How do you react to rejection?

We had two very strong candidates rejected for a role this week.  Myself and my colleagues were left baffled that neither went forward in the selection process but knowing the client well, were sure that strong and reasonable consideration would have been given.  Our only conclusion was that our candidates were good, but beaten this time by more suitable candidates.

These are the worst moments in recruitment, closing down candidates you believe in and like.  No-one wants to hear bad news, but of course, how we react to this news is key.

You have to let the feedback sink in, digest what you hear, take it as it is meant - constructive.

As recruiters, when we give feedback we need to be clear how we deliver it.  We mustn't highlight the reason given by the client for not progressing, and develop that point into an issue.  If a candidate has been pipped at the post let them know, be sure and assuring, tell candidates that when recruitment works well, you sadly have to reject great candidates, and accept on occasion that more suitable candidates are selected.

A reason for rejection isn't always about weakness, but often about simply lesser strengths in relevant areas.

Candidates: listen to the feedback, don't just close down when you hear it's bad news, it isn't personal  and remember, when you are the one getting the good news, several other strong candidates will be feeling how you feel now.

The company that you were dead set on joining shouldn't lose any attraction simply because they said 'not this time'.  Perhaps next time will be the right time; don't burn bridges and don't close any doors.

Ask your recruiter to pass on your thanks and appreciation at being considered, ask them to specifically contact the client on your behalf and ask to be kept in mind for future opportunities. 

One day, you'll be grateful you did!

Success is a balancing act!

The reason for my blog today is because I have been enjoying an excellent discussion on Linked In with some forward thinking individuals who really support the idea of flexible working conditions.

I was and am very aware that, in recruitment,  the best clients and best candidates in the world, mean nothing without the best, most highly qualified and credible consultants looking after them.

When I set up Nicholas Howard, I knew from the word go that for me to attract leading talent into my business, I needed to create an environment which encourages, harness and nurtures...... growth, development, enjoyment and fulfilment in the workplace.

To this end, we have tried at least, to roll out ways of working that make it easy for our team to be everything they want to be at work, and also to be everything they have to be at home.

As a father of three wonderful children myself, I was constantly frustrated in my corporate life, seeing potential in people quashed and disheartened by unsympathetic business leaders who seemed fixed on hours worked when judging productivity.

For me success is built not on the hours that you work, but the work you put into your hours, and I am lucky that the  Nicholas Howard team consistently prove this theory for me.

We work hard, and there are days when we all have to roll up our sleeves and dig in, but more often, by offering flexibility in hours, home based working, and remote systems set up, and encouraging a culture of working when you can, only when you have to, we are able to manage these hectic days, and still keep the quality of life that is so important to all of us.

That said, all of our grand ideas would result in nothing without the effort and patience from the team. We all do everything we can at different times to support and accommodate each other, and every one of the team deserves to be recognised.

We will continue to push hard to create the best working environment possible for all members of the team and drive towards my ultimate goal of not living with a work life balance, but enabling a success life balance.

Please take a message...

Just a very brief blog to share something which I thought was funny this week.

I was attending an appointment (non work related I should say) this week, and was able to hear a receptionist answering calls into the building.

I have to admit I was over hearing her side of the calls and was impressed with her helpful nature and professional tone, but I then heard her asking the caller to repeat themselves several times.  She obviously decided asking for a third repetition was too much, and I heard her sigh, call through to the person for whom the call was intended and announce the following (names changed!) -

"Hi John, it's Jane on reception, I am not sure what it is about, but I have James from the Office of National City Sticks for you....what are City Sticks?..(pause).....oh!....ok, I'll put him through now..."

It made me laugh while I waited...hope it makes you smile as well, have a great weekend.

The customer is always right......right?

I have been on a business trip to Manchester this week, and another great trip it was meeting excellent candidates.

I had a very pleasant stay in a hotel that I have not used before, but unfortunately, my breakfast booking had not filtered through onto their system.  I therefore had to have several conversations with several different individuals before anyone was able to believe that my booking confirmation (with the words 'Bed and Full Breakfast included' clearly written on it) did actually include breakfast!

