Facebook – a cyber cool website that is the employee’s liability

I’m on Facebook, the social network: you can find me here: http://profile.to/recruit/

A very socially cool website valued at over $1Bn US dollars, on Facebook you can: see comments from your friends and new people; play scrabble or poker with them during work hours; find out where right now; what they think of many, including you; what’s in their social diary; and who they are dating/going further with. And you know that in a few hours time, thanks to a 2MegPixel camera in their mobile phone the resulting evidence of the pub crawl will be online and in their Facebook page. I mean, how really cool of an inside look in any friends life is that – possibly too close?

But on a work basis, Facebook is both a godsend and a nightmare. Do you really want everyone from the North Pole to the South Pole, and any potential employer to see the photographic evidence of your weekend away?

I am hence very careful on who I am connected to on Facebook; and I don’t put stuff on my Facebook profile which could harm my personal or business reputation.

Two stories have recently hit the headlines about employee’s being disciplined from entries they made themselves on Facebook:

• Australian call centre worker Kyle Doyle, who after a grand night out and resultant hangover, pulled a sickie. His HR manager alerted by his manger asked for the certificated evidence, which then was responded to by an reference to his Facebook entry
• Virgin Atlantic sacked 13 staff at their Gatwick hub who criticised the company for lack of cleaning, and rated customers as “chav’s.” I think they could have got away with the former with a caution, but not with the later which potentially brought the company into disrepute

Much as though employers have to be more aware of the use of social networks and make allowances in employment contracts, that doesn’t mean it is all flowing in the employee’s direction. Hence when I am searching for people for clients, half the reason I have a Facebook page is that I can both find new and check on recommended potential employee’s – it is constantly amazing what you can find out, and how daft many are with their personal reputation.

Please, please, please – be aware of what information you place in public. Social networking and Facebook can be fun - but it can also get you sacked, or rejected from a job search.

Good Luck!

How to undertake a secret “new job” search – much like an affair, take precautions and turn the heat up slowly

One of the advantages for the casual job seeker of the internet is to be contactable, but also to appear to your current employer that you are happy where you are. The number of business orientated social networking sites – including LinkedIn and VisualCV – means that you can say to your existing employer that you are “just” networking, while you know that your details are out there being found by recruiters and HR people.

However, suppose you need to escalate that job search to reach a quicker conclusion, to get you out of your existing hole: what tactics can you use?

The first problem and key tactic is that, much like having an illicit affair, you have to be discrete and appear to carry on in the same old routine or path. Appearing to look like a job seeker sends out all the wrong messages to both your existing employer (untrustworthy), and any potential employer (desperate), and is likely to end in an extended period of unemployment over gardening leave.

Hence, the first and only rule is to leave no evidence of your job searching in your work place. Hence while searching for work, do not use your employers infrastructure, including computers or phones. A majority of employers monitor systems usage through a clause in your contract called “bringing the company into disrepute,” they can hence keep details of websites visited by computers and calls made from phones. I have heard of people being sacked after expense accounts included the receipt for purchase of heavy weight paper, or cardboard-backed envelopes which showed up on the accompanying paperwork as “12 x CV/Resume no-bend envelopes!” All expenditure goes to a personal account, and choose to take a preference for paying cash for items and services – particularly including stationary. And don’t go using the company photocopier – a personal printer which includes a copy function can be bought for under £100/$100

Your first task is to separate your existing personal and current job contact details from your new job search self. You must keep your CV/Resume, eMail correspondence, and anything and everything related to your job search on your home computer. This may mean obtaining:

• a new free web-based eMail account specifically for job searching. For instance, if you have AOL and Hotmail accounts, get a gMail account
• a new PAYG cellphone. You could use your home phone answering machine, but it is often difficult to access and always comes with the “I have to tell the other people who I live with” secrecy consequence compromises of your job search. As it is initially for incoming calls, no need for more than the standard starter credit which can cost you from £30/$50 upwards. Please make sure that you record a voice mail message, that clearly states your availability and eMail address
• I would also recommend optionally a PO Box for mail. At around £15/$20/month, a relative bargain

Security of these details is sacrosanct – any leak and unemployment is almost inevitable, so don’t leak them to anyone outside those who need to know. For instance, if you have a Plaxo account, or similar MSOutlook back-up service, don’t put these in your own Plaxo details. They will replicate to all of your contacts, which probably includes your boss! Only once in the job search do you get the excuse in this entire exercise to create a new person identity, so call it something different to your normal choice, which could be for instance: a holiday destination; a name from your year of birth in the phone book; or a name from the newspaper. At NO point will you be using this “identity name,” it is just a point to store your new job search contact details.

Secondly, create a new CV/Resume, or polish up the old one. Make sure it reflects your new career goals and requirements – and include your new job search contact details. But you must be very careful where you post, so only post on job sites where you can keep your employer history and contact information confidential. Monster for instance provides such a facility, which means you can still be found by recruiters and HR people, but your details are confidential and they can only post to you – it is then your choice whether you respond. Store the final document at an easy-access secure document location, such as Google Docs, which allows you quickly to send it out to any CV/Resume requests – but clearly don’t publish it in public!

Thirdly, you can now polish up your existing online profiles. Make sure these are aligned with your new skills and new CV/Resume. On LinkedIn, you can tick a box from an options list which states whether or not you wish to be contacted, while an other option asks if you are interested in new job or contracting opportunities. Most professionals do tick these boxes, and they are just options – but it is not as blatant as posting your CV/Resume across an open jobs site.

During your search, you may find it difficult to make contact with potential employers during work hours – and hence although you may get some contact, following this up will prove difficult. Everyone should take a lunch hour, so use yours to find:

• a place or location where you can go which is away from the work place, and quiet enough in which to conduct a 15min conversation. Your car could be a good option, but make sure the location you park has great cellphone coverage
• a public library or alternately an internet café which gives access to computer terminals. Libraries are good as they provide “cover story” opportunities as to why you are going to the library. Alternately, find a public access Wifi location, such as Starbucks

You now have locations in which to take lunch, and follow up on job search eMails and detail requests.

When you get to the interview stage, try scheduling them at points of the day when it is easier and causes less suspicion. This could either be in the morning or late afternoon, and away from normal office “busy” periods such as monthly or quarterly target or finance period closes. On the day of the interview, if you don’t wear a suit in to work normally, then don’t on the interview day – use a suitcase, or leave your clothes in the car and allow time to change on the way. Men, at the start of your job search, start shaving in a presentable to interview fashion every day – if you want to keep your beard, then trim it. If you suddenly turn up on one day well shaven, then you either have a hot date or are going for an interview!

During your job search, keep a diary and plan of progress – monitoring will tell you what channels are working, to put more effort into them.

Most importantly, always be discrete and try to keep the number of people you tell below four. Only tell those you can trust, which I suggest is family only and no co-workers – it will some how inevitably always get back to your boss!

Job searching can be fun, but you always need to take some sensible cautions just to make sure your existing job is not lost before you have a signed contract for the new job: until that point, it is never secured and assured.

Good Luck!

