discuss at interview.

If you can have a few examples like this that show a range of situations and skills you will be creating a very powerful document that will achieve the objectives you have set for it.

Please feel free to let me know what your thoughts are, or share any tips that you have to portray a more positive mindset that others can see in the comments section below, or by email: simon.owen@calibresearch.co.uk

I should have written this in October…

Why? I’ve been looking at my plan for 2011; what I have achieved and what is still on the to-do list.

First of all, why should I have written this in October? Well as we are in the middle of November, it could be said that the year is effectively over and it is too late in the day to get on track.

My plan for 2011 was simple; to do something about everything that was making me unhappy and having a knock on effect on those around me. I did not say “solve” or “cure”, just “something” with the idea being that if I change key things, it will make a big difference for me and those around me.

The biggest thing that I was unhappy with was my job. I knew my career choice was sound; I thoroughly enjoy recruitment and the talking with people, helping them either address issues with their own careers or find the people their need within their businesses.

The vast majority of people that I speak to about changing jobs have various reasons for seeking a new role and I was no different in that respect. While a lot of people will say money is their main motivation to move, ultimately when you dig below the surface, money is an annoyance, the but the core feeling they have can be summed up as “I cannot continue to work for my boss” or “I have no faith in my boss”. What is interesting is that these reasons build up over time and then a specific event leads to the decision that the time is now; I guess for most you could say that there is a “straw that broke the camels back” moment of realisation.

I did not need to put up the façade of money, there was no point, my issues went much deeper and my moment of realisation was when I asked myself the following questions for the third time in 18 months and got the same answers as when I answered them the first time:

• Is the company I’m working for going in a direction that I want to go?Are my values and aspirations achievable within the organisation?
• Do I feel valued? If not, why not?
• Is there synergy between the future I want and what I perceive that of the companies to be?
• Is there the opportunity to change any of the above and achieve more than a short term fix?

Despite working to resolve what I could, ultimately I realised I was not getting anywhere, never mind where I wanted to be. I talked with my wife about it and she told me she had been waiting for me to come to that conclusion for some time! There is obviously a sweet irony here in that I have perfectly illustrated the story of the cobbler’s children playing the role of both cobbler and child…

So with the decision made, I then had to think what I wanted from the change; where I wanted to be and what I wanted to achieve. It is one thing to say “I want out”, but far more important to be able to say “and I am going to find…” immediately afterwards.

To help order my thoughts, this meant another list of questions in my minds eye; it was never written down, but can be summarised as follows:

• Do I want to go solo and form my own business?
• Is the ideal role for me with a small company or do I want to go back to working in a corporate?
• What do I want to do? Seek a role in managing a business, working as a recruiter or focus on something different such as business development or training?
• Are my skills and knowledge suitable for the direction I want to go?
• Does what I want exist and how do I find it?

The process of answering those questions, and finding a new role is a separate subject in itself (watch this space for that one), but in short I spoke with some friends and took advantage of my prime thinking time while I’m cycle commuting 18 miles a day to come up with the answers.

So here I am at Calibre, two months in and enjoying it. The business is a similar size to my last company with a completely different set up and focus. In the short term I am working on a different division to what I know, as I still have contractual responsibilities to my old firm to adhere to, and that has added to the excitement; using my current skills and knowledge while adding to it on a daily basis.

There has been a huge cultural change from what I’ve known, but that is what I was looking for and needed. In all, it has worked well for me and my family. As my colleagues keep letting me walk through the door in the morning and have not sent me home at any point, I guess it is working well for them too.

As for the rest of my list, that is progressing too; I’ve completed numerous jobs around the house that either needed doing or were causing annoyance. The garden is approaching being under control and I’ve tackled a number of projects I’d rather have avoided and successfully been doing so for sometime.

Of the remaining jobs for 2011 the stand out ones are sorting out my list for 2012 and to start repairing an old wicker chair that has been in need of some TLC for too long…

REC JobsOutlook reveals employer confidence at its highest for over a year as headcount freezes are lifted

Released on 18 May 2011

 

Confidence among employers has soared to its highest level in a year reflecting renewed optimism in both short term and long term hiring intentions, the REC’s May JobsOutlook has revealed.

Ahead of the release of the latest unemployment figures tomorrow, the survey has shown a major shift in employers’ attitudes over the past month. This has resulted in a total of 44 per cent saying they intend to increase their permanent staff in the next three months with 52 per cent planning to hire new staff over the next 12 months.

