It?s All in the Timing How to Manage Interview Candidates?

It?s All in the Timing How to Manage Interview Candidates? The interview process can often be a long and laborious one. The effort of going through the same questions again and again for hours on end can be exhausting. It can be akin to going on an 8-hour speed dating session, but without a bar present to help you get through it. Therefore, when it is all over it can be tempting to wrap up all the loose ends as quickly as possible. You can then put the whole experience behind you and move on to something else until the chosen candidate (if there is one) is about to start. But be warned: being too keen to reject fallen candidates can very easily backfire! The interview veneer: We are all guilty of masking our true feelings or putting on a show. I am sure we have all muttered the phrase ?Lovely to see you again?! when the in-laws pay a visit and it is exactly the same in interviews. When you ask the candidate of choice if they have any other questions and they respond ?When do I start?? you desperately want the sentiment to be genuine. But don?t be fooled no matter how enthusiastic the interviewee seems to be it may simply be a façade. You may fall at the first hurdle following the initial offer with a ?Thanks, but no thanks? but if not, you also have references and counter-offers to negotiate following the verbal acceptance. It is not a done deal until a contract has been signed. So, don?t reject worthy candidates too soon as there is every chance you may have to go back to them in a rather sheepish manner or even start the interview process again when it could have been avoided! ?So when am I likely to hear?? It is better to give yourself some wiggle room when it comes to managing candidates? expectations regarding when a decision is likely to be made. Ideally, make a decision quickly and give yourself a few days to allow enough time for the references of the chosen candidate to be checked, the offer to go out and counter-offers to be negotiated. If it doesn?t work out with your first-choice candidate then it is better for the second-in-line to think that there has been a slight delay in the decision-making process rather than them knowing for certain that they are the second choice. This knowledge may even put them off considering the job altogether, as no-one likes to be 2nd best! Don?t be disheartened: It is often difficult to move on when you have been rejected by your chosen candidate as sub-consciously you have already imagined have them sitting in the office, and fantasized about how well they are going to fit in with the team and what a great job they are going to do. But, don?t despair! Your back-up candidate maybe equally as good you just haven?t yet pictured them in that scenario. It has happened to me on several occasions when a position has gone to my second choice candidate and, in hindsight, it has often turned out for the better. However, on the flipside, only appoint them if they are actually suitable. It is not worth taking on someone you have doubts about just to save you from going through the interview process again. You will always regret it in the long run as they will cause you problems further down the line. It is beneficial to score candidates on key criteria throughout the interview process as a reminder of their suitability as your memory of each candidate?s performance will fade fast following the interviews. Using a competency framework to great effect will ensure that all candidates are considered against the same criteria and are scored fairly. Never say never: High performing candidates are very difficult to identify and attract. If you are in the luxurious position of having to reject a candidate who you would have happily employed, then pay them just as much attention as the chosen candidate. Having fulfilled the role you have been working hard to fulfill, it can be easy to forget the future and your future hiring requirements. Another role may materialize that the rejected candidate would be perfect for and by putting in the groundwork at the rejection stage and leaving the candidate with a positive impression of the company will increase your chances of them accepting a role in the future. ?Were not worthy: It seems to be standard practice these days for businesses to state that ?If you haven?t heard from us by [this date], you haven?t been successful?. It is understandable why companies introduce these practices when everyone is so very busy, but it is worthwhile contacting rejected candidates and providing them feedback even if there will never be an occasion when you would potentially hire them. They may have talented friends who may be put off applying to your company because of their experience. Also, if you are a B2C organization the candidate and her friends and family may be current or future customers and it would be beneficial to have them as advocators of the business. So put yourself in the reject candidates? position and treat them how you would like to be treated if you were in their situation. After all, we have all been there (yes, ?even you!) and you may even save yourself time and resources in the long run.

Myth #11 You need to decide now what to do with the rest of your life. University of Manchester Careers Blog