Thinking of changing roles or market sectors for employment? Pick one with a future that you enjoy

The down turn is bringing forward many individual’s plans to change employment sectors. Having seen many jobs disappear in their sector, they suddenly seem to be bringing forward long held plans to do something else, which they have never yet put into action.

Is this a time when you should put long term held dreams into action? Possibly, but probably not if you are in secure employment with a great employer – that would be just daft at present. Jumping in this case means a change of employer, skills and sector and resultantly higher financial insecurity. This kind of change only makes sense if you are looking on a daily basis for a new job, and everything you look at reminds you of what you unhappily previously did.

To undertake this task, start with four blank A4 sheets of paper:

• Sheet1: what I have done/this skills I have
• Sheet2: my life, my family, and where I would like to be with both
• Sheet3: where I would like to be in work in 10years

Sheet 1 tells you what you have got to work with now – this could form the basis of a CV or Resume. Sheet 2 defines your personal priorities – you and your family, and what you want. Sheet 3 fits effectively inside Sheets 1 and 2 – you have (Sheet 1), you want (Sheet 2) and you expand on part of the want in Sheet 3. Clearly there is a compromise here, for instance: you want more children, and yet travelling far away from home for your dream job means you need a very supportive partner, and need to let them have some form of support system when you are away; which probably means that the family home is located close to the mother-in-law, and that means you need to get on with her.

You can play these scenarios and go back and re-write the pieces of paper as often as you want, and I would encourage you to do so on a six-monthly basis. But eventually you will get down to a mix where by you have played out everything you can think of, and the amount of change/addition is minimal. The result should be that you have a clear plan, which you have talked through and agreed with your partner, and which as a result you are more enthused – and will resultantly be loved by any future recruiter you meet or employer who engages you.

This blog entry is focused on Sheet 3, and picking a sector of employment that means you (hopefully) won’t end up in the same situation again – ie: thinking what you were doing was useless/boring, and wanting to change sectors. It may be the case that you enjoy the sector, but just want to move roles within that sector – that’s fine, and there are former shop floor workers in the coal, ship building, motor and pottery industries who are still enjoying work in the UK, just not on the shop floor.

If you want to pick a new sector, then look for signs that include:

• Technology change – IT, or applications of are good signs
• Market liberalisation – often seen at a government level, such as the entry of the low-cost carriers into the airline market
• Legislation improvement – this often means more paperwork, such as in the case of recycling or employment law
• Social trends – such as the divorce rating is rising, so more divorce lawyers and support staff are required; more women want to return to work, so there is a shortage of child care workers

In cases where you want to stay in the sector, but can see the sector is on decline, then look towards:

• Creativity – much as though production may move, design teams most often stay and expand
• Customer orientation – sales and marketing still need to be in-country, even if a product is produced internationally
• Consultancy – new market entrants and competitors to your old employer have probably come along as a result of cost efficiencies in developed markets. All of these companies need help in launching and developing their products

But above all, in all cases – PICK A SECTOR YOU WILL ENJOY! There is no point in spotting a trend or a gap, and not having your heart go quicker and your face smile. If it will not, then recruiters and employers will pick up on that.

Changing sectors need not, if you follow some simple rules and looks at the long term trends, be such a daft or wholly risky choice – as long as you make a better choice.

Good Luck!

PS: On a personal note……. I know this system works, because I apply it every three months! This is the system I used to move from call centre design to the internet market in the late 1990’s, through joining the team in my company involved in Data Centres. I saw the long term trend was towards mobile and the internet, and hence knew I had to get a job in either one or the other sector. Five years later, I choose self employment as I could see the long term staff reduction trends in BT – there is far more staff reduction to come there. The reason I became involved in the mobile phone recycler SimuSimu (Simu is Swahili for telephone…), was because I enjoyed telecoms, and could see the legislation on reuse and recycling increasing. I got involved in the recruitment market place because of effectively a consultancy engagement – there are staff shortages in certain telecoms sectors. I had the contacts and abilities to find gaps and fulfil them. I stayed because I could see the challenge for career management for the average person would be more difficult in a more liquid employment market, and if a good recruiter existed we could help candidates long term – hence the creation of Ajiri Ltd

The pound and employment – why a falling currency should be good

In light of poor and fast declining economic data, and media comments by both the Bank of England and the Prime Minister that the UK was in a recession, the pound has dropped to low levels against the US dollar. Since July, it has fallen by 25% in value, from $2.00 to $1.50 to the UK pound.

If you look at this further, it gets to be a consistent pattern of the pound dropping in value against numerous currencies:
- 220 to 160 against the Japanese Yen (27%)
- 86 to 74 against the Indian Rupee (14%)
- 1.40 to 1.25 against the Euro, although in the past three months it has been quite stable (10%)

However, all this bad currency data could be good for UK employment: that holiday in Florida, the most popular location for Brit’s abroad, is now 25% more expensive. It makes Margate look a lot more attractive, and a lesser drop against the Eurozone makes the Mediterranean interesting for guaranteed sunshine

But that’s consumer spending – what has it got to down with your job?

When I ran a large UK Call Centre design team – we turnover £127million in the last year I ran the team – we were faced with the onslaught on the overseas location. The main reason was, it was cheaper to run. We were at a disadvantage any way, as we worked for the most expensive telecoms company in the market by around 15% to 25% - so just selling in the UK was a chore, let alone against Phuket or Mumbai!

One of the most powerful statement’s I have ever been taught was as an engineer in Bournemouth, being taught how to sell modems. The trainer taught us that learning lists of features was fine, but what was the business benefit? To find them, he taught us the statement “Which means that…..” So for instance, a dual processor design meant better up time, which means that you don’t need to design in as much redundancy to ensure critical delivery – that actual line won us a £15million contract with Chase Manhattan, and meant we also won a contract into just post communist Russia!

So, for UK businesses exporting, what does a quickly falling pound mean? Take Jaguar cars for instance – the £35,000 XJ top line saloon is now 25% cheaper at the dock in New York. That is also true of the 50mpg BMW Mini, and in a country which is running scared of their beloved SUV’s and not having enough for a deposit for one anyway, a cheap and economical branded car should sell well.

What about call centres? I always felt the flight to India was short termed in sight. The way we overcame selling at a premium UK price was to train engineers who designed whole customer service solutions, over just the flashing light telephone bit in the middle. We hence thought about market position, registration, time to answer, environment (yes, we had colour awareness training!), and follow-up. It meant when you engaged us, you engaged a whole solution over an engineer – hence why we did £127million, or 53% of then BT Solutions group turnover. Hence from my point of view as a whole solution, the mass flight of call centres to India was illogical and daft, when the majority of the customers were over 50, and couldn’t understand many UK call centre operators, let alone someone who had never been to the UK apart from watching an episode of Eastenders. The clear result would be greater market switching, which those who either choose to stay in the UK or were to slow to react would suddenly find the results of – Nationwide made a conscious decision to leave their call centres in the UK, and took a 20% boost in business.

