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Pay and flexible working top the list of things that experienced hires are after – and if you can’t offer both, then you’ll need to consider lowering your expectations in a competitive market.

The Big Two: pay and flexibility 

Job seekers in tech have spoken: the most important priorities for tech candidates are compensation (yes, pay), followed by flexible working arrangements. 

The ‘Big Two’ factors are also ranked the fastest-growing priorities year over year, according to LinkedIn’s recent research, The Future of Recruiting 2023.

So, the thorny issue of pay – the one thing you were never supposed to mention at an interview – is now the key thing people are looking to know upfront. That, followed by the expectation that they can be fully remote if they want to be.

Why are employers reluctant to talk about pay?

Very few employers like to get out there and say “we pay great salaries.” Of course, everyone thinks that they offer above the market average, but few lead with it. Why? 

Because generally, most businesses don’t want to hire people who they perceive are motivated solely by money, because, in their mind, they’re harder to keep happy. And that’s why traditionally, job ads follow the same predictable structure: company size, clients, tech stack, and a touch of benefits (progression plans and training). But pay? That’s usually left until the second interview, by which both sides may be wasting their time.

Changing priorities, challenging times

So why are pay and flexible working driving the market? Two reasons.
On the pay front – it’s pretty obvious. We’ve got a cost of living crisis. Rising inflation, stagnating real wages. Job seekers literally can’t afford to be coy about what they can expect from their wage packet.

Flexible working, on the other hand, is a hangover from the pandemic. Hires, especially experienced ones, have grown used to a new way of working and they’re unwilling to go back, certainly not in the way they were used to.

Why it matters to employers

Frankly, if you’re not offering the ‘big two’ as an employer, you’re not just slightly behind, you’re way behind – to the point where you might not even be shown CVs for experienced hires. And that’s an issue, when you’re trying to recruit and keep people. It’s an issue for all sectors, of course, but it’s particularly prevalent in tech because the demand for skills is so high. 

In tech, hires can afford to be picky

While some companies are forcing people back to the office, in tech, employees can afford to be picky. In a sector where people are being approached once, twice a week for their skills: there’s always someone, somewhere who can offer better money and better flexibility. If you’ve got a loyal tech employee, then you’ve done something right; they’re working with you because they want to be there. 

Can’t offer more? There is an alternative.

We get that not all companies are in a position to offer high or better salaries, and not all companies are able, or willing, to offer flexible working. Assuming you don’t want to go offshore, there’s one way around that. 

Hire people who are less experienced and/or more junior than you would’ve considered. 

This can work, and here’s why: junior candidates are more likely to want to come into the office. They’re less likely to have family duties, which are a real benefit to home workers. Going into the office four days a week doesn’t require major adjustments in their personal lives to accommodate. Of course, juniors will still look to their peers and see flexible working happening there and would likely expect at least one day from home, so you’ll need to factor this into your offer, too.  

Want great hires? Think pay & flexibility first

In a nutshell: if you want experienced candidates, then a good salary and significant flexibility in working hours are an absolute must. If you haven’t, then by definition, you’re automatically shopping in a junior market.

During the pandemic recovery fixed term contracts (FTC’s) were effectively rendered obsolete, a relic from a time when businesses weren’t fighting over staff and permanent salaries were increasing at a rate of 10% and not suited the modern world. That was then and much has changed, with significant amounts of layoffs from businesses large and small we’ve seen what economists call “slack” emerge in the tech and change market, a situation where the supply of workers is greater than the amount of paid work available and this has allowed cautious hirers the opportunity to return to the hiring market in a way that offers substantial advantages. Key among these are flexibilty in workforce management as an organisation can hire for a specific project without long term commitment and without taking on the associated liabilities of a permanent employee which in turn provides budgetary certainty for that project as the work has a fixed end date removing the need for any additional work to exit an employee. Of course, in many instances the FTC can serve as an extended trial period for a would-be permanent employee and in that sense also brings with it a certain motivating element to make sure that the work being delivered is of the highest standards.

All well and good for the employer but there are drawbacks, chiefly that anyone in a permanent role is highly unlikely to leave to take up an FTC unless there were specific push factors from their current role which means that the potential candidate pool is limited to those out of work. This means that it’s vital that hirers listen to what the market is telling them, active job seekers don’t hide away they are are out there putting themselves forward so if your FTC isn’t getting any traction within a week of being marketed then you either need better advertising or agents or it’s a dead duck. Also the commitment side works both ways, a candidate with a few months left on their contract is unlikely to turn down a perfect permanent role no matter how good their intentions which could leave a company in a situation where a key project asset walks out of the door just at a time when things are reaching a conclusion.

That doesn’t mean FTC’s aren’t attractive to candidates, a reduced applicant pool means less competition and limited liability for the hirer means they may be prepared to take more risks when hiring which opens up opportunites for people who may not interview particularly well but perform brilliantly in post. I was flippant with the subheading about FTC’s being limited to 12 months but they undoubtably have a shelf life, as more businesses take up the slack there will be progressively fewer immediately available candidates until the point where the number are so small that competing with normal permanent roles becomes untenable.