Myth #11 You need to decide now what to do with the rest of your life. University of Manchester Careers Blog As students we often fall into the trap of believing that we must decide on our future profession before graduating, and that this decision is somehow a lifelong commitment. You have a wide range of career options open to you and deciding on a single one, especially without experience of any others, is not only difficult but perhaps also impractical. Career trajectories are not static. They continue to change with the world around us, as you will too. On average, people change their careers three times during their working lives, so it is more than likely that you won’t remain in the sector that you start in. It’s hard to anticipate what things will inspire, what problems you desire to solve, and any curveballs life might throw your way â€" all of which will impact on your career path. For example, when I was studying my undergraduate degree, a friend I lived with studied Maths and planned to continue to postgraduate level after graduating and become a teacher, but because she focused a great deal of her energy on her extracurricular activities, she graduated with a 2:2 and was unable to get onto her desired postgrad scheme. However she took this in her stride, and on the back of a summer internship she completed during her second year with a large global bank, she secured a position in their wealth management division, where she has worked happily ever since. So don’t get bogged down with the specifics of a ‘lifelong career’ right now. You have a lifetime to figure out what you want to do, and this will change as you experience new things. For now, focus instead on the immediate future â€" on what you want to do in the next six to twelve months, and what you can do to make this happen, whether that’s getting some work experience, attending some careers events next semester, or chatting to friends and family (and Careers Consultants!) about what interests you, what doesn’t, and what options you could consider. Take small steps towards your future, remain open to change and youre more likely to find the role you love whilst making the most of all the opportunities that lead you there. All Careers advice Graduate Postgraduate Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted career changes career planning careers Getting started jobs Options

Its Baseball Season Get Ready to Play Hardball Recruiters

It’s Baseball Season Get Ready to Play Hardball Recruiters Batter up, recruitersâ€"it’s time to play hardball. You’re working in the tightest employment market in a generation. Unemployment is low, the economy is strong, and job candidates have never been better informed of the power they can wield at the negotiating table. From seasoned members of Generation X to the new graduates of Generation Z who are about to walk off the graduation stage and into their first jobs, these candidates know their worth and are prepared to take advantage of market conditions when it comes time to talk compensation. according to the 2019 Yello Recruiting Study, six in 10 job seekers today feel empowered to shoot for a higher-than-usual salary when considering an employment offer or asking for a raise. In fact, they already are. U.S. wage growth has been hovering above three percent for nine consecutive months, and according to a recent survey of American CFOs by CNBC, labor costs are expected to be the most significant expense for employers nationwide over the next six months. Although talent acquisition teams certainly have to respond to market forces by preparing competitive compensation packages, there are three key ways to lessen the overall emphasis on wages. Take a page out of your favorite baseball team’s playbook and step up to the plate with these three strategies. Build a Strong Bullpen In baseball, the bullpen is the area where a team’s relief pitchers warm up before being called in to join the game. In recruiting, your bullpen is a pipeline of passive talent that admires your company. To keep your company’s bullpen of talent warmed up and ready to enter the game, you should be serving them content that showcases your employer brand. That starts with building a strong talent community and showcasing your company’s personality on your career page and on social media. Let candidates know whats great about working with you â€" because if they can imagine your company as a place where they can grow and be happy, the salary factor wont be as important, and youll have a much easier time winning them over with your offer. Always Watch Batting Practice Smart pitchers keep an eye on the other team’s batting practice so they can get a sense of each batter’s natural swing and pitch preferences. Knowing where a particular batter likes to see the ball helps inform the pitcher’s choices when he’s on the mound. For recruiters, this means taking time to talk to candidates about their motivations, which you can do starting from the first phone screen or video interview. What’s going to move a candidate to “take a swing” at your offer? Yello’s research indicates that work-life balance, job duties, and career growth opportunities are among the most important factors. By zeroing in on what your candidate wants, you can determine how to present your opportunity in the most appealing way. Don’t Be Afraid to Play Small Ball “Small ball” is an effective baseball strategy that emphasizes putting runners on base and moving them into scoring position. It’s not flashyâ€"you won’t see any swing-for-the-fences moments in this style of playâ€"but it does get results through deliberate, fundamentally sound base hits, bunts and steals. In terms of recruiting, your team can play an effective small ball by providing candidates with a positive interview experience from start to finish. Use automated interview scheduling software to help you swiftly move candidates through the interview process and candidate evaluation tools to keep your team on the same page without wasting time. Fast evaluations enable quick decisions, and quick decisions make strong impressions on candidates who want to join a team that values their skills and time. About the author: Jen Meza, is the VP of People at Yello.

