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Any business leader will know that sometimes, although all lights were green at interview stage, an employee just doesn&rsquo;t perform as well as you&rsquo;d expected. Whilst your first instinct is, quite rightly, to get to the bottom of understanding&nbsp;why&nbsp;they&rsquo;re underperforming (is it a capability issue? Time management perhaps?), it&rsquo;s our job as managers to be equally accountable. Try turning the question inwards: instead of managing underperformance, should we instead be trying to drive for overperformance? Ask yourself these questions: Have I set proper expectations, and does this person know that they&rsquo;re underperforming?&nbsp;As a leader, it&rsquo;s your job to let employees know where the goal posts stand and give them something to aim for. In setting out the expectations clearly, succinctly and without question, you&rsquo;re driving that person towards that goal &ndash; so make sure you&rsquo;ve done your bit. An employee who doesn&rsquo;t know exactly what&rsquo;s expected of them can often become unsure in their actions, leading to underperformance. Worse yet, if they&rsquo;re unaware that they are in fact underperforming, they may be blindsided when you eventually bring it up. Is this individual motivated to complete their work as best they can?&nbsp;Whether your employee is intrinsically or extrinsically motivated, it&rsquo;s your job to understand their drivers and work them in a way which keeps them engaged. If, for instance, you know that someone is driven by the prospect of being promoted rather than financially, don&rsquo;t offer them a cash bonus for overperforming. If one individual is simply driven by the prospect of earning more money, don&rsquo;t ply them with offers for paid training and education as an incentive. Your job as manager is to achieve results by ensuring each member of staff is getting what they need &ndash; it takes time and care to truly understand, but the performance of your team could depend on it. Have I provided them with the tools and resources to be successful in this role?&nbsp;We&rsquo;re talking about the right tech systems and whatnot, sure, but also training, education and coaching, too. There are pieces of software on the market which automate certain processes and can save an unbelievable amount of time; also, there are tricks of the trade which only you know, and imparting these might be the key to that overperformance we&rsquo;re aiming for. Tools and resources &ndash; both tangible and intangible &ndash; fall on you, so take stock. Could they be doing more if there was less to do; essentially, is this workload manageable for one person alone? Sometimes underperformance can be a result of simply too large a workload. Ask yourself whether you&rsquo;ve set them up for success or failure, based on how much work they are personally responsible for. Could an external investment &ndash; be it into one of the time-saving tools we mentioned above, or even a member of support staff for example &ndash; drive this individual to absolutely smash their goals? Overall, let&rsquo;s stop talking about managing underperformance for a while &ndash; let&rsquo;s talk about driving overperformance instead. Consider it a matter of proactivity; taking the bull by the horns and taking accountability. Instead of asking yourself why this person is not performing, ask yourself the question: what could I as a leader be doing more of, better or differently to drive overperformance? Here at Certus, we go further than just finding you the perfect candidate and managing the recruitment process for you. Our service offering has been diversifying over a number of years now to include genuine consultation with regards to everything people-related &ndash; be it management help, onboarding, succession planning and more. We don&rsquo;t just make hires &ndash; we build teams. Teams which overperform. We&rsquo;d love to talk about how. Get in touch today on 0204 538 8222.

Managing Under-Performance or Driving Over-Performance?

​Mindset. It sounds clich&eacute;, but it&rsquo;s undeniably important. If there&rsquo;s one thing which is prevalent among successful people, whatever their profession or chosen niche, it&rsquo;s having a growth mindset. The arch nemesis of a growth mindset is the fixed; a fixed view of the world, of yourself and those around you. There are some key differences between the two, but they largely revolve around learning. A person with a fixed mindset believes that the traits they&rsquo;re born with are essentially as good as it gets &ndash; we&rsquo;re born with a certain amount of talent or skill in any given subject, and whilst we can practice in order to hone that skill, we&rsquo;ll never &lsquo;get better&rsquo; at it than the maximum innate level. On the contrary, those with a growth mindset are of the opinion that any trait can be learned, and certainly improved on, with practice, education and plain old effort. These are the people you want to be hiring. Besides the obvious, those with a growth mindset are beneficial in business for many reasons; they&rsquo;re great problem solvers, for one. Growth mindset-ers will face down any challenges which come their way with fervour and enthusiasm. They&rsquo;ll learn from their mistakes to become a more well-rounded version of themselves. Generally speaking, they&rsquo;ll make a great addition to any ambitious, forward-thinking team. There are ways to identify the two different types of mindset, and certainly some things to look out for at interview. Have a read of the points below. Signs of a fixed mindset:
<ul>
<li>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a [insert skill here] person, but I make up for it elsewhere.&rdquo;&nbsp;We all have things we&rsquo;re better at than others, but statements like are a fundamental barrier to learning. If a line like this one comes up at interview, probe to try and understand more about it &ndash; is it something they&rsquo;ve tried to improve, or have they effectively written it off and avoided the subject completely? Furthermore, what does either of these scenarios say about their mindset?
</li>
<li>
Little to no mention, or avoiding talking about, past failures.&nbsp;Those with a fixed mindset tend to view failures as exactly that &ndash; something to steer clear of at all costs. Conversely, those with a growth mindset understand that failure is a) inevitable and b) one of, if not the most important tool for learning. We want candidates to promote their successes, for sure, but to also be mindful of what brought them there &ndash; and failure may well have played a part in that.
</li>
<li>
Viewing the success of others as a threat &ndash; which may manifest as not coming across as a true &lsquo;team player&rsquo;. Where, on the other hand, individuals with a growth mindset will seek out mentorship and collaboration with successful figures, as a source of inspiration and learning. Ask questions around team situations and opportunities they&rsquo;ve had to work alongside colleagues or managers they respect, and try to grasp whether they fit within the fixed or growth mindset based on their feelings about them.
</li>
</ul>
An interesting point to remember about fixed vs growth mindsets is that it is possible, if not particularly common, for someone to have a mixture of both. When it comes to certain aspects of their life, a person could simply believe there&rsquo;s no hope &ndash; for instance athleticism or maths &ndash; whilst consistently pushing themselves to grow and learn in their career or another area. Just as no two skills are the same, nor are two mindsets. It&rsquo;s not our job to pigeonhole a candidate at interview stage, but to understand as much as we can and make as well-informed of a decision as possible. Also try to remember that interviews are far from a natural situation, one in which most people feel uncomfortable. If someone&rsquo;s portraying a decidedly fixed mindset-esque outlook, that&rsquo;s not to say it will be so on the job. With almost 20 years of experience in qualifying executive level candidates through thorough tactical interviewing, Certus Recruitment Group are truly able to grasp these important concepts at interview on behalf of our clients. We&rsquo;re also well equipped to help you do it yourself. Get in touch with our team to discuss the ramifications of hiring growth vs fixed mindset individuals, and the incredible dividends doing so can pay for your business.

How to Identify and Hire for Growth Mindset

​It&rsquo;s no secret that modern day life can be stressful. Amongst the majority of us there is often a persistent feeling of being weighed down by jobs that never feel fully done from answering endless emails to picking up the kids, to food shopping.
This feeling is referred to in the corporate world as a &ldquo;perennial time-scarcity problem.&rdquo; This time famine is a new, current day phenomenon and has been growing ferociously amongst executives all over the world; with white collar working parents affected the most acutely.
By contrast, leisure time has actually been slowly increasing since the 1960's and we are regularly told that new technology is one of the reasons this has happened. Designed to make our lives easier, technology should be increasing our leisure time, right? We now have dishwashers, washing machines and microwaves to assist with household chores; plus an app for everything from collecting your dry cleaning to delivering recipes and ingredients to your door.
So with new technology helping to increase the number of free hours we have in a day, why do we feel like we still never have enough? There are two factors at work here; how we now perceive our time and our expectations of what we should be doing with it and secondly, technology actually doing the opposite and eating up all our free time.&nbsp;
Ever since the industrial revolution used a clock to measure output, our days are financially quantifiable and this creates a need to use them profitability. I&rsquo;m sure your manager is always talking about working &ldquo;smart&rdquo; and using the hours in your day effectively to increase results. T his is only intensified in bigger, richer cities where the wages are higher, the cost of living is dramatically rising and this in turn, increases the value of people&rsquo;s time. According to a recent Gallup poll, the more well-off you are the more time poor you feel.
So it makes sense that the more you are paid for work, the more you tend to work because working becomes a more profitable use of time. Meaning those leisure hours are far and few between; and the few you do have become more stressful as you feel compelled to use it wisely to ensure that it is as worthwhile as working.
Secondly, fuelled by technology such as smart phones, social media and email, we have become a society of instant gratification which creates a desperate urgency to make every moment count. The expectations on us, and us on others, to respond instantly to questions and demands from messages, means we are constantly switched on and this has a huge impact on our down time.
Gone are the days of long lunches that used to be enjoyed by executives on the golf course as we grab a sandwich and trawl through endless emails hunched over a laptop at our desks.
This technology eats into our leisure time by creating an assumption from managers that we should be constantly available on our work phones during evenings, weekends and holidays. The demands of full time modern working means we don&rsquo;t get to switch off anymore. This is impacting our health and well-being without us even realising it.&nbsp;
Psychologists have recently studied the link between stressing over a deficit in time and lower well-being, anxiety and insomnia. In a series of surveys carried out by the University of British Columbia, it was found that those who pay for chores, are happier and have a higher life satisfaction. This allows for more leisure time and means less time doing a &ldquo;second shift&rdquo; of household chores at the weekend and in the evenings.
More recently greater feelings of job insecurity and concern about competition due to slow economic growth, the rising costs of living and living longer are all making people more nervous about career prospects than they used to be. This means we feel under pressure to plug more hours into future security in the here and now.
It is undeniable that an increasing number of people are trading leisure time for work because of the gains of working and the costs of not, are higher than ever. Although, let&rsquo;s not forget that some people put in long hours because they enjoy their job and the prestige and rewards that come with it.
Being &ldquo;time poor&rdquo; is on the rise, especially for the better-off, better educated parents of this world. It has become expensive to stop work, even for a short period of time for example maternity leave, and this has led to less time for play and a harried leisure class.

Is modern working making us all "time poor"?

​In an ideal world, businesses want to hire people that encompass the perfect balance of attitude and skill.
Having the right skill set is vital for candidates to hit the ground running and minimise loss from a new hire. But when collaborating with a team and working with clients, attitude and more importantly, social skills have to be the right fit. The right attitude means employees are more motivated and easily adaptable to learning new skills at a faster rate.
However, improving attitude is often more of a challenge than up-skilling. This difficulty lieswithintrying to change a person&rsquo;s behaviour and traits, which are often ingrained over the course of their life. This can be hard to alter because it often relies on the person in questionbeingopen to changing themselves.
Donna Wells, CEO of online trading platform Mindflash stated that any skill can be trained, but its personality and temperament which are the deciding factors in how this person will fit into your team and perform to your customers and clients.
When it boils down to it, employers are ultimately more attracted to attitude rather than the qualifications you have on paper. Companies and clients will look for people who are going to fit in with their culture, values and environment. Hire people with the wrong attitude and they could clash with the culture at your workplace, disrupting teamwork and office environment as well as the overall performance of other employees.
Former Red Arrows pilot and Executive Officer Justin Hughes, says effective leadership is the key to unlocking ahigh performanceculture. Now MD of consultancy Mission Excellence, Hughes claims good management has more in common with precision flying than people might think! He argues that to be a fighter pilot, you are required to work in an extreme version of a cross-functional matrix team with a line management structure. It is fast paced and often ambiguous with demanding deadlines, imperfect information and an element of risk.
Hughes believes if you take away the military and flying aspects, this is what businesses face day to day. He claims high-performance teams such as New Zealand&rsquo;s All Blacks rugby team, have primacy of attitude over skills; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just about being the best in the world you have to have the right attitude as well.&rdquo; You will find people who are good at things such as decision making and compromise but the important thing and point of difference will be the team dynamic and the realisation that some are always going to be better at certain things than others, forexamplethere are those who will naturally take to leadership and whereas others are more team players. But give someone the right environment and the right opportunities within that environment no matter what position they are in, and it will help them on their way.
Let&rsquo;s also not forget hiring for attitude opens up a wider pool of candidates. &lsquo;Hire for attitude, train for skills&rsquo; has become the catchphrase recently for recruitment. Despite this, lots of businesses across the globe say that they&rsquo;re facing a critical shortage of appropriately skilled entry-level workers andentry levelvacancies are going unfilled because of the skills gap.
Apparently, the number one issue American businesses face when looking to recruit for entry-level staff is an inability to communicate in a professional manner. This basic inability to express themselves and communicate across a variety of stakeholders is going to be severelyoff putting.
However, hiring solely for attitude is not always the best route if the candidate does notpossesthe ability to learn technical skills required for a role. Plus teaching said skills to a proficient level is an expensive andtime consumingprocess and can take months, if not years.
Making the decision to hire can sometimes be a tough call, but looking to your top performers for attitudes/personality traits and seeking candidates who show signs of similar characteristics can provide a solid benchmark for recruiting. However, be careful not to discriminate indirectly by having a lack of diversity within a company, as this could have a detrimental effect on your company&rsquo;scompetiveness.

The age old question: should you hire for skills or attitude?

Embarking on a job search? Check out the following tips to help you secure that dream job.
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Tips for a Successful Job Search (Video)

Staff turnover is a concept all leaders, HR teams and business owners have to contend with. It&rsquo;s a term often used interchangeably with employee attrition, churn, and many others, all of which effectively pose the same question: how many people are leaving your business, and how often do they come and go?
Hiring costs money, so it follows that having an overview of the things which affect how long people stick around for is crucial to long-term, sustainable growth. As business leaders, when we hire a person, we&rsquo;re investing in them &ndash; be that time spent throughout the hiring process, costs associated with training, equipment and the like, and even the emotional investment which comes with making a key hire, one you believe could make a real difference to your company. Whilst attrition happens naturally in a lot of cases &ndash; retirements, redundancies, a friendly parting of ways even &ndash; there are things we can do to help. And the key is to first understand what might be causing people to leave.
Here are some key areas which may be contributing to a high staff turnover in your business, along with what you can do to improve them.
Hiring Process
A huge aspect of employee turnover comes down to simply hiring the right people! If you&rsquo;re having employees come on board and leave before their time, or certainly sooner than you&rsquo;d expected or hoped, it&rsquo;s time to look at your recruitment process and ask questions as to where the disconnect is happening. Are you taking the time to find out all you need to know about each individual, from experience and suitability to cultural fit? Are you giving a true representation of what it&rsquo;s like to work for you? Are you staying true to the job you&rsquo;ve outlined for this person and the responsibilities it entails? Hire the right people to begin with, and your turnover rate will naturally reduce.
Onboarding
Issues with onboarding usually happen when an unrealistic expectations are set for the role during the interview process, and/or a lack of preparation on the business&rsquo; part for that all-important start date. Whilst this alone may not affect whether your new employees stay or leave, what it does do is set a precedent &ndash; so it&rsquo;s important to get right. Have your onboarding process nailed down, including goals set, timelines built and expectations managed, then keep in constant contact for feedback throughout. This way, you&rsquo;ll be able to potentially see and then mitigate any issues before they lead to an employee leaving the company prematurely. Simply put: start as you mean to go on.
Workplace Factors
There are occasions when you&rsquo;re going to hire someone and they just won&rsquo;t be a fit &ndash; it&rsquo;s unfortunate, but inevitable, given that company culture is tricky to both identify and portray at interview. That being said, there are definite workplace factors you&nbsp;do&nbsp;have control over, and they can affect turnover massively. Such things include work-life balance; it&rsquo;s becoming evermore important, as is championing mental health. Showing you care about your employees&rsquo; wellbeing will go a long way to garnering their loyalty. On top of this, pay attention to employee relations internally, and make sure there&rsquo;s no toxicity growing amongst individuals or teams. Cultivate a positive, healthy workplace, and don&rsquo;t be surprised when employees stick around as a result.
Overall, staff turnover is inevitable &ndash; but starting off on the right foot can go a long way to improving retention further down the line. We help companies build workforce strategies which start from the initial hire, reaching through the onboarding process and beyond, to reduce turnover and make your business an employer of choice. To talk more about how, get in touch.

Staff Turnover: It Starts at the Interview!

​What does &ldquo;decision making&rdquo; mean to you? It sounds simple, I know. But as one of the most important indicators of a future leader, and certainly an attribute to seek in current management, it&rsquo;s something which doesn&rsquo;t always get the investigation it needs at interview stage. When you&rsquo;re looking to make a hire into a position of responsibility, you need to know that this person is not only able but also willing to make key decisions well; and simply saying they&rsquo;re able to isn&rsquo;t going to cut it. Just because their current job requires it, doesn&rsquo;t mean they&rsquo;re doing it well. So, what attributes should you look for at interview stage which spell real decision making capabilities? Initiative Whilst you want somebody to refer to the chain of command when necessary and seek advice when necessary, initiative is a hugely beneficial attribute in someone who&rsquo;s going to be responsible for many moving parts &ndash; the whole operation can&rsquo;t fall down based on one task pending. A decision maker utilises the tools and knowledge at their disposal to define and take the best course of action known to them at that moment. Whilst they&rsquo;re able to hold their hands up and ask for help when they need it, equally they know how and when to make the call themselves. Further to this, a decision maker will stand by that decision and see it through, despite any fall out or consequences. They&rsquo;re able how they got there and why; their decisions, right or wrong, will be well thought out and rational &ndash; even if not the right one. Hey, nobody&rsquo;s perfect. Selflessness A decision maker should be able to put their own ego, interests and gains aside to make the decision which most benefits the company and team &ndash; end of. Call it what you like &ndash; altruistic, magnanimous, or other; to make a decision is one thing, but to make it for the right reasons another entirely. You want to hire the people who truly place the company&rsquo;s best interests at heart and base their thinking on that line, rather than simply progressing their own career, earnings, status or otherwise. A great decision maker is one who considers ALL angles, not just those that benefit themselves. Problem solving Thankfully, this one is a trait we can pretty well test and probe for at interview. Decisions should be made with a view to solving a problem, or moving things forward, rather than just masking over issues or achieving empty goals &ndash; ever heard the phrase &ldquo;busy doing nothing&rdquo;? A decision maker is also a problem solver &ndash; someone who sees through the tasks which need completing, all the way to the ultimate resolution and achievement of the job in hand. They&rsquo;re able to problem solve and make calculated, well thought out choices based on what they know. ---- Pushing or hiring someone into a position which requires them to make business-critical decisions on a daily basis isn&rsquo;t something to be taken lightly; you need to be sure that they&rsquo;re not only capable, but that they share your business&rsquo; goals and motivations, too. We all make decisions, both conscious and subconscious, hundreds of times every day &ndash; from what&rsquo;s for lunch to how much effort we&rsquo;re putting in, how we communicate to the attitude we turn up to work with &ndash; but when it comes to your organisation, ensuring you have somebody who&rsquo;s equipped to take your business to the next level, whether now or in future, couldn&rsquo;t be more vital. As recruiters, we make decisions day in, day out on the people we interview &ndash; and you can rest assured that if decision making skills are what you need, we won&rsquo;t make the call until we&rsquo;re certain they&rsquo;ve got them. Certus specialises in building sales, marketing and IT teams from the ground up, with each of our teams possessing their own &lsquo;sweet spot&rsquo; in terms of what and who they know best. If you&rsquo;d like to talk through the benefits of having a dedicated team aiding in your middle or senior management hiring plans, get in touch today. We love a chat, and we certainly know a thing or two about sniffing out a great decision maker!

How to Hire a True Leader

​It&rsquo;s the beginning of a new year and, for the vast majority of us, it&rsquo;s a time when we&rsquo;re feeling more open and receptive to change; we evaluate our past successes, what worked and what didn&rsquo;t, and spend time making plans for the coming year. Changes can apply to any and all aspects of your business; perhaps you&rsquo;re looking to improve your hiring strategy, make adaptations to your policies, change up company structures internally or even implement new systems and technology into the day-to-day. Here at Certus we live by the ethos that if you always do what you&rsquo;ve always done, you&rsquo;ll always get what you always got &ndash; change is inevitable, and truly a good thing for the most part. This year we&rsquo;re embracing it. It&rsquo;s not always easy and the road to business improvement isn&rsquo;t always a smooth one, but it&rsquo;s necessary; so, here are our top behaviours of business leaders who are embracing change for their organisation in 2024: Seeking out what isn&rsquo;t working, as well as what is. Embracing change can also mean facing some home truths and becoming more self-aware. This year, business leaders should be truly seeking out the things that could be improved from external sources, rather than just going off of what you know &ndash; or think you know. In today&rsquo;s corporate world of 5-star reviews and testimonials, harnessing customer feedback is key to bringing about positive change. Instead of just asking for another testimonial to display on your company website, survey customers and question what you could be doing better as a business &ndash; whether it be your product or service offering specifically, improving communication, and so on and so forth. Knowing what&rsquo;s going well and what you need to continue doing is important &ndash; but where there&rsquo;s room for change, there&rsquo;s room for improvement. Understanding the why &ndash; and then the when. It&rsquo;s important that when implementing something new you&rsquo;re able to articulate the reasoning behind it to your workforce. As a business leader you should be able to explain the benefits of what&rsquo;s taking place, always demonstrating strong belief in why: nothing turns people off more than change for the sake of change. And, on the other hand, know when to sit back and let things progress naturally &ndash; it&rsquo;s all about knowing your business, knowing your employees and knowing how to handle things. Change can be timely or not, but as captain of this ship it&rsquo;s your job to ensure that there&rsquo;s always a solid &lsquo;why&rsquo; behind it. Promoting your business&rsquo; goals and vision consistently, despite the change happening. Arguably the most important behaviour to exhibit whilst leading your business through change is ensuring that the company ethos is still as relevant and visible as ever. Exuding your company values and providing reassurance to employees is key; it&rsquo;s incredibly important that they too embrace change as you&rsquo;re doing. Change can, rightly or wrongly, cause frustration or confusion, and feelings of unease amongst staff; so it&rsquo;s important that the things they know and love about their employer stand strong and true. It&rsquo;s your job to lead the business through any period of change large and small, all the while keeping the brand and culture consistent throughout &ndash; assuming that isn&rsquo;t what&rsquo;s changing! ---- As humans, we instinctively shy away from change; as business leaders, we have to overcome this very part of our being to drive our company forward. Even embracing change when it comes to simple tasks, like agreeing on the profile you&rsquo;re looking to hire currently and thinking &lsquo;outside the box&rsquo; to generate new talent, can be tricky to do &ndash; but, as we&rsquo;ve said before, change is all but inevitable and can truly bring about huge benefits. What do you plan to do this year to drive your business forward? What other behaviours do you see as integral to embracing change across your business?

Three Behaviours of Leaders Who Are Embracing Change In 2020

​We all give credit to the students who stay up nights cramming for their final exam or upcoming test. We all empathise and/or sympathise when a partner or loved one has a deadline to meet, or is under some level of temporary pressure in their job. In these circumstances, we&rsquo;re talking about a week, maybe a month, of anxiety and stress which can do serious detriment to the mental health of the individual. Working in sales? That doesn&rsquo;t finish at the end of the week. To work in sales means ongoing pressure and constantly building towards &ndash; look away, Sales Managers &ndash; something you don&rsquo;t necessarily have full control over. Sometimes, your sales team could do absolutely everything right, and a deal still might fall through. It&rsquo;s having the highest expectations placed on you from the off, to perform and hit those targets &ndash; no excuses. Which is why mental health is something that, as a business leader, we should all focus on emphasising. This high intensity, often stressful career path can be incredibly rewarding &ndash; but, without the right understanding and focus from a mental health perspective, it can do damage. Particularly in the post-Covid era, where the world&rsquo;s economies are edging toward turmoil and nothing is set in stone, we need to manage the mental health of our sales teams. Here&rsquo;s how to do so: Be open and build trust If you&rsquo;re currently in a position of seniority over other salespeople, chances are you&rsquo;ve been there yourself. It sounds cheesy to say &ldquo;never forget where you came from&rdquo;, but it&rsquo;s important &ndash; build a real connection with your sales team on the basis that you truly understand how they&rsquo;re feeling, the pressure they&rsquo;re under. Be open and share your own experiences, where your career began, the path which led you to here; in doing so, you&rsquo;ll build trust and allow them to share their own fears or concerns in turn. A problem shared is a problem halved, so building these relationships and trust across your team will go a long way to easing many of the mental health hiccups they may encounter. Prioritise collaboration and teamwork It&rsquo;s likely that your employees work to personal targets; nevertheless, building a culture around collaboration and working as a team couldn&rsquo;t be more key to promoting positive mental health. Sharing connections, experience and knowledge amongst the team will show them the meaning of what goes around comes around, whilst ensuring that each individual feels like a part of something bigger than simply that number hanging over their own head. By working together, we also reinforce the notion that asking for help truly is not just okay, but encouraged. Teams which work together have been proven time and time again to perform better &ndash; I&rsquo;d be speculating to suggest a link between collaboration culture and mental health, but it does make sense. Give your team a breather from time to time ABC is dead &ndash; sometimes, instead of closing, let&rsquo;s take a breather. Let&rsquo;s let our teams simply mull over and discuss the happenings of the last week, month or quarter in a safe, positive environment. There have been studies in which employers have given sales teams a &lsquo;week off&rsquo; &ndash; that is, a week without a target. A week to simply sit back, reflect on what worked &ndash; what didn&rsquo;t &ndash; and make a solid plan to attack the upcoming sales period. Whilst this might not be entirely possible for many organisations, it certainly is food for thought; giving your salespeople time to breathe for a while, however often, lets them know that you value their headspace and allows them to arrange, organise and understand their own mind. Addressing mental health in the sales arena is something which has needed to be done for a long time, and yet still so many aren&rsquo;t doing so. In a world of moving goal posts, unpredictable economic circumstances and general unsurety, there are still SDRs, BDRs, reps and a plethora of other job titles out there expected to achieve a certain number each month &ndash; and if any of them work for you, their mental health should be held paramount moving forwards. Whilst building high-functioning sales teams is the &lsquo;bread and butter&rsquo; of what we do, helping our clients develop best practices and retain their employees comes a close second. Promoting mental wellness strategies is just one way in which we do so; get in touch to talk more.

Mental Health in Sales

<article class="blog__content">
Starting Fresh in 2025: Embracing Change for a Stronger Year Ahead
With the dawn of a new year less than 2 months away, many of us feel inspired to reflect on past achievements, assess what worked well, identify areas for improvement, and lay out our goals for the year ahead.
At Certus, we live by the ethos, "If you always do what you&rsquo;ve always done, you&rsquo;ll always get what you&rsquo;ve always got." Embracing change isn&rsquo;t just an option; it&rsquo;s a necessity for growth. This year, we&rsquo;re not only accepting change but actively championing it. We know the path to improvement isn&rsquo;t always smooth, but it&rsquo;s essential. Here are some key behaviours that business leaders should embrace in 2025 to foster growth and transformation:
<h3>1. Seeking Out What&rsquo;s Working &ndash; and What Isn&rsquo;t</h3>
Embracing change means being willing to face difficult truths and deepening self-awareness. This year, business leaders should actively seek feedback and identify areas for improvement, not just by relying on internal perceptions but by reaching out to external voices as well. In today&rsquo;s feedback-driven world, customer input can be a powerful catalyst for positive change. Rather than merely collecting testimonials, engage customers through surveys and ask what can be improved&mdash;whether in product, service, communication, or beyond.
Recognizing and amplifying what works is crucial, but where there&rsquo;s room for change, there&rsquo;s room for growth.
<h3>2. Understanding the Why &ndash; and Then the When</h3>
When implementing changes, it&rsquo;s vital to convey the reasoning behind them to your team. As a business leader, you should be able to clearly articulate the benefits and purpose behind every change, inspiring confidence and enthusiasm. Change for change&rsquo;s sake can disengage people&mdash;help them understand why each decision matters.
At the same time, knowing when to let things progress naturally is key. Effective change management is about balancing timing with intent. Lead your team with a solid &lsquo;why&rsquo; for each initiative, guiding them through transformations with clarity and purpose.
<h3>3. Promoting Goals and Vision Amidst Change</h3>
One of the most important qualities to maintain during times of change is a consistent commitment to your company&rsquo;s vision and values. When the pace of change accelerates, people can feel uncertain or uneasy; clear communication and consistent messaging are vital to keep employees grounded in the organization&rsquo;s mission.
While navigating through transformation, remember that the values that define your company should remain visible and steady. Change may be inevitable, but a strong and authentic culture offers stability and assurance, allowing teams to embrace new directions with trust and confidence.
<hr>
<h3>A New Year&rsquo;s Challenge: Change as a Path to Growth</h3>
As humans, we often resist change; as business leaders, we must embrace it to propel our companies forward. Even in seemingly straightforward tasks, like broadening your hiring profile or rethinking talent strategies, openness to change can make a real difference. It&rsquo;s not always easy, but it can yield incredible rewards.
What plans do you have for 2025 to drive your business forward? What other qualities do you see as essential to fostering a culture that embraces change?
</article>

Three Behaviours of Leaders Who Are Embracing Change In 2025

As business leaders, there&rsquo;s a challenge many of us encounter throughout our careers, though it&rsquo;s not often openly discussed: workplace friction, especially between managers and new employees. What happens when you bring someone new onto your team, only to realise that aligning on goals and expectations might be more difficult than anticipated?
The key question here is: are you and your new hire working towards the same objectives? Are your priorities aligned? Do you both have a shared understanding of the business direction and how to achieve success?
When you expand your team &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s in a small, one-on-one start-up environment or within a large-scale operation &ndash; several factors can create friction, frustration, and ultimately a dip in productivity. It&rsquo;s no wonder that &ldquo;managing up&rdquo; has become a prominent trend in corporate culture over the past few years.
Oftentimes, tension arises from differences in work styles. Some people thrive in a more spontaneous, flexible environment, while others prefer structure and clear processes. When these differing approaches meet &ndash; especially when one is managing the other &ndash; it can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and a lack of clarity around expectations. This is when employees may start feeling unsure about their role or how to move forward.
This is where the concept of "managing up" comes in.
The idea is simple: no matter your level within an organisation, your manager&rsquo;s success is tied to yours. So, it&rsquo;s in your best interest to understand how they work best and what will help both of you thrive. Managing up is about proactively fostering communication and clarity, empowering your team to get what they need from you in order to do their best work.
One effective way to encourage managing up is to hold regular one-on-one meetings led by the employee. This gives them a safe, private space to ask questions, seek feedback, and discuss challenges they may not feel comfortable addressing in a larger team setting. By letting the employee set the agenda, you not only gain insights into their needs, but also into how they think and work &ndash; which can help you manage them more effectively.
Another approach is to engage in collaborative goal-setting exercises. Taking the team out of the office for a more relaxed strategy session can foster open dialogue, idea-sharing, and the development of shared goals. It&rsquo;s important to create alignment between the company&rsquo;s goals and your employees&rsquo; personal objectives, ensuring everyone feels motivated and invested in the long-term success of the team.
Workplace tension doesn&rsquo;t always stem from personality clashes. Sometimes, it&rsquo;s simply a matter of different working styles creating roadblocks to effective communication. By fostering a culture that supports managing up, you&rsquo;re likely to see not only greater employee engagement but also improved motivation and stronger overall relationships within the team.
Whether you&rsquo;re managing a team of one or one hundred, our expert consultants are here to help. We specialize in building and retaining top talent, and our commitment doesn&rsquo;t end once a placement is made. Our exceptional after-care services set us apart as a leader in the recruitment space. Reach out to us today to discuss your goals and hiring strategies &ndash; we&rsquo;re here to support your success.

Why Managing Up Needs to Be Part of Your Strategy

Our2024 Salary Survey Report provides an in-depth analysis of salary trends within the UK technology sector, focusing on sales, marketing, and IT roles. This report is an essential resource for HR leaders, finance managers, and anyone involved in talent acquisition or compensation planning. It highlights not just the current salary benchmarks, but also the evolving dynamics of the UK job market and offers actionable recommendations for businesses aiming to attract and retain top talent.
<h3>Key Salary Insights</h3>
<h4>Sales Roles</h4>
Sales positions within the UK technology sector show significant variation depending on location and experience. For instance:
<ul>
<li>Sales Directors in Greater London command salaries ranging from &pound;100,000 to &pound;160,000, while the UK average is slightly lower, between &pound;90,000 and &pound;150,000.</li>
<li>Business Development Managers can expect salaries from &pound;40,000 to &pound;55,000 in Greater London, compared to &pound;35,000 to &pound;50,000 across the UK.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Marketing Roles</h4>
Marketing roles also reflect a considerable disparity between London-based roles and those across the UK:
<ul>
<li>Chief Marketing Officers in Greater London earn between &pound;120,000 and &pound;200,000, whereas the UK average ranges from &pound;100,000 to &pound;180,000.</li>
<li>Digital Marketing Managers can expect to earn &pound;45,000 to &pound;65,000 in Greater London, compared to &pound;30,000 to &pound;50,000 elsewhere in the UK.</li>
</ul>
<h4>IT Roles</h4>
The IT sector continues to see robust demand, especially for specialist roles:
<ul>
<li>Software Developers in London earn between &pound;55,000 and &pound;80,000, while the UK average for experienced professionals is &pound;45,000 to &pound;70,000.</li>
<li>AI Consultants have a salary range of &pound;65,000 to &pound;100,000 in London, with the UK average ranging from &pound;60,000 to &pound;90,000.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Company Size</h3>
Company size significantly influences compensation structures:
<ul>
<li>Small Companies (1-200 employees) may offer higher base salaries to compensate for less comprehensive benefits packages. Equity and share schemes are often used as additional incentives.</li>
<li>Medium Companies (200-1,000 employees) typically offer competitive salaries balanced with solid benefits packages.</li>
<li>Large Companies (1,000+ employees) provide comprehensive benefits but may cap top-end earnings.</li>
</ul>
<h3>UK Job Market Overview</h3>
The UK job market has seen significant shifts post-COVID-19, with a softening observed in 2023 after the initial boom. This has resulted in stagnation in salary growth and a reduction in job volumes across most functions. The tech industry, in particular, has shifted focus from growth to profitability, leading to targeted hiring for specific skills rather than mass recruitment.
<h3>Short-Term Predictions</h3>
Looking ahead, the demand for experienced tech professionals is expected to continue, particularly in software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. As more businesses return to the office, there may be friction as the balance of power shifts back to employers, potentially reducing flexible work opportunities.
<h3>Recommendations for Employers</h3>
To navigate these trends, businesses are encouraged to:
<ul>
<li>Align compensation packages with market rates, especially in London.</li>
<li>Offer flexible working options to attract and retain talent.</li>
<li>Invest in continuous training and professional development to upskill employees and create clear career progression paths.</li>
<li>Enhance employer branding to stand out in a competitive market.</li>
</ul>
By staying informed of these salary trends and adapting to the changing job market, companies can better position themselves to attract and retain top talent in 2024 and beyond.
Obtain a copy of the full report <a title="UK Salary Survey" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/annual-global-salary-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>...