The caveat to all of this is that the incoming Labour goverment has promised to bring forward legislation to reform employment right and the proposed day 1 workers rights which effectively remove probation periods may well drive employers to blanket FTC’s for all new hires. If that market moves as one on this then we may find they become the norm rather than the exception in the future

For those with an interest in business transformation 2024 has been a strange year, hiring activity across the sector is into the 8th month of falling demand (as of June 2024) however there are clear signs that the groundwork is being laid for a new spate of change and transformation initiatives that should give encouragement to those either currently out of work or looking for a new challenge on either a permanent or interim basis.

After years of lip service to the role of data in business planning it’s been economic factors that have truly pushed data up the agenda as a more defensive managerial mindset looks for business improvement initiatives that can be sold internally and externally as objectively crucial, understanding what data is telling you is the first stage in this. Many companies like to think of themselves as “data-driven” but in practice this often boils down to some automated reporting and the Harvard Business review estimates 45% of executives disregard facts and figures when making key decisions preferring to rely on gut instinct. In fact, to be truly data driven an organisation must:

The following diagram also nicely outlines the requirement for an organisation to consider themselves data driven

Source: Aquiles Solutions

The concept of data driving business change isn’t new but the increased adoption of AI tools and machine learning is allowing those who invest to provide even greater insights that the whole business can get behind, for example AI algorithms can analyse vast amounts of data and generate insights without human intervention, identifying patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent while machine learning models predict future trends and prescribe actions to optimise outcomes, providing businesses with a competitive edge. The adoption of natural language processing allows users to query data and generate reports using natural language, making BI tools more accessible to non-technical users with automated data preparation cleaning and preparing data for them, reducing the time and effort required for data analysis.

This is just the tip of the iceberg but to even begin to leverage these new powers businesses need to know what data they have, where it’s held, who owns it and what state it’s in and it’s this that is serving as a catalyst for change. With next generation BI focused on making data analysis more accessible, faster, and more insightful, enabling organizations to harness the full potential of their data to drive strategic decision-making and operational efficiency the “prize” for business is huge, CEO’s are excited and terrified in equal measure; excited to see what they can achieve but terrified of being left behind and if they aren’t then they should be. It doesn’t happen by itself though, to leverage the power of data businesses need to both hire and redeploy. In particular the redeployment of existing staff to data teams, particularly in the managerial roles, allows businesses to leverage the institutional knowledge and personal relationships that wil be needed while hiring data engineers able to understand what they are looking at and working with is key to the success of the project. We’ve noticed a clear trend in recent weeks to start building the teams needed to conduct scoping and discovery work with a specific focus on maximising the data that the business holds to either drive efficiencies, plan better for the future (forecasting) or improving the customer experience.  This has been in the form of newly formed internal teams with requirements for data orientated roles as well as an uptick in demand for business analysts to start piecing together what the data is telling them, programmes of change work will surely follow.

Is your company a truly data driven and if not do you have the team in place to get there or are you looking for your next challenge in this space, please get in touch with me to discuss your needs, I’d be delighted to assist.

The headline observation from this months (July 24) KPMG and REC UK report on jobs showed that in the preceding month permanent salaries were growing while overall permanent placements continued to fall.  How could this be? Jon Holt, Chief Executive and Senior Partner of KPMG in the UK explains;

“Despite robust national employment data, the latest survey results indicate that employers are still hitting the brakes on recruitment with the general election period causing some uncertainty. Permanent hiring has taken a particular hit, as companies either delay or focus on temporary appointments. This lack of demand means competition for the few roles available continues to drive pay growth.”

This makes sense, we’ve noticed a concentration of new requirements in the business change and transformation sector with particular demand for Business Analysis type skill sets growing strongly while other areas such as infrastructure support and software engineering continue to experience lower demand than in the recent past.

There was  slight rise in temporary / contract recruitment which is typical in an uncertain economy as firms are keener to offer temporary or fixed term contract roles at such times, but overall and across all sectors the demand for staff showed a slight decline extending the current downturn to 8 months.  Candidate availability also grew in June suggesting that firms continued to downsize in certain areas while new roles were slow to appear.

By sector, IT and Computing and Executive/Professional were among the sectors experiencing the steepest drop in demand after Secretarial/clerical although Executive/Professional did see a slight increase in interim vacancies.  In these sectors, managerial skills were deemed to be in excess supply in both the temporary and permanent markets. 

Source: KPMG / REC UK Report on Jobs July 2024

Bristow Holland view

We broadly agree with the reports conclusions and have seen much the same among our client base with a few notable exceptions who are hiring strongly.  The demand for analysts suggests that businesses are at the early stages of gathering requirements ahead of future projects which would indicate positive future prospects for data, development and project management professionals.

You can access read a deeper dive into the report by KPMG here

In 2023, the anticipation of a return to complete normality proved elusive, casting a shadow of unpredictability regardless of location or profession. From a recruitment standpoint, the year unfolded with a cascade of setbacks, causing downsizing, pauses, and closures of businesses large and small. Personally speaking, hearing the conclusion of someone’s aspirations is always disheartening, especially considering the diminished opportunities for those transitioning from education. 

Key factors of 2023, but not limited to:

Cost of Living: Global inflation has impacted incomes universally, with varying degrees of severity in different countries, diminishing the purchasing power of earnings.

Closures & Redundancies: Numerous industries experienced a standstill in global business, leading to the cessation or postponement of pay raises and growth.

Interest Rates: National banks universally raised interest rates, albeit with exceptions. Even exempt countries felt the reverberations of the global economic climate.

