Dear Santa... love from Recruitment Consultant

Dear Santa

I have been very good this year. I have returned (nearly) all my candidates' calls, I have given great advice to my clients, I have saved some big projects from being understaffed, and fixed up lots of great people with their dream jobs.

Bearing that in mind, I have made some suggestions for some Christmas presents that I might like...

Detailed feedback from clients

You know those clients we all love - the ones who give detailed feedback about why an applicant is suitable or unsuitable. This helps me to refine my searches, and means I don't waste their time in the future. It's win/ win. More of this please!

Fast offers

So, my client likes my candidate and my candidate likes my client. All is looking good. In fact, my client wants to offer a role to my candidate, and my candidate is keen to accept. Everyone is happy. But then a few days have passed and the written offer has not transpired. My client is starting to say worrying things - like 'the offer has to be signed off by head office', or 'John needs to create the purchase order number, but he is on holiday until 2012.' My candidate is getting nervous, and he thinks the offer is not coming. He's starting to talk to other companies again. My client doesn't understand why I am pushing for them to hurry up the offer. Arghh! Santa - could I please have the opposite of this?

Candidates who read the ad

Yes, I know that you don't have to be perfect to apply. And I know that you might not exactly fit the criteria, but you have other skills that could mean you are great at the job. That's all fine. But if the job is for a qualified Mining Engineer with X years hard rock experience, then please don't send me a letter saying "I feel my background and experience is perfect for this job" when you have worked in the fast food industry for the last 20 years, and your only experience of mining was watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Contactable references

References are essential, and usually a company will not send an offer out without them. But actually getting hold of references can be a recruiter's nightmare. Everything is in place, ready to go, and then the whole process can be deadlocked by voicemail after voicemail. One candidate (who I shall not name, but I am imagining he was not on your 'good' list, Santa) actually listed a dead reference on his CV. That's right. Among the list of people to whom he hadn't spoken in years, had moved companies, and were no longer traceable, was "Joe Bloggs, Deceased". Well, Santa, in order to get the offer out I did try holding a seance but, alas, Joe did not have much to say...

Straightforward recruitment processes

Santa, I love my clients - I really do. I want to find them the perfect candidates, and I want to do all I can to make sure that those candidates see them first.

Some of my clients don't understand this though. They want the perfect candidate, and they want them before anyone else, but then they send me an email along the lines of "We have now implemented a new recruitment process. When sending a candidate to us, please make sure that you: complete 25 pages of forms, obtain signatures from the candidate, their mums and dads, their milkman, and first grade primary teacher, use our specially tailored CV upload website, and if it crashes out then please keep re-entering the information until it finally gets through (please note, this will only work with some browsers), find out the candidate's star sign, favourite colour, and name of first pet, and put this in another form, which then has to be scanned and emailed to Mary in HR, but she only works at certain points in the lunar cycle, and she will not reply to you. You may only submit candidates for roles that are on our website, which is updated annually. You must then never contact us again, unless we notify you that your candidate was successful."

There is more...

Actually, there is much, much, more, but I don't want to come across as greedy - and I wanted to leave room for the pony too. If you could please see to all of the above, then I promise I will be good next year too!

Thank you, Santa.

Lots of love

A (very well-behaved) Recruitment Consultant

Avoiding social media suicide

Many companies embrace social media to increase their profiles, and to develop new ways of working with clients and consumers. Many employees also use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and a host of other blogs and sites in order to connect with other people and share information. However, as an employee, how do you avoid sharing too much...? At what point can social media use become detrimental to your career, and how can you avoid this situation?

Guidelines for social media use

In general, what you do in your time is up to you. However, activities in or outside of work that affect your job performance, the performance of others, or your company's business interests are the focus for company policy. Remember that you are a representative of your company, and your actions online may affect the perceptions of clients, candidates, and the general public, not only on yourself but also on your company.

Be responsible for what you post

What you publish will be public for a very long time. Ensure that what you post online is something that you are happy to have representing you (and, where appropriate, your company) for an indefinite period of time. Also ensure that you are prepared to deal with the consequences of what you publish. When you go public you are individually legally responsible for your commentary. Outside parties can pursue legal action against you for things that you post online.

Exercise good judgement

Think before you post. If you are in doubt, or if you feel uncomfortable about your posting, then a good rule of thumb is not to send it. If you feel emotional at the time of posting then consider sending it at a later time when you have had a chance to cool down. Remember that posting online is not the same as talking to friends and family in privacy. While it may be acceptable to tell everyone at the pub about your day from hell and your awful boss, this is not something we would recommend posting online. Remember that what you post online or in an email stays there in some shape or form forever. Deleting an item does not 'undo' it. You cannot control who sees an online post or email, and there have been many cases where conversations that were intended to be confidential ended up being made very public.

Always identify yourself

Use your name and, where relevant, your job position when discussing work related matters. Write in the first person and state that any views you are expressing are your own, and not necessarily those of your company. When you are not engaged in social computing that is relevant to work, take precautions to protect your privacy. Be careful about how much personal information you divulge in the form of contact details, photographs, and security sensitive information. For example, we would strongly advise against publishing 'holiday countdowns' or information about parties and suchlike online.

Tell the truth

When stating your opinion ensure that you stick to the facts, or that you make it clear when you asserting an opinion that is not based on fact. Do not pick fights, or allow yourself to be drawn into inflammatory debates. If talking about a competitor ensure that you are professional, courteous, and factual.

Always consider your audience

Consider whether your post will be relevant to the audience in question. Treat the audience with respect. Do not use insults, obscenities, or conduct that could be deemed discriminatory or offensive. Show proper consideration for the privacy of others, and sensitivity for topics that could be considered inflammatory.

Respect copyrights and fair use

Respect the laws concerning copyright and fair use of copyrighted material owned by others, including our own copyrights and brands. Do not reprint someone else's work without properly citing them.

Protect confidential information

As per your employment contract, do not disclose any information which may be construed as confidential pertaining to the business of your company or clients.

Add value

Provide valuable information and thoughts. Enter into worthy sharing of information.

Ensure your actions are a good use of your time

Do not let your work suffer through misguided use of social media. Always ask yourself if your current actions will result in the professional outcomes you seek to achieve.

Direct media attention to the appropriate source

If a member of the media contacts you in relation to your company then direct them to the appropriate contact within your company. Do not take it on yourself to give media interviews or commentaries that could later be used as a representation of your company's views!

To sum up

Use common sense. Assume that any photo or comment you post online could be reprinted on the front cover of a newspaper. If you wouldn't want that to happen then do not post it online!

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.