The proportion of employers applying headcount freezes continued to fall in April, reaching 20  per cent- a dramatic improvement on the 43 per cent peak figure in late 2010.

Short and medium term demand for temporary workers also remains strong as businesses look to build crucial flexibility into their workforce planning.  A total of 22 per cent plan to add to their numbers of agency workers in the next three months with the same percentage planning an increase over the next 12 months. Some employers plan to gradually reduce use of temporary staff over the coming year which reflects increasing willingness to start hiring permanent staff.   

Commenting on the figures, Roger Tweedy, the REC’s Director of Research, said:

“This is the first real confirmation that employers are feeling more confident and are taking a long–term strategic view of their workforce planning. Creating more permanent jobs and the lifting of headcount freezes are solid indicators of this increasing confidence. This is encouraging news at what remains a difficult and volatile time for the UK jobs market.

“The survey also confirms the emergence of a two tier jobs market with 60 per cent of public sector employers predicting a significant impact on their workforces as cuts begin to bite. The unexpected surge in business confidence gives hope that private sector employers can absorb further public sector job losses.

“However, this remains a big ask. Even if enough job opportunities are created, moving from public to private sector isn’t easy. Effective support and guidance will be vital if we are to help workers make this transition.”

JobsOutlook is based on a monthly survey of employers with results based on a sample of 600 on a three month rolling basis

Is your CV fit for purpose?

There are plenty of articles of how to write the perfect CV scattered across the internet which offer a huge amount of information, many of them contradictory. My opinion is that there are no set rules when writing an effective professional CV.  You are far better off thinking about the purpose of the document as a starting point rather than focussing on how to do it.

As people focus on the ‘how’, they often overlook the ‘why’; and create a document which is not fit for the job it is designed to do. Remember it is supposed to give an accurate representation of not just your historical career history, but also a route map of where you want to go.

Youth unemployment is a huge concern at the moment which means that there is massive competition for Graduate jobs. So a recent graduate will find that they may be applying for graduate and non graduate trainee schemes. So before you send ‘the CV’ ask yourself ‘who is reading this, and why?’. If your are wanting to demonstrate your interest in your vocation (such as Civil Engineering, Accountancy, Law etc…) then emphasise  your education, likewise if it is to work in a call centre, highlighting more work experience would be appropriate.  It is such a turn off for Graduate employers to read a page about working at KFC, and only a snippet on the degree!

You are now thinking….well they are young, I don’t do that!

Well I get plenty of CV’s from senior applicants with a wealth of experience who seem to think they can demonstrate all of this on one or two pages. There is no law which says it cannot be longer. Although I draw the line at an autobiography!)  If during your career you can demonstrate a range of experience then do so! Again think about what the CV is intended to do.

One of the most common faults I find is that people’s own perception of the role they are applying for and matching that to their own skill set.  I see many technical CV’s of senior level applicants who completely overlook  the business development and management aspects of their role. Ask yourself, is the potential employer more concerned with amount of business you can bring to an organisation  or the  technical expertise you possess. Answer that question and write your CV accordingly. Equally if you hate management and business development, then don’t feel pressured to highlight that on your CV.

Equally your CV should dictate the interview. Put information on your CV that you WANT to be asked about so you can demonstrate your best attributes. This is a simple idea, but it really works.  

A  final point is my war on waffle. A CV is not fit for purpose if the opening paragraphs are a list  of self descriptive adjectives which do not evidence anything other than your own opinion of yourself.  What I am saying here is that you need to back up any claim you make with specific examples. Simply stating ‘I am an excellent communicator, with the ‘ability to work in a team or on my own’ quite simply does not cut it!

So in summary think about who is reading your CV and for what purpose. Make that your starting point before putting pen to paper. Otherwise you will be guided by advice which may not be appropriate for your circumstances.

 Richard Robinson is a Director of Calibre Search Ltd

REC urges Chancellor to take up OTS IR35

REC urges Chancellor to take up OTS IR35 recommendations
http://bit.ly/hCG4vF

Is delighted that Calibre Search has bee

Is delighted that Calibre Search has been selected as a top tier supplier for a major engineering consultancy nationally.