We have in the past two years seen a flight back to the UK as annual market switching rates in financial services rose from 10% to 35% , but the back offices – rightly – have stayed in the cheaper economies of India. However, many organisations which don’t benefit from scale economies are finding the communication lines stretched, and hence projects delivered late: its why there is a boom in need for qualified project managers, but the problem is communication.

So, what will be the effect of a falling currency? We are in a recession in the UK, and reduced consumer spending (probably agitated further by higher high street prices) will result in increased unemployment: but to stay employed, you just have to get focused, there are many opportunities. However, with a quickly falling currency, the rates of UK export will quickly rise – plus financial services will recover, as UK law is open, stable and friendly: thank you Sarbanes Oxley! I expect to see the result in the UK balance of payments by mid-2009, and it’s why BMW are choosing to lay-off over redundancy until Easter: because they know what the reaction could be, and there is still a skills shortage in the UK labour market of engineers. Any decision announced to outsource offshore in the past 12months that has not yet been implemented I am sure is being looked at by every Finance Director right now – it not only requires an often capital sum to achieve, it also now is looking around 20% less cost effective.

Clearly there will be redundancies, as UK companies can’t bleed to death through lack of cash when they can’t borrow. But the depth of the redundancies may not be as high as suspected – such a sharp fall in the UK sterling is like installing a rubber floor as a safety precaution, and make FD’s listen to HR directors about long term skills shortages as there is a tightening of the pull of export sales.

Good Luck!

The problem of being low paid and self employed – but the universal lesson that doesn’t mean anyone has to be unemployed in the economic down turn

I recently gave advice to a husband of a friend’s friend, who as a Polish economic migrant to the UK had found himself unemployed.

The gentleman was an eminently hard worker, who for the past five years had worked as a self-employed body repair technician at an East London garage, specialised in repairs to that superb Eastern European brand – and probably better to drive in an economic downturn than the Bentley’s they derive many of their parts from – Skoda. In fact, so impressed was his boss with his work, when his brother decided to come to the UK the boss employed him as well. Last summer, the boss took on an a 16year old English apprentice, and my friends husband has been training him up.

When the downturn came, my friends husband was the most skilled worker, so you would have thought he would have survived any downturn. No, he was first out of the door with 2weeks notice: the apprentice he trained is half as good but cheaper on minimum wage due to his age. The concern of my friend was that her friend is pregnant, and due to give birth in December, so could I help find him a job?

Firstly can I state up front, I don’t let Ajiri deal with minimum wage work as I find that many employers don’t treat their workers well at that wage level. A low wage level tends to translate into a low respect for their employees, and you hence also see low levels of work place environment, poor health and safety and many other problems. Often the employers will tell you that the reason that it all looks so grotty is because of the way the workers treat the place, but personally I think standards come from the management and flow down to the employees, and not visa versa. However, I got into recruitment because I like people, and getting people to find their feet in the work place and reach their goals is satisfying whatever the wage level, so I agreed to a phone call.

Firstly, the guy was bright and enthusiastic – employers love that, and he had an easy to get along with personality: they adore that. Secondly, he loved what he did, but had a long term goal to get into truck/HGV driving – I translated that as liking the transport sector. And thirdly, he wanted to stay in the UK for a period. However, on the downside, although he is legal (Poland is an EU state, so there are no need for entry/employment visa’s etc), and he is paying his UK taxes, he still had no UK driving license. Also, on checking his National Insurance (health and unemployment insurance), although it was all up to date, as he had worked for his employer full time for three years, the employer had not when the legislation changed added his contributions. Further, the employer was now giving him two weeks notice, when he needed to give him at least 30days.

My friend’s husband didn’t want to hassle his employer on the NI contributions or notice period, as his own brother was still working at the establishment. So we just focused on the “what next” question.

What all people need to look at when faced with such a situation, is to answer the question: What are my transportable skills? This question is easier answered if you have a certificate for some training, which as most self-employed people need to fund themselves they don’t. Hence although my friends husband was an excellent body repair technician, he didn’t have a certificate or qualification or registration with a professional body to verify any of this. Secondly, the lack of a UK driving license restricted his UK employment prospects – most employers want a photo ID for identity, and if you are a foreign national some UK paperwork to prove you are resident and won’t walk out next week.

After our first phone call, I did some checking at jobsites for work (note – I always love the online jobsite stat’s for hits, but many in my experience are just browsing: employers, recruiters and employees to check markets. The question is conversion ratio); and found without surprise that no qualifications and no UK driving license meant he was looking at minimum wage again at best, possibly as a drivers mate (ie – a health and safety load lugger). I immediately texted him back, and gave him the address of the nearest DVLA centre in London, and told him to get down their ASAP and get a UK driving license. Apparently this was quite easy for a Polish national, but ring them if in doubt – always very helpful people, but then most of them are Welsh!

In our second telephone conversation, we talked about why driving? In my view, he still seemed very committed to the sector, which was both good (employers love enthusiasm), and bad (so I had to find him a role in transport). I had done some research, and suggested a role in bus driving:

• It's like trucking, but in often prettier looking but just as macho vehicles
• It doesn’t involve long distances away from home
• The working environment is much cleaner, and involves people over constant listening to cheese radio stations
• As the employers are subject to a higher level of regulation, they are generally more respectful of their employees
• And if you don’t like it, as a formal qualification it is fairly easy to convert from a bus/PSV to a truck/HGV license

Best of all, because of the credit crunch, there is a so great a shortage of bus drivers out in the work place at present – people can’t afford to run cars, so take the bus instead – the employers are paying people to take the qualification, as long as you stay in employment for three years: you would have to pay for your won HGV training in full. Transport for London even at present have a scheme which focuses on finding and training more women bus drivers.

So, we are now two weeks later, and my friend’s husband just rang me to tell me about his first day of training to be a bus driver – and he’s over the moon with happiness!

All people are responsible for their own career management, and particularly the self-employed. Always think about what you are putting on your CV whatever work you do, and how transportable those skills are – qualifications make them more transportable to other employers. Secondly, if you do find yourself unemployed, think about how those transportable skills could be deployed in other markets – sales in real estate is a transportable skill for sales in many other sectors.

Good Luck!

What is your view on the video resume?

Michael, a recruiter asks: What is your view on video resumes? We might implement this on our site in the near future. Seems to be a nifty way to get a feel for a candidate. Also a way for candidates to showcase their people skills in a relaxed environment.

In answer:
Putting aside the legal exclusion issues, I think a simple focus on the human and process element is a better focus to answer this question. For instance:

- Do all your candidates look like super models, or Brad Pitt replica's?
- Do they all look good on a camera lens? There is a difference....
- Do they know how to perform on video, which picks up and magnifies the smallest issues? You may not have noticed that twitch until now...
- Are they being interviewed by Katie Curic/David Frost, and can your chosen interviewer build up on screen rapport with all candidates? Even Sir David can't do that...
- Are they being shot by "the next Steven Speilberg?"
- Are you using edited or unedited versions?

All of this, even if the boxes are ticked, means that the candidates generally become more nervous (what "relaxed environment" - ?), and doing a video resume takes some pre-planning: its not just turn up and go.

