HURRY UP AND WAIT – JOB APPLICATION ETIQUETTE
The best way to follow up on a job application. The interview went well. You are feeling confident and excited. This job is yours! But, a week has gone by and you havnt heard from anyone. What do you do? Do you email, call? Is it too soon? Will they be irritated by you? Will they be happy that you followed up? It is always a difficult time – that period between interview and the call that will tell you that you succeeded or you failed. So, what is the proper protocol when following up on a job application? And, should you follow up at all? The consensus is that, yes, you most definitely should follow up. Its in the when and how that makes all the difference. As for when, it appears, according to a study with various HR Managers, that the best time to follow up is around 1,5 to 2 weeks after the interview. Ok, cool, so its been almost 2 weeks, now what is the best way to follow up? 1. Insider Info Check with anyone you know inside the company as to what the talk has been. This will give you a better understanding of how to approach the powers that be. 2. Go to the top If at all possible, get the decision makers details. That may be the HR Manager, the recruitment agency head, or the boss himself. They will be the best people to advise you on the job application. 3. Craft the perfect email You may not be a writer or linguist but a well crafted email can make a great impression. Ensure you include the following: – make your subject line clear i.e. Position of Sales Consultant – Follow up – address the person by their name – express that you hope they are well (its just nicer to start off that way than to jump straight in) – thank them for their time in the interview – ask politely if they have made a decision on the position – express in a short sentence why you still feel you are the perfect fit for the job – end it off with a thanks and that you hope to hear from them soon – don’t do the Yours faithfully bit – its old school – simply, all the best, and your name, will do 4. Follow up Call So, no response after another week after your email on the job application, what now? Now, you call. Ask to speak to the person you emailed and if its a good time. If not, phone back when it is. Asking them to call you back can lead to you not taking the call, missing the call for whatever reason, and that will just frustrate the caller. You call back. Once you have them on the line, pretty much follow a similar format to your email. Ask whether they received the email first, then let them tell you like it is. If they say there are still busy and to follow up in another week, well, then do that. And, ask whether you must email or call. Whether you get this job or not, you have followed a polite and non-invasive process. While you may not have succeeded here, keep pushing on and keep following up in this same way. Good Luck in your job hunting!
HOW TO SMASH YOUR NEW JOB
You’re the new kid on the block. You need to impress and show some mettle in your. How can you smash your new job before you’ve even started then? No worries! We have the dope right here for you. KNOW THE COMPANY INSIDE OUT From when they started, why they started, who the big dogs are, who the juniors are, know their products and services backwards, and any other key features and unique elements that make them who they are. LEARN WHAT YOU CAN ABOUT YOUR NEW TEAM This may require some trolling on your part to see who the key players are in the company, what their background is, what their values are (often professionals divulge this via their LinkedIn profile and posts that they send out) and also see who you will be working with, so that you can learn how to fit in quickly at your new job. HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION AND FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT You know what your job entails – you should know this! So, have a plan of action. You may not know the exact project details or what clients you will deal with, but you know what your job description requires. Put together a matrix of strategies that will help you achieve your goals within the company. Believe us, it will impress! HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS READY No one expects you to understand and know everything, so be ready to ask questions about your new job. People who are placed in a position of authority can be very helpful. Show them that you are wiling to learn and are open to suggestion too. Your new job can feel like an old job even after the first day – good luck!
