How to Make Candidates Feel Comfortable During an Interview

How to Make Candidates Feel Comfortable During an Interview As a recruiter used to interviewing lots of candidates every day, you probably realize by now that some interviews go wrong purely because candidates are nervous and this makes you lose some really great hires in the process. Its in your best interest to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere during the interview. This way youll allow candidates to show their best qualities, helping yourself to spot  some real talent. Here are 6 tips on how to make candidates feel relaxed during a job interview. Provide as much information as you can: Candidates fear job interviews mainly because of the many unknowns involved in the process. Thats why providing lots of practical information about the interview is a great technique for  making them feel safe and prepared for it. When wiring an invitation to an interview, dont forget to specify which topics youd like to discuss in particular. Give candidates tips about company culture and dress-code. Be clear about what they can expect: Another important aspect of that early, pre-interview phase is making sure that candidates know what to expect from you. Explain the hiring process in detail, provide a list of its main steps, as well as an estimated time frame. Most candidates will probably be familiar with the workings of an office building, but theres no such thing as ‘too much information’ in this case. Explain the procedure of entering the building and give practical indications so that candidates meet you on your territory well-prepared. If your office is hard to find, make sure to mention it. Arrange a personal greeter: The interview day has finally come. If you’re interviewing many candidates on the same day, its a good idea to delegate one person to be responsible for greeting the candidates and showing them around while you prepare for the interview. The first moments: Be friendly â€" smile and greet each and every candidate by name. Say a few words about the company and settle for the interview. By now, candidates will be warmed-up and prepared to face any challenge. Another important step on the onset of the interview are the introductions. Some quick introductions to your team are part of business etiquette and are a good idea even if you dont hire this person. This is especially crucial for hires you plan to incorporate in the existing company structures. Give candidates a brief overview of the team, explaining each member’s role and responsibilities. Starting an interview isnt easy. Ask some safe and non-threatening ice-breaker questions, offer candidates a beverage or ask them for their impressions so far.  All this will allow them to ease into the situation and swiftly cooperate with you once the real interview begins.   Give candidates time to respond: During the interview proper, allow candidates lots of time to ask relevant questions and provide insightful responses to your queries. Be plain about it and dont rush the candidates. If theyre in the process of formulating a precise response to your question, youll only gain by actually granting them this time. Limit distractions: So, your candidate has finally settled into a comfortable question-and-answer interview pattern, when suddenly your phone rings or you receive an email signal and ruin what youve managed to build so far. Your task is to limit all possible distractions â€" tell your colleagues not to disturb your meeting and turn off the sound on your phone. Let your candidates know that youre giving them your full attention and that theyre not just another person youre interviewing in haste. Ensuring a comfortable atmosphere during the interview, youll see candidates warming up to you, responding to your questions honestly and showing their best side â€" offering a perfect occasion for assessing their talent. Author: Cindy Boesel works at BizStats.co.uk. She is interested in the European startup scene and the ways mobile is changing business globally.