Media Landscape: The media landscape portrayed an absence of positive news, emphasizing challenges over triumphs. Sarcasm aside, certain industries thrived, proving that “profit” is not a dirty word.

Growth: Investor apprehension in 2023 impacted financial support for headcount, research and development, and competitiveness.

Conflict: Unfortunately, global conflicts and escalating wars persisted, adding to the prevailing challenges.

Reflecting on the past, the year 2019 seems comparatively serene. While news outlets typically spotlight societal and global challenges, some industries, technological sectors, and nations have defied the negative trends.

Looking ahead, one can’t help but hope that 2023 has revealed its cards, paving the way for a more predictable 2024. Though specific challenges may persist, stability and predictability remain crucial for consumer and business confidence. Despite tighter financial constraints, the human drive for growth and achievement endures.

As we approach 2024:

What I hope happens:

Positive global news, a drop in inflation to 0-2%, reduced lending rates, and heightened confidence among CFOs and business owners could ignite an economic drive for growth. Therefore green light on numerous recruitment programmes and drives!

What I believe is more realistic will happen:

Positive news gradually filters in renewed confidence, and businesses fortify financial reserves in preparation for future investments. Expected hiring peaks during the usual peak months with the 2nd half of the year being far better than the 1st half. But all in all, far more measured but still a significate increases in comparison to 2023.

In conclusion, maintaining perspective is crucial. Change, whether for better or worse, is a constant in life. In the realm of recruitment and personal decisions, seeking change when necessary and hiring when it makes sense is key. The resilience learned in the past five years emphasizes that tough times impart strength and wisdom, so we have little to actually fear. As we move forward, embracing change without panic and focusing on delivering results will remain the guiding principle.

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

Hiring for your team can both be an exciting time and highly frustrating. Frustrations included but were not limited to:-

I am sure 99% of people when hiring have thought, “Recruitment is not that hard”. With 20 years of recruitment experience, that statement is not far from the truth, but recruitment is an art more than a science. Hiring is seriously subjective, and over time, expectations change. 

So what can you do? 

What can internal recruitment teams do? 

What can agency do?

While there is no silver bullet, positions differ in level of difficulty, and market conditions or budgets will be key factors here are some things to think about. 

Simple one first. Write a decent job description and highlight the realistic essential skills and nice to have’s. Too often, this is overlooked, and it is just a long list of wants. Be realistic and engaging to your audience. 

PSL / Supply Chain 

Having worked with hundreds of businesses and having served a stint in-house. My broad verdict is that 9 times out of 10, a company’s supply chain and preferred supplier lists are broken; therefore, they are essentially useless. 

Almost every company wants a specialist to find them the right people, but their PSL’s are drawn to the jack of all but masters of none. What got that agency on the PSL in the first place is not or might no longer be the area they are currently best at. Or, you are no longer the flavour of the month, so you do not get the best service. 

The excuse “we have a PSL”, so we won’t work with anything new, is killing the success of finding the best people. I am a firm believer that not all recruiters are equal, it is a skill. And the best recruiters tend to move on leaving you with a rookie heading up the search for your next hire. Historical and unmanaged PSLs, which get used every now and then, quickly become out of date, leaving you at the mercy of poor quality service and then weeks or months of pain to engage the right agent. 

Having agreed terms and gone through hundreds of procurement processes, the barriers to becoming a supplier are generally not that problematic or hassle. Most recruiters or recruitment companies would work under “goodwill” and prove their competency and worthiness to complete the red tape. What is the difference of paying 20% to someone on the PSL, to paying 20% to an agency not on the PSL for better candidates and service?! 

If companies gave more opportunities to engage with recruiters who focus on the given discipline, the less hassle they will get from recruiters doing the proactive outreach they need to be noticed. 

Investment of time

Whether the position is being kept internal or going out to agencies. The time you spend with HR, talent and recruitment professionals can save you tons of time. And do it directly, so it is not a game of Chinese whispers.

It is widely known in agency circles that a briefing with hiring managers with a recruiter who knows what they are doing will have a huge impact and increase the likelihood of getting the right people through your door or the right person by 50%. While you may see 15 to 30 minutes of your time too valuable to speak with recruiters. You will get 100% of that time back and more for it because you will get a more engaged delivery, see less CV’s and not get caught up in interviews with the wrong candidates.

Feedback

You may initially have a shortlist of 3 to 10 candidates; again, spending time feedback on the candidates, even short one-liners with the objections from CV reviewing, makes a difference. A) the recruiter can understand where they are going right or wrong, and B) the candidates can be rejected professionally in a timely manner. If you do get the opportunity and you are dealing with a number of people, perhaps write a summary of what you saw in common, which is not correct and those that are. 

Every “no” with feedback, is closer to a “yes”. Also, with this feedback, recruiters are 75% more likely to review others they might have overlooked and invest more of their time because you are proactively giving them what they need to get it right if they were off the mark. 

Expectations

Depending on market conditions, budgets, company reputation etc. When anyone starts to hire, expectations are at their highest and rightly so. It is an exciting time. But, chances are you will benchmark everyone that you see based on your background or the person who is leaving on to pastures new. 

Sometimes, you need to make sure that you are not too dismissive of the first shortlist, as this could be telling you something. No recruiter, internal, or agency goes out of their way to send you people who do not match your requirements. Chances are, this is what the current market has to offer right now. 

