5 Important Lesson Learnt as a Recruiter

Written by Chane da Costa

Being a Marketing Assistant at a recruitment agency has definitely taught me a few life lessons. I often have a good laugh at these meme’s depicting how men and women differ. Having opened myself up to recruitment to truly understand my market and its needs, I have come to realise a day of a recruiter is not much different to the meme below, describing the emotions of a man’s day in relation to the emotions of a female’s day. Recruitment is in essence a roller coaster of emotions.

Let me explain...

Here are a few lessons every recruiter will learn along the way.

1.       People start getting disappointed that you don’t possess miracle powers

Your family, friends and acquaintances think because you work at a recruitment agency you have some miracle powers to magically get them the job of their dreams with some unrealistic salary expectation.  Yes, we all wish this was possible and would gladly do it for the people we love, but the truth is we can’t, we also have a job to do.  At times we do get lucky and get a position that we can attempt to sell your CV to our clients, but at the end of the day it’s still the clients’ decision.

2.       Detach your emotions from your job

This is something I am still struggling with. Being human, it’s only natural to feel emotionally tied to the people we work with. As a result, empathy and a desire to help our candidates is part and parcel of a recruiter’s role. Receiving CV’s from individuals who are struggling to land a job because they lack experience, or have a gap in their CV as result of a retrenchment or bumps along the road of life starts becoming challenging. Unfortunately, a vast majority of candidates misrepresent themselves on their CVs and so those telling the truth therefore suffer as we start to believe no one. The test lies in trying to discern the honesty of each applicant while simultaneously referring only those candidates most qualified and deserving of the role through to our clients for the vacancy at hand.

3.       Get used to unreliable people

If it’s not the candidates, it’s the clients. People often complain about having to work with recruiters and the admin involved in finding a new position or even their own staff. At Electus we are on a quest to revolutionise recruitment. To be honest though, it occasionally feels as though some people are on a quest to revolutionise our mood. Providing clients and candidates with a great service can be frustrating when they don’t respond or provide any feedback. You are probably thinking well that is not too bad, we all deal with that daily. However, it does get worse…Just this week I have had 4 candidates cancel their interviews with my key client, but they are so supposedly so excited for the interview and think it’s a great opportunity.

Firstly, don’t apply for a position you aren’t really interested in, not only do you waste a lot of our time but our clients time as well. And secondly, if you are unable to attend an interview that’s been scheduled for you, the decent thing to do would be to inform your recruiter. If you are working with a recruitment agency keep in mind this is our job, we submit you forward as a standard representation of what our company has to offer. If you act unprofessionally and are unreliable, this does reflect negatively on us as well.

4.       Be prepared for anything that might come up

The start of my recruitment journey was very interesting. Taking over an account from a fellow colleague who resigned and my boss being out of office, I received a call from my client advising a candidate informed them she will not be starting her new position.  Well, did this candidate have a story and a half. She had over a month to sit and think about the position, but the day before she needed to go into her new position she changed her mind. Don’t worry we enjoy editing your CV, creating interview notes and conducting your references and background checks  for fun – said no recruiter ever.  There are many more stories but I will save them for a rainy day and remember we can see through your emergency meetings, broken down car and your wife going into labour excuses. Luckily as a recruiter, experience teaches you to expect the unexpected, to think quickly on your feet and act accordingly to resolve issues to best suit both the candidate and client as quickly as possible. No matter how disappointed you might be, it’s essential to be considerate of the decisions our candidates make and to simply provide suitable solutions to ensure that all parties are happy with the outcome at the end of the day.

5.       There’s a certain addictive feeling that comes with changing someone’s life

When things do run smoothly it is definitely a feeling like no other. Having the opportunity to have helped someone get a job, who really needed one, Is one of the best feelings in the world. That’s not all, working with great clients and candidates who keep you informed and work with you in maintaining a good working relationship is also very rewarding. These small little things definitely assist in keeping you sane and in the game.

I have come to realise that recruitment does take a certain kind of talent to sourcing the perfect candidates and have patience for whatever might come your way during the recruitment process. You gain life skills that you would never think you would ever need. It has taught me several lessons this far. One being, to always stay positive and keeping pushing forward when everything else seems to be bringing you down, because there is always rainbow after the rain.