5 FAB COMPANY CULTURE ELEMENTS
Company Culture – the buzz word of the decade! But, what does it mean and why should you be focusing on it? If you take only one thing from this then know that a hostile, negative environment is not a good place to be. Developing a company culture needs to address that, first and foremost. However, in creating a company culture, you need to also look at your, the owners, personal values. If you haven’t already gone through this exercise, I suggest you do this first. List what you consider your top 5 values in life and convert those into working values for your business. There are obvious ones, that should be … well … obvious, such as integrity, honesty, ethics, but you can dig deeper and find others that speak to your unique value system. 5 Elements that you need to ensure you apply, once you have your company culture values intact, are: 1. Be upfront about what your company culture is about – right at hiring stage Employing the people that fit your company ways is vital to sustaining good staff. You can ask certain questions that will let you see just whether they mix well with you, your business and the other already established employees. 2. Let existing employees know what the company culture is all about Maybe you have worked about-face and only now decided what it is your company values are. Well, don’t leave your workers in the dark. Tell them, make it clear, and even consider visualizing it on your entrance wall or as a screen saver on their computers. 3. Let your team know that they are a team Many businesses exist in an island scenario, with management sitting so far away from the rest of the people, that they cannot bridge the gap. And, we don’t mean literally only here. We mean in terms of actually connecting and engaging with staff. If they feel isolated, then they wont do justice to your business and they certainly won’t stick around long. 4. Be the voice You cannot expect others to follow a methodology you have instilled when you don’t live it. If you want openmindness, then you need to show you are openminded. If you insist that there be a casual, you-can-talk-to-me-about-anyting attitude, then don’t be slamming doors in your staff’s face. Live by what you profess are your company values. 5. Communicate it over and over again Make your company culture an integral part of everything you do, and bring it into meetings, projects, client liaisons, and all that your business gets involved in. Reiterate the values whenever you get the chance, lest anyone forget them.
DO THIS WHEN YOU HAVE NO MOTIVATION LEFT
It happens to the best of us. It can hit you in a blast or it can slowly creep up on you, knocking you down inch by inch. Staying motivated can be tough. When you have looked for all possible pick-me-ups, when you have listened to all the podcasts you can find, and yet you still cannot find the motivation to get up and busy, then you need to dig deeper. First, look to what has worked for you in the past. Either replicate that method or find something new but similar. It may trigger you into that same mode of movement towards a positive end. Connect with at least 5 people that you know can help you. Schedule a coffee, ask them when you can Skype call them, or simply pop them an email and reach out. People can be your greatest saving grace. Give yourself a break. You don’t need to be perfect all the time. You are allowed to have moments where you are down and out. Sometimes, your body and mind is telling you to take a break. We are not promoting that you give up – no! Not at all. But, taking a breather, a respite, can help you to reboot and carry on. Take a look at your health situation. Your low mood may have much to do with your fitness and health status. Assess if you have been eating well and if you are getting in at least some exercise every second day. Even a brisk walk can help you to clear your head and set you on the path to recovery. If you find that no methods are working, you may want to seek professional help. Insomnia, lack of appetite, low libido, stomach cramps, headaches, and the wish to be alone are all signs that depression is setting in. While independently they may be because of other issues, its best to have yourself checked out soonest. In ending, thinking about what could be the source of your low motivation could be just the trick to getting you out of the bad mood. Fix it as quickly as you can and try to move past it – telling yourself that it is just a phase. Please note, as well, that we are by no means giving you qualified professional advise here, but rather our insights after many years in the entrepreneural zone.
HOW TO BE A BETTER MENTOR
We all are mentors to someone, whether we realise it or not. Ensuring you keep your mentor skills honed is important so that you can give of your best to others. Whether it be your child, your employees, your colleagues, or a friend, you want to know that the way you mentor them brings on results. LISTEN Having two ears and one mouth may be just the way we were created for aesthetic appeal, but using them accordingly is also a good idea when it comes to mentoring. Listen to what your prodigy is saying, where the issues are, why they are needing your assistance, and then before giving them your insights, collate a proper detailed response. SET EXPECTATIONS Having a goal or goals to aspire to is helpful for you as the mentor and of course helpful to the mentee. Have the mentee write them down and constantly go back to them to gauge how far they are nearing them. CHECK IN – OFTEN While this may not be your full time job, as a mentor you want to be checking in with your student (as that is what they are) on a regular basis. See whether they are on the right path according to those goals. Send a quick message. Make a phone call. Or even pop them an email. Being available is also another way to help them. LEARN HOW TO BE EMOTIONALLY TUNED IN The art of empathy does not come naturally to most, so learning to understand others situations and feelings is a great tool to have. One mustn’t get too involved though, so stepping back and assessing the level of interaction can help the mentee. NEVER ASSUME Always ask. No matter what you think or have an opinion on, always ask your student first. Assuming something can be the undoing of months of mentoring. Once you have all the information, then you can devise a plan to moving forward. BE HUMAN No one expects you to be perfect, and in fact, its best that you are not. Showing that you have made mistakes and aren’t infallible, will put you in good light with your mentee. Open up and let them know that you can relate.