The options are to wait for the right person and keep the agencies engaged or see some of the best candidates and see who is your favourite and make a decision with all the facts. 

The one thing I have learnt in my time in recruitment and hiring myself is that a CV does not even tell half the story and the decision you make on who you hire is not purely based on their resume. If it was, what would be the point of having an interview process?

Also, it is worth noting those you first receive can sometimes be the best you will receive in a 3 to 6 months period. I have placed the hardest-to-fill positions with the person I sent initially 3 to 6 months down the line as they were the best person locally. 

The interview process 

Make sure you know what it is. Make sure you communicate the process. And make sure the processes are timely. Good candidates will lose interest if it is a never-ending story of meeting people. Guage what will cut the shortlist down the fastest i.e. technical test and get that done first. It is not always candidates friendly, but this way, you will save yourself and your colleagues time. 

KISS – Keep it simple and streamlined! 

Also, it is worth having time blocked out throughout the weeks to review CV’s, provide feedback, and do interviews. Candidate experience is vital to engaging the best people you want to hire. So, being adaptable, transparent and having the ability to turn a process around quickly for a rockstar is important. Nothing says “we want you” than a timely process and decisiveness. 

Candidate experience

Make sure you give candidates the opportunity to answer their questions. The more answers they have ahead of time will put you in the candidate’s good books, and they are more likely to engage quicker and accept any offers made. A simple rule of thumb. Just treat people how you would like to be treated. 

To save you time hiring and getting it right sooner rather than later. Be organised! Blocked out time for communicating with those charged with finding the best people. Make sure you have the right people on the job. And make sure you are timely in terms of process.

Do all that, and you will get the best people quicker and have more time to crack on with the day job! 

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

Receiving a rejection after investing time and effort into multiple interview stages can be disheartening. While the disappointment is natural, the desire to understand the reasons behind the decision is equally important. Constructive feedback can be elusive, often due to various reasons such as time constraints or the uncomfortable nature of articulating specific issues. Here are steps to help you proactively seek feedback and build rapport even if detailed, constructive criticism isn’t readily available:

Establish Connections Early:

Express Gratitude:

Example:

Hi [Interviewer’s Name],

I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you today. It was a valuable experience, and I look forward to the possibility of moving forward.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

Seek Feedback Post-Interview:

Example:

Hi [Interviewer’s Name],

Thank you for the insightful interview today. I’m always looking to enhance my skills. If you have any advice on areas to focus on or improve, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Best,

[Your Name]

Graceful Response to Ghosting:

Example:

Hi [Interviewer’s Name],

Firstly, thank you for the opportunity to interview with [Company]. While I’m disappointed with the outcome, I understand that decisions must be made.

If possible, could you share a few insights on areas where I can enhance my skills for future opportunities?

Thank you in advance for your time.

Regards,

[Your Name]

Remember, cultivating a positive image through proactive communication can leave a lasting impression and potentially lead to future opportunities. From my experience, anywhere between 1 in 5 offers are not accepted. and 1 in 10 offers accepted, the candidate will not start. 

Suppose you were the 2nd choice. You might get a call. Or, in 3/4 weeks, 3/4 months, 3/4 years, something else can come up, and you will automatically stand out in the crowd and get a callback. 

If you’d like to explore further insights on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

In today’s job market, your CV isn’t just a document it’s your digital representative and the key that can unlock opportunities. With the advent of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), job applications are increasingly subjected to a digital gatekeeper, making it crucial to tailor your CV to navigate this new hiring landscape effectively.

The Rise of ATS and AI

The traditional hiring process has evolved. Companies hiring in candidate rich environments are inundated with job applications and manually reviewing each one is a daunting task. ATS powered by AI is the solution. These systems can quickly sift through hundreds or thousands of applications, pinpointing the most relevant candidates based on predefined criteria however, this also means that your CV might not even land on a hiring manager’s desk if it doesn’t meet ATS standards.

Understanding ATS Algorithms

To tailor your CV for AI screening, you need to understand how these systems work. ATS algorithms are designed to search for specific keywords, phrases, and formatting. They evaluate your CV for relevance to the job description and company needs. Here’s how you can make your CV ATS-friendly:

Keyword Optimization

Clear and Consistent Formatting

Tailored Content

No Need for Tables or Columns

Avoid Spelling and Grammar Errors

Test and Optimize

Once you’ve tailored your CV, it’s essential to test it. Some job boards offer free ATS checkers that simulate the screening process. Use these tools to see how well your CV aligns with ATS algorithms.

You will need a job to add the job description and hiring company URL. 

https://www.jobscan.co/resume-scanner

https://enhancv.com/resources/resume-checker/ Gives you a score, and highlights the issues, but you need to pay for their recommendations. 

https://skillsyncer.com/ – Quiet, good for detail. You will need a job description for this one also.

Have a go; this will give you a better understanding of how they work & so you can optimise your CV/ resume. 

My Verdict on AI ATS Testing

After putting 12 AI ATS platforms to the test, I’ve narrowed down the top three free options, which are worth considering up to a certain point. These platforms displayed noticeable differences, yet some common threads ran through all of them, such as their ability to identify keywords, quantify achievements, and analyze language.

The good news is that, for most job seekers, these systems should pose no significant hurdle unless you’re applying to be the “Professor of Cunning” at Oxford University while holding a day job as a bus driver. That said, the ease of navigating these systems may still depend on the specific ATS in use by the employer.

