Website changes on the way…

I am currently in the middle of making some subtle website changes which will see the jobs section move to its own branded section on the Storm Recruitment Services site. Of course you will still be able to pick up job postings through the Storm Networking Lounge on LinkedIn if you are a member (it’s free, please do look it up in LinkedIn Groups) or through the multitude of job boards that I use from time to time. Now having over 11,000 Twitter followers meant it seemed prudent to be directing all that traffic to Storm rather than elsewhere.

The blog also goes from strength to strength with a new daily visit record achieved on the 22 March when it received 1,254 unique visits.

Visit the website and have a look around www.stormrecruitment.tv

Why you should always be “looking” for your next job.

This week I met a guy who I’ve known for a while now through broadcast and software circles that I move in. Whenever we’ve talked about him looking at the job market (which hasn’t been often) he’s always said things like, “I have a great job, love the organisation and the people I work with and have been here ten years and see myself here for another ten at least.”

This weekend just gone he rang me to say that last week out of the blue, all the staff were told that the organisation is to be liquidated. He said that overnight his world had crumbled and those feelings of being secure and lucky have been replaced with an all-consuming one of fear and of not knowing what happens next. I think the thing he’s taken from recent events more than anything is that actually nothing lasts forever and he was somewhat blinkered in his views.

So with that in mind I thought that this week I would write about a few things I would say you should be doing with regard to job searching, even if you are not active on the job market.

Find a specialist recruiter in your skills market and build a relationship

All of the really good recruiters I know build long term relationships. It’s what makes them different from the CV fly-posters that most people have had a bad experience with. Meet them (they’ll want to meet you), get to know them, give them insight into what you are good at, where you excel, what the perfect role might look like in your eyes and be clear on your cultural fit. They won’t hassle you or ring you about unsuitable jobs but you might one day get that call that starts, “You know that perfect role you talked about…” If not you have a relationship for when you need it. To put this in context, I know where my dentist is and see him twice a year. I wouldn’t let him do my eye tests though. Find a specialist and go from there.

Network properly

Every day I get five to ten connections invites from people I’ve never met on sites such as LinkedIn. I don’t think this is the way to network. It is true that social media has made finding relevant connections a lot easier but personally I’d suggest only sending connection invites to people you know well or have met. I recommend you get on sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and “follow” and “like” industry leaders and organisations. Step out of your own comfort zone and positively retweet and post comments about their content.

You can also use the online tools to take advantage of in-person events and conferences to meet relevant career professionals. If you are picking events that are work relevant you will find you make connections that are work relevant and add value to your current role as well as to any potential future role. Be outgoing and enthusiastic at these events, there’s no point in going if you’re not going to talk to anyone.

Keep an eye on the job market

I also recommend you get into the mind-set of thinking about what types of job descriptions appeal to you. If you sign up for relevant, niche job alerts you will start to build a picture over time of what that dream job might look like if you don’t already know. I say relevant, niche job alerts because I want you to ignore the only part that the CV fly-posters are interested in, the technical skills. Start focussing on what the job entails.
If you focus on the requirements within the description rather than the technical skills you will be drawn to roles where you feel you will excel. Write the requirements down for future reference and pretty soon you’ll be in possession of a long list of opportunities that are focussed on job content that you are genuinely interested in. You might even find you can use this when you sit down with your employer at appraisal time and the conversation turns to what you’d like more of.

Be ready if something jumps out at you

Now you are tuned into the job market, once in a while you may stumble across that perfect role I mentioned earlier. There are some fabulously written job postings out there. This is a fact. But before you send your CV off into the ether and lose all control of to whom it’s being sent and for what role, remember that the dark lords of the CV fly-posting recruitment firms come in many different guises. Don’t give up your CV lightly. Phone and talk to the recruiter. They probably won’t tell you who the organisation is but they should be willing to tell you about the role and organisational culture in more depth and ask you some questions that clarify your interest one way or the other. If you can’t get the information don’t send in your CV. Ask for a meeting to discuss it further. Get some commitment.

Now you are future ready

By adopting this approach to the job market you’ll build a relationship with a recruiter who you know you can always get to answer your calls. You will build your work related social networks. You will learn more about the job market, how you fit and how you might fit a round hole as a round peg. You may also find or be made aware of that perfect role that you might otherwise have missed. At the very least you are ready when change happens and believe me it will. It is the one certainty in life.

