Keep it professional

Be aware of the effect that your speech and written communication has on your professional relationships.

It is now generally accepted that email is a more casual style of communication than a letter, but that does not mean that your work emails should be indistinguishable from your personal emails!

Listed below are 5 of the most common crimes against professionality:

Using text speak in an email

"Thks," "pls," "tmrw", "cu," etc. None of these abbreviations are suitable for professional communication. At best you risk being misunderstood by a client who is unfamiliar with these terms, and at worst you risk being written off as unprofessional or immature. Such terms are too casual for business correspondence, and imply a lack of respect and over familiarity toward the recipient. Do not use - even if your client uses these terms when writing to you.

Spelling mistakes / grammatical anomalies in emails

You may think that as long as your point is communicated, then precise spelling and punctuation is not necessary. Wrong! The recipient of your email needs to have faith in your credibility and ability to the job, and they need to understand what you are trying to say. Poor spelling and punctuation may cause someone to pass judgment about your academic background, intelligence, and precision. It can also mean the difference between someone understanding or not understanding your point!

Emails lacking in content

"Yep," "Done," "Cheers," etc. These are not such a problem when emailing your colleague in reply to a quick query. They become more of a problem when sent out of your office to a client.

Remember that every email is a document that exists indefinitely from the moment you hit 'send'. Every email is a chance to represent yourself and your company. These casual emails may be re-read later when the recipient is trying to find a piece of information. E.g., "Did Skye Recruitment finalise that interview for me? I've got an email saying 'yep' - what does that refer to?"

If you take the time to write a slightly more useful message (e.g., "Yes, I have confirmed for John X to meet you at your offices at 2pm tomorrow") then you are not only sending a message that will have meaning if referred to in future, but you are also reiterating what you have done for the recipient.

Pet names

"Mate," "Darl," "Doll,", "Honey," "Love," etc. In a nutshell - don't. These endearments can be too familiar for the business world, and many people find them offensive and/or patronising. Again, they can also imply a lack of respect for the other person, and have the potential for being interpreted as unprofessional and/ or sexist.

Your personal life

If your client relationship has evolved to the point at which you are discussing the weekend / families/ personal information then you are doing a good job of building rapport. However, do not take this too far, and be mindful of the point at which relationship-building chatter turns into something that could make your client lose respect for you. Hearing about your tyrannical boss or 'messy weekend' may be something your client laughs along with, but will it make them respect your skills as a professional?

To sum up

Don't ever forget that you are a professional, selling professional services. That does not mean you can't have a joke with a client, or send a light-hearted email. Your correspondence does not have to be stifling and stuffy. But remember who you are talking to, and keep your communication polite and respectful. If your bank sent you an email saying "Hey mate, u owe us $20k for ur credit card, thks" you might not feel reassured that your money is in the safest hands! Don't assume your clients will feel any differently about you.

Don't wait until January

Now is the time when many of us start thinking about what we want to achieve next year.

A new job comes high on the list for many. Traditionally a new year prompts us to re-evaluate where we are in life, how our priorities have shifted, and what things we need to change.

If you are one of many considering a career move for 2011, then do not leave it until 2011 to act! Now is the ideal time to beat the hordes and line up your new job ready for a January start.

Many people do not realise that most companies are still hiring right up until the Christmas break, so if you leave it until January then you not only run the risk of competing with the masses, but you may have also left it too late to apply.

Companies are often keen to finish the hiring process in December, and go into the new year with a new employee already organised. Sometimes you may even be able to work for a few days in December, which gives you the opportunity to get to know the team, get used to the working environment, and feel confident about being able to hit the ground running in January.

It is also usually the case that new employees are invited to attend the Christmas function, which is an excellent opportunity for getting to know your new colleagues.

Start applying now and you stand a much better chance of finding work than if you leave it until January!

Your clients want you to be a better consultant

A Recruitment Consultant is not simply an agent, or a person in the middle who co-ordinates things. While this is part of your role, the bit to focus on is that you are a Consultant – clients will use you and pay for your services because you are acting in a consultative capacity to them.

You have access to information that your clients need, including:

• Market rates for salaries;
• Which jobs are most in demand;
• What the competition is doing to attract and retain staff;
• What it will take for them to secure the candidate they want;
• How they can improve their interview techniques;
• What candidates think of their staff and offices.

When it comes to what candidates are earning in your industry, and what clients are willing to pay, you are the expert in this field – not your client. You may not feel like an expert at this stage, but the more you get to know your market sector the more your knowledge in this area will grow.

The most important thing is to trust your intuition and not be afraid to disagree with your client. This is not to say that you should be argumentative, but as a Consultant you will sometimes need to explain to your client that they have made a mistake. This should always be done diplomatically, sensitively, and backed up by facts. This can be a great tool for building a trusting relationship with your client too. The balance of power in your relationship is even – you are a Consultant to your client on an equal footing.