The Job Market and Its Ever Changing Landscape

Written by: Chane da Costa

Gone are the days of landing jobs via your personal network and newspapers. Embracing the digital era, we adjust our job search by applying electronically via email and job portals. There has been a substantial transformation in the landscape of the job market and what hiring managers look for in the digital era. Are you prepared?

Before the convenience of the World Wide Web (WWW), there weren’t as many job opportunities or means in which to apply for them. People used to get jobs at the same company a family member was working at, through a friend or acquaintance and by means of going to the company and having a chat to the manager for a possible position available. There also used to be job advertisements pinned up on community notice boards and advertised in the local newspaper. In 1989 when the WWW was invented we saw the beginning of the Digital Era, when CV’s were neatly created on a computer and faxed and emailed to hiring employers. A gap in the recruitment was then seen and online community and business job portals were then created. So all very well that we know the evolution of applying for jobs, but how does this affect us as individuals?

Advantages of the changed market landscape

•  It is convenient to apply on online job portals.
• It provides easy access to research the company’s information and background for interviews
• It grants you, as the candidate, the opportunity to establish yourself as a thought leader and ultimately build and maintain a robust network of contacts through establishing connections via social media. This also serves to reflect your personal brand and provides hiring managers with more insight into determining if you are the right fit for their company culture.
• It is part of the “Green Initiative” and does not waste paper.
•  It saves time, by uploading your CV onto the portal and applying for jobs that are suitable for you.
• You have access to markets/industries you never thought you would be able to be in.
• You are able to apply for positions across local and geographical borders. It also allows for electronic interviews to be conducted via Skype or other useful electronic platforms.
• There is a larger variety of positions that you gain access to.

Disadvantages of the changed market landscape:

• Your CV gets lost in the database because of the abundance of applications each role receives.
• The format of the CV may distort on the hiring managers computer and then be disposed of.
• There are many other candidates who are exposed to that position, which will be competition for you.
• Companies who have access to the databases may call you for a position that you may not be interested in which can be a nuisance.
•  Hiring managers may search your online personal reputation; this may assist or forfeit your chances of landing the position.
• It is easy to misrepresent yourself by creating an alternate online reputation that does not align in reality.
• You constantly have to update your CV on all the job and social media platforms for personal brand consistency. Just ensure that you are active on these platforms so that you can respond to hiring managers within time.

Having noted the advantages and disadvantages of the changed market landscape, you may ask the question – How do I use this to my advantage to land the perfect position? Well whether or not you are a graduate or someone who has been in the working world for a while, these tips will definitely differentiate you in this digital era. 

• Do not be afraid to start at the bottom in a career that you are passionate about. It is better to do what you love and love what you do, than to work in a job that you do half-heartedly because it is not where your interests are.
• Get involved in your community. Hiring employers like to see that their employees are well rounded individuals and are involved in activities outside work. By having a well-balanced life you show that you are able to apply the same practicality in the working environment.
• Ensure that your full profile is featured on top recruitment boards with a comprehensive and complete CV and portfolio if you have one.
• Ensure your social media is not thwarting your job search. Manage your online reputation with a complete LinkedIn profile for hiring managers to view your professional experience.
•  If you have a Facebook, Twitter and other social media or blog platforms make sure it is in line with employers expectations and that there is no explicit or inappropriate content exposed online for their viewing.
• Use these tools to your advantage. Create an online personal brand and position yourself as the person you would like others to view you as. Whether you’re a passionate foodie who knows how to code or a geek who works in hospitality, allow room for a balanced lifestyle and don’t be afraid to reflect those quirky aspects of yourself.

·         Remember hiring managers are also human, so whatever is on your social media platforms doesn’t necessarily have to be work orientated, but represent who you are and the values you would like to reflect. Hiring managers look to employ those with a bit more substance than the ‘sleep-eat-work routine’ type.

·         Make yourself available. If you aren’t able to answer your phone, email or social media platforms hiring managers will simply move on to the next available person.

These aren’t the only aspects that hiring managers are now taking into consideration in the changed job market landscape. Employers now want employees who aren’t programmed to complete certain tasks but look for future employees who are fast on their feet and out the box thinkers. People who are complex and individualistic and are proud to be different compared to the average Joe. These are also people who have interest in working in teams and present leadership potential. At the end of the day it all falls down to individuals who are hungry for success and seek more responsibility.