See you next week…

When you’re on interview, just answer the questions and answer them properly.

This week I thought I’d write more about interviewing, the process and the questions you may get asked.

The reason behind my choice of topic is down to a situation I had this week where a candidate was on interview and let’s just say it didn’t go too well. From my end this was very disappointing. From the client end this was very disappointing. From the candidate end this was also very disappointing. So why did it go wrong? Well the answer is simple. The candidate decided that he would tell the client what he thought he wanted to hear rather than the truth and then misjudged the client’s laid back persona as the green light to start talking in a more informal manner which quickly tumbled into him giving inappropriate examples when given a scenario to comment on.

I was disappointed because I’d met the guy and was happy with his professionalism, skills, commitment to the role, behaviour and so subsequently briefed him properly. I was however pleased with the outcome because if what he displayed at interview was his real persona then he wouldn’t have been right for the culture of the business in question and better it came out now. The client was disappointed because he looked good on paper. The candidate was disappointed because he hasn’t been asked back for second interview.

I have been in the industry long enough to know that the thing about employers is that they really want direct answers to their questions, not a long-winded response that has very little to do with the question that they asked. With that in mind I thought I’d put a few pointers out there as I get asked about it a lot. For what it’s worth, I don’t think any of it is anything other than common sense.

Listen to the questions asked and think before you speak.

When I was very small I remember helping my grandfather on our allotment and asking him lots of questions about the plants. I was caught up in the moment as I wanted to learn and impress but I wasn’t taking in what he was saying and when he tried to clarify that I’d understood I more often than not gave him an answer that was either wrong or irrelevant. So he sat me down and said to me, “Johnty (it’s what he called me), you’ve got two ears and one mouth, learn to use them in the ratio they were given to you to use. Make sure you do twice as much listening as talking.” I’ve never forgotten it.

All too often candidates will want to answer a question as soon as it’s left the interviewer’s lips. This is clearly a mistake. Surely you want to give the best possible answer rather than blurt out a half baked one? Take your time with your answer. Ask the interviewer to clarify if you are unsure what they mean.

Also I have found that some candidates have the tendency to formulate what they’re going to say before the interviewer finishes the question. This can cause you to take off in the wrong direction and once done it can’t be corrected with any level of success. If you need clarification, ask.
Lastly on this point, I had a face to face interview this week where the lady started finishing my sentences and questions for me. I highlighted it and she didn’t realise she was doing it. We’ve agreed this isn’t good for her chances at interview so she is going to work on it before we even consider looking at new job opportunities. Ask your friends or partners if you do this and be prepared for what they might say.

Listen – Think – Clarify if needed – Think – Answer.

Don’t have too much to say and don’t go off on a rambling tangent.

When you’re talking at interview, elaborating on an answer may be more harmful than helpful. When you go into too much detail, you can come across as someone who talks too much. For me personally, and I imagine others, this can be very irritating and more often than not makes me want to wrap up an interview. If you do this at interview you run the risk of boring the interviewer and even worse they may not get time to ask all their questions because of your ramblings. This could result in you being rejected and not moving to the next phase purely because the interviewer didn’t get the opportunity to really get the key information they needed to screen you in.

So everything you say must be relevant to the interviewer’s direct questions. If the question is, “How did you improve the test processes?” Don’t start describing in detail the software product, just answer the question. If a skill is on your CV it needs to be real, not a skill that the guy who sat next to you had. If you worked on a project, talk about your role and responsibilities within the project and don’t take credit for things you didn’t achieve but others did. All of the interviews I arrange have a technical element. The interviewer will have technical knowledge so if you say you can do something be prepared to back it up with fact and examples. I promise you that you will be found out if you are making it up. Saying “no, I can’t do that but am interested in developing my skills in that area”, may actually go in your favour.

Without being contradictory, make sure you say enough.

So it is really imperative that as an interviewee you effectively answer the questions asked of you with enough detail and plenty of examples of your successes. I’ve lost count of the times where a candidate hasn’t provided enough information for an interviewer to be able to make a positive decision on whether to progress or hire that person and that isn’t because I haven’t prepped them I promise you. I’ve also lost count of the times a candidate has talked to me with regret about not having sold themselves at the interview, due in part, to not elaborating on an answer they knew they could have given.

