The traditional workplace is beginning to take a backseat as remote working becomes more and more popular among employers. Remote working, or working from home has also become a necessity of late, as I’m sure we are all well aware of by now. Today’s tech allows us to stay connected around the clock and just about anywhere. So, is remote working the future for productivity?

Many employers previously had concerns about the lack of productivity of their staff when working from home and quite rightly so. However, a large majority of remote working employees report that they face more distractions when working in the traditional office environment than they would at home. By removing factors such as a stressful commute or menial office duties, a higher morale can be achieved and in turn, increase productivity.

From an employer’s point of view, there are, however, a few things that must be taken into consideration when hiring for a remote working role.

VIPersonnel wants to help employers recruit effectively for these remote vacancies, which is why we have put together some key tips on recruiting for remote workers. Points we have covered include; the key skills you should be looking for, how you should assess their abilities and what questions you should asking in your interviews.

What are the main qualities to look out for in a remote worker?

• Must have a pro-active approach to work and generally self-motivated.
• They should have a proven track record in remote working.
• Problem solving – this is a skill every home worker will need at some stage.
• Excellent communication skills – Being isolated away from every other employee and of course other external contacts, keeping everyone in the loop in key.
• They must be equipped to work from home effectively – Do they have an office? Laptop/ computer? Sufficient phone and signal etc.?
• A well organised person is essential for remote working. They need to be able to keep on top of their work load and know how to prioritise in order to meet deadlines.

 

Recruiting tactics for remote working.

Gauge an idea – You can assess a candidates writing ability through email exchanges, text-based chats and writing exercises. Communication can be judged based on the interview or phone calls made.

Face-to-face interviews – If the applicant isn’t able to attend an in person interview due to their location, you can still hold a face to face interview with the use of Skype or similar apps. You are then able to assess body language, facial expressions, etc.

Propose a probationary or trial period – Like any other new starter, implementing a trial or probation period is a great wat to see how they work and adapt to a remote role. This can be anything from a week to 6 months long, depending on what you feel is required.

 

What should you ask in the interview?

What remote working experience do you have?

You want them to understand the pros and cons of working remotely.

What tools have you used to manage remote projects?

It’s important they know how to use file sharing, communication tools, etc.

How do you stay focused?

From this you can learn how they plan on fulfilling their responsibilities and deadlines. Depending on their answers, you should be able to decide if they are able to manage their time wisely.
What kind of hours do you work? Find out whether they plan on working normal office hours, so you can be sure they will be available when you need them.

How to manage a remote worker?

Schedule regular meetings to discuss projects and resolve any issues that arise before they can cause any damage.
Keep communication open so that you can provide them with the necessary feedback on their progress and they can contact you easily when they need to discuss something.
Set them up with all of the relevant tools and software that they need for the job, including tracking software, project management systems, etc.

For more posts like this one, make sure to check out…

Positives we can take from the Coronavirus

 

Sick of hearing nothing but bad news? Here are some positives we can take from the Coronavirus!

Whilst this current outbreak is devastating for many people across the world and in some cases deadly, we must also take this opportunity to step back and look at the many positives that are not getting enough press.

Let’s start with some facts:

• China has closed down its last Coronavirus hospital as there’s not enough new cases to support them.
• Doctors in India have been successful in treating Coronavirus. They are going to suggest same medicine, globally.
• Researchers of the Erasmus Medical Center claim to have found an antibody against Coronavirus. –
• A 103-year-old Chinese grandmother has made a full recovery from COVID-19 after being treated for 6 days in Wuhan, China.
• Apple reopens all 42 china stores,
• Cleveland Clinic developed a COVID-19 test that gives results in hours, not days.
• Good news from South Korea, where the number of new cases is declining.
• Italy is hit hard, experts say, only because they have the oldest population in Europe.
• Scientists in Israel likely to announce the development of a Coronavirus vaccine.
• 3 Maryland Coronavirus patients fully recovered; able to return to everyday life.
• A network of Canadian scientists are making excellent progress in Covid-19 research.
• A San Diego biotech company is developing a Covid-19 vaccine in collaboration with Duke University and National University of Singapore.
• So it’s not all bad news.

 

But some of the more important things in life are also taking a turn for the better. Here are, perhaps more relevant positives we can take from the Coronavirus…

1). We are more hygienic!

