by Gail McManus
7. September 2009 12:43
We’ve just been through the first week in September, the month that traditionally starts off one of the busiest periods in the recruitment cycle,
and three things have happened that make me feel optimistic.
· Middle
Eastern clients have started to recruit for the first time in
eight months
· A number of roles put on hold twelve months ago
have revived and
· Candidates are already failing to make interviews because they are too busy
The last one is an irritation, but a familiar irritation and just one
more sign that the war for talent is
heating up.
But I think the others are also good indicators of a swing in mood. The calls from the Middle East are telling.
It’s Ramadan and there is no frothy hiring here but a quiet level of
demand from serious investors who
want to add some serious skills to their investment teams.
And the revived roles also show a change in mood. These were all roles
that were put on hold whilst our clients took
stock of the situation at the end of last year. But they now feel secure
enough to re-start recruitment
programmes that add something to their business.
In conversations with them, their attention has shifted from the short term to the medium term
and they’re now planning for the future.
They’ve decided which additional skills they need in-house to be
successful and are investing in people now, ahead of the need.
Interestingly, despite the desire to recruit, we’ve not seen any wide spread optimism in the
private equity businesses that we work with. It’s more like a determined realism to be profitable
over the longer term, holding on to the portfolio for longer and waiting until
prices are right for new opportunities. They’re still sitting out the short
term but with enough confidence to get
in shape for the future.
by Gail McManus
26. August 2009 14:51
There are signs in our business that recruitment is picking up – September will be a telling month as it is usually our busiest month for new assignments. We are seeing three signs:
· Client meetings are going in the diary for September to talk about autumn hiring
· New assignments include team growth and not just replacement
· Star candidates are already receiving multiple offers.
So does that mean it is back to business as usual? I don’t think so. And I’m not sure it will ever be the same.
I think there has been one major change in recruitment compared to the last couple of years and that is a significant shift to quality. Not just the quality of candidates, but also the quality of the recruitment process. And that starts with defining the role. We’re having much clearer conversations with our clients about the objective for the recruitment: what difference will this hire make; where will value be added; what are the deliverables and how will success be measured. Specifying the deliverables for the role is extremely valuable in defining the skills and experience required from the candidate. We are now working with clients to clearly specify the type and focus of experience that candidates need to be successful in the role, where they will have worked and the amount and type of exposure they will have had. In addition, personal attributes are being more clearly articulated.
This improvement in clarity of thinking makes our job both easier and harder: easier because we know what to focus on and what to discard and harder because we need to work harder to prepare shortlists of specific skills and experience rather than generic ones. Our shortlists need to demonstrate that we have listened to and understood your requirements. Every candidate on a shortlist has to meet the closely defined spec; every candidate in interview has to meet the cultural fit with the firm.
There is no excuse for the recruiter to show inappropriate candidates. And there is tremendous pressure on the recruiter to produce high quality shortlists out of thin air. It takes time and effort to build a high quality list and deliver a high quality recruitment process. The process needs to be driven by a motivated consultant who will keep the flow of good candidates high, maintain momentum and manage an orderly shortlist and interview timetable. But with a well defined job spec and a high quality recruitment process you should end up with a great hire that will deliver the value you want in the way you envisaged when you first started to think you would recruit.
by Gail McManus
4. June 2009 17:00
So you’ve arranged a one to one with each of your team. Opening and maintaining lines of communication with the team can engage your people while at the same time gaining a new, fresh perspective on the issues you face. You might also find you have people with skills and ambitions that can offer a valuable contribution in other areas of the business. 
But how do you start the ball rolling?
Here are a few key questions designed to elicit the information you need.
Before you start asking the questions, let the person know that this is a no risk conversation and that you have three main aims:
1. to find out a bit more about them and what’s important to them,
2. to get some honest feedback on the firm and
3. to hear their ideas about the future direction of the business.
What first attracted you to the firm?
Their answer will probably fall into two areas: values and environmental factors. It’s important to make sure that the values that attracted the person to the firm when they joined are still perceived to be there. Many things may have changed with current market conditions and businesses constantly need to evolve. Whereas this is healthy and necessary, you need to make sure that you don’t lose sight of the core values that brought people to the company in the first place.
Where has the company lived up to or fallen short of your expectations?
Assessing where the company has met, exceeded or indeed fallen short of an individual’s expectations, can identify what aspects of the business need fine tuning. You’ll also discover more about your people and their goals and aspirations.
What do you think the main hurdles are that the firm must clear?
You probably have a pretty good idea of what the problems are from your perspective, but it can only serve you better to find out what the people on the ground think. Seeking their opinion will also assure them that they are a vital component in the machinery of the company. Further still, ask them how they would go about tackling the issues – you may find you unearth one or two expert problem solvers.
How do you think you can contribute best to the firm going forward?
It’s helpful to understand how each person sees their contribution, strengths and weaknesses. In this way you can best align career expectations with your needs. When team members have a clear understanding of their career path, they acquire a sense of direction and can focus on achieving their goals.
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