2024 UK Salary Trends: Insights for Sales, Marketing, and IT Professionals

As we navigate the remainder of 2024, the Australian technology sector continues to evolve, bringing with it significant shifts in salary trends across sales, marketing, and IT roles. Understanding these changes is crucial for both employers and professionals as they navigate the competitive landscape. This year's salary survey highlights key insights into compensation across various roles, regions, and company sizes, offering a roadmap for strategic decision-making.
<h3>Regional Salary Variations: A Snapshot</h3>
Australia's diverse cities continue to display varying salary ranges, with Sydney and Melbourne leading in compensation due to their higher cost of living and dense concentration of tech companies. These cities remain hotspots for top talent, driving competitive salaries, especially in senior roles. However, Brisbane is emerging as a strong contender, with salaries increasingly on par with the eastern giants, fueled by the ongoing "move north" phenomenon that gained momentum post-COVID-19.
Meanwhile, cities like Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart offer more affordable living conditions, which is reflected in slightly lower salary bands. Yet, these locations are becoming attractive for talent seeking a balanced lifestyle without sacrificing career growth. Remote work has further blurred these regional differences, enabling companies to tap into a broader talent pool while offering flexible working arrangements.
<h3>Impact of Company Size on Salaries</h3>
Company size plays a significant role in determining salary structures. Small companies, often less recognized brands, may offer higher base salaries to compensate for a less extensive benefits package. Sales roles, in particular, see a higher proportion of variable compensation in these organizations, with equity and share schemes being common incentives.
Medium-sized companies tend to strike a balance, providing competitive salaries supported by robust benefits. In contrast, large companies offer strong overall packages with extensive perks, although top-end earnings might be capped. This differentiation in salary strategies reflects the varying resources and recruitment challenges faced by companies of different scales.
<h3>The Australian Job Market: Current Trends and Future Predictions</h3>
Economic conditions in Australia have significantly impacted the job market over the past 18 months. The post-pandemic recovery period saw rapid salary growth, which has now stabilized amidst economic uncertainty and inflation. Companies are more cautious, focusing on retention by adjusting salary offerings and enhancing benefits to keep their top talent.
Remote work remains a pivotal factor, influencing salary structures and job offerings. Although many companies are encouraging a return to office environments, remote work still offers an attractive option for both employers and employees, balancing compensation with the flexibility of home working.
Looking ahead, the demand for tech professionals is expected to remain robust. High-demand roles in software development, AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing will likely see continued salary growth. Additionally, the influence of remote work may reduce salary variations across regions, further leveling the playing field.
<h3>Strategic Recommendations for Employers</h3>
To stay competitive in this dynamic market, employers should consider the following strategies:
<ol>
<li>
Align Compensation with Market Rates: Regularly review and adjust salary bands to remain competitive, particularly in high-demand roles.
</li>
<li>
Leverage Remote Work: Expand the talent pool by embracing flexible remote work policies.
</li>
<li>
Enhance Benefits and Perks: Offer comprehensive wellness programs and flexible working conditions to attract and retain talent.
</li>
<li>
Invest in Professional Development: Continuous training and career development programs can help keep employees motivated and engaged.
</li>
<li>
Monitor Market Trends: Stay informed about salary trends and market conditions to make data-driven decisions.
</li>
</ol>
By implementing these strategies, companies can effectively navigate the evolving landscape, ensuring they attract, retain, and motivate the best talent in 2024 and beyond.
<hr>
Download the full 2024 AUS Salary Survey Report <a title="AUS Salary Survet" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/annual-global-salary-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, or contact us.
Paul Dimond Regional Director - APAC <a rel="noopener">paul.dimond@certusrecruitment.com</a> +61 480 034 557

2024 Salary Trends in Australia's Technology Sector

As we navigate through 2024, understanding salary trends within the US technology sector is crucial for companies aiming to attract and retain top talent. The latest Salary Survey Report offers a comprehensive look at how compensation varies across different states and roles, providing valuable insights for HR leaders, finance managers, and hiring professionals. Here&rsquo;s a breakdown of what you need to know.
<h3>Salary Trends by Role and Location</h3>
<h4>Sales Roles</h4>
Sales roles within the US technology sector show significant geographic variation:
<ul>
<li>Sales Development Representatives (SDRs): In California, SDRs earn between $60,000 and $85,000, whereas in Florida, the range is $50,000 to $70,000.</li>
<li>Sales Directors: Compensation is highest in California, with salaries ranging from $150,000 to $250,000, while in Illinois and Texas, salaries are slightly lower, ranging from $130,000 to $220,000.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Marketing Roles</h4>
Marketing professionals also see salary differences across states:
<ul>
<li>Digital Marketing Managers in California can earn between $95,000 and $130,000, while in Florida, salaries range from $75,000 to $110,000.</li>
<li>Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs): In New York, CMOs earn between $190,000 and $280,000, slightly less than their California counterparts who earn $200,000 to $300,000.</li>
</ul>
<h4>IT Roles</h4>
IT roles continue to command competitive salaries, particularly in tech-heavy regions:
<ul>
<li>Software Developers in California earn between $80,000 and $160,000, while those in Florida earn between $65,000 and $130,000.</li>
<li>Network/Cloud Engineers in California are compensated between $80,000 and $140,000, with lower ranges in Florida ($65,000 to $110,000).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Impact of Company Size on Salaries</h3>
The size of a company plays a significant role in determining salary packages:
<ul>
<li>Small Companies (1-200 employees): May offer higher base salaries to make up for less comprehensive benefits packages or offer equity as an incentive.</li>
<li>Medium Companies (200-1,000 employees): Typically offer balanced salaries with solid benefits packages.</li>
<li>Large Companies (1,000+ employees): Often provide robust overall packages but might cap top-end salaries.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Economic and Market Influences</h3>
Several factors are influencing salary trends in 2024:
<ul>
<li>Economic Rebound: The post-pandemic recovery has increased demand for sales professionals, particularly in competitive markets like New York and California.</li>
<li>Inflation: Rising inflation has led to higher salaries, especially in states with a high cost of living, such as California and New York.</li>
<li>Remote Work: The shift towards remote work has led to more standardized salaries across regions, reducing the disparity between tech hubs and other areas.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Short-Term Predictions</h3>
As we move forward in 2024, several trends are likely to shape the salary landscape:
<ul>
<li>Continued Demand for Tech Professionals: The tech sector will maintain high demand for roles in software development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing, driving salaries upward.</li>
<li>Retention Strategies: Companies are expected to enhance benefits and bonuses to retain top talent, particularly for senior IT roles.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Recommendations for Employers</h3>
To stay competitive in the current job market, companies should:
<ul>
<li>Align compensation packages with market rates and offer attractive variable compensation.</li>
<li>Leverage remote work policies to broaden the recruitment pool.</li>
<li>Invest in professional development to advance employees' skills and careers.</li>
<li>Monitor market trends to make data-driven decisions about salary offers and recruitment strategies.</li>
</ul>
Click <a title="US Salary Survey" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/annual-global-salary-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> for a full copy of our 2024 US Salary Survey.

2024 US Salary Trends: Key Insights for Sales, Marketing, and IT Professionals

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, securing top-tier talent is the linchpin to sustained success. Today, I'd like to shed light on the transformative benefits of engaging a recruitment agency on a retained basis, a strategic move that not only enhances your hiring process but also amplifies your company's competitive edge.
🌟 Improved Candidate Experience:
A retained recruitment partnership provides an unparalleled commitment to sourcing the best-fit candidates. By cultivating a long-term relationship with a recruitment agency, your organisation benefits from a dedicated team of experts who invest the time to truly understand your company culture, values, and unique hiring needs.
This depth of understanding translates into a refined and singularly positive candidate experience. Prospective hires encounter a seamless journey, from initial outreach to the final stages of the interview process. This not only strengthens your employer brand but also fosters a positive perception among potential candidates, setting the stage for lasting relationships.
💼 Single Candidate Experience Advantage:
Imagine a recruitment process where each candidate feels like the most important person in the room and where each candidate is measured in a consistent manner. In a retained recruitment model, the recruitment methodology is not different for each candidate as they've been sourced by different people; it's consistent for all involved and laser-focused on your organisation's needs. This leads to a personalised and cohesive candidate experience, ensuring that every interaction reflects your commitment to excellence. It also increases dramatically the likelihood of your hiring the best candidate!
Candidates engaged through a retained recruitment agency benefit from a streamlined process, with clear communication and a tailored approach. This single candidate experience not only reinforces your employer brand as one that values individuals but also contributes to a more positive and efficient hiring journey.
💰 Financial Return and Reduced Likelihood of Failure:
Beyond the qualitative benefits, a retained recruitment strategy translates to a quantifiable advantage for your bottom line. The thorough understanding of your company's needs, coupled with a targeted approach, reduces the likelihood of hiring missteps. This, in turn, mitigates the financial impact associated with failed hires, saving both time and resources.
The investment in a retained recruitment agency is an investment in risk mitigation. By ensuring that each candidate is not only technically proficient but also culturally aligned, you're enhancing the probability of long-term success and minimizing the potential costs associated with turnover.
🚀 Faster Time to Hire:
Time is of the essence in the tech industry, where innovation happens at breakneck speed. A retained service provided by a trusted partner should be seen as an accelerator, significantly reducing time-to-hire metrics. With a committed team working exclusively on your mandates, the search and selection process becomes streamlined and efficient.
By accessing an established network of top-tier talent, a retained recruitment service swiftly identifies candidates who align with your organization's goals. This proactive approach ensures that you not only secure the best talent faster but also gain a crucial competitive advantage in the talent market.
In summary, choosing a retained recruitment model is an investment in precision, commitment, and accelerated success. By optimising the candidate experience, reducing the likelihood of failure, and expediting time-to-hire, your organisation is better positioned to navigate the dynamic challenges of the technology landscape.
Let's embark on this journey together, ensuring that your team is composed of the brightest minds ready to propel your company to new heights.
Feel free to connect if you'd like to explore how a partnership with Certus Recruitment Group can be tailored to elevate your talent acquisition strategy.
#TechLeadership #TalentAcquisition #RecruitmentStrategy #Innovation #Leadership #HiringExcellence 🚀✨

Elevating Your Talent Acquisition Strategy: The Power of Retained Recruitment

So, you think you&rsquo;re a good listener I hear? See what I did there? Funny. Listening skills &ndash; in my humble opinion, the most imperative skill to success in the corporate world. Think about the lines of work/professions out there to which they apply; the obvious ones like sales, marketing, customer service. Even the techy world, to a degree &ndash; I&rsquo;m by no means an expert but, I think it&rsquo;s safe to say that in order to build or develop the program your employer is after, you need to listen to their goals and requirements. As a specialist sales recruiter, I&rsquo;m constantly exploring my candidates&rsquo; listening capabilities, given that they&rsquo;re paramount to my clients&rsquo; success. The sales profession aside, being a good listener will bring you success across many aspects of life; you&rsquo;ll be able to build stronger relationships both personal and professional, learn faster and generally understand more. Listening: the universal skill. But did you know that there are many different types of listening? Different ways in which we approach what we&rsquo;re hearing. Such as&hellip; Biased listening Yes, there really is such a thing as hearing what you want to hear. When we&rsquo;re &lsquo;biased listening&rsquo;, we&rsquo;re solely picking out the pieces of information which confirm our own opinion, feeling, point of view. We purely hear the bits which confirm our own bias. Appreciative listening Probably the most widely-utilised type of listening &ndash; think music, or waking up to the sound of birds, or anything narrated by David Attenborough. Appreciative listening is, like it says on the tin, listening for the simple enjoyment of it; listening for pleasure. Critical listening Contrary to how it sounds, critical listening doesn&rsquo;t necessarily pertain to something negative &ndash; it simply means thinking about what you&rsquo;re listening to and cutting through the pieces you don&rsquo;t need to get to the heart of the matter. Critical listening is what we&rsquo;re doing when we understand something, and it&rsquo;s this type of listening which is crucial for success in the business world. There are so many circumstances in a day-to-day job where simply listening to and understanding a colleague, customer or otherwise makes a big difference. We humans are also somehow equipped with the innate ability to pick up on when a person is NOT listening &ndash; something those of us in relationships will have probably understand, having been called out by the significant other a few times&hellip; Anyway, moving swiftly on. Here are my most important 3 ways to be a better listener: Pay attention And I mean full attention. To the best of your ability, remove any and all distractions. If it&rsquo;s an important phone call, go somewhere quiet, where you won&rsquo;t have to contend with outside noise or be bothered by anyone. If you&rsquo;re having a meeting with a client or new customer, having your phone out on the table (yes, even face down) is definitely a distraction &ndash; some tiny part of your mind is still wondering if and when the phone will ring, and readying itself to respond or react when it does. Or, perhaps you&rsquo;re a manager &ndash; if an employee comes to you with a question, concern or otherwise, making sure you pay rapt attention to their coming is a great way to build employee relations and engagement. Oh, and it&rsquo;s just polite, too. Ask questions How do you know when someone&rsquo;s really understood what you&rsquo;re saying? When they start asking intelligent questions about it. Use questions to clarify points you want to ensure you &lsquo;got&rsquo;, or to garner more information on a certain part. Repeat things using your own words in order to qualify them as correct. Ask questions based on what they&rsquo;re saying, rather than your own immediate response. This can be applied to any and all business settings &ndash; a client meeting. Discussing a technical problem with your service provider. In a job interview. Questions show that you&rsquo;ve really taken notice, formed an understanding and can now engage in a two-way discussion. Let them finish Pretty self-explanatory. Don&rsquo;t interrupt someone when they&rsquo;re speaking &ndash; for all you know, they could be about to explain whatever it is you&rsquo;re going to comment on. And again &ndash; manners, right? My team specialise in sales recruitment; sales is a profession whose success could almost be said to hinge on listening skills so, as you can imagine, we spend a lot of time trying to identify this very skill at interview stage. When we meet each candidate, we use various techniques to gauge their listening ability &ndash; and the fact is, those who possess them have a higher success rate when it comes to job hunting. How would you go about identifying listening skills, and do you consider them to be particularly useful in your own line of work?

Listen Up: 3 ways to improve your listening skills in the business world

KPIs, KPIs, KPIs. Is there any other aspect of business operations so widely spoken about, furthermore contested? It&rsquo;s a divisive subject in the business community &ndash; where some live by them, others dispute their place altogether; some employ but largely ignore them, either way.
Whether you utilise them day-to-date or oppose them entirely, if you work in the corporate world, you&rsquo;ve come across KPIs at some point.
The fact is, the reason they&rsquo;re so highly contested is that KPIs are seldom implemented effectively, or used properly.
It&rsquo;s not about the &lsquo;numbers game&rsquo; &ndash; it&rsquo;s about business efficiency.
Let&rsquo;s stop thinking about KPIs as targets, first off. There&rsquo;s a clear distinction between the two.
The definition of a KPI is, as it says on the tin, a key performance indicator &ndash; a figure which is (or should be) derived from information your business is providing you. KPIs should be used to evaluate the activity a business needs to undertake in order to achieve its targets &ndash; not as a target in and of themselves.
Get it?
Let&rsquo;s put it into real terms.
Your business currently has 10 sales execs. The team&rsquo;s target is to generate &pound;100,000 in revenue each month, so each individual&rsquo;s target is &pound;10,000. Currently, each person is achieving &pound;8,000 per month; upon drilling down into their activity, you find that they&rsquo;re each making 8 phone calls per month.
What can you take from this?
Your business is indicating that your team&rsquo;s activity needs to increase in order to reach target, and is telling you, hypothetically, how much it needs to increase by.
Analyse these tricky figures and you&rsquo;ll find it makes sense that, were they each to make 10 phone calls per month, everyone would hit that &pound;10K, no problem. But here&rsquo;s the thing &ndash; there&rsquo;s no need to now storm onto the sales floor and inform the team that they had all better hit those 10 calls, or else. Not in that fashion, anyway. You&rsquo;re not setting this as a target: your business is doing it for you.
It&rsquo;s a KPI, not a target. See?
KPIs should be in place to motivate, not condemn.
Information is king, or so they say, and it&rsquo;s our job as leaders to use it to our advantage. Particularly in sales and marketing, numbers do play a big part in the performance sense &ndash; from calls made to appointments booked, website clicks to conversion rates, your team is constantly running through figures in their mind.
Adding a panel of KPIs into that mix, specifically when posing them as targets/must-hits, definitely creates potential for the pot to boil over from time to time. However, if you were to go to your team and say, &ldquo;Hey, we&rsquo;ve collated some really interesting info here which we think is going to help you do your job better/more efficiently, want to take a look?&rdquo;, any employee worth his/her salt will be clambering to see your notes.
Keep targets and KPIs separate; monitor them both as equals.
Your KPIs should be based on fact and fact alone.
Here at Certus we get to know our clients well, and I&rsquo;d be lying if I said we don&rsquo;t sometimes have to do a little &ndash; err &ndash; re-education, shall we say. Often, businesses blindly set their KPIs based on industry standards or what their competition appears to be doing which, fundamentally, doesn&rsquo;t make sense. Just because Oracle&rsquo;s techs have to sit four appointments per day, doesn&rsquo;t mean that your hyper-growth, disruptive SaaS start-up should be doing the same.
In fact, we need to move away from this idea of &lsquo;setting&rsquo; KPIs altogether &ndash; I reiterate, your business sets them itself. Monitor activity, productivity, operations, all aspects of your business, over time to understand what your KPIs are and where they should sit in terms of activity. Don&rsquo;t pull numbers out of the air and &lsquo;set&rsquo; KPIs based on what you think you&nbsp;should&nbsp;be doing &ndash; base them on what you&nbsp;are&nbsp;doing, and the improvements that you want to make.
Remember, more doesn&rsquo;t always equal more.
Numbers and humans behave in very different ways. When a calculator does a complex mathematical equation, it doesn&rsquo;t need to take into account that, maybe, number 3 is recovering from a bout of the flu, or that number 4 is off on holiday for two weeks this month.
So, when you take a look at your figures and see that 25 calls equals 1 appointment, don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as simple as commanding your team to make 50, and expecting them to achieve 2 appointments as such. It just doesn&rsquo;t work that way.
I&rsquo;m not saying that we as leaders shouldn&rsquo;t always strive for excellence and improvement &ndash; but, alas, we are humans managing humans. And that needs to be at the forefront of our approach, always.
We shouldn&rsquo;t be setting KPIs, we should be running our businesses based on the information it provides us &ndash; looking at them as the dataset they are, rather than another number to hold over our teams&rsquo; heads.
As ever, love to hear your opinions &ndash; what&rsquo;s your approach to KPIs, and are you making the most of them across your business?

KPI's or Core Activities? Love them either way!

​There&rsquo;s a big difference between doing well, and just doing. There&rsquo;s an even bigger difference between being engaged and just &lsquo;being there&rsquo;. Is your team thriving, or just surviving? I&rsquo;m not talking in terms of sales figures or company financials; what I mean to ask is, are your team really all-in, giving it their best and moreover loving what they do each day? To thrive literally means &ldquo;to prosper; flourish&rdquo;. In the workplace, this means more than hitting target &ndash; although, that&rsquo;s undoubtedly a common result of a thriving time. Thriving at work means your team is aligned with the company goals, they&rsquo;re happy, nay excited, to be there, and they&rsquo;re motivated to work hard. This team is a productive, high-performing one; a team who merely shows up each day, merely &lsquo;survives&rsquo;, not so much. So how do you know if your team isn&rsquo;t thriving? And what steps can you as a business leader take to help them do so? Read my 3 tips to answer both of these questions below. 3 warning signs your employees are only surviving:
<ul>
<li>
Energy.&nbsp;Or a distinct lack thereof. As your employees go about their day-to-day, are they doing so with energy? Are they enthusiastic and positive in their actions, mannerisms, general mindset? Energy affects everything from performance to posture &ndash; yes, you can tell an awful lot about how an employee feels about their job by how slumped their shoulders are! &ndash; and it&rsquo;s important to recognise when energy, enthusiasm and, in turn, morale is down.
</li>
<li>
Relationships.&nbsp;If an employee has become disengaged with their job, it can show in the working relationships they&rsquo;re cultivating in the office/across team. Are there tensions between them and another employee, or number of employees, which seems unusual or out of character? Is their attitude toward their colleagues worsening in general? Time for a sit down and a heart to heart.
</li>
<li>
Performance.&nbsp;Simply put, a thriving, engaged employee is one who&rsquo;s going to graft to hit targets, goals and otherwise; a &lsquo;surviving&rsquo; employee may be putting in the bare minimum needed to keep their seat. If there&rsquo;s someone on the team whose performance is suffering, it&rsquo;s important not to look at this with an attitude of &lsquo;they can&rsquo;t do it&rsquo; &ndash; but instead to wonder if it&rsquo;s that they just currently don&rsquo;t want to. Ask the right questions, get to the bottom of it and try to bring them back into the fold; back to thriving.
</li>
</ul>
3 things to encourage to help your employees thrive:
<ul>
<li>
Creativity.&nbsp;In the workplace, don&rsquo;t hinder creativity &ndash; embrace and encourage it. Let each and every member of your workforce present ideas; ideas which are never belittled or dismissed without at least a discussion. A healthy workplace where employees thrive is one which is inclusive, open and ever-evolving.
</li>
<li>
Identity.&nbsp;Make sure you reinforce the individual part everyone plays within the team and encourage them to truly own their job role. Ensuring that each of your employees understands their own identity within the business, instead of just feeling like another brick in the wall, helps them stay accountable and remain motived to perform in their job to the best of their ability.
</li>
<li>
Learning.&nbsp;Whether they&rsquo;re passionate to do so or not, with learning comes a natural sense of achievement. Whether you allocate a few hours per week to training inside of work hours or reimburse employees (at least in part) for undertaking some form of professional education in their own time, encouraging them to continue their learning in any form will ensure they&rsquo;re more engaged with their job, their profession and their place within your team.
</li>
</ul>
Building thriving teams is what we do best. We pride ourselves here at Certus on our ability to get to know our clients inside out; it&rsquo;s how we go beyond just finding your next star hire, to help you retain and develop those you already have, too. To talk more about the recruitment and consulting services offered by Certus Recruitment Group, call our team in Melbourne today.

Thriving or Surviving? 3 Warning Signs & 3 Things to Encourage

​One of the main reasons companies choose to employ the services of a recruitment partner such as us is the pre-qualification process which candidates experience; it&rsquo;s our job to get to know your potential employees, to get to the bottom of any gaps on their CV, really assess their skills and experience, and ultimately ensure that their goals and aspirations level with those of your business. And a big part of what we do involves defining just why they&rsquo;re looking to leave their current position &ndash; it&rsquo;s an absolutely imperative part of the recruitment process regardless of level, sector, job title and role. From the weird, to the understandable, to the downright wonderfully random, we hear every manner of &lsquo;reason for leaving&rsquo; in this job. But, here&rsquo;s a little secret: you, the employer, may not get the full story. No one wants to burn bridges, but unfortunately sometimes your place of work just isn&rsquo;t the ticket for them. Here are a few common reasons people leave their jobs &ndash; and it might not be why you think. Lack of recognition In sales or marketing based jobs, for instance &ndash; jobs where the work &lsquo;Employee A&rsquo; puts in can be clearly turned into numbers and figures on a spreadsheet &ndash; it&rsquo;s easy to recognise and reward positive results and a job well done. However, in what we might call &lsquo;back office&rsquo; jobs, it&rsquo;s not necessarily the case. For &lsquo;Employee B&rsquo;, who works in a job role undoubtedly as important as those at the forefront albeit not necessarily under a performance-based system, it&rsquo;s easy to feel somewhat &lsquo;left behind&rsquo;. Whilst their job impacts the business wholly, it&rsquo;s not uncommon for businesses to forget that these employees too need to be incentivised, recognised and rewarded for the hard work they put in. Otherwise, you risk losing them to a competitor or somewhere which promises to do exactly those things. Progression &ndash; or a lack thereof Whatever the size and function of your organisation, it&rsquo;s important for employees to be able to find something to be reaching for &ndash; and if they don&rsquo;t, they may leave, period. If you&rsquo;re a small organisation looking to grow, it&rsquo;s important to instil your staff with the company&rsquo;s vision for the future; mostly, they want to know how they can be a part of that, and what it means for their career progression. As a larger business, you walk the edge of a knife &ndash; wanting to ensure employees know that the potential to progress is there, but imparting confidence that whilst there&rsquo;s healthy competition for that promotion, everyone&rsquo;s in for a shot at progressing in some way, shape or form. Those unable to understand the route to further their career within their current organisation are oftentimes those who come through our doors; as a manager/decision maker within the business who&rsquo;s likely experienced internal progression first-hand, it&rsquo;s all well and good that you yourself know the progression is in fact there. Illustrating that to your employees is another matter entirely. Their next move is horizontal, not vertical A graduate secures their first role out of university; it&rsquo;s a graduate sales scheme, and they do really well. Everyone&rsquo;s happy &ndash; they with their job, and their manager with their performance. A year in, and that same graduate has been talking to their friend in the accounting team; they&rsquo;ve realised that they share a lot of skills, and that the career path offers a lot of what they&rsquo;re after long-term. However, when they approach their boss about a potential move, they&rsquo;re discouraged; they&rsquo;re doing so well in sales! Why would they want to change job roles entirely? If it ain&rsquo;t broke, don&rsquo;t fix it, right? It&rsquo;s not unusual for people to want, at some point, to make a horizontal career move &ndash; that is, changing job roles altogether, taking a side or sometimes even a backwards step in order to diversify their experience and try something new. If an employee has been with a business for a while or has only worked within one division, it can lead to them feeling pigeonholed and limited to doing only that; they feel as though they&rsquo;ll always be &lsquo;that sales guy/gal&rsquo; whilst working here. And from here, it&rsquo;s just a short hop, skip and jump onto the job market. ---- There&rsquo;s no right or wrong reason for someone to wish to seek pastures new &ndash; and there&rsquo;s only so much we as employers can do to retain staff beyond staying competitive and creating a positive, rewarding workspace. Being aware of the reasoning behind their seeking opportunities elsewhere can not only provide well-needed feedback for your organisation, but in some situations could allow you to divert those thinking about leaving and improve company turnover. In such a competitive employment marketplace, these are just a few of many reasons candidates choose to leave their current employers. Rest assured, each candidate you interview from us at Certus will have been fully pre-qualified to determine everything you need to know; we&rsquo;ll know it&rsquo;s a good fit before you do. Get in touch to hear more about the in-depth recruitment model we operate here at Certus Recruitment Group.

Why employees leave - it's not money!

​Congratulations! We&rsquo;ve guided you through what was probably an arduous and at the very least time-consuming interview process, to find ourselves with a job offer on the table at the end of it &ndash; this is the end goal, in everything that we do. So, what now? You&rsquo;ve done the hard part and made it to the pot of gold, but there&rsquo;s work to be done still. As a recruitment partner, our success essentially depends entirely on yours; as such, we want you to be sure that this move is the right one. What should you be asking at this stage? Questions to ask yourself What are my non-negotiables? It&rsquo;s important to keep your head in the game here and not get swept away in the flattery of having been offered a job. What are the things which you wrote down, mentally or physically, as must-haves at the beginning of this process? And have they been included? Whilst I&rsquo;m by no means saying that you shouldn&rsquo;t celebrate getting the offer, stay focused on what you need to see within it. Salary is the obvious one, but think about flexibility, budget, benefits, etc&hellip; For instance &ndash; if you&rsquo;ve worked out a plan of action for your first year in the new role, have agreed said plan with the employer you&rsquo;re joining, but the budget set out for you in writing doesn&rsquo;t quite cut the mustard, talk about it &ndash; you need to know you&rsquo;re going to be helped and supported, not handed obstacles on day one. Or, if your work-from-home Fridays are absolutely imperative, make sure it&rsquo;s in writing. Have I met everyone I need to, to be sure I can do this job? It&rsquo;s important, especially at a more senior level, to meet as many people within the company you&rsquo;ll be joining as possible &ndash; not just the other board members or senior leaders, but perhaps the team you&rsquo;ll be inheriting too, those you&rsquo;ll be managing, the colleagues you&rsquo;ll have day-to-day dealings with. Particularly when we&rsquo;re interviewing at an executive level, this is a given; but, still, make a list in your mind of those whose own jobs you&rsquo;ll be impacting with your acceptance of the offer, and decide if there&rsquo;s anyone else you had ought to meet. This can also help mitigate any teething problems when you start, and ultimately make you feel more at home on day one. Do I know everything I need to about the company? Not just what they do, but their future, their past and what&rsquo;s coming next. Go beyond just hearing what your interviewers have told you &ndash; check news articles, financial reports, share prices. Do your due diligence on LinkedIn to raise any red flags on staff longevity and turnover; make sure you understand where the business is headed. Particularly at a senior level, you should be looking at this as a long-term opportunity &ndash; any nasty surprises when it comes to company instability or market volatility need to factor into your decision making when considering any offer. Research, research, research. Questions to ask your new employer What are your expectations of me? You&rsquo;ve taken this job on the basis of &lsquo;taking the company to the next level&rsquo; or &lsquo;seeing us through this period of explosive growth&rsquo;. But, what does that actually look like? This question can be left as wide or narrow as you need it to be, but one thing is for sure &ndash; you need to know what your new company is expecting you to achieve, how they&rsquo;re expecting you to operate and what you&rsquo;re expected to do, day to day. From simple, logistical expectations such as, &ldquo;When do you expect me to be physically in the office?&rdquo; to actual targets like, &ldquo;What are our year-one measurables?&rdquo;, it couldn&rsquo;t be more important to know, before accepting this offer, that you&rsquo;re on the same level from a practicality/operational perspective. And what they want you to achieve &ndash; short, medium and long term &ndash; should be agreed upon before the first day on the job. What does my full compensation package entail? Salary is one thing, compensation another entirely. Is everything you discussed throughout the interview process detailed in writing in your offer of employment? Share options, car allowances and any other manner of compensation matter in a different way when we&rsquo;re working at a senior level, period. Make sure that all of these things are ironed out and clearly outlined, in writing, before accepting any job offer. It&rsquo;s much easier to negotiate beforehand than once everyone&rsquo;s hand has been shaken. If you&rsquo;re hoping to retire here &ndash; which, at an executive or board level, wouldn&rsquo;t be unusual &ndash; you need to know that the package you&rsquo;re receiving can get you there. What other questions do you find key to confidently and happily accepting an offer of employment? We operate differently here at Certus Recruitment Group; when you truly put your candidates&rsquo; best interests first, the results speak for themselves. That&rsquo;s why so many of our candidates are now clients for whom we happily recruit. We&rsquo;re consultants, not salespeople; get in touch to hear more about our senior and executive level positions across London and the UK.

5 Questions to Ask Before Accepting an Executive Job Offer

​Whilst many, nay likely all of us have suffered at least some form of negative impact throughout the pandemic so far, the already high-pressure environment of a sales career has undoubtedly seen some of the most concerning spikes in poor mental health in the workplace. When performance is so finely attuned to the financial wellbeing of your family, livelihood etc, yet so easily influenced by outside factors, it adds more stress to what&rsquo;s already largely considered one of the most stressful professions out there. So, as business leaders, it&rsquo;s more important than ever for us to cultivate a healthy, safe sales environment for the betterment of our employees&rsquo; mental health. How to go about doing so? 1.Prioritise stress management techniques as a benefit of the job Encourage your staff to take regular breaks, and get active during them &ndash; stepping away from their desk (whether back in the office or a makeshift one at home) just to stare at another screen, this time that of the TV, isn&rsquo;t really disengaging. Exercise is a key player in the stress-management toolbox; is there a subscription you could provide, like Calm for meditation or 8fit for workouts? These are things that your employees may not want to pay for themselves, but it&rsquo;s a small outlay from your end which could hugely benefit the mental health of your salespeople. 2.Encourage creativity; new ideas to solve new problems The truth is, whilst the overall activities of a sales job likely remain the same, the objections and circumstances surrounding every call have changed. This means that the same old training and support being offered likely isn&rsquo;t going to cut it. Get the team together (whether in-person or virtually) to hold regular discussions about what they&rsquo;re coming up against, ways in which they&rsquo;ve managed or attempted to get around these challenges, and how they might do so better moving forwards. Not only will this help drive performance in general, but just the camaraderie and understanding that everyone&rsquo;s facing the same issues, everyone&rsquo;s in it together, will go a long way to promoting the positive mental health of your team. Creativity in unprecedented times comes second only to adaptability in terms of success moving forwards. 3.Communicate with each and every member of your sales team, daily It&rsquo;s often easy to tell when a member of your team isn&rsquo;t doing so well, more so in sales than other professions; they&rsquo;re not as forthcoming, involved, communicative in general. This is something we all as business leaders should be aware of, on top of, and make a huge effort to mitigate &ndash; if you feel like something&rsquo;s off, it probably is. Communicating with each salesperson each day, even if only in short, will make sure you pick up on any potentially negative mental health developments, and be able to try and help from the off; getting to the root of the problem is key to solving it. Not only this, but simply the act of taking the time to communicate individually will strengthen the relationship between manager-employee and leave everyone much more likely to express if they are feeling under the weather or struggling in any way. We all know that mental health simply isn&rsquo;t spoken about enough, so now is the time to change that. 4.Last but not least, be realistic, agile and understanding I&rsquo;m not saying that we should all be given an excuse to underperform against sales targets here; simply that sales targets are very likely going to need rethinking, for the most part. Each situation, industry, product or service needs to be given its fair due in terms of what&rsquo;s realistic right now, and targets or expectations adjusted as such. Unrealistic targets are one of the largest factors to underperformance in sales regardless of the pandemic so, now more than ever, take the time to thoroughly research and understand what your team can achieve &ndash; which might change from day to day, even. Stay agile in your approach to setting expectations. And give your salespeople who, like all of us, are likely suffering some outside pressure, something realistic to aim for. Cultivating a mentally healthy sales environment is something that all business leaders, managers or otherwise decision makers should take pains to do &ndash; what could be more important? It&rsquo;s something we&rsquo;ve been advising clients on for years &ndash; not to mention developing our own. If you&rsquo;d like to talk more for some general advice, or to ask any questions you might have about mental health in sales, it&rsquo;s a subject close to my heart &ndash; leave me a comment below, or drop me a DM here on LinkedIn.

How to Cultivate a Mentally Healthy Sales Environment

Take a second to ponder how many times throughout your professional life you&rsquo;ve heard the phrase, &ldquo;first impressions count&rdquo;. As far as English-speaking colloquialisms go, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;d be wrong to say it&rsquo;s up there as one of the most widely-known and moreover universally respected. But why is that all-important first impression so very crucial? Why is it that we form snap opinions of a person &ndash; and then only very reluctantly turn them around, if it happened that we were wrong? In this two-part series we&rsquo;re going to be exploring the psychology behind first impressions, why we humans have the tendency to judge so quickly and, most importantly, what you can do to ensure yours is as positive as can be. &ldquo;You don&rsquo;t get a second chance to make a first impression.&rdquo; You may have heard, that it takes merely 7 seconds to make your first impression &ndash; that&rsquo;s 7 seconds to sell yourself and display a transparent, genuine projection of who you are. What you may not know is that, 7 seconds aside, it takes only one-tenth of a second for our deep subconscious to make that judgement. Do we even stand a chance? What we want to know is why it happens altogether. Why is it that we can seemingly decide within a matter of split-seconds what we think of the person stood in front of us? (With that said, research shows that we even make first impression judgements based on still photos too &ndash; but that&rsquo;s a whole other kettle of fish we need not get into today&hellip;) The answer is simple: it&rsquo;s in our DNA. &ldquo;First impressions are the most lasting.&rdquo; Think back &ndash; way back &ndash; when people were first exploring the planet, perhaps coming upon new people for the first time. Back then, a first impression didn&rsquo;t mean the difference between getting the job or not; first impressions were inextricably linked to whether you were going to SURVIVE or not. Evolution did away with many unnecessary or now-redundant skills and senses of ours, but not the first impression. We&rsquo;re designed to judge a face based on a few key details, quickly &ndash; the main, most important of those things being trust. And we simply can&rsquo;t help doing so. What else do we look for subconsciously? Fascinatingly and moreover unbeknownst to us, when we see a face for the first time our mind flips through troves of memories to identify whether this face is familiar to us &ndash; it could be that it shares features with an aunty or old friend, generating feelings of warmth, love and trustworthiness; equally, this particular face could share fundamental similarities with that of an estranged ex-partner or old boss. You see how things can go downhill, fast. Other factors include gender, race and, interestingly, attractiveness &ndash; I suppose it makes sense that, once upon a time, survival meant picking a mate. Whilst we all know fundamentally that you can&rsquo;t judge a book by its cover, our innate, human instinct does often take the reins on this one. So, what does this mean in a professional setting? Interviews can be daunting enough without all of this uncontrollable malarkey to think about &ndash; so we reiterate to our candidates day in, day out, the importance of doing your bit to protect that all-important first impression. We might not be able to stop evolution, but we can certainly help ourselves along the way. Think posture. Tone of voice. Eye contact, expression&hellip; The list goes on. All of these things go a long way to creating a genuine, positive and &ndash; I hate to use the word, but &ndash; generally GOOD first impression. Check back in for tomorrow's article, where I&rsquo;ll be spilling the tea on what 20+ years of recruitment experience teaches you about first impressions &ndash; what to do, what not under any circumstances to do, and everything in between.