At a guess, 90% of the viruses I’ve contracted in adult life were delivered via public transport. Now, I’m not touching handrails, escalators, handles, lift buttons, or the handle to my shopping trolley. People who rarely bother washing their hands after the loo are now making the effort, and fewer germs are being spread in offices and schools.

2). Home is where the heart is.

We spend all our lives working to pay for a home we spend a minority of our time in. If asked, or deciding, to self-isolate, you will finally get the chance to enjoy it. Take comfort in the home you have built with the people who mean the most to you.

3). Bye bye, air pollution

People aren’t driving and planes are grounded. The air hasn’t been this clean since before the Industrial Revolution, and road accidents will be down too.

All right, delivery drivers are working like never before, but on the upside you will at least be home to receive your parcel, for once.

 

4). More Support for local Companies

With big high street shops and chains on the brink of being completely emptied, (because apparently 1000 loo rolls are the answer to everything!) people are turning to the smaller shops and businesses for their essentials.

5). The knock on effect of kindness.

One thing I have noticed in society, panic buyers aside, is how much new found respect and generosity people and businesses have for each other. Faith in humanity is restored when you see the likes of McDonald’s and Pret A Manger offering free drinks to all NHS staff who are working around the clock to ensure public safety and well-being. Young people are taking more care for elders in the community, offering help to secure essential items which they are struggling to get themselves. We as people are all products of society’s actions and if we all continue to work together and support each other in this way, we will pull though this difficult time and perhaps even be better people as a result.

 

As a small company ourselves, we too are feeling the effect of this Pandemic, however it’s business as usual here at VIP and we are remaining positive, so any companies who need our support with recruitment, or anyone who is looking to secure a new position, then please contact us and we will be happy to assist.

We hope that our network of Clients, candidates and communities far and wide stay safe, in good health and are not effected too much during this outbreak.

We would like to take this opportunity to ask everybody to keep ourselves and other small businesses in mind and thank you all for your support during this difficult time.

 

 

So, next time you speak to someone about it, maybe you too can spread the word and tell others what positives we can take from the Coronavirus.

Scared of getting a new Job? A better job is waiting for you. These tips for overcoming fear of change can give you the boost you need.

For most job seekers, the phrase “new job” is exciting because it signals opportunities to learn new skills, expand your network, and build on your experience. But change can also be intimidating. If you’re scared of getting a new job, you’re not alone.

Certain parts of the job search process can be more terrifying than things that go bump in the night. According to a 2018 Monster poll, the majority (38%) of U.S. respondents said they were most afraid of interviewing, while 33% might not even make it that far because they’re scared their CV might go “into a black hole on the Internet” when applying to jobs. Other fears come toward the end of the job search process, which include negotiating salary (16%) and being turned down for a job offer (13%). Plus, what if you get a new job and you hate it?

So while job search fear is a real thing for many people, you can’t let it crush your career. If you find you’re having a hard time getting your wheels in motion to start your job search, it might be time to confront your fears. After all, time doesn’t move in reverse.

“The average person spends roughly one-third of their life at work,” says Kelsey Bye, a career coach in San Francisco. “That’s a lot of time to let yourself feel unfulfilled, unchallenged, underpaid, and unappreciated.”

 

Scared to leave your current employer?

“What will they do without me?”

Loyalty is an admiral trait and certainly a very attractive one to potential employers, but what about your loyalty to your career? Don’t forget, you have to be the one looking out for your own best interest.

Face your fear: Give your all until the very last minute of your employment, that way you leave as the person who gave their best every single day, not the person who dropped the ball

 

You are what you do.

People often take refuge in their title, the company they work for, or their industry as identifying their self-worth. When that is the case, the idea of transitioning to a new job can feel like you are transitioning your identity—not just what you do to pay the bills. And that can be as unsettling as looking in the mirror and seeing someone else’s face instead of your own.

Face your fear: Get to know yourself better before you take a leap. Understand your strengths and how you can and want to contribute to an organization. A simple way to tap into this is to practice self-affirmation. After all, you’re more than just your job, you are a complex, well-rounded being with interests, broader qualities, and diverse skills.

 

Worried you might hate your new job?

Scared to get a job because of the unknown? Well, some do say that the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.

When things aren’t great in your job, it’s easy to assume that’s just the way it is: long hours, bad supervisors, demanding clients, but when things are bad, you owe it to yourself to go in search of better.

