Sirona Says

National Graduate Development Programme Winning Video

At this years Recruitment Advertising Awards - The RAD's, held recently at the Grosvenor Hotel, the winning entry was an excellent video (below) highlighting the NDGP - The National Graduate Development Programme.
It was produced by Work Communications, and the judges selected it as the winner because it, "simply, but powerfully shared a snapshot of a graduate's work career with viewers."

I think it is brilliant becasue it shows how a graduate has been creative in his thinking and achieved something very worthwhile in Leeds - and cleverly shown in the format chosen by Work Communications.

If you are wondering what the NDGP is, here is the explanation from their website: - As an ambitious graduate, you want to develop quickly by taking on real challenges and opportunities. At the same time, local government is looking for talented leaders of the future. That’s why – as part of the government’s initiatives to improve capacity and modernise the sector – the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) receives funding to manage and develop the ngdp. The programme is designed to put your vision and creative thinking to use, and – by showcasing your talent – will give you the chance to fast track your career and become a senior manager as quickly as possible. Your work could take you in many different directions, and will enable you to not only recommend change, but actually make it happen.

Should you put your photo on your CV?

This is a topic that does cause heated discussions between job seekers, recruiters and hiring companies, because they all believe they know the answer! Well,  the truth is that there is no definitive answer, it is just opinion!
It is interesting though where the opinion sits.

 - Job seekers often (and more frequently now) put their pictures on CV's thinking it will give them the edge.

 - Recruiters often remove photos from CV's that candidates send them before they send them to their clients.

 - Hiring companies don't necessarily expect CV's to have a photo on them, so they are not fussed either way.

Let me explain why I think that you should not put your photo on your CV, but also offer a compromise to the situation.
There is are two words why I don't advocate putting photos on CV's and they are PREJUDICE and DISCRIMINATION. Now you may be shocked or surprised, but let me assure you that in the recruiting process of many, many companies discrimination happens at many levels.
You may say that there are laws prohibiting this, and of course you are right. But does it stop it happening? ...........absolutely not!!

Let me explain why.

This Morning TV show (hosted by @schofe), not treating job seekers with respect on TV

 

A post inspired by an argument over an article on This Morning!! I would like to add, that I don't watch the programme that is hosted by one of the current 'Twitter Celeb's' @schofe (Phillip Schofield), but my wife does, hence the discussion and ensuing argument!

Yesterday they had an expert on the programme giving advice to job seekers. That in theory  is great, and some of the advice Michelle Mone gave was very worthwhile, but I would just like to question why some experts are chosen to provide expert advice on certain subjects.

This Morning have a huge following in the mornings, and should want to give their viewers the best advice they can, - especially with so many people out of work at the moment and looking for a new job, and probably watching their show.
So, why do they go to a business woman called Michelle Mone for advice on helping people find jobs - http://www.michellemone.com/ - she doesn't give the impression that she is an expert in recruitment and career advice?
She won a Business Woman of the Year award a few years ago, but does successfully launching a new patented bra company give her credibility with 'normal' job seekers? Of course she will have interviewed and probably hired many people in her company over the years, but her industry is quite specific, so will she have the right breadth of experience?
I would just like to point out, I have absolutely no problem with the calibre of Michelle (after all I don't know her) as a business advisor, she does have a fantastic pedigree and is a proven success story - just was she right for this article on the programme?

So, @schofe and the producers of This Morning, next time when you look to provide valued and trusted advice, from experts with specific industry knowledge, please can you direct your researchers accordingly to find them, especially when the subject matter is so important to so many people.

And if you want a 'follow-up' article from a recruitment expert, feel free to get your researcher to contact me, I would be glad to help!!

Fixed Fee Recruitment RPO providers - shouldn't they actually be called recruiting FARM's?

 

As part of a large recruitment audit I am currently working on, I have had cause to look at the fixed fee recruitment providers, such as Webrecruit, Networx, Net-Recruit, Websearch and EasyWebRecruitment.

The first thing to try and do was to understand what they are actually called and what they do. They are not really full RPO (recruitment process outsourcing) companies, although they have the capacity to be. They are not true recruitment agencies, but again they do some of the process.
They all charge a fixed fee for a recruitment management service, whether that be job board advertising, CV database searches or response management.