First Impressions: it’s in our DNA (Part 1)

​Too busy... Too expensive... Too many Applicants... Objections, objections, objections - we hear them every day and through understanding you're busy, we work hard to save time, increase your ROI and deliver the very best in available and often "not on the market" talent. Reach out to our experienced team to discuss your next hire!
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Recruitment Objections (Video)

​​If you are a Senior IT candidate, consider the following Do's and Don't's when preparing your next resume. Reach out and our team of experienced Consultants will help you secure your next position.
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IT Resume Advice (Video)

​Ah, job titles. In today&rsquo;s world of LinkedIn profiles, connection invites and online networking, your job title says a lot about you&hellip; Or does it? It&rsquo;s no secret that with the advent of social media, us professional folk have sometimes been known to&hellip; Well, inflate certain aspects of our positions, especially when it comes to that all-important job title. As recruiters we spend a lot of time on LinkedIn, which means we sometimes share a giggle at job titles from the weird to the wonderful; from the Director of A Very Vague Department to the Manager of Insignificant Office Materials and everything in between, it&rsquo;s safe to say one thing: You can&rsquo;t judge a job by its title. On a serious note, it&rsquo;s something we really have to reiterate as recruiters &ndash; basing your feelings about a potential new role on its job title alone can be a dangerous game, one which may leave you in the lurch long-term. Let&rsquo;s put this in real terms. I&rsquo;m the Sales Director here at Certus Recruitment Group &ndash; what that means is, I hold managerial responsibilities from hiring, conducting one-to-ones and performance reviews, disciplinaries; I carry a personal revenue target along with overall responsibility for the P&amp;L of the business here in London; my day is spent training, managing and of course staying &lsquo;hands on&rsquo; &ndash; selling. I&rsquo;m involved in devising our business strategy, goal setting, client relations, account management&hellip; Essentially, I touch upon all aspects of managing this business, inside and out, and report directly to our CEO. That&rsquo;s why my job title is Sales Director. Conversely, I once recruited for an events software business who were looking to hire a &lsquo;Sales Director&rsquo;&hellip; Whose sole job it was to cold call, visit clients and sell a SaaS platform. The role carried a solid mid-level salary with great benefits and commission, but it certainly couldn&rsquo;t be called what most of us would a classic &lsquo;Sales Director&rsquo; position. With different roles carrying the same job title but a huge difference in level and responsibility, it&rsquo;s so important as a job seeker not to write any positions off based on that title alone. With the classic org chart for many industries diversifying, it&rsquo;s not as simple as it used to be to identify a &lsquo;step up&rsquo; in role by its name alone; put simply, different job titles mean entirely different things, for different companies. Job adverts online are notorious for often being badly written, brief or simply unhelpful; it&rsquo;s never been more important to really delve into the details. If the salary is thereabouts, the duties match your current role or, better yet, look to be somewhat of a step up and ultimately you like the sound of the role &ndash; but the job title sounds too junior? Reserve judgement and get the proper details. Whether applying through a recruiter like us or to the employer directly, ask as many questions as you can when it comes to the nitty-gritty of each job. A ton of factors are in play when it comes to officially choosing a job title &ndash; from the size and scope of the company itself to internal politics and everything that happens up to a position becoming live, there&rsquo;s lots going on behind the scenes. I&rsquo;ve met Business Development Managers who carry the weight of the company on their shoulders; I&rsquo;ve met Sales Managers who conduct their business solely over the phone, from self-generated leads. I&rsquo;ve met Marketing Execs with more widespread experience than some Marketing Directors who earn three times their salary, and I&rsquo;ve met company Directors who hold absolutely zero authority over company goings-on, financials or otherwise. As a job seeker you should be judging each job based on what it is you&rsquo;re looking for &ndash; more responsibility, or different ones? A larger financial target? More budget to play with, a bigger team to manage, more territory to look after? Or does the move come down to reasons which don&rsquo;t denote a step forward in your career &ndash; remember, a sideways step isn&rsquo;t a bad thing to take, if the company itself offer opportunity to progress in the future. Part of our job as a specialist recruitment company is to understand the ins and outs of every role we try to fill, not to mention the clients we represent; it&rsquo;s why I&rsquo;m confident that when one of my consultants talk to you about a role, they won&rsquo;t do so unless they know it&rsquo;s a good fit &ndash; regardless of what it might be called. Whatever it is you&rsquo;re looking for, it could go by many names. Like I said &ndash; don&rsquo;t judge a job by its title.

Don’t judge a role by its job title

​​It&rsquo;s a debate I&rsquo;ve seen around a few times, and it&rsquo;s pretty polarising; people seem to sit entirely on one side of the fence or the other, no middle-grounders. Thank you emails: should we take the time to send them, or are they irrelevant in this day and age? As with anything, there are obvious pros and cons, along with tons of extraneous variables and situational circumstances which might affect your answer; nonetheless, it&rsquo;s an interesting idea to ponder in general. Should we still go out of our way to extend those lovely, somewhat redundant manners to each person we come into contact with in business &ndash; no less encourage our team to do so &ndash; or does it really not matter at all? To delve more deeply, this isn&rsquo;t about sending a quick note to say thanks; it&rsquo;s about how much value you stake in attention to detail, manners and accountability when it comes to doing business. There are lots of critical tasks which go with many jobs &ndash; let&rsquo;s use recruitment as an example, for obvious reasons. I need to be providing my clients with information, updates, support and ideas; I also need to be proactively trying to generate new ones. I need to be having conversations with potential candidates, existing candidates, job seekers active and passive. All of these tasks centre around me achieving what I need to, being productive and getting things done. So, where does time spent doing the little things which may or may not pay dividends long-term fit into it all? MD of our sister company Certus Graduate, Sam Wheeler, recently wrote about the important/urgent debate. Is sending a thank you email either of those things &ndash; urgent or important? In truth, you could argue it either way &ndash; for both points. Tapping out a quick thank you email isn&rsquo;t going to affect those things which are already in motion, nor is it going to morbidly offend anyone if they weren&rsquo;t to receive one &ndash; hopefully, anyway. So is it urgent or important? Let&rsquo;s go with no in this instance. But then, from the other point of view, it might be both; urgent, because saying thanks in a weeks&rsquo; time for something the client will have forgotten about by then is redundant &ndash; do it now, or don&rsquo;t bother. And important because a client may not specifically remember, a week later on, that you thanked them in an email &ndash; but they&rsquo;re much more likely to remember if you didn&rsquo;t thank them at all. Sending a quick thank you email comes naturally to me &ndash; in the same way that I&rsquo;d say it aloud if someone were to hold the door open for me, serve me a beer, or even in passing tell me how cute my pup Yuki is (see my last post for proof). Most people would agree with those three &ndash; so why shouldn&rsquo;t dropping someone a quick thank you email take precedence? It shows good manners &ndash; but, not sending one doesn&rsquo;t necessarily point to them being bad or non-existent. It also says a lot about how much you value the individual&rsquo;s time &ndash; but again, not doing so might mean that you don&rsquo;t want to take up any more of it with something they may see as pointless or irrelevant. It&rsquo;s truly one I could argue back and forth. Discussing this amongst the team, it certainly got us thinking about the type of recruiters we want to be; it&rsquo;s by no means a black and white, right or wrong answer. But, when it comes to continuing to differentiate ourselves in the markets we operate within, who knows; perhaps a simple &lsquo;thank you&rsquo; could make all the difference between us and one of our competitors. We like to think there&rsquo;s more to it than that &ndash; but it&rsquo;s a great place to start. What say you? Are you a thank you note-er? Whether you&rsquo;re pro thank you emails or against, one thing you can count on from us here at Certus Melbourne is excellence in service above all else; get in touch with our Aussie team.

Thank You Emails: to send or not to send?

When I first started working in recruitment, we received our applicants via fax machine. There you go &ndash; I&rsquo;ve said it and I&rsquo;m not ashamed. To say we&rsquo;ve moved on since &lsquo;those days&rsquo; would be an understatement &ndash; not only us as a people, but the way we communicate, do business and recruit. And, as 2019 draws to an end, we&rsquo;re readying ourselves for an exciting but somewhat intimidating influx to the job-seeking marketplace: Generation Z. Let&rsquo;s go through the basics here: Gen Y aka &lsquo;Millennials&rsquo;: grew up with technology, developing as they did; wasn&rsquo;t attached to a mobile phone until the age of perhaps 12 or 13; raised by hands-on &lsquo;Boomers&rsquo;; born (roughly) between 1981 and 1996. Gen Z aka &lsquo;Digital Natives&rsquo;: unthinkably connected to technology and social media (think Instagram and Snapchat); grew up with iPad in hand; largely considered to be the most educated generation yet; born between the years of 1996 and 2010, or thereabouts. As with anything, knowing your target is crucial to success. The need-to-knows for recruiting Gen Z. They&rsquo;re known as &lsquo;digital natives&rsquo; for a reason; this contingent of the population is particularly linked to technology, but not as you may know it. Studies show that, unlike Gen Y before them, Gen Z don&rsquo;t take as much notice of LinkedIn and Facebook &ndash; if any at all. These guys are all about the apps, so connecting with them on &lsquo;their level&rsquo; is key; according to some, even emails are outdated. It&rsquo;s also important remember that this generation has essentially lived their whole lives with a mobile phone &ndash; quick and constant communication is vital to gaining and moreover keeping their attention. As a business, you need to ensure that tech is at the forefront of your hiring strategy &ndash; whether that be utilizing instant messaging services for prompt responses, implementing AI/&rsquo;chat bots&rsquo; to garner that initial contact or simply ensuring your business demonstrates cutting-edge tech tools and resources for their employees. We also know that Gen Z are very visual; that bland, black-and-white, text-only advert on a job board (which, apparently, they won&rsquo;t be using anyway) won&rsquo;t cut it with these guys. Use videos to market your business and give them true insight into who they&rsquo;d be working for; curate exciting, eye-catching marketing materials to showcase the kind of business they&rsquo;ll be joining. Compared to the purported 12-second attention span of Millennials, the &lsquo;iGeneration&rsquo; top out at just 8 seconds &ndash; so you&rsquo;ll need to be quick, and persistent. And what do they value above all else? Unlike Millennials, who were brought up by us Baby Boomers seemingly reveling in our economic fortune (hmm), Gen Z have lived through some of the toughest recessions to date &ndash; so, it&rsquo;s no wonder that every study we could find shows that above all they&rsquo;re after job security and stability. Generation Z may have experienced their parents, loved ones, close friends or otherwise losing their jobs and the subsequent struggles which came from it; at the very least, those entering the job market now have learned about it throughout their extensive education. It follows that they want to join businesses who offer them real security &ndash; unlike Gen Y who, as we very well know, are more likely to throw caution to the wind, set up for themselves and go about &lsquo;disrupting&rsquo; their chosen market. Gen Z seem to value authenticity and integrity most of all; it&rsquo;s no secret that in procuring new clients we all rely more and more on word of mouth, referrals and business won on the back of great reviews. When it comes to shopping (which, interestingly, they don&rsquo;t do a lot of online) this up and coming generation put more stock in reviews, testimonials and genuine feedback from real people (read: &lsquo;influencers&rsquo;) than they do price or value for money. It makes sense that the same would be said about who they want to work for. Utilising platforms like Glassdoor to build your company&rsquo;s brand and voice from the outside-in will give Gen Z some real food for thought when it comes to choosing to work for you. Allow your employees to create their own personal brand too &ndash; within your business, let people &lsquo;be themselves&rsquo; and project that to any potential hires, whether online via social media or throughout the interview process. Let Gen Z see &lsquo;the real you&rsquo;, and you might just secure their engagement and efforts long term.
To recap:
<ul>
<li>
Engage on their level &ndash; using instant messaging rather than email, apps rather than websites.
</li>
<li>
Campaign visual &ndash; use videos and images over text to grab their attention.
</li>
<li>
Keep it snappy &ndash; you&rsquo;ve got 8 seconds to make your point.
</li>
<li>
Keep it real &ndash; don&rsquo;t try to hire a Digital Native on a false promise. Generation Z are all about honesty, integrity and authenticity.
</li>
</ul>
How do you feel about the incoming flood of fresh faces we&rsquo;re going to be interviewing over the coming years? Has your business adapted its processes to include this ambitious generation and, if so, how?

Are you ready to hire Gen Z?

​Give it to me straight: do you struggle to manage your staff remotely? It&rsquo;s something all business leaders have had to adapt to, with varying levels of success and enjoyment. The small things we value so much &ndash; dropping by a teammate&rsquo;s desk for a quick coaching session, or having them shadow you on a call (it&rsquo;s a little more difficult to hide an extra zoom attendee) &ndash; are more tough now that so many teams are entirely remote. It&rsquo;s a problem many are grappling with. Fundamentally, once again, it comes down to adaptability. Adapting your skills to work around the requirements of your business. And those requirements right now are all about management and coaching from afar. Here are some things I implemented across my own team whilst we were all working from home during those long lockdown periods &ndash; but which I believe will come in handy from here on in. Focus on outcomes and deliverables, not actions and activity A huge problem facing many managers is how to effectively ask their team, &ldquo;So, what have you been up to?&rdquo;, without seeming as though they&rsquo;re trying to virtually micromanage. Not only is &ldquo;showing up&rdquo; virtually taking its toll on many employees (that&rsquo;s the need to be seen keeping busy without a visual), but you have to understand that activity may look a little different from home. As such, take care to avoid focusing on this; instead, focus on the goals you&rsquo;ve set and the outcomes you&rsquo;re aiming towards. Where the team is at against them, what challenges they&rsquo;re facing and how we can work around these. What limitations has remote work put on them, and solutions to those. Think about what outcomes can we achieve today; not what activity levels are we pushing out on the daily. Establish effective communication Like I said, when you&rsquo;re in the office, it&rsquo;s more than easy to wander over to a team member&rsquo;s desk for clarification on a certain point or question. When your staff is remote, this is virtually impossible, and often results in frustrating back-and-forths to arrange a call for something which may have taken a quick second to sort otherwise. Establish effective communication processes for different things &ndash; i.e. Slack for the quick questions, email for ongoing projects, picking up the phone for urgent answers. You&rsquo;ll improve communication as a whole once they understand the urgency and intent behind each different tool. Provide more feedback than ever Your formal performance reviews are one thing but, with the pandemic as a whole, people may be feeling less secure or confident than ever. As their manager, it&rsquo;s down to you to help coach and guide them through this. Feedback is a great way to do so. In the office, you can shout out a quick well done and hand out high fives (or elbows, as the times would have it) without issue. It can be more difficult to do so virtually. Don&rsquo;t wait around for performance reviews or virtual 1:1s &ndash; provide real-time feedback whenever you&rsquo;re working with a colleague online, whether that&rsquo;s private to them (where an improvement could perhaps be made) or using team channels (to congratulate a success or achievement). Let them know what they&rsquo;re doing well, and coach them on the things they need help with. Ask how they&rsquo;re feeling, and work to ensure each staff member knows where they stand. Being a manager of remote employees requires patience, empathy and a whole lot of trust &ndash; but build the right team, and these will all come naturally. We&rsquo;re helping businesses find the top talent the global market has to offer. Whether in the office, working from home or otherwise, our processes help you qualify all you need to from the staff who might help you achieve those important outcomes. Get in touch.

Management Skills for the Age of Remote Work

​We all know how important brand advocacy can be to the growth of a business, especially in the early stages. Brand advocates build your reputation through word of mouth marketing and ultimately win you new customers; word of mouth often being cited as the best kind of marketing, given that it&rsquo;s free! So instead, what is employee advocacy &ndash; and what benefit can it play in terms of growing not your revenues, but the team itself? Employee advocacy is effectively the same process, but pertaining to your current workforce telling those around them how great it is to do so &ndash; and elevating your desirability as an employer as a result. In today&rsquo;s world, employee advocacy is largely done online; your current team should be sharing what it&rsquo;s like to work for you, talking about how you&rsquo;re doing things differently, and ultimately promoting the company culture as a benefit to working for you via social media. Any candidate worth their salt will look into all of these things upon entering your recruitment process &ndash; and it might just make the difference when it comes to capturing the attention of the market&rsquo;s top talent. Activating your current employees as advocates could be the key tool to elevating your talent pipeline this year. Here are some of the benefits you can expect from having done so. Increased staff retention When a new hire has been enticed to come on board via employee advocacy, they already have a more sound understanding of what it&rsquo;s like to work for your business and have likely made a more informed decision than otherwise; having a visual of your company culture beforehand will leave them more excited to join. Seeing what their future team is up to before joining gives new hires a better idea of where they can make an impact from the off, helping them to set goals and envision their path toward achieving them. All of these aspects of employee advocacy throughout the hiring process combined mean that new hires are more purpose-driven, and more likely to build a longstanding career within your company. Increased organic applicants Do your employees love working for you? Then let them shout about it! When those your employees are connected with online begin seeing the enthusiasm your workforce hold in talking about their role, the company they work for and the company culture they embody, people are going to take notice. This will increase the number of people who add YOUR business to their &ldquo;target companies&rdquo; list, meaning that if and when their job search begins, your name will be on their lips. Organic applicants could mean direct approaches from individuals who want to work for you without a specific opportunity in mind, or even those who ask an agency like us to approach you on their behalf! Improved company culture Jobseekers want to join a company who have something about them; who promote great culture from within and take doing so seriously. Whilst you really have to live it to learn it, visible employee advocacy on social media can give a great insight to potential hires. And, as an added bonus for you &ndash; it means that in order to share it, your employees will have to be living it! Promoting a strong company culture externally means embodying it internally. So, make sure yours is well-defined and encourage your employees to let the world know what it&rsquo;s like to work here. Remember: company culture doesn&rsquo;t just mean posting pics of virtual lunch clubs or Zoom beers; it&rsquo;s about who your employees are, the ups and downs of their roles. The successes, the challenges, and how they overcame them. A final great thing about employee advocacy? Aside from being a great recruitment tool, it&rsquo;ll naturally help boost your business&rsquo; online presence, exposure and reach on social media. The business benefits that using employee advocacy to attract talent are numerous and vast in their advantage. When we work onsite with clients in a managed serviced capacity, this is all something which comes under what we do. We&rsquo;re here to find your next quality hires, but also to improve your overall recruitment strategy as an overarching service led by us. To learn more about how, get in touch today.

How Employee Advocacy Can Benefit Your Business

Recruitment, Simplified...

​Online presence is a term that&rsquo;s being banded around all over the place these days. Not only do we have to cultivate a certain gravitas and skill for speaking to people &ldquo;IRL&rdquo;, we now have to do the same in the online world, too?! To answer that question, yes. And it&rsquo;s especially important when you&rsquo;re hoping to recruit new staff, whether the business is your own or you manage a team within one. So what does online presence mean? Literally speaking, your online presence encompasses everything someone could find if they were to search your business or name. It includes any associated websites, social media profiles, published works, news and more. It&rsquo;s every post you make, whether personal or professional, company or individual; every blog you put your name to; any press release in which you&rsquo;re mentioned, whether personally or at company level. The job adverts you post, your online reviews&hellip; You&rsquo;re getting it, right? But why is online presence so important when recruiting? We live in the digital age; if you have a question, I&rsquo;m sure the majority of people would agree that the first place you head to is Google. We have to assume the same can be said for any job seeking candidate who&rsquo;s introduced to your business, whether through a recruiter like us or having found you directly. Whether they&rsquo;ve just seen an advert online or yours is a name many endeavour to work for in general, it&rsquo;s pertinent to think about what your online activities say about you &ndash; because the talent you want onboard is going to be looking at it. What should we be thinking about specifically? In short: everything. At company level, your website needs to reflect the professionalism you embody as a business &ndash; in terms of both aesthetics and usability. Make sure it&rsquo;s a representation of what you do and actually gives jobseekers an idea of your value proposition. You should be using company social feeds to talk about industry matters, news, hot topics and fundamentally what you do, to show that you&rsquo;re &ldquo;with the times&rdquo;, up to date on current affairs and ultimately still relevant. And finally, on a personal level, post about things you care about! Humanise the person on the other side of the hypothetical interview table (/Zoom meeting host). Make someone want to come and work for you, not just the company. And don&rsquo;t forget, it&rsquo;s not just about what content you&rsquo;re putting out. Is your website being kept up to date? Do you still have old, long-ago-filled job vacancies listed? What does your online housekeeping say about your business? CEOs, I&rsquo;m talking to you! You shouldn&rsquo;t just be looking after the company page and be done with it &ndash; your personal presence counts, too. More and more jobseekers are searching up C-suite individuals when looking for a new opportunity, to see who it is they&rsquo;re going to be working for and looking for that all-important cultural fit from the off. Plus, prior research into your personal profile could provide them with strong points on which to build rapport at interview &ndash; everyone&rsquo;s a winner. And as for candidates? Yep, it works both ways &ndash; quite rightly, jobseekers are beginning to look at their own online presence as an extension of their resum&eacute;. If a candidate has included a link to their LinkedIn profile, don&rsquo;t be afraid to take a look! As a hiring manager, you&rsquo;ll be able to get a good feel for how they&rsquo;re spending their time online, the sort of content and ideas they connect with (check out the &ldquo;Activity&rdquo; section on their profile) and whether that&rsquo;s something that works for you. As with anything recruitment-related, it&rsquo;s a two-way street. Online presence is something all business leaders need to be aware and on top of in order to attract the very top level of talent. We&rsquo;re proud to have recently hit 30,000 followers on our company page and, if you&rsquo;ve followed me for a while, you&rsquo;ll see that I like to throw out some of my own inner musings from time to time. The truth is, I&rsquo;m hiring &ndash; and I want people in this wonderful world of LinkedIn to see the real me, so they can make an informed decision about getting in touch. Now is an incredible time to be joining Certus Melbourne so, if you&rsquo;re an experienced recruiter reading this and thinking about how well aligned our values seem to be&hellip; I&rsquo;d love to hear from you!

The Importance of Online Presence

Staff turnover is a concept all leaders, HR teams and business owners have to contend with. It&rsquo;s a term often used interchangeably with employee attrition, churn, and many others, all of which effectively pose the same question: how many people are leaving your business, and how often do they come and go? Hiring costs money, so it follows that having an overview of the things which affect how long people stick around for is crucial to long-term, sustainable growth. As business leaders, when we hire a person, we&rsquo;re investing in them &ndash; be that time spent throughout the hiring process, costs associated with training, equipment and the like, and even the emotional investment which comes with making a key hire, one you believe could make a real difference to your company. Whilst attrition happens naturally in a lot of cases &ndash; retirements, redundancies, a friendly parting of ways even &ndash; there are things we can do to help. And the key is to first understand what might be causing people to leave. Here are some key areas which may be contributing to a high staff turnover in your business, along with what you can do to improve them. Hiring Process A huge aspect of employee turnover comes down to simply hiring the right people! If you&rsquo;re having employees come on board and leave before their time, or certainly sooner than you&rsquo;d expected or hoped, it&rsquo;s time to look at your recruitment process and ask questions as to where the disconnect is happening. Are you taking the time to find out all you need to know about each individual, from experience and suitability to cultural fit? Are you giving a true representation of what it&rsquo;s like to work for you? Are you staying true to the job you&rsquo;ve outlined for this person and the responsibilities it entails? Hire the right people to begin with, and your turnover rate will naturally reduce. Onboarding Issues with onboarding usually happen when an unrealistic expectation is set for the role during the interview process, and/or a lack of preparation on the business&rsquo; part for that all-important start date. Whilst this alone may not affect whether your employees stay or go as it were, what it does do is set a precedent &ndash; so it&rsquo;s important to get right. Have your onboarding process nailed down, including goals set, timelines built and expectations managed, then keep in constant contact for feedback throughout. This way, you&rsquo;ll be able to potentially see and then mitigate any issues before they lead to an employee leaving the company prematurely. Simply put: start as you mean to go on. Workplace Factors There are occasions when you&rsquo;re going to hire someone and they just won&rsquo;t be a fit &ndash; it&rsquo;s unfortunate, but inevitable, given that company culture is tricky to both identify and portray at interview. That being said, there are definite workplace factors you do have control over, and they can affect turnover massively. Such things include work-life balance; it&rsquo;s becoming evermore important, as is championing mental health. Showing you care about your employees&rsquo; wellbeing will go a long way to garnering their loyalty. On top of this, pay attention to employee relations internally, and make sure there&rsquo;s no toxicity growing amongst individuals or teams. Cultivate a positive, healthy workplace, and don&rsquo;t be surprised when employees stick around as a result. Overall, staff turnover is inevitable &ndash; but keeping in mind these key areas could go a long way to improving it at the very least. We help companies build workforce strategies which start from the initial hire, reaching through the onboarding process and beyond, to reduce turnover and make your business an employer of choice. To talk more about how, get in touch.

Staff Turnover: Areas for Improvement

​It&rsquo;s with much pride that I&rsquo;m able to say, after 10 years working in the recruitment industry, the vast majority of roles I work on with clients on are now done so on a retained basis. It&rsquo;s something which we recruiters truly understand the value of &ndash; because we&rsquo;re the ones driving it &ndash; but it&rsquo;s exciting to see that actively recruiting employers are beginning to see retained search in the same light. Particularly in times of uncertainty, engaging with a recruitment partner on a guaranteed-outcome basis simply makes sense &ndash; and here&rsquo;s why. Time is valuable &ndash; so save it Managing applications; working out who came from where. Receiving multiple profiles, which come through at different times, from different recruitment partners who have varying terms. Composing emails to multiple agencies, to coordinate times which may or may not work for their candidate. Receiving confirmations at different times, or requests for a different interview slot, instead of having that one partner simply make the arrangements. Following up with each individual agency afterwards. These are just the extra tasks you have to do when working with multiple agencies&hellip; Now add to that all of your actual recruitment activities &ndash; the interviewing itself, for instance &ndash; and you&rsquo;ve got yourself some serious man-hours to put aside for this. Retained search means one simplified, streamlined channel for all communications. That&rsquo;s one person to talk to regarding who&rsquo;s in the process, when you&rsquo;re meeting them, how they feel about the opportunity, and everything else which comes along with making a hire. Working on a retained basis saves you time &ndash; of that fact, there&rsquo;s no doubt. Quality trumps speed &ndash; the best, not the convenient The upfront nature of retained placements mean that they&rsquo;re our number one priority to fill. However, that by no definition means we&rsquo;re going to rush; in fact, quite the opposite. We want to fill the role with the best candidate for the job, however long it takes, but with a priority push at all times. When working on a retained assignment, it&rsquo;s not a race to pre-qualify candidates and get them over to you before another agency does, potentially missing out key pieces of information and things which needed further qualification, in the name of securing their representation. Now, it&rsquo;s about taking our time to present the most fully-qualified, relevant people &ndash; still in a timely manner, of course, but ensuring that quality of hire is top of mind, rather than speed. Retained search means more candidates who are fundamentally right for the role, rather than those who are simply available. Money is an object &ndash; but not an obstacle Because of the &ldquo;pre-authorised&rdquo; nature of these projects, you simply don&rsquo;t have to worry about &lsquo;paying extra&rsquo; should a higher-level candidate come about, or negotiating salary based on the fee you may end up paying us. Money becomes less of a priority and, again, it all comes back around to ensuring you get the absolute best candidate. When we recruiters work on a contingency basis, nothing is guaranteed; from the off, we&rsquo;re trying to recoup hours (and therefore costs) spent on sourcing, interviewing and placing candidates. When it comes to retained, we can focus our efforts without the stress or pressure which might lead to a less than perfect decision. That&rsquo;s all not to mention that you know what you&rsquo;re paying for this hire from the get-go &ndash; plus the time (AKA cost) savings we mentioned above. In times like that which we&rsquo;ve been experiencing for the past 12 months or so, with uncertainty rife and finances never entirely secured, it just makes sense. Recruitment is what I do, retained search is what I love; if you&rsquo;re currently or soon-to-be conducting a recruitment campaign for a key position within your business, I&rsquo;d love to show you some case studies where my team has been successful in the past &ndash; moreover, how we&rsquo;re doing things differently to add value throughout the process. Send me a direct message here on LinkedIn, or call the Melbourne office today on +61 (03) 8644 6891.

The Beauty & Benefits of Retained Search

​Being a marketer a few decades ago was a very different path from that of today. The explosive growth of the MarTech industry is not something to ignore.
&nbsp;
Although businesses had already been making use of digital strategies, the global pandemic caused an accelerated shift towards the digital revolution.
&nbsp;
The Marketing and Technology sectors have blended, MarTech is born - it&rsquo;s expanding at a rapid rate and now might be the most exciting time to upskill and make that career switch.
&nbsp;
What is MarTech?
&nbsp;
Marketing technology refers to the systems and tools that help marketers better engage with their audiences. These tools streamline and automate processes, saving marketing professionals heaps of time while enabling them to analyse the success of their efforts.
&nbsp;
Why MarTech?
&nbsp;
Modern marketing simply doesn&rsquo;t exist without MarTech. Digital transformation is as much about the development of people as it is technology. Today&rsquo;s marketing teams need a mix of creativity and technology to thrive.
&nbsp;
Businesses are seeking people with traditional marketing skills to blend with the next generation of technical tools. Balancing branding, communications and creative-based roles, with automation, analytics and data.
&nbsp;
Remote opportunities
&nbsp;
The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work. More than ever, people are looking to move past decades of 9-5 office-centric work, seeking new ways to operate, be it flexibly, remotely or part-time.
&nbsp;
Marketing was one of the leading sectors that thrived with flexibility and remote-working. The future of work is dispersed &ndash; with better work-life balance, less commuting stress and location freedom - working from home / wherever you fancy is more important than ever.
&nbsp;
The MarTech sector has put remote working at the forefront, with progressive businesses building remote teams.
&nbsp;
Lets you market smarter
&nbsp;
The innovation of MarTech tools enables you to be a better marketer, it&rsquo;s that simple. If you use Google Analytics to track performance on your website, or send emails through MailChimp, you're already using MarTech.
&nbsp;
Examples include:
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Email marketing
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Content management systems
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Optimisation platforms
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Data analytics
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Customer data platforms
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Social media platforms
&nbsp;
Technologies like these save marketers time, making them more efficient and in turn able to deliver and measure results better.
&nbsp;
Accelerating salary
&nbsp;
Ambitious organisations are on the lookout for people to bridge the gap between marketing and tech. The synergy between the sectors has created a new profession and in turn, has elevated salaries and day rates.
&nbsp;
A recent LinkedIn study suggests that despite the pandemic and its economic consequences, opportunities in the marketing sector are only expanding, with roles in digital leading the charge.
&nbsp;
This is an exciting time to move into MarTech, particularly due to salary benefits. The Marketing Technology industry has consistently grown over the last five years. The revenue of this sector is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.6% through 2021-22 and reach &pound;4.6 billion. With revenue on the rise, the average MarTech salary in the UK is &pound;50,000 per year, with entry positions starting at &pound;40,000 and more experienced candidates receiving &pound;78,000 a year.
&nbsp;
Self-service mindset
&nbsp;
The movement towards the remote work model has given people more control over how they work. Now, there are ample opportunities to enhance your existing skills in order to develop within modern marketing roles, like:
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Program manager
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Martech project manager
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing technology product owner
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing technologist
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Digital marketing operations
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing automation
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing database, architect and integration
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing analytics, insights and science
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing tech business analyst
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Scrum master
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Growth hacker
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Marketing Operations
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Account Executive SaaS
&nbsp;
Investment in MarTech
&nbsp;
Before the pandemic, investment in MarTech was on the rise. On average, brands in the UK and North America are spending 26% of their overall marketing budgets on MarTech, which includes automation software, analytics tools and artificial intelligence.
&nbsp;
MarTech isn&rsquo;t going anywhere, and it only plans to get bigger. While the world pieces itself back together, companies are investing in marketing platforms at rapid rates. Many are also hiring people with varied, broad marketing backgrounds and skill sets.
&nbsp;
Tips for the emerging Marketing Technologist
&nbsp;
Choosing to develop your knowledge with in-demand, transferable digital marketing skills will keep you on the path to professional success.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Get involved in online MarTech communities
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Read leading insights
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Check out courses like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.marketing-technology.academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The MarTech Academy</a>
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Listen to&nbsp;<a href="https://martechpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The MarTech Podcast</a>
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Connect with people in the industry (networking events, LinkedIn)
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Upskill with platforms like&nbsp;<a href="https://skillshop.withgoogle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Skillshop</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwixwqG0-efzAhWV6-0KHaQlCjkYABAAGgJkZw&amp;ae=2&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESQeD2dR9dNiyCXQtsf5L0S3CF5WNXc0CWRNCuuH2StTIz_kBXB_Qt9H1SKkwoS-b55izwqbq3h1j_9cbiCN8e_-7P&amp;sig=AOD64_2-DrY8vnfDDolY8nlBWdCHfHUdew&amp;q&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjS1Jq0-efzAhVIgVwKHVDnAVoQ0Qx6BAgCEAE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HubSpot Academy</a>
&nbsp;
The digital revolution has not only had a dramatic impact on how we recruit for talented candidates, but it&rsquo;s also introduced a whole new world of roles on the market.
&nbsp;
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Are you ready to take the leap?
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
At Certus, we embrace all things digital, adapting and refining our offering as the space evolves.
&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re always looking out for fresh talent to match with innovative and exciting organisations. If you&rsquo;re looking for advice or your next opportunity,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/company/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get in touch.</a>

There’s Never Been A Better Time To Switch To MarTech

​Many of our clients are beating the same drum as we are when it comes to investing in their people; those who will help drive customer experience forwards, upwards and onwards &ndash; the importance of which can&rsquo;t be underestimated in 2021 and beyond. But what CX trends do we have to look forward to this year? CX Trends: Social proof is the key Verifying products and information has become a pivotal part of the customer journey and decision-making process. Per Hubspot, 82% of people look at online reviews when researching a product or service and 70% of those trust the online customer opinions they do read. Social proof provides customers with a story, and it has a few means to being extremely influential as to whether they purchase or not &ndash; from customer success (hearing stories from people who&rsquo;ve used/implemented your product or service successfully and how so), to peer approval (reviews from people they consider to be of their own ilk, and trustworthy, which reinforces their own thoughts and feelings about your business), and that all-important expert endorsement (figureheads who customers consider to be an expert giving you the thumbs up). This year, companies will place even more of a focus on generating social proof as a key part of their CX strategy, to convert those inquiries or &ldquo;might-bes&rdquo; to the next stage of the journey. CX Trends: Voice is making a come-back Whilst the instantaneous nature of online chat still has a huge part to play, the pandemic seemingly taught us a few things &ndash; one being that many people are now more likely to seek out a friendly voice on the end of a phone than they are to jump into conversation with a bot on your website or send an email. The reason behind this is two-fold: with the advent of Covid-19, the problems customers are looking for a solution to are often more complex than before and, aside from that, a sympathetic ear never goes amiss. Companies will begin analysing their communication channels in order to understand which provide the best results &ndash; which could come down to number of sales closed, percentage of queries resolved in one call, and so on and so forth. Particularly with consumer-driven businesses, voice will continue and grow to be a key channel for customer service in terms of taking CX to the next level; as it&rsquo;s also a job which can largely be done from home as well, we expect to see businesses recruiting and investing heavily in the training for these teams. CX Trends: Emotion analytics to the forefront Emotion has always played a huge part in the customer decision-making process, whatever it is your business does &ndash; but actually utilising tools to understanding what&rsquo;s going on in customers&rsquo; minds will be at the forefront in 2021. As brands seek to understand more about their customers&rsquo; needs and the psychology behind their buying process, the emotions involved will become ever more important &ndash; particularly as we navigate into this new world of empathy and community. Using emotion analytics as a tool to upgrading customer experience (that is, measuring the impact you have, from advertising to the product or service itself) could provide interesting and useful data as to where we should be focusing efforts and aiming to improve. CX is a team affair &ndash; having the right people in key places is crucial to making a strong strategy work. Get in touch to learn more about how we can help you find those individuals and get things rolling.

CX Trends for 2021

Have you ever taken a sip of your drink, only to find that it&rsquo;s not at all what you expected? If you thought it was water and find yourself sipping a diet coke, the feeling is unpleasant &ndash; no matter how much you might like diet coke usually. That&rsquo;s because you weren&rsquo;t expecting it. When it comes to managing expectations, there&rsquo;s no skill more important in terms of building strong, happy relationships. In business, this applies to all parties; your clients, customers, colleagues, even your own boss and those who report directly to you. To give an example: if you make a promise to deliver a piece of work in ten days and have it completed in seven, you&rsquo;re a hero. If you made the promise to be done within five but deliver in seven, there&rsquo;s going to be disappointment. The outcome is the same &ndash; the work was delivered in seven days &ndash; but in the case of the latter, because you didn&rsquo;t properly manage expectations the relationship has been negatively impacted. So, whether you&rsquo;re a manager, salesperson, business owner or otherwise, here are some things to think about when it comes to managing expectations &ndash; moreover, how doing so can really improve and strengthen the relationships you build across the board. Managing your employees&rsquo; expectations Unaddressed employee expectations can unfortunately lead to demotivation, and sometimes even resentment in the workplace. This means you need to clearly define what your responsibilities are as the leader, communicate these to your team and then be accountable for fulfilling these actions. In the employee-manager relationship, many things can fall under &lsquo;expectations&rsquo;. This could be the expectation of one-on-one coaching, regular reviews or feedback; the expectation that you&rsquo;ll step in to help close a deal; even down to making sure your team understands when you&rsquo;re available, i.e. if it&rsquo;s okay to get in touch outside of working hours or not. If your direct reports are expecting something from you &ndash; even something intangible like support or guidance &ndash; it&rsquo;s your job to address this by either providing it or, if it shouldn&rsquo;t be coming from you, pointing them in the right direction instead. Miscommunication of expectations can cause myriad problems and disappointments in the workplace &ndash; which will inevitably affect performance in the long run. Managing your customers&rsquo; expectations Whilst we don&rsquo;t necessarily want to champion the somewhat old fashioned &ldquo;under-promise, over-deliver&rdquo; stance, managing expectations is key to building a long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationship with your customers. Instead, try to take more of a &ldquo;be realistic and deliver your best&rdquo; attitude, remaining transparent, open and honest throughout the journey. Whether you work in recruitment like us or another industry entirely, it&rsquo;s universally understood that humans want to know where they stand &ndash; meaning even if it&rsquo;s not the answer we want, we&rsquo;d rather be told the truth. Managing your customers&rsquo; expectations means giving regular updates, making no excuses and being accountable at all costs. Building a relationship on anything less just simply doesn&rsquo;t cut it; building relationships on expertly managed expectations means that even when things don&rsquo;t go exactly to plan, challenges can be overcome (as opposed to the relationship ending on a sour note). Managing the expectations on yourself Regardless of where you sit in the hierarchy of the company &ndash; you could be just starting out or own the whole show &ndash; there are people to report into and progress to manage. Whether that&rsquo;s being held accountable for keeping the board or SMT updated, or simply checking in with your employees for a quarterly business rundown and review, it&rsquo;s important to keep those who need to be in the loop just so. Being a great manager of expectations is a sure-fire way to build your persona as a strong leader; someone who&rsquo;s dependable, reliable and accountable. No nasty surprises, misleading or misinformation. Managing expectations means your customers get better service, your employees learn from your exemplary practices, and your own boss &ndash; whoever they might be, directly or indirectly &ndash; is happy and content. It&rsquo;s no secret that the management of expectations is an area where the recruitment industry has fallen down historically. I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud that, across all three Certus brands, we endeavour to change that in every communication we undertake &ndash; and every relationship we build to prove it. To learn more about the difference you&rsquo;ll find in partnering with us, get in touch.

