How to Recruit the Perfect Team

How to Recruit the Perfect Team Within a matter of months, recruitment has become candidate centric. With a skills shortage and high levels of employment, the candidate is now in control and has the pick of recruitment agencies. So what does this new recruitment environment mean â€" how can companies ensure they are in the best position to compete in the Year of the Candidate? The key is to create the right team, with the right skills, working together in the right way. As Toby Conibear, European Business Development Director at Bond International Software, explains, both client and candidate expectations of a recruitment consultant have changed radically and companies must empower consultants with the right culture, skills and technology to support the new candidate centric business model. New Skills Set While a burgeoning jobs market may seem to offer unprecedented opportunities for recruiters to make money, the demands being placed on recruitment consultants today are new and challenging. In the past, a consultant could rely on great inter-personal communication and an understanding of a specific market area; but these skills alone simply don’t cut it in today’s 247, social media dominated world. Today’s consultants require not only great face to face communication skills, but also familiarity with social media, search tools and mobile technology. Consultants need to know not only how to use LinkedIn and Facebook â€" that is a given. They must also understand when to pick up conversations online, how and when to engage with a potential candidate, and have the confidence to identify the best time to escalate the relationship to a face to face meeting. Switched on consultants will also proactively exploit the power of social media to build reputations, for example by encouraging both clients and candidates to make recommendations after a successful placement. Rapid Turnaround In this market, with growing numbers of job vacancies, speed of turnaround â€" from candidate location and recommendation through to interview â€" is becoming critical. However, with the ever expanding raft of internal and external data sources, it can be easy for consultants to miss candidates if they continue to use the old, tried and tested approaches to search. It is therefore essential that companies continually review the fast developing range of innovative search tools now available and both train and encourage consultants to explore these tools to ensure maximum exposure to the market. From formal training courses to informal mentoring or simply building a culture of skills sharing, a company can ensure that consultants rapidly gain essential skills in search technology and techniques. Indeed, the evolution of company culture is an essential aspect of the new model required in the Year of the Candidate. Companies need employees that are willing and able to learn new skills; and they also need staff that are committed to working more flexible hours. Given the turnaround times now increasingly demanded by clients and the job surfing undertaken by candidates during evenings and weekends, consultants working nine to five, Monday to Friday, will miss out on key opportunities. It is therefore essential to introduce new ways of working, such as shifts, evening only, or even considering an ‘on call’ model. However, simply arming staff with smart phones and tablets to enable them to check email is not good enough. Consultants need complete mobile access to the CRM plus a willingness to use real time access to information in order to improve responsiveness at every stage of the process. Facilitating Achieving Collaboration Given this new pace of recruitment and the need to enable more flexible working practices to support the extended working week, it is becoming important to enable consultants to work together more effectively. A collaborative model offers huge benefits from business expansion to enabling individuals to concentrate on their strengths rather than weaknesses. While offering significant opportunities, a collaborative business model is not a traditional approach for the recruitment industry that has, to date, been very focused on individual performance. To make collaboration work, companies will require a fundamental change in culture, embracing a top down approach that actively embeds collaboration and information sharing across the organisation, rewards individuals and fosters innovation. To enable this shift, it is essential to be able to easily share information across the business â€" from hot candidates to new leads. Underpinning the right culture with effective technology is key to creating a truly collaborative business model. Empowering Effective Recruitment It is also important in a collaborative model to ensure that an individual’s key skill sets are recognised and used effectively. Few consultants will be skilful at face to face communications and social media and search â€" it is important to be able to support consultants in different areas. Using tools to track activity in the CRM, a company can rapidly identify the strengths and weaknesses of staff â€" and quickly reveal areas in which the business overall may be weak.   This insight can be used to introduce appropriate training or mentoring to develop new skills and determine the profiles and skill sets required by new recruits. Given the huge changes in both technology and culture now being embraced, it is also important to look to the future. Does the current recruitment process still work in this market? Would it be more efficient to adopt a new model that evolves from the one candidate/one consultant approach to a more collaborative one that leverages the strengths of individuals? Innovative thinking is also required to attract the right people post Google, millennials are looking for more than a good financial package. Does the business have a positive, collaborative culture? What makes it a good place to work? Attaining the right balance of skills diversity, collaborative process and company culture is going to be increasingly important to retain a competitive position. Conclusion The recruitment market is changing rapidly â€" and organisations that fail to respond will struggle to remain competitive. In addition to putting the right teams with the right skills in place and facilitating efficient and candidate centric business processes through collaboration, agility is key. Organisations need to recognise that the needs of both clients and candidates are changing â€" in a fast evolving marketplace, business agility is going to be essential to respond rapidly to newly identified opportunities. The new skill sets required across the business are significant. It is now essential to identify any gaps and use training, mentoring and the introduction of new staff to achieve the breadth of skills required â€" and to ensure the right technologies are in place to enable staff to exploit both expertise and experience. With the right business culture, a cross-skilled, collaborative work force will be empowered to not only respond to the challenges faced in 2015 but will drive innovation, identify opportunities for growth and underpin continued success. [Image Credit: Shutterstock]