It may sound daft but don’t ask too many questions.

I always encourage interviewees to ask questions during the client interview, indeed I’ve gathered them all up over the years and include them as prep for candidates I am representing when we are getting ready for interview. I do it so that they can start to get into the mind set of an interviewee ahead of time.

As the interview progresses, get your questions into the conversation and flag that you are doing so. “Can I ask a question?” shows you are listening and gives the interview more flow. That said you really don’t want to be asking too many questions at the end of an interview. That approach can make it feel like you are taking over.

In summary then, for you to be an effective communicator at an interview you need to show that you have the ability to listen and then answer the questions with transparency and accuracy. Please don’t be fazed by the occasion or worse still over confident and over familiar. Take your time, respond with your accomplishments, and most importantly just answer the questions.

See you next week…

As a candidate, if you can’t or won’t answer these key questions, I won’t work with you.

I’ve noticed an interesting trend in the marketplace over the last few months when talking to potential candidates.

The trend is that more and more potential candidates in my sectors (especially software engineering) are not interested in having a conversation about themselves and their current environment. They just want to see the job spec. To give an example, I spoke to a candidate yesterday who put his CV on a job board and then got defensive when I phoned him (out of office hours) and started asking him simple questions about his current employment situation. If you don’t want to talk chap, don’t put your CV on a job board. Simples.

Those of you who know me know that I will share everything with a candidate about an organisation including its challenges, its culture, its goals and the part that some candidates are wrongly seeing as the holy grail – the job spec. But before we stampede towards the job spec, I need to know you might fit before we get going. Believe it or not, I can’t get that from your CV. Yes I could play buzz word bingo and just score your CV against the technical requirements of a job spec, and then after that, yes I could just fire your details off to the client. But get this, I’d rather get it right for you and the client rather than just spray and pray.

So with that in mind I thought I’d post my key questions on my blog and create some awareness to the differences between someone like me and a CV flyposter.

If you can answer these questions or are prepared to answer them and you work in broadcast convergence, information security or software engineering then Storm is a good option for you when you are looking next.

Here are my key questions. No rocket science, no hidden agenda’s, just three straight questions.

1. Why are you considering a career move?
2. What is happening in your current job – Are there things that could change that would make you want to stay?
3. What else are you looking at and how does what I have compare?

The bottom line for me is that if you are prepared to invest time in me understanding what motivates you I can bring your details to life when talking to potential employers. I will still want to meet you as well and also help you prepare for interview but that is for another time.

See you next week…

Beesy: A really smart note taking App

I don’t normally promote products on the blog but came across a fantastic app which is making such a difference to me, I thought I ought to share it. I was introduced to David through a client last week. David has recently launched a start-up, BeesApps, to deliver, in my opinion, a really smart note taking app for the iPad: Beesy

I’m mentioning it because it is currently on the AppStore at a launch price for a limited time. If you have half the meetings I have this App will make a big difference. So without spoiling the fun of discovering all the features and benefits for yourselves, the key benefits are simple and strong:

- replace your pen and paper with a fast and structured note taking app

- send instant meeting minutes right after the meeting

- take control of a powerful reporting tool based on your notes and your calendar.

There is a very short demo video which you can access here: Beesy video

Take a look at it. A five minute investment of your time will save you hours down the line.

The 8 Things Your Employees Need Most

A great piece by Jeff Haden this week in Inc Magazine. So good in fact I thought I would post it in its entirety on the blog. Thank you to Jeff for allowing me to do so. You can hear more from Jeff at @jeff_haden on Twitter

The 8 Things Your Employees Need Most

Forget about raises and better benefits. Those are important — but this is what your staff really wants. Pay is important. But pay only goes so far. Getting a raise is like buying a bigger house; soon, more becomes the new normal. Higher wages won’t cause employees to automatically perform at a higher level. Commitment, work ethic, and motivation are not based on pay. To truly care about your business, your employees need these eight things—and they need them from you:

1. Freedom.

Best practices can create excellence, but every task doesn’t deserve a best practice or a micro-managed approach. Autonomy and latitude breed engagement and satisfaction. Latitude also breeds innovation. Even manufacturing and heavily process-oriented positions have room for different approaches. Whenever possible, give your employees the freedom to work the way they work best.