Face your fear: Plenty of people actually don’t loathe their jobs—in fact, a whole lot of people really love what they do. So conquer your fear and your ignorance by doing some research about other companies. Go on informational interviews. Investigate the cool company perks that are offered elsewhere. And of course, the best advice, get yourself in touch with a good recruiting company like VIP, who can guide you through the process from start to finish. Here you can get help with just about anything to do with getting a new job, from help with your CV, getting information about potential employers, interview prep, and most important, transparent and honest feedback, which will help you moving forward.

 

You absolutely hate being the newbie.

You’re comfortable at your current job. You have a routine, you have friends, you know how to find the best coffee in the building. Leaving that comfort zone and having to figure out the office politics—let alone where to eat lunch—among a new set of co-workers can be terrifying.

Face your fear: “The unknown can certainly be troubling, but it’s seldom as bad as we think it’s going to be,” Bye says. One way to get over your fear of being the new kid on the block at work: Start pushing yourself to meet new people now. Seek out new experiences. Join new groups and clubs outside of work. The more practice you have meeting new people and navigating the unknown, the more comfortable you’ll be stepping out in search of a new job.

 

Scared you won’t find a job? Do this

Are the demons in your head telling you that you’ll never find a job? Don’t listen them. Call VIP today and see how easy it is to get the job you really want. As a VIP candidate, you not only get job alerts emailed right to your inbox, which cuts down on the amount of time you’d spend combing through ads, but you will get a good knowledge of the market place and working environments prior to interviews. This will give you a heads up on what to expect for both interview stage and more importantly moving forward. A job has to be right for you, just as much as you have to be right for the job.

Let VIP help make the job search process a little less scary for you.

Here at V.I.Personnel, we want to make sure you know how to avoid a bad hire and how to acquire real talent. The hiring process can be a mine field, there are so many angles to cover to ensure that you recruit only the best employees for your business.

Selecting the very best candidates is one of greatest challenges for hiring managers. Get it right and a new employee can have a positive and immediate impact to the business; get it wrong and the financial and reputational costs can be colossal. In the ever-changing employment scene what are the essential steps to creating a truly reliable recruitment process and what measures can be put in place to avoid a bad hire?

 

If You Think it’s Expensive to Hire a Professional, Wait Until You Hire an Amateur!

The truth is that a bad hiring decision can result in a number of painful and costly outcomes, and some of those can be much harder to put a price on than others. Some of the following could be a result of bad recruitment;

• Damaged employee relations and morale
• Public scandals and negative publicity
• Attrition and wasted hiring budgets
• Endangerment of employees, clients and business associates
• Lost Productivity
• Litigation

Although these may seem like extreme examples, they are all damaging to the company. To avoid this being the case, recruit right the first time.

According to the CIPD the average recruitment cost of filling a vacancy is £4,000, increasing to £6,125 when the associated labour turnover costs are included. For a senior manager role, these figures rise to £10,000 and £9,000, respectively, and if things fail to work out first time around you can expect to double these for the cost of rehiring once again.

 

How to avoid a bad Hire I hear you ask?

Here are a few tips that should help you cover all bases when hiring.

As an employer, the single most important thing to remember when recruiting is; if you don’t have the time to do it, don’t rush it. The recruitment process takes time and preparation, rushing it will only ever result in hiring the wrong candidate. After all, there is more to it than just conducting interviews. The selection process prior to interviews can take many hours in itself, shortlisting the hundreds of applications and sifting through CV’s looking for the right experience and qualities is a huge task, consider outsourcing this at all costs.

Make sure to check out: Choosing the right Recruitment Agency for help with this.

Understand the requirements of the role. Conduct a thorough job analysis to uncover the key competencies for the role. From this, create a detailed job description. This is normally the first thing an applicant will see. If the job description is too generic and lacks detail, you will attract more CV’s without doubt, however this also means you will have to take more time to sift through applications and many will not be suitable. Instead, create a detailed description that will attract only the most eager and experienced candidates, thus also narrowing your search.

What calibre of candidate are you looking for? Will “candidate A” be better at the job than “candidate B”? This is measured on experience and representation and is best spotted at interview stage.  Although an impressive CV can go a long way, I’ve found that there are many candidates with fantastic CV’s but fail to deliver in an interview.  On the flip side, I’ve interviewed candidates that flourish in an interview but fail to demonstrate their ability on their CV. The typical case of “Never judge a book by its cover”.