The Dos and Dont of Resume Writing

The Dos and Don't of Resume WritingThe dos and don't of resume writing are rather difficult to understand for a newbie. If you ask a resume writing professional about the dos and don'ts of resume writing, they would probably say that it is hard to do without such things as follow up letters, cover letters, and requirements. If you make a list of the dos and don'ts of resume writing, they might point out that it would be easy if you take into account the different formats of resume, meaning, your CV, and what kind of job you are applying for.Resume writing is not about writing a resume. The dos and don't of resume writing are about the way you present yourself on the resume. It is about how you structure the resume so that it is easier for the employer to read, particularly when he or she has to skim through the resume. Thus, it makes sense to first think about the dos and don'ts of resume writing.First, think about the format. Most people just write their resume the way they will use it once it is received. The dos and don't of resume writing advise to do things in the reverse way. For example, if you have been sent an application form via email, you should send a formal reply via email, too.When you are sending a resume, you should use a formal letterhead, envelope, and address it properly. The dos and don't of resume writing tell you to use professional envelopes and letters. In fact, it's a good idea to choose a professional address. If you find that it's not necessary, it doesn't really matter what the envelope looks like. It should have professional letterhead and a proper address.You should also consider the layout of your resume. It can be simple or complicated, but it should be appropriate for your position. The dos and don't of resume writing are not about forcing your resume onto the reader, but making it fit your situation.When you are composing your resume, make sure that you check your grammar and spelling. The dos and don't of resume writing is no t about send an unfinished resume. It is about letting the reader know that you are submitting the resume in its proper place. If you are applying for a business position, it is best to keep it clean and short. But if you are applying for a teaching position, use a longer resume and make sure that it is organized and well written.In addition, you should consider the format of your resume. A format is not needed to have a resume. On the other hand, when you do have a format, then it is important to make sure that the format supports your needs. The dos and don't of resume writing are about make the resume to fit the job.After you have taken the time to read through this article, and you have compiled a list of the dos and don'ts of resume writing, it is time to start composing your resume. Do not just rush into the process; take your time. Your resume can make or break your future career.

The #1 To-Do List App You Need To Start Using Now - Classy Career Girl

The #1 To-Do List App You Need To Start Using Now Welcome to our very first episode of CCGTV! This is a daily video show where I answer your questions! Every weekday, Ill be answering YOUR questions and I am super excited!!  If you have a question you would like me to answer on a future episode of CCGTV, leave a comment below or email me at anna@classycareergirl.com. Question: Anna, What is your very most favorite to do list program, online? I need something to keep me organized! I do not share an office with my boss, and we do not share a server, but, instead, independent Outlook accounts. Is there something we can use to task back and forth, that will talk to Outlook, but is online? Otherwise, its just reams and reams of notes, in e-mails, attached to e-mails, on paper, etc. Thanks! Kris  The #1 To-Do List App You Need To Start Using Now Answer: My very favorite to-do list app that I use every day and almost every single hour is Asana.com. Why? 1. Price! It is completely free if you have under 10 people on your team. It helps me out so much because I can organize my tasks that need to get done today, upcoming tasks for next week, and later tasks that are long-term to-dos. 2. Digital To-Do List I now know what I need to do today and what I can push to later on this month or even later on this year. My entire team is on Asana so everyone has their own section where their tasks go. I can prioritize other peoples schedules and calendars. I can see big projects and prioritize what is coming up. 3. Good-bye  Email It has cut down our email tremendously. We have no more email going back and forth about tasks and who is doing what which is awesome! I go to bed every night with no emails in my inbox because every task is already on Asana! If an email comes to me and it is a task for me, I just forward the email into Asana and it becomes part of my daily to-do list. If it is not a task, I delete it or archive it. 4. Organize Your Projects I also have a project on Asana which is to read and study later for when I have time to do some reading. I put all my educational emails into that section to read when the time is right. Asana is organized into projects so we have social media project and we have a blog project too. 5. Organize Your Hot Discussion Items We also have a to discuss  project. Anytime we have something that we need to discuss, we dont have to talk about it in the middle of the day when we are working on something really important. Instead, we have around 10 items each day that we save for when we have more time to discuss them. This has to be when you are in the right mindset to knock out to-do items fast and make quick decisions! We block out 30 minutes and we go through these items at one time so we dont have emergencies all throughout the day. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you  download my Time Management Checklist.  I hope that helps you out and answers your question. Well see you next time on CCGTV!

