Archive for month: August, 2016

From time to time we can all relate to scheduling in an interview with a candidate and then have them not attend, or in today’s case, reschedule and then not attend anyway. In most cases the person vanishes from the face of the earth. You do the follow up call and/or text just in case they are running late or forgot but of course you get no response. Yes, we feel your pain and it’s not very cool on their behalf. The trouble for that candidate is that they don’t understand they will most likely be out of luck if they apply for another opportunity down the track – the Gold Coast is a small place.

Professional courtesy

From our experience we have had some really great candidates that have pulled out of interview due to another job offer, family matter or other reasons however, have notified us in advance and extended a professional courtesy. That is all that is expected, it’s really easy to do. In a few cases, we have placed some of those candidates in future roles as they showed professionalism and a respect for business. They were remembered for the right reasons and have shown good character. The great thing about a candidate that doesn’t show up and extend this courtesy is that they have done you a good service – you don’t have to deal with them as an employee.

Your time is valuable

In the case of being a recruitment agency we can factor a no-show into our day as this is what we do – recruitment and this is just part of one of the processes in how we make our money. We have a lot of screening activities we can continue with and have also mentally built this into our expectations with particular roles. To be honest, no-shows are generally a rare occurrence and when they do happen, we process it for a moment and then move on. In the case of a business though, if you are directly recruiting and looking at a number of candidates, you have set time aside, possibly even before or after hours or around other meetings to schedule interviews and have an expectation that they will all show up. When a candidate doesn’t show up it can have a negative impact on your business that may have taken you away from money making activities that you could have been doing. It can also affect the rest of your day – that person is going to be in your thoughts, they just will be.

Good news

From our experience, we have so far (knocking on wood at the moment) had a 100% show up rate for candidate interviews that were scheduled in with our clients. Yes, we have had people pull out due to job offers however they have given us the courtesy of knowing prior to the interview. You can look at what we do as the initial interview and screening process to pick up these type of traits and get a gut feel for who a candidate is. You as our client are the second interview for candidates that have already been vetted and are genuinely interested in your role, minimising the risk of lost time for your business. It also creates a positive recruitment experience for you.

Your time is valuable in business and should be acknowledged. Thanks for reading.

Best regards,

 

David Ford.

 

 

Does their workplace have open plan offices or closed work spaces?

I heard this a few months ago from a candidate and didn’t think too much of it until recently when I have started hearing it again during interviews. It’s an interesting question and it makes me wonder what the future office holds and how it is going to affect you when hiring good and productive staff?

The great idea

Many of us were pushed into open plan office scenario because it just seemed like a great idea at the time and would bring creativity, collaboration and a really cool looking workplace. It definitely did for some companies however for others it just doesn’t cut it. They have some great benefits for the organisation including lower fit-out costs and the promise of more creativity and collaboration but have they actually achieved it?

The problem

Noise, privacy, colleagues that sing and the ability to do quiet productive work are some of the responses that were raised by candidates during interview. A Web Designer does not want to sit near a hardcore Sales Rep – thousands of dollars can be in play for both of them but one requires concentration and the other requires freedom to talk. From my experience in an open plan office, it looked like everyone was collaborating however when they you approached the desk or cubicle, the conversation was generally not about this month’s sales targets. Improved collaboration? Not really sure about that. High creativity and productivity, not really. A social workplace – yes!

How do you stay appealing?

What we found from some of our clients that have created successful workplaces through a combination of proper offices (not break out rooms) and open plan areas. The offices are not about seniority but about work function and the needs of the worker to undertake productive work. Managers did not necessarily require offices whereas ‘creatives’ did. Sales teams were grouped together as they like to compete and bounce off each other’s energy and those in administrative functions were also grouped together in their own work space. Their workplace looks great with a lot of colour and highly appealing to anyone walking in for the first time.

It doesn’t matter what you think

Maybe this appeals to you and maybe it doesn’t however the real question is whether a new employee that you really want to get on board likes what you present to them as their next potential workplace. If you take the lead and mix it up to offer an attractive workspace, it could be just the right move to get a person that adds a lot of value to your organisation.