With concerns rising over a skills shortage in the UK it is even more important that your business stands out to qualified, talented candidates. Whether you’re launching a recruitment drive, hiring for a senior level position or looking for entry-level graduates you will want to attract top calibre candidates each and every time. You want them to be qualified for the role, with the right experience and the right soft skills for your business.

Show the realities of the job.  Give potential applicants an honest account of what the job will entail by using realistic job previews (RJPs). RJPs can take the form of videos, testimonials or short tests. Regardless of format, effective RJPs accurately foreshadow the culture that the candidate is signing up for. Subsequently, candidates are much less likely to leave during their employment.

Implement psychometric assessments. The benefit of this approach is that you can assess key competencies and hone in on a candidate’s behavioural tendencies in a more engaging and realistic way. These tests take 15-20 minutes to complete. They can be undertaken prior to any interview stage of the selection process and the results can be integrated with your applicant tracking system.

Provide a consistent, friendly and engaging candidate experience. It is important to provide candidates with a positive recruitment experience, regardless of whether or not you offer them a job. Your applicants could be current or potential customers.

Is accepting a Counter-Offer Career Suicide?

As the job market improves, companies keen to retain staff are becoming more likely to make a counter-offer particularly in a ‘candidate scarce’ sector such as engineering. We advise candidates to expect a counter-offer. We’re seeing more and more of them. In fact, we now get worried if the applicant does not receive a counter-offer to stay.

Counter-offers are often the poison apple of the workplace. Of course, while there are exceptions, it is not a risk you should take unless you have completely thought it through. If you decide to accept, be aware of the potential consequences.

The prospect of sitting down with your boss to tell him that you have been offered a job elsewhere will be an uncomfortable one for most employees. It will probably be an awkward conversation to tell him that you will be leaving in a few weeks and it will become even more uncomfortable when he asks you to stay. As enticing as the counter-offer may be, we generally advise candidates not to accept.

According to the National Employment Association, 80 percent of employees who decide to accept a counter-offer are no longer with the company six months later. This could be because the employee loses the trust of their employer or becomes an outcast in the company after accepting the counter-offer.

 

Five tips to help you decide if you should stay or go

 

1. Employers often make counter-offers in a moment of panic, but what really goes through your boss’s mind when you quit?
2. “This couldn’t be happening at a worse time. He’s one of my best people. If I let him quit now, it’ll wreak havoc. I’ve already got one vacancy in my team. I don’t need another one. I’m working as hard as I can and I don’t want to do his work too. If I lose another good employee, the company might decide to “lose” me too. My review is coming up and this will make me look bad. Maybe I can keep him on until I find a suitable replacement. We’re working with a small team already. If I lose this one, we’ll all be working around the clock.”
3. A counter-offer is a knee jerk reaction – but after the initial relief passes, you may find your relationship with your employer and your standing within the company has changed. You are now the one who was looking to leave. You’re no longer part of the inner circle and you might be at the top of the list if your company needs to make cutbacks in the future.
4. Just a stalling tactic? Many counter-offers are designed to buy your current employer sufficient time. Once they have de-risked this, you could find yourself out of favour and in a dangerous position. Money will often be used to tempt you to stay and I suspect that most companies do not see this as a long-term expense. They will most likely be happy to let you go once they have found someone else to replace you.
5. There was a reason you started job searching in the first place. Probably the most important tip of all. While more money is always a motivator, usually there are additional factors that drive a candidate to look elsewhere. Make sure you don’t lose sight of your original reasons for moving on. Write them down from the outset so you can remind yourself, at the point when you are making a decision, on which employment offer to accept.

 

Checklist

This list will help prevent you from being blinded by flattery and emotional blackmail when confronted with a counter-offer. It is human nature to want to stay (with the known), unless your work life is totally miserable. Career change, like all ventures, is an unknown. That’s why bosses know they can usually keep you around by pressing the right buttons. Before you give in to a tempting counter-offer, be careful and mindful of that.

 

Be cynical about delayed recognition.

If you are worth an increased salary and responsibilities, why wasn’t that recognised before your resignation? Even if you get more money out of your company now, think about what it took to get it. You needed to have one foot out of the door to get paid your worth and there’s no reason to think that future salary increases will be any easier. The next time you want a raise, you might even be refused altogether on the grounds that “We just gave you that big increase when you were thinking about leaving.”