So do yourself a favour and Google yourself to see if the content that comes up with your name, represents and matches who you truly are in reality. The WWW is like a highway of content, your online representation is like a massive billboard – would you really like to see yourself posted on a an advertisement across the N1 with a duck-face pose and bathroom tiles in the background, while the caption read ‘hire me’?

Finding the Right Fit. Pursuing your Passion.

Written by: Chane da Costa

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined” a quote by Henry David Thoreau. Many people make the mistake of choosing a career based on the salary they will be getting at the end of the month. By choosing a career based solely on the money you get is the biggest mistake anyone could ever make. Being unsatisfied in your career takes a negative toll on one’s mind, body and health. This will not only affect you in your career but in your personal life as well, where you will permanently feel burned out, frustrated, anxious and depressed. The importance of finding the right position is not based on salary expectations but more on what truly satisfies you as an individual.

In this blog I will take you through the criteria you need to consider when deciding what position is the right fit for you in an attempt to explain how true job satisfaction can be achieved, beyond the measure of financial gains. Some people have no clue what they want to do and where they want to be. Others feel like they have it all figured out. For most the answers don’t always come easily.

For about two years I, myself had made the mistake of setting my mind on an industry and company I would dream to work at. Having thought I figured out the direction my career was going in, I had limited myself to what was actually out there and many other areas that I have passion for. I neglected many other areas of my interest but I do not regret it. The point I am trying to make is that there is a lot more out there for you than what you think there is. Having discovered my true calling (at least for now), my best advice is to first discover your passion and purpose. You need to uncover what activities get you excited, bring you joy and what really drives you.

When choosing the right career considering your interests, aptitude, personality and values are vital.  These personal aspects also help determine what drives you professionally and where exactly your passion lies. By doing something you are passionate about, you are motivated and inspired to do better than yesterday, to push yourself beyond your boundaries and in essence to challenge yourself to become greater than you ever thought. Passion is when you work long hours and go the extra mile for your job with a smile on your face and no complaints and people look at you as if you are crazy. To have passion for your work is what will make you successful, not the money you receive at the end of the month.

Once you have discovered what you are passionate about, it is important to gather information about these career options that align with these interests as well as your values and set of principles. Learn about what it takes to succeed in these areas of interest and the skill set required to grow into positions within your chosen niche. Creating a career map would be the best option to start with. A career map is a road map of your career. By gathering job specifications of the positions you are interested in, you can determine the education, training and experience level you should be at. Design your career map from your first entry level position and indicate the direction you would like to go into. This will also help you determine what you should do to grow professionally. This will also give you good insight into the day to day responsibilities you will have and what you should expect salary wise.

A trap that many graduates fall in is think that they should only work for big well established brands that will look good on their CVs. I, myself, fell into that trap not realising that working for a small start-up company opens up many more doors than just a name on your CV. 

Don’t get demotivated by not getting a position at a company you have dreamed on for many years. Chances of another opportunity you are passionate will most likely come your way.  When this opportunity comes around, just ensure that it is in line with your interests, aptitude, personality and values before accepting the offer. Success is a beautiful thing when a career and a passion come together.

10 Ways Jobseekers Can Benefit From UPSKILL Solutions

Written by: Chane da Costa

Having recently read a blog post – “A Guide for Young People: What to Do with Your Life” by Leo Babauta, I realised how relevant our new service ‘UPSkill Solutions’ really is. I am not saying this simply because it is my job to do so as a Marketer, but more because I can relate to that lost & confused feeling and often wished I had some answers or advice when deciding what to do with my life.

As we grow older, we realise the pressures of having a good education, job and life. How to get there and where to start, we don't know. By being actively involved in the recruitment side of things as well, I have discovered that even some of my more experienced candidates have very little direction in terms of their career objectives. The truth is, most of us have not been provided with clear guidance and understanding of how to direct our life and career in a direction where we can find the sweet spot that lies between what you’re good at, what you are passionate about and something someone is willing to pay you to do.