What struck me as particularly intriguing during my testing was the emphasis placed on soft skills and language. Some platforms excelled at cross-referencing the language used in the job description with that in the CV or resume. While this can be a beneficial feature, it also raises concerns in some regions due to potential discrimination issues. For instance, if a job description touts a “young business,” and your CV mentions attributes like “young,” “enthusiastic,” and “outgoing,” the AI might award points for the term “young.”

It’s a point worth considering as the use of AI ATS platforms isn’t without its pitfalls. Some of the major players have faced controversies involving discrimination, and I’ve heard of companies adopting AI ATS, only to discontinue its use due to concerns about discrimination and suboptimal candidate selection.

In essence, there is undoubtedly a place for AI ATS platforms, even for positions as unconventional as bus drivers (no offense meant – my own uncle was a bus driver, and he was a great man). However, the key is to approach their use with discernment, recognizing both their benefits and potential drawbacks in the hiring process.”

The Human Touch

While ATS plays a vital role in the initial screening, it’s crucial to remember that the ultimate decision lies with human recruiters. After your CV passes through the digital gatekeeper, it will be reviewed by professionals who evaluate not only your qualifications but also your personality and fit for the company culture.

Final Thoughts

In today’s job market, your CV is your passport to career opportunities. To increase your chances of passing through the digital gatekeeper, tailor your CV for AI screening ATS. By understanding how these systems work and making your CV ATS-friendly, you can ensure that your application stands out in the digital crowd and reaches the hands of the hiring manager. In this digital age, embracing technology and optimizing your CV for AI screening is a strategic move that can open doors to your dream job.

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

…in fact there could actually be dozens of reasons you feel that you are getting nowhere fast but let’s look at the main ones.

Competition

Probably the highest-ranked reason & the simplest. As much as you, your colleague, freinds and family agree that you are great there is always the possiblity, however remote, that someone else may know a bit more, have done a bit more or gained a bit more relevant experience which is inevitable in any market where candidates are in a higher supply than jobs so try not to be disheartened the right match is out there somewhere. If you missed out on someting you were keen on try to be philosophical about it and think the job, company, or hiring manager are not right for you and just move on BUT keep an eye on it – you’d be suprised how often a job gets readvertised and if you see that be bold and try again because you never know, expectations might have been too high, the job could have changed or the person that looked great on paper wanted way too much money and they have gone back to square one.  

Experience 

Delving a bit deeper in to the experience angle, as frustrating as it can be it’s undeniable that factors like industry knowledge will make a big difference on how an application is perceived – sometimes, a hiring manager will need someone to hit the ground running. It can be frustrating to receive negative feedback regarding someone’s experience. The majority of people are bright, ambitious and hungry to learn something new yet someone has decided you won’t be able to adjust or learn! How often this happens is determined by market sentiment: when hiring managers can afford to wait for the right person to pop up they tend to do just that. It really is as simple as that and you have done nothing wrong so do not worry about it. Again, be philosophical and think it is their loss. 

Your experiences combined like ingredients that go into a cake. Too much of one thing, not enough of another, over or undercooked, or presented in the wrong way. And you do not have the right cake for the occasion. Okay, that’s not the greatest analogy, but I hope you get the gist. Your experience is your experience; be proud of it. Sometimes, you might find yourself in a situation where you are the perfect cake for the occasion and you won’t even know it. Understand that rejection isn’t personal so don’t lose confidence! 

Network 

The oldest, best and cheapest form of recruitment. Your network! I have been fortunate, and those I know have also benefited from my job moves. Keeping a professional network and having a great reputation is the gold standard when it comes to job hunting. I have moved companies several times, and half of those moves have come from my network and I would like to think due to other people’s opinion of me. I work hard, always honest, and I have done a good job pretty much everywhere I would like to think. (The trait of a people pleaser. Case and point, this blog.) Similarly, people have followed me and where I have gone. Those who invest in keeping a wide network and have a quality inner circle within it are the biggest winners. It takes time and effort. But the value you can get from it makes a huge difference, especially when you get into the middle and latter stages of your career and or fall on hard times. Yes, that does mean keeping in touch with some relevant recruiters; we form part of your network; just choose carefully. You never know when they will have a golden opportunity for you, or you need advice or you need a recruiter above and beyond to lean on their network and knowledge for you. 

People in the process already 

Timing is everything and if there are one or two good people in the interview process already it is game over. Everyone is stretched these days and chances are this hire is long overdue so people want someone in ASAP. Being the first to it party does make a difference. Back when I had a team of 20 or so recruiters, 50% of the time, the first 2 or 3 candidates in the process would get the role. Even if you had someone better you wanted to add in to the mix. HR or hiring managers would not continue to take time to review more profiles. There is a sales quote, “time kills all deals” and in this situation, it is very accurate. 

You’ve been missed

While recruitment is not rocket science, it is a hard job to like or love or not get stacked based on performance. It is widely known that 80% of people will leave the industry within 2 years. Some will go internal or into HR. 70% of the time, when you deal with recruitment agencies, you will be dealing with someone with less than 2 years of experience. No offence, most of them are still learning, cutting their teeth and make most of their placements through luck or sheer determination. So many opportunities to be MISSED! 

Then, there are those internal recruiters or HR professionals that will review your experience. They are spread so thin in terms of workloads these days and or cover too many disciplines so they won’t know all the nuances of your experiences. MISS! 