 

Be careful not to burn your bridges

With the prospective employer, if you go back on your commitment to join them after having confirmed your acceptance then this will infuriate the prospective employer. By accepting a counter-offer, you have committed the unprofessional and unethical sin of breaking your commitment to the prospective employer.

It will cause the prospective employer huge embarrassment to unannounce the previous positive announcement of your imminent arrival to existing staff, customers and suppliers etc. They will also potentially have to start the whole process again and your name will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

With the company that you are trying to leave, if you are determined that accepting the counter-offer isn’t in your best interest, you should decline politely and avoid burning bridges. Firstly, thank your boss for the counter-offer and say “I’m flattered but I have committed to my prospective employer and am true to my word. I realise that my leaving may put you at a disadvantage which is why I have put my work in order and made notes for a detailed and effective handover.”

A good tactic is, a week after leaving the company, send your former employer a thank you letter “Wishing them continued success.” Avoid burning bridges with both your existing and prospective employer. You never know when your paths will cross again. It is a small world.

What if you decide to accept the counter-offer and turn down the other job?

Ideally you would only engage in a counter-offer conversation before you officially accept the new job (after you have received an offer in writing but before you commit to accepting). You may find your current company’s counter-offer is the missing piece you’ve been searching for the whole time. But remember, a higher percentage are likely to leave anyway.

There are times when accepting a counter-offer makes sense and works out. Just be very, very cautious before you accept a counter-offer.

When are counter-offers mutually beneficial to both employee and employer?

There may be situations when a counter-offer may work. For example; where there have been leadership changes; employee’s pay and promotions have been overlooked; where you have had a conversation with your manager only to learn that the manager is/was disengaged and ends up leaving the company or did not care about your issues as their heart and soul was already out of the business.

In summary, 80% of employees who decide to accept a counter-offer are no longer with the company six months later, and, 90% leave before the 12 month mark.

Accepting a counter-offer therefore can be a high risk strategy.

Counter-offers are only made in response to a threat to quit. Will you threaten to quit every time you deserve better working conditions?

If you do decide to stay, don’t be naive. You’re going to have to remain constantly alert and you’ll have to prove your loyalty to be considered for future opportunities. It will be an uphill battle, but getting back into your boss’s and co-workers’ good books is possible; but it might take some patience and time.

Choosing the right Recruitment Agency for your business is not an exact science.

Like most products or services you pay for, you never really know what to expect until after the deal is done. Sometimes you learn the hard way, other times, you may be happy with the cost but not the results and so on.

Imagine buying a coffee, drinking it all, and then and only then being told that you would have enjoyed it much more at the coffee shop next door. Even worse, being told it may have cost less too.

 

That being said, we believe using the list below will help guide you towards making the right decision!

 

The first step, an open frame of mind…

Some recruitment agencies have earned the industry a bad reputation but it is important that you enter into the selection process with a positive mind set understanding that not all recruitment agencies are the same. Recruitment is changing and many agencies, like us, are embracing an industry shake up where endless sales calls are no more and client / agency relationships are built on mutual respect and trust, providing bespoke services to achieve the best results for your business.

 

In no particular order, here are five points that will help you with choosing the right Recruitment Agency…

 

1. Location

This is one factor that will either be at the top of your list, or not factor at all but it is important to consider. For example, if you’re an international company offering specialist services in various locations, you may not be concerned about the location of your agency, whereas if you are a small business who have a high demand for short-term / temporary staff, you may prefer your agency to be local and have a strong grasp on the local talent pool.

The location of your agency will also have an influence on the type of working relationship you have, a local agency has the added advantage of being able to spend time within your business and really get to know it beyond the job spec.

 

2. Experience

Experience could mean a number of things. Typically businesses see industry experience as the highest priority but it is important to consider other forms of experience such as the level of overall recruitment experience, experience within the local market and experience in other aspects of business such as HR as these can all be valuable attributes in a recruitment partner.

 

3. Fees

Often the first criteria on everyone’s list. Fees are without a doubt an important factor when choosing your recruitment partner, however it is important to remember that it’s not all about the money and look passed the fees themselves. In the same way that you might question a premium product being sold at a fraction of the RRP price, take a moment to consider the value as opposed to the ‘price’.