HOW TO REBOOT YOUR BAD DAY
We all have them – bad days – and they can take over so much so that we cannot focus on anything. A bad day can turn into a bad week and then a bad month – snowballing to the point that there seems like no return. Reboot your bad day now! Knowing how to reboot your day so that you can literally start over is a great trick to learn. Your bad day needn’t ruin your life. Here is how you can reboot your bad day and start afresh: 1. DELEGATE For some this is easy, but for others they feel that doing it themselves is far easier than outsourcing. But, in hindsight, which is where we generally realise we should have asked for help, seeking to share our tasks is the only way to go. Speak to colleagues who can help, look to outsourcing parts of our work, and free up your time. A nice start to reboot your bad day. 2. STOP DOING WHATEVER IT IS THAT STARTED THE BAD DAY Walk away from the issue, even if just for a moment. Go do anything else that brings you joy. Even a few minutes is good enough to right your mood, set your mind in a clearer mode, and help you to deal with the issue at hand. 3. DEAL WITH PERSONAL ISSUES QUICKLY Any personal problem can plague your mind to the point that you won’t be able to do a good job on anything else. Rather deal with it – although we understand that it may not be a quick fix, but addressing it, acknowledging it, and putting a pin in it, can help you to carry on with your day in a more positive light. 4. SPEAK TO SOMEONE Often just having a chat with a close friend or family member can help you to overcome a dull and troublesome day. Reach out to someone and see if they can help you get over the issues and reboot your bad day. 5. STICK TO YOURSELF Contrary perhaps, given our previous point, but most times all you need is to be alone with your thoughts. Take a minute or two to meditate, or even just sit in silence, and try to remove all the negative thoughts from your mind. Whatever the issue is, it will still be there afterwards, but with a clear mind you may be able to deal with it better.
Write a CV recruiters and HR will love
You have a few seconds to make an impression. A Recruiter or HR Officer sometimes receive hundreds of CVs per day. If your CV is missing information, presented poorly or difficult to read, you are relegated immediately. So, write a CV they will sit up straight for. SUBJECT LINE Before we get on to writing a good CV, remember the subject line is also important. Make your subject the heading of the advert you are applying for, your name and surname and the date, this makes searching easier for us consultants. It also gets us to click on your CV COVER PAGE OR INTRO A cover page or intro in the body of the mail is important and this should include salary expectations, notice period and why you are suited to this vacancy. PERSONAL DETAILS Make sure your personal details at the top of the CV are correct. We often find a good candidate, but there are no or old contact details. CVs are stored in files or extracted from mails by systems, make sure your number is on the CV attachment, not just on the mail. ACHIEVEMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS When you write a cv list all academic achievements, courses, qualifications and computer packages you have worked on. USE KEYWORDS Recruiters often use search methods that use key words to search, if your CV exclude these key words, you are not found. INTERESTS, HOBBIES ETC. List interests, hobbies and sports CURRENT AND PAST EMPLOYMENT List each position you worked at, the company name, your title at the company, your starting and finishing date, a detailed job description (remember key words) and your reason for leaving. REFERENCES Include references when you write a cv. These references need to include your direct report. MISSING AREAS Do not omit jobs from your CV. Recruiters and HR officers do pick up these omitted jobs in our verification checks. We don’t mind gaps, so long as there’s a sufficient explanation. PICTURE Include a pic on your CV if you can, just a head shot. People remember a face easier than a name. No cat pics, no holding a beer, no wedding pics, just a ID style pic. ID NUMBER Include your ID number, passport number or work permit number CONTENT – Make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes – Use a simple and easy to read font, on a blank background – Also use a simple format, word or PDF. Fancy formats can be painful when you receive bulk CVs. Company applicant tracking systems peruse your resume for information and convert it to pure text as the most immediate viewing format – Avoid mixing up first and third person or present tense and past tense. – We see some real shocking email addresses and they give us an instant negative perception of a candidate. Try to stick to using your name with an email address. START AND FINISH DATES You must ensure that