Finally over breakfast, I got to thinking: what happened to the customer always being right?  I certainly didn't feel right this morning, even though I was.  Then it struck me, the customer isn't always right.

In recruitment this is more the case than any other industry I know.  How often do we pull our hair out because clients won't agree to see candidates we know are great?  How often will great candidates not entertain brilliant opportunities for reasons which we know aren't the issues they perceive them to be.

Of course, it’s our job to convince, cajole and manage these objections, and we should be able to provide all the information needed for our clients and candidates to make informed decisions.

It isn't always that black and white though is it.  The thing we fell in love with about a candidate can't be captured on a CV or in a consultant overview; the potential of a role or organisation can't be accurately mapped out on a spec or organisational chart.

The connection which makes a good piece of recruitment into a great hire, or great career move, is typically based on the human element, which you only get from meeting.

Our job isn't to sell CV's or job specs, and our job isn't to simply agree with clients or candidates.  They aren't always right, that isn't their fault, they don't know what we know, and haven't (yet) felt what we have felt.  Our job is to have a relationship of trust with both our clients and candidates which means when we say, please, just meet this candidate, or please, just have coffee with this client...they say yes.

One of my favourite and widely used lines in recruitment is: "Look, meet this individual, if, after that, you don't know where I am coming from, never use me again, but I promise, once you have spent some time together, you'll understand why I am pushing you, and be glad I haven't let you make this decision and live to regret it"

It's a bold phrase and opens you up to be criticised, but only if you are wrong.   So, do your job properly, make sure your candidate or role is as good as you are saying, and if it is, then be confident and be bold.....the customer isn't always right, but, in this situation, you must never be wrong!

Remember.

Today is Armistice Day, and as I prepared to write my latest blog, I could think of nothing but this.

It isn't a moment to consider furthering our own careers or hiring, but a time to remember those who lost so much to give us this chance.

Remember them, whoever they are for you, thank them every time you have a chance to take, and respect them enough to give it 100% when taking that chance.

Prepare....to be yourself

At the end of last week, I was helping a candidate prepare for interview.  The candidate had done everything I would expect, read and re-read the spec, deep research into the company, and a few things beyond, market research, review of competitors and even some linked in research on the company executives.

At this point it would have been easy to sit back and think, this candidate is a winner, she is as prepared as is possible for this interview.  Then I remembered the most important thing in recruitment, ask the obvious questions.

"How about yourself?"  I said, "what preparation have you done to talk about yourself?"  This is where we hit the crux of the issue that faces so many candidates, even the great ones.

Time spent researching the role the company and the potential of a career with them is invaluable and vital, but don't forget, you'll maybe face 3 or 4 questions about the company and role, and spend 15 - 20 minutes talking about the business you are meeting.  What will the rest of the time be spent focusing on?   You guessed it...you.

I am no chess player, but know there is a saying in chess that goes "You can't do all your thinking in the game"  and that goes for interviews.  Although you know yourself intimately, why take a chances that your memory will let you down?, or that nerves will stop you articulating yourself properly?

I urge any candidates that are preparing for an interview to spend as much time as they can, talking out loud about themselves, get used to the sound of your own voice, and the words that best fit when describing yourself.

Showing off is uncomfortable for most people, and in a one-on-one interview situation it is very easy to become self conscious.  So prepare - know what you are going to say in certain situations.  If you don't use any of these phrases or word tracks, nothing lost, but if you need a 'personal sound byte' and it is there when you need it, you'll never be more grateful.  The mind is a powerful thing, and the more times you say phrases and sentences the better your sub-conscious will get at the delivery.

Under prepared candidates get tongue tied and stumble, tongue tied candidates look nervous, nervous candidates look like they lack confidence and communication skills.  These are vital in nearly all roles.

We all get nervous, because we care, but if we care enough to be nervous, we should care enough to to time to prepare and sure that we are confident, articulate and thorough when talking about ourselves.

Take time, talk to yourself about yourself, and see what it brings, you won't be disappointed.