If you also think about the process, then I think the video resume as the first stop/replacement of the traditional piece of paper falls down in non-entertainment/arts based vocations. The first question any client has is: does the candidate have the basic skills? That can be answered in less than a page of A4 and hence read twice in 1min or less; where as dragging through a 20min video resume multiplies the process by at least 20fold - time is money.

Is there a role for the video resume? Yes, in entertainment and arts fields, as it has always been. Is there a role for the video resume in the wider recruitment world? Possibly in some fields, where the pre-planning costs and training of the candidate can be consumed in the eventual recruitment fee's generated. It can become a second-check savings tool where the basic skills check on paper can be further developed into a character-fit check on video, before the candidate is physically met and interviewed.

But as a generic recruitment tool? I have always thought of YouTube as an alternate entertainment channel, not really a recruiting world benchmark - as this example by Aleksey Vayner shows. If you watch most of the so called video resumes over there, I am not sure much as though there are some great candidates that you would because of their performances employ many of them.

Good Luck!

Remember, even in the credit crunch, there are still Births, Deaths, Marriages – and SEX!

It’s tough times now, and it is going to be even tougher times ahead in 2009 – I think we are close enough now for me to be able to write that. Many people are losing their jobs, and those who are unemployed can’t find jobs – so what hope is there?

Last week, there was a lot of bad economic data either side of the Atlantic, even after Barack Obama became President elect:

• Car sales down a record 26% to a 20 year low. The big three are hurting, and GM has said it will run out of cash in early 2009
• House sales down a further 20%, effectively now down 48% in the UK from just two years ago
• Retail sales down 12%
• Unemployment at five year highs, and heading higher

But please note – although the figures are DOWN, they are not ZERO. Why is this? Let’s take a simple scenario:

Young man on a rare night out that he can afford meets a young lady, takes her back to his place and ….. nine months later, after getting married and buying a family car, they welcome a child. His apartment now won’t suit their needs, and nor will hers, so they need a house. Houses require mortgages, and after doing a deal with both fathers on a 20% deposit, he needs a better job to pay for it while she will do some part-time work from home for the next 12months – or perhaps she employs a nanny? The house needs decorating…

One thing that is always constant, whether we like it or not, is the fact we are time-limited biological life forms on this earth. You can check this out by reading your local BDM column – it might be shrinking a bit now in the M section, but B and D are still at pretty much the same level they were last year.

These life forms are also emotional, made up of complex calculations and mixtures of chemicals which play a huge part in the micro-second calculations we each make to stay alive on this planet – including the answer to the immortal question of time, life and the universe of “do you want fries with that?”

This is because every one of them needs energy, and hence has to eat, drink, sleep – you can check this one out at the local supermarket: I still see people buying food. And every so often, because no man can be an island from his fellow man – and certainly no lady can resist the odd bit of male company, accepting that shirt doesn’t match his trousers – we all need to get merry with a few other people out there.

And every so often, when people on the odd occasion make a single mistake, they need new cars. And even if they don’t know they need a new one, the old one is also time limited through a form chemical interaction between iron and oxygen which is as old as the earth itself.

So, why are the economic figures not zero? Because life carries on – check BDM, check the supermarket, check that the sun goes up and down, and the moon comes out: life carries on.

So if life carries on, are people still being hired – Ah, YES! Why – do I have to explain BDM again? And now your question is – and how do I make myself one of those people?

Honestly, its simple – and here’s the answer: realise who you are, what your skills are, what you like and could do even if it means doing something different from what you are doing now; and then get a PLAN and IMPLENT IT.

If you have a plan and a goal, and the gumption to stick to it, something inside you picks up and wham – you ace the interview. If you don’t have a plan or know what you want to do, then you need the world’s largest economic boom to stand a chance of being employed at all.

And the amazing thing is – you don’t need to be great to get employed right now, just focused and resultantly enthusiastic; about the job, and the employer:

• If you just did 15minutes of investigation of the employer you are about to apply for a job to, your chances of getting the job would rise by 25%
• If you rang to enquire about the job before applying, your chances would rise by 50%
• And if you re-read the night before just the stuff you printed off of the computer before the day of the interview, and prepared six questions about the employer and the job, your chances of getting the job would rise by 100%.

You have just trebled your chance of getting employed, and all it took was an economic down turn to learn how to do.

Still, even now that I have told you that, I bet there’s a 66% chance you won’t change and hence do it. I know that, because I do read the BDM column and I am still interviewing candidates on a weekly basis – and both tell me that probable outcome.

So, stop reading and take some action – life is still going on, people are still getting hired.

Good Luck!

What Percentage of Job Opportunities Are Listed Online?

Steve asks: What Percentage of Job Opportunities Are Listed Online? I was asked this question in a session recently in my role as the President of PerfectJob Software, "What percentage of jobs are listed on the online job boards." I gave an answer, but wasn't comfortable that I really knew. So I went and did a little research, and I'm actually now less sure I really know. What do you think?

In answer:
I will answer from a UK perspective, as that is the data I know best.

It is difficult to get whole of market data. You can count vacancies at online job boards and newspapers, but little data exists for internal hires outside that issued by a publicly listed company when it makes a required financial announcement.

From the 2005 Office of National Statistics triennial employment survey, there were 650,000 vacancies in a workforce of 28million, with 30million possible active posts - ie: the UK was under resourced, and resultantly wage rates were rising. This would suggest an average job turnover rate of 46 years!

A more likely level for employee job turnover is around 5years in the average job, making 6million vacancies per annum. Of those, at the time around 1million were posted online (including companies own job board), while 1.5million were in newpapers and print media: today local newspaper advertising is still equal or greater in volume than online, purely from the fact that not every company has a website. The other 3.5million could be split at around 3million internally filled vacancies; and around 500,000 are never posted - about the scale of the head hunter market.

The old recruiters theory was that about one third of vacancies were known (ie - advertisied), one third could be spotted (ie - internal); and one third were secret. This data seems to support that old adage to an extent, accepting the volume of data one has access to these days thanks to the internet.

I think as the market develops further, we will see a greater volume in online jobs boards - its cheaper and it widens the net from a geographic and skill view point. But not every vacancy will ever be online. It doesn't need to be, when at least one of your potential successors should already be sat in your own team if you are doing - if you are doing your own job correctly.

The more interesting question for the online jobs sector is - how many employees are now online, and can be given a quiet tap on a shoulder to increase the size of the passive candidate market? I don't think advertising of the vacancy then is the question, but finding of the talent. Any increase in employee turnover/resultant reduction in average time in job will be far more fiscally damaging to employers than the potential gains of cheaper costs of hiring.

What are the key buzz terms IT recruiters are looking out for?

Sarah asks: I am interested to understand how recruiters are scanning CV for candidates that have applied for an IT position. What 'key buzz terms' are you looking out for? I work for online recruitment website The IT Job Board and we send out a weekly newsletter to our candidates. I am looking for information about how a candidate can best present their CV and what are most important factors to recruiters when scanning a CV. Thank You!

In answer:
Simple - the "key buzz terms" to use are the ones that I or any other recruiter or HR professional put in the advert that you are looking at, that took us on average 100+hrs to get a position signed off against a job description, which is now summarised in fifty words or less in the advert.