So, I have created a description for them that I feel is both appropriate and effective as a description of what they do - recruiting FARM's.
F - Fixed fee
A - Advertising jobs
R - Resourcing vacancies
M - Management of the process

I actually think that it describes what they do very well.

What do you think? Does it suit their service? Can you come up with a better one?

So how do you get 12,000 followers on Twitter?

Someone asked me today, how is it possible to get so many followers on Twitter? In all honesty, it does seem one hell of a task!! But with recent stats that have come out showing how much it is growing in the UK, it may be easier than you think!

I came across this video a little earlier today and felt that it would be worth sharing this interview with one of the early adoptors of Twitter -Wayne Sutton . He explains his philosophy with regards to Twitter, which we can all learn from.

The Secret To 12,000+ Followers On Twitter from Kipp Bodnar on Vimeo.

If you are still a little sceptical, then here are a couple of great articles on using Twitter for business and why it is so effective to do so.

1. Nikki Pilkington is an internet marketing expert, and explains here how she uses Twitter - it is excellent.

2. Leif Kendall is a copywriter, and he explains why he thinks Twitter is a very useful tool for business.

Got it now? Have you followed me yet? If not you know what to do....click here

What type of generation Y'er are you?

I thought a bit of Friday fun might be in order.......So, which one are you? And if you are not aged 13-27 and qualify to fit into the gen Y group, then maybe you know a gen Y'er that fits one of the above!!

Should Companies use more or less recruitment agencies in a recession?

As we all know, the world has fallen apart, no one is hiring and the recruitment market is in total freefall, never to be seen again!  Well that is what the media would have us believe anyway!!

But the truth is really not as bad as it sounds. Companies ARE STILL recruiting and skill shortages are still very much in existence in certain sectors - education, engineering and science to name three.

So, we are in agreement, recruitment is still going on. There is one change however, and that is recruitment budgets have been effected - either reduced or totally frozen. That means organisations have had to look at their recruitment a little closer than they probably have over recent times.

But does having a reduced recruitment budget mean you reduce or increase the number of recruitment suppliers?

There are arguments to both sides of this equation (but only if you have some budget left, I guess!)

Using more agencies

These are some of the reasons I have had from companies this year, that I have spoken to who have justified this approach to me:

• It is success only recruitment, so by increasing the number of agencies, there is a better chance of finding the right people I need at no extra cost.
• The agencies are 'desperate' for business and they have offered 'really low' rates.
• Given up on the preferred supply list because so many good CV's were coming in speculatively from other agencies.
• They perceive the job market is so tight in certain areas, they 'need' to talk to anyone that can supply a 'suitable' CV!!  I get angry when someone says this to me - they obviously have no idea of recruitment!!
• Why have a supplier list? They believe it is a buyers market and they are in control!
  

Using less agencies

Here are some of the good responses from clients, on why they are going to use less agencies - these are exactly the things I like to hear - albeit less often at the moment:

• Reducing supplier lists, to only work with the few agencies that have consistently delivered results, because they understand the clients values and don't waste time with poor matching.
• They have negotiated lower rates, but they have also reigned in the supplier list. So the agencies get a better chance on the roles, but at a slightly lower margin.
• Value for money - actually working closer and giving the agencies more information to save any time wasting later in the process.
• Working with a small number of agencies that deliver value-add. They add value in giving advice, helping the interview process, advising on selection etc.
• Why would they want to waste time having to take all the calls, and fielding all the CV's that will undoubtedly arrive in the inbox? They are getting loads more calls already!
• The little budget that remains needs to be used correctly, avoiding any recruiting mistakes, so the trusted agencies who have delivered are the ones to work with.

These are obviously just some examples from my experience in 2009, during these tough times. I would really like to hear some of your feedback from your clients, as to how they justify using more or less recruitment agencies in this recession. Please let me know in the comments below.

Can you tell me why companies ARE NOT using web 2.0 to attract and recruit new staff?

 

Today I read an article that was shocking from a recruitment perspective. The content shouldn't surprise me, as I am getting used to seeing it first hand with companies that I consult with, but even so, it was a really big disappointment!