This is where Upskill fits in. The programme irons out the creases and provides you with the tools to discover direction and motivation. Even if you have experience and think you have things figured out, I can guarantee that UPSKILL Solutions will open your eyes to gaps in your personal brand or career that help differentiate you from your competition. The infographic below describes exactly what there is to gain through the Electus UPSkill personalised courses.

Please contact one of our consultants if you would like more information on UPSKILL Solutions: info@electusrecruitment.co.za

A Guide for Young People: What to Do With Your Life by Leo Babauta

How to Have a Work Life Balance

Written by: Chane da Costa

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. A quote we hear so often, but don't take it to heart. Living a balanced lifestyle assists you in feeling self fulfilled. According to Maslow's  hierarchy of needs the top three needs are social needs, self esteem and self actualization. In essence this means that you can only feel fully motivated and fulfilled once your basic needs have been satisfied. 

Where social needs come first satisfying your need to be part of a social group as well as having family and spiritual times comes first before self esteem and self actualization. Then comes self esteem and self actualization where by taking care of yourself and work needs come in. This shows you that having social needs is just as important as your work and by tending to both you have a perfectly balanced lifestyle whereby you are self fulfilled and motivated.

Below is an infographic on areas of a work life balance that you need to fulfill.

10 Habits to Have in a Workplace

Written by: Chane da Costa

A quote by Aristotle “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit”. This is true in all aspects of our life. To excellence exceptionally well in what you do, you need to have good habits. A habit is a regular behavioral pattern that is followed until it becomes as involuntary action.

As majority of the working economy work about 40 -45 hours a week, most of their time is spent at work. Therefore, it is crucial to develop good working habit in the workplace, as living well is to your emotional well-being and overall health. Creating good habits in the workplace will lead to an increase in your job effectiveness and adds value to the organisation.

For those entering the working world, forming good habits will come easier than for those who have been working for more than a year. This is because those who are entering the working world, the concept and everything that goes along with it is new. You have to create new behavioral patterns and habits to follow. Whereas those who have already been working for a while, are already in a routine of habits, and we all know how challenging it can become to make and break a habit. This does not mean that those who have bad habits shouldn’t turn them around and start practicing good habits.  Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, but far more rewarding.

10 Good Habits in the Workplaces

1.       Positive Thinking – People are naturally attracted to optimistic people, no one likes to be around someone who is constantly negative and bringing things down. How you think affects how you feel at work and how people look at you. Think positive, see a better future and help yourself, others or the company get there.

2.       Be Yourself – it is important to be yourself in your work environment. Pretending to be someone you are not, will slowly catch up with you. People who pretend to be someone they not and get caught out and then their morals, values and trustworthiness will be brought up to question.

3.       Be Punctual - For all organisations time is money. If you anticipate you are going to be late, it is important to inform someone as soon as you know, not 10 minutes before. If you are going to work, a meeting or anywhere where you have made an appointment ensure you set enough time for daily commuting with unforeseen circumstance like weather or traffic back-ups. If you are not punctual people start to lose reliability and don’t make you a preference anymore. It also represents your sense of responsibility.

4.       Voice your Opinion – As an employee you need to know your role and when to speak up. If you have a new idea or concepts mention it to your manager. A good manager will always listen and consider input from their employees – they are also human. If there is an issue that has risen in the office or at home, informing your manager of the issues will help make your working environment comfortable for you. Voicing your opinion also ensures that you are fully engaged and your input will be considered in making decisions in the workplace that will initially affect you in the end.

5.       Be a Team Player – as employees in an organisation we interact with many different types of people on a daily basis. Each person’s contribution to the workplace makes it function successful and therefore, learning to work with different people is critical for your own success. Many hands do make light work and with that being said it is important to have mutual respect, compromise, be open and understanding in the working environment.

6.       Have Balance – Having a balanced lifestyle helps you perform at your best. To ensure you lead a balanced lifestyle leave work at work.  Making time for your friends and family ensure that you incorporate time for recreational purposes that refreshes your mind and body. You will feel happier and healthier by having a balance between work and play.

7.       Prioritise – Many people get overwhelmed with the amount of things they have to do and end up doing

nothing and procrastinate about it. To become an effective and efficient employee create a well-prioritised To Do List to help you stay on track. By prioritising the urgent and difficult tasks to be completed first, the

temptation to complete the easiest tasks will be reduced. If you are getting stuck and wasting time on a difficult task more onto an easier one and then back to the difficult task. This normally helps reduce stress. Whilst creating your To Do List ensure that you leave space for flexibility and crisis situations.