Three Compelling Questions to Ask in Any Sales Campaign

Three Compelling Questions to Ask in Any Sales Campaign One thing that the most proficient salespeople instinctively and intuitively do on a consistent basis is to focus on the right deals. They seem to have their own built-in or hard-wired qualification system for accurately and effectively assessing their sales opportunities. They clearly don’t chase every deal that’s placed in front of them. It’s like they have a sixth sense about working on the right dealsthe deals they have the best chances of winning. They can quickly examine 10 deals and determine which ones they should focus on immediately and which ones can be placed on the back burner. Every salesperson believes that her deal is one she can win, provided she has access to the right resources. But how can a salesperson consistently evaluate all of the deals they are currently pursuing? Using a common language and a structured, repeatable process for analyzing each sales opportunity makes it easier for the salesperson, as well as the entire sales organization to answer that question! There are three compelling questions that should be asked in each sales campaign to qualify the opportunity. These questions, and the corresponding underlying criteria, should be examined at multiple times during a sales campaign. They should certainly be asked near the beginning of a campaign to determine if a real sales opportunity exists and should be pursued by the salesperson. They should be asked again if there’s a significant change to the customer’s business profile or to the competitive landscape during a sales campaign. It might also be appropriate to pose the questions yet again if there is a major change to the profile of the sales organization (i.e., the introduction of new solutions). The three compelling questions are: Should We Pursue this Opportunity? Is there a project or application associated with this opportunity, a corresponding budget and has the budget been approved? Do we understand the customer’s business drivers, business initiatives and compelling reasons for the customer to implement a decision or is the customer simply gathering information? Developing an in-depth understanding of the customer’s business, their key customers and competitors are important components of this compelling question. Since time and resources are limited, it’s important to determine that the opportunity being pursued is a genuine opportunity - worthwhile of our investment in both time and resources. Can We Effectively Compete for this Opportunity? Solution fit is but one component of whether you can be competitive in a sales campaign. Are there enough internal or external resources available to compete successfully for the business? Are there existing business relationships established with this customer? Do we understand the formal and informal decision-making processes and can we impact those processes? Does our solution offer specific business value that enables us to differentiate ourselves from our competitor(s)? ?Knowing how our company, as well as our solution, relates to the specific sales opportunity can be key ingredients to winning the deal. Being able to realistically contrast that information with that of our competitor(s) is another important factor of assessing this compelling question. Can We Reasonably Expect to Win this Opportunity? This compelling question is the most important one and also the one most overlooked in sales campaigns. Many opportunities are lost even if the salesperson has the best solution, the best delivery and even the best terms and conditions. This question deals with how well the salesperson understands the customer’s organizational structure that reveals the inside support necessary to win the deal. Do the most powerful people in the customer’s organization want us to win? Do we have credibility with the customer’s key players? Most importantly, is there political alignment with the key players in the customer organization who either affect or are affected by the buying decision? Finally, what facts support these assessments of our customer relationships? ?Contrasting these factors with that of our competitor(s) can have a significant impact on our decision to continue to pursue a sales opportunity. Your Pre-Flight Checklist Examining each of these three compelling questions at multiple times during a sales campaign can be compared to an airline pilot examining their pre-flight checklist. No matter how many times a pilot has flown a certain plane, they meticulously examines that checklist prior to each and every flight, probing each question, using a structured and methodical approach. They clearly don’t want to be surprised in the midst of a flight and does not want to leave anything to chance. ?Although it may only take a few minutes for a salesperson to examine those three compelling questions and some of their underlying criteria, you will find that it is time well spent and by doing so you’ll increase your chances of winning those key deals! This guest post was authored by Dr. Steve Bistritz Dr. Steve Bistritz is the founder of SellXL and has more than 40 years of high-tech sales, sales management and training management experience. He just released the 2nd edition of his best-selling sales book, Selling to the C-Suite. Visit his website at www.sellxl.com.

