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)
Wednesday 30 October 2013
Friday 25 October 2013
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.
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.
Monday 21 October 2013
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!
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!
Saturday 19 October 2013
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!!
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!!
Wednesday 16 October 2013
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
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