Hiring managers. Oh hiring managers. I have lots count of the amount of hiring managers that are working so hard that did not see your CV in their inbox or on a portal or just didn’t get to it. All in all there is a lot to go wrong. Having a good recruiter on your side makes sure you are not missed and they follow up everything like a good chaperone does! 

Those in the middle of the process 

The average recruiter, whether they be internal or external, will have 5 to 25 roles live at any one time. Sometimes more. Now, if the roles are advertised and they receive only 10 applications per role per week you are looking at 250 people a week. It is impossible to speak fully to 250 people in a week and tell those who are not strong enough why. The reality is right now, there are 100 applications plus per role. Granted, they won’t have 25 new roles each week, every week. But still, 100 to 250 applications in a week is not manageable. This is the cold hard truth as to why you might be missed, or do not get a call, or do not get even a rejection. And I will come back to application rejections. 

Goal posts moved 

When a job description is written up, advertised, recruiters briefed, and adverts put out you would assume the requirement is settled but within weeks the job could have changed already. Sometimes the job description could have been brushed off from a few years ago and not checked (out of date with the wrong tech) and it happens far too often. This is why agency recruiters ask for a call with the hiring manager. The number of times a jobs spec asks for a “blue square”, you speak to the manager and they describe a “green triangle”. Several weeks later, having seen a dozen CV’s and completed several interviews. Then they decide what they need is an “orange circle!” On my! I can not tell you how many times this happened to me. Granted, this was more in a project lead recruitment. So, to add to the cliché “it’s not you, it’s me”. It really is them. 

The advert is incorrect 

I kind of touched on this in “goalposts moving”. Adverts are sometimes incorrect. They either have the wrong information or the correct information is not even on there. I tend to find the most straightforward adverts are the best. Then no one should be missed. I think Einstein said “if you can not describe it simply, you do not know it enough” or words to that effect! 

Too experienced 

Society sucks sometimes, and people are very quick to judge. When someone has achieved a lot or seen or lot and they want either a simpler life, or a more local role, or want to change direction, or a different sector, or one the array of reasons. Their application goes straight into a bin. 

It is brutal how sociality pigeonholes people and just assumes that the individual will be a) a threat b) hard to manage c) is all out of ambition d) 101 other reasons. Again, I am just speaking the truth and you will have done the same or do the same in your time. Or, you won’t have even seen their CV / resume as someone else already made this decision for you! 

Bias 

Again, society sucks and prejudice is still as true today as it was 50 years go. That said, it is 100 times better, but we have a long way to do. “Different” always makes people worry and uncomfortable. There is now a huge fear hiring someone that if is not working; they are stuck with them and have put themselves at risk. Some people feel safer in an environment with people from the same area, background, education, and language skills etc. Having managed people for over 15 years and someone who loved hiring different people and not fall foul like other people and their bias. I have been burnt and hurt by people who are different to me. I genuinely believe in equality and diversity, so I would do it all again. But not everyone thinks the same and prefer to sit in a comfort zone. If you have been rejected for this reason, please see it as a blessing. You would not want to work for them anyway! Just make sure when it is your turn to hire you do not stoop to their level and promote equality and diversity! But by all means, if you get in, make your work place more diverse and support those that come into your organisation. 

Wow, I really could talk about these things all day. It feels good to just share how things are. 

Last thing of note! “I do not even get reject emails.” 

This is a shame and frustrating whilst also being an unfortunate sign of the times, try not to take it personally or allow it to make you disheartened. Stay positive and persistent in your job search and remember, you’re amazing, even if the process sometimes doesn’t reflect that.

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

When times are tough in the jobs market, as a recruiter it is hard to know what to say when someone already has a great or even a functional CV / resume but is struggling to get noticed, I am regularly asked, “What is missing? I am not hearing back from applications. And some of the positions I am so perfectly qualified for!”. 

Fortunatly I have only needed to look for a new position a few times so I know it can be emotionally draining and trigger self-doubt and anxiety especially if you have bills to pay, family to provide for, or you are really unhappy where you are! 

So how much of a factor is your CV? In truth 9 times out of 10 it’s really not that much! Questions such as; 2 or 4 pages? Is my intro too long, or too short? Do I need to add my projects in there? etc etc etc. You can not change the past or read the mind of the recruiter, HR person or hiring manager. Let alone a A.I. bot if they are screening CV’s…

In a competitive market, there is too much choice when it comes to candidates. And yes, sometimes, a pretty-looking CV / resume will be chosen. And yes, sometimes, when a CV is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes, you do end up filed under “B” for bin! (That’ll be me then)

But on the whole, your CV in front of recruiters, HR professionals and hiring managers is stripped back to the bare bones every time first and foremost. I am fairly certain, no one will read every word on your CV. They will see what they want to see or look for what they want to see. 1% will read your resume like a Harry Potter book (cover to cover) and 1% would be pushing it. Their mind will be made up in minutes of scanning your CV, so here is what they look at:

The common factor here is you can’t control any of this at the point it’s being read.

The more questions your CV throw up the less likely you will get engagement and you do not get a chance to explain your past and bring them to the present day. In this context whether you have used Calibre 10 or Times New Roman 11 matters not.