Simply, there are no generic "key buzz terms" - there is focusing your application on the given advert, and showing you have the relevant skills+.

Around 35% of applicants won't write a Cover Letter - Rejected! And another 35% won't focus their skills in their CV on the advert, using something highly generic - Rejected! That leaves me at best with one third who make it to the "could call" pile, of which about another half will be - Rejected! That will be for a combination of reasons, either not enough of the right skills, or too much experience, or just as simple as a difficult to read CV. And yes, there are that many applicants generically that I don't have to worry about the fact that you can't present yourself correctly, unless you are in a new technology niche.

I find with most IT people that they love talking about the skills they have or the projects they have been involved with; but not enough about the role they played, the part they delivered or the business result gained. I realise as an engineer myself this may be irrelevant to the applicant while in the project, but the right business result in the the given time scale is what will get you your next position.

I always suggest to anyone looking for their next position, to think what the last one allows them to add to their CV? If you can't answer that, then you are simply job hopping and not managing your career - and at some point, you will be unemployed: employers like people who can manage themselves as much as the work they are undertaking.

If I can help you further, please - just ask!

Credit crunch to real economy – 1million migrant workers going home: job seekers need to look at their core competencies

The credit crunch is now leading to a severe downturn in the real economy, and creating severe problems for job seekers.

Firstly, we had the credit crunch. As a result of various bans not lending to each other, and a 40% drop in stock and equity values, Oxford Economics estimates that 194,000 jobs will go from the London markets in the next two years. The London borough of Tower Hamlets it estimates will be highly effected, with half of its 18,000 financial services employee residents made redundant out of a total workforce of 38,000

Secondly, we had the downturn in the housing market. Effectively recruitment in the construction industry is non-existent, while the estate agent sector is now suffering.

And now we have the result on the high street, resulting in spending on the service food and clothes sectors down turning, and UK plc heading for an inevitable recession.

Where will this end, where will this turn – and is there any hope of employment?

The answer for the job seeker is to follow the Boy Scout’s motto, and BE PREPARED, and hence be flexible.

The first up turn has been in HR services. With so many people being reviewed, there is a UK national shortage of HR specialists. This in turn has led to growth in the insolvency and financial restructuring sectors. And all this pressure, plus the rise of 50% alone in the Polish Zloty in the past 18months, has led to many Eastern Europeans going home – an estimate of 1,000,000 over the next two years, with 250,000 already gone. This leaves spaces in the service sector unfilled

What does this mean for the unemployed or the job seeker? If for instance you are a financial services professional, the conclusion of all the data is that financial services jobs will not becoming back soon in the same volumes. To find new employment quickly and at a higher ratio, you need to think about your transferable competencies which could be transferred to another sector. Sales, HR and finance skills are the same sales, HR and finance competencies in any sector, not just financial services.

Please, in this financial downturn, and if faced with unemployment, think about your transferable skills. Your chances of employment just by doing so will have risen by three fold.

Good Luck!

How to present "MBA-equivalent training and experience" on a CV/Resume?

Russell asks: How do you present "MBA-equivalent training and experience" on a resume? I don't have an MBA or graduate degree, but I do have formal and informal education plus work experience that compares very favorably to MBAs from top schools and even PhD (so I have been told by past managers, performance reviews, and academic conference reviewers). What is the best way to present this on a resume? Challenge: It appears that automated and/or outsourced hiring processes screen for key words and simply matching algorithms for work history and training. Thus, people who do not "fit the mold" never get considered by the hiring manager, or even get on the short list for phone interviews or first-stage interviews. Possible Solutions:

1) Just the Facts -- just list work experience, education, skills, and accomplishments on the resume as though a knowledgeable human were reading it top to bottom. This assumes that the resume reader will be using "imaginative understanding" rather than simplistic screening based on criteria.

2) Add an entry under "Education" for "MBA (equivalent)" -- with "institution" listed as "Various" or naming one or more companies where the training and experience were gained. If space is available, add the specific skills and subjects mastered. This assumes that the resume reader won't barf over this non-traditional entry.

3) Fake It -- List an MBA degree. (You'd have to put a gun to my head for me to do this, some famous people have done it. Is this ever justified?)

I have only tried Solution 1), which works fine for consulting team selection. I have had no luck with this solution in the regular employment recruiting process. To be clear, I am not talking about ordinary management or consulting experience as being equivalent to an MBA. That general experience is very valuable but not the same. If you are curious, you can look at my profile where I have listed some of the subject areas where I have developed by theoretical and practical expertise.

In answer:
I think Russell, the problem is solved through focusing on your delivery results, and not through qualifications. Unfortunately, you choose to work in an industry where in the last ten years the number of degrees and Phd’s people have is seen as the basic floor of entry/operations, and any delivery is resultantly not devalued but only assessed after you have the right number/type of degrees/Phd’s.

So, let’s take the obvious first – option (3) is out: never ever lie on a CV/Resume, period. I think your learning point out of the exercise should be to formalize all that experience and delivery in some form of recognized qualification. If you walked into most colleges with the amount of claimed delivery and published work on your profile, then I can’t imagine you would need too many more credits for an MBA.

I would hence write your CV/Resume up personally as I wrote one up in similar circumstances a month ago, focusing each part on: situation, customer requirement, approach, result, follow-up. Simply this shows a potential employer about which situations you have addressed, how you went about tackling them, and the result – each with an extended re-engagement because of the superb result. The client candidate and I produced a two part CV/Resume, with an extended executive portfolio of such works each with individual customer recommendations, and then a focused CV/Resume for each job application – and the answer is that using this formula, he is now employed.

If you follow though on the formula to your online presence, you will see that your existing LinkedIn profile is potentially over written. Your opening paragraph sounds more “functional element” written and less “evidence of delivery” orientated, which is where you have to focus any application. For instance, what is a “skilled public speaker” – do you have a simultaneous fire eating act? A better way would be to say “Have presented at numerous national conferences and as guest speaker at (insert up to three well known organisations), on subjects including strategy and IT risk modelling.” On the same level, just lose the Microsoft office – be clear on communicating to the reader you are an executive strategist, not a PC jockey.

In your application process, pick out up to ten organisations you would like to work for, and write a direct letter to the President, CEO or COO. Explain why you have written , and an evidenced mini-scenario of what you could do for them. I doubt there are more than 50 recruiters in the world who would understand your niche, or who would understand who wants that skill set you possess. You know that niche far better than they do, and well enough to know who the players are. Even if those employers use external recruiters they will know of you - so just write to them directly, and effectively ask for a job.

I see this scenario regularly in people who have had highly successful careers, and suddenly for one reason or another find it difficult when seeking employment to adapt to the changed world around them, which needs certificates/degrees on which to jump the initial interview barrier. Don’t worry – just don’t lie, and focus on evidenced delivery for the new position you are aiming for. And take the hint and formalize those extensive experiences into a certificate – you are never too old to learn!

Good Luck, and if I can help you further, please – just ask!

How do I get back in the market after several years of illness?