The Importance of Managing Expectations

3 simply ways in which to make your hiring process more diverse...
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Hiring Diversity (Video)

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We Are Recruiters... (Video)

Sustainable Hiring Practices (Video)

​I think we can all agree that the back end of last year had us contemplating what the next one looks like, more so than ever before. Like many small businesses here in Melbourne, we were in the throes of start-up excitement and growth when the Covid-19 pandemic hit: 18-months or so deep, team growing nicely, solidifying relationships and giving amazing service to some fantastic clients. Things were looking extremely positive. In fact, they still are &ndash; if a little different. All this contemplation has left me asking myself one key question: am I working on the business, or just in it? For any start-up looking to achieve growth, it&rsquo;s important to know the difference; it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;m slowly learning myself and, as we help so many other start-ups achieve their goals, thought it might be pertinent to share some thoughts. But first off, what&rsquo;s the difference? Working IN your business: It means doing all the things.&nbsp;Speaking to the people. Meeting the clients. Building the relationships. Invoicing the customers. Answering the queries. Working IN your business means to conduct the basic tasks which fundamentally make your business tick &ndash; providing the service and/or products and keeping things moving. Working ON your business: It means the big stuff.&nbsp;Making strategic decisions. Setting goals and milestones. Improving processes. Analysing data. Understanding marketing. Working ON your business is the tough part. It&rsquo;s making time to do those things which might not &lsquo;make you money&rsquo; immediately but, long term, will. With all that in mind, here are some pieces of advice which I&rsquo;m slowly implementing myself to ensure that this year I prioritise working on my business, rather than just in it: 1.&nbsp;Delegate.&nbsp;It can be a painful process, but it&rsquo;s a healthy practice to implement. As the owner of a small business, your time needs to be spent working ON &ndash; so delegate those time-consuming IN tasks to your people. Outsource them even, if need be (until you grow to a point that it makes sense to hire internally). But use delegation as a means to freeing up your time, not to mention headspace, for the more strategic tasks which only you can do. 2.&nbsp;Research.&nbsp;Think you know something? Are things going really well, and you think you understand why? Or do you think you&rsquo;ve cracked the reasons behind something not working? Do some research &ndash; online, speaking with competitors/peers in the industry, mentors or industry figureheads, even your own customers &ndash; and try to pick apart your assumptions. Whilst it sounds counterproductive, it&rsquo;ll bring better clarity around your own business and what to continue/begin/stop doing &ndash; whether it&rsquo;s a deeper understanding of what people want, what your own clients love (or don&rsquo;t love), or simply inspiration as to how the business is going to move forwards. 3.&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t get comfortable.&nbsp;As the owner of a start-up, when things start seemingly falling into place it&rsquo;s an incredible feeling &ndash; but great things never came from comfort zones. When things start working, it&rsquo;s time to start diversifying. Keep testing. Keep trying new things. Utilise your data, listen to your employees and, overall, keep pushing. They say &ndash; whoever &ldquo;they&rdquo; are &ndash; that business owners should spend about two hours a day working on their business. I&rsquo;m in a unique situation as a small business owner, being that I had the backing of our amazing UK contingent with Certus Recruitment Group in London; further to that and better yet, having started my career there myself before emigrating to Oz. 2020 was most certainly not the year we expected it to be, but it doesn&rsquo;t have to have any bearing on 2021. Let&rsquo;s all focus on working on our businesses, whilst continuing to work in them as well as ever. I&rsquo;d love to hear from likeminded individuals to talk start up challenges, achievements and successes, or from businesses who we could help make the strategic hiring decisions which will take yours to the next level. Happy new year everyone.

Working On vs Working In Your Business

Taking recruitment solutions to another level!​ What does a Managed Service offering form Certus look like?
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Managed Services - Recruitment (Video)

​Is your business ready to expand into Australia? Through our own international expansion and through helping other companies grow their footprint, our 3 keys to successfully building an office overseas are:
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International Expansion (Video)

​Folks, I know that we&rsquo;ve been talking about it a lot &ndash; customer experience, that is. But what does it actually mean? Customer experience &ndash; largely referred to in the IT world as simply &ldquo;CX&rdquo; &ndash; encompasses many things. But we could explain it simply as an amalgamation of the service, feelings and overall usability of your brand; the impression any customer or prospect has with your business, whether such interactions resulted in a sale or not. With that in mind, it&rsquo;s not surprising that CX has been shown time and time again to have a direct impact on almost every aspect of a company &ndash; most importantly, your bottom line. It affects the way customers new, existing or future view your business; the likelihood that they&rsquo;re going to do or continue doing business with you. It has a large impact on how you source new customers &ndash; think referrals and networking specifically. CX touches upon all areas and, as such, it&rsquo;s a job for everyone. So, just who is responsible for customer experience and what are the key roles involved in managing or improving it? To start with, we need to understand that there are two sides to CX: people and product. Product (or service) refers to what you actually do for customers; the enjoyment/ease of use/fulfilment/usefulness they find in what you bring to market. People means, of course, the individuals that a customer comes into contact with on their journey with your business &ndash; the service they receive in terms of customer care and support. As such, having the right people in the right position to make sure both of the above are operating at their absolute best is crucial to a strong customer experience strategy. Here are some of the key places you should consider investing, if you haven&rsquo;t already, to improve your own: CX Analyst: Having a strong analyst on board can prove invaluable when it comes to understanding the data you&rsquo;re currently producing, moreover using it to predict customers&rsquo; future needs. What are customers loving? How are they behaving? What areas do we need to improve? Where do we lose people? There&rsquo;s no end to the questions such a person could and should be asking about your customer journey; combine this inquisitive nature with the ability to spot trends and patterns in the data, and you&rsquo;ll soon be exposing the holes. Once you know what you&rsquo;re up against, it&rsquo;ll be all the easier to create a strategy which overcomes these challenges. CX &lsquo;Guru&rsquo;: Okay, I know it&rsquo;s a little bit of an American term &ndash; but the premise stands. Having on board a dedicated expert, one who toes the line between interpersonal skills and technical understanding, is priceless from a customer&rsquo;s perspective. As a customer/user, having your issue &lsquo;escalated&rsquo; or being passed around multiple individuals to solve a problem simply isn&rsquo;t ideal. Enter the CX guru: someone who knows their stuff and can, on many occasions, save your prospect multiple steps (and a lot of hassle). They&rsquo;re not a salesperson, nor are they technical support or customer service; this person is going to be extremely talented, multi-faceted &ndash; and a great addition to the team. CX Product Developers: With an ineffective or undesirable product or service, no matter how incredible your customer care team is, you can only go so far. No one wants to be known for providing amazing service around a product which doesn&rsquo;t work, or simply doesn&rsquo;t match up to its competition; so, having a dedicated product development team who work with both of the roles I&rsquo;ve just mentioned, to understand where customers are falling out of bed, means they can come up with exciting, innovative ideas and ever-improving developments. Your CX-specific product developer isn&rsquo;t a person or team who are simply coming up with the next big idea &ndash; they&rsquo;re working based specifically around what you learn each day about what customers love, don&rsquo;t love and want to change. A CX-specific product development team uses data and common sense to improve the journey your customers go on with your business, ultimately generating prolonged repeat business and, hopefully, a generally happier customer! The truth is, we&rsquo;re seeing CX cited on the financial reports of many clients whom we&rsquo;re extremely keen to work with in the coming year. Is it on yours?

Getting the Low Down on CX

Its job application time - here's some fundamental advice: Be selective! ​First impression count! Read the job description! Tailor your cover letter / CV! Attention to detail! ...
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Job Applications - No Spamming (Video)

Lockdown lasted a long while here in Oz and finding myself stuck inside the house with so much time on my hands was certainly challenging. Besides listening to a ton of books on Audible to engage my mind and spending some well-needed quality time with the pooch, I found a few new interests. One of these developing interests was marketing; specifically the part it plays alongside recruitment in the overall outward image of businesses. Should marketing be a part of your recruitment strategy, or should recruitment be a part of your marketing strategy? Or both? This all culminated in me actually undertaking a marketing course for recruitment leaders, through the guys at Hoxo Media (Sean Anderson) which was eye-opening to say the least. As someone looking to grow my own business, as well as consulting with clients as to how to grow theirs, I found some key takeaways which I thought would be helpful to put down in writing &ndash; for whether you&rsquo;re a recruitment company, tech start-up, large corporate or otherwise. How you attract and moreover engage talent should form a large part of your marketing strategy. When it comes to hiring, we&rsquo;ve moved far away from the typical model of posting a job online and waiting for applications to come flying in. Yes, that still happens, but an outdated approach to recruitment could speak of an outdated approach&hellip; Period. The industry&rsquo;s top talent &ndash; whatever your industry maybe &ndash; isn&rsquo;t doing things the old school way, and they won&rsquo;t want to work for a business who are. They&rsquo;ve gotten to the top of their game by innovating; by bringing new ideas to the table. So, thinking seriously about how you go about trying to attract these very people couldn&rsquo;t be more important &ndash; including considering every piece of collateral you put out there, from your job ads to LinkedIn posts, social feed and more. It&rsquo;s as much about the process as it is the initial engagement. You could have the best-written job adverts in the world &ndash; but follow up with a shoddy candidate management process and you&rsquo;re going to lose all of that initial buy-in. The way you follow up with candidates, respond to their enquiries, and generally communicate with them &ndash; in terms of frequency, speed and manner &ndash; should be an extension of how you do business as an organisation. Are you consistently reliable? Professional? Friendly? Transparent? Does HR have the time to commit to making sure every candidate, whether successful or not, gets the absolute best from each communication? Having excellent talent engagement strategies in the form of job ads and outreach means nothing if the follow up is poor, much like conducting a fantastic lead generation campaign with no funnel or process to convert. Could your recruitment process be diluting your brand? As a business leader, everyone we speak to forms at least a small part of our marketing strategy &ndash; clients, suppliers, even family and friends. By using multiple agencies and partnering with the masses to undertake your recruitment campaigns, you lose a certain amount of control about what they might be saying, to whom, and how. Is each agency portraying your values accurately? Do they embody your brand in every communication they have, with each candidate they&rsquo;re working with? Do they represent your business well in everything they do? All of the above is why it&rsquo;s key to partner with only a small number of select agencies &ndash; those who take the time to build a relationship and understand who you are, how your business operates and what&rsquo;s important. After all, it&rsquo;s your name they&rsquo;ll be saying &ndash; make sure you trust that they&rsquo;ll do justice by your brand. Employee engagement is a fundamental tool in talent attraction moving forwards. Just like the suppliers you use to recruit, each and every employee plays a part in your marketing strategy as well &ndash; or they certainly should be doing. What do they tell their friends, their network, about what it&rsquo;s like to work for you? For years now the employee referral trend has been building; if it&rsquo;s not something your organisation has experienced much of yet, it&rsquo;s time to wonder why. Treat your employees well, engage with them and earn their loyalty, and watch as they become your biggest advocates &ndash; not to mention an amazing source of fresh talent. More than ever, it&rsquo;s important for businesses to have their marketing, HR teams and people at large working closely to establish the messaging you want to go to market with. And it&rsquo;s our awareness of all this which makes our clients so happy to use us continually, often as a sole agency, when it comes to filling roles. Here at Certus we do more than just your bog-standard recruitment. Talk to us today about how to transform your talent acquisition marketing strategy and recruitment process ready for the new year.

Recruitment: A Crucial Piece of Your Overall Marketing Strategy

​Training, mentoring, coaching and managing &ndash; so many verbs, so little time. As a business leader or manager, there are many ways we go about trying to improve the skills and performance of our teams, largely through proactive training and coaching &ndash; but what defines these two activities from one another, and in what ratio should we be doing them? First, understanding the difference. Training: by definition, it means &lsquo;the action of teaching a person (or animal) a particular skill or behaviour&rsquo;. The aim is to increase an individual&rsquo;s productivity, capability and performance through learning something new. Training is essentially the act of&nbsp;transferring knowledge&nbsp;&ndash; knowledge which you possess, and the individual being trained does not, yet. Coaching: whilst certainly considered a form of training, coaching is about&nbsp;enhancing an existing skill or skills, rather than teaching a new one. Coaching is to be carried out by someone who&rsquo;s experienced in the matter, helping another individual understand how to better conduct the skill in question; demonstrating, leading by example and mentoring to improve on what they know already. Is it important to do both? Training your staff not only grows the tool set they use to do their job, but keeps them challenged and engaged; that it can naturally lead to promotion and progression makes training one of the main keys to improving retention and reducing turnover. Coaching is just as important &ndash; as humans, particularly those working in the corporate world, we&rsquo;re always looking for self-improvement, higher performance; ways to do things &lsquo;better&rsquo;. Coaching your employees on an ongoing basis and showing them, from your own or someone else&rsquo;s experience, a better way to do things is going to allow them to remain creative, motivated and fulfilled in their role. To answer the question, yes, it&rsquo;s crucial to do both; take a well-rounded approach to learning, whether it&rsquo;s been specified as something the employee must learn to carry out their duties (e.g. learning a new piece of software), or it&rsquo;s simply something which would benefit all parties were it done better (for instance, sales coaching to increase conversion rates). So, which should I be doing with my staff? Once you have the above definitions in mind, it becomes easier to know whether you should be coaching your staff or training them.
<ul>
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Training&nbsp;is something which can be done in a group setting; imparting knowledge to more than one person at the same time
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Training&nbsp;usually takes a very structured approach; it will follow a set path which needs to be done in a certain order for it to be understood
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Training&nbsp;is frequently held off-site, online or otherwise; it&rsquo;s not something which is usually done fully &lsquo;on the job&rsquo;
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Coaching&nbsp;will usually be conducted in a one-on-one setting; it requires attention as to where the person&rsquo;s skill level sits currently (compared to training, where the idea is that everyone begins at zero)
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More often than not,&nbsp;coaching&nbsp;will be unstructured; it involves ongoing communication and change to be effective
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Coaching&nbsp;usually takes place &lsquo;on the job&rsquo; &ndash; it requires input from the activity being coached itself in order to achieve real results
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</ul>
One thing is for sure, training without coaching rarely works. Picking up an employee or team and dropping them into a classroom for a day (or more!) then sending back to their day job with no follow-up or ongoing reflection is pretty close to a waste of time and money. But a piece of great and relevant training that is supported by ongoing and regular coaching is likely to lead to significant and clear returns. And, finally, how does knowing all of this positively impact my staff turnover rate? It&rsquo;s really important that business leaders understand the difference between coaching and training; knowing what your employees want and need with regards to their development within the company fundamentally comes down to learning. Should they be aiming to learn a new skill? Is this what will push their career forward and land them a promotion into the role they&rsquo;re hoping for? Or, will simply honing one of the skills they use already be the thing which helps them reach their goal? Of course, there&rsquo;s a huge cross over between the two &ndash; training and coaching can often be done at the same time. And understanding which of them is going to help your employees progress will go a long way to ensuring they&rsquo;re satisfied, engaged and motivated to stay with your organisation. The definition between training and coaching goes further than your management style and business leadership; it touches upon the ongoing development of each and every staff member, the structure of your company, and the longevity your employees see within it as a result. With 20 years of working in recruitment and headhunting, I&rsquo;ve seen the insides of many companies and it&rsquo;s those with a balance of both that have typically demonstrated consistent growth. I&rsquo;m proud of running a business which truly helps others to define, execute and improve their human capital strategy and the right mix of training and coaching must form a part of it. Certus are more than just a recruitment company; get in touch to hear more about partnering with a Certus Recruitment Group company and what we can do to help your business grow, today.

Coaching Vs Training and How To Improve Staff Retention

​Driven to Distraction &ndash; Why Your Staff May Be Underperforming Are you easily distracted? Since time began, leaders have been looking for ways to keep their teams focused, on-task and productive. In light of so many people now working from home, &lsquo;distraction&rsquo; is a word that&rsquo;s being used a lot: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m more distracted by external things whilst working from home&rdquo;; &ldquo;I find it easier to focus at home, without the distractions of my co-workers around me&rdquo;. So, what do you get distracted by? Could it be your phone? An email or social media notification? Your dog? All of the above? With our teams back in the office and, in truth, seeming more motivated than ever, it&rsquo;s something I&rsquo;ve been thinking about a lot. It led me to pondering distraction in a different way; why is it that when your team is buzzing with motivation, they&rsquo;re less easily distracted? Why is it that when everyone is in that mindset of really trying to push it, those outside factors carry less weight? And so, I came to a realisation. The phone, dog, Facebook, all of that stuff &ndash; those aren&rsquo;t distractions. Those are simply the solution to distraction. The smartphone isn&rsquo;t the distraction; the distraction is the thing that has led the individual to seek out their phone, as a way to avoid whatever it is they&rsquo;re unwilling, unable or afraid to face. It comes from something way deeper, far more internal. Here are some&nbsp;real&nbsp;examples of distractions which may be afflicting your team and leading to less than stellar performance: 1.Unsurety about what they should actually be doing. If your staff aren&rsquo;t 100% sure of what how to do their job, this could lead to a reluctance to do&hellip; Well, anything. The uncertainty and lack of understanding of their role is what leads an employee to seek out something else to focus on. The obvious solution to this would be to offer clear and concise direction to your workforce; but, in the likelihood that you feel as though you&rsquo;ve already done so, the more important factor here is&nbsp;communication. Foster an environment in which your employees feel comfortable and confident enough to ask for help, and be sure to offer it regularly in any case. 2.A disconnect between the day-to-day job and long-term goals. When your employees lose sight of their goals &ndash; whether it be their own (career, earnings, personal aspirations) or the company&rsquo;s (revenue targets, long-term growth goals) &ndash; they&rsquo;re more likely to become distracted. When there&rsquo;s no longer a goal to reach for, a place to aim, it can become difficult for them to translate their day-to-day activity into that &ndash; or any &ndash; purpose. Hence leaving them open to seek out distractions instead. To help mitigate this, have regular catch up meetings with your staff &ndash; not performance reviews or anything quite so formal necessarily, but just a check in to ensure they&rsquo;re still feeling focused and motivated.&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t assume that everyone knows, no less is engaged&nbsp;and working towards the same thing &ndash; it&rsquo;s your job as the manager or business leader to reinforce and keep them connected with their own goals and those of the team. 3.Professionally put? Feeling unchallenged. Simply put? Boredom. Distraction can be derived from many places and, unfortunately, boredom is one of them. If an employee of yours isn&rsquo;t finding the enjoyment in what they&rsquo;re doing, naturally they&rsquo;re going to look elsewhere for stimulation. The same can be said for a lack of challenge; it all comes down to keep the brain engaged and working at something. Challenge and enjoyment in equal measure&nbsp;make for a focused workforce, and one whose minds are too busy to search for miscellaneous things to waste time on. The honest truth is, we all become distracted from time to time &ndash; and, whilst there&rsquo;s nothing wrong with taking a break from the activities which make up your job every now and then, there needs to be an understanding between what defines &lsquo;taking a break&rsquo; and what is actually just the brain looking for a way out; a way to avoid doing what we should be. As a business leader, have a think about the things mentioned above and how they might be affecting your workforce; distraction has a direct link with productivity, or a lack thereof, so implementing some of these practices these into your team&rsquo;s mindset may pay dividends. When do you feel at your most distractable? Awareness is the first key to overcoming; whether your team are now home workers or in the office, being driven to distraction can take its toll on performance. For more management tips, have a look at the other articles published by me on LinkedIn &ndash; I love a discussion, so get in touch by leaving a comment. And, of course, to talk anything recruitment related, get in touch with the Certus team today.

Driven to Distraction – Why Your Staff May Be Underperforming

​As a manager, it can often feel impossible to do your own job to its best, fight all the fires which need fighting AND stay on top of the team and how they&rsquo;re feeling. Fostering motivation across a team, large or small, can be one of the trickiest parts of being a leader. Be honest: doing the same job day in, day out, can become monotonous. From time to time, a member of your workforce is going to become bored or unchallenged, thus becoming demotivated. And a lack of enthusiasm for the job almost always has a directly negative effect on business performance. So, motivate them by helping your employees find meaningfulness in the everyday activities of their job. The word meaningfulness is quite a mouthful, and its definition follows. Meaningfulness doesn&rsquo;t mean to find enjoyment or happiness in what you do, but to delve into why you&rsquo;re doing it; what&rsquo;s the purpose, what is it going to help with, what are you contributing to. Having your employees find meaningfulness in their work can improve:
<ul>
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Job satisfaction &ndash; and as a result, increase staff retention
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Employee engagement &ndash; by helping align your employees&rsquo; goals with those of the company
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Mental health &ndash; by reducing the stresses attributed to completing their job
</li>
</ul>
Finding the meaningfulness in their job will help employees remember why they&rsquo;re doing it during the tough times, whilst they&rsquo;re facing challenges. So, some examples of what &lsquo;finding meaningfulness&rsquo; might look like:
<ul>
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Why should I devote some time to clearing my inbox this afternoon?&nbsp;Because it will help me prioritise the tasks I have left to complete, and reduce the chance of me becoming or feeling overwhelmed by my workload.
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Why am I attending this meeting?&nbsp;Because it will help myself, and my employer, on the path to achieving our goals. It will bring me recognition at work, and a feeling of accomplishment.
</li>
<li>
Why is it important for me to spend time properly analysing this spreadsheet?&nbsp;Because it may contain important data and metrics which could really help boost team direction and performance moving forwards.
</li>
</ul>
When an employee finds meaning in even the simplest of tasks, they&rsquo;ll also find satisfaction. A person who finds satisfaction in the role is more likely to stick around, seeking challenge and/or progression on the day to day. By leading your employees to understand the role they play, you create a connection between the person as an individual, their place in the team and how they contribute to the business. Finding meaningfulness is akin to understanding the value you add, and where. And doing so can play a huge part in positively impacting employee engagement levels. Finding meaningfulness in what some might consider &ldquo;menial&rdquo; tasks has been proven to reduce stress, thus motivating staff to get on with the bits of the job they may not find as satisfying as others. Mental health should be at the forefront of every manager&rsquo;s mind &ndash; so stay abreast of who&rsquo;s avoiding doing what, get to the bottom of why, and us meaningfulness to help them find a way to enjoy even the small, seemingly insignificant tasks. As a manager, motivation is paramount to a high-performing team &ndash; and reminding your employees of the point behind the work they do could be just the ticket to keeping them on track. When you partner with us, you don&rsquo;t just benefit from years of recruiting expertise, a world-class network and a team of dedicated consultants &ndash; but all of that on top of years spent understanding how to retain and motivate individuals once they&rsquo;ve been hired. We&rsquo;re not a one-and-done recruitment agency &ndash; we&rsquo;re a recruitment partner, and we want to grow your business with you, for the long-term. Our team is slowly but surely returning from furlough and we couldn&rsquo;t be more proud &ndash; don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch.

Motivating Your Team By Finding Meaningfulness

It can sometimes be difficult to confidently ascertain what level you should be hiring at. Are you time-rich but tight budgeted? Do you have quotas which need to be met from the off, or are you in a position to hire and mould someone to fill the gap in your team? Do you need someone to bring their own experience/knowledge, or are you in a position to do the teaching? Answer our quick and nifty questionnaire below to determine what level your next hire should come in at! Why are you looking to hire? a) We have a problem which needs solving, fast.&nbsp;10 pts b) We&rsquo;re replacing an employee who has left the business.&nbsp;25 pts c) We&rsquo;re growing, so we need someone who&rsquo;s hungry to learn.&nbsp;50 pts More important than anything is understanding the circumstances which led to, and the reason behind, this vacancy you&rsquo;re currently trying to fill. If you answered A, you&rsquo;re most likely looking for a specific skillset, or experience in a certain area. It&rsquo;ll be difficult for someone without to come in and get the ball rolling immediately. B speaks for itself &ndash; you&rsquo;re aware of what worked well, not so well and anything in between with whoever was doing the job previously, so you can base your candidate profile on this. And as for C? If it&rsquo;s a case of business growth and your intentions are less set in stone, there&rsquo;s room for some flexibility in the profile you&rsquo;re going to be looking for. Could a fresh graduate be just the ticket? Where does your salary budget for this role sit in the market? a) Money is no object &ndash; I need someone who can do the job, now.&nbsp;10 pts b) I&rsquo;m interested to see what I can get for the budget I have.&nbsp;25 pts c) My budget isn&rsquo;t huge, but I have time on my hands.&nbsp;50 pts To be frank, budget is one of if not the most crucial factor when undergoing a recruitment campaign of any scope. There needs to be a strong correlation between expectations of the candidates you&rsquo;re hoping to attract and the competitiveness of the salary on offer. All of this depends on where you&rsquo;re at as a business, the time you as a leader &ndash; or another dedicated staff member &ndash; has to spend onboarding a new starter, and the type of role you&rsquo;re trying to fill; are you in a position to invest more money into someone who could truly hit the ground running? Alternatively, can you make up for what you lack in budget by implementing a killer training scheme and investing time into nurturing this person? Speaking of which&hellip; What sort of training do you have in mind for this individual? a) Little, initially. They need to be confident in what they&rsquo;re doing, but we&rsquo;ll be here to provide support and resources. 10 pts b) We will support ongoing training, but we need skills to build upon. 25 pts c) We&rsquo;re looking for a fresh mind to cultivate! 50 pts If you need this person to carry a number from day one, you&rsquo;ll want to hire someone with experience, possibly contacts to draw upon, and likely from a specific sector &ndash; answer A. If you resonated more with answer B &ndash; of course, training when it&rsquo;s needed is a given &ndash; then you need to be looking at profiles/backgrounds which include at least exposure to the role in question. And if C jumped out to you? Well, with the right investment of time and training, you won&rsquo;t go wrong in hiring someone with no bad habits and a clean slate upon which to work. So, what level should you hire at? If you scored 30-50 points: Your needs are specific, your profile more narrow; you need a more senior hire. Someone who knows and understands your industry and/or the role they&rsquo;ll be undertaking. In this instance, it&rsquo;ll be easier to tell from a CV whether someone is going to be suitable, so put your all into engaging and networking with your target candidates online. If you scored 50-100 points: Whilst you require a basis upon which to build, your target candidate profile isn&rsquo;t as strict as above. Hiring someone at junior to mid-level, who already has exposure to a working environment, means at the very least they&rsquo;ve proved their work ethic &ndash; so bring them on board and have them build a long-term career with your organisation! If you scored 100+ points: A graduate could be just what you need! What they lack in experience they make up for in drive, enthusiasm and hunger &ndash; to learn, to progress and to prove themselves in their first career move. If your business has the capacity to nurture and support someone in these early years, it will pay dividends in the future. Certus Graduate source top percentile graduates to build high-performing sales teams on behalf of our clients. Head to their LinkedIn page @Certus Graduate for more content, and don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team in London to discuss our innovative assessment techniques and recruitment strategies for grad schemes and entry-level roles.

At what level should you be hiring?

Mind Blanking &ndash; why it happens, and how to manage it We&rsquo;ve all been there. Someone asks you a question, even a fairly innocent one which requires little contemplation&hellip; And your mind just ups and leaves. Mind blank. It can happen any time, but most of us will agree that it&rsquo;s one of life&rsquo;s many mysteries, bound to happen at the most inopportune moment. Having a &lsquo;mind blank&rsquo; &ndash; as in, knowing you have the correct information somewhere but being unable to access it at present &ndash; is something many of us experience during, of course, a job interview &ndash; and it&rsquo;s incredibly frustrating. Let&rsquo;s try to understand the science behind mind blanking occurs, in order to try and overcome them in time: Why do they happen? There&rsquo;s science behind those blank moments of searching. Like many innate reactions we humans experience day-to-day, the &lsquo;mind blank&rsquo; is actually one of the age-old fight-or-flight mechanisms we developed to survive; based on feelings of anxiety, the brain attempts to shield itself from the situation it&rsquo;s currently facing, in order to mitigate the stress said situation is inducing. A lot, isn&rsquo;t it. Melodramatic when put into the context of a job interview? Sure. But it makes sense; the brain feels under pressure, the human can&rsquo;t perform, and so our brain moves to protect us from that fear. Almost entirely unhelpful in this context, but interesting nonetheless. So, mind-blanking is indiscriminate and can hit any of us at any moment. When we do research and prep before an interview, our brain is at ease, hence how we&rsquo;re able to learn. When sat opposite your potential next employer, all that goes out of the window. Whether you know the answer or don&rsquo;t, you&rsquo;re as likely to experience this &ndash; so the key is to be prepared when it happens: Take a big, deep breath. Simply put, you&rsquo;re experiencing a mind blank due to nerves. Buy yourself a little bit of time &ndash; take a deep breath, settle yourself and give your brain what it needs. The answer is in there, you just can&rsquo;t access it right this second &ndash; but trust me, oxygen will help. Repeat the question. Going over what you already know not only gives yourself time to think, but reiterates to your interviewer that you understand XYZ &ndash; or, at the very least, presents an opportunity to deal with any confusion in the meantime. Repeating the question is a great way to nudge your mind into motion, as is summarising key points so far &ndash; talking about what you do know will help you find the info you need. Admit that your mind has gone blank! There&rsquo;s no shame in it &ndash; and, as a recruiter of candidates junior, senior and everything in between &ndash; I can tell you for nothing that it happens to all of us, at any level of our career. It happens during interviews, important phone calls, at the key moment of a presentation; so make light of the situation. Trying not to &ldquo;umm&rdquo; and &ldquo;err&rdquo;, admit that your mind has pulled a blank and let you down; it won&rsquo;t take long for it to catch up and get on board, so being honest and open in the situation breeds understanding amongst two people who have both likely been through the same thing. It isn&rsquo;t a big deal. And it certainly doesn&rsquo;t signify the end of your chances at success. Your interviewer will be no exception &ndash; having a mind blank is completely normal, albeit inconvenient and nerve-wracking. Interviewing is a skill, one we&rsquo;re proud to help individuals of all levels improve and develop. Job seeking is a tough game &ndash; so, if any of the above rings true, especially given the current circumstances, we&rsquo;re happy to talk interview tips and technique here at Certus. Get in touch today.

Mind Blanking – why it happens, and how to manage it

Marketing is a funny one, in terms of a &lsquo;business function&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s largely regarded as one the easiest to outsource (being beaten only by accounting as the first to go, for those interested) and yet as a small business, starting to grow that function in-house from the beginning can be absolutely key to developing your brand, core values and company culture. I spend a lot of time strategising with my clients (particularly the smaller-but-growing businesses) about their marketing teams &ndash; rather, their marketing goals. Because, sometimes, it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily warrant a new hire. I know, I know &ndash; a recruiter telling you that you don&rsquo;t need to hire someone. Thing is, I consider myself a consultant first and foremost; ultimately, if hiring a new employee or employees into your in-house marketing team isn&rsquo;t what&rsquo;s going to help your business achieve its goals this time, I&rsquo;ll be the first to tell you. Marketing is about planning, strategy and execution. You need to make a solid plan, strategise as to how you&rsquo;re going to execute said plan, and then execute said plan. Simple, no? Here&rsquo;s where the big question comes in: Do you need to hire a marketing executive, or a marketing agency? Here are the things to consider if you&rsquo;re a small business and marketing is the talk of the hour: What&rsquo;s your capacity for commitment? By this I mean time, effort and dedication to actually seeing your marketing goals as a business come to fruition. That&rsquo;s not to say one requires less than the other &ndash; but the challenges you face as a business leader, when hiring either a new employee in your marketing division or choosing to engage with a marketing agency, differ greatly. Consider the time you have to dedicate to the actual recruitment process: working with your senior management team to devise and agree on the right profile. Sourcing that person (including potentially outsourcing to a recruitment partner like us &ndash; the irony isn&rsquo;t lost on me). A lengthy interview process, followed by onboarding, ongoing training, and so on and so forth&hellip; You need to take the initiative as a leader, be honest about what you have to offer a new employee and decide if it&rsquo;s the right time to bring in new talent. As for hiring a marketing agency? Be ready to jump in feet-first; for them to fulfil your vision, there&rsquo;s going to be meetings, constant communication and blood, sweat and tears spent to make sure everyone is on the same page. Giving your chosen agency all the tools for success is crucial to them fulfilling your goals so, although you won&rsquo;t be doing the work yourself/in-house, that&rsquo;s not to say you won&rsquo;t be involved every step of the way. For both options, it&rsquo;s a process of making sure you find the right person/company to support your own. Choosing the right marketing agency isn&rsquo;t one-size-fits-all, just the same as hiring the right candidate can present a challenge. Costs &ndash; immediate and future There&rsquo;s no way to dress it up or down &ndash; the cost (and resulting benefits, mind you) of both of these options are not insignificant, so pick your poison. Employing the services of a marketing agency can be pricey, but you know what you&rsquo;re paying for; along the way, you&rsquo;ll be able to determine the value of the services you&rsquo;ve received and will be able to ensure that the project is entirely complete before parting with full payment. Employing a full-time employee bears its own costs, and its own risks equally; hiring goes far beyond the salary. When you&rsquo;re working out costs, consider everything from training and equipment to workspace and resources. Whilst the investment is all being made to one of your own and you&rsquo;ll reap long-term benefits as such, you need to have a realistic idea of what it&rsquo;s going to cost full term. Do you need one specialised skill or a gathering of creative minds? Is this a one-time project, a business transformation period, a rebrand? What are your true objectives? When you engage with a marketing agency, you&rsquo;re engaging with a veritable goldmine of different backgrounds, thought processes, ideas and expertise &ndash; perfect if you&rsquo;re looking for some guidance, or to essentially hand the reins to a group of experts to complete such and such project: here&rsquo;s what we want, here&rsquo;s the deadline, let&rsquo;s get it going. If this is going to be a case of &lsquo;the more brains the better&rsquo;, employing a marketing agency is going to be the obvious choice. But, if you know exactly what needs to be achieved and the specialised skills necessary to get there, finding the right talent to bring onboard to your business and do so is going to be a lot easier. This way, you get what you need now but have also added an asset to your business &ndash; and especially for small businesses, each and every asset counts. There are, of course, many other pros and cons to each of these roads. The truth is, marketing is an absolute wonderland made up of amazing people with amazing minds &ndash; but, it can be a minefield. The consequences when marketing isn&rsquo;t done right can be dire; so, if you need advice or guidance across the board and at any level, we&rsquo;re here to help. Certus Recruitment Group specialises in graduate to executive level recruitment across all industries; my team within that are specialised marketing consultants who live and breathe what they do. Get in touch with our London team.

Marketing: Agency or Employee?