Coming Home to the Office The Case for Eschewing Remote Working

Coming Home to the Office The Case for Eschewing Remote Working A Skype meeting from the beach; Slacking your colleagues from your sofa; a Zoom meeting in your favorite wine bar. Digital nomads and remote workers can certainly enjoy some serious flexibility thanks to modern technology. And the latest stats from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the appetite for working remotely is steadily growing. However, with companies like IBM, Bank of America, Yahoo, and Aetna calling their employees back into the office is ‘working from home’ (wherever home may be) really all it’s cracked up to be? It’s cultural One of the main arguments in the case for working from home is that people feel more productive when doing it. And it’s true, offices are full of distractions â€" chatty co-workers and office noise were cited as the ‘top distractors’ in a 2018 Workplace Distraction Report. However, it would be wrong to believe that there are no obstacles to productivity for homeworkers â€" daytime TV, social media and household chores are among the most popular. But the problems of working from home can go far deeper than purely being distracted from the task at hand. Humans are social animals and we usually strive to form real-life relationships. Without daily interaction with colleagues, a sense of isolation can creep in and job-related frustrations can mount without anyone to vent to by the water-cooler. Working in a physical environment where values and goals are shared can help to foster a sense of belonging, which in turn can have a positive impact on employees’ health and well-being. The reality is that being able to work from anywhere in the world might help employees soak up the culture of Bali, the south of France, or their living rooms, but when it comes to company culture, remote workers can end up feeling more like an Englishman in New York when in the office. Let’s get down to business IBM, an early adopter of remote working, started to call its employees back into the office in 2017. The reason behind the company’s surprising move was technology real-time data and lighting fast communications requiring a response time that can only be provided by in-person collaboration. If your job demands very little personal interaction and collaboration, then working from home might be suitable. But some jobs are undoubtedly best conducted in an office environment. Take scrum teams for example â€" a group of individuals, usually in software development companies, who rely on close personal collaboration, much like in a rugby team, from whence it gets its name. The work they do is focused around daily activities for the whole team, including morning ‘stand-ups’ where each member is required to be present in order to plan the day’s work together. And this sense of working as a ‘collective’ is also true in creative roles.   When like-minded people collide, new ideas can come from it and productivity often increases, something many people struggle with when working independently from home. Particularly if your home isn’t set up for it. According to a study commissioned by Drayton, makers of the smart home heating system, WISER, found that only 26% of homeworkers work from a home office, and 10% even work from their beds. This might be tempting in terms of convenience, but it doesn’t create the most productive environment. And it’s not just your surroundings. Time differences can also throw a spanner in the works of productivity. While one or two hours’ difference is passable, working with colleagues on the other side of the world can create problems. In jobs requiring a rapid response rate, a ten-hour response delay is unthinkable. What about the customers? There are several good reasons for employees to work office-based, but what about the customers? They too benefit from your staff ‘staying in’. For one, there is the aspect of innovation â€" respect and trust in a team are best achieved on the premise where people see each other regularly and are able to form personal, tight-knit relationships. Creating an atmosphere in which creativity is welcomed and no idea is ‘too stupid’ is paramount for driving innovation. There is a reason why brainstorms to this day usually happen face-to-face in a designated room without distractions. In dis-jointed teams, people might be more apprehensive about vocalizing their concerns or the lack of familiarity with their co-workers might cause them to feel offended by well-meaning criticism. Secondly, with customer support in mind, let’s talk about problem-solving and response rates. When employees work remotely, they are not able to just wander two desks over to get an answer to an urgent customer question. Even with the technologies available to us, there is no guarantee that the other person is on the other end at the exact time you need them. Having a colleague physically sat next to you when you need immediate support is not only reassuring but enables a business to guarantee faster and better customer service. Lastly, working remotely comes with its own technological challenges â€" balancing a multitude of communication streams such as instant messaging apps and project management tools, and of course, emails, crucial customer information might slip through the cracks. A measured approach Working remotely has its benefits, especially for parents, carers, and people who require flexibility. But it certainly is worth considering the benefits of working in an office environment â€" for employees and customers alike. Nothing can replace the instant support and camaraderie real-life colleagues can provide. Considering that distractions in the office are the main reason cited for remote working, it ultimately comes down to companies providing the space employees need to enable them to thrive, including quiet areas and breakout rooms. When crucial needs are met, maybe then we can entice the workforce to come ‘home’ to the office. About the author: Martyn Davies, is the Director, of Rocket Software.