Common opportunities for consulting with your clients:

Client doesn’t recognise a great candidate

You have sent a CV across, knowing this person is a great match for the company and their vacancies. Your client rejects the applicant, and you don’t understand why.

• A poor Consultant would thank the client for the feedback, and the situation would be unresolved, with the Consultant wondering why the client wasn’t interested.

• An average Consultant would ask the client for feedback, and accept it at face value, or go away privately disagreeing with it.

• A good Consultant would ask for feedback and, assuming they disagree with the client, take on board the client’s concerns but then try to turn them around. For example:

Client: “It looks as if he has moved jobs too many times.”

Consultant: “Yes, it does look like that from his CV. However, up until 2009 he was working as a contractor on short duration projects. He is now keen to work on a permanent basis, as he wants to develop his career in the long term with one company.”

or...

Client: “It doesn’t look from his CV that he has experience in XYZ.”

Consultant: “Yes, his CV doesn't cover that. If you leave it with me I will ask him for a more detailed version, as he has told me that he had extensive experience in XYZ during his time at ABC. I’ll get some more information on that across to you.”

Client wants to pay an unrealistic salary

You are taking a vacancy and the client quotes a salary that seems low to you, or you are in salary negotiations for an offer and your client wants to offer a salary that you know will be unacceptable to your candidate.

A poor to average Consultant will accept the amount quoted, offer it to the candidate, and then when the offer is refused, or no one is interested in the job, shrug and blame the client for offering such a low amount.

A good Consultant will try to educate the client about the market rate, and make it clear to the client that the salary is going to be offputting for most candidates. E.g.,

Client: “I’d like someone with 10 years experience, and we’ll pay around $60k.”

Consultant: “I have to advise you that $60k is well below the market rate for someone at that level. Were you aware of this? If you are looking at that sort of salary level then that would usually be for people with around 5 years experience. Would you consider people at that level? My concern is that someone with 10 years experience would in all likelihood be on a salary of $100k+ and will therefore not be likely to move for such a big salary drop.

or...

Client: “We’d like to offer to Jane Smith. The offer is $50k + super.”

Consultant: “Jane is very keen on your company and the role that you discussed at interview. However, $50k is a lot lower than the figure she was aiming for. In our initial discussions I think we talked about $60k – what’s changed? I’m happy to put the $50k to her, but I think there is a strong chance that she may not proceed on that basis. Is there any flexibility with that figure? Will she be eligible for a salary review in the near future?”

Client is taking too long

You have a great candidate, but your client is taking too long with interview feedback or an offer, and you are concerned they are going to miss out on this candidate.

A poor to average Consultant would chase up the client every now and again, without putting too much pressure on the client or challenging their time frames.

A good Consultant would make the client aware of any other interviews or offers the candidate has, ask questions about why the process is taking so long, and ask for deadlines. E.g.,

Client: “We’re making an offer, but the manager who needs to sign off on it is out this week, so we’ll be in touch when he’s back.”

Consultant: “That’s great. Do you have the details of the offer so that I can put them to the candidate verbally? Which day will the manager be back? Is there anyone else who can sign off? I’m keen to get things moving quickly as he has 2 other offers, and I’m worried we’ll lose him if we take too long.”

or...

Client: “We interviewed John and liked him. There are a few people we need to speak to, so I’ll have to come back to you later.”

Consultant: “That’s good – he’s keen too. What’s the next step? Would it be a second interview, or will the decision be made on the basis of that one? When do you think you will have a decision? He has another interview tomorrow, so I’d like to be able to give him some definites.”

To sum up

Your client has engaged your services as they want your help in order to hire more staff. You are not helping anyone if you simply put CV's across, or arrange interviews, without taking the time to make sure you understand what it is your client really wants and, where necessary, advising your client about what changes they need to make in order to secure those people.

Strive to understand, and strive to help your clients understand, and you are taking the first steps necessary in becoming a valuable asset to your client's business.

Time to toughen up, recruiters

As recruiters we deal with other people every day, and we succeed or fail by our ability or inability to communicate and engage with others.

It is this interpersonal contact that keeps many recruiters interested in their jobs. Good recruiters tend to love interacting with others, building relationships, and feeling that they have made a difference to someone else's life. But recruiters also need to be aware that there is a line between being great with people and being too soft.

'Soft' recruiters tend to fall into some of the following traps:

Adopting pet candidates

This is the one candidate that you want to take under your wing. He is so nice, and so keen, and if only your clients would give him a chance then they would see how much value he would add to their business. You're fast becoming friends with this candidate - in fact you should put him on speed dial. But none of your clients are interested.