Paul asks: How do I get back in the market after several years of not working due to illness? I am currently disabled would like to work since my critical thinking skills are still sharp, but physically challenged. I was laid off at previous employer while ill. It took years to get a proper diagnosis for a complicated genetic disease, the literature says 7-11 years is the norm. If you have been through this I would appreciate your feedback. Working from home would be best. Medical benefit coverage is paramount with coverage for pre-existing condition.

In answer:
Paul, you clearly demonstrate the fact that man is made up of mind, body and spirit - and while your body may be challenging you presently, it is your mind and spirit which will both enable you to live a full life and an employed one.

The question now is - what "floats your boat," and makes your spirit really soar in the world of business? Understanding that and your existing skills/competencies will really help you to define what you could do, and in which environment it is best to do it in: either employed or self employed.

I have to be wholly open here, and say that most corporates would want to know that your health issue is at least stabilised. The open minded ones will recognise the benefits of employing disabled staff - they are more loyal, harder working, and often hence more productive. However, unstable conditions are the employers greatest concern - your question therefore has to be how work capable you are, and what could you do. You need to be really honest in this assessment, and agree it with your doctor - any employer will ask to consult them for a reference/report.

Self employment would offer many opportunities for you. There are a number of SME businesses who still to this day can't figure out whether they should be deploying IT systems, and if so how. I would do some research with the help of your local Chamber of Commerce to see what the market locally is like, and what they seek.

If you choose the corporate employment market, then I would choose a solutions based approach. Pick around 10 organisations, and do some research on the key issues for them. Then undertake a bit of scenario planning, and rationalise a solution for them with costs/time scales. Then send that in a report format via recorded delivery to the President's office, with a Cover Letter and including your resume at the back, and see what happens. Any good executive would recognise the sharpness of being able to employ your mind, while accepting the current status of your situation, because they see the opportunity.

I wish you luck in finding a new career, and if ever I can help you, please - just ask.

Good Luck!

Ready, Aim …. and then you can get hired!

In career management, the simple answer is – you never know where that next opportunity will be coming from, so you can never be too ready to be hired.

Yes, you can over plan a career, and not recognise the next opportunity for what it is – there is never too long or too short in a job, it just makes it more difficult to explain on your CV/Resume! So your first question should always be “how would this look on my CV/Resume” if you are offered a job opportunity.

So, what are the steps you should be taking for successful career management:

1. Life, family and friends first, career second – how ever great, wonderful or fulfilling your career is, your life and your family/friends must always come first. When the chips are down or gone, they will always support you

2. Have a life plan – I know to some it still sounds daft, but have a life plan – yes, even if it is written on the back of a cigarette packet. You can’t think on your death bed “blow, should have done that” so write it down and get out and do it. Have a balance of goals which include a few “everyone does that” experiences and a few “I know I won’t get life insurance for that” adrenaline days. Life is for living

3. Have a career plan – inside your life plan, the balance between work and play, write down a career plan. Yes, it can be as simple as something which fits on a few lines, but I have often found the best career plans that result in action are developed through answering three questions: I like this; I don’t like that; I quite like X’s job (where X is a named person). If you look at how X got to their job, it will give you a good path to gain idea’s from, the questions they answered in their own career, and a potential route to follow

4. Write down your full academic and career history – dates, places, results, managers, major customers, lecturers, contacts, etc. Write a paragraph or two of history on each period. Some develop this into a personal record or diary, while others carve that down to a portfolio

5. Go have a chat – with friends, with family, with almost anyone but your boss and anyone in your management chain (they will see this as an “I’m unsatisfied, I’m off” signal.) See what you friends think of your plan

6. A bit of reflection – take time to reflect on their answers and pointers. Always go back and amend the plan in light of their comments, as they are your friends/family they will know you best. Go round this loop as many times as you want, but if its more than three then perhaps you are just being too unrealistic

7. Words and Image – now you have a plan, your career plan need to be reflected in your public words and image. So amend your public portfolios – like your LinkedIn or Xing profiles for instances, or your VisualCV – to reflect your goals and ambitions. Also, have a CV/Resume written which reflects the new goals you have, and that you could send to almost anyone TODAY if you got approached (of course, you never would send it today, but it makes it easier to amend)

8. Meet with your boss – now you can sit down with your boss at your next quarterly review (you do have one? If you don’t, make sure you are scheduling one) and outline your career goals for the next year, and how you would like to reach them inside his company. Only if you are planning a massive career change, will this step not be necessary – in which case, start the job or university application process. Many employees are totally surprised when they approach employers with new career plans, and the employer turns around and says “We’ll help you.” Why is this? Employers want motivated employees, and the number who just turn up at best 9-5/M-F to do a mediocre job is scary if you are a boss or a manager. Hence, anyone who suddenly goes “I’m taking charge of my life, I have these goals” is suddenly transformed in the employers eyes and mind – how ever bad their previous record/relationship

9. When you get approached – and it will only be a matter of time, as these modern online tools spot not only skills and competencies but also ambition, you now know what you are/are not looking for. Explain to the employer/recruiter what your goals are, and hence how you will judge their opportunity. Just for saying that you will be more attractive to them – see notes in point8 on existing employees – and the ones who conclude you are their person will pursue you harder and be easier to negotiate with

10. Regularly review your plan – a plan is only as good as its depth, its concurrence, and its implementation when required. So regularly, at least twice a year, pull it out and read it/review it.

It is a simple mantra, but being prepared allows you more time to make better decisions that help you reach your gaols and your potential. Just follow these simple steps, and you will never have an unsuccessful career – you will have a fulfilled life.

Good Luck!

What are the key transferrable skills to highlight in a sales CV/Resume?

Tara asks: After nearly 10 years working in automobile sales, my ex husband was recently laid off, and is looking to move into another industry altogether. What are the key transferable skills for the positions of salesman, closer, fleet manager, & finance manager which he should highlight on his resume when applying for sales positions in other fields?

In answer:
The most successful way of gaining employment is to write a focused job application - generic CV/Resumes and approaches can work, but are less successful.

I recommend that he finds a definite job target and write his CV/Resume around that. Do not try to create a resume around all of those job titles you listed titles, try to narrow it down to an industry. For instance, the reason you can be more succesful in a specific job application is to use the same language used in the advert to describe his skills. You are just reflecting the same key words, and this is a very easy method to make sure that his presentation aligns with his goals.

If he decides to apply himself in multiple sectors, then use multiple CV/Resumes if necessary. It's better to have several focused CV/Resumes than only one that you try to keep generic.

In general, transferable sales skills include the following keywords:

Relationship Development, Solutions Selling, Account Management, Account Retention, Network Development, Consultative Sales & Closing Strategies, Needs Assessment / Analysis, Presentations, Strategic Planning, Negotiations & Deal Structuring...

Some sales management skills/keywords include:

Sales Force Leadership, Team Building, Training, & Motivation, Compensation/Incentive Programs, Turnaround & Startup Leadership, Proactive Sales Planning, Partner Recruiting, ROI Maximization...

The CV/Resume should be highlighting the past achievements, with recommendations from managers and customers (as the sales profile is 100% based upon customer).

