Boyce Recruitment Blog

There are many interesting challenges facing employers these days when faced with the possibility (although some may argue likelihood) of a double dip recession and  a need to make up the losses which affected their business in the last 18 months.

We have some really exciting projects to work on as businesses have restructured and reorganised in order to optimise on talent and achieve their plans over the next 3 years.

In many ways it is a great time to be looking for work as there are many new and thrilling projects to work on and the opportunities to join some innovative businesses at the beginning of a new start and ambitious growth path.

The number of counter offers we have witnessed has risen dramatically over the last three months, with many firms looking to fight to retain their talented people.

Many candidates are feeling that now is the time to move because  their frustrations with their current employer has come to a head, either because of  poor management style,  lack of promotion or career prospects or low pay. After securing an offer of a new job they are then faced with the stressful dilemma of whether to consider seriously staying where they are or whether to  move to a new company and make a fresh start.

We have seen many candidates feel frustrated at the lack of previous  recognition from their employer and then reject the counter offer for that very reason. They are asking themselves  why do I have to resign to get promotion and what does this mean about any new  people that have joined our firm recently. Are they being paid more than us?  

Some people are still scared of moving and so decide that they would like to sit tight and accept their current employers offer of promotion or pay rise…. Whilst this can be a good thing, if the reasons for looking for a new job opportunity were based on the culture of the organisation and management style as well as proects they were working on, then these things may be unlikely to change.

Our advice to job seekers is to really think twice about the reasons for changing jobs and decide carefully if you feel that you can get what you want by asking your manager in reviews and updates. It might save a great deal of stress and time.  

As for employers, our advice to you, is if you want to attract new staff, work hard to really show them the real opportunity you are offering and the main attractions of working in your organisation.

The London job market is sending out some very interesting but sometimes confusing messages with reference to the economy. Whilst most of our clients have started hiring again, some in unprecedented volumes), other firms are worried about the impact that public sector cuts will have on their business.

As a talented candidate it is a pretty good time to start looking for a new role as the opportunities in London are much more diverse and interesting than they were 12 or even 18 months ago. Although the job market is on the up, it is still a very competitive business as  job seekers are faced with employers who want the perfect match for their needs and would rather wait until they see the ideal candidate, and are less inclined to make compromises , as this could be a costly experience.

As a job seeker it is essential that you work really hard to attain the job you apply for by doing lots of preparation before sending out cvs and also attending interviews . Lots and lots of research is critical, not just on the website, but by finding out as much as you can about the team, the department and importantly any press coverage which will affect the strategy of the business as a whole.  

Being invited for interview is a great opportunity but the hard work starts there.  The candidates who ultimately do well are often very clear, focused and have a real understanding of the role and market they are applying to. The London job market is still fiercely competitive and employers are expecting 150% out of their people.

We were really pleased to pass the REC Industry standards inspection which reviews all aspects of our processes and ssesses them to make sure they promote and ensure best practice.

It was a pleasure to meet the REC Assessment team who discussed many issues facing recruiters at this moment in time and how their members are dealing with these without compromising standards.

A frequent objection to applying to a new job with a new company is that on the grapevine the business has been experiencing bad press, or had a difficult year. This has to be a true experience for most London based companies and still many more are experience a mass exodus of key staff.

Let’s face it apart from the small percentage of growing businesses in niche sectors (for example within online strategy) many companies have faced a difficult time either  as a result of  a loss of front end revenue or as a result of  a reduction in external investments. It is important, to remember that the feel of a company is a personal experience and whilst there may be some truth in the gossip or rumours, it is always making a decision for  your own personal experience. It is just a question of making sure the right questions are asked in the interview process.  

Experience tells us that what is a terrible employment experience for one employee can be an excellent opportunity for another as it is all so subjective. I would urge you to remain open minded when exploring new job opportunities.

1. 1. Speaking to a diverse range of people, finding out what makes them tick and how they have developed over time is fascinating
2. 2. Learning about industries, how they work, what they do and how they are structured is extremely interesting especially when you see how businesses evolve over time
3. 3. Dealing with different cultures provides variety and enjoyment
4. 4. Recruitment isn’t just fast paced, there is all the attention to detail that goes with it. Ideal job for someone who has a broad range of skills and doesn’t want to be pidgeon holed.
5. 5. The client relationships and longevity of the relationship. It isn’t ever a short term  thing as you never know what may happen. We’ve had clients grow from 1 person in the UK to 250 in the Uk over a period of 2 years. That kind of growth can be difficult but it is rewarding to feel you are helping achieve their plans every step of the way.We are also still talking to people we have dealt with 15 years ago.
6. 6. Seeing candidates we place in jobs, progress their careers and become Managers or Directors and then become your client and ask you to help them find people to work for them. There’s a real sense of pride when that happens.
7. 7. Working with clients and helping them decide whether what they look for is available or realistic or important
8. 8. It’s a job where you are recognised for the hard work you do, what you put in is definitely what you get out of it and more sometimes
9. 9. You learn so much all the time, not just about jobs but also about the markets, geography, history,  life in general. It isn’t always easy by any means, it certainly tests your stamina in hard times, but is also means that when things go well they are really recognised and not take for granted.
10. 10. Lastly but not by any means the least important : getting someone a job is one of the best feelings , especially if you have helped someone along the way to find their dream job,