Mindset. It sounds clich&eacute;, but it&rsquo;s undeniably important. If there&rsquo;s one thing which is prevalent among successful people, whatever their profession or chosen niche, it&rsquo;s having a growth mindset. The arch nemesis of a growth mindset is the fixed; a fixed view of the world, of yourself and those around you. There are some key differences between the two, but they largely revolve around learning. A person with a fixed mindset believes that the traits they&rsquo;re born with are essentially as good as it gets &ndash; we&rsquo;re born with a certain amount of talent or skill in any given subject, and whilst we can practice in order to hone that skill, we&rsquo;ll never &lsquo;get better&rsquo; at it than the maximum innate level. On the contrary, those with a growth mindset are of the opinion that any trait can be learned, and certainly improved on, with practice, education and plain old effort. These are the people you want to be hiring. Besides the obvious, those with a growth mindset are beneficial in business for many reasons; they&rsquo;re great problem solvers, for one. Growth mindset-ers will face down any challenges which come their way with fervour and enthusiasm. They&rsquo;ll learn from their mistakes to become a more well-rounded version of themselves. Generally speaking, they&rsquo;ll make a great addition to any ambitious, forward-thinking team. There are ways to identify the two different types of mindset, and certainly some things to look out for at interview. Have a read of the points below. Signs of a fixed mindset:
<ul>
<li>
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a [insert skill here] person, but I make up for it elsewhere.&rdquo;&nbsp;We all have things we&rsquo;re better at than others, but statements like are a fundamental barrier to learning. If a line like this one comes up at interview, probe to try and understand more about it &ndash; is it something they&rsquo;ve tried to improve, or have they effectively written it off and avoided the subject completely? Furthermore, what does either of these scenarios say about their mindset?
</li>
<li>
Little to no mention, or avoiding talking about, past failures.&nbsp;Those with a fixed mindset tend to view failures as exactly that &ndash; something to steer clear of at all costs. Conversely, those with a growth mindset understand that failure is a) inevitable and b) one of, if not the most important tool for learning. We want candidates to promote their successes, for sure, but to also be mindful of what brought them there &ndash; and failure may well have played a part in that.
</li>
<li>
Viewing the success of others as a threat &ndash; which may manifest as not coming across as a true &lsquo;team player&rsquo;. Where, on the other hand, individuals with a growth mindset will seek out mentorship and collaboration with successful figures, as a source of inspiration and learning. Ask questions around team situations and opportunities they&rsquo;ve had to work alongside colleagues or managers they respect, and try to grasp whether they fit within the fixed or growth mindset based on their feelings about them.
</li>
</ul>
An interesting point to remember about fixed vs growth mindsets is that it is possible, if not particularly common, for someone to have a mixture of both. When it comes to certain aspects of their life, a person could simply believe there&rsquo;s no hope &ndash; for instance athleticism or maths &ndash; whilst consistently pushing themselves to grow and learn in their career or another area. Just as no two skills are the same, nor are two mindsets. It&rsquo;s not our job to pigeonhole a candidate at interview stage, but to understand as much as we can and make as well-informed of a decision as possible. Also try to remember that interviews are far from a natural situation, one in which most people feel uncomfortable. If someone&rsquo;s portraying a decidedly fixed mindset-esque outlook, that&rsquo;s not to say it will be so on the job. With almost 20 years of experience in qualifying executive level candidates through thorough tactical interviewing, Certus Recruitment Group are truly able to grasp these important concepts at interview on behalf of our clients. We&rsquo;re also well equipped to help you do it yourself. Get in touch with our team to discuss the ramifications of hiring growth vs fixed mindset individuals, and the incredible dividends doing so can pay for your business.

KPIs, KPIs, KPIs. Is there any other aspect of business operations so widely spoken about, furthermore contested? It&rsquo;s a divisive subject in the business community &ndash; where some live by them, others dispute their place altogether; some employ but largely ignore them, either way. Whether you utilise them day-to-date or oppose them entirely, if you work in the corporate world, you&rsquo;ve come across KPIs at some point. The fact is, the reason they&rsquo;re so highly contested is that KPIs are seldom implemented effectively, or used properly. It&rsquo;s not about the &lsquo;numbers game&rsquo; &ndash; it&rsquo;s about business efficiency. Let&rsquo;s stop thinking about KPIs as targets, first off. There&rsquo;s a clear distinction between the two. The definition of a KPI is, as it says on the tin, a key performance indicator &ndash; a figure which is (or should be) derived from information your business is providing you. KPIs should be used to evaluate the activity a business needs to undertake in order to achieve its targets &ndash; not as a target in and of themselves. Get it? Let&rsquo;s put it into real terms. Your business currently has 10 sales execs. The team&rsquo;s target is to generate &pound;100,000 in revenue each month, so each individual&rsquo;s target is &pound;10,000. Currently, each person is achieving &pound;8,000 per month; upon drilling down into their activity, you find that they&rsquo;re each making 8 phone calls per month. What can you take from this? Your business is indicating that your team&rsquo;s activity needs to increase in order to reach target, and is telling you, hypothetically, how much it needs to increase by. Analyse these tricky figures and you&rsquo;ll find it makes sense that, were they each to make 10 phone calls per month, everyone would hit that &pound;10K, no problem. But here&rsquo;s the thing &ndash; there&rsquo;s no need to now storm onto the sales floor and inform the team that they had all better hit those 10 calls, or else. Not in that fashion, anyway. You&rsquo;re not setting this as a target: your business is doing it for you.
It&rsquo;s a KPI, not a target. See? KPIs should be in place to motivate, not condemn. Information is king, or so they say, and it&rsquo;s our job as leaders to use it to our advantage. Particularly in sales and marketing, numbers do play a big part in the performance sense &ndash; from calls made to appointments booked, website clicks to conversion rates, your team is constantly running through figures in their mind. Adding a panel of KPIs into that mix, specifically when posing them as targets/must-hits, definitely creates potential for the pot to boil over from time to time. However, if you were to go to your team and say, &ldquo;Hey, we&rsquo;ve collated some really interesting info here which we think is going to help you do your job better/more efficiently, want to take a look?&rdquo;, any employee worth his/her salt will be clambering to see your notes. Keep targets and KPIs separate; monitor them both as equals. Your KPIs should be based on fact and fact alone. Here at Certus we get to know our clients well, and I&rsquo;d be lying if I said we don&rsquo;t sometimes have to do a little &ndash; err &ndash; re-education, shall we say. Often, businesses blindly set their KPIs based on industry standards or what their competition appears to be doing which, fundamentally, doesn&rsquo;t make sense. Just because Oracle&rsquo;s techs have to sit four appointments per day, doesn&rsquo;t mean that your hyper-growth, disruptive SaaS start-up should be doing the same. In fact, we need to move away from this idea of &lsquo;setting&rsquo; KPIs altogether &ndash; I reiterate, your business sets them itself. Monitor activity, productivity, operations, all aspects of your business, over time to understand what your KPIs are and where they should sit in terms of activity. Don&rsquo;t pull numbers out of the air and &lsquo;set&rsquo; KPIs based on what you think you should be doing &ndash; base them on what you are doing, and the improvements that you want to make. Remember, more doesn&rsquo;t always equal more. Numbers and humans behave in very different ways. When a calculator does a complex mathematical equation, it doesn&rsquo;t need to take into account that, maybe, number 3 is recovering from a bout of the flu, or that number 4 is off on holiday for two weeks this month. So, when you take a look at your figures and see that 25 calls equals 1 appointment, don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as simple as commanding your team to make 50, and expecting them to achieve 2 appointments as such. It just doesn&rsquo;t work that way. I&rsquo;m not saying that we as leaders shouldn&rsquo;t always strive for excellence and improvement &ndash; but, alas, we are humans managing humans. And that needs to be at the forefront of our approach, always. We shouldn&rsquo;t be setting KPIs, we should be running our businesses based on the information it provides us &ndash; looking at them as the dataset they are, rather than another number to hold over our teams&rsquo; heads. As ever, love to hear your opinions &ndash; what&rsquo;s your approach to KPIs, and are you making the most of them across your business?

KPIs: Use them properly, or else

To say that the marketing industry is a competitive one might just be the heaviest understatement I can think of, off the top of my head. Coming from a recruiter &ndash; one of the most saturated markets in the United Kingdom &ndash; that&rsquo;s saying something; but with over 250,000 marketing agencies in this country, from tiny boutiques to conglomerate businesses, the new IR35 legislation coming in to play soon has left many of us scrambling to get a hold of understanding and preparing for it as such. Contract recruitment for the marketing industry is a large part of what we do here at Certus, so with questions now coming up almost daily (from clients and candidates alike), we thought it couldn&rsquo;t hurt to put out some answers to the most common questions we&rsquo;re getting and shed some light on this decidedly grey-area pesky piece of work. What is IR35? Put simply, IR35 is legislation which has been written to combat tax and national insurance avoidance. It&rsquo;s an off-payroll rule which applies to &lsquo;workers&rsquo; &ndash; read: contractors and freelancers &ndash; who supply their services via a &lsquo;third party&rsquo; &ndash; read: limited company &ndash; who would otherwise be classed as an employee. Sound confusing? It sort of is, hence the chatter surrounding it. But, rest assured, it only applies to medium and large businesses &ndash; those under 50 employees need not worry. When is it happening? The changes to the original legislation will be enforced from April 2020. Unbeknownst to some, the original IR35 legislation was actually put in place in the year 2000 &ndash; and has had its fair share of criticism ever since. Taking its name from the then Inland Revenue, the IR35 has even been deemed &lsquo;unenforceable&rsquo; by HMRC itself &ndash; catalysing the changes we&rsquo;re now seeing. And, of course, the all-important question: What does it actually mean for UK marketing agencies? In a nutshell? It could mean a significant commercial impact to your business, with few opportunities to circumnavigate it. The conversations I&rsquo;m having on the daily with my clients go something like this: -If your current contractors/freelancers do appear to fall inside the IR35, could there be a way to have them fall outside of the law by tweaking their working hours or arrangements (offering they work remotely, or reducing their hours, for example)? -Could there be an opportunity for them to become a bonafide employee who belongs on the payroll? Is this something the business has considered/could make room for? -Start your research now &ndash; with so much info online, there&rsquo;s no excuse to wait the next couple of months out before beginning to compile your knowledge on what really could be a hugely impactful change to the way your business and its workforce operates. Remember, like most things, there&rsquo;s a lot of grey area with the IR35 (ironically, the resolving of which being the reason for its changing this year); who does and does not fall under the IR35 umbrella comes down to &lsquo;tests of employment&rsquo;, basically the government&rsquo;s way of determining what is and isn&rsquo;t &lsquo;deemed employment&rsquo;. If there&rsquo;s one thing for sure, it&rsquo;s that the marketing world is an exciting place to be &ndash; and, really, if any industry is equipped to deal with change surely it&rsquo;s this one? The innovators, creatives, thinkers of the corporate world &ndash; the adaptable businesses who embrace change like an old friend, with a smile on their face and a coffee to hand. Whilst we&rsquo;re sure it hasn&rsquo;t been designed to make anyone suffer, just the worm hole of legislative terms and jargon alone can send one off into a spin &ndash; which is why we do what we do. The fact is, you might need to re-strategise and revise the internal hiring plans you had &ndash; and we&rsquo;re here every step of the way. You might need to learn more about IR35, before realising that actually everything can continue as is &ndash; in which case, we&rsquo;re loving the work we do and can&rsquo;t wait to continue doing so. As recruitment consultants here at Certus &ndash; consultant being the operative word &ndash; we&rsquo;re more than someone who sends the odd CV your way and manages interviews around your hectic diary. We&rsquo;re sounding boards to many, the voice of reason for some &ndash; and a friendly face to have a moan to, usually about things like the IR35, for more than a few. We do things differently. To talk through any of the above or otherwise, our specialist marketing team is all ears &ndash; get in touch with our London office on 0203 758 7890.

IR35: What does it mean for UK marketing agencies?

As a marketing recruiter, I&rsquo;m constantly surrounded by a hum of buzzwords &ndash; content strategy, advertising revenue, audience targeting, and so on and so forth. Something we all do (or certainly should be doing) as business owners/managers is creating an effective strategy to engage with both potential and existing customers, whether that be through the service you offer or the content you create to add value to their time online. But&hellip; How are you doing when it comes to engaging with your own workforce? Employee engagement is an integral part to growing a business successfully. Recent research says that almost 64% of business decision makers agree that retaining staff is harder than finding and subsequently hiring them, which simply isn&rsquo;t the way it should be. Do you take pains to ensure that your employees are engaged with your business and its goals? What is employee engagement? Employee engagement is probably better explained by what it is NOT, rather than what it is. It&rsquo;s not employee satisfaction, or happiness; it&rsquo;s not about how people feel whilst they&rsquo;re at work. Employee engagement can best be described as the emotional and mental connection an individual feels towards their place of work; it&rsquo;s achieved when an employee is working for more than just a promotion or paycheque &ndash; i.e. for the betterment of themselves &ndash; but works largely towards the goals and success of the business itself. Employee engagement is about how and why the person goes above and beyond their duties or job responsibilities, doing more than just turning up every day on time and leaving as soon as they&rsquo;re able to without getting a sideways look from the manager. Why is it important? For so many reasons &ndash; but, let&rsquo;s be practical here. Sourcing, interviewing, shortlisting and hiring the right staff costs money &ndash; and don&rsquo;t get me started on the price of onboarding each member you take on. Recruiting costs money, so any strategy you could put in place to reduce turnover is as vital to the profitability of your company as any other. But from a human perspective? Simply put, a more engaged workplace is a more effective, productive and ultimately happy one. With more than a third of individuals citing recognition as the most important aspect they look for in terms of job satisfaction, engaging fully with your employees breeds all of the above. Think of it like a marketing strategy. But internal, rather than external. What are some proven methods of improving employee engagement across the board? Use your internal communications &ndash; effectively How &ndash; and how often &ndash; do you communicate with your employees? Whether you&rsquo;re ten strong or a thousand, internal communications are a huge tool in engaging with your workforce, whether it be a monthly newsletter sent company-wide or regular group emails to keep everyone abreast of company news, goings on and exciting happenings. Simple things like this can make a huge difference. Recognition &amp; appreciation Do you regularly recognise the efforts of your employees? And I don&rsquo;t mean a quick, &ldquo;Well done, nice work John,&rdquo; &ndash; although these are important, too. What about using the internal communications mentioned above to give a shout out to top performers, or those who&rsquo;ve gone above and beyond in the past month? Or holding monthly/quarterly/yearly celebrations or award ceremonies, to recognise the hard work your staff is putting in? Recognition is undoubtedly one of the fastest ways to bring your employees in emotionally &ndash; and it costs nothing. Do you tell your staff often enough how great a job they&rsquo;re doing? If not, why not? Mentoring &amp; collaboration Ever heard the phrase, &ldquo;the left hand doesn&rsquo;t know what the right hand is doing&rdquo;? When you bring together different parts of your business &ndash; i.e. let the sales team work closely with tech on developing the website, or having marketing and sales talk through what a real &lsquo;hot lead&rsquo; looks like &ndash; not only will you better company relationships in general, but the all-for-one way of thinking becomes tangible. The opportunity to learn is often cited as one of the biggest motivators in the workplace, so having your teams come together to collaborate on projects is a great way to have them feel engaged &ndash; with one another, the business itself and the part they have to play in the grand scheme. Employee engagement is about emotional connection, and what better way to garner exactly that than by having individuals within the business mentor others? Why should employee engagement be top of your priorities in 2020? Fundamentally, because having a strong employee engagement strategy in place will improve productivity and efficiency, whilst saving costs long-term. Staff turnover will reduce, as will the percentage of employees passively seeking jobs &ndash; which might be higher than you think. To engage is to retain. Here at Certus we don&rsquo;t make one-and-done placements; we love to get into the nitty-gritty with our clients, about what makes your business tick and what could make it tick even more. More than just a recruitment company, we&rsquo;re your recruitment partner, strategy sounding-board and consulting do-gooders. Get in touch to learn more about how we&rsquo;re changing the recruitment game here in London this year.

Forget customer engagement: what about your own employees?

As an employer, do you know the difference between a Job Advert and a Job Description? Reach out to our experienced team and let us help you prepare both.
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Is it a Job Advert or a Job Description? (Video)

A Genius Piece of Marketing &ndash; How this property firm in America nailed it just before Christmas
 As a recruiter, I like to think I stay abreast of what&rsquo;s going on in the world of business; not just my own sector, but that of the wider markets both here in the UK and internationally. I read the news, keep on top of what&rsquo;s breaking, take note of rumours here and there which I feel might prove interesting to follow.
 So when I first read about the property firm in Maryland, USA, who just shared $10 million of profits amongst their 198 employees, safe to say my interest &ndash; both as a recruiter AND a marketing specialist, no less &ndash; was in fact piqued.
 It&rsquo;s a fantastic piece of marketing &ndash; an article alone would have gone viral, but the truly heartwarming video showing the reactions of each employee as they opened their secret envelope at the Christmas party, containing something in the realm of $50-270,000&hellip; I&rsquo;m in no way able to say that marketing was or wasn&rsquo;t behind the motivations of the company in doing what they did but, blimey, did it work either way.
 My marketing-specialised recruiter-brain began working overtime; it was genius, pure genius, both as a marketing and a motivational ploy. And here&rsquo;s why.
 Staff retention
 Do you think any of those employees, whether they&rsquo;ve been with the business six months or ten years, are going to be on the hunt for a new job anytime soon?
 One sure-fire way to maximise the longevity of your staff is to make them feel valued, appreciated, well-achieved. In a world where money does talk, what better way to say a huge thank you to each individual?
 If it&rsquo;s not about the money for you &ndash; company CEO Ed St John&rsquo;s heartfelt speech, which he gave ahead of the big reveal, certainly made his gratitude clear. He&rsquo;s a guy you&rsquo;d want to work for, and I imagine the very vast majority of these employees will continue to do so.
 Candidate attraction
 Place your bets for where the top talent in Maryland&rsquo;s property industry will be sending their resum&eacute;s in the new year.
 In today&rsquo;s day and age, to attract and engage with superstars you need to stand out; it&rsquo;s never been more important to differentiate yourselves as a competitor in the market. Pieces of truly outstanding and now viral marketing like this? Well, it&rsquo;s a stellar way to get your name out there.
 In sharing ten mil between their employees, these guys have pretty much guaranteed their spot on most candidates&rsquo; &ldquo;target employer&rdquo; lists &ndash; and not because people will be expecting the same again next year. Oh no, people will want to work for them simply for the fact that they did it once*&hellip; No obligations.
 *It would be nice though.
 Staff motivation
 We just gave you a bonus of $50,000 &ndash; so, how hard are you going to work for us next year?
 Let&rsquo;s be honest &ndash; it&rsquo;s Christmas time, the new year is looming and we&rsquo;re all already skint. If my boss coolly dropped a cheque for 50K on my desk right now &ndash; just before a nice, rejuvenating Christmas break no less &ndash; I think I&rsquo;d be feeling even more so ready to smash next year out of the park (hint hint).
 Seriously though &ndash; they&rsquo;ve just showed their employees what can come of hard work and dedication to the cause. You&rsquo;ve brought the team together, united not only in the bright lights and shared drinks of a Christmas party but one where you all witnessed and experienced something amazing; your staff are feeling more cherished, furthermore motivated than ever.
 Yep, this was one of the most fascinating, fun to follow and heartwarming &lsquo;Christmas miracles&rsquo; for me this year; marketing is a tough gig, and it&rsquo;s not exactly easy to do well.
 The fact that the real estate company was able to market their business whilst quite possibly changing the lives of some of their hard-working employees at the same time&hellip; Well, Merry Christmas indeed. Talk about embodying the season of giving.
 Have a watch of the awesome reveal video<a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/6278600/st-john-properties-10-million-christmas-bonus/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>&ndash; it&rsquo;s sure to get you in the festive spirit, if all else fails.
 You&rsquo;ll be pleased to know that money isn&rsquo;t the only way to attract and retain your sector&rsquo;s top performers &ndash; that&rsquo;s where we come in. Here in London the candidate marketplace is stronger than ever; so, let&rsquo;s talk recruitment strategy and retention plans for next year. Get in touch.

A Genius Piece of Marketing

​With the advent of social media, us salespeople have had to adapt and develop our skills to include online outreach. LinkedIn has fast become another funnel through which we try to generate brand exposure, recognition and ultimately sales leads; many of the sales roles I recruit for involve some form of KPI for online selling, if not a full target. Whilst cold calling and more &lsquo;traditional&rsquo; selling methods are very much still alive and well, being aware and engaged with the social side of selling has never been more important. Now, one of the things we all can agree on is that there are ways to do it, and ways not to. There&rsquo;s nothing worse than receiving a connection invite followed swiftly by, &ldquo;Hi Tom, I work in the ______ space and would love to explain how this can benefit your business. When can you talk?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s interesting; when cold calling we&rsquo;re on a timer to get our pitch out there &ndash; to not waste the prospect&rsquo;s time, to ensure we add value in that instant&hellip; But many people don&rsquo;t like being cold called. So why would anyone enjoy the insta-pitch on LinkedIn, either? Everyone&rsquo;s different &ndash; in both their approach and how they receive approaches themselves &ndash; but there are some fundamentals to get right at the very least. Here are my top tips/pet hates when it comes to LinkedIn business development: Slow down &ndash; sloppy won&rsquo;t sell By which I mean, grammar. Capital letters. Correct punctuation. If you&rsquo;re going to go down the route of copy and pasting, at least attempt to personalise the message in some way (although, in my opinion, it&rsquo;s not the way to go &ndash; you really should have a unique reason for approaching this person specifically&hellip;) At the very least, get the name right &ndash; we&rsquo;ve all heard our peers griping about receiving a message which starts with, &ldquo;Hi James&rdquo; &ndash; err, hello, but my name is Tom&hellip; And you&rsquo;ve lost me already. First impressions count, so start as you mean to go on. Spending a few extra seconds perfecting the detail in the message you&rsquo;re sending will pay off in the long run. Have your reason ready Whilst I&rsquo;m not saying you should start out with it, like you might do on a cold call, it&rsquo;s important to show the person you&rsquo;re reaching out to that you have value to add from the off. Have your reason for contacting them ready to go, without shoving it down their throat immediately; make it clear that you&rsquo;re connecting with them personally, specifically, not just an anyone-and-everyone approach. With that in mind&hellip; Avoid giving your sales pitch in the first message Here&rsquo;s where LinkedIn is a little different to a traditional cold call; when you&rsquo;ve finally gotten through to your prospect on the phone, it can be a bit of a scramble to get your pitch out and hook them straight away. However, using social media allows you to actually warm up and build some rapport before heading straight into &lsquo;selling&rsquo;. It&rsquo;s a little cringeworthy to simply send the old, &ldquo;Hi ___, how are you doing today?&rdquo; &ndash; to which many people wouldn&rsquo;t even feel obliged to respond &ndash; but you definitely have the opportunity here to build and nurture this prospect before pitching. Whether you&rsquo;re both members of a group, share a previous employer or simply want to ask a question about something interesting you&rsquo;ve seen on their profile, there are ways to build that rapport and ensure that this prospect knows this message was written for them and them only. Don&rsquo;t mumble I personally have received messages where I haven&rsquo;t the faintest idea what exactly it is this person wants to &lsquo;take just five minutes of my time to discuss&rsquo;, and other than making me unenthusiastic about whatever it is you&rsquo;re selling, it just makes me unexcited about your ability to articulate yourself as a salesperson. There&rsquo;s a fine line between being too vague and laying your cards out on the table &ndash; but it&rsquo;s really important that, when you do go in for the inevitable sales pitch or request for a catch up, you make sure this prospect knows what they&rsquo;re getting into &ndash; and if it is something they could be at all interested in. If you&rsquo;re selling financial software made for enterprise businesses and, ten minutes into the phone call you&rsquo;ve managed to arrange, they realise that a) you haven&rsquo;t done your research, b) your product is entirely irrelevant to them and c) you&rsquo;ve wasted their time&hellip; Well, it&rsquo;s a lose-lose. For everyone involved. None in the least, you. So finally &ndash; value your prospect&rsquo;s time Ultimately, your job as a salesperson is to add value in some way &ndash; whether through the products you sell or the service you promote &ndash; so make sure you&rsquo;re trying to do exactly that throughout the contact process. Value the time of the person you&rsquo;re targeting and you&rsquo;ll see an uplift in the results you achieve, both in terms of contacts made and the conversion to a real, hot lead. ---- We&rsquo;d love to hear your ideas when it comes to LinkedIn-focused business development activities &ndash; how do you feel when you receive an unsolicited message and what sort of approaches have you been more responsive to? As for those using LinkedIn as a business development tool &ndash; how have you found success?

LinkedIn BD: Dos and Don’ts

​Now, depending on your own personal situation you may have come across this term before outside of a professional environment. I&rsquo;m told that many people are left, phone in hands, wondering what it was they did or said to their potential new beau to have them disappear entirely, without so much as a text back&hellip; But ghosting doesn&rsquo;t just pertain to the dating scene. Sadly, it&rsquo;s a practice which has been slowly but surely becoming more and more prevalent within the wonderful world of recruitment, too. Ghosting by definition is to cut all ties and communication with someone, without explanation or notice &ndash; vanishing, essentially, as a ghost would. Spooky stuff. But beyond spooky it can ultimately be really, really detrimental, for any number of reasons. Before I go on, let me promise you that I know this: ghosting happens on both sides of the fence. It&rsquo;s well-known that one of the biggest gripes many job seekers have is a lack of response or feedback having been for an interview, and companies are even trying to mitigate this by adding addendums onto their job adverts which go beyond the usual &ldquo;If you don&rsquo;t hear from us within 2 weeks, please assume you were unfortunately unsuccessful&rdquo;, going as far as to disclaim in advance their responsibility to supply candidates with feedback&hellip; We&rsquo;re all busy. But that&rsquo;s no excuse. A recent LinkedIn study announced that a jaw-dropping 95% of recruiters in the USA had experienced ghosting by candidates who were actively involved in an ongoing hiring process. I daren&rsquo;t wonder what the percentage would be here in the UK, where our recruitment marketplace is that much more saturated (more than 115,000 people are employed in our recruiting industry, with over 40,000 agencies in England alone. That&rsquo;s a lot of people, and a lot of candidates/clients in the mix). Simply put, ghosting anyone &ndash; whether that&rsquo;s someone who&rsquo;s interviewed with your business, a candidate you were working with or the recruiter who&rsquo;s put you in for that job &ndash; is not a good move. It&rsquo;s something we won&rsquo;t tolerate as a business, and something which needs to be wiped out of the professional world altogether. So, if you&rsquo;re after some no-holds-barred, no nonsense advice on how to be a better practitioner of non-ghoulish behaviours, here it goes: Recruiters: eat that frog &ndash; good or bad, make the call Just because your candidate didn&rsquo;t get the job, doesn&rsquo;t mean you shouldn&rsquo;t give them the courtesy of being let know exactly that. It can be uncomfortable to give negative feedback but &ndash; and this is a part of our job as &lsquo;consultants&rsquo;, remember &ndash; that negative feedback is going to help said candidate grow. A negative becomes positive when it&rsquo;s taken into account; in fact, it might even help them get the next job they interview for. Picture yourself on their side of the fence and, without sounding as exasperated as I sometimes am &ndash; just do the decent thing, guys. I was taught from the very beginning of my career that you never know where someone will end up and who they could be. That candidate you ghosted might just turn out to be a decision maker, business owner, hiring manager for a key target of yours one day&hellip; Hindsight is 20/20. Candidates: honesty goes a long way &ndash; don&rsquo;t be a time-waster Yes, we work with many candidates at any one time. No, you may not be the only person we have interviewing for this position. But, that is absolutely no reason to miss an interview without so much as a text to let us know. We&rsquo;re managing expectations here, too &ndash; those of our clients. When you don&rsquo;t show up to your interview, it&rsquo;s not just our time you&rsquo;ve wasted but the HR Manager who was going to meet you, his/her assistant, whoever else wasn&rsquo;t able to use that meeting room because we&rsquo;d booked it out for the hour, etc etc&hellip; If this isn&rsquo;t the job for you: tell us. If you sent out a thousand resumes, said yes to everything that came your way and now have twenty interviews arranged, many of which you&rsquo;re only vaguely interested in: tell us. If you accepted the interview purely because you felt uncomfortable telling us no: tell us. It cuts both ways &ndash; that interviewer you didn&rsquo;t show up might move on to a new organisation; they could end up being your boss one day, a potential customer even (or not, if they&rsquo;ve anything to say about it). You might simply share a mutual friend or connections and it just doesn&rsquo;t look good. You never know who&rsquo;s going to show up later on in your career and clear out those skeletons in your closet. Let&rsquo;s banish this shadowy practice from the recruitment world altogether &ndash; after all, job searching and hiring alike are tough enough as is. As a job seeking, respect your recruiter or interviewer&rsquo;s time and value it as you would your own. And, as a recruiter, take pride in the service you provide; it&rsquo;s something drummed in to each of our consultants one day one.

Ghosting: a scarily prevalent practice

​Why are we all so busy? We are all, without a doubt, busier than ever. Or so it would seem from scrolling through your LinkedIn feed; we&rsquo;re constantly bombarded with &lsquo;motivational&rsquo; posts from entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, students and the rest of the world who seem to have been to the gym, showered, dressed themselves in a suit and completed thirty other miscellaneous yet extremely productive activities, all by 7am each morning. I, for one, find myself asking: where do they find the time? The amount of time we have in each day hasn&rsquo;t changed &ndash; but they way we view it has. Once upon a time, life was leisurely; work came second to managing the home and family, breaks were taken regularly and workdays were, contrary to popular belief, shorter than we&rsquo;re used to nowadays. Back in the 1930s, famous British economist John Maynard Keynes even predicted that we&rsquo;d be working a mere 3 hours a day &ndash; and then only if we chose to do so. How has so-called &lsquo;time poverty&rsquo; become a thing? It seems to come down to mindset &ndash; the idea that we already don&rsquo;t have enough time to complete everything we want to, and therefore time spent not working should be considered a loss. Not the healthiest way to look at things. What does this mean as an individual? It&rsquo;s pretty simple &ndash; whatever your job title or level, being &lsquo;time-poor&rsquo; essentially means you&rsquo;re missing out on many or most things you&rsquo;d like to do &ndash; or, worse yet, need to do. How many of us have put off going to the doctors for want of a &lsquo;convenient&rsquo; opportunity to take time out of a busy workday? Have you ever had to cancel important events, holidays or otherwise due to work commitments? More and more studies are proving that time spent away from the office actually helps us de-stress, and eventually results in higher productivity with less hours worked. Yet, still there&rsquo;s a vast disconnect in this knowledge once in the office itself. What does this mean as a manager? As a manager, whether to a team of two or a team of twenty-five, you&rsquo;re being pulled pillar to post; from 1-2-1s and performance reviews to resolving problems on the floor, training and everything that comes in between &ndash; not forgetting the all-important admin you must complete &ndash; it&rsquo;s no surprise that so many Brits in management positions consider themselves under the cosh and wanting for more time to do their job. As a manager who feels &lsquo;time-poor&rsquo;, simply put, you need to prioritise your responsibilities and delegate when necessary. Regardless of your level or job title, there&rsquo;s no shame in asking for help &ndash; be that in delegating to an ambitious employee who might want to earn some extra credit, or looking to your own seniors for support. Whilst you have a job to do, undoubtedly an important one at that, bringing new talent to your team shouldn&rsquo;t go by the wayside. After all, aside from developing those you already manage &ndash; what could be more important than hiring the right people to move your business forward? We see it all the time &ndash; rushed recruitment processes, hurried offers made and ultimately time wasted because of the urgency placed on finding the next employee, yesterday. When you as a manager aren&rsquo;t able to dedicate the time it really takes to make the right hire, the best hire, the process isn&rsquo;t always a smooth nor productive one. Hiring the right person will undoubtedly take time out of your day. But, utilising the services of a recruitment partner such as us takes away a massive percentage of the leg work &ndash; and we&rsquo;re experts in doing exactly that. We know you&rsquo;re busy; so are we, giving you back some of that time you so need in your day to day. From the resourcing process (which is likely to be hours spent researching and subsequently headhunting the market&rsquo;s top talent, or referring to our database of contacts built over the years) to pre-qualifying each candidate (nine times out of ten involving a face to face interview, conducted by one of our specialist consultants) and then managing the process throughout (from arranging, feeding back, offering and negotiation) &ndash; why spend your precious time doing the bits we can do for you? After all, it&rsquo;s our job. If we as recruiters feel as though we&rsquo;re time-poor, it&rsquo;s because we&rsquo;re helping our clients feel the opposite.

Time Poverty vs Growth

​A robust and speedy recruitment process always pays dividends... A speedy recruitment process also says more about your business than you may think!
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A Speedy Recruitment Process (Video)

​I&rsquo;m a recruiter &ndash; I know much about many things pertaining to the professional world, particularly my specialism. My specialism is marketing recruitment &ndash; identifying the gaps in my clients&rsquo; teams, and who we need to be targeting and reaching out to in order to fill them. When you first start working in recruitment it seems like a simple process; learn about job vacancy, find perfect candidate, make placement. As with most things in this life, it&rsquo;s not as simple as it seems &ndash; but learning the process from the ground up is the best way to be successful. The same thing can be said for marketing and, for the past few weeks, a question has been playing on my mind: should all marketeers know how to code? Is this the skill which is going to get candidates ahead of the competition when it comes to job seeking? Coding is the basis for most of the platforms marketeers&rsquo; efforts create these days &ndash; apps, websites, emails, essentially all aspects of digital campaigns. Wouldn&rsquo;t it make sense for the people cultivating the ideas and materials that go into it to understand the process back to front, inside out? Let&rsquo;s apply this to another industry; as a salesperson you wouldn&rsquo;t go about trying to sell without first knowing who your target client is, the demographic you&rsquo;re selling to, their budget, needs, requirements. You need to understand how your product/service/offering is going to be perceived from the other side first, in order to acquire the tools and knowledge to sell successfully. The same can be said for marketeers when it comes to coding. Code lies behind the vast majority of successful marketing campaigns, so wouldn&rsquo;t understanding it naturally allow you to generate more viable and innovative ideas? What&rsquo;s going to work, what isn&rsquo;t, what hasn&rsquo;t been done before &ndash; but could be. Not to mention being able to problem solve, bug fix, make quick but effective changes&hellip; Now, coding isn&rsquo;t a part of most marketing jobs on the day-to-day &ndash; it&rsquo;s not likely to be a part of the job description. I&rsquo;m not saying that everyone working in the industry should start taking on those responsibilities. What I&rsquo;m getting at is, simply having the knowledge could be enough to have you jump the queue on equally qualified and experienced applicants, could help you take your career to the next level &ndash; conversely, from a business perspective, considering these skills at interview could help you make the hire your team needs to go above and beyond. Learning what&rsquo;s going on &lsquo;behind the scenes&rsquo; in any profession leads to more well-informed and as such higher performing teams. And, in such a buoyant job market, differentiating yourself becomes evermore important. As a marketing professional, could learning at least basic coding be the way to go about this? The design and creative side is one thing &ndash; implementation and the costs involved within that, another entirely. And as an employer, refer to my previous article about upskilling &ndash; coding could be what your marketing team need for a well-rounded, versatile and skilful approach to your campaigns. Do I myself know and understand coding? I can&rsquo;t say that I do, beyond a basic level. What I understand is how to source, identify and communicate with top-level marketing professionals. I know how to understand the skills they possess (coding or no), and how they do or do not fit within an organisation&rsquo;s plan for development. Whether you&rsquo;re a job seeker looking for insight as to market conditions, current opportunities or profile feedback, myself and my dedicated team would love to talk; if you&rsquo;re an employer facing challenges in recruiting the top talent that is (or is not) currently on the job market, we&rsquo;re able to troubleshoot your process and bring about the change you need. I&rsquo;d love to hear your thoughts &ndash; what&rsquo;s the next must-have skill to expand your career in marketing?

Should all marketeers know how to code?

​Recruitment, like many industries, is constantly having to adapt and change. We&rsquo;re affected by so many factors &ndash; technological, economic, political even &ndash; and keeping up is both challenging and, often, quite a lot of fun. Lately it&rsquo;s been nothing short of inspiring to see how the recruitment community has come together, in more ways than one. First off, we&rsquo;ve seen many recruiters unfortunately lose their jobs due to the pandemic &ndash; and a resulting massive uplift in open referrals to colleagues, clients, old friends even, to help them secure a new role. Next, there&rsquo;s the jobseekers: I for one have observed, on multiple occasions, recruiters sharing profiles of amazing candidates they&rsquo;ve worked with at some point, with no expectation of a fee of any kind; simply trying to help the many people who&rsquo;ve been made redundant here in the UK. But more than just banding together, the recruitment industry as a whole seems to be changing, almost certainly for the better &ndash; and I&rsquo;d love to hear what my fellow recruiters and recruitment are experiencing. Here&rsquo;s how things are looking from our end. We're doing even more retained work. Retained projects are somewhat of a holy grail for recruiters. Simply the commitment from a business who&rsquo;s saying, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re putting our trust in you to fill this role,&rdquo; is quite something when it comes to motivation. It means taking the utmost pride in our work, every step of the way. These days, we&rsquo;re finding clients are actually out to find the&nbsp;right&nbsp;partner to fill roles for them, resulting in us picking up retained work every week. Frankly, it feels&nbsp;great&nbsp;to finally be able to demonstrate why retained search is simply more effective. This shift is something we&rsquo;ve known to be inevitable for a while, as people begin to realise the value in guaranteed-outcome recruitment; you wouldn&rsquo;t work with an IT service provider who told you their service works some of the time, would you? Which leads us on to&hellip; Employers are finally learning the benefits of exclusivity. We might have been singing this song for years now, but there&rsquo;s a reason: working with one agency is simply more productive (provided we do our job properly, of course). From an employer&rsquo;s perspective, conducting a recruitment campaign with just one source of talent (minus your own direct/internal applicants) is undoubtedly going to save time, hassle and admin. Outsourcing a process to two, three, five suppliers ultimately means receiving as much work in return as a result, from arranging terms of business to corresponding with multiple parties at every stage through to, quite simply, having to work out which candidate came from where, and so on and so forth. Furthermore, again, motivation is a real thing and the opportunity to prove ourselves is a strong way to achieve it. Much like retained search, giving a partner like us exclusivity means you simply know that we&rsquo;re putting every foot forward to find you the absolute best candidates we can. And with that in mind&hellip; We're being held accountable at every stage. Recruitment has a bad name &ndash; there, I said it. This is because there are too many outs for &lsquo;bad&rsquo; recruiters; too many gaps for quality control to slip through, along with best practices which aren&rsquo;t regulated. Now, with the advent of more retained work and exclusive projects to work on, guess what? It&rsquo;s on us. Accountability makes us work&nbsp;harder, aim&nbsp;higher, be&nbsp;better&nbsp;&ndash; and we&rsquo;re not ashamed to say so. This is an industry-wide thing; we&rsquo;re seeing our peers up their level of service, and less and less &rsquo;recruiter bashing&rsquo; happening as a result. There&rsquo;s no longer a place to hide in recruitment: this time, the industry&rsquo;s doing things right. Covid has affected many things and, whilst we know the Certus name has already been built on exceptional service, we think that perhaps this pandemic was the push into that next level the industry as a whole needed. What say you?