8.       Keep Moving - Staying in one position the whole time can put you in a slump in the workplace.  Have some form of activity stimulates blood flow, relaxes muscles and reduces stress. So by getting up, moving, stretching it is one way to have some form of de-stressor. You can also take up a sport or exercise out of working hours to keep a balanced lifestyle.

9.       Eating Healthy – It is so easy to fall into the bad habit of going down to the café and buying lunch every day.  The reality is that most of the time the food is unhealthy and you will walk out with a chocolate and a can of coke. By packing a healthy balanced meal you every day you not only eating correctly you save yourself a lot of money.

10.   Limit your Caffeine Intake – Although caffeine boost your energy, consuming too much caffeine can give you jitters and cause dehydration. You should limit your coffee to no more than three cups a day.  Try drinking more water in summer and herbal teas in winter.

Why you shouldn’t accept counter-offers

Written by: Chane da Costa

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety”, a quote by Abraham Maslow that certainly supports this blog post. Many job seekers often go for a counter offer without considering the consequences and realising the damage it may cause their reputation. The fact is that within a year, 90% of candidates that accept counter-offers are no longer in the position counter offered. Whatever your reason may be, if you are looking for a new job, ensure that you are serious about the change and that you are not looking for any counter-offers.

The 8 poisons of a Counter-Offer

I am not saying that all counter-Offers are bad, but majority of the time they do have a negative effect on the candidate and here is why:

1.       Employers often offer counter-offers in a panic or stressful situation. Once the situation is in relief, they often keep you on board until they can find a replacement for you. Once they have found a replacement they will most likely look for ways to make you leave the company.

2.       If you are not leaving because of remuneration and your employers make a counter-offer or a promise to keep you there, if it didn’t happen in the past what ensures you that these promises will actually happen?

3.       If your reason for leaving is remuneration, you need to ask yourself one question: Why am I worth more now, than what I was worth 15 minutes ago? Your employer knows how much you worth and if they have the correct values in place, they will not provide you with a salary less than what you deserve.

4.       It is also easier and cheaper to provide employees with counter-offers than having to recruit, train and teach them the ropes of the company. It costs a lot of time and money to replace a great candidate and get them settled in the company.

5.       Your reputation has been damaged. Your will be known as the person who wanted to leave and your employer might suspect you wanting to leave a few months down the line. The employers trust in you may be questioned and your position in the inner circle will be jeopardised. In the end, accepting a counter-offer will leave you worse off than what you were.

6.       You are also labelled as a fidelity risk to the company.  The lack of loyalty by searching for a new position will keep your employers on the radar and when the company is experiencing any hardship, you will be the first person they let go.

7.       You run the risk of damaging your personal brand with the company you received the first offer from. You have wasted their time going through the recruitment process and your chances of not getting another offer from them are high. It is import not to burn bridges and become blacklisted as a bad recruit with any future employer that you may come into contact with.

8.       Using an offer as a bluff in the hopes to receive a counter offer is dangerous and may leave you jobless. Employers only propose a counter-offer when a resignation letter has been received.

In searching for a new job you have already decided you want to leave and are unhappy in your current position. The chances of the situation changing are very unlikely and it is better to move on. A good employer wants to see their employees grow and prosper. You will receive a promotion or increase in due course. If you feel like you are at a ceiling in your position, your relationship with your employer should be open enough to tell him/her that you need something more challenging. It is important not to get greedy and compare your situations to others.

As a recruiter I have seen many candidates looking for new employment after 6 months. If this is the case, as an employee you need understand that a your employer needs at least a year or more to gain trust in your and experiment with how much responsibility they can hand over to you. It is important to remember to also give your employer a chance.

Candidates need to remember that it is difficult to leave what you know for what you don’t know. If you are comfortable with constant job change, you also need to be careful of becoming a “job hopper”. Job hoppers are candidates who show relative trends in their employment history of only working for companies for 6month/1 year/2 years. HR personnel are very sceptical about job hoppers as they do not want to hire staff who last for less than 2 years. They are looking for loyal employees who live and believe in their brand.