The number of jobs has risen considerably over the past few weeks giving rise to the optimism generally in the London job market. We have noticed that job applicants are feeling more confident about applying for new jobs, and are offered a choice of roles to apply for but the application process can be more testing and rigorous.

Employers are hiring but are very particular about the type of person they are spending their recruitment budgets on and often require applicants to go through a presentation process as part of their interview procedure to make sure that they are selecting the cream of the crop.

A recent report suggested that over 65% of people working, would consider finding new employment as soon as the market turns. It really has never been more important for a company to focus on building the reputation as an employer of choice and make sure employees are aware of the positives of working for them .
Many disgruntled people feel that they have been penalised for poor company performance, bad management or just not been appreciated, and it is all too easy to apply for jobs with other firms these days instead of working hard to understand what the business is planning for 2010 and where they fit into this plan.
In addition if one person leaves a firm, often it makes others question their employment and can sometimes result in a mass exodus without any real single specific reason.
On a positive note one could argue that one person’s loss is another person’s gain. If we were to take this point of view then we could see the benefits of introducing fresh blood and new talent into a firm. This could give a boost to the business performance and bring in some fresh direction if the new hire was at Senior Strategic level.
Without fresh input there is often a danger of becoming stagnant .

We recently asked a few of our clients and consultants what single piece of advice they were given which stuck with them and they try to follow / or which has made them successful. Here are a few replies :

I have always been a firm believer that belief is what makes a difference to success and achievements :

If you think you can you will, and if you think you can not you will not,
although my family are true believers that there is no such thing as can not, it is just a question of thinking creatively or learning how to do something.

Many people said they lived by advice given about how people relate to others and also keeping an optimistic outlook in life:

Treat people how you wanted to be treated yourself

Its nice to be important, but its important to be nice!!

Be positive in outlook always, tomorrow will always be better than today.

And everything will be OK, no matter how bad it seems at the time…

Be yourself and do not try to be something you are not!

To dream of the person you wish to be is to waste the person you are

On a more work related front:

Given by manager: Always wait 24 hours before making a final decision.

Given to team: Time management – make a to do list, and then put everything that comes in during the day onto the list. That way you keep prioritising activities and do not just react.

Given by Manager : always treat clients like idiots (not in a patronising way) but to ensure you are being so clear in what you are writing/ telling them and
never to assume as it makes as ass out of u and me

Honesty is always best, although it may be difficult sometimes, it is not what you say but how you say it and being honest will always be appreciated.

For the benefit of those graduates who are looking for advice on interviewing and also want examples of questioning techniques please visit our Blog archives August/ July 2007

I have copied a few of the tips here. There may be some valuable advice, especially if you have not been successful in interview but not had any feedback either. Here goes:

Many clients told us that they are increasingly using competency-based questions. These are questions that are designed to find out about certain skills and abilities (for example, team-work, ability to work under pressure, and customer service skills), and examples of times that you have displayed these skills. They are also called skills-based or behavioural questions.

Clients gave us examples of the most common competency-based questions. To answer these questions effectively, you must use an example from your experience. Don’t be too scared though, it can be an example from any job, or your studies, or sometimes even from an outside activity.

The best way to answer these questions is to describe the situation, explain the action that you took, and then give details about the final outcome.

Next week we’ll look at the lighter side of interviews, with some of the most unusual answers our clients have received at interview

Most Common Competency Questions

Examples of competency-based questions that some of our clients use regularly are below.
Can you tell me a time when you dealt with an angry customer? What was the situation? How did you deal with it, and what was the outcome?
Tell me about a time when you have changed a way of doing things? Why did you want to change things and how did you go about implementing this?
Can you tell us about a time when you have worked well in team?
How have you managed a situation of conflict within a team?
Can you give me an example of a time when you have worked well under pressure?
Interacting with others can be challenging. How would you go about managing a situation of tension within a team?
Tell me about a time when you solved a problem, and how you went about it?
Imagine you are working here already. Your senior managers are in an important board meeting and have asked not to be disrupted. An urgent call comes through for one of them. What do you do?
Can you give me an example of a task you have successfully completed that has benefited the company?
You have an angry customer on the phone – how do you respond?