Do not waste any more time. Put your energies into more likely prospects, and do not keep this candidate's hopes up any more. Know where to draw a line.

It's not you, it's me

Your client tells you that your candidate (let's call him Joe) was not impressive at interview. He slouched in his chair, gave monosyllabic answers, and actually came across as a bit rude. Joe calls you up and says that he was nervous at interview - terrified, in fact - as he wants the job so badly. He asks how he got on. You feel sorry for Joe, you don't want to dash his (already low) confidence, and so you tell him that they are not going to offer to him, but it is not his fault. They really really liked him, but he wasn't the right fit for that role. That's not lying: that's just fudging the truth a bit and sparing his feelings - right?

Wrong. Joe deserves to know why he failed, and what he can do to ensure that it doesn't happen again. You don't need to be mean ("Well, Joe. They said you had the personality of a dead haddock, actually."), but you do need to be honest. Explain to him that he did not present himself as well as he could. Give specific examples, and explain what he could have done differently. Be diplomatic, but direct.

Hear no evil

Your candidate is perfect for the job. Everything is looking good, and you are calling her regularly and each time she says that she is still keen. Does she have any other interviews? Has she spoken to any other companies recently? Well, of course not! She would have told you. And you didn't like to ask, because what if she had...? Better to just keep the conversation nice, and calculate your impending commission when she starts.

If you don't ask then you are not doing your job properly. You are representing this candidate to your client, and you cannot tell the client that everything is fine if you have not confirmed it with her. Take a deep breath, ask the difficult questions, and be prepared to deal with answers that you might not like. If you know everything that is going on then you are able to work with both parties in a consultative capacity. If you are intentionally uninformed then you are not adding value for anyone, and you are liable to be hit with an unwelcome surprise.

Right, moving on...

You are taking a reference for a candidate. It should just be a formality. The candidate and client are both keen, and everything will be going ahead if the references check out okay. You rattle through the questions with confidence, until the referee drops a bombshell. Weaknesses? Well, the candidate had a few 'issues' with management. This is delivered in an ominous tone of voice. Rightio. On to the strengths! They were great at everything else, right? Let's not delve into unpleasantness and jeopardise this candidate's chance of getting the job.

Wrong. It is your job, as recruiter, to take a reference for the candidate. Your client should be able to sleep easily at night knowing that you, as their trusted professional, have conducted a thorough reference check and delved into any areas that could be cause for concern.

Probing your referee's answers to get more information can also sometimes leave things looking better than you had expected. A situation that sounds worrying can turn out to be nothing of concern when fully explained. And if it is something to be concerned about then you owe it to your client to let them know now, so that they can decide if they still want to proceed. It also means that they can be prepared for any additional training/ differing managing styles that the candidate may require - which leads to a happier candidate and client in the long run.


The bottom line is that you need to maintain professionality at all times. Your clients and candidates will come to value your candour, and should be able to trust that you will be honest, direct, and clear with them at all times.

Imagine if your bank manager 'didn't have the heart' to tell you that you were overdrawn! Taking the easy way out, and omitting information in order to spare feelings will not help anyone in the long run.

Skye Recruitment win at Quest Awards!

Skye Recruitment is celebrating a great week of achievements, after being named 12th fastest growing company in Australia in the BRW Fast 100, and then winning in our category of professional services suppliers in the Quest Business Achiever Awards 2010.

Co-founders Sophie and Kye Macdonald attended the awards along with Craig Trevithick, a Recruitment Consultant at Skye, who had been nominated for an Employee Excellence award, and his partner Heather Zabusky.

The Quest Business Achiever Awards recognise leading businesses around the Brisbane area. Businesses are nominated and voted in by their customer base, and then go through several stages of scrutiny, including being visited by a "mystery shopper".

It is especially meaningful to all at Skye to have been voted for by our clients and candidates. We work hard to deliver the highest level of service, and these awards not only recognise the commitment and hard work put in by all the team, but also drive us further to be the best we can.

We would all like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us, and also to the team at Quest and their sponsors.

Skye Recruitment named Australia's 12th fastest growing company

Celebrations all round for Skye Recruitment this week, as we were named Australia's 12th fastest growing company on the BRW Fast 100 2010 list.

The BRW Fast 100 ranks companies with up to 200 staff according to their average annual turnover growth over three years.

To be listed as the 12th fastest growing company in Australia is a massive achievement for us, and we're excited about taking another step closer to our goal of being the number one technical agency in Australia.

We are continually striving to provide the highest quality service to our customers, and to add value in all our business dealings.

We love to hear from you, so let us know what else you would like us to be doing! You can contact us on info@skyerecruitment.com

How to write a good online ad

A recent ANZ survey showed that job advertising on the internet rose by 0.8% last month, compared with a 1.9% decline in job advertisements in major metropolitan newspapers in Australia. The internet has become a great resource for companies looking to hire, and is often a first port of call for job-seekers considering a change of job.