when you list your jobs that you have accurate start and finish dates, usually stipulating the month and year will be sufficient. A CV without this information will be rejected because the recruiter will simply think you are trying to hide something LEAVE OUT REAL PERSONAL DETAILS You’re not pitching for a date, so a recruiter does not need to know your age, height, weight, religious or political affiliations, marital status or sexual orientation ENSURE YOUR RECORDS ARE TRUE More and more businesses are now carrying out extensive background checks prior to taking somebody on board. Nearly everybody embellishes their achievements in jobs on their CV, but stretching the truth could land you in hot water. We have seen many candidates trip themselves up. KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE Put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. They want a nice punchy CV that quickly gives them all the info they need. They don’t want to plough through long paragraphs, nor will they probably have the patience to do so. KEEP CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER Another classic faux pas is when candidates put their CV in the wrong chronological order. You should always list your most recent employment and latest achievements first within that position. NO QUOTES PLEASE We have even come across CVs where people kick off with a Winston Churchill or Shakespearian quote. A guaranteed way to quickly get your CV binned. CREATE THE HOOK A snappy introduction should mention which industries you have excelled in and what skills you would bring to your new role. Don’t waste this chance to impress by just rolling out some meaningless soundbites. And always take the time to make the introduction bespoke to the role that you are applying to.
AI, COMMUNITY PLATFORMS AND TECH GIANTS
AI, Community Platforms and Tech Giants, these are hot topics currently alive in HR and Recruitment, but are we really understanding how the game will change once these products go to market? AI and recruitment, as a mix, are not far off from our future. I recently attended a IBM Conference where I got some first-hand insight on AI, and other interesting products already in the market. With a smart Development team, you could basically have a system that takes/ receives specs or even generated well developed specs for you and place adverts on all job boards, especially on social media. In addition, this new system can shortlist candidates, tests candidates, personality profile candidates, choose the best option, negotiate the terms of the contract and salary, get the contract signed, and learn all your staff’s functions by monitoring everything they type, say, watch and do. The core key AI that will apply, is to learn your function, spot weaknesses and train you, learn strengths and share them with peers and basically develop super HR staff and eventually do their jobs better than them. AI includes factors such as emotions and feelings. It will be faster and will process data faster than that of a human. IBM already has these products available and with a smart Development team. You can put together a highly intelligent and smooth functioning solution to make it your own. Microsoft has just made it clear why they were so determined to beat Salesforce in the battle to acquire LinkedIn. Microsoft’s partnership with LinkedIn will see them launching a similar and intriguing system to utilise skills, anywhere in the world, at any time. Developing products like their very powerful CRM, LinkedIn Data base, AI and bots, they seem to be putting together a game changer. Microsoft pretty much has access to a 500 million-strong workforce to tap into. Not only can you find the best person for the jobs, based on LinkedIn testimonials and more, you can order them for the job and add it to their schedule. HoloLens might just offer the solution with someone around with good enough skills to be guided through the job. LinkedIn + HoloLens = Microsoft being able to make that happen for you. Microsoft has a colourful history with chatbots. In 2016 it launched a chatbot that turned into a genocidal racist, and another year later they called Windows 10 “spyware”. They seem to be getting chatbot’s right and I am sure a lot of the communication of the future on social sites will be with chatbots. It has been speculated that the giant Tech companies have their eyes on the other big platforms. It is not just a HR/Recruitment Solution. These sites plugged into the correct CRM with the correct AI and chat bots can and more likely will change the consumer market as we know it. The race is on. If you think I am talking the future, you are mistaken. All the newly developed tech is already present and companies like Microsoft are putting the dots together. Are HR departments and staff at risk? Is the recruitment industry at risk? What do you think?