Always be sure to look at the fees in line with the terms surrounding those fees, for example is there a rebate period on offer should the hire prove unsuccessful? A cheap fee with no rebate allowance leaves your business more exposed to risk and can cost you more in the long run. Effective recruitment, that may be a little more expensive, leads to high levels of retention and therefore less frequent recruitment costs, saving your business money in the long term.

Here at VIP, we pride ourselves on our success rate. Over a 4 year period, only 2.5% of candidates we placed left within an 8 week rebate period, 80% of which, we managed to source a suitable replacements for.  That means a refund was only necessary in 0.5% of candidate placements.

 

4. Values

You can often tell a lot about a company by looking at their company values. Their values will tell you what kind of company they are, what they believe in. Asking plenty of questions when deciding on an agency is a good way of determining if the relationship is going to work. The answers that the agencies give you will tell you a lot about the way the agency operates and treats both its clients and job candidates. If your companies align in terms of values, it is most likely that you will work well together.

 

5. Reputation

The most important factor of them all. They might be able to talk the talk, but have they proven they can walk the walk? Most agencies should be able to supply you with testimonials or a reference client for you to contact, and that is where the real proof lies.

 

There is no set formula in choosing the best agency for your business, but use this list as a guide, first ranking each criteria in order of importance to you. You can then assess your shortlist against each area and have a helping hand in making the right choice.

 

New Year, New Recruitment

Hello 2019!

The New Year is a great time to make changes in your life, and your career. You can turn over a new leaf in almost any aspect of your life. Recruitment is no different. If you’re involved in hiring staff, you could always be doing better, even if you’re already recruiting at a high standard…so why not make some Recruitment Resolutions?

While you’re writing your list of personal goals for the year, throw in a few aims to save time, money and stress – target the things that you feel need fixing in your recruitment strategy.

 

Do you sometimes fail to fill a vacancy at all?

This can be a problem but not as much of one as recruiting the wrong person. It’s good to be cautious and not recruit somebody just because they’re the least bad of a poor bunch. It’s much cheaper to run the recruitment campaign again now rather than go through the costs associated with onboarding, poor quality work, dismissal and then a second campaign.

All the same, regularly failing to fill is a problem that needs to be looked at. Are you attracting the wrong people or nobody at all? Check your outlets and the wording of your job advertisements.

Essentially, your most important resolution should be to not be afraid of change!

Many companies fall into the habit of doing their recruitment as it has always been done, and although a new concept might seem scary at first it could be massively beneficial to you and your company going forward.

 

So how can VIPersonnel help you?

We can expect to see continuations of trends that have been occurring for several years now. Here it at VIPersonnel, we have made even easier for our clients to outsource their recruitment. Our tailored service allows you to get on with what you do best, while we work to find you the best possible candidates for your vacancies, the first time around.

• With our easy to navigate mobile website, it is now even easier for candidates to apply for your vacancies.
• We also have access to millions of CV’s across the UK.
• We actively source, shortlist and interview all candidates before sending the best ones to you.
• It cost nothing, until you are completely satisfied with “the successful candidate”. Even then we are very cost effective and extremely competitive with our fees.
• We offer a personable service, something we are very proud of being able to do here at VIP. Many of our clients will agree that we always go above and beyond when it comes to finding the best talent there is and relieving the stress of this sometimes mammoth task.

 

 

Why use us now?

We’re sorry to say it but coming back to work after the New Year is a disappointing experience. Turkey, presents and fireworks are by now long forgotten, and now you’re back at the office – and at what happens to be the busiest time of year for hiring.

Here’s a few reasons you’re likely to have a lot on your plate in Quarter One:          

• Work of all kinds gets done that had been put off due to people on holiday over the Christmas season.
• Based on previous years, we have experienced the busiest months in the first quarter for candidates looking to better their careers.
• New strategies and goals come into play at work (kind of like a company’s own resolution!) often resulting in hiring new or more staff.

 

January is a great time to find the motivation to make the changes needed in your recruitment strategy, take the leap and let s deal with this for you, you have enough to do as it is.

 

Get in touch!

VIPersonnel thrives on placing people in top roles that they love. You can be sure of filling your next placement with ease, confidents and reliability, thanks to our dedicated team.

Don’t fill your day with interviews and screening. Just get in touch with VIPersonnel and let us help you take your first step towards a more successful 2019.

