This weekend, I had occasion to buy son No2 his first suit. He has an interview for Uni and the sixth year school prom soon, so one that could be used for both purposes would be ideal. As he was trying on various items, and grimacing at the discomfort, I distinctly recalled buying my own...
As a recruiter, and professional nosey-parker, I always loved finding out intimate details of individuals’ working lives, which they would never reveal to other people. One of those, of course, is the biggest taboo subject in the workplace –salary. A spokesman for the Government Equalities Office says: “From October 2010 the Equality Act will make...
This is a response to the blog post by Mervyn Dinnen here. There is inevitable duplicity built into the entire recruitment process. Would you advise a candidate to be scrupulously honest, and offer “full disclosure” in a discoverable way online? Lies being told. 1. Candidates appear at interview, pretending that they already want the job,...
There is a continually repeating “circle of life” in the UK recruitment industry, where its own progeny leave established firms to set up in competition. I know, as I’ve been part of it. The incidence of this is most evident amongst the small and medium recruitment firms up and down the land. As an industry,...
Right, Who can I slag off next? It seems that in order to take umbrage with certain groups of people, you need to be entitled to do so, by dint of having walked a mile in their shoes. To do otherwise, would be offensive in the extreme, as you clearly “don’t know what you’re talking...
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it, but I’ve been a recruiter since 1987. “I didn’t know that!” I hear you say. Yes it’s true. Up until a couple of years ago, admitting it in public was equated with being league with the devil, and greeted with a look of bemused disgust. And then of...
True story with a purpose. Years ago, I was recruiting for a client in Ayrshire, who needed a Design Engineer. As per usual I took on the job, quoted our fees, yada yada yada. During the process of sourcing candidates I networked through to a candidate who seemed to match the requirement perfectly. I approached...
Gary is an average jobseeker; currently in employment, working in an insurance company in Manchester, aged 33, wife, 2 kids etc etc. He’s not looked for a job for 4 years, and has stayed longer than he’d planned with his present employer, rather than risk a move during the recession. So like 87% of jobseekers...
Unfortunately a great many managers, supervisors, and business owners have had to do just that in the past year. It’s something that defines you as a boss, and a responsibility that separates you from your team. These days, it’s an exercise that’s so fraught with difficulty, and dangerous repercussions, that often only in-house or outsourced...
Confessions first; My name is Stephen, and I am a DIY-er. I insist on doing almost everything for myself, and can’t bear the thought of paying someone else to do something I am capable of. The problem is, I believe I am capable of almost everything. I grew up being defined by building things, in...