2. Targets.

Goals are fun. Everyone—yes, even you—is at least a little competitive, if only with themselves. Targets create a sense of purpose and add a little meaning to even the most repetitive tasks. Without a goal to shoot for, work is just work. And work very often sucks.

3. Mission.

We all like to feel a part of something bigger. Striving to be worthy of words like “best” or “largest” or “fastest” or “highest quality” provides a sense of purpose. Let employees know what you want to achieve, for your business, for customers, and even your community. And if you can, let them create a few missions of their own. Caring starts with knowing what to care about—and why.

4. Expectations.

While every job should include some degree of latitude, every job needs basic expectations regarding the way specific situations should be handled. Criticise an employee for expediting shipping today, even though last week that was the standard procedure if on-time delivery was in jeopardy, and you lose that employee. Few things are more stressful than not knowing what your boss expects from one minute to the next. When standards change make sure you communicate those changes first. When you can’t, explain why this particular situation is different, and why you made the decision you made.

5. Input.

Everyone wants to offer suggestions and ideas. Deny employees the opportunity to make suggestions, or shoot their ideas down without consideration and you create robots. Robots don’t care. Make it easy for employees to offer suggestions. When an idea doesn’t have merit, take the time to explain why. You can’t implement every idea, but you can always make employees feel valued for their ideas.

6. Connection.

Employees don’t want to work for a pay slip; they want to work with and for people. A kind word, a short discussion about family, a brief check-in to see if they need anything… those individual moments are much more important than meetings or formal evaluations.

7. Consistency.

Most people can deal with a boss who is demanding and quick to criticise… as long as he or she treats every employee the same. While you should treat each employee differently, you must treat each employee fairly. (There’s a big difference.) The key to maintaining consistency is to communicate. The more employees understand why a decision was made the less likely they are to assume favouritism or unfair treatment.

8. Future.

Every job should have the potential to lead to something more, either within or outside your company. For example, I worked at a manufacturing plant while I was in college. I had no real future with the company. Everyone understood I would only be there until I graduated. One day my boss said, “Let me show you how we set up our production board.” I raised an eyebrow; why show me? He said, “Even though it won’t be here, someday, somewhere, you’ll be in charge of production. You might as well start learning now.” Take the time to develop employees for jobs they someday hope to fill—even if those positions are outside your company. (How will you know what they hope to do? Try asking.) Employees will care about your business when you care about them first.

Wise words indeed.

Why I think you should be continuing to find the best people rather than triggering a recruitment freeze across your business.

I think it is fair to say that we are in uncertain times at present. Having recruited through difficult times before I know that some business leaders will now be adopting a traditional response to what we are seeing in business today. They will be seeing their sales reducing, their revenue falling and decide that ‘cost centres’ are where the hits will be taken. So recruitment is frozen, HR switches into consultation with said business leaders and announcements are made about reductions in numbers of staff. I can hear CEO’s saying “yes it is true, we didn’t hit our sales numbers but we did streamline our costs”. I have seen it many many times before.

I agree that expansion and new headcount may not make sense at this time, BUT, hiring the best people must surely still always be top of the agenda. The best people will help grow and maximise the opportunities that mediocre people cannot achieve. So my question is this. Does a recruitment freeze make sense if recruiters can attract you better people? Simple answer. No.

You might turn around and say, “We’ve already hired the best people John, you may have even helped us with that”. Well that is great to hear, but don’t forget that once you’ve recruited the best people, you need to retain them. I truly believe that the best people know their value and that they are also much happier to take risks in a recessionary job market as they know they will always find work. In my view it is the weaker performers who stay where they are adopting a “last in, first out” mindset. All that does is weaken businesses.

So CEO’s, don’t hide behind the old argument of tough times and no bonus or salary review if you want to hold onto your best people. If you can’t expand I would suggest you manage out poor performers and continue to allow recruiters to attract you better people in their place. The perpetual self-improving workforce will go a long way to retaining your best people.

Recruitment has never been so vital. Do you and your business recognise that?

See you next week…