Is experimenting with tweetdeck

Is experimenting with tweetdeck

Industry to bounce back after turnover fall, says REC

Released on 28 October 2010

Turnover in the UK’s recruitment industry fell by more than 12 per cent in the year to March 2010, according to the annual industry report launched today (Thursday October 28) by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) in association with Barclays Corporate. However, despite the longest and deepest recession since records began, the report showed that the recruitment industry still had sales of just under £20 billion.

The Recruitment Industry Trends Survey 2009/10 shows a contraction of the industry resulting in the annual turnover falling to £19.7 billion during the period April 2009 to March 2010 compared to £22.491 billion last year. Permanent placements turnover fell by 27.6 per cent to £1.9 billion while temporary and contract turnover dropped 10.4 per cent to £17.8 billion.

The impact of the downturn on the UK recruitment industry has been less marked than in North America and in other EU states which have seen contractions of between 20 and 35 per cent over the course of the recession. Since the survey was undertaken, the results from the monthly REC/KPMG Report on Jobs have shown continued growth in the demand for staff over the last six months. This improvement is also reflected in the results of UK listed recruiters which show that the UK market has returned to growth in the second half of 2010.

 Commenting on the results, Kevin Green, the REC’s Chief Executive, said:

“This has been a tough climate for those on the front line of the UK’s fragile jobs market. However, we believe that the majority of the contraction happened in the first half of the 09/10 period. The historical data released today must be weighed against the more recent monthly jobs data which shows increasing hiring activity in many sectors.

“While the recession has been a difficult time, it has presented recruitment agencies and employment businesses with the opportunity to become leaner, more efficient and more focused on achieving results. They have had to innovate and differentiate themselves in a competitive market and really demonstrate their ability to understand changing client needs and add real value to UK businesses. It’s this drive and level of expertise that will help to move the industry forward in the coming years.

“Recruitment is a resilient and entrepreneurial industry, achieving a £20 billion turnover even during the longest and deepest recession since records began. Despite the potential impact of public sector cuts we expect to see a return to growth in next year’s report and look forward to seeing the industry bounce back.”

David Roust, Head of the Recruitment Industry Team at Barclays Corporate, said:

“Businesses across the sector have had to be adept at managing the changing market place – some have fared better than others – but overall management teams have demonstrated real resilience through these toughest of times.

“Challenges remain, whether retaining key staff, preparing for regulatory changes or targeting new and different geographies or sectors – and on top of all this, understanding and dealing with the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

“However, this sector is full of entrepreneurial spirit and one which has a role to play in providing a flexible workforce and helping people get back to work – another challenging year awaits.” 

Permanent recruitment volumes were again hardest hit plummeting 25 per cent over the year from 582,803 to 436,822. There was also a sharp drop in the number of temporary / contract workers who were down 17.7 per cent from 1,068,197 to 879,302. The survey states that demand for temporary staff has tended to focus in areas where skills are often less widely available pushing up employment costs as a result.  

Also reported was a downturn is the number of people working in recruitment which is now at 80,528 compared to 95,865 last year. These job losses comprise 6,000 permanent consultants plus 7,187 administration and management positions.  

The Report was compiled by the REC’s Industry Research Unit. Copies of the Report are available from the REC, www.rec.uk.com/research or by calling David Hewson or Liz Miller on 020 7009 2144.

Major findings of the Recruitment Industry Trends Survey covering the period April 2009 to March 2010 are:  

• A drop in overall industry turnover to £19.7 billion compared to £22.491 billion in 200/09. This represents a 12.4 per cent decrease in overall turnover.
• Temporary placements fell from 1,068 million to 879,302, a contraction of 17.7 per cent.
• Overall turnover for temporary/contract staff went down from £19.882 billion to £17.8 billion, a drop of 10.4 per cent.
• Permanent placements decreased from 582,803 to 436,822, a fall of 25 per cent.
• Total turnover for permanent staff also decreased from £2.609 billion to £1.9 billion, a drop of 27.6 per cent.
• The largest number of temporary placements was once again in the Industrial and blue collar sector which after last year’s peak of 33 per cent of the market fell back this year to 21 per cent. This was followed by secretarial/clerical at 13 per cent and drivers at 12 per cent. Bringing up the rear was accounting/financial which dropped from 20 per cent last year to just two per cent.
• The largest sector for permanent placements was professional/managerial at 23 per cent, two points higher than last year followed by secretarial and clerical which has remained static at 14 per cent.
• Staff employment in the recruitment industry fell from 95,867 in 2008/09 to 80,528.