Selections for interview are often subjective, for example if you asked 10 people to pick their perfect car, down the colour, spec, everything you would have 10 very different answers. Mine would be a Porsche 911, 997 GTS, in black, with gold rims. (I know, cool right?!) the same applies for interviews despite efforts recently to make people aware of unconscious biases . 

In a jobs market like post-Covid and before the global downturn, you could have written a CV/ resume in Crayon and posted it through the mail, and you will have got an interview. Different supply and demand in the job markets dictate how much effort you need to put into searching, applying and the ratio of success you might have. If you are in a specialism where you have 100 plus people for every role, then you need a bit of lucky. On the flip side, you could be in a real niche area, where a company will be luck to have 3 people apply and still not be successful because the hiring manager doesn’t like something about “your experience” rather than your CV / resume. When I looked earlier in the year, some people didn’t like that after 10 plus years of hiring, training, and leading recruiters and multi teams that, I want to just be a recruiter. The fact was, I did not want the stress or demand of managing but to get back to hands-on recruitment, to do what I was good at once before. Then I can get home, on it to my young family to enjoy that and support my wife who has her own business. 

Now, I would leave you with a few template ideas. And now there are AI CV writing services which I need to look into, the jury is out for me but there are a few excellent build-your-resume portals which do create a visually appealing resume. I would say that those in technical jobs, these are pretty good to show the reader what you know and your level of self-assessed competency so check these out: 

https://makefreecv.com/

https://craft-cv.com/en/

As time goes on there will be challenges, so worth checking Google images and searching “CV formatting ideas” and look through the ones which stand out to you! Find the website and you could have a CV worthy of a UX/UI graphic designer. They make a pretty resume! 

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

LinkedIn may not be the sole determinator in whether you find a new position or not but if you don’t have an “A game” profile and strategy, you risk being overlooked for the best opportunities. Think of your Linkedin profile as your own a real time dynamic marketing tool designed to generate “leads”, in this instance leds are traffic to your profile and enquiries in the form of job opportunities and the more there are the better. Once you are generating lots of leads, you can make the simple decision to pursue them or not and you do not need to be a LinkedIn guru or marketeer to be better at attracting more of an audience in comparison to your peers, those who master this have no end of opportunities put in front of them to choose from.

Profile

If you want to make your professional social media platform into a lead generator you need to make an effort on your profile. 

“About me” – Do it in a way that reflects you and your personality. Mine, for example, is very lighthearted and factual but it is really up to you how you want to be perceived. 

Each role – Make sure your job title reflects the job you actually do or is more relevant, as some companies sometimes like to give weird and wonderful job titles that are meaningless. 

It is not illegal to have a more relevant job title if it reflects the job you do. I.e. if you manage people or projects. Why should you not be a “Lead XYZ”. There is a cavite to this. In the description, you need to back up what you are leading. 

As my audience is generally technical, add the technical aspects.

Example :Lead Software Engineer

Envirnoment: C++, Python, Scrum

Perhaps you want to put in there an achievement, but it does not need to be chapter and verse like a CV. If you have a number of positions, do this for the most relevant roles or the top 3, for instance. Linked In works off buzzwords so if you don’t mention something, you won’t show up.

Key skills

These are massively underrated, but LinkedIn’s algorithms prioritise key skills over the content on your profile. So make sure you have it done and kept relevant. i.e. project management, modelling, specific software or programming skills. But be smart. If it is not a skill, do not put it in there. Otherwise, you will have irrelevant enquiries. 

Job titles

Another ranking factor is job titles and this will see you hit the top of the search rankings. Linked In tells people to use generic job titles for a reason and it is not to help you. It is to help them. The more companies (internal or external recruiters) spend on messaging people without the right skills, the more money they make! $14 billion in 2022 to be precise. It is as simple as that. 

So if you are a “Data Scientist” who builds machine learning models for the energy sector.

Have a job title something like this…

Data Scientist | Machine Learning Modelling | Energy

or another example

“Software Engineer” becomes…

Embedded Software Engineer | C++ & Python | Aviation Devices

SAP Consultant

SAP SD-FI Consultant | Order to Cash / O2C / OTC | FMCG

Or Programme Manager

Programme Manager | £100m Digital Transformation | E-Commerce

Reviews

When LinkedIn took centre stage in the business world, it was normal to ask and give professional reviews. Now, it just doesn’t happen. LinkedIn lag perhaps. I give more reviews than I receive because I think it is good to say something positive that they can take through their career. It is a nice thank you.

Recruiters, HR professionals and hiring managers check these out when there are reviews from credible people, not my mate from down the pub. The more credibility of the reviewer and quality write-ups are key to others putting more stock in those reviews.  

Can you afford not to have some reviews to take with you throughout your career?

Give freely, ask humbly! It is easy to request a review on LinkedIn, so get previous line managers, stakeholders, or those who reported to you to do a review. A tip: perhaps write something nice about them first. 

Free Inmails

Did you know over 78% of CEO’s have their LinkedIn Inmail settings “open”. That means anyone can message them without being a connection, or any cost or barrier incurred. They do this so they do not miss out on opportunities. Stay no or nothing to irrelevant messages is easy. But you never know when that super role or service will pop up.

So why change your settings? There is a barriers to reaching out to you! 