Good Luck!

Jobs after Real Estate

Sonia asks: For someone who has worked in the real estate industry, what are some jobs/careers that could follow this? There are so many valuable skills that come from this experience; do you have suggestions for careers that will make the most of those skills? Thank you!

In answer:
I think you are addressing one side of the career change question at best, in terms of quantified skills; another side is: what is your passion?

The clear skills from a real estate career are:
- sales and marketing
- project management
- people skills
- negotiation
- finance
- administration

But the way in which you have posed your question, it sounds more like a question of where you could next apply those skills in a different sector, as opposed to any possibility of continuing in the real estate industry.

It is in situations like these that a mentor or a certified career coach can help, to help you understand what your skills and passions are and how those align with your long term goals.

To start the process, as a first step, taking three sheets of paper, I would:
- write down a basic career history
- write down your life ambitions
- write down your resultant career aspirations

Then, take that to three good friends and see what they think. Reflect on that feedback, may be rewriting/adjusting the second two pieces of paper, and see how they then feel. Once your friends have given input, then find a certified career coach, or may be approach your old school/college/university and see what career planning options are available to alumni - the armed forces also have some great career programs for ex-members.

Good Luck!

Can I get a job offer generated from my online profile?

Andrej asks: Would you think about to offer me a job if you look at my profile? And what kind of? I have never heard of a reporter getting a job without showing (written or video) clips. But my question is really only about whether my profile could attract some attention or not. I really do not expect somebody will offer me a job and his decision would be solely based on information from my profile. I would be weird also for me :-)

Profile:
During my journalistic career I’m trying to focus on various security topics, terrorism, US politics and world of intelligence agencies. Because of my job I have had chance to visit places like Kosovo, West Bank, Transnistria, Taiwan or USAF bases. I had also the privilege and luck to make interviews with many distinguished persons. Just mention few: Shirin Ebadi (Peace Nobel Prize winner), Kim Campbell (former Prime Minister of Canada), His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal (uncle of King Abdullah II of Jordan), James Woolsey (former director of CIA), Gen. Wiliam Odom (former director of DIA), Mircea Raceanu (so called last political prisoner of dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu), Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle (two of eight Vulcans of GWB). The real special one was the interview with British explorer Fiona Thornewill. I called her when she was exactly on the South Pole after her record-breaking walk. I have many interests :-)
Specialties:

US internal, security and foreign policy and American society, Czech Rep. internal and foreign policy, China security and foreign policy, China-Taiwan relationships, world of intelligence agencies, security policy in general, transatlantic relationships, NATO, history of Cold War...but once again I have many interests :-)

In answer:
Simply put - NO!

Profiles wherever they are are profiles. They are there for peers as well as recruiters and HR Professionals working on behalf of employers to find you, but they are not focused enough to get you a job. Even if they are the best profiles in the world - like a VisualCV for instance - and say specifically I am Job Hunting, I or any other recruiter or HR professional would not offer you or anyone else a job solely on an online profile. A profile is there like an a positioning post at worst, and a bland advertisement at best - for those recruiters/HR professionals looking for those skills, it serves as a sign post to be found, create interest, open communication and possibly lead to a specific job application and hence later to a face-to-face meeting.

A profile is a profile, a CV/Resume is a job application.

Good Luck!

How do I get my foot in the door with Microsoft?

Joseph asks: Since February of this year I have been trying to get a position within Microsoft and to no avail I have yet to land. I have submitted my resume/profile though the website on over 100 postings and just recently joined with two preferred recruiters of Microsoft. The positions that I am trying to get are in the marketing manager type postings and on most, I have exactly what the posting was asking for. On advice from one of the recruiters, I moved from Phoenix to the Seattle area because they suggested that "Microsoft typically pick candidates that are in the Seattle/surrounding areas.” Is there any advice,comments, ideas or the best way to get my foot into the door at Microsoft? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

In answer:
Two questions:

1. Why do you want to work for Microsoft?
2. Why do you think the skills you have are what they want?

I see above and from your profile lots of tactics, but not a lot of desperate wanton and screaming NEED to work for Microsoft - or much strategic thinking.

You seem like a great to excellent tactical marketer Joseph, but Microsoft in light of severe competition from Google are changing their marketing strategy to become a "one voice to global market" organisation. There was a recent case study I saw in Europe, where the biggest issue they had was extreme localisation of product marketing which created opposed messages for products, resulting in reduced sales to high-level (ie well travelled) customers.

Here's three thoughts:

1. if you are really desperate to work for Microsoft, take any job in their HQ and work your way in - but I don't think you are that desperate or driven to work for Microsoft
2. Take a Microsoft product, and after undertaking a critic of its marketing, write and price a new strategy. Then send it recorded delivery to the President of the division in which its present global product marketer works. If its great, they will give you a meeting, which you ask for in the Cover Letter
3. Or alternately, take those great tactical marketing skills you have, and start your own company. In a recession, all companies need to sell, and good paid on results marketers can earn a fortune

I think that wholly focusing on Microsoft - without a desperate need to work for them - is presently to your own and career detriment. You have great skills and a market crying out for them, so why not use them more entrepreneurially?

Good Luck!

What's the optimal CV/Resume length?

Jeannie asks: What's the optimal CV/Resume length for a long-tenured employee seeking a senior VP position in a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company? I'm not really in the career development field, but many of my clients ask me career related questions. Can you bring me into the loop? I assume recruiters and headhunters want short resumes, but is that true for more seasoned employees at this high level? This person has been approached by a headhunter. Any other tips for this type of job seeker? Thanks!

In answer:
Simply, there is no standard answer to CV/Resume format or length!

There are formula's based on seniority or career length, but those are just guidelines and nothing more.

The key criteria is: what does the advert/application process ask for?

The key issue is: how did the candidate find the opportunity? A job application is a two way process, not a one way communication:

- If the candidate found it in the WSJ/NYT or online, and there are no application instructions, then its likely they are in competition with at least 20 other executives who could have the relevant skills/experience package - probably at present more like 50+. Human Resources departments and retained recruiters won't want much more on a first application that a 2page CV/Resume focused on the key competencies outlined in the advert. Many senior post adverts ask for a portfolio/reduced CV format
- If the applicant was head hunted, then they each have a standard format requirement, and often this can run to 4/6+ pages. This often includes the need for a list of reference points, which a 2page resume wouldn't cover
- If the candidate was approached directly to apply for the post by the board or a senior executive, then why not just ask them?

I have answered a similar question for a senior executive, and suggested to him that he created a portfolio of work history and achievements, which could be as long as he wanted, but focused eventually on what he wanted to do next. Then, when a suitable position came up under any of the above three typical scenarios, he could quickly create a suitable format application whatever the employers need.

I think everyone should have a work portfolio, which gives a full record of career achievements - and everyone forgets something at some time. This can then be used to create the best job application that any potential future employer requires, in what ever required format.

Good Luck!

What prospect for UK unemployment in 2009?

The credit crunch, created by the US housing market crisis, has so far not affected either headline UK consumer spending, or UK unemployment - but are the first signs of the rot now beginning to show?