So what am I talking about? The sentence is a simple one.......

In a recent CIPD survey, "more than 80% of companies don't use web 2.0 methods of technology on the web, to attract or recruit new employees."

Why not?

Can you tell me why companies are not using web 2.0 methods to recruit staff?

I would love to hear what you think, so please comment away!

IS this THE BEST job in the World? I dare you to argue!!

With all the doom and gloom around, I was amazed to see this fantastic job being that is currently being advertised on an aptly named website called Islandreefjob.com. Let me give you some of the details, and just see if you disagree with me, that this is THE BEST job in the world!

Tourism Queensland is seeking applicants for the best job in the world! The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include
exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer.
You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews. On offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Other duties may include (but are not limited to)
Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
Clean the pool - The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.
Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.

About the job package
Living above the Great Barrier Reef is a pretty unique benefit, but the successful candidate will also be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 (approx £70k) for the six-month contract. You’ll receive return airfares from your nearest capital city (in your home country), accommodation and transport on Hamilton Island, travel insurance for the contract period, computer, internet, digital video and stills cameras access, plus travel to a number of the other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The six-month contract commences 1st July 2009.

About the location
Stretching for 2,600 kilometres, and composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system. The World Heritage Listed area supports a diversity of wildlife including whales, dolphins, sea turtles and more than 1,500 species of fish. The reef is an extremely popular destination.

It is no surprise to see that demand has been awesome!! They have advertise this in 18 countries, and surprise, surprise it crashed the website last week!!

Now someone tell me how this isn't the best job in the world currently!!

My Top 10 Tips for Job Seeking Generation Y Graduates

There is no question that 2010 is going to be a very tough year for many generation Y graduates in the employment market.
There has been a sustained expansion in encouraging students to attend universities and prolong their education, and this is something that the Government are committed to continue. Many of 2009's entry level jobs just haven't materialised, meaning many of the gen y class of 2009 are still looking for full time jobs. Then factor in the fact that since the recession kicked in, graduate vacancies for 2010 have been substantially reduced, it is then a scenario that many gen y'ers are totally unaccustomed to.

These gen Y'ers were, after all, "told" that they would be the next 'saviour' of the employment world, and that employers would be flocking to them to offer them work. They weren't just expecting the one job offer, they were expecting multiple offers, with excellent salaries to choose from!!

So what are these gen y graduates supposed to do now? How are they going to get a job and find meaningful work?

Here are my Top 10 tips for Job Seeking Generation Y Graduates:

1. Don't believe the hype!! Whatever you do, you must remain positive with the whole process of looking for a job. The media industry has now seemingly turned into a daily job loss count! They seem to derive sadistic pleasure in reminding people how bad everything is, in the job world. When did you last here about good news in the job market?
   
   There are many companies out there looking for new staff, but it is of course not publicised!! In fact even with the recession taken hold, my experiences so far in 2009, tell me that many more companies than people realise, are actually hiring thi year!!
   
   What is the case though, is that organisations are trying to do this recruiting on reduced recruitment budgets. So they are not using their normal, traditional routes of recruitment (ie agencies etc) as they simply have no budget for it.
   
   So, stop believing the media, and start to 'believe' in yourself (again)!
2. Decide what you don't want to do. You will I know, have sat down with many 'career' people over the last few months, with them asking you what you want to do for a career / job. Correct?
   
   Well, I invert this approach, and ask the opposite - what career/jobs DON'T you want to do? So why do I come from this angle?
   Unless you have studied a very specific degree / qualification, which automatically leads into a specific industry (ie Law, Teaching etc), then you probably do not have any fixed ideas on what career path you want to follow. So asking you what you want to do, when you have no real experience of the employment market is a little naive.
   
   What you can do, is to start to build a profile of companies that you don't want to work for. This immediately starts to provide focus and thought on a potential career direction. More importantly, it actually starts to get your 'grey matter' focused on why you would like certain companies, and not like others.
   Write down these criteria, from your own decision making process, to return to later.
   
   So, start to limit your choices, by deciding what you don't want to do!