 

0121 647 6695

Hiring employees isn’t as simple as finding people with the right skills and giving them the keys to your business. People aren’t robots, and skills alone don’t make a good employee-employer fit. While I believe there are plenty of things entrepreneurs shouldn’t waste money on, hiring and retaining great people is well worth the time and effort it takes. Here are six steps to help you do it:

 

1. Know What You Want

Nothing is more frustrating to both you and a prospective employee, than being wishy-washy about what you’re looking for in a candidate.
Before you even start asking around or advertising for staff, make a list of what you need from your new hire. Don’t just list skills, list personality requirements and desired details about the type of person who will best fit into the culture you’re trying to create. Identify the knowledge, skills, and traits that will make someone successful in your company, and hire based on that profile.

 

2. Carefully Structure Your Interviews

An interview is a conversation with a purpose, and in order to succeed it has to be carefully planned.
One way to conduct a good interview is to avoid questions that candidates have likely planned answers to. Instead of asking a candidate to list his or her greatest strengths and weaknesses, ask questions like “What did you learn from your last job?” or “Can you tell me about a time you failed and the lesson you learned?” These questions are less expected and will give you more insight into a particular candidate.
Hiring employees isn’t just about the interview process either…

 

3. Review Feedback

If you have other staff helping you with the interviews, make sure to take their opinions into account. Often, they can see concerns that you might have missed, especially when it comes to company culture and fit. While it’s up to you to make the final decision, outside input shouldn’t be ignored.

 

4. Choose Wisely

When you’re looking to make the offer, don’t just think about who has the best fit for the current position. Choose the qualified candidate that has the most upsides and that is most likely to grow within your company.
How can you tell which candidate offers this particular advantage? Evaluate things like their hunger to learn, whether the candidate actively keeps up with the industry, and an active commitment to professional growth. If you don’t see these characteristics, the candidate likely lacks the ability or desire to develop their role within your business.

 

5. Compete on Culture

Once you have a great employee in place, you want to keep them, and the best way to achieve retention is by developing a culture that’s the envy of your industry. Is your company worth of a “Best Places to Work” listing? If not, why not? Your company should be founded on solid vision and mission statements, so put these ideas to work within your culture. A great culture will help you to avoid the serious problems of disengagement and turnover.

 

6. Emphasize Professional Development

Of course, if you choose the candidates that are most motivated to grow within your company, you have to follow that up with a focus on professional development. Letting your staff know that their success matters to you and to the business is a great way to help retain top employees. Implement programs that develop your staff’s skills, and watch your business succeed as a result of your motivated, well-trained employees.

 

You might also like:

How to Avoid a Bad Hire

Thinking of hiring and need some recruitment advice from the professionals? Get the best tips on how to successfully build and motivate your team right here at VIPersonnel. From help with your candidate search, to interviews and offer letters.

 

Preparing to recruit.

Before anything else, you need to ask yourself what you need this person to accomplish.

This should provide you with a focus on getting the right person, first time, every time.

 

Things to consider:

• Is the role temporary or permanent, full time / part time?
• Define your role requirements by identifying the key requirements you need for your business.
• Have in mind three essential skills you must see in the candidates’ CV.
• Work out a fair salary for the role which will be beneficial to both your business and the employee. (You could base this on comparable jobs in your industry if it’s a new role).
• Future scope of the role, have a 5 year plan for the role.
• What training will be offered or required.
• Types of personality that will work well in order to gel with your current team.

 

Write a Job Specification.

Now you are prepared to recruit, you can begin the recruitment process. First things first, write a Job specification which articulates all of the above requirements you have set, something one of our dedicated consultants can help you with, it’s all part of the VIP service.

 

To find your ideal employee, you first need to identify your specific needs and wants.

Create a tailored description of the vacancy, including the responsibilities and objectives of the role.

Don’t be afraid to be too specific. Outlining the key duties and requirements of the role in detail will only rule out those who are not suitable, saving you time sifting through tonnes of irrelevant CV’s. 

The specifications you prepare will help you evaluate CVs speedily and ruthlessly too.

 

Make sure to include key information such as Salary, company benefits, hours of work and anything else you would expect to find if looking for your ideal role.

 

The Interviews.

Hopefully by now, your preparation and time has paid off and you have a selection of shortlisted candidates which you are prepared to interview. Based on experience, a good number of first stage interviews to hold is between 3 and 6.

The interview is the most important part of the recruitment process, both for you and the candidate. It’s your opportunity to see how this person would fit into your organisation and to see if they have the knowledge and expertise you need to improve your business. It is also an opportunity for the candidates to get an insight into your company and its environment. It is also to get an insight as to what you are like as an employer, so make extra effort to be welcoming and informative.