HOW TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO YOUR BOSS
Whether it be about a project or something you are personally not happy with, it is important to give feedback to your boss. Otherwise, how else will they know what the issues are? We realise that its not an easy step to take, but, at the end of the day, we are all adults and talking about any problems we have should be easy. If your boss can give feedback to you, then you can reciprocate. Giving feedback should be valuable and insightful, to both your boss and yourself. You want to walk away feeling like you added value and that you have taken a step in the right direction. Feedback can build your relationship with your boss and even help you to help to grow your career. Here are the ways in which you can give feedback to your boss and ensure your feedback is constructive: 1. Have a Plan of Action Having a strategy on how you will give feedback to your boss is paramount. You simply cannot just waltz in there and blurb out a bunch of complaints, demands and accusations. List all that you need to talk about in a systematic fashion. Give examples as to how the issues or non-issues can either be resolved or improved. 2. Schedule the feedback session Do not just pop in, expecting your very busy boss or manager to just have a spare half an hour for you. Schedule the time in their diary and tell them what it is you are wanting the meeting for. 3. Think of your End Game Know why you are giving feedback and let the end to your session have a resolution, a way forward, an end game. You want to achieve something by giving feedback, no matter the topic. You want to get a result, so think about what you want following this meeting. 4. Have Solutions To present a bunch of problems is one thing, but to not have possible solutions or action plans to resolve them, is going to be your downfall. If the issues can be aided by fellow colleagues, then pull them into the meeting, explaining before hand what its about, and give them chance to come up with solutions. 5. Be respectful and polite Thinking things through beforehand should calm you somewhat, especially if the issues are emotive. Take time to get yourself to a calmness and then go in to discuss. No good things came from heated conversations. To give feedback to your boss is a necessary evil, but it can be handled in a professional and constructive manner.
DISMISSALS – A FEW WAYS TO HANDLE
Let this be clear. This cannot not be used as a tactic to get rid of employees. With handling dismissals, there are procedures to follow and they need to be fair. There needs to be actual poor work performance, incompatibility or ill health, to be able to start the negotiations for employment at a lower salary, a more junior role in the organization or to dismiss them based on incapacity. The employer must ascertain whether the employee is capable of performing the work that he was employed to do, and if not the extent to which he is unable to perform those duties. The employee is entitled to participate in this investigation, which may require further medical investigation, and the employee can also be asked to demonstrate his ability. Dismissal based on incapacity due to ill-health, incompatibility or poor work performance, depends on the question whether the employee can fairly be expected to continue in the employment relationship. One must bear in mind the interests of the employee, the employer and the equities of the case dismissal based on incapacity due to poor work performance. This needs to be documented, and the employee needs to receive guidance in the form of appraisal and training, if need be. Other factors to be considered when handling possible dismissals would include the nature and cause of the incapacity, the likelihood of recovery and improvement or recurrence. The period of absence and its effect on the employer’s operations must also be considered as well as the effect of the employee’s disability on other employees. If the employee’s duties cannot be adapted in such a way that the employee is able to fulfil those duties, and no alternative position is available, then dismissal may be justified. If the employee is offered a lower position and reduction in salary, then the lower salary will apply. Thus, it is obvious that the principles of procedural fairness and substantive fairness applies to such dismissals, as it applies to all types of dismissals. Should the employee not accept alternative employment at a lower salary the following factors need to be considered: When deciding whether a dismissal for incapacity was fair or not, the following must be considered: · whether the employee failed to work to a required standard · whether the employee was aware of the standards · whether the employee was given a fair chance to meet up to the standards · whether dismissal is the right punishment for failing to meet the standards Handling dismissals based on poor performance will only be fair if the employer: · has given the employee proper training, instructions, evaluation, guidance and advice · assessed the employees performance over a reasonable period of time · investigated the reasons for continued poor performance · investigated ways of solving the problem without resorting to dismissal · gave the worker a chance to be heard before deciding to dismiss Handling dismissals for (temporary/permanent) ill health or disability will only be fair if the employer: · investigated the degree and duration of the injury or incapacity · considered ways of avoiding dismissal, for example getting a temporary worker until the sick employee has recovered · tried to find alternative work for the employee to do · tried to adapt the work so that the employee could still do it · gave the employee a chance to be heard before deciding to dismiss How severely ill or disabled the worker is (degree of incapacity) and for how long he or she is likely to remain ill or disabled (duration of incapacity), as well as the reason for the incapacity, will be considered when deciding whether the dismissal is fair or not. More effort is expected of the employer if the employee was injured or became ill because of their job. Handling dismissals is a sensitive process and because the law is tight, one should approach a specialist if you are not sure.