How Recruitment is Changing – For the Better

​In the previous article (https://www.certusrecruitment.com/insights/first-impressions-it-s-in-our-dna-part-1-) , I talked about the science behind first impressions &ndash; why we make them, the part they played in our evolution, and generally why they&rsquo;re such sticking points for us human beings. The fact is, whatever the reason first impressions happen, they do &ndash; and it&rsquo;s important to know how to make a good one. Without further ado, let&rsquo;s work through this from the beginning: Timing is everything A very famous man once said &ldquo;Five minutes early is ten minutes late&rdquo; &ndash; and not only has it stuck with me, but it&rsquo;s never let me down yet. You make your first impression before you&rsquo;ve even arrived &ndash; that is, when you get there. We get it &ndash; things happen, unforeseen issues arise and sometimes, despite your best efforts, the world works against your good timekeeping. Plan for any eventuality, give yourself way more time than you need, and Do. Not. Be. Late. You&rsquo;re in &ndash; now what? Phew &ndash; traffic aside, you arrived on time. So, take a minute to straighten yourself out, make sure you look smart and ready. Take some deep breaths. Think about how you&rsquo;re presenting yourself, and be ready for your interviewer to make an appearance at any moment &ndash; possibly, having been having a gander at you for a couple beforehand. We&rsquo;re not just talking about what you&rsquo;re wearing here &ndash; if you&rsquo;re sat in a waiting area, don&rsquo;t slump in your seat. Sit up straight and present a positive, professional image. Stand, even, and take a look around you; show an interest in any plaques which may be dotted around, photographs on the walls, certificates etc&hellip; It&rsquo;s not all how about how you&rsquo;re dressed (although it helps to be dressed appropriately) &ndash; it&rsquo;s how you present yourself as a whole. The meet-and-greet This is it &ndash; make it count. If you are still sitting, stand &ndash; always. Don&rsquo;t crush your interviewer&rsquo;s hand, but don&rsquo;t leave them wondering if you even took it or not either. Most importantly, smile &ndash; smile wide, and smile genuine. Make eye contact from the off and be ready with a question, or some means with which to build rapport (here&rsquo;s where those certificates you&rsquo;ve been looking at for the last ten minutes come in handy). Get your interviewer talking, be the one to make conversation, and go from there. ---- The truth is, a lot goes on subconsciously that we don&rsquo;t know is happening during those crucial first moments. What we&rsquo;re talking about here is giving ourselves the absolute best chance to make those goings-on positive, rather than inadvertently enforcing any negative initial feelings or findings. I could go on forever &ndash; project confidence, be yourself, maintain eye contact but don&rsquo;t stare, have your elevator pitch ready, and so on. No matter what sort of job you&rsquo;re interviewing for, industry, level or title, and no matter how many first impressions you&rsquo;ve made throughout your professional life so far: each and every single one is different, so it can&rsquo;t hurt to keep reminding ourselves of the basics. Do you have any stories to share about first impressions? Have you ever met someone who you weren&rsquo;t convinced on immediately, but managed to turn it around? Or vice versa? We as recruiters meet hundreds of candidates each year and are constantly having these first impressions happen to us &ndash; it&rsquo;s part and parcel of what we do to make, review and then develop that first impression into an understanding of each person we meet; their skills and experience, where they might fit within the scope of one of our client&rsquo;s teams. We&rsquo;re proud to do what we do thoroughly, properly and well. Get in touch today to discuss your next career move with a partner who&rsquo;ll truly guide you through the process &ndash; and we&rsquo;d love to hear what your &lsquo;first impression&rsquo; of us might have been, having read this article.

First Impressions: it’s in our DNA (Part 2)

November 2019 &ndash; there are currently almost 65,000 sales jobs posted live across Reed, Indeed and Totaljobs. In London only. Let that sink in for a moment. Even accounting for a large number of those being duplicates &ndash; let&rsquo;s say half &ndash; we&rsquo;re still looking at around 30,000 sales-related jobs, in London ALONE. I daren&rsquo;t do a search across the UK as a whole (but let me know your findings if you decide to!). If I&rsquo;m a job seeker, one question springs to mind when I look at these stats as a whole: As a salesperson, how in the world do I choose my next role?! There are some obvious and simple ways to narrow this down &ndash; salary likely being the first, location the second. Now sector, experience level and so on and so forth&hellip; But, my guess is, you&rsquo;re still going to be spoilt for choice. What you&rsquo;re reading all over the place right now &ndash; that it&rsquo;s a candidate&rsquo;s dream job market at present, with opportunities galore, etc etc &ndash; is certainly true. But when does too much choice become counterproductive? There are many questions we ask the candidates we meet, beyond finding out about their current position &ndash; so here are the main things that myself and my team think really help make sure that the next sales role you take is the right one: Why are you leaving? Bear in mind the phrase, &ldquo;out of the frying pan, into the fire&rdquo;. Across the business we ask each and every candidate this question, of course, but let&rsquo;s drill down further into sales specifically. If you&rsquo;re looking to move on due to unrealistic targets (see my previous article), a toxic sales environment or any other manner of negative reason &ndash; one that&rsquo;s pretty well out of your hands &ndash; make sure you ask the right questions at interview. When you&rsquo;re looking for a new challenge, a more rewarding position or some other intrinsically motivated reason, it makes choosing a new role somewhat simpler&hellip; But when it&rsquo;s more to do with an actual &lsquo;issue&rsquo; as such, what you don&rsquo;t want to do is jump ship, only to find the same problems on the ground. Take time to understand exactly what you want &ndash; and DON&rsquo;T want &ndash; from the next position. Your skillset &ndash; moreover, what you want to do with it Regardless of what level your career sits at currently, it&rsquo;s important to consider the value you already possess in terms of a skillset. But what do you want to do with it? With so much choice on the market, you&rsquo;ll be faced with options where your skillset and experience will translate directly &ndash; and others where your experience may simply be considered as &lsquo;transferrable&rsquo;, rather than &lsquo;spot on&rsquo;. No need to fear &ndash; there&rsquo;s no shortage of employers who are open, nay keen, to hear about how and why you&rsquo;ll be successful, rather than how you have been in the past. When looking for a new sales role, consider whether you want to continue to grow and develop the skills, knowledge and experience you have already (whether that be within new business versus account management, the sector/industry you&rsquo;re used to selling to, the products and services you&rsquo;ve sold so far) or whether you&rsquo;d like to use that experience as a means to learn something new altogether. Your next employer It may sound obvious, but the company itself plays a huge part in determining the sales role it&rsquo;s offering. The working environment for the lone Business Development Manager at a boutique tech start-up is going to differ massively from that of a 30-strong sales floor within a blue-chip; both have fantastic benefits and downsides alike. But they&rsquo;re going to be very, very different benefits and downsides. Think carefully about your current employer and what&rsquo;s important to you in the next &ndash; if you&rsquo;ve been working as a standalone and crave that team environment, looking at a larger company is going to make sense. If you&rsquo;re feeling like a number and want to make an impact, a smaller business going through a high-growth period is going to appeal. Fundamentally, there are pros and cons to each role out there &ndash; and it&rsquo;s an exciting time to be searching. Our expert team knows the sales job market inside out, London and beyond; we&rsquo;re proud to be working with some of the most exciting businesses across the UK. We&rsquo;d love to hear from you, and to tell you more about the opportunities we&rsquo;re representing right now.

How to choose your next sales role

Gut Feelings: when to indulge and when to ignore
Interviewing can be a task.
Interviewing is also a skill.
Interviewing is a job which needs to be done properly, regardless of the who, the why or the when.
Since joining Certus almost 7 years ago as a &lsquo;Candidate Consultant&rsquo; &ndash; the sole purpose of my job being to source and interview jobseekers &ndash; to my current role at Sales Director for the London office, one thing has remained the same: I like to meet and interview the candidates I&rsquo;m working with, properly, myself.
The reasoning behind that comes from many places, but one thing we can all agree on as hiring managers or business owners is that during an interview, you get a gut feeling. It&rsquo;s something which forms naturally, sometimes from the off but often developing and firming over the course of the interview. In fact, in 2018 a survey of more than a thousand decision makers revealed that over a quarter of them &ndash; 28% to be precise &ndash; agreed that they were more likely to hire someone based on what their gut was telling them over experience or knowledge.
We&rsquo;ve all been there. As recruiters specifically, we learn to read our own instincts objectively. When I interview someone for a role I&rsquo;m working on, my gut feeling might be telling me this individual is spot on &ndash; but what will my clients be thinking? Equally, I could feel something off &ndash; but that could be my own personal past experiences coming into play. My gut feeling not being quite right doesn&rsquo;t mean that this person is wrong for the job &ndash; it&rsquo;s now for my client to decide. What we do is give you all the facts &ndash; the candidate&rsquo;s experience, their achievements, plus our honest thoughts and true feelings.
So when should we indulge these &lsquo;gut feelings&rsquo;, and when should they be put aside to focus on the facts?
As I mentioned before, interviewing itself is a skill, and some are more adept at it than others. As someone in a hiring position it&rsquo;s important to remember that when you&rsquo;re interviewing a candidate, what you&rsquo;re really looking at is a number of different skills, on the surface level only &ndash; namely how they present, how well they articulate themselves etc. Further to that, you&rsquo;re assessing their level of experience, the successes they&rsquo;ve had and the bits we can see &lsquo;on paper&rsquo;. What we can&rsquo;t do is assess accurately how successful they&rsquo;re actually going to be based on words alone; it can also become difficult to get a read on that person&rsquo;s personality, finding out who the &lsquo;real&rsquo; them is.
And you&rsquo;ll find that this is where the gut feeling often comes into play.
If all the boxes are ticked, there are no obvious red flags and they come across well, but still something isn&rsquo;t sitting right, inspect those feelings. Take time to think about what it is you&rsquo;re seeing, or not seeing, from this person. Try to take an objective view on what you&rsquo;ve heard &ndash; don&rsquo;t ignore the feeling you&rsquo;re having, but try to work out why you&rsquo;re having it.
Conversely, it could be that you&rsquo;ve met someone who really doesn&rsquo;t have everything you need &ndash; but your gut&rsquo;s telling you they&rsquo;re right, they&rsquo;re worth a shot and they&rsquo;ll be a successful hire. Again, it&rsquo;s important to delve deeper &ndash; could it be that you&rsquo;ve just built great rapport and would get along well with this person, which is causing you to mask the fact that they might be unable to fulfil the job? On some subconscious level, do they remind you of someone you know, or used to know, and have warm feelings towards? Do they simply have that aura which is great to be around &ndash; leaving you inclined to hire them, despite their missing pieces? Gut feelings work both ways, see &ndash; and at all levels.
Sometimes, it's alright to give the benefit of the doubt despite any instinctual misgivings &ndash; but it&rsquo;s as important not to ignore warning signs just because your gut&rsquo;s feeling good.
To answer my own question above, there&rsquo;s really no right or wrong way to interpret a gut feeling, but we must have them for a reason. The best advice I&rsquo;d give you is to stay open minded, and take the time to learn some interviewing skills yourself. Ask for facts and figures to back up any claims, where possible; equally, give candidates a chance to freeform answers in a more abstract way to learn more about their thought processes. Ask competency based questions to determine their actual experience, rather than how well they can talk &ndash; leave no room for speculation, by asking &ldquo;Tell me about a time when&hellip;&rdquo; rather than, &ldquo;What would you do if&hellip;&rdquo;
In business we tend to lean towards that which is measurable; facts, logic, numbers.
Unfortunately, our gut is yet to catch on.
----
It can be tough to know what you&rsquo;re getting at interview &ndash; so having experts at your disposal can bring some relief to a strenuous process. When you meet a candidate being represented by Certus, they&rsquo;ll have been interviewed by us beforehand; our job is to save you time, so that each gut feeling you get is a good one.
Get in touch with our team in London today to discuss how we&rsquo;re doing things differently.

​Gut Feelings

​First, there were cubicles &ndash; as many employees as humanly possible, crammed into as little space as could be spared, each with a phone, PC and swivel chair to boot. Then we moved beyond this &ndash; open plan was &lsquo;in&rsquo;, and water cooler conversation became a real thing. Fast forward a few years; job descriptions suddenly started including an actual section about the office you&rsquo;d be working in; from AstroTurfed kitchen areas to &lsquo;break out&rsquo; rooms (with the obligatory Xbox/Play Station, of course) and fresh fruit delivered daily, the office itself has now become a veritable workplace benefit, alongside healthcare, childcare vouchers and the like. And today? In 2019, it&rsquo;s as common to be selling the dazzling office space to potential employees as it is to be discussing how infrequently they need show up. Whilst some decision makers still hold the misgivings of old about allowing staff to work from home, there are definite pros to giving people more freedom; it&rsquo;s something which more and more people are wanting, nay expecting, whilst on the lookout for their next employer. Not only does it build trust, but ultimately, many individuals thrive when working entirely autonomously. Of course, there are others who&hellip; Don&rsquo;t. Depending on the job function, considering flexible working conditions for your new employees can be important to do &ndash; so let&rsquo;s discuss some of the pros and cons of homeworking. Pro: Less distractions = higher productivity Be honest &ndash; even the most laid back of &lsquo;bosses&rsquo; have had to ask the team to tone down the banter and get some work done at some point. If your employees are sat at home tuned into their laptop, rather than what James and Andrew are gossiping about over the coffee machine, productivity is going to increase as such. Con: More distractions = lower productivity TV. Deliveries. Washing up. Laundry. A fridge full of food. Mum popping round for a cuppa. Whilst there may not be the distractions of the team at home, that&rsquo;s not to say there aren&rsquo;t myriad more. There&rsquo;s always the chance that working from home creates more distractions, rather than less; with that being said, there are many workflow management tools available today which can help ensure that, regardless, the work is getting done. Some people just need the buzz of the office to get them into &lsquo;work mode&rsquo;. Pro: More remote communication = better communication The simple fact is, when working from home your employee may not have to hand the information/tools/resources which they need, which in turn encourages communication between employees &ndash; whether they need to call Sarah to understand these figures better, or send an email to the marketing team to chase up the lead report they requested, being forced into communication with teams and individuals who you may have otherwise not can&rsquo;t be a bad thing. Con: More remote communication = worse communication Ever read a perfectly friendly, professional email &ndash; then seen the dreaded &ldquo;Regards&rdquo; at the end? When communicating through text and email things can be easily misinterpreted; without advanced writing skills, it can be difficult to demonstrate tone of voice, resulting in things often being taken &lsquo;the wrong way&rsquo;. What might have been an easy going conversation face to face may be misconstrued, or a joke may be misunderstood. Whilst more communication is a good thing, it only is so if the communication itself is positive. Pro: Flexibility = happy employees Fact: life gets in the way. Whether it&rsquo;s picking up the kids from school or being home to accept your online grocery shop, fundamentally it can be a huge benefit for employees to have that one day of the week where they&rsquo;re able to schedule things around their life goings on, rather than having to struggle to make things work. And having that flexibility, that little less of a worry, is going to positively affect that employee&rsquo;s mood, period. Con: Too much flexibility = unhappy employees The truth about working from home? It can be boring, lonely, and sometimes extremely demotivating. What works for one doesn&rsquo;t work for all &ndash; and that applies especially for homeworking. Giving employees the option may leave them feeling obliged to take that day &ndash; think entering the office to calls of, &ldquo;What are you doing here? Go home, it&rsquo;s your day off!&rdquo; &ndash; and leave them feeling down and demotivated after a day spent struggling through at home. Some people simply work better, and happier, in the office environment &ndash; it&rsquo;s truly a case by case situation. ---- Of course, all of the above change completely depending on each and every different individual you employ &ndash; it&rsquo;s not a one-size-fits-all scheme, nor is there a right or wrong. Whilst some employees will relish the opportunity to prove to you that they&rsquo;re to be trusted away from the office, it may strike fear into the hearts of others, who simply thrive in the convivial environment of a familiar workspace. At interview stage, finding out what&rsquo;s important in terms of the practicalities of the job is important. Do they lack initiative and crave some form of micromanagement? Will they throw up a fuss at the mere mention of a paperwork day spent in the office? Is there a happy medium? Certus builds teams across Sales, Marketing and IT, from a graduate to director level &ndash; we&rsquo;re experts at understanding how your business works, and who&rsquo;s going to work for you (whether at home or in the office). Get in touch to hear more about how to implement flexible working schemes which are going to work for you and your new employees.

The Rise of Homeworking

​As managers, we have to be conscious of what we say and how we say it. Effective communication is arguably the most fundamental key to a high-performing team, one which achieves their goals and drives business forward. But there are two sides to communication: let&rsquo;s call them speaking and listening for now. Speaking covers everything you as a manager choose to say, how you say it, when it&rsquo;s delivered, and how you respond to others. Listening is how everything you say is interpreted by your team. How they perceive the communication you&rsquo;re offering. And, importantly, how they feel about it. Which is where the question of intent vs impact comes in. You know what you&rsquo;re trying to achieve &ndash; but were you able to deliver it in such a way that made your intentions clear? To ensure the same impact is felt across the team &ndash; as in, every person is now feeling the same way (engaged, motivated, etc) and driven toward that same goal? Take the following sentence: &ldquo;These results aren&rsquo;t good enough. What went wrong?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s bold, it&rsquo;s blunt; the intention is to problem solve and understand where the improvement needs to be made, sharpish. It&rsquo;s a sentence which, when said aloud, is hopefully going to prompt action of some sort. But what impact did this sentence have on the team? Some may take it in their stride and want to review things with you, taking time to analyse, understand, and create a plan to improve. On the other hand, another employee has immediately switched off, presuming that you as manager are taking no accountability; the blame is on the team. Your intention was to share ideas, work together to solve a problem &ndash; but the impact on some, maybe many individuals, could be demotivation and disengagement. Communication in management is a funny one, because we&rsquo;re often bound to doing everything at once. Manage each work style differently, pay attention to the individual; equally, find a way to communicate with the team at large which doesn&rsquo;t alienate any one person, a cover-all, if you like. No one said it would be easy. So, how could we word the sentence above for a more inclusive overall feel, one which delivers your intentions AND has the desired impact? How about, &ldquo;We know we can do better than this &ndash; where can we improve next time?&rdquo; Or, &ldquo;Here&rsquo;s what I think about how we can improve &ndash; what other ideas can we come up with?&rdquo; These both denote accountability, inclusivity and ownership &ndash; as both an individual and a team. The intention is clear, and the impact should in most cases be a positive one &ndash; one which gets everyone working towards what you&rsquo;re trying to achieve. You&rsquo;ve communicated now that this is our problem &ndash; and we&rsquo;ll solve it like the team we are. All of this is particularly important when we&rsquo;re managing new teams, or those with new hires amongst them. In high-trust relationships, where each party knows the other well, we learn to read between the lines of what&rsquo;s actually being said or meant by comments or questions to find the real meaning. But, for the newer relationships, this can&rsquo;t always be done. Directions, questions or otherwise may be misconstrued, and this alone is where the onboarding of new employees often falls down. So, as a manager of people, how can you turn your intentions into the impact you&rsquo;re after? &bull; Communicate clearly and openly, without pointing fingers or placing blame (or even hinting towards doing so). &bull; Cultivate a team-feel, rather than an &ldquo;us and them&rdquo;, manager vs employees atmosphere &ndash; get rid of those hierarchical barriers. &bull; Ask for feedback and encourage employees to speak up for clarification if they&rsquo;re unsure on something, and to voice their opinions candidly, without fear of repercussions for doing so. &bull; Make sure that you fully understand your own intentions before heading into any communication with the team &ndash; if you&rsquo;re unsure of what you&rsquo;re after, they undoubtedly will be too. Over time, as you build trust, communication across your team becomes easier. With that being said, you&rsquo;ll want to know that your team is receptive to your management and communication style before you even make the hire &ndash; which is where we come in. To talk workforce solutions and learn more about how we pre-qualify all this and more at interview stage, get in touch.

Intentions vs Impact – How Communication Can Make or Break Your Management Success

​It&rsquo;s no secret that the job market is &lsquo;hot&rsquo; right now &ndash; that is to say, there are lots of jobs up for grabs and lots of businesses competing for the best candidates. And a competition it is; with platforms out there now specifically made for candidates to compare the many benefits each different employer has to offer, and more bells and whistles being added to a job offer than you can shake a stick at, businesses are having to go to the next level to secure the hires they&rsquo;re after. But, at the end of the day, an employee&rsquo;s happiness depends on more than how many social events you hit up together, the new fandangled &lsquo;break out area&rsquo;, and whether they&rsquo;re allowed to work from home once a week. What should you be considering as an employer to stay competitive, beyond token perks and those seemingly all-important benefits? Progression &ndash; real, proven progression. Your uncapped commission structure, pool table and monthly lunch clubs are only going to keep someone interested for so long. Let&rsquo;s be frank &ndash; in today&rsquo;s world, more and more people are chopping and changing jobs like it&rsquo;s fashionable. And why? Because they see other people in a different company gaining more recognition, promotion or otherwise, and think that the grass is greener. By being able to demonstrate true progression &ndash; by way of staff who&rsquo;ve actually achieved it, logically structured org charts or otherwise &ndash; and putting in place real, achievable targets, you give your new employee something to focus on and aim toward. Just saying, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll progress if you do well,&rdquo; is no longer enough; you need to show them it&rsquo;s a real thing. Culture &ndash; and I don&rsquo;t just mean beers on a Friday. Yeah, you might have a beer fridge to rival all others &ndash; not to mention the all-important dress-down Friday. But what else is there to say about your culture? Culture within a company is about the ethos each of your employees embodies, the way they interact with each other, relationships which go beyond company dos and nights spent down the pub. That&rsquo;s important, sure &ndash; celebrating the wins is a sure-fire way to build team morale. But it should be so much more than that. Build a culture which people want to be a part of, and they&rsquo;ll stay with the business for longer. Build a respectful culture, where each employee understands the value their colleagues add, making for a collaborative workplace and happy team. And THEN go out for beers on a Friday. Open door policies matter. Simply put, in this day and age, people do not want to work in an environment where they feel as though they don&rsquo;t have a voice. Say you have an open door policy and, more importantly, mean it &ndash; you can implement this in so many ways but as a hiring body, you need to be willing to take on board what might come about as a result of such a policy. It could be as simple as cultivating a true non-hierarchical environment, where your employees can speak to you like an old friend (within reason), or you could bring in some kind of anonymous feedback system where your staff are able to have their say without fear of backlash. Remember, we&rsquo;re not just talking about employees having a good old moan here and there; you&rsquo;ve hired this person because you saw potential in them, so it stands to reason that they&rsquo;d have suggestions and ideas for improvements which could be made. Having a true open door policy gives employees something to consider outside of just coming to work, completing their own tasks, and leaving each day. It makes them a part of something bigger than their own responsibilities, and they&rsquo;ll feel more involved as such. More involved = more longevity. ---- Safe to say, hiring in 2019 is a two-way street. Whilst, of course, the interviewing candidate needs to prove their potential and worth to the business, it&rsquo;s by no means a reason to sit back and relax. Go beyond the bells and whistles to secure the top level candidates, and moreover, keep them &ndash; beanbags and beer fridges only count for so much. To talk about strategizing your hiring in the ever-changing and fast-moving employment market of today, get in touch. We&rsquo;re proud to call ourselves experts across the board.

Does Your Business Stand Out From The Crowd?

​With the UK unemployment rate still falling at a fairly steady rate, the job market these days is an encouraging place to be. It&rsquo;s a candidate driven market, which means that there are lots of companies hiring for lots of different positions &ndash; and there are NOT necessarily lots of unhappy, underpaid or demotivated candidates out there looking to fill these jobs. Now, that doesn&rsquo;t mean that as a jobseeker (whether tentative or committed) you&rsquo;re able to rest on your laurels and let the opportunities come to you. Whilst that&rsquo;s more likely to happen, with fewer candidates on the hunt you have to understand that each and every interview taking place is that much more serious &ndash; essentially, the competition is higher than ever, too. And, as ever, it&rsquo;s still possible to fall at that all-important first hurdle: the CV. Unfortunately, the &lsquo;7 second&rsquo; rule is still a real thing, despite favourable market conditions. So what is the 7 second rule exactly? No, I&rsquo;m not talking about dropping your lunch on the floor and picking it up within 7 seconds so it&rsquo;s &lsquo;still good&rsquo; &ndash; we&rsquo;re talking about the length of time it takes for somebody to open a CV and, rightly or wrongly, make a subconscious yes or no decision. Now, hear what I&rsquo;m saying: I&rsquo;m not telling you that people open a CV, scan it for a mere seven seconds and then say yay or nay, before closing it down and moving onto the next one. What I&rsquo;m trying to reiterate is the importance of standing out in those first crucial seconds, of showing the person who opens your CV that it&rsquo;s worth their time and attention. First impressions truly count, and people often forget that the true first impression you make is that of your CV. You wouldn&rsquo;t show up to an interview bedraggled, ten minutes late and then proceed to do your worst at explaining your skills and suitability (I certainly hope), so why would you allow your CV to let you down by being poorly written, or not containing the necessary detail, or even just looking&hellip; Well, a bit rubbish? I can tell you from years of hiring my own employees, let alone dealing with hundreds of clients hiring theirs, that preconceived ideas are real, first impressions count and moreover, they&rsquo;re extremely difficult to reverse. A CV should be succinct but detailed. It should be personal, truthful and candid; equally, it should be relevant to the position you&rsquo;re applying for &ndash; don&rsquo;t write in your profile that you&rsquo;re looking for a job in marketing when you&rsquo;ve applied for my engineering role. If this means tailoring your CV each time, do it. Your CV should be punchy and eye-catching, without a garish design distracting from the content itself. Don&rsquo;t let a sloppily written CV give somebody the wrong idea of who you are and what you&rsquo;ve done &ndash; unless it&rsquo;s a positive one, of course. You want the interviewer to be excited to meet you, to discuss the many points that caught their eye, from experience to education and even interests. Candidates &ndash; you&rsquo;re not expected to know how to write a CV properly, which is where we come in. Not only do we know what makes a good CV in general, you can rest assured that we know what our own clients want to see hands-down &ndash; we know what experience to highlight, how to portray your strengths and how to sell you in writing. And, no, we&rsquo;re not talking about &lsquo;doctoring&rsquo; CVs; we&rsquo;re talking about maximising your power on paper, the same way you&rsquo;d put on your best suit and game face for the interview itself. Clients &ndash; conversely, you can&rsquo;t be expected to know exactly what to look for on paper. We&rsquo;re trained to. When it comes to finding a &lsquo;diamond in the rough&rsquo;, it&rsquo;s our specialism &ndash; looking beyond the typos and terrible Word Art to get to the skills and capabilities the person possesses underneath. But, rest assured, by the time the CV makes it to you, you&rsquo;ll be able to quickly and efficiently get what you want and need to know from it. No one&rsquo;s falling victim to the 7 second rule here &ndash; not on our watch.

7 Seconds to Impress!

The working landscape has shifted massively in the last year, particularly for those who work in offices. We are emerging from a period of workplace disruption, it&rsquo;s time for businesses to refresh workplace culture and get people excited about working together again.
&nbsp;
The pandemic caused a number of unique challenges for employers and has overturned the working experience. Forward-thinking leaders are adjusting to ensure they can attract top talent while retaining their existing employees.
&nbsp;
As we prepare for working life away from lockdowns, it&rsquo;s critical for business leaders to consider how they will shift their recruitment and retainment strategies.
&nbsp;
So, what are candidates mainly seeking from employment post-COVID and how can you apply this to your recruitment strategy?
&nbsp;
Prioritise wellness
&nbsp;
People are the spark of a business and have a direct impact on its success, growth and reputation. Poor employee wellbeing and lack of care naturally leads to poor business outcomes.
&nbsp;
The pandemic has led to important mental health conversations and has shifted how people think about work and what they want out of life. For many, the chance to reflect led them to consider what truly matters, this is why wellbeing infrastructures have expanded across multiple industries.
&nbsp;
When it comes to attracting and retaining staff, people are looking to join innovative businesses that place the health and wellness of their people at the forefront. This shows that you genuinely care by going beyond the typical perks.
&nbsp;
When considering an effective wellbeing strategy, remember to consider the following:
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Identify areas of focus for wellbeing by seeking ideas from employees
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Engage employees in all stages of the development of the plan
&nbsp;
Communicate openly
&nbsp;
Transparency has never been more attractive to job-seekers. More than ever, people are seeking environments with open communication and trust at the centre.
&nbsp;
Prospective candidates want to see that your business creates efficient communication channels where they can express themselves and be heard.
&nbsp;
Developing an environment with nurturing and supportive leadership will create an environment where people feel seen, heard and recognised and ultimately want to be and stay.
&nbsp;
Communicating transparently builds trust with employees current and new, which leads to happier, more engaged workers.
&nbsp;
Optimise your employer brand
&nbsp;
With skill shortages and organisations competing for talent, employer branding plays a major role.
&nbsp;
The communications of your business, i.e. your company website, social media platforms and brand tone of voice should ideally come together in an employer brand story, that separates you from competitors.
&nbsp;
Candidates tend to look for businesses that stand out from the crowd in terms of storytelling, they want to visualise themselves in a company, which you can solve by fine-tuning your employer brand.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Define your message and values
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nurture your culture
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Understand brand perception
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Embrace technology
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Treat candidates like customers
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Use storytelling
&nbsp;
Rethink talent needs
&nbsp;
Differentiate your company so employees want to work for you rather than your competition.
&nbsp;
Outline the talent gaps in your business and refocus your strategies to attract the people who will drive future success. Analyse your most significant challenges and what kind of people could help you overcome them. By identifying the types of candidates you want to attract, you can build on boosting your employer brand to attract them.
&nbsp;
Getting this right will encourage fresh talent to join your business.
&nbsp;
Get employee feedback
&nbsp;
Give your employees a voice by gathering feedback through one-on-one conversations and surveys. In today&rsquo;s post-pandemic world, it&rsquo;s crucial to understand employee wellbeing, work relationships, and support structure. By gathering this data, you can work on addressing feedback, before eyes wander and employees leave.
&nbsp;
Making your employees feel heard shows that you want to listen to them and that their thoughts and feelings are valid.
&nbsp;
Promote flexibility
&nbsp;
A flexible or remote working schedule is one of the most in-demand perks, especially since the start of the pandemic.
&nbsp;
One of the main benefits people have seen from home-working is the ability for more autonomy when it comes to individual work/life balance.
&nbsp;
Additionally, commuting time is saved and can be spent working on business progression, as well as taking care of personal matters, which ultimately reduces employee stress and boosts morale.
&nbsp;
Give recognition
&nbsp;
Employees want to feel that they are important to your success. It&rsquo;s important to show your appreciation for what they do and how they contribute to your business growth. This is particularly key when organisations grow and develop. It helps teams build a sense of security, motivating them to continue great work.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Give shout-outs
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Offer fun projects or development opportunities
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Encourage peer-to-peer recognition
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Just say thank you!
&nbsp;
-
&nbsp;
The post-pandemic world of employment is disruptive and exciting, and business growth is dependent on your ability to think and lead differently.
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re looking to build your team, Certus takes the time to understand your company&rsquo;s position within its market.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/company/contact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get in touch today to find out how we can support your growth plans.</a>

Attracting and retaining staff as we exit the pandemic

​On a day to day basis in the recruitment world we face a multitude of people, job roles and sectors, all of which encompass their own responsibilities, quirks and trials. With our various divisions here at Certus Recruitment Group &ndash; including Sales, Marketing, IT and an extensive graduate program &ndash; I find it interesting to wander the office and drop in on the different discussions from each team as to the progress they&rsquo;re making and challenges they&rsquo;re up against in finding the best candidates. There&rsquo;s one sector of recruitment which, to this day after having spent more than 20 years doing the job, poses more difficulties than the others in securing that stellar placement &ndash; and that&rsquo;s the wonderful world of marketing. But why, you ask? First, let&rsquo;s consider what someone who works in marketing actually does. It starts with an idea &ndash; you&rsquo;re able to brainstorm and use your mind to create new concepts whether it be a design, advertising campaign or otherwise. You&rsquo;re likely to be spending hours at a screen researching, scouring the web for information, ideas, facts and figures to determine where you&rsquo;re going with this. This info then needs to be collated clearly into a tangible &ldquo;this is what we should do&rdquo; format. Strategy needs to be drawn and goals set. And, eventually, you&rsquo;d better be ready to present your idea to the board/team/person who holds your budget, to get them onside. Now, let&rsquo;s consider the skills necessary to complete the tasks mentioned above. Creativity. Research. Statistics. Articulation. Personality. Communication. Sales. So, what we&rsquo;re looking for here essentially is a switched-on, free-thinking, numbers-savvy creative who knows their way around a spreadsheet, isn&rsquo;t afraid of public speaking, &lsquo;gets&rsquo; business and, at the end of it all, has personality enough that you&rsquo;d happily go for a beer with them at the end of a long day. AKA, to use a recruitment term, a unicorn. It&rsquo;s the scope of a marketing role which makes it one of the hardest to fill. Of course, it may be broken down into different levels and roles; that is to say, not every single position out there encompasses all of these responsibilities. Your Marketing Exec might come in at a graduate level to do the base layer of research &ndash; but why hire someone within whom you don&rsquo;t see all of the above traits, so that they might progress within the business one day? There are also myriad marketing channels, so one person may not be managing everything at once; but still, there&rsquo;s a standard of hoping to find someone who could, if they needed to, be on top of the lot. The true &lsquo;plate spinners&rsquo; of the business world, marketeers must hold such a plethora of both hard and soft skills &ndash; so it&rsquo;s no wonder they post a unique, but not insurmountable, test to recruiters such as we. As with anything, there is no such thing as a golden goose &ndash; employers understand that you might not find the whole package, and that&rsquo;s okay. In a sector which encompasses aspects of so many others, and for all of the reasons above, this is why we meet each candidate we work with. We want to be able to tell our clients, with confidence, that she&rsquo;s got just enough techy about her, but came across as lively and passionate, too; he knew his numbers inside out, and was extremely agile when it came to talk about innovating. We like to meet these people, shake their hand, get to know them &ndash; in the same way we do the employers they&rsquo;re going to be interviewing with. Marketing is a hybrid role of many others, and it takes a certain type. With so many moving parts, the process from screening to interview to potentially placing someone in their next marketing job is a long one, potentially in time and always in effort. We&rsquo;re not quite chasing waterfalls &ndash; but, even if we were, who doesn&rsquo;t love a challenge?

The Challenging World of Marketing Recruitment

​The debate between degree and apprenticeship and which one of the two represents the best way to both grow talent and maximise income in someone&rsquo;s career has always been a hot topic for young people, parents and employers.
On one hand, the Government is planning to raise the quality and status of apprenticeships, targeting to have three million learners start by 2020. The introduction of theApprenticeship Levy&nbsp;will definitely change the way apprenticeships are funded in England, with all employers with a wage bill of over &pound;3 million now having to make an investment.
On the other hand, a recent study conducted by the multinational support services and construction companyInterserve,shows that degrees are still preferred over apprenticeships.
The survey has been sent to three key audiences among a representative quota sample of 5294 people: employers (511 senior decision makers in businesses in Great Britain), parents (4,307 adults) and young people (509 13-18 year olds), in April 2016. The result shows that apprenticeships are struggling to compete with university qualifications in London among each of the three groups.Only 2% of young people in London said they currently plan to do an apprenticeship.
In addition, only 7% of London-based businesses value work-based training programmes such as apprenticeships when looking to recruit. Finally, only 14% of parents in the capital thought apprenticeships would be a good choice for their children.
What do you think?

Apprenticeships vs Degrees: what is the best way to grow talent?

