In my humble opinion recruitment is a pain in the arse.
It causes disruption in a team, affects the output of work and finding the right candidate for a role can be a real challenge. Ok, you do get the opportunity to refresh and improve the skill sets in a team, but on the whole I find it a faff.
There are some great recruitment consultants out there (some less so), and I really admire the job that they do. On so many occasions it must be deeply frustrating for them when dealing with both clients and candidates who let them down, change their mind or mislead on their requirements.
I've recently been recruiting for a new team member and it's been frustrating, infuriating and so time consuming, why? Because candidates have been dropping out like flies!
Ok, I need to be careful here about names, roles and companies, but I've been working with four recruitment agencies for one simple Marketing Executive role. All four of the agencies, as far as I can tell, have worked hard to supply suitable CV's for viewing that have been checked for interest in the role. The challenge has come once candidates have been booked in for interviews where there have been last minute cancellations due to illness, 'family problems' and cancelled leave. Now I'm not saying this is all inaccurate, but it's been amazing the percentage of candidates who struggle to make it to a meeting due to various last minute challenges.
Candidates need to be honest in the first place and either not apply for a role or withdraw saying that they have changed their mind, that's fine and earns much more credibility than a 'poorly aunt' or similar excuse.
By far the worst of the worst during recent recruitment drives have been the candidates who simply don't turn up for interview. No reason, no communication, just a no show. It's unprofessional and just plain rude. Do these people not realise that the world of marketing is a pretty small place? Have they not heard of the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, the same applies in marketing, it's a small world and mud sticks and reputations are easier to break than they are to build.
A no show for an interview wastes the time of so many people. It impacts on diary management, on work output, takes the spot of other candidates who might've worked out, it is disrespectful to those people who saw potential in a CV and wanted to give the candidate a chance and unfairly damages the reputation of recruitment consultants.
So if I'm recruiting in the future, which will happen at some point I'm sure, and a candidate stumbles across my blog as part of their research, here are some really simple rules that, as an employer, I would like to see from a candidate (I don't think there's anything out of the ordinary here).
My top ten rules for job interviews:
1) Don't apply for a job if you don't want it. This sounds obvious doesn't it, but you'd be surprised. I've been guilty of this myself when I've needed a new gig or had a rubbish day at work. I've responded to any random ad that pops up on a job site just as a reaction to need rather than thinking about if it's a role to see through or not. Pause and think, do you really want this role, if not don't waste your or the recruiters time.
2) Tailor your CV. A one size fits all CV is rarely appropriate. If you want the job it doesn't take long to just tinker with your CV and re-prioritise some elements to make them more suited to the job description, or add in a little personalisation about the business you're applying to, this demonstrates interest. If you have the time you can really go to town with a bespoke CV just for that special role, you'll stand out from the crowd.
3) Be flexible. Ok, cards on the table, we all know that getting time off for a job interview is a balancing act. You can book a half-day annual leave (always suspicious to a current employer). Then there's the dentist/doctors/childcare appointment that can be rolled out on occasion. The problem is that as a recruiter you're trying to see multiple candidates as well as conducting the day job, so there is a lot of plate spinning happening at their end too. The more flexible a candidate can be for times and availability then the better the impression. A good recruiter should be able to offer a candidate a few options to choose from.
4) Turn up and don't be late. This one isn't even a tip really it's just professional courtesy, good manners and a non-negotiable. Unless there is a truly genuine emergency this is a given. If you're not keen on the job how have you even let it get to this stage?
5) Look respectable. I don't believe that it's always necessary to attend an interview in a suit and tie. But I do believe that you need to look respectable and tailor your look to the business you're meeting. If they're in a creative industry you can probably look a little more casual, but still on the smart side. If it's in the finance sector then probably roll out the formal wear. Research into the company and staff of the business you're seeing should help with this. There was a documentary on BBC 2 a couple of years ago called 'Who's the Boss?' where craft beer company Brewdog handed over the reins for a role to a recruiter. The results were a bit of a disaster as the recruiter missed the target completely in terms of understanding the culture of the business. Where beards are a yes and suits a big no, all of the candidates that were offered were a cultural mismatch and the company struggled to see how they could fit. Make sure you're seen as a fit.
6) Research the company and interviewers. Don't be surprised by such a standard interview question as 'What do you know about us?". There's no excuse to come back with a minimal reply or nothing at all. The internet is full of information, dig around the business, look for news, social posts, history, projects, press releases etc. Research your interviewers on LinkedIn and Google, show an interest, be a bit of a stalker. If you're not interested in their business why should they be interested in you?
5) Bring examples of your work. If you work in marketing you should have a portfolio, in many other industries, there's no reason why you can't showcase your talents. As a recruiter I want you to bring your CV to life and visuals help with this. Be proud of your work and show it off. A candidate with a portfolio is far more memorable than one without as it creates a great talking point and strong recall.
6) Show some passion. Not everyone is going to be bouncing up and down with excitement in an interview. It's a professional situation and that must be respected. All behaviour in your interview is being considered to see how you might fit within a team and the company. But don't forget to show some passion for the role.
7) Talk. This is your interview so sell yourself. Yes/No answers aren't useful and don't give any insight into your knowledge and experience. Paint a picture, tell a story.and be engaging. This is your opportunity to showcase yourself. Remember that you're interviewing the company as much as they're interviewing you. Rehearse the obvious interview questions so it feels natural and you can easily reel off your answers:
Why do you want the job?
How would friend/colleagues describe you?
What do you know about us?
Tell us about your career to date?
What are your best qualities?
What are your weaknesses?
What motivates you?
When have you faced conflict?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Do you have any questions for us?
8) Don't be surprised by interview questions. The questions listed in #7 are available on numerous blogs and websites. These are not a surprise. There are many more standard questions to look at. You should be able to answer them fairly easily. Always consider examples and try to formulate your answers into a clear structure. The S.T.A.R system is a pretty easy one to remember and is used by a number of companies including the BBC as a structure to their interviews. For each answer clearly demonstrate the following:
SITUATION - why did the campaign need to happen?
TASK - what was the solution?
ACTIVITY - how was it executed?
RESULT - what happened in the end?
9) Prepare questions to ask. Again following on from #7 this is your opportunity to find out about the company you might be working for. Don't be afraid to prepare questions and have them on a notepad to ask if the interviewers don't automatically give the information.
Department structure?
Plans for the next 6-months?
Training and development opportunities?
Hours?
Company culture?
Do they socialise together?
Where they might see a gap in your knowledge and a need to develop?
Next steps in the interview process?
You can also ask a bit about the interviewers, you might have to work with these people for years so you might as well find out a bit about them, their background and interests to see if you like them.
10) Be honest. This pulls back a bit to #1 and again might seem obvious, but be honest with yourself and the recruiter. Don't over-elaborate your skills and experience, you will come unstuck and that will just cause problems down the line with awkward conversations that no one really wants to have in a workplace.
And those are my top ten tips. So as long as you turn up (a massive, massive, massive pet peeve of mine) then all you can do is your best. Remember that they have already shortlisted you, so they see something in your CV or application, bring that to life and that should do it.
If you lose out to another candidate then that's ok. Get some feedback and use it. As long as you know that you've given your all, been honest and showcased your abilities as best you can then you will be well remembered. You can hold your head high and get ready to go again when the next opportunity arises.
PS - A thank you note to the recruiter after the interview leaves a nice reminder about you.
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