5 Quick Ways to Save Time in Your Job Search

5 Quick Ways to Save Time in Your Job Search There’s no denying searching for a job these days is trickier than it used to be. A decade ago if you wanted a job you’d go into your local job centre, have a look in the local newspaper or ask around your network of friends and family â€" these days the picture is very different. In 2013, 95% of job searches involve the internet in some form or another and finding a job is much more complicated than just keeping an eye on your local newspaper. In fact, it’s fair to say that thanks to the digital revolution, there are now more sources for job vacancies than ever before. Job boards, direct employer career sites, recruiter sites, job search engines/aggregators â€" you name it, they all advertise thousands of jobs on a daily basis, and not just for positions in the UK but from around the world too. With so many sources, searching for jobs these days can feel like a full-time job in itself but there are a few shortcuts available which allow you to keep up to date with the latest jobs without giving up 100% of your free time. 1) Social Media From sourcing candidates to broadcasting vacancies, social media is now an integral part of any employer’s recruitment process so it’s essential you’re connected too. Look at the recruiters, brands and any specialist career websites and job boards operating in your niche and be sure to follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+. But simply connecting with them isn’t enough. Why? Because unless you’re connected 24/7 there’s still a chance you’re going to miss out â€" you never know, the tweet they send out the second you log out could hold the details of your perfect job. To make sure you stay on top of all their tweets, create specific recruiter/job board/careers lists within the businesses you’re following and be sure to check it at the end of each day or every couple of days to ensure you don’t miss out. 2) Set Up Job Email Alerts If you’re not a fan of social media it’s a good idea to set up job email alerts from your favourite job board. Just tell them what kind of job you’re looking for and where and they’ll send an email directly to your inbox as soon as any vacancies appear that match your criteria. Don’t panic if you’re not entirely sure what you want your next job to be â€" just set up a few different job alerts from a few different sources to keep your options open. Once you’ve set your email alerts up, you can sit back and relax, knowing the most relevant vacancies will be sent straight to your inbox â€" this means you can spend less time searching and more time doing the things you actually want to do! 3) Set Up A Job Seeker Account Setting up a job seeker account can be a bit of a hassle but once it’s done, it’s done â€" and you can apply for any of the jobs featured on the site. Not only that but you’ll also automatically be sent weekly or monthly newsletters from the site in question which will normally highlight some of the most exciting vacancies that match your specific job search criteria. 4) Sign Up for Google Alerts If you’re a business it makes sense to sign up for Google Alerts but have you ever thought about signing up for Google Alerts for your job search? The idea’s simple â€" just sign up for Alerts for your chosen key phrases like “online marketing jobs” or “Apple Store jobs” and let Google do the hard work for you. Every time your specified phrase gets mentioned in a blog or news item, you’ll get the link sent straight to your inbox â€" and you can go from there. Granted, some of the Alerts you’ll received might not be of any use to you and might not necessarily relate to the jobs you’re actually searching for â€" but Google Alerts can be a good tool for keeping up to date with the market. 5) Use Job Search Engines Wouldn’t it be great if there was just one site where you could find the best jobs from all sources â€" direct employers, recruiters, job boards? There is â€" and they’re called job search engineers/aggregators. Sites like Indeed collect vacancies from across the web and converge them all on one site â€" this makes them your one-stop-shop for new jobs across a wide range of industries and makes them an increasingly important tool in job search strategy. Just like job boards, with job search aggregators, you can also sign up for job email alerts for a number of key phrases and locations to ensure you never miss out on a vacancy â€" and, rather than having to create yet another job seeker account, they simply redirect you to the site the job was originally posted on so you can apply directly via the employer/recruiter/job board. Author: Amy Edwards is an SEO Manager for the niche online jobs board Bubble Jobs that specialises in advertising the latest digital, online, eCommerce, online marketing and web design and development vacancies from across the UK. Follow Amy on Twitter: @amy_edwards88.

The 3 Pros and Cons of Hiring an Intern - Classy Career Girl

The 3 Pros and Cons of Hiring an Intern There’s no doubt that internships can be hugely valuable both for the employer and employee. But that doesn’t mean your business is really ready to take on an intern right now. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of internships for businesses. The 3 Pros and Cons of Hiring an Intern Pro: Eager To Impress One of the most valuable assets that an intern can bring to any business is their enthusiasm. Someone who is working as an intern is going to be doing everything in their power to earn themselves a full-time job by the end. Most interns are young and fresh out of school or post-secondary training, which means that they have a wide variety of transferable skills that you can put to good use. Additionally, if you do choose to hire them, they will continue with that energetic work ethic as a part of your business. This is something that you will undoubtedly want from all of your team members, and having a hardworking intern to set the pace can be a great way to encourage it. Con: You’re Training Someone Full-Time An internship is a two-way process. While the business will benefit from the skills and working hours put in by the intern, you also need to provide knowledge, training, and guidance to someone on a full-time basis. If an intern requires specific training, this can take time away from staff members as the intern learns their responsibilities. To get around this and make the most of an intern’s time, it can be a good idea to make use of a shift planner to ensure that the intern doesn’t take away too much time from one specific staff member. An internship usually works out to benefit both the business and the intern, but you should remember that they may not be ready to hit the ground running. [RELATED: 5 Myths About Internships You Should Seriously Stop Believing] Pro: New Ideas Another benefit of having an intern in your business is the fresh perspective that they bring. Interns don’t come from your industry and they don’t have experience of the way things work yet. Originally, you might expect inexperience, and perhaps naivety. However, its often helpful for someone from the outside to come with new ideas that could potentially be incorporated into the way you work. In addition, interns are sometimes a different demographic than many of your other employees. So not only are they bringing a different working perspective, they may also be able to provide business insight that yours may be missing. Con: You Get What You Pay For Some businesses  assume that hiring an intern is a great way to get cheap (or free) work. Aside from the fact that this is the wrong attitude to take on with interns, it’s worth pointing out that things will not necessarily work out like this (and if you were thinking of taking on an unpaid intern, be aware that this is against the law under some circumstances). When you take on an intern, it’s not the same thing as employing a member of staff. They will not be able to contribute to the business in a consistent way that an experienced full-time employee will. Since they lack this experience, you may need to account for potential misunderstandings or early mistakes in their work. It’s all a part of their learning process. Pro: Develop a Loyal Employee As a business owner, there is nothing worse than bringing someone to the team and providing them with expert training and experience only to have them take a job at one of your competitors after six months. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens all the time. But if you take on an intern and invest your time in them, they are more likely to reward you with their loyalty â€" sticking around with your business for longer even if they have other opportunities. Con: Is an Intern Really What You Need? This one is personal to your business. Only you will know the answer as to whether an intern is what your company needs right now. While taking on interns has serious benefits, hiring an experienced staff member may benefit you more right now.