 

Things to consider before your interviews:

• Lay out clear objectives for the interview.
• Lay out a structure for your interviews.
• Decide what is most important to your company and base your questions around that.
• Ensure you have a clear agenda for your interviews.

 

During the interview:

• Focus on getting to know your candidate.
• Try to be consistent so each candidate gets a fair chance.
• Be honest of the expectations of the candidates.

 

Once you have interviews between our recommended 3 – 6 candidates, you should by now have a good idea who was ticking boxes and who wasn’t. If you have not yet found any potentially suitable candidates from this round of recruitment, simply set yourself another couple and see how they fair.

 

If on the other hand you find yourself torn between maybe 2 or 3 of the candidates, arrange a second stage of interviews for those candidates.

 

A second stage interview will of course no longer require the intensity of the first. This may be a good chance to bring out the personality of the candidates to get an idea of team fit as opposed to just experience and ability. Maybe introduce them to the team or get them to shadow somebody that is already in the role.

 

 

Writing an offer letter

You’ve invested time and effort in finding the right person for the job, so secure their acceptance with a well-worded offer letter. A positive job offer, extended swiftly, can make the world of difference and the chances are higher that they will accept.

 

• Avoid standard letters – Take time to write something original, or at least to amend your company’s standard letter so that the candidate maintains enthusiasm.
• Be positive and personal, so the chances are higher that an acceptance will be forthcoming.
• Act now – Once you’ve decided to make the offer, it’s best to write and dispatch the offer letter straight away.
• Selling the offer – Emphasise the most appealing benefits in the package you’re offering.

 

We hope this recruitment advice is beneficial to you and your organisation, however if we can be of any assistance in any of the mentioned areas, we are of course happy to help.

 

Using VIPersonnel as your personal recruitment service.

We strive to provide our clients with a better quality selection of candidates thanks to our proactive recruitment process. We provide comprehensive 360° support to company’s looking to expand their permanent workforce.

Did you find this post helpful? You may also like:

Advantages of using Recruitment Agencies

How to Avoid a Bad Hire

 

Not sure how to perfect your CV? Read on!
Think the CV you wrote 4 years ago will still be worthy of an interview? Thinking a list of your recent Jobs will be enough? You’re wrong.
To give you the best chance of an interview, before anything else, you have to make sure your CV is attractive to your potential employer. Here are our top tip on how to perfect your CV.

Keep it real.

Usually a CV should be no more than two pages. Employers spend, on average, just 8 seconds looking at any one CV, and a safe way of landing yourself on the “no pile” is to send them your entire life story. Keep it punchy, to the point, and save those niggly little details for the interview. In brief, keep it factual, keep it short, keep it interesting….Keep it real.

Skimmability.

We all skim more than we read, so to reward that reading style: Write short paragraphs of three or four lines at most. (If you have more to say, create a paragraph plus a bullet list.) Also, add space in between paragraphs to provide “breathing room” and use headings and subheadings to segment and introduce information.

Avoid Cliché’s.

Nine times out of ten, CV’s will include an opening statement and will normally include a sentence like: “A great communicator who loves meeting new people”. This is all well and good, if you want your CV to read the same as the last persons. Instead, be more specific, stand out and say something like: “Contributed to a complex company project by communicating with all levels of the business and external partners”.

Adapt your content.

We’ve all done it, sent the same CV to multiple employers for different jobs. Think about it, every Job is different and require a different skill set. Don’t be afraid to tailor your CV to fit the job you’re applying for. For example: If you are reading their job description and they require someone with leadership qualities, you may think you have that covered. Simply saying: “Has experience training and developing staff” will not cut it. Instead, give a factual and relevant example of your work: “Increased sales by 25% through holding one-to-one training sessions with the sales team.”

Check for spelling mistakes.

Employers will make a conscious effort to find mistakes on your CV and if they do, it could be damaging to your application. As a recruiter, I am constantly correcting simple spelling mistakes. If you ask me, there should be no excuses for mistakes on a CV, especially as we all have the option to spell check and have it proof read by someone else before submitting it. One word which I am constantly correcting is “Liaised”. It is definitely up there on my pet hate list.

So, you’ve perfected your CV, next stop, Interview. Want to make a good impression?

Good Luck!