How to Survive an Office Romance

How to Survive an Office Romance When youre spending nearly every single day alongside your colleagues, its no surprise that sometimes sparks fly and office romances happen. In fact, many people meet the person they marry in the workplace! Though there are a lot of success stories, an office romance also has potential to  turn things a bit pear shape in the workplace  if they dont work out,  so it is important to tread carefully when getting involved with a colleague! If youve got your eyes set on one of your co-workers, here are a few things that you should consider to save any office dramas! The 10 rules of office romances: 1) Dont date your boss It can create fall out with your colleagues and could damage your career progression in the long run. 2) Be prepared for the worst Not every relationship works out, so you should be prepared for how you will handle things if you do break up. 3) Take it slow Dont be afraid to take things slowly until you are certain it is what you want. 4) Be discreet If you make your relationship too public, you are opening yourself up to becoming the topic of rumours and gossip. Keep the romance for private time, not the office. 5) Treat everybody equally Dont let your personal feelings cloud your judgement, by giving them preferential treatment or you could put yourself at risk of getting complaints or even law suits. 6) Dont use office email to chat Lots of companies track their employees emails, so dont send anything you wouldnt want your boss to see! 7) Keep arguments away from work Be professional and dont let arguments about personal issues get in the way of work, as they can be incredibly disruptive for not only you, but also others in the workplace. 8)  No sex in the workplace It may sound like fun, but you are putting your job at risk by doing so! So is it really worth the thrill? 9) The office party is not the place for announcements When alcohol is flowing and spirits are high you may think that the office party is the right place to announce your relationship, however its better kept for another time. 10) Enjoy it Dont feel guilty about it, enjoy it! Famous couples who met at work: Barack and Michelle Obama: They met when Barack was a summer intern at a law firm and Michelle was advised as his advisor. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: They met on the set of Mr. Mrs. Smith, controversially while Brad was still married to Jennifer Aniston. Beyonce Jay-Z: The pair met when they recorded the track 03 Bonnie and Clyde together for Jay-Zs 7th album. Jim Pam (the Office):  Although they are fictional, they demonstrate how difficult an office romance can be! How common  are office romances? 30% of people have got together with someone at an office party, however 50% of the time it was only a one off encounter. 1 in 20 of the couples who got together at an office party resulted in marriage! 40% of people who have broken up with a colleague said it was awkward at work afterwards. 15% of people had to quit or were fired from their job as a result of an office romance. Find out more below! Source: My Breast

Tips On Resume Writing With Gaps

Tips On Resume Writing With GapsFinding resume writing with gaps will be a great way to save yourself the time and effort of trying to do it all by yourself. You can learn how to do it faster than you ever thought possible with the help of these tips.The first tip I want to give you is to know that the first thing that you should do is get the right information on your cover letter. This can be found on the internet, in books or even at your local library. You want to get an idea of what each of these means so that you can write your own cover letter that will leave the best impression.After you have the information you need to create your letters, you will need to sit down and determine which areas you need to cover and which ones you want to put off. There are three major sections of your cover letter and these include your name, title and contact information. The type of position you are applying for will dictate which of these sections you want to put focus on. Here are a few exa mples:Name - I would consider this to be the first area that you need to go into. Your name will be the first thing that people see when they are looking for you. In order to make a good first impression, it is very important that you use your full name throughout your cover letter. Making your name a part of your resume is the first step in how to make resume writing with gaps easy.Title - Your title should tell them a little bit about who you are and what you have done. When using your title you want to add something to your title to keep your readers attention. When reading your cover letter you want to leave something in your title that is going to grab the reader's attention. For example:Contact Information - After your title you need to give the readers some sort of information about you. Using a proper first and last name, is a great way to begin doing this. Just remember to be specific in the details you give. Make sure you let the reader know that you do work for the compan y that you are writing for as well as what job you have been hired for.Last but not least is the final section of your resume. Remember to state your current employer, what the position is, what you are looking for and any other pertinent information that you feel needs to be stated.The proper preparation and practice are the key to effective resume writing with gaps. With a little bit of work you will find that you can write a great resume without using all the tricks and tips that you may have never learned to do so.