​Sometimes changing your methods of finding candidates can be essential in recruitment, particularly in the IT contract world where an immediate vacancy can spring up requiring urgent action with no time for job adverts. Coming into recruitment as a fresh grad I had tended to just go with what I had been told, after all, someone with 25 years&rsquo; experience will know how to source candidates better than I can. It was only when I heard Catherine Leggett speaking on 5Live one night that I realised our existing methods whilst working extremely well, might hinder some applications. Catherine is an employment consultant at the National Autistic Society, and she spoke exceptionally about the struggles that face Autistic people in the recruitment process. Typical recruitment methods may produce many challenges for autistic candidates at all stages of the process. Job descriptions with a long list of unnecessary skills can be off-putting. Interviews and communicating their own skills can be problematic, particularly when much of it is done over the phone. At Certus it is typical for our first contact with candidates to be over the phone, before meeting them and sending them to our clients. On the IT desk, we had been flirting with skill assessments to differentiate the best candidates from the rest of the pack. Even though we appreciated how important technical competency in the form of tests was in IT roles, phone conversations remained prominent throughout the process and it was only when I heard Catherine speak that I realised this may have put limitations on sourcing the best candidates available. Our IT Desk is in a fortunate position as it&rsquo;s very new. This means we haven&rsquo;t necessarily got embedded practices as is the case with many recruitment companies. When I realised how our methods had emphasised a candidate&rsquo;s ability to communicate their skills rather than the skills themselves, I decided to get in touch with the National Autistic Society to see how we could change this. It was made clear that rearranging some of our processes could open doors to excellent candidates we may not have&nbsp;accessed&nbsp;across the entire company. Changing the way our adverts are set up, aspects of our interview processes and placing more emphasis on a candidate&rsquo;s skillset through tests, we could massively open the number of suitable candidates available to us for any given role. Initially, our efforts will be focused on the IT desk, with hard work underway to adapt the process with a view to 2019 already. Many people will primarily think of autistic candidates that may have exceptional technical skills, and of course, given my role in IT recruitment, this is an aspect that was at the forefront of my mind when thinking about this issue. However, something the National Autistic Society are demonstrating so well is that Autistic candidates can offer so much beyond this stereotype. Employers are finding that autistic candidates demonstrate above-average levels of concentration, reliability, persistence, factual knowledge and memory and attention to detail. All of these are excellent attributes to have in a candidate. To put it simply Certus need the best candidates so that our clients are successful. In order to do this, we need to make sure our practices don&rsquo;t prevent people on the autism spectrum from entering the process. Hopefully adapting our strategy on the IT desk will be the start of an influx of great candidates to Certus. For any information, advice and guidance for employers and autistic jobseekers please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.autism.org.uk/services/work.aspx">https://www.autism.org.uk/services/work.aspx</a>

How removing barriers is going to benefit everyone Ian Piper

​Enduring repeated lockdowns gave people all over the world copious amounts of time for self-reflection.
&nbsp;
The global pandemic has led to a change in the world of work, prompting people to question the role that employment plays in their lives.
&nbsp;
The past 6 months have seen a sharp spike in resignations around the world, and Australia has seen a surge in job hopping, having woken up to &lsquo;The Great Resignation&rsquo; - an epidemic in which more people than ever before are quitting their jobs.
&nbsp;
For many, this has formed a desire to create a more fulfilling work life. As a result, more people are wanting to utilise their &lsquo;transferable skills&rsquo; and try new paths.
&nbsp;
Transferable skills are those you carry from one job to another, regardless of job title or sector. Some skills are&nbsp;hard,&nbsp;e.g. &lsquo;data analysis&rsquo;, while others are&nbsp;soft, e.g. &lsquo;relationship building.&rsquo;
&nbsp;
Transferable skills can help you land a new job, no matter how &ldquo;unmatched&rdquo; your skill set might appear to be, and more Aussies are waking up to this&hellip;
&nbsp;
Why are employers hiring people with transferable skills?
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Improved efficiency and productivity
Many transferable skills enable you to be more collaborative in the workplace.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Strengthened working relationships
Transferable skills help you better interact with people internally and externally.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Skillset potential
Employers recognise that you are better equipped to take on new responsibilities when demonstrating transferable skills.
&nbsp;
In general, employees with transferable skills have the tools that help them go beyond their job description and duties.
&nbsp;
With modern changes to working life, organisations are now more likely to stray away from typical recruitment processes and hire candidates who don&rsquo;t necessarily meet&nbsp;all&nbsp;the criteria for a role, but have strong potential and strong transferable skills.
&nbsp;
Forward-thinking employers understand that staff with transferable skills have an extensive skill set they can tap into.
&nbsp;
Additionally, hiring for potential and training people in industry-specific knowledge has become increasingly popular amongst leaders and managers.
&nbsp;
Hiring outside of the industry opens up new doors, brings new ways of thinking, adds perspective and can ultimately bring huge value to a company.
&nbsp;
Think Outside the Box
&nbsp;
Some skills are role-specific, while others can be brought into every job you do. The key to finding more fulfillment in your professional (and personal) life is to truly understand your values and the skills you have.
&nbsp;
Transferable skills develop throughout your career. By considering what they are and setting targets to improve, you advance and progress, whichever direction you choose.
&nbsp;
Once outlined, transferable skills become incredibly useful when it comes to applying for a new role or considering a career change.
&nbsp;
Whether you&rsquo;re looking for a new opportunity entirely or you&rsquo;re looking to grow internally, transferable skills will help you climb the professional ladder, regardless of your industry or sector.
&nbsp;
Key Transferable Skills In Demand
&nbsp;
Once you&rsquo;ve outlined your own set of transferable skills, you can put them into practice and showcase them effectively on your CV.
&nbsp;
Transferable skills fall under categories like clerical, research, planning, interpersonal skills and technical.
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Problem solving
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Data analysis
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Critical thinking
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leadership
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Teamwork
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adaptability
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Decision making
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Writing
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Communication
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Empathy
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Commercial awareness
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Active listening
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Creativity
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Project management
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Relationship building
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Computer / technology
&nbsp;
Not only do they help you to become more adaptable, but transferable skills can help you really stand out during the job application process.
&nbsp;
The Takeaways
&nbsp;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Transferable skills can be used in all types of job and career paths.
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Transferable skills can be &lsquo;hard skills&rsquo; and &lsquo;soft skills&rsquo;
●&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Transferable skills are the bottom line of a jobseeker&rsquo;s overall potential; investing in continuous learning will strengthen prospects.
&nbsp;
The most important aspect of transferable skills is that they are yours to keep! No matter where your career takes you, the transferable skills you develop will always be there for you, helping you to adapt, change, and grow professionally.
&nbsp;
Certus Aus, have hired individuals from a variety of industries such as Financial sales, Wagering and Health &amp; Fitness. All of whom have bought new ways of thinking, but have also very quickly got up to speed with our industry.
&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re looking for your next exciting opportunity or are looking to expand your team,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">get in touch with Certus today.</a>

The Time For Transferable Skills

What is a &ldquo;Gap Year&rdquo;?
A gap year is simply a constructive &ldquo;time out&rdquo; to travel in between life stages. It gives young people a valuable learning experience where they can take on new challenges to expand their personal development. However, gap years are no longer just for college leavers. More and more adults who have a few years work behind them are also taking up the opportunity to go away on a gap year with many programmes being suitable for those taking a career break, retired or those simply needing a change of scenery for an extended sabbatical. Going on a gap year will broaden your view of the world and open you up to new experiences. It may even open a door to new career options post-retirement. Everyone talks about going travelling all the time and you can be sure to see a multitude of photos, videos and blog posts all over social media when they do go &ndash; let&rsquo;s just admit it, we&rsquo;re all jealous, they look like they are having great fun!
<h2>What are the benefits of taking a gap?</h2>
While a gap year gives you the chance to recharge your batteries and think about your future, it should be used to achieve much more than just a year-long break. With some proper planning, you can develop your gap year programme to build on your strengths, overcome your weaknesses and gain valuable life experience that cannot be taught in a classroom. A well-structured gap experience will add real value to your confidence and sense of achievement and can go a long way in helping you decide on what you want to do next. It will also &ndash; possibly more importantly &ndash; help you to understand yourself better and it&rsquo;ll say more about you as an individual (your passion, interests, ambition) than exam results. As the competition for university places and jobs gets hotter, a gap year could really push your application up. It demonstrates skills, determination and willingness and is inevitably an interesting topic of conversation in interviews.
<h2>What do employers say about gap years?</h2>
Employers are looking for candidates who can come in and hit the ground running pretty much straight away, so your CV must reflect your skills and experience to demonstrate that you are able to do the job in question. If you have enjoyed a well planned and structured gap year, you&rsquo;ll find you can draw on those experiences to prove you have what it takes. The increase in confidence and the skills gained on a gap year such as thinking on your feet, working under pressure, team leadership and an international perspective gained through working around other cultures, are highly sought after by employers.
City firms such as Deloitte and Slaughter &amp; May, openly welcome applications from graduates who have a vast range of experiences, including a gap year (a productive one though &ndash; not just a season in Ibiza!). These companies understand the importance of an individual&rsquo;s ability to show evidence of maturity, enterprise and constant commitment both in and out of formal education.
A retired recruiter of a major international company has commented, &ldquo;A well-organised gap year largely spent overseas is a powerful way of developing many of the personal characteristics that my company seeks in graduate recruits: initiative in planning the year, the commercial and influencing skills often deployed in raising money at the start, the teamwork involved in many projects, the drive that is needed to succeed in a very different environment and the international perspective developed from immersion in another culture.
Above all, the experience as a whole builds confidence &ndash; the confidence that comes from tackling a major challenge and succeeding.&rdquo;
So whether you want to go abroad to work with endangered animals, teach English, or partake in agricultural work, there is a gap year programme out there for everyone.
If you want to move straight into a full time, high paying graduate sales career,thisis a good place to start.

Thinking about taking a “Gap Year”?

​Every team has its own culture based on the functionality of the role within a company and the personalities within the office. Typically, for a sales recruitment team, you would expect employees to be assertive and talkative &ndash; people with high energy and determination.
By identifying key traits of an ideal team, hiring managers can develop both an interview process and relevant questions to measure each individual trait. If this is your responsibility, take 5 minutes to think about the below tips.
1.If the position you&rsquo;re hiring for involves meeting clients or working with people, take the interview out of the office to observe how the candidate acts outside of a typical interview environment. Taking candidates for lunch is a good example because it allows you to observe how they treat others and how they cope in various situations. A little can tell you a lot about someone, such as waiting in a queue, walking down a crowded street and even the weather! Further, a more casual setting such as a coffee shop may allow the candidate to relax and open up to reveal more about themselves and their character.
2.People often make assumptions based on appearance and it&rsquo;s important to not come across as biased; it&rsquo;s not only appearance but also background and hobbies. To ensure diversity on your teams, evaluate candidates on the same objective criteria for the same positions. Be careful not to discriminate; hiring for the right culture fit doesn&rsquo;t mean that you hire people who are exactly the same. Instead, the values within the workplace should be reflected in a richly diverse workforce.
3.Being upfront with candidates about your internal culture and environment means that you can manage their expectations of what it&rsquo;s like to work in your office. Direct questions such as &lsquo;What&rsquo;s your ideal working environment?&rsquo; or &lsquo;What sort of culture do you thrive in?&rsquo; allow candidates to describe what they are looking for initially. You can dig deeper by asking about a time when a job didn&rsquo;t work out for them culturally and why; &lsquo;Tell me about a time when you worked with an organisation where you felt you were not a strong culture fit and why was it so?&rsquo;
4.Teamwork is essential in any office and by enquiring how a candidate would handle a range of challenges and how they approach problem-solving, can show how they might work with their colleagues. You could ask &lsquo;Give me a time when you helped a co-worker and what was the outcome?&rsquo; Or &lsquo;What is the most difficult problem you had to solve and how did you solve it?&rsquo; Analyse their responses based on how well it complements current employees at your company.
5.Finally, use the interview to introduce your company values. New hires often fail on the basis of not having the right attitude or values rather than the ability to perform the job. Therefore finding people who have a genuine authentic belief in your company values will result in a stronger culture fit than those who don&rsquo;t. Questions based on your company values allow you to evaluate how well the candidate demonstrates that they can embody the value.
So does part of your hiring process include a cultural fit interview with a clear purpose of assessing how the potential employee will fit within the culture of your organisation? Don&rsquo;t underestimate the power of the above methods to determine the success of the candidate.

Tips for interviewing candidates for a cultural fit

​Is your business ready to expand into the UK or Europe? Through our own international expansion and through helping other companies grow their footprint, our 3 keys to successfully building an office overseas are:
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Expanding Internationally (Video)

Does your company stand out from the crowd? Benefits go way beyond financial incentives and say more about your organisation than you think. Secure top talent and elevate your hiring strategy now! <a href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com">www.certusrecruitment.com</a>
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Cultural Benefits (Video)

​The Importance of Upskilling Your Marketeers As a marketing recruiter, it&rsquo;s fair to say that it takes all types &ndash; in such a diverse, wide-spanning industry we simply meet individuals from all walks of life. As a largely creative business function, marketeers are often found to be knowledge-hungry, business-minded and adaptable &ndash; to their surroundings, resources and audience. Which is lucky, really, because the scope of the marketing world is up there as one of those most continually evolving, changing and moving as quickly as the times do. Upskilling: a brief introduction Upskilling is pretty much what it says on the tin &ndash; it&rsquo;s either adding to or developing new skills amongst your workforce. Whether that&rsquo;s introducing a new piece of software for them to learn or sending them to school to understand the intricacies of a new technique in XYZ, upskilling can be an incredible way to enhance your business operations &ndash; especially when it comes to those who work in marketing. Marketing: the true meaning of &lsquo;movers and shakers&rsquo; You&rsquo;ve got to hand it to marketeers &ndash; they&rsquo;re hardy people. Having to keep on top of the constantly shifting and changing environment which they inhabit &ndash; from print to online, the advent of &lsquo;click bait&rsquo; and many other horrors the internet has coined, SEO optimisation which still has to read well and, of course, toeing the line between politics/humour/satire/emotive marketing, plus the hundreds of other variables they must consider at all times&hellip; Need I go on? It wouldn&rsquo;t be unfair to say that no other job function has had to evolve as quickly when it comes to learning and understanding new technologies &ndash; the interplay between the two is unlike many other sectors. Hiring vs helping When it comes to your marketing team, upskilling could be absolutely key to the stability of your long term strategy &ndash; and your staff are ready to learn. Whether it&rsquo;s moulding your junior exec into a number-crunching growth guru, or handing your copywriter the keys to all aspects of content, and so on and so forth, giving your employees more responsibility and more opportunity to work their mental muscles can craft you a busy, cohesive and moreover motivated marketing team. Breakdown: benefits of upskilling include&hellip; Stability and longevity. An employee who sees that you&rsquo;re investing in them, their skillset and their future is more likely to stick around for the long run. Not only will they be more motivated to do well by you, but the promise of further learning opportunities, especially to a marketeer, is likely to bring their goals and yours well in line. Loyalty. Fundamentally, as above, someone who feels valued within a team is more likely to work tirelessly in achieving the now-common goal you and they share. There&rsquo;s also such thing as &ldquo;putting one&rsquo;s nose out of joint&rdquo;; hiring externally for a role which a current team member feels more than capable of doing alongside their own can sometimes garner a touch of resentment &ndash; so it pays to think about who might be ready to take on the responsibility, instead. Purpose. Cultivating purpose amongst a team &ndash; the whole team mind you, not just within marketing &ndash; is crucial for long-term employee satisfaction and thus business success. Showing the team what they could learn is also showing them where it could lead &ndash; their career development is linked directly to the new skills and responsibility they&rsquo;re being trusted to manage. Purpose equals motivation, and motivation is directly linked to higher success. Happy customers. Fundamentally, the better at their jobs your employees are, the more v<a class=" tag-name" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/blog/tag/marketing-1">Marketing</a>&nbsp;<a class=" tag-name" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/blog/tag/article">Article</a>&nbsp;<a class=" tag-name" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/blog/tag/advice-for-employers">Advice for Employers</a>&nbsp;<a class=" tag-name" href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com/blog/tag/personal-development">Personal Development</a>alue they&rsquo;re going to add to the servicing of your clients. Having your marketing team up to date with industry trends, technology and goings-on means they can impart this knowledge to your customers &ndash; who will in turn become your best advertising platform. Technology is one thing &ndash; word of mouth another (possibly very lucrative) beast altogether. A strong succession plan. The truth is, hiring at management level can be tricky, particularly if your team is full of ready and raring marketeers who have big dreams (and who wouldn&rsquo;t want that?). In upskilling your team, you&rsquo;ll be able to pinpoint who is ready for what development and create an ongoing career development route for individuals across the board &ndash; creating a strong, unified marketing team who know your business inside-out, having worked their way up from within. Who&rsquo;d have thought &ndash; a recruiter encouraging you NOT to hire, and instead seek out the potential for development within your current team. In all seriousness, we tout ourselves as experts because we do have expertise to share; whether it&rsquo;s hiring strategy, recruitment budgeting or turnover consultation, we want to help, however we can. Get in touch with my team today to discuss any and all relating to the wonderful world of marketing recruitment.

The Importance of Upskilling Your Marketeers .

​It&rsquo;s completely normal to feel some nerves before a job interview &ndash; you&rsquo;re putting yourself out there and it&rsquo;s probably a conversation the outcome of which you care about, but also for the simple fact that you&rsquo;re being thrust into what isn&rsquo;t exactly a comfortable situation. Nevertheless, you&rsquo;ve brushed up on your figures from the past two years, you know your CV inside out and back to front and you&rsquo;ve had a real think about those all-important competency based questions (&ldquo;Tell me about a time you did this,&rdquo; or, &ldquo;Describe to me a time when you effectively solved that problem.&rdquo;) You can answer all the questions about yourself &ndash; but what about them? In my years of working in recruitment, one of the biggest causes I&rsquo;ve found for those pre-interview jitters is a lack of understanding of the company themselves. Do you remember, as a kid, knowing that you had homework due for a lesson that day and not having completed it? Rebel or no, it isn&rsquo;t a good feeling, yet one so easily avoided; I like to think of candidates not having done their research in exactly this way. It should be a part and parcel of the interview process &ndash; arrange, research, attend &ndash; but unfortunately that isn&rsquo;t necessarily so. The short and short? A sure-fire way to send yourself into that interview with some more confidence is simply by knowing who the company is and what they do. That&rsquo;s where research comes in. And by &lsquo;research&rsquo; we don&rsquo;t just mean a quick Google search and glance over the homepage... Here are some quick and easy pointers for those hoping to take a more thorough look at the business you&rsquo;re interviewing with, what you should know and how to find it out: Get on LinkedIn To exercise somewhat of an understatement, LinkedIn is an invaluable tool when it comes to research ahead of an interview. Not only are you likely to find a succinct yet informative overview of the business on there, you&rsquo;re likely going to be able to do a cheeky recce your interviewer themselves &ndash; their position within the business, their tenure there, background beforehand and any other info they share on their page. This gives you the opportunity to show that you&rsquo;ve taken a real interest in them, and ask them pointed, personal questions; for now, this is the person you need to get onside. If this is how in depth you&rsquo;re going to go with their customers, suppliers or other business-critical contacts in future, you&rsquo;re getting a big thumbs up. Google the business &ndash; properly It&rsquo;s extremely important to go beyond the obvious when researching a company &ndash; sure, you&rsquo;ve checked out our website, read our &ldquo;About Us&rdquo; page and maybe you&rsquo;ve creeped on a few of our top guys on LinkedIn. Is that it? It doesn&rsquo;t take long to jump on Google and search for more than just the company website itself; what about any news articles which pop up? Have they been mentioned in their industry forums lately? Are there any industry-specific awards happening around this time, or of late, which could be of interest to them? And what about current affairs &ndash; does the recent Brexit announcement (another one? Really?) affect them in any way? Is their business seasonal? Could events happening elsewhere around the world have a bearing on the company? Do you know who their customers are, and are they in the news at present? If so, why? Go further than the first few results on Google; you&rsquo;ll find many interesting bits and pieces which make for insightful talking points or questions at interview, and really show that you&rsquo;ve gone that extra mile. Mystery shopping You need to know a few key things about the business, none in the least is: What do they actually do? Truth be told, with snazzy websites abound and SEO being prioritised, it can often be difficult to garner what the business actually does on a day to day basis, just from reading a website. And who knows better than someone who already works there? Unorthodox maybe, however it&rsquo;s not uncommon practice to make a &lsquo;mystery shopper&rsquo; call ahead of your interview to get the real low-down from a current employee. Pretend to be a potential customer, uni student, whatever works best for you, and ask the right questions to get the answers you need ahead of time. So, when that inevitable, &ldquo;Tell me what you know about us,&rdquo; remark comes up, you&rsquo;ve got the advantage of an insider&rsquo;s perspective. Ballsy? Sure &ndash; but, worth it for the edge during an interview? Absolutely. To recap, here&rsquo;s what you should know ahead of time: &middot; Who you&rsquo;re meeting &ndash; their background, position, etc. &middot; What the company does &ndash; their service or product offering, who their customers are, their history, key values, etc. &middot; Your own background &ndash; be solid on your dates, achievements, facts &amp; figures, etc. Going that extra step to prepare for your interview, I can almost guarantee, is going to help dissipate some of those pesky nerves. Not only that but, the more well-read you are on the business, the better you&rsquo;re going to come across&hellip; As in, the more likely you are to get the job. It&rsquo;s a no brainer, no?

Pre-Interview Research - How Much & Why?

With COVID-19 forcing many employers to rapidly develop working from home strategies, we take a quick look at some of the areas affecting employers of every size.
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Homeworking - Is this the Future? (Video)

​A couple of weeks ago, we put a job advert online here on LinkedIn. The next morning, we had to take it down &ndash; a mere 12 hours or so later &ndash; due to the massive amount of applications we received overnight. And almost every single applicant was entirely relevant. It&rsquo;s something which recruiters and hiring managers all over the world are experiencing right now; team Certus UK are experiencing much the same over in London. A huge amount of people have found themselves, almost entirely unexpectedly, looking for a new job. That means an increase not only in applications, but in relevant applications, as the job scene is flooded with talent. And it&rsquo;s this talent-rich market which really means you need to stand out as an applicant &ndash; in the right way, not the wrong one. I&rsquo;m grateful not only to have kept my own job, but that it allows me to help others secure a new one; as a result, I&rsquo;ve put together a guide for job seekers as to the etiquette which might help you do just that. Candidate etiquette tip #1: phone manners matter If you&rsquo;re out there actively searching for a job right now, my advice is this: be prepared for&nbsp;every&nbsp;phone call you receive from a private or unknown number to be opportunity knocking (or calling, if you like), and answer it appropriately as such. First impressions count, whether they&rsquo;re made on the phone or in-person; this means answering the phone in a professional way (for example, using your name &ndash; &ldquo;Leanne Mohan speaking,&rdquo; or &ldquo;Leanne here, how can I help?&rdquo;) makes all the difference. Answering the phone in an abrupt, terse or impatient manner doesn&rsquo;t give off the best vibe. Similarly, if your surroundings aren&rsquo;t ideal (loud noises, distractions, poor signal etc) then be sure to answer professionally, quickly take down the details of the person calling, explain the situation, and ask if you can find a better place to talk and call them back shortly. This will be hugely favoured over struggling through a difficult, awkward and disjointed conversation! Candidate etiquette tip #2: organise your applications Whilst you&rsquo;re undoubtedly applying for many jobs, that fact only makes it more important to properly keep a record of&nbsp;what&nbsp;you&rsquo;ve applied to,&nbsp;when&nbsp;and&nbsp;where. If you&rsquo;re not doing so, how can you expect to be prepared when the call does come? Save yourself being caught off guard by a call from a recruiter or employer, finding yourself having to mentally scramble and put the pieces together as to which role we&rsquo;re calling about &ndash; it just doesn&rsquo;t get any call off on the right, let alone best, foot. Creating a simple Word document or even an email draft where you make a note of the company/agency, job title and date you applied to each job will give you something to quickly refer to &ndash; and allow you to come across as confident, knowledgeable and organised. Not only this, but the act of copying each job down will naturally reinforce the role in your mind, meaning it&rsquo;ll be easier to draw upon when you pick up the phone. Candidate etiquette tip #3: recruiters are a job-seeking tool like any other &ndash; use us! The process begins here; we&rsquo;re effectively a&nbsp;direct line&nbsp;to a business which is currently hiring, and presumably someone with skills similar to your own. Speaking with a recruiter may seem like just another step to endure but, simply put, we want you to get the job &ndash; truly. Our own success depends on the success of you, and others like you, securing a position which is a great fit; when you receive a call from a recruiter, it&rsquo;s not a test &ndash; it&rsquo;s a qualification. If your skills match the job description on paper, we&rsquo;re not necessarily trying to understand whether you fit the spec &ndash; we want to learn more about you, your personality, if there&rsquo;s cultural fit with the client we know so well. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to showcase who you are and show some enthusiasm; if you come across lacklustre and indifferent, the likelihood is we&rsquo;ll feel the same when we put down the phone. And with so many candidates to qualify, many of whom possess the skills we and our clients are looking for, that could make all the difference. All in all, the idea is this: job searching should be best foot forward, at all times. Whether you&rsquo;re speaking with a recruiter, the HR department, the hiring manager or even the CEO his or herself, candidate etiquette is key to consider. How did you come across during that call? Did you do yourself justice? Did you ultimately give yourself the absolute best chance of success? Whilst Covid has certainly shaken up the job market, it&rsquo;s fair to say that these coaching tips should stand, universally, whatever the circumstances; I&rsquo;m proud to say that since joining Certus here in Australia almost exactly a year ago, I&rsquo;ve been providing candidates with exceptional experiences and constantly offering advice and coaching along the way &ndash; having been on the other side of the fence myself, it&rsquo;s something that resonates with me. To check out the roles I&rsquo;m currently working on, head to our jobs page &ndash; www.certusrecruitment.com.au/jobs &ndash; and don&rsquo;t forget to write down the ones you apply to!

A Guide to Candidate Etiquette – Pre, Post & During Covid

​Well, 2020 &ndash; what a year you&rsquo;ve been so far. My own recruitment career began back in 2010 &ndash; another somewhat dicey year for businesses across the UK (where I was living at the time) &ndash; and, ten years on, I can confidently say that this is the most broadly talent-rich candidate marketplace I&rsquo;ve yet had the pleasure of working. It may not be thanks to ideal circumstances, far from it, but as a recruiter it&rsquo;s fascinating, if not of course a little concerning to see such a swing from the strongly candidate-driven market we were experiencing back in January of this year. When the market is full of incredible talent like it is today, things get a little bit trickier for you jobseekers. Competition is always high but, with so many highly-qualified individuals actually seeking work actively, getting your resum&eacute; to the top of the pile can pose a challenge. Resum&eacute; writing is tricky &ndash; it&rsquo;s difficult enough to write about yourself, let alone trying to explain what you do effectively within that highly-touted 2-page limit. For me, the key thing to remember is, as we&rsquo;ve said before, your resum&eacute; is a&nbsp;sales document. When selling in general, you don&rsquo;t sit and simply tell the prospect why you&rsquo;re so great &ndash; you&rsquo;re trying to answer two questions: what is it going to do for them, and how is it going to benefit them? With that in mind, and an unprecedented number of resum&eacute;s to scan every day, my biggest tip would be this: stop listing soft skills. Why? Because space on your resum&eacute; is&nbsp;precious. Because those skills are going to be listed on&nbsp;every other&nbsp;resum&eacute;. Because those skills are almost entirely&nbsp;non-tangible, meaning there&rsquo;s no way to measure them &ndash; you could effectively list whatever you wanted to. Because those skills aren&rsquo;t something you can become certified in; they&rsquo;re to be&nbsp;learned&nbsp;and&nbsp;honed over time&nbsp;through experience. Let&rsquo;s think about hard skills for a second &ndash; C++, UI design, a foreign language, what have you. If the job advert calls for these skills, it&rsquo;s because the role requires them &ndash; these are things you need to know, and could be used to promptly qualify candidates in or out on paper. Communication, however, can&rsquo;t be examined until interview stage. Just writing it on your resum&eacute; isn&rsquo;t enough for the person reading to understand whether you possess skills in communication, and if so to what degree. Listing it alongside teamwork, leadership and time management doesn&rsquo;t help. And this whole exercise is taking up valuable space on those two all-important pieces of A4. So, what should you do instead? Tell the reader a&nbsp;story. Use the employment history and experience section of your resum&eacute; to demonstrate those soft skills. Give clear examples in each piece of employment where you were able to show those skills, the circumstances under which they were important, what benefit they brought your current employer &ndash; and, as such, the benefit they&rsquo;ll provide to your next. Here are some examples of what I&rsquo;m getting at. Instead of this:
<ul>
<li>
Communication
</li>
<li>
Teamwork
</li>
<li>
Leadership
</li>
<li>
Problem solving
</li>
<li>
Conflict resolution
</li>
<li>
Creativity
</li>
</ul>
Try something more along the lines of this:
<ul>
<li>
Responsible for explaining niche deal components in a succinct manner to ensure ideas are communicated properly and aims are aligned
</li>
<li>
Working closely with multiple decision makers, colleagues and external partners to see projects through to completion
</li>
<li>
Leading a high-performing team of 5 SDRs to achieve a target of $Xm per annum (achieved 112% FY19)
</li>
<li>
Conducting thorough research to identify and overcome challenges which may arise throughout
</li>
<li>
Resolving any issues between staff members through active listening and promoting an open line of communication at all times
</li>
<li>
Successfully designed multiple ad campaigns throughout the year, exercising creativity to come up with fresh concepts and innovative angles on an ongoing basis
</li>
</ul>
This way, that one line you&rsquo;ve used to merely list your skill has turned into a real-life example; I think they call that two birds, one stone. So, to go back to my original point: stop listing soft skills on your resum&eacute; &ndash; instead, prove them at the same time. Make them tangible, believable. It might just set you apart from the crowd. Take a look at the roles we have live here in Oz via our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.certusrecruitment.com.au/jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jobs page</a>, which is constantly being updated with positions we&rsquo;re working on for our clients. And, if you do happen to apply for one, don&rsquo;t let me down &ndash; I can&rsquo;t wait to see your beautiful, story-telling resum&eacute; in my inbox.

Jobseekers: stop listing soft skills on your resumé. Here’s why.

​​Management. It&rsquo;s a new height in your career and one which many, nay the majority of us aspire to. So, if you&rsquo;ve recently made it to that level &ndash; congratulations! Making the jump from a general team member or even team leadership role is a big step and great achievement. It&rsquo;s likely that you&rsquo;ve found yourself here by way of one of a few different scenarios: You&rsquo;ve been promoted and are now managing those you worked alongside previously You&rsquo;ve been promoted and given the responsibility of hiring your own team from scratch You&rsquo;ve been hired externally and brought in to build a new team You&rsquo;ve been hired externally and brought in to manage an existing team Each situation poses its own challenges, its own obstacles to overcome, but more than anything, its own opportunities. Here are 3 important things you as a new manager should consider doing as you ease into your new role: 1.Clarify expectations And from every angle. As a new manager with a team already in place, it&rsquo;s important to understand what each individual is expecting from you as a manager &ndash; and to make clear what you&rsquo;re looking for from them. Take some time to sit down with your team and answer some key questions such as what the overall goal is, what they feel is achievable and realistic, where they require your help and support the most. One of the most common causes of discord between a new manager inheriting an in-situ team comes down to a discrepancy in expectations so, over the first 30 days of your new role, take the time to set expectations and hold yourself, and your team, accountable to them. Equally, in terms of your own responsibilities, clarifying the expectations from those sitting above you is crucial. If there&rsquo;s no team in place yet and it&rsquo;s your responsibility to build one, ensure you&rsquo;re on the same page with regards to hiring &ndash; profile, timeline and budget. 2.Be both visible and available It goes without saying that in your new role as a manager, you should be hands-on from the off. Whether that means proving your tenacity to the powers-that-be above and creating an energetic persona as you go about hiring your soon-to-be team, or spending real quality time on the floor with the current one, being seen &lsquo;in the trenches&rsquo; so to speak will ensure your success in the initial stages. Being available and being visible as a manager go hand in hand; when employees become used to you being around, they&rsquo;ll know they&rsquo;re able to approach you for support, expertise and resources. Prove your accountability and presence in that first month, and you&rsquo;ll be off to a flying start. 3.Ask for feedback We&rsquo;re not just talking about, &ldquo;How am I doing?&rdquo; here. If the team is already in place, understanding how they&rsquo;re feeling is important &ndash; what&rsquo;s changed since you became their manager? What hasn&rsquo;t? What could be done differently, or improved upon? Whilst it doesn&rsquo;t hurt to have the odd catch up and understand how they feel about you as a manager directly, it&rsquo;s also pertinent to make your team feel involved. Consult with them on strategy, operations, goal setting. Are you all on the same page in terms of the vision? Asking for feedback and consulting regularly with your team will help you all connect and build strong relationships, employee-employee as well as employee-manager; it&rsquo;ll also help mitigate any problems before they arise or grow out of proportion. Asking for feedback lets your employees know you have their interests at the heart of everything you do &ndash; which will garner trust and respect, from both sides. Management can be challenging, but as business leaders I&rsquo;m sure we can all agree that there&rsquo;s little else so rewarding as seeing the team you work alongside thrive. Our teams are experts in building yours &ndash; and we have a tip or two about strong management and leadership skills, as a business improvement and growth strategy, too. If you&rsquo;re a manager whose team has capacity to grow, we&rsquo;d love to hear more about your vision. Get in touch with Certus Recruitment Group today.

3 things every new manager should do during their first 30 days on the job

Wellbeing &ndash; what does it mean to you? The official definition is a state of experiencing happiness and healthiness. When we delve deeper into this, it actually boils down to having a sense of purpose, finding satisfaction in what we&rsquo;re doing and understanding our own ability to manage stress (because, let&rsquo;s be honest, a stress-free life would simply be too much to ask!) And where do many of us find all of the above? The workplace. Around the world, it&rsquo;s no secret that dissatisfaction at work is a leading cause of depression; being that this is where we spend most of our time, it&rsquo;s no wonder. As a business leader, making sure your employees are looked after by more than just their compensation package couldn&rsquo;t be more crucial to running a successful business. What is a corporate wellbeing strategy? Just like it says on the tin, a corporate wellbeing strategy is an initiative which is implemented to monitor and hopefully improve the wellbeing of your employees. Key measurables in terms of business deliverables will largely include the following:
<ul>
<li>
Employee satisfaction
</li>
<li>
Sick days/absences
</li>
<li>
Productivity
</li>
<li>
Staff retention/turnover
</li>
</ul>
A well thought-out and properly implemented wellness program can have myriad benefits on your workplace; not to mention, from a moral perspective, it should be a no brainer. When developing your strategy, there should be a focus on a few main aspects, which might include:
<ul>
<li>
Workload (becoming overworked and unable to properly complete responsibilities; not enough work leading to boredom and dissatisfaction)
</li>
<li>
Company culture (working relationships; environment)
</li>
<li>
Resources (whether or not employees have the tools at their disposal to complete their work to their very best ability)
</li>
<li>
Control (over their own career path/progression; over their ability to complete their own job and reliability on others to do so)
</li>
</ul>
What does it entail? To begin with, you need to understand the lay of the land. If your business is lucky enough to still be in the small and intimate stage, this could happen in a more casual setting &ndash; an open-forum meeting to discuss the general feeling in the business at present, a discussion around areas which could be improved. At any size or level, conducting a survey &ndash; anonymously &ndash; will yield more honest data for you to utilise with regards to how your team is feeling. Once you understand potential problem areas, developing and implementing a wellness strategy is a team effort; at senior management level, you all need to be on board (no pun intended) and dedicated to ensuring the wellbeing of your employees. It can mean an investment of time, funds or both; from simply implementing channels with which employees can communicate their feelings, issues and feedback without fear of negative consequences, to actually offering tangible benefits such as gym memberships, subsidised counselling or regular massages, for instance, it should be widely understood that their wellbeing is priority &ndash; simple as. And the outcome? Healthy, happy employees require fewer sick days; reducing absenteeism across your staff is a generally agreed upon result of implementing a solid corporate wellbeing strategy. Consider it a tool with which you can identify problems before they become one; by checking in regularly, you&rsquo;ll understand on an ongoing basis what it is that your employees love &ndash; or don&rsquo;t love &ndash; about your business. Naturally, when you understand these aspects, the environment you cultivate will be one which your employees are more productive, motivated and happy within &ndash; meaning they&rsquo;ll stick around for longer. As a business leader, ensuring your company goals align with those of your employees will make sure each individual understands the part they have to play, their purpose within &ndash; leading to an increase in motivation, a feeling of doing a meaningful job. When your employees are happy, your business will thrive. Understanding what makes them happy, will show you the tools you need to get them there. Giving your employees those tools, will really prove to them that you have their best interests at heart. With everything going on in the world right now, I think we could all stand to look after each other a little better. As a business leader, this is a great place to start.