It is relatively cheap and easy to advertise on most of the generalist job boards and most recruitment agencies, along with many major companies, have rolling contracts for bundles of advertisements that they can place with the boards each month. As any job-seeker can attest, the quantity is there but the quality is often sadly lacking.

So how do you make your ad stand out from all the others? How do you make it searchable, attractive, and of a high enough standard to encourage people to apply? The following can be taken as a guide to increasing the value of your ad, and decreasing the risk of damage to your brand.

Proof read before you submit

Sounds obvious? Take a look at any one of the major job boards and it is apparent that not everyone is doing this. Poor spelling and grammar not only damages your brand, but can also prevent your job from appearing in candidate searches.

Don't abbreviate words

Candidates search on complete phrases and job titles. If you have "Snr Eng Mgr" (for example), then your job will not appear if a candidate types in "Senior Engineering Manager" as a search.

Always list salary

Statistics show that you will get more applications if you do. Often advertisers are afraid to do this in case they put people off with a salary that doesn't meet their expectations. Often salaries are flexible, and a company is willing to pay more for someone with great experience. However, if you want to maximise your chance of people applying then you need to at least put a ballpark salary range in your ad. You can use the main text of your ad to explain that the salary is flexible, and that higher rates may be considered for candidates with higher levels of experience.

Don't be cliched

Avoid phrases such as ‘think outside the box’, and ‘dynamic’ - be original. Studies from MyCareer have shown that application rates decrease when an advertiser uses the word 'exciting' in their advert. Try to be a bit different.

Break it up

Job-seekers will not be inclined to wade through hefty paragraphs of text (especially if they are having a quick browse from their desk while at work). Keep it short, use bullet points, and get to the point.

Don't be too specific

Try to change your 'must haves' to 'nice to haves' in order to widen the pool of applicants you will receive. E.g., instead of "You must have experience working on $200m projects, and be degree qualified" try "You will have experience working on high value projects, and a degree would be advantageous."

Does this mean you will get applications from hopelessly unqualified people who will waste your time? Yes. But you will get those anyway. You are trying to include the Project Manager who has worked on (say) $150m projects, has a nearly-finished degree, with lots of great experience, who is otherwise perfect for your company.

Of course there will always be some essential criteria for your role, and I am not suggesting you ditch these. But review each item carefully - would you consider someone who was perfect in all regards other than possessing Skill X/ Qualification Y? Could you train them/ get them qualified if everything else was perfect? If so, that item is not a 'must have'.

Use the summary section wisely

The summary section is common to most of the major job boards. It's a 150 character snapshot of what your job is about, and job-seekers then click through to find out more. The only purpose of this section is to attract a job-seeker into clicking through to the main body of your advert. So think about what will make them do that! They need information about the job, so they know if it's (roughly) relevant to them, and they need to be tempted in with something appealing.

Often advertisers are very vague in this section, and summaries can get littered with over-used adjectives that reveal nothing of the job or the company, e.g., "Exciting opportunity for dynamic individual. Career progression!" This does not stand out in a list of similar summaries, and the job-seeker could be wasting their time by clicking through further. By being specific you will be more likely to attract the person you want. E.g.,"$2b infrastructure project. Roads and drainage experience needed. Opportunity to advance to lead role."

Get with the times

Gone are the days of the dry position description doubling up as an advert. Your advert should not feature a series of hurdles that the successful candidate has to be able to navigate in order to apply. If you want to attract good applicants then don't put them off! Remember who you are writing to. Don't make it all about you and what you need! Tell them what they get out of it too. And benefits don't have to just be salary related. What about training opportunities, ability to travel, the chance to mentor junior staff? There are lots of things that will appeal to a potential applicant. What do you love about that company? Why are you there?

Be legal

Be careful to ensure that your ad does not feature anything that could be viewed as direct or indirect discrimination. You cannot (for example) advertise for Australians only, or state that you need "a young go-getter". There is more on avoiding discrimination here.

Finally...

Treat your applicants nicely. One of the biggest complaints from online applicants is that they never hear back about their application. Ensure you have a system in place that will acknowledge receipt of all applications (either automatically or personally), and will advise applicants of the next step. This may be as simple as telling applicants that if they have not heard by a certain date then they were not successful, and providing contact details if they want feedback.

It can be difficult to manage high volumes of applications, but ensuring that all applicants are acknowledged and are not left in doubt about their success (or otherwise) will leave a good impression. The person who is not right today may be great tomorrow, and may know others who are great. Ensure you leave them feeling good about your company, and with no reason not to recommend you to others.