Resume blunders Too many capital letters - Sterling Career Concepts

Resume blunders Too many capital letters Resume blunders: Too many capital letters The saying a little bit goes a long way applies to many things, and capital letters on your resume is one of them! When writing resumes, people tend to capitalize words out of habit or words they’d like to highlight, butwhentoo many words are capitalized in one sentence orbullet,the effect is lost on thereader. Resume writing is tight, concise, and punchy by definition so it doesn’t always abide by the grammar rules you learned in school. When it comes to what the industry refers to as “resume-ese” or “resume-speak,” rules can be broken so long as there is consistency within the document. One example: Liaised with Accounting, Finance, Cost Accounting, and International Tax to develop new 125-page policy and procedures manual for 260 employees in Customer Service, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll. Be sparing with your use of capitals. Department names, for example, that are capitalized as proper nouns within your organization don’t need to be capitalized when you’re writing for someone outside of the organization: Liaised with accounting, finance, cost accounting, and international tax departments to develop new 125-page policy and procedures manual for 260 employees across customer service, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll groups. Simply put, too many capital letters dilutesthe value of capitalizing words. Be strategic and thoughtful when capitalizing so that yourcontent is easily read and youraccomplishments and valuetake the lead. Resume blunders Too many capital letters Resume blunders: Too many capital letters The saying a little bit goes a long way applies to many things, and capital letters on your resume is one of them! When writing resumes, people tend to capitalize words out of habit or words they’d like to highlight, butwhentoo many words are capitalized in one sentence orbullet,the effect is lost on thereader. Resume writing is tight, concise, and punchy by definition so it doesn’t always abide by the grammar rules you learned in school. When it comes to what the industry refers to as “resume-ese” or “resume-speak,” rules can be broken so long as there is consistency within the document. One example: Liaised with Accounting, Finance, Cost Accounting, and International Tax to develop new 125-page policy and procedures manual for 260 employees in Customer Service, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll. Be sparing with your use of capitals. Department names, for example, that are capitalized as proper nouns within your organization don’t need to be capitalized when you’re writing for someone outside of the organization: Liaised with accounting, finance, cost accounting, and international tax departments to develop new 125-page policy and procedures manual for 260 employees across customer service, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll groups. Simply put, too many capital letters dilutesthe value of capitalizing words. Be strategic and thoughtful when capitalizing so that yourcontent is easily read and youraccomplishments and valuetake the lead.