In summary - YES! We might not yet be seeing the scale of unemployment, but it is now revealing itself.

The reasons for this long gestation period are three fold:
- The UK is always at least six to twelve months behind the UK
- The industries effected so far are long cycle: how often do you move, and hence buy a kitchen, carpets or new bedding?
- UK consumers have so far switched spending: now they can't switch any more to lower cost items. The next thing to do is cut

Already, house builders and associated industries have shut down - even the solicitors are laying people off. Construction is highly reliant on finance models, so no loans means no construction. The only thing keeping some sites going were sales, at hugely discounted levels - often up to 35%, the properties industry average Gross Profit Margin, just to keep the cash flowing.

The next industry to fall was finance, with the remortgage and consolidation loans financing products stalling and the collapsing.

In the past few week, we have seen national level banks collapse: Wachovia in the US, HBoS and Bradford and Bingley in the UK; and now Fortis in Belgium. The HBoS Lloyds TSB merge offers 40,000 redundancies at the headline level - gulp!

And now its the turns of the retailers, showing that UK high street spending is being effected: furnishing group Roseby's went into administration, while MFI was bought out by management (both part of the hosuing slow down), and now sports retailer JJB warns that it may not survive - no wonder SportsDirect founder Mike Ashley has put Newcastle FC up for sale!

Are there any good signs? Not yet, with the US House of Representatives rejecting the $700bn (£380bn) rescue deal, global stock markets have fallen an average of 7% in one day. What economists are hoping is that two groups will help out to reduce UK unemployment impact: the elderly retiring in the face of such vast unemployment, while the Eastern Europeans go home in part due to the construction needs of Euro 2012 in Poland.

While some skills and sectors remain solid employment areas - Human Resources for instance, with such high levels of redundancies - others are falling quickly: anyone can be a sales person!

My thought here is that, whatever the fixes of the politicians, this recession will be a middle class one: the low skilled will just move and do anything to survive; the rich can ride out the storm - while the middle class will be too slow to react, worrying about paying their buy-2-let mortgages and honouring their education/tofu suppers to notice the approaching storm.

I predict UK unemployment will rise by at least 1million in 2009 - those jobs left by the elderly and the Eastern Europeans will remain unfilled, until 2010 when they return to fill them.

Watch out middle England!

Interview Techniques: check the basics of the applicant with testing

One of the elements that is most asked about in recruitment is, how do I find out if an interviewee will perform and fit into my organisation? Of course as a recruiter, I would say employ a recruitment organisation – the simple reason being that a third party perspective gives a better angle from which to asses fit

But there are two areas where, employers can check fit of candidates at low cost, and resultantly reduce employment risk

Interview tasks:
Away from psychological tests, interview tasks can vary from the physical or mental test to the simplistic in environment. The best tests are simple because what the test should prove is an aptitude of both ability and application.

Letter writing tests are a quick and easy task to check an applicants ability to both read and write, as well as compose – under a bit of pressure. Often these types of tests are addressed as customer complaint issues, with a typical scenario drafted for the candidate and the associated complaint letter supplied, plus a single sheet copy of the companies policy on how to answer customer complaints containing the top three/five issues. Doing this sort of test first also gives the interviewers the opportunity to ask the candidate on why they addressed the scenario in the manner chosen.

Physical ability tasks can also be undertaken. When I worked in the telecoms world, there was a need for applicants to have good eye site and not be colour blind. The later training will mean that blue-orange-green-brown-slate will for ever be a little part of my instant recall memory, but in my interview a piece of cable was held up in front of me and I was asked to find six different coloured pieces of wire. Amusingly, later as part of my apprenticeship I had to refine this test to produce a piece of white wood 12inches in width and 6inches in depth, with eight chosen wire colours applied to a white background, and a selection of 36 other pieces of wire which the applicants had to match in the interview

There is also the opportunity in some cases to check basic industry training awareness, and the two I will pick out here come from the catering industry. Dave Thomas of Wendy’s fame describes a scenario in his business biography “Dave’s Way” where he was interviewing an area manager in a restaurant, who suddenly got up in the middle of the interview and walked over behind the serving counter. On the interviewee’s return Thomas asked him why he got up, and the interviewee said: “because, from the sound of the fries in your fryer, they were not left out to defrost for long enough, and were at too high a fat temperature.” Thomas states that he hired the guy on the spot, and he later became one of Wendy’s key directors – the test also became part of Thomas’s technique in later interviews! That is a difficult scenario to recreate, but a simpler test I heard of was to give all interviewee’s a potato peeling exercise. The ingredients were a potato, a bowl, a potato peeler and some water; the instructions were to peel the potato. I liked this test because, the ace in the test was not about your ability to peel the potato – the task was about cleanliness, and did the interviewee dispose of the peelings and dirty water correctly and leave the freshly peeled potato in clean water? If not = fail!

Come and meet us days:
The simplest test I have ever seen, and its something we wholly recommend at Ajiri, is the “come and meet us” day. However much you meet, test or interview a candidate – that’s not in a real work situation.

If you like a candidate, and they like you, then invite them in to your office/team for half a day, may be even a day. Then, with a bit of an agenda to chaperone them around the team, introduce them to people and let them ask as many questions as possible – even a bit of one on one time, may be even paying for lunch.

The questions employers have about this technique is – am I likely to lose a good employee because we haven’t done formal induction? Well, if you were likely to lose them – better on a “come and meet us” day than after the cost of formal contract signature/induction etc.

How should candidates approach interview testing?
Candidates should accept that, even if an interview schedule doesn’t define a specific test as part of the interview procedure (most will advise before hand if a test is part of the interview procedure, particularly physical tests on Health & Safety grounds), that an interview is a test, and as you have been offered and accepted an interview that you have consented to any reasonable part of that interview procedure to test your ability to perform the job - and that this could include a test.

Tests should not be approached as examinations – quite often there is no definitive pass/fail standard in an interview test, its more about testing ability with aptitude. They necessarily need to be short, and unless you are asked to attend a specific physical test or aptitude day they should be designed to be accessible to all the potential candidates.

When placed in a test situation, read the instructions fully through at least three times – planning and clear thought in test situations, as the employer is seeking to put you under pressure, will give you a better result consistently more often that an immediate call to action. Then plan your action, write that plan down clearly – quite often as part of the instructions, you will be advised that all notes should be included with your answer – and stick to that plan. If you make changes to the plan, then note these. The key here is that the test is short and simple, but pressurised – the actual answer is not right or wrong, its as much to do with about how you approach this simple task.

You will often find in interviews that the test comes first, and the interview second. Expect that once you are in the interview to be asked how you approached the test task – you may well find that your plan is used as part of that section of questioning as to why you approached the task in that way.


In summary:
There is a tendency these days for HR departments to drift towards more politically correct testing methods. But personally, if done correctly, there are better ways to test actual “fit” of a candidate than a remote psychological testing approach. I think all employers could and should sit down and come up with three such tests, and introduce “come and meet us” days – it might show up some issues before you formally employ a new candidate, and it does reduce total recruitment cost through increasing effectiveness.

Good Luck!