How to Help New Hires During Their Probation Period

How to Help New Hires During Their Probation Period The probation period is to ensure whether the selected candidate is qualified to perform the job and achieve regular targets. It is an opportunity to evaluate new employee’s performance, commitment and other things which are required for the suitability of the job role.Necessary actions should be taken if the new employee is failing to meet the requirements. The probation period is also an opportunity to the new employee whether they like the work environment and if the job role is suitable for them.evalThere are certain steps to be taken to make the new employees aware of the work they need to accomplish and help them to understand organization better.1. Setting The StandardsGive the best chance to your employee for passing their probation period by helping them. Provide them with the exact and clear job description, an overview of the general business practices and procedures.If your new employees are lacking in some areas, schedule the necessary training to help them reach the r equirements. Set up weekly or monthly meetings where you can run through the progress report of the employee and offer feedback for their various aspects of work and areas they need to improve.2. Training And SupportYou as an employer have to set up a structured training process, provide guidance and give supervisory support to the employee in order to help them achieve the required standards. Discuss every problem that your new employee is facing and give them ideas to resolve their difficulties.3. ReviewsDuring the probation period of an employee, their managers should schedule formal series of review meetings, these meetings can be conducted weekly or monthly.When I got hired at Aasaanjobs, the first month was spent in getting trained. Later, I was well versed with the company and how it works. My manager kept review meetings every week to make sure I am doing good and able to understand my work. It helped me to improve my performance, I was glad to see my performance getting bet ter every week.You can draft some notes prior to the meetings which will help the discussions. Keep full and clear records of the employee and provide them with reviews of their work.4. Resolve Difficulties evalIf an employee is facing difficulties during the probation period, you should provide them with an immediate solution and shouldn’t wait for the review meeting.Your primary purpose is to bring sustained improvement in your employee’s performance and ensure that the employee has sufficient opportunities to achieve their targets.Be open and honest about your employee’s shortcomings. Give the employee the opportunity to respond. There might be some other reason behind the problem.5. Extend The Probation PeriodExtension of the probation period depends on the employee’s performance and the feedback which reporting manager gives to the HR and the Department Head. At the same time allowing the employees with more time to improve their performance in order to fulfill the requ irements by extending their probation period will maintain the productivity of the organization.evalMoreover, If an employee’s performance is unsatisfactory in some areas, more training and support can make them skilled and bring them up to meet the required standards.6. Terms Of ExtensionWhen it is agreed that probation period of the employee is extended, it is important to set up the terms of extension in writing. Clearly, state the length of extension and when the extended period will end. The reason for extension should be given to your employee. The employee should meet the standard requirement of your company by the end of the extended probation period.7. OutcomeEmployees wait desperately for their probation period to end and to see what is the outcome. If the employee’s probation period is satisfactory, you should inform them at final review meeting that their appointment is confirmed.Handholding your employees in their probation period will make the employees understand your organization better. I hope this blog will help you to understand why providing new hires with guidance is necessary.