Remember that $14 billion LinkedIn turned over in 2022. A good proposition will come from selling LinkedIn licenses, and of those licenses, there are recruitment licenses. These licenses are super expensive, especially if you are a recruitment business. Depending package and deal, an “InMail” can cost anything from £1/$1.2/€1.15 each for the big players, Hays, Adecco, Manpower. To £10/$12/€11.5 each message for your small or niche recruitment business. On either end of the scale, the costs for a day’s work can really add up!

Recruiters are restricted to how many people they should be messaging and the conversion rate of responses must be high. Inmails should be wisely spent or recruiters will be keeping inmails for no brainer candidates and or sure-thing active candidates. 

Now if you change your settings, you will have some extra contact and have the opportunity to say “yes”, “no”, or “here is why you need to send me!”. 

Instructions – 

Looking for

Ensure your “looking for work” is on, present and relevant. Having looking for work on when you are looking for work is important but it is a slow burn, so do not expect immediate results. Recruiters will review active candidates first on searches because there is a cost to outreach, so being “on” makes a difference. 

The other key element is “what and where”. Keep this up-to-date, clear and complete. This can stop irrelevant approaches and help encourage the relevant ones as what you put in factors into the search algorithms. i.e. if I am looking for a Project Manager with a software engineering background. Here is the place to write “project manager”. If you dont, you could be missed out.

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

We all do it; we rely on one method or channel for that game-changing opportunity when we live busy lives. i.e. long hours, deadlines, families, hobbies, and much-needed downtime. 

LinkedIn has succeeded in being the one-stop-shop platform to harness your networks, industry news, and job opportunities. With limited time, it is easy to go there and nowhere else. Especially when they send out content at the optimum time and or someone reaches out to you via that channel. 

Job seekers and businesses fall foul of their dominance as there has never been a better time to look outside of the channel with so much strong competition elsewhere. I have mentioned this before, but LinkedIn generated $14 billion in revenues in 2022. They are costly for people and or organisations who now need to attract or find talent. Start-ups, small, and medium-size & some enterprise businesses including recruitment companies, struggle to afford their all sing and dancing packages with unlimited advertising, unlimited inmails, & unlimited search facilities. It is now reached eye-watering levels! Because of this, you will not find every live position out there relevant to you. Companies are trying other things or taking low packages and rotating their roles. i.e. live for the week, receive 50 people, and it is no longer available. 

At any one time, there are easily 50/60% more positions available outside of Linked In on the internet and then probably 10/20% out there with recruitment businesses that do not even make it on the careers page, let alone LinkedIn. 

Here are some suggestions for finding roles outside of Linkedin:

Start by finding the right aggregator website. An online aggregator or content aggregator is a tool that pulls fresh content from various web resources and publishes it on one website. Essentially, that website is the aggregator. You can look at it as a curated library of continuously updated content.

First, try Google

Type the skill or job you are looking for in the area, region or country you are looking for. Click on the jobs they have available via Google. 

On the left-hand panel, at the bottom, you will find, “set up alerts”. Click that, set up an account (3 minutes) and “voila”! 

You should play with it a bit to get the alerts right as the location aspect is not the best. But you will get some quality roles as soon as an employer or recruitment agency posts them on their website!

Next, go to Indeed

Indeed is set up per region so make sure you are on the right one i.e. .co.uk, .com, .ch, .de.

Much like Google, they scrape company websites & niche job boards. They do have companies that purchase advertising at a fraction of the cost of Linked In and without all the fluff LinkedIn put you through. Again, get a search going and then click on “send me more like this”, create an account and you are done. Interestingly, I have found the position rarely doubles up across Indeed and Google. And when you look up the company on Linked In who has something interesting, check out “jobs” and 50% of the time, that role is there. 

Finally, do some further research

Depending on what you do, and where you are, there will be a job board for you. Do some research of your own, and you might find someone has already created an aggregator specifically targeting the jobs you are interested in. If you can’t find one then you can always create your own by following the instructions here

For more insights and discussions on recruitment and career development, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn under “Wesley Plumb.”

Well, the answer is both yes and no, depending on how you define candidates.  Adverts will normally generate a response because the job boards use those metrics to claim effectiveness and the numbers can be impressive, here are some stats from a well known IT/Tech job board for July 2023 for average applications per vacancy posted:

So the answer is that yes, Project Managers do respond to your adverts, you can expect 146 of them according to this data source. A couple of other points to think about: most response is received in the first 48 hours after which the adverts drops down the listings sometimes receiving a boost after a week or so depending on the platform, adverts are pushed to anyone who has requested to see those type of listings regardless of suitability (only Linkedin attempts any serious form of matching).

What to expect…

Of your 146 responses you can expect them to be made up of the a range of the following types of application:

Of the above only the final group (and likely smallest) group are of interest to employers yet by the very nature of them being active in the market they will be speaking to any number of recruiters and employers directly.  It follows that if they are talking to 5 companies then any one company has an absolute best chance of around 1/5 of actually hiring them. 

Conclusion

In reality for unsupported direct applications your chance of hiring will significantly less unless the salary is exceptional, those that understand this are best placed to succeed by putting in place strategies to get those chances higher that doesn’t necessarily mean using an agency like us, we fill around 55% of the roles we register which is well above the industry average of 35% but still far from guaranteed and even half of all retained searches end in failure.

The truth is with so many variables in play there is no simple solution to hiring everytime otherwise it would have been documented, digitised and automated by now, until then it will mostly rely on emotionally intelligent, motivated and diligent individuals driving through a process to completion.

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