Part-time Masters University of Manchester Careers Blog

Part-time Masters University of Manchester Careers Blog As the new semester approaches not only am I preparing the Careers Resource Centre for a new cohort I’m also preparing to go back to University myself, for the 2nd year of my part time masters. I’m studying Library and Information Management. Studying a masters part-time either alongside a current job or due to other commitments may be something you are considering or even starting this autumn, so I thought I’d give you an insight into how I coped with the pressure of my fist year. There is no getting around the fact that studying for masters alongside other commitments such as employment or childcare is demanding and often very difficult. I would therefore recommend that you think carefully about the reasons why you want to take the qualification and whether or not you can realistically commit to the demands of the course. If you do decide that a part-time masters is right for you there are few coping strategies I could recommend Don’t treat the course   as an extension to your undergraduate degree Even if you are studying the same subject as your undergrad degree the work demands and fact that you may only be on campus once or twice a week means that part time postgraduate study is very different. Organise a routine that suits you â€" Whether it’s sacrificing the majority of your weekend, working as soon as you get in on an evening or starting to work later in the night it’s important to find a routine that works for you â€" and to stick to it! Remember what works for others might not work for you. Don’t try to ‘compete’ with full-time students â€" don’t worry if you hear full time students are spending hours and hours in the library, as a part time student this is simply not possible.  Although full time students will be taking more modules than you they may also have more time on their hands to study. Don’t read that extra bookâ€" Following on from my previous point as a part time student do that best you can do with the time available to you. If you don’t have time to read that extra book, don’t read it! Allow yourself some time off â€" For you own sanity, and the other around you it’s important to give yourself some time off when you can. Try to arrange something fun during this time to get your mind off your work. For more information on postgraduate study have a look at our ‘Postgraduate Study and Funding UK Overseas’resource and at the Careers Service and Prospects website. All Graduate 53.468610 -2.233701