10 Golden Rules of Networking to create Serendipity - Jane Jackson Career

10 Golden Rules of Networking to create Serendipity - Jane Jackson Career When it comes to networking, some people believe serendipity is luck, or chance or accidental.   I believe, when it happens, it is meant to happen at that moment, right where you are.   And, there are times when networking when you can create your own Serendipity … by ensuring a likely situation where it may occur.Let’s be strategic about this.   I’m talking about creating Serendipity when it comes to looking for a job or the promoting your business (in the case of the job search, your business is YOU.) Attend an event, conference, social gathering or other networking opportunity with an expectation.  Expect that SOMETHING GREAT  is going to happen.Tell yourself that you are going to meet someone who is going to make a difference in your life. The 10 Golden rules of Networking:1. Have Fun.  Focus on letting yourself have fun, free from agendas, creating a positive impression on everyone you will meet. 2. Focus on meeting great people.  Tell yourself that you are going to hav e a great time and will meet interesting people. 3. Stay Positive.  Armed with a positive attitude, self-confidence and being open for all good things to come, ensure that you are prepared with what is necessary to create the serendipitous moment … business cards, marketing material (if appropriate.)   It’s all well and good to expect great things to happen â€" just ensure you make the required follow up too.    If you need to build your self-confidence in order to network more effectively, click the image below 4. Be observant.   Keep your focus on what is going on around you â€" who is attending an event, what is actually happening, all this will give you clues as to whom you may wish to approach to ask a question or strike up a conversation.   Be open to being approached too. 5. Evaluate your surroundings. If you’re attending an event, conference or social networking event, ask yourself the following questions: Where will I be the most visible?   Where are people most like ly to engage with me?   Who can I meet that is likely to tell his or her friends about me?   Who looks like someone I’d like to have a conversation with? 6. Just BE THERE   Don’t plan too much show up and be prepared to let new people and situations unfold by themselves.  If you are relaxed, others will relax with you too. 7. Extend every encounter. When talking with someone new and there is a mutual respect developing, ask if they would like to continue the conversation over lunch or coffee.  Be interested. The longer you spend with someone, the more likely you are to discover how you can help each other.  There may be other events you could attend together. 8. Make your memory happy. After you meet someone, WRITE DOWN (either on their business card or elsewhere) some memory joggers such as what he or she looked like, what you talked about, some personal info you can bring up next time you talk, your common point of interest. 9. Follow up.  Follow up with a phone call or a n email within the week. Use the information gathered from the previous example in your second approach. Prove your listening skills. Then, deliver something valuable like a link, recommendation or article.10. Maintain your network.   Weeks, months and years may go by however, keeping in touch with the odd phone call, catch up coffee or even simply an email will maintain the relationship and who knows where the journey may take you. When it comes to Business Networking you must be authentic in all you do read more hereSometimes it will happen and you won’t even realise that it was serendipity, other times you will realise that you helped serendipity along a little bit. Develop a positive attitude of expectation, prepare yourself mentally and when you turn up with a smile, that serendipitous moment (new people, new opportunities) will come to you. Have you experienced serendipity  when networking?   Or have you created that moment, somehow, that resulted in a spark, a genuine conn ection and the beginning of a business relationship?Share your story in the comments below.For more career management support and inspiration, follow Jane on LinkedIn: For useful career downloads, articles and podcasts, click here

The Basics of Writing a Resume For Investigator Position

The Basics of Writing a Resume For Investigator PositionAs an investigator, it is your responsibility to ensure that you cover every aspect of the job. Resume writing for investigators is often the first step in this process. You are about to embark on a very important journey that will set you on the path to success. You will be in charge of what goes into your resume and it is critical that you cover all bases.Make sure you thoroughly read through each of the sections on your resume before sending it off. It is better to be thorough than to be sloppy.The Profile Section. A summary of your achievements is essential here. Highlight your greatest strengths. These should include the most important accomplishments of your career. You may also consider listing your strengths and weaknesses as well as any awards or recognitions you have received.The Contact Information section. Here you will list all the organizations you have worked with and/or had an association with. Include any refere nces you can provide. You should also list any certifications you have received and verify if you have actually received these.Your College Courses. This section includes details of your major, major-related classes, electives and minor degrees. You may also want to list the names of your professors. In doing so, you should list your actual name, your title, department, course, and course instructor's name.The Summary Section. This section contains a summary of your work experience and education. This will help you focus your resume on the skills and abilities you possess. Focus on your greatest strengths and your areas of strengths.The Attachments section. This section contains samples of your work. Choose a sample that best represents your current position.When you have finished writing your resume, it is important that you keep a few things in mind. If you wish to reach the top of the heap in this career, you will need to write a resume that is eye-catching and compelling. This r esume should appeal to the employer and should keep them interested in learning more about you.