Your Magnificence Lies In Your Deepest Imperfections - Kathy Caprino

Your Magnificence Lies In Your Deepest Imperfections Cheryl Hunter Im proud to offer a powerful guest post this week from my friend and colleague Cheryl Hunter author, speaker and transformational coach whose personal story is both riveting and deeply inspiring. Cheryl shares: When contrasted against the backdrop of urban sprawl and the fight we face for a sliver of square footage in the city, it’s almost unimaginable that places exist where there is nothing but empty space.   Rye, Colorado, is one of those places. I grew up on a horse ranch there, in the remote Rocky Mountains.   We lived atop a high mountain meadow and were so remote that in every direction but oneâ€"miles off in the distanceâ€"there was no sign of civilization whatsoever. I loved it; it was idyllic, and I spent my entire childhood atop a horse, but what had once been my haven had become my prison by the time I was a teenager.   I longed for civilization, culture, buildings.   I wanted to live someplace where I could wear the clothes I saw in magazinesâ€"anything other than boot cut Wranglers, reallyâ€"and I longed to go somewhere where there were people who weren’t related to me by blood.   The city was calling my name; I just had to figure out how to respond. One day I played hooky to come up with my master plan.   I hopped on my mini bike and drove the hour round trip to Colorado Cityâ€"the nearest town that had a storeâ€"and I picked up a Glamour magazine.   Sure enough, there was an article in there that spelled out the game plan for my life right before my eyes: I could be a model!   I was tall enoughâ€"I was already on the boys’ basketball team. I just needed to get myself somewhere they needed models.   I chose Europe.   I talked my best friend into going; we got several jobs each and saved up…and the big day finally arrived. No sooner did we land in France then a man with a big camera around his neck approached me.   He asked me if I was a model; he told me he could make me one, if I went with him and his friend. I thought, “Wow! This is how easy it is to become a model in France!” My best friend told me no, but she was content to go back to Colorado when we were through; she had no desire to get out of there.   So I ditched her and went off with the man with the camera and his friend. They drugged me and took me to an abandoned construction site.   They beat me mercilessly.   I had no idea a head could make a sound when kicked by boots.   They drugged me again and they raped me repeatedly, and they cut me. They dumped me in a park in Nice three days later. I didn’t tell my family; I didn’t tell my friends; I couldn’t.   I was now ruined; I was dirty and disgusting and damaged and filthy.   If anyone knew what happened they’d know all that about me, so I decided to just push it down and pretend it never happened. To cope I became very removed from people and aloof.   I became a loner. I did become a modelâ€"the lifestyle suited me really well.   Never in all of the years that I was a model did anyone ever ask me to engage in a deep conversation.   I had found my people. The concept of “the grass is always greener somewhere else” is thriving in the modeling world; each of my agents wanted me to go somewhere else to work because it was looked upon as cooler than wherever we were currently.   My agent in Paris sent me to New York, Milan sent me to Paris, London sent me to Japan. It was in Japan that my journey took a turn. Other than when I was actually shooting, I spent the entirety of my stay in Japan in my agency itself; it had a big, completely unused conference room.   No one was ever there, except for the grandparents of the owners.   They have an interesting tradition in Japan; they include their elders in their business and personal lives; the elders are looked upon as a resource for the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring. One day I was sitting in the conference room, lost in thought as usual, plotting my revenge against the two men in France. As I daydreamed, I absentmindedly traced my fingers along the large, wooden table that was in the conference room.   The table was probably ten feet long and carved from one solid piece of wood.   It was beautiful, but it contained nicks and divots and dents. The eyes of the wood had been left in and one end of the table narrowed as the tree must have. I was tracing one of the table’s dents with my fingers as the grandmother walked in the conference room and watched. “Wabi-sabi,” she said, shocking me out of my stupor. “What?   What’s that?” I asked, “wabi-sabi? Is that like wasabi?” From the other room, Miyoko, my agent, put her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and laughed, “No!” Wabi-sabi is the Japanese aesthetic, Hon.” “Oh…” I said, having absolutely no idea what she meant. Soon Miyoko and her grandfather came in and joined us. The three of them took turns telling me their version of what wabi-sabi means; according to the grandfather it is “The most important of all Japanese principle.” Wabi-sabi states that the beauty of any object lies in the flaws of that object.   The misshapen parts, the errors and mistakes are actually sought out. Beauty, the grandmother said, is derived from contrast.   So an object can only be seen to embody perfection if it also embodies imperfection to the same degree. These people were blowing my mind.   I got up and ran out of there to clear my head and take a walk.   As I walked I wondered, “Did this mean that the principle of wabi-sabi could even apply to…me?” No, I decided; that was impossible. I walked for a while, then stopped in a busy outdoor café for lunch.   I grabbed my French fries and soda at the counter and sat outside to read my book. Within moments I heard shouting. I looked up to see a disheveled-looking woman sitting alone at a table across from me.   She was shouting, “Naze!   Senso Nihon,” and she was staring straight at me. I looked aroundâ€"certain I was mistakenâ€"but there was no denying it, she was directing her words to me.   I fidgeted and looked nervously around.   A man at the next table leaned in and said, “She asked why.   Why you make war on Japan?” What? I didn’t make war on Japan! I am a teenager! I am not some 60-year-old dude with an army uniform; I am not the president!   I hate war, too! I looked back to my book and tried to pretend the whole thing wasn’t happening. She continued, “Naze.   Senso Nihon!   Senso Nihon!” The woman then took a little cloth envelope out of one of her bags; she carefully unwrapped it.   It held two little tattered black-and-white photographs; one was a man, the other was a woman. She held the photos above her head and started shouting again.   This time there was no ignoring her; she was sobbing as she shouted and every person in the restaurant was silent, staring at the two of us. The man at the next table leaned in once again and said, “She asks why.   Why you kill her parents?” That was it; I’d had enough.   I slammed my book closed and started to gather my belongings.   Who did this woman think I was?   I didn’t kill her parents!   She was crazy and that was all there was to it.   In the middle of grabbing my things I looked up and saw that she was crying so hard that snot was bubbling over her mouth as she shouted.   Then I accidentally caught her eye. In her eyes I saw the confusion, the bewilderment, the fury.   I looked deeper and saw the outrage she felt as well as her inability to express it.   I saw the hurt and the anger and the despair and the deep, dark pit of her aloneness and I no longer saw a crazy woman; I saw me. Everyone continued to stare; they were rapt with attention.   I set down my belongings and bowed to the woman. She stopped shouting and became silent. When I finally raised my head I said the only words that made sense: wabi-sabi. Everyone remained silent; I reverently assembled my belongings, bowed to them all.   Everyoneâ€"young and old alikeâ€"bowed back. I used to pray that wabi-sabi was real, and that it could somehow apply to me.   For a while I thought in order to be anything other than damaged I’d have to live in Japan for the rest of my life. Now I know differently. If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that wabi-sabi is real.   You are magnificent, and what makes you magnificent is everything you’ve previously believed is wrong with you. I leave you with my deepest wish: that you recognize your beauty; that you know your magnificence; that you claim your wabi-sabi. For more information about Cheryl Hunter, watch her TEDx Talk Wabi-sabi: The Magnificence of Imperfection, visit www.cherylhunter.com. and read her take on Forbes on the 8 Essential Resilience Behaviors That Help You Recover and Thrive After Trauma and Suffering. (For more about career success and growth, follow me on Twitter, and check out my Amazing Career Project, Career Success Training monthly program, and my book Breakdown, Breakthrough.)