The Golden Rules when Working with Recruiters

The Golden Rules when Working with Recruiters Working with a recruitment agency can often feel like a dead end process. You submit your resume to one of their advertised jobs and no one gets back to you. You start to wonder why you haven’tbeen contacted, “Am I not good enough for that job? But I have all the requirements?”. In the hopes of getting some clarity you call the agency and ask to speak with the recruiter but you’re endlessly transferred until you finally make it through to someone who hasn’t even heard of the person you’re trying to reach in the first place! It’s at this point that the irony hits you. You realizethe squashed stress ball in the palm of your hand displays the name of the firm you’re currently being sent down a telephone “black hole” with. Finally, a weird piece of marketing paraphernalia that you can actually use.evalIt doesn’t have to be this way! Forming the initial relationship with the “RIGHT” recruiter shouldn’t be daunting or unsuccessful. There are some excellent recru iters out there who will go the extra mile and actually partner with you to help find what you’re looking for.So here are my Golden Rules for when you’re looking to work with a new recruiter:1. Ask around for referrals and meet face to face with a few recruitersevalWorking with a recruiter that has been recommendedto you from a friend, ex-colleague, or contact is a great way for you to meet recruiters with a proven track record. It’s also good for you to be introducedto that recruiter by the person they already know as this gives them some comfort around your ability. Kind of like a business reference.However, be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking that the recruiter that works best for your friend will be best for you.Find a recruiter who specializesin the area you work or are trying to get into. They will have more contacts in that specific area and also more market knowledge to share with you. Take some time to meet face to face with these people. If they won’t meet with you- they are not worth working with. 2.Establish ground rulesInquire about the recruiter’s process and ask when the best times are to get in touch. Equally share the best way to contact you and the best time to get hold of you. If both parties understand each other’s expectations,timeframes, and work schedules then it’s more likely to be a successful working relationship.3.Treat your recruiter like a potential employerThis is very important. After all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression! The recruiter holds that relationship with the client and it’s their job to find the best candidate. If you impress them they will not only recommendyou to this particular client but will instead push as hard as they can to get you in the door at all their clients!evalDress to impress, be on time, have a clear understanding of why you are there and be able to speak to your experience and have some smart, relevantquestions for them. When you meet them, be prep ared for a tough interview If you’re dishonest with a recruiter then why would they be confident in recommendingyou to one of their clients?eval5. Have patienceJust because you haven’t heard from your recruiter in a few days doesn’t mean they are working for you. Most recruiters will give you an idea of timelines and when they will be back in touch. Remember recruiters are at the mercy of their clients and getting feedback from clients can be a challenge. There’s nothing worse for a recruiter than receiving a call from you each day asking for an update.Trust me, when they get feedback, they’ll call. A key is to remain in touch weekly and sometimes a simple email asking how things are going is enough to prompt an update from your recruiter.6. Remain in contact even when you are happily employedAny good business relationship is formed over meaningful touch points over a period of time. You wouldn’t expect to pick up where things left off with an acquaintance you hadn’t s poken to in a few years. The same applies for your recruiter.If you secure a job by yourself, or circumstances change and you no longer need a recruiter make sure to let them know and stay in touch. There will come a time when you’re again looking for a job you won’t have to do the obligatory recruiting courtship again.You may think you no longer need that recruiter, but a good recruiter will call you for that dream job when it arises and you want to make sure you foster that relationship. If you shut the door to them and say “I’m sick of my recruiter always calling me about a new job” then you will undoubtedly miss out at some point.Final thoughts…..The key to your job success is identifying 2-3 good recruiters who demonstrate an understanding of what you’re looking for, and maintain an open honest line of communication. Don’t pester, don’t “go dark” for months on end, offer market insight and ask for some back.Give referralsand show loyalty. If you invest you r time and offer reciprocity in the relationship then you will no doubt seeresults.

A very happy dancing teacher - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

A very happy dancing teacher - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog This is fantastic. From the video description: RCA students and founder Ron Clark decided to accept the dance challenge over the weekend. What was meant to be a quick and fun video turned into an international sensation, receiving over 60 million social media likes. The video is an example of RCAs efforts to show that by meeting students where they are you set them up for success. ?I love it. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

What Are You Reading Why Does It Matter

What Are You Reading Why Does It Matter The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places youll go.  â€"  Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! I tell my kids this all the timethe more you read, the smarter youll be, the places youll go, the people youll see. OK, so thats my own little Dr. Seuss version of getting them interested in reading. Books and other reading material feed your intellect and affect the way you look at life. One recent buzz around Facebook was the challenge to list the ten books that have changed the way you look at life, right off the top of your head. Not classic books, or intellectual books, just the books you read that somehow lingered in your life. I made my list and it was super hard to keep it at ten. Librarians will tell you that people going through a crisis will often ask for books about someone going through a crisis because it helps to see how others cope with challenges. In your career, reading a wide range of topics will give you a wide range of perspective on the way people think and strategies you can use for your advancement.  Its like a balanced diet. You need stuff from every food group in order to be healthy and you need to read both fiction and non-fiction to have a healthy view of the world. There is a difference in quality when it comes to what you read. Just as there is a difference in quality of food; you will start to see that difference as your reading variety changes. Reading anything regularly increases your ability to comprehend and articulate ideas. If what you read is well-written, it helps you develop a sense of spelling and grammar, which gives you a professional edge in your communication. If youre unemployed, Id say its a good idea to read something work/career related every day. This is easy to do by subscribing to a few blogs, but working through a book is important. Blogs and websites like those on the Job Resources Page  are carefully concentrated chunks of information like an energy bar; a book is like a banquet that has been planned and prepared by a chef. Dr. Seuss is right: the more you learn, the more places youll go. Your career will be enhanced by reading regularly.