Taking Time

Morning all, as we enter the half way point for this week, I hope everyone is over the wind and storms.

Yesterday I discovered a new meeting place - Arthurs On The Green in Twickenham, a relaxed and laid back place for coffee, it was an excellent meeting and great coffee by the way!

I left the meeting and had a moment to stand and stare, and I suddenly realised that recruitment, like no other business I have seen, has people rushing.  Clients rushing to hire, candidates being rushed to attend meetings or make decisions, recruiters rushing to meet both, and put short lists together.

I closed the meeting by explaining how much time I have spent in coffee houses since starting up Nicholas Howard, and it was then I realised how different spending time, and taking time is.  We 'spend' lots of time doing lots of things, career searching, recruiting, family time, but do we 'take' enough time in these things.

It got me thinking, perhaps every now and then we all need to assess this difference, and make sure we are 'taking' enough time for the important things, not just spending time on them.

"A poor life this, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare" Leisure, by William Henry Davies  -   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisure_(poem)

Setting Expectations

Morning everyone, I hope you have been enjoying the blog so far.

Today I wanted to talk briefly on expectation setting.  Sometimes we recruiters are so keen to make clients and candidates happy, we over promise.  This isn't always because we want to mislead or oversell, but because we so want to please people.  Stop and think though - if you are recruiting a really tough role or interviewing a highly 'niched' candidate, discuss this with them, tell them that you'll find what they are looking for, but it will take all of your skills, imagination and networking talents to do so; this takes time, and so ask them to be patient and expect regular updates.  Here is the key though, don't be afraid for these updates to be a report on your activity, not always a list of results.  The effort we put in for candidates and clients is vital and valuable; we should spend time taking them through this regardless of the outcomes, to underline the commitment and time we are investing in them.

This way everyone knows where they stand, what to expect, and no one is in danger of being disappointed.

I have just arrived at a caravan in Devon with my family, and Angus, my eldest son announced "this caravan is too hot, has a tiny bath and where is the upstairs?".................may be I need to work on my expectation setting at home as well as work!

Until next time, have a great end to the week.

Tough mudder...ring any bells?

I am sat at my desk, and my email just pinged with a confirmation that my wife (thanks Kate) has processed our entry for Tough Mudder 2014 (for those that don't know..http://toughmudder.co.uk/events/london-west-2014/)

While this fills me with dread and excitement in equal measure, having dragged myself around this year's Tough Mudder, I didn't expect to have to do it again!!  It did get me thinking...a distance run, obstacles, brick walls, doubt about whether we'll make it, elation when we do - ring any bells?

It's very similar to this life in recruitment we have chosen, somehow it seems that every possible obstacle is put in our way, and yet we still keep going, and when we cross the finish line, what a feeling.

I know it's going to hurt running that 12 mile course, and I know at times I'll need every one of my team mates to help me along the way, and sometimes the odd stranger, but I know that if I keep going, I'll love the feeling of looking back and saying...'did it'.

Sometimes the things worth achieving are the toughest things to accomplish.  Everyone should do as many things as they can that they enjoy having done, rather than only the things they enjoy doing, that's achievement for you!

Just keep swimming...

So week one of blogging magic ends for Nicholas Howard, what did this week hold?
Our first interview with an excellent new client in Romsey, three offers, three acceptances and a contract start with our biggest client on a really tough to fill role!!

We all know how much you have to enjoy weeks like this, there are many tough days in recruitment, you have to really enjoy the highs, but not believe you are invincible. A very wise divisional manager (you know who you are PEC) once said to me....."just keep swimming", and fittingly I am typing this while the two eldest of the Bone clan are swimming their hearts out.

Just keep swimming everyone, until next week, enjoy the weekend!!

In the beginning...

So, welcome to the Nicholas Howard blogging space, I/we are totally new to this, and as such, will take some time to warm up, but we are aiming to use this space to update on events, developments, trends and generally interesting items from the worlds of Nicholas Howard, our team, and recruitment!

We all hope you enjoy it, and please be patient with us while we work out the best way to work with it!!!

www.nicholashoward.co.uk