Corporate Wellbeing Strategies – what they are, and why you need one

Did you choose your career path, or did you fall into it? There&rsquo;s a kind of stigma attached to the unsurety some people have when it comes to their career. But the truth is, uncertainty about the path we&rsquo;re on hits most of us at one time or another, whether when you&rsquo;re first starting out in your career and trying to answer the big question of &ldquo;what to do with your life&rdquo;, or years later when we&rsquo;ve experienced a lot but maybe lost direction. When you lose your sense of purpose, it&rsquo;s difficult to express to a potential employer how you&rsquo;re feeling without being labelled as &lsquo;unmotivated&rsquo; or &lsquo;not driven&rsquo;; the truth is, you need to stop your mind from spiralling and get to the bottom of things. If you&rsquo;re feeling overwhelmed and suffering from some career uncertainty, there are a few things to consider. What goals are you working towards? Understanding your own long-term goals is arguably the most important thing; knowing how to get there another thing entirely, but at least having an idea of what you want to achieve is crucial to overcoming career uncertainty. Where do you want to be in the next 12 months, 3 years, 5 years? Don&rsquo;t focus on a job title or position &ndash; focus on what you want to learn or understand by then, where your earnings need to be, the personal goals which are tied in with your career development. They&rsquo;re big questions, but worth thinking about now, even if the path to achieving them isn&rsquo;t clear. Vocalising your goals makes them infinitely more approachable and thus achievable. Which leads me on to&hellip; What are your most proud achievements to date? Read that question again: not your biggest achievements, but those you&rsquo;re most proud of. Think about the things which really felt worthwhile, where you really added value, where you went above and beyond for a customer or colleague. Being good at a job doesn&rsquo;t mean it fulfils you, so understanding the things which actually make you feel good about what you were doing may give some insight into what you should be pursuing in your career moving forwards. What is it you&rsquo;re unsure of &ndash; the job, or the sector? Try to isolate what it is about your career which has left you uneasy. It may be that you love the sector you&rsquo;re working in but the job itself doesn&rsquo;t appeal any more. Alternatively, the job itself might be right, but you feel unsure about your passion for the sector you operate within. Could it be worth changing one and not the other? What does the long-term future of this industry look like? Sometimes, career uncertainty can be caused by tangible reasons &ndash; if there&rsquo;s uncertainty in your industry as a whole or for the longevity of the path you&rsquo;re on, it&rsquo;s worth writing down the skills and experience you have and where they would be transferrable to. This could give you some fresh motivation and reboot your excitement to try your hand somewhere different altogether. And on the other side &ndash; from an employer&rsquo;s point of view? When someone says they&rsquo;re unsure of what they want to do or where they want to be &ndash; after all, gone are the days of linear hierarchies and rigid career paths &ndash; it doesn&rsquo;t have to reflect poorly on their drive; not knowing what you want to do doesn&rsquo;t equal not wanting to work hard. If you come across this as an employer, try approaching the question from a different angle: what is it that motivates this individual? Is it helping others and making a difference which drives them forward? Learning? Money? Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations differ greatly, so understanding what&rsquo;s going to most appeal to them will help you determine whether the job is going to suit them. With so many people having been thrown for a loop due to the Covid pandemic, it&rsquo;s important to take a step back, a deep breath, and remember that we all go through this at some point. Take the time for some self-reflection, write things down and do your research; if all else fails, try speaking to the professionals &ndash; like us &ndash; for guidance on market conditions, opportunities and the different paths available to you. Get in touch with my team in Melbourne today.

Career Uncertainty: what to do when you don’t know what to do

The world of LinkedIn is a funny place at the moment; we&rsquo;re all being bombarded with motivational quotes (quite rightly), advice on how to optimize our home-working space and/or musings about what a post-Covid world might look like. You may have also seen this meme circulating of late&hellip;
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<img src="https://www.certusrecruitment.com.au/rails/active_storage/blobs/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBNnJmQlE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--54a1a84febaa143afd9966562479f94bba316ef9/Adam-1.png" alt="" width="762" height="438">
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Pretty hard-hitting, and certainly differs from the usual light-hearted, humorous memes we&rsquo;re used to. But it does make a good point. How many of us simply weren&rsquo;t ready for Covid-19? How many &lsquo;digital transformations&rsquo; &ndash; a tricky prospect and arduous process at the best of times &ndash; have had to be fast-tracked over the past 8 weeks? We&rsquo;ve all learned a lot as to how we should be approaching the digital age and how we should be forming the futures of our businesses to ensure digital longevity. But, what does that look like? As business leaders, where should we be focusing our efforts? Here are my 3 steps to digital transformation: 1.Make sound technology investments The first thing to remember is that &ldquo;digital transformation&rdquo; quite literally means integrating technology into every aspect of your business, in order to fine-tune and optimise your operations. So, every investment in tech you make now will pay dividends in the future. Give your team the tools to be successful &ndash; not just by way of the newest, latest-and-greatest laptop, but in providing them the programs they need to operate at their optimum. Conferencing set ups, which allow them to communicate with clients, hold virtual meetings (during and post Covid-19 &ndash; I&rsquo;m sure most of us will agree, this IS a thing of the future), participate in high-energy catch ups with the team. Software which gives them the ability to manage their time, workload and achievements effectively. And for the business as a whole? Spare no expense when it comes to security systems &ndash; when your business is operating digitally, this is imperative. Invest in a payments system which works for you and suppliers/customers alike &ndash; something which does your business favours as well as being externally-friendly. Do your research on the myriad tools the market has to offer, understand where your business could improve with the implementation of tech, and make fundamentally sound investments which will last the course. 2.Streamline internal processes Whilst these may take a minute (read: few months) to hammer out, it&rsquo;ll be crucial to have your own internal processes down pat once your digital transformation is complete. This means understanding what we do, how we do it and why, with regards to each and every aspect of our operations. You&rsquo;ll undoubtedly experience a few &lsquo;digital teething problems&rsquo;, but consistency is key. Understand why you&rsquo;ve made the choice to change, properly and consistently introduce certain applications, new functions etc, and at all costs ensure that your company values are kept prominent and paramount. The digital age holds the customer at the forefront of every business decision, so ensure that your business processes reflect exactly that &ndash; from the tools you use to communicate to the ways in which you follow up after a sale has been made. 3.Lead from the front! Leading from the front means to embrace the changes as they&rsquo;re happening, taking an active role in championing digital transformation as it happens. Whether you&rsquo;re at the helm of a small business or have a CIO/IT Director to defer to, as a business leader your job is to ensure that your workforce understands what is happening and why. To ease any unsurety and maintain cohesive, motivated teams throughout. Strong, reliable and energetic management is key for success during any period of change &ndash; and the technological kind is certainly no longer a potential, but inevitable. Overall, the term &lsquo;digital transformation&rsquo; may sound daunting &ndash; but, it&rsquo;s less of an overwhelming item to check off the list nowadays as it is a change in mindset. It&rsquo;s not something that will happen overnight but, as the current pandemic situation has proven globally, it&rsquo;s something we all need to be cognizant of. Focus on your customers first, alongside getting your employees on board and, with the right tools in place, the roll-out and implementation will follow.

3 Steps to Digital Transformation

​All business leaders talk about change &ndash; how to manage it, embrace it, and approach it as an inevitable, ever-positive thing. And yet, so many have been caught unawares in the last month by the Covid 19 pandemic, large and small businesses alike. Many of those businesses that were already operating online weren&rsquo;t ready for an influx of extra activity and information whilst, on the other hand, some are still scrambling to get their business operating virtually. In a positive sense, many people are learning things about their business; a potential they perhaps had seen but not acted upon, or a new way of working altogether. Whilst there&rsquo;s no doubting that the coronavirus has brought about destruction and devastation &ndash; to both humankind itself and the economy around us &ndash; it also has huge potential to engender positive forward movement. The pandemic has changed life as we know it for now, and will continue to do so for months, maybe years still. But what are the changes we think have the potential to stick around for the foreseeable? 1. Working from home This is certainly one of the most obvious and widely-adopted measures being taken to stop the spread of the virus and, seeing as remote-working was already trending upwards before all of this, we can safely assume many businesses will adopt such schemes long-term. The office will always play an important part in employment, if only for the presence of company culture, sociability and building team spirit. But, from an employee satisfaction standpoint, for the many people who&rsquo;ve gained potentially multiple hours in spare time by cutting out their commute on a daily basis, WFH capabilities could prove to be key for retaining staff in future. 2. Digital education Online courses and &ldquo;self-learning&rdquo; have been changing the world of professional qualifications for years now &ndash; but what about actual schooling? Of course, as a child, your early years at school physically are key for many areas of development and utterly invaluable. However, for colleges and universities, internet-based classes, virtual seminars and online resources could be one of the things we see sticking around for good. Colleges and universities will potentially be able to access talented professors and expert educators from around the world for the betterment of their students&rsquo; education &ndash; not to mention the cost savings involved in hosting online lectures instead of in-person. Digital education is a thing of the present, and hopefully future. 3. Recognition for the right people It&rsquo;s become swiftly and universally agreed upon (albeit a shame we needed reminding), that the people we should celebrate aren&rsquo;t the reality TV celebs, sports stars and business moguls of the world, but those within the industries who keep our countries moving. Those who are risking their lives every day, whether serving the public in our supermarkets or saving lives on the front line. The teachers going into school each day to look after the children of those people. The individuals making sure that critical supplies make it to where they&rsquo;re needed the most. Hopefully, in the future, we will all be more cognizant of who and what actually makes the world go round, as it were. There are, of course, a fair share of celebs, sports stars and business moguls who have done and are doing amazing things; I&rsquo;d never say otherwise. But, one of the biggest changes we hope will stick around when this is over is society as a whole recognising the right people for the incredible things they bring to the world. Change is inevitable, whether forced unexpectedly or taking a planned approach; none of us have been untouched by the circumstances which are constantly evolving worldwide. Nonetheless, there are positives to be taken from every situation. What other changes have you seen effected in the world today, which you&rsquo;d like to see continue post-Covid 19?

Changes to Continue in a Post-Pandemic World

What a funny time to be alive. Not funny in the literal sense, of course &ndash; anything but. Perhaps I should say what a weird, troubling, unprecedented time to be alive &ndash; but, alive we are, so persevere we must. You may have been following my posts this week as my team here in Melbourne transitions to working full-time from home &ndash; we&rsquo;ve been employing a &lsquo;daily theme&rsquo; for each day, thus far encompassing hat day, sports team day and black Friday (we&rsquo;re getting really creative over here). We adore the co-working space we occupy in the heart of Melbourne&rsquo;s CBD, and WFH isn&rsquo;t something we ever thought we&rsquo;d need to employ so abruptly, let alone so completely; but, in times like these, we want to do our bit to stop the spread of this dastardly virus, Covid-19. I&rsquo;m more proud of my team than I thought possible. We&rsquo;re lucky as recruiters &ndash; we use a phone, a laptop and an internet connection to do what we do, making it fairly easy to up sticks and head home for the next few weeks. But what&rsquo;s struck me throughout this whole pandemic is how adaptable it&rsquo;s proven our staff to be.I can&rsquo;t say for sure that &lsquo;adaptability&rsquo; would have been top of my list for top traits to look for in a new hire; hard-working, of course, possesses initiative, definitely &ndash; but adaptable? What exactly does it mean? I&rsquo;m fast learning exactly that: To be adaptable means to embrace challenges, rather than shy away from them, understanding that it&rsquo;s probably necessary in order to grow. It&rsquo;s knowing that change is inevitable and, instead of working to downplay situations or wait until things reach breaking point to react, taking charge and doing what you can with the hand you&rsquo;ve been dealt. It&rsquo;s the willingness to crack on, even if it means making mistakes in the beginning or struggling through a &lsquo;teething period&rsquo;, in the name of getting the job done. Adaptability is finding the silver lining under any circumstance; problem-solving; learning as you go. And, certainly, in our case, it&rsquo;s doing that all with a smile on your face. I&rsquo;ll reiterate, I couldn&rsquo;t be more proud of my team; for the work they&rsquo;re putting into service clients who themselves may be struggling, the support they&rsquo;re offering to job seekers (new and previous), the work they&rsquo;re doing unaided, with only themselves for motivation (in the physical sense, anyway). The word &lsquo;adaptable&rsquo; may not have been the first to my lips in previous recruitment campaigns, whether of my own team or those of clients &ndash; but it will be from now on. Wishing everyone all the best; those who still have jobs, those who don&rsquo;t, the business leaders navigating these challenging times, healthcare workers and everyone else out there &ndash; sending love from Team Certus here in Melbourne. PS &ndash; we&rsquo;re open to suggestions for upcoming daily themes&hellip;
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The Beauty of Adaptability

​​We humans are an interesting bunch &ndash; despite there being no scientific evidence that ostriches do in fact bury their heads in the sand, the term &ldquo;being an ostrich&rdquo; has become synonymous with doing exactly that. Fun fact &ndash; ostriches do no such thing. But managers do. The running of a business isn&rsquo;t always a process without its challenges and bumps in the road; problems are going to arise which you need to face head-on, rather than pretending you&rsquo;re unaware or hoping they&rsquo;ll disappear of their own accord. I think the situation which is fast-blooming here in the UK with regards to Covid-19, and around the world for that matter, speaks enough to this cause. Myriad issues can arise in the workplace, both those which can be avoided in future and those which are entirely unprecedented, as we&rsquo;re all quickly learning; the key is, as a manager, not to bury your head in the sand and hope it&rsquo;ll all blow over. Here are some key tips on how to stay conscious in your leadership whilst trying to manage through a period of conflict. Know when to step in. There are tiers of leadership for a reason, sure &ndash; it&rsquo;s so that when an immediate manager feels unable, they too have someone to turn to. As a business leader it&rsquo;s crucial that you understand what&rsquo;s going on, when it&rsquo;s gone beyond your subordinate&rsquo;s power, and when it requires you to take the matter into your own hands. We could be talking about a clash of personalities for instance, creative differences between employees, or even staff who get on well but don&rsquo;t play benefit to one another in the workplace; rather than waiting to see if it can be handled by another, know when it&rsquo;s your turn to step in and bring about a solution. Leave discussions open. A problem arose, and you solved it &ndash; well done, pat on the back. But, that doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;ll forever be so; in the fast-changing world of business, it&rsquo;s important that your team understand that any subject is still open. One of the worst things you can do as a manager is to leave employees feeling as though they&rsquo;re unable to bring something up, for fear of &lsquo;dwelling&rsquo; or bringing negativity back into play. When it comes to new processes and systems where problems have been perceived, ongoing awareness and monitoring is needed; new insights, ideas and therefore obstacles are inevitable. As a manager, be willing to admit that your original solution may have been temporary &ndash; take the bull by the horns and focus on finding new solutions, for the now and for the long-term. The longer you bury your head in the sand, the worse things will become. Know when to get serious. As we&rsquo;re all learning &ndash; Mr Johnson the UK PM included, I&rsquo;d imagine &ndash; it&rsquo;s tough to know when a concern becomes an issue, and when an issue becomes a problem &ndash; one which requires action, and immediately. But the fact is, if you deign always to be an informed, open leader &ndash; one who&rsquo;s abreast of the inner goings-on of your business, current affairs and industry trends &ndash; it&rsquo;s less likely that you&rsquo;ll be taken unawares. When facing a problem head on, it&rsquo;s important to know when to get serious; stop putting things off, stop employing the &lsquo;wait and see&rsquo; method, and take action when it&rsquo;s most needed. Do you tend to bury your head in the sand as a manager? Whilst we can all agree that optimism is paramount and finding the bright side key, being able to admit to an issue and find solutions quickly is tantamount to success across all aspects of your business. False optimism in a time of struggle is more likely to hinder rather than help, especially if your employees feel as though you&rsquo;ve been ignoring it thus far. Transparency in business is a huge trend for 2020 and it&rsquo;s never been more important to face issues with an open, forward-thinking viewpoint. Whilst this always applies, with such divided opinion as to the UK government&rsquo;s response to the coronavirus pandemic, it&rsquo;s never been more relevant. As business leaders, it&rsquo;s our time to face the music and do as best as we can by the businesses we&rsquo;re responsible for, whether that be by implementing home working systems, offering support to our employees or simply trying our best to go on as normal in a safe manner. Whatever you&rsquo;re able to do, don&rsquo;t bury your head in the sand: this is happening, it will affect us all, and we can only tackle it as we must. Sending well wishes to our blog community and beyond under these challenging circumstances!

Ostrich Management: why it doesn’t work

They say that running a business is easy &ndash; finding the staff is where the difficulty lies. Now, I may be biased, but the service of a decent recruitment company couldn&rsquo;t be more valuable in my opinion &ndash; so much of a valuable service it appears to be that recruitment companies even hire OTHER recruitment companies to do their own recruitment. Try saying that three times fast. Hiring is hard. Knowing how to ensure your company&rsquo;s outward image is on brand, on point and on trend; how to write a decent ad and get that ad in front of your target audience; enticing them to apply or entertain a conversation after a direct approach; arranging interviews around busy work schedules; subsequently conducting said interviews and moreover actually getting out of them what you need to know; managing the offer process, dodging counter-offers and negotiating salaries, then keeping that (sometimes) tenuous line of contact in place until they start&hellip; It&rsquo;s exhausting &ndash; a task that few business leaders look forward to doing. But it&rsquo;s the absolute most necessary of evils. Particularly if the skillset you&rsquo;re looking for is niche &ndash; a more narrow candidate pool means less applicants, less talent to go after &ndash; recruiting can seem like a never-ending cycle of resourcing, until you finally find someone who fits the bill. It&rsquo;s more exciting yet, not to mention a relief, when you find that they tick all the boxes. They have the skills you want, the experience you need and they come across well. Sounds like it&rsquo;s time to put that offer in writing, no? &hellip;Wait &ndash; no? You&rsquo;ve spent days and weeks sourcing and interviewing; you&rsquo;ve found someone who you really like, believe could do the job and has bought in to your process thus far. But you&rsquo;d like to see &lsquo;what else might be out there&rsquo;, right? Unfortunately, this is something we recruiters do sometimes see. And it simply doesn&rsquo;t work. Why, you ask? Imagine the entire process you&rsquo;ve just read about above, but from the perspective of a job seeker. You&rsquo;ve put time, effort and sometimes finances into researching a company, understanding their business and how you could be a part of it. You&rsquo;ve gone in for at least two, maybe three interviews, have spent hours of your day discussing this job with many people internally, and both parties are in agreeance: this is a good fit. To then be told that, despite acing the entire process, the company would like to first ensure there&rsquo;s no better fit out there&hellip; Speaking from experience, 9 times out of 10 you, the employer, end up selling yourself out of a great candidate, and end up losing someone who could have been a fantastic addition to the team. In essence, it doesn&rsquo;t look good for you. To put it into perspective, simply, consider how you would feel if, after the arduous recruitment process, you offered your chosen candidate a job&hellip; And they responded by saying they&rsquo;d like a few more weeks to see what else is out there and make sure it&rsquo;s the best they can do. Disclaimer: I am by no means saying that a candidate, when offered a job, should have to cancel all other interviews or should accept immediately despite other processes happening &ndash; or should even accept at all, for that matter. Nor am I saying that as an employer you should &lsquo;settle&rsquo; or offer the job to someone you believe to be less than great for the job. But what I am saying is, if you&rsquo;ve gotten this far through the process already, you should be armed and ready to pull the trigger. If you&rsquo;ve only interviewed one person and you know they could be an asset, it&rsquo;s time to press Go. If you&rsquo;ve interviewed five people already and this is the only one to meet standards, you should have the information you need to understand whether they&rsquo;re right or not. Seeing if there&rsquo;s &ldquo;better&rdquo; out there, in today&rsquo;s candidate driven market, simply isn&rsquo;t an option. Not a fair one, anyway, and one which will rarely bring about the result you&rsquo;re hoping for. If you&rsquo;re still wanting to test the market, chances are your gut is telling you this person isn&rsquo;t right after all &ndash; so be open and honest, and respectful to their situation and job search. Hiring is hard; hiring for a niche role, even more so. I&rsquo;d be lying to say that there are no egos involved. The fact is, when dealing in recruitment, we help people make decisions which are going to affect more than just how long they have to commute in the morning &ndash; this role could make this person&rsquo;s career, change their life. It could change yours, the business owner; the direction, productivity, success of your business. So, treat each and every person you meet with respect. With anything in life, ambition is important; but don&rsquo;t spend so much time looking ahead to the next best thing that you fail to see what&rsquo;s right in front of you. When your vacancy is very specific, don&rsquo;t hesitate to hire. If you&rsquo;re struggling to resource top talent or have faced any of the problems above in hiring, starting and retaining staff, we&rsquo;d love to help. We&rsquo;re experts in recruitment, but also experts in people; we consult with our clients, exploring all options to ensure the forward progress of your business. Get in touch today.

Niche roles? Don’t hesitate to hire

​Have you heard of imposter syndrome? It doesn&rsquo;t sound like a real thing, I know; however imposter syndrome is in fact alive and thriving in today&rsquo;s corporate world. This psychological phenomenon is said to affect up to 70% of people at some point during their life &ndash; a huge number &ndash; and can be found in people at literally any career level, from graduates to CEOs and beyond. So, what is it? Well, Harvard Business Review called it, &ldquo;&hellip;a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success.&rdquo; Others have described imposter syndrome as the feeling of simply not deserving the position you&rsquo;ve found yourself in; overall, it&rsquo;s essentially a remnant of the &ldquo;fake it &lsquo;til you make it&rdquo; attitude (despite now, likely having actually made it thanks to knowledge, hard work, skill or all of the above), coupled with a large dose of self-doubt and a generous helping of inadequacy. Sounds like fun, huh. We&rsquo;ve all been there: the times where you&rsquo;re not quite sure how, but you reached target; you were asked a complicated question and somehow gave a coherent, relevant and knowledgeable-sounding answer that you didn&rsquo;t know you had in you; you got the promotion over colleagues who you were sure would be first in line. Imposter syndrome is essentially the sense of being undeserving, inadequate or incapable of performing the job we find ourselves in &ndash; despite doing so, handily and consistently &ndash; and no one really knows why it happens. It&rsquo;s not correlated with lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem; in fact, it&rsquo;s more likely to occur in high-performing, overachieving individuals. Imposter syndrome sufferers are largely perfectionists; so, it&rsquo;s not driven by actually being a bit crap at whatever it is you&rsquo;re doing. It&rsquo;s the opposite: you do well, yet despite seeing the results and fruits of your labour, are convinced that it&rsquo;ll soon all come crashing down and everyone will be onto you. It can be really, really tough to deal with. People who suffer from imposter syndrome tend to attribute their successes to something other than themselves: I just got lucky; I got the job because no one else showed up to interview; I won because everyone else was off their game today. They&rsquo;ll play down successes &ndash; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really nothing, back to work I go,&rdquo; &ndash; and oftentimes will spend time after the fact worrying over how things went well, what happened and &ndash; worse yet &ndash; how they&rsquo;ll have to make up for it when things inevitably do come out in the wash &ndash; those &lsquo;things&rsquo; being how you really don&rsquo;t know what you&rsquo;re doing, are a fake, and so on and so forth. Self-destructive is the term we&rsquo;re looking for, I do believe. Imposter syndrome, unsurprisingly, can be extremely detrimental to your career. Many people simply won&rsquo;t apply for that promotion, new job or pay rise, convinced that they don&rsquo;t deserve or wouldn&rsquo;t achieve it anyway; it can lead to missed opportunities for learning, development and progression, despite there being no real reason for thinking this way &ndash; in fact, usually, in spite of real results and achievements which say otherwise. Imposter syndrome can affect decision making ability, leaving a person unable to pull the trigger on this or that, because you feel as though it&rsquo;s destined to fail regardless. Worst of all, it can leak out of your work life and into your personal life, causing havoc in its wake. Imposter syndrome is no laughing matter. So how can we mitigate it? What can we do to help ourselves out when those feelings of self-doubt and, &ldquo;How in the world did I end up here?&rdquo; start to creep in? Well, experts say that having regular reviews with yourself help &ndash; not with work, a colleague or boss, just yourself. Go through your successes, the achievements you&rsquo;ve made and how far you&rsquo;ve come. When you feel the usual doubts and negative thoughts clouding your mind, acknowledge and then dissect them &ndash; is there any truth to them, at all? If so, what can you do to navigate and remove that doubt? Whether that be educating yourself further, asking for help or otherwise. Most importantly, learn to celebrate the wins and give yourself some credit &ndash; you&rsquo;d be accountable for your failures, so why isn&rsquo;t the same to be said for the things that have gone well? Remember &ndash; you got here somehow, ahead of your peers, colleagues and competitors, and there&rsquo;s something to be said for that. Give yourself a pat on the back. You&rsquo;re doing just fine.

Is Imposter Syndrome affecting your career?

​Since launching Certus Recruitment Group and becoming the MD here in Melbourne, I&rsquo;ve been on a rollercoaster. Recruitment is what I know, but there&rsquo;s so much more to being a leader than being great at the job itself; to use the age old clich&eacute;, spinning many plates at once is the least of it. My team is growing and for this reason, I&rsquo;ve started thinking about the key things I want the people who are joining our business to experience. For me, a healthy, communicative environment is one of them &ndash; I want people to know that in joining my team they&rsquo;ll be able to voice opinions and concerns, ask questions without feeling like a burden and ultimately communicate what and how they&rsquo;re feeling about how things are going, what could/should change/improve and whatever else is happening. Communication is so important to running a business &ndash; that is, the way staff interact with you, their leader, but each other as well. We&rsquo;re developing our plan to ensure ours is a positive culture of communication, and so should you. Things to think about when considering your communication strategy: How you communicate I really like to make sure my staff know that they can communicate with me in different ways. There are different methods different circumstances, and I like to think we mostly exercise common sense to work out what applies on a case-by-case basis. For instance, if it&rsquo;s regarding something important which needs to be recorded properly (i.e. annual leave, a formal request etc), the member of staff in question will send an email. This allows us to ensure there&rsquo;s some process involved, and a paper trail. But if it&rsquo;s a quick question, something less formal or even something not at all work-related, I&rsquo;ve always made it clear that they can drop me a text or ping me an instant message, any time of the day or evening. Phone calls, if I or they are out of the office, are my preferred method of communication; when you can actually hear your employee&rsquo;s voice and vice versa, there&rsquo;s no room for anything to become misconstrued or confused along the way. In this day and age, technology makes it easier than ever for us to communicate with our staff &ndash; so set the expectations and let staff know it&rsquo;s okay to use it. With all that said, technology can sometimes act as a buffer against real-life human contact &ndash; and a way for people to avoid awkward or uncomfortable conversations. Encourage your employees to face communicating with you and their colleagues head-on, without hiding behind technology &ndash; harness it as a tool, not a hindrance. When you communicate To make sure your business runs as well as it can, near-constant communication about any and all things is necessary &ndash; but, it also helps to set a schedule. How regularly do you communicate in a formal setting with your team? Creating a time for regular meetings or calls &ndash; weekly, monthly, quarterly &ndash; creates consistency in communication. If Employee A knows that their monthly meeting is coming up, they&rsquo;ll have time to prepare and think about things to bring up which might not be discussed in the office usually.
Creating a regular communication schedule, to which your workforce will become accustomed, gives them opportunity to express themselves. This doesn&rsquo;t have to be a &lsquo;review&rsquo; or progress meeting necessarily; think of it more as a &lsquo;catch up&rsquo; &ndash; open forum, whether one-on-one, with your team or across the whole company. This also provides time spent with the team to communicating as a collective &ndash; general goings on, successes within various teams and ways to collaborate or share information moving forwards. You&rsquo;ll improve working relationships across the board, and the team will feel even more like one.
Communicating openly Ensuring that your staff feel able to approach you about most anything is key to reducing anxiety in the workplace &ndash; whilst I know that for many companies a hierarchy is important, so is a workforce who are engaged, motivated and happy to be there. Having an open-door policy &ndash; I&rsquo;m available for whatever you might need, whenever you might need it &ndash; helps promote healthy communication. With a real open-door policy in place, you as a manager are much more likely to know the &lsquo;inside line&rsquo; on what&rsquo;s happening within your business. Communicating anonymously Does your workforce have a system in place to communicate things which you might not be privy to &ndash; one which doesn&rsquo;t leave them at risk in any way? Look, we don&rsquo;t need to go into specifics &ndash; sometimes, there are circumstances happening or things going on which you aren&rsquo;t involved in as the business leader, but it might be helpful to be aware of. You don&rsquo;t necessarily see what the team sees or know what they know; just because things look peachy from the outside doesn&rsquo;t mean it&rsquo;s so. Implementing an anonymous feedback system ensures your staff feel able to express themselves without fearing any comeuppance on saying aloud what others may be thinking. And no, it&rsquo;s not just about being able to complain to upper management &ndash; it&rsquo;s about sharing an idea, a question, an improvement which they think could be beneficial to the company as a whole. And at the end of it all? Listen to what your employees are telling you. Communicating regularly, openly and with honesty is useless if you&rsquo;re not taking on board what&rsquo;s being talked about! Communication is a two-way street but facilitating it in a healthy way will help your team in so many ways &ndash; least of all when it&rsquo;s ready to grow like ours currently. How do you go about fostering a culture of open communication across your business?

Communication: It’s important, and it’s down to you

​KPIs, KPIs, KPIs. Is there any other aspect of business operations so widely spoken about, furthermore contested? It&rsquo;s a divisive subject in the business community &ndash; where some live by them, others dispute their place altogether; some employ but largely ignore them, either way. Whether you utilise them day-to-date or oppose them entirely, if you work in the corporate world, you&rsquo;ve come across KPIs at some point. The fact is, the reason they&rsquo;re so highly contested is that KPIs are seldom implemented effectively, or used properly. It&rsquo;s not about the &lsquo;numbers game&rsquo; &ndash; it&rsquo;s about business efficiency. Let&rsquo;s stop thinking about KPIs as targets, first off. There&rsquo;s a clear distinction between the two. The definition of a KPI is, as it says on the tin, a key performance indicator &ndash; a figure which is (or should be) derived from information your business is providing you. KPIs should be used to evaluate the activity a business needs to undertake in order to achieve its targets &ndash; not as a target in and of themselves. Get it? Let&rsquo;s put it into real terms. Your business currently has 10 sales execs. The team&rsquo;s target is to generate $100,000 in revenue each month, so each individual&rsquo;s target is $10,000. Currently, each person is achieving $8,000 per month; upon drilling down into their activity, you find that they&rsquo;re each making 8 phone calls per month. What can you take from this? Your business is indicating that your team&rsquo;s activity needs to increase in order to reach target, and is telling you, hypothetically, how much it needs to increase by. Analyse these tricky figures and you&rsquo;ll find it makes sense that, were they each to make 10 phone calls per month, everyone would hit that $10K, no problem. But here&rsquo;s the thing &ndash; there&rsquo;s no need to now storm onto the sales floor and inform the team that they had all better hit those 10 calls, or else. Not in that fashion, anyway. You&rsquo;re not setting this as a target: your business is doing it for you.
It&rsquo;s a KPI, not a target. See? KPIs should be in place to motivate, not condemn. Information is king, or so they say, and it&rsquo;s our job as leaders to use it to our advantage. Particularly in sales and marketing, numbers do play a big part in the performance sense &ndash; from calls made to appointments booked, website clicks to conversion rates, your team is constantly running through figures in their mind. Adding a panel of KPIs into that mix, specifically when posing them as targets/must-hits, definitely creates potential for the pot to boil over from time to time. However, if you were to go to your team and say, &ldquo;Hey, we&rsquo;ve collated some really interesting info here which we think is going to help you do your job better/more efficiently, want to take a look?&rdquo;, any employee worth his/her salt will be clambering to see your notes. Keep targets and KPIs separate; monitor them both as equals. Your KPIs should be based on fact and fact alone. Here at Certus we get to know our clients well, and I&rsquo;d be lying if I said we don&rsquo;t sometimes have to do a little &ndash; err &ndash; re-education, shall we say. Often, businesses blindly set their KPIs based on industry standards or what their competition appears to be doing which, fundamentally, doesn&rsquo;t make sense. Just because Oracle&rsquo;s techs have to sit four appointments per day, doesn&rsquo;t mean that your hyper-growth, disruptive SaaS start-up should be doing the same. In fact, we need to move away from this idea of &lsquo;setting&rsquo; KPIs altogether &ndash; I reiterate, your business sets them itself. Monitor activity, productivity, operations, all aspects of your business, over time to understand what your KPIs are and where they should sit in terms of activity. Don&rsquo;t pull numbers out of the air and &lsquo;set&rsquo; KPIs based on what you think you should be doing &ndash; base them on what you are doing, and the improvements that you want to make. Remember, more doesn&rsquo;t always equal more. Numbers and humans behave in very different ways. When a calculator does a complex mathematical equation, it doesn&rsquo;t need to take into account that, maybe, number 3 is recovering from a bout of the flu, or that number 4 is off on holiday for two weeks this month. So, when you take a look at your figures and see that 25 calls equals 1 appointment, don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s as simple as commanding your team to make 50, and expecting them to achieve 2 appointments as such. It just doesn&rsquo;t work that way. I&rsquo;m not saying that we as leaders shouldn&rsquo;t always strive for excellence and improvement &ndash; but, alas, we are humans managing humans. And that needs to be at the forefront of our approach, always. We shouldn&rsquo;t be setting KPIs, we should be running our businesses based on the information it provides us &ndash; looking at them as the dataset they are, rather than another number to hold over our teams&rsquo; heads. As ever, love to hear your opinions &ndash; what&rsquo;s your approach to KPIs, and are you making the most of them across your business?

​Are you ready for IR35? Reach out now for a free IR35 Assessment and find how we can assist you, moving forward...
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IR35 - Are You Ready (Video)

The lead up to Christmas was a mad one for us in Melbourne this year, although I&rsquo;ll admit it&rsquo;s becoming the norm; many clients scurry to secure those offers ahead of the new year, so they can rest easy over the holidays &ndash; as can their new hires. Everyone&rsquo;s a winner.
 Just the week before we broke up for the Christmas break, I travelled to Sydney to interview candidates for a Head of Sales position we&rsquo;re currently working closely with a client to fill. The inevitable airport and in-flight time gave me ample time to be thinking about how best to fill this and other senior roles we&rsquo;re working on.
 Senior hires are tricky; after all, this individual is going to impact your business greatly, whether they&rsquo;ll be working as high as board level, joining the senior management team or being responsible for the performance of certain individuals. You&rsquo;ve exhausted all internal options and still, your business is faced with a problem or situation which requires talent and insight from outside of the organisation. The solution can&rsquo;t be found from within, so we need to make a plan. And, sometimes interviewing isn&rsquo;t just about spotting talent, but about understanding the reason behind the hire.
 Do we need someone who knows our business already? Or do we need someone to come in and make change happen?
 It&rsquo;s an age old debate, that of hiring someone from inside your industry or with experience from those which differ to the space you operate in; in truly understanding what your business needs, right now, you&rsquo;re able to make key decisions throughout the hiring process &ndash; namely, those which will provide an answer to the questions above.
 If the business is stagnating and you&rsquo;re needing to spark (or reignite) a period of growth, new insight and ideas are going to facilitate this. Hiring someone from a different industry &ndash; something disruptive, exciting and &lsquo;new&rsquo; maybe &ndash; is naturally going to generate new ideas, inject your business with energy and give operations the boost they need; better yet, bringing in an entirely fresh set of eyes might just highlight problems you didn&rsquo;t know were there, things which could be done better, areas where efficiency could be improved&hellip;
 There&rsquo;s absolutely no end to the benefits that sharing transferrable inter-industry knowledge can lead to.
 But. A big but.
 Maybe it&rsquo;s not new energy and ideas you need &ndash; maybe, what your business needs is a firm, knowledgeable hand to steer the hull through an oncoming storm. Perhaps you need someone with years of experience and market understanding in order to &ndash; there&rsquo;s that clich&eacute; old phrase &ndash; hit the ground running and take the successes you&rsquo;ve built to the next level. Someone who understands your business, your market and your sector entirely.
 So, what&rsquo;s it going to be: stick or twist?
 I&rsquo;ll reiterate: it comes down to knowing what your business needs, which sounds simple and usually isn&rsquo;t. Nor is interviewing an exact science, resumes accurate to a T, people able to fully articulate the extent of their skills and/or knowledge&hellip; Ah the joy of recruiting.
 Which is why when we&rsquo;re working with a client on something as important as an executive hire, we make sure that each candidate shares something we know you want and need &ndash; but we put together the best shortlist of talent, whether right on the money or a change you wouldn&rsquo;t have thought about elsewise. Besides the obvious &ndash; that is, our sole purpose being to identify, interview and secure talent on your behalf &ndash; we recruiters are simply another set of eyes to look over your business, ears to hash out your thoughts with and minds to utilise in raising questions you otherwise might have not, red flags which may or may not be present and opinions you might need to hear.
 We love what we do, even if it means flying from Melbourne to Sydney the week before Christmas.
 What does your business need in the new year and, moreover, how can we help you achieve it?

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