Posts Tagged ‘behaviour/communication’
How I met your mother (and other great reasons for an internal conference)
In these challenging times for recruitment agency owners and managers, the issue of costs is one that tends to consume a lot of attention. Nigel Harse’s Facts, Not Fiction presentation to RCSA audiences around Australia this past month has highlighted the importance of managing costs effectively. One of the most significant lump sums…
Read MoreTeam leader communication: How nothing has changed in 25 years
I have read a lot of books on leadership. I have attended many leadership training sessions or keynote speeches. I have facilitated many hundreds of leadership training and coaching sessions. Given all that education and experience, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that the consistent message across all of the leadership…
Read MoreAre you interviewing a leader or a bureaucrat?
There is a distinct difference between interviewing a candidate who has a formal leadership role and those candidates who do not. When a candidate has reached a position of formal leadership, their technical skills become relatively less important to their ongoing success. The critical factor that has the candidate consistently deliver high performance in a…
Read MoreHow committed to your candidates are you REALLY?
I was very fortunate in having my formative years as a recruiter within both Hays in the UK (then called Accountancy Personnel) and subsequently Recruitment Solutions. As with many situations, sometimes it’s only with the benefit of hindsight that I truly appreciated what I had gained. As much as skills development is…
Read MoreInterviewing: Are you comfortable when people are uncomfortable?
Recently I observed an interview conducted by a relatively new recruiter (let’s call him Dan). He did an adequate job asking the (moderately experienced) candidate (let’s call her Sarah) about her previous work experience. However when it came to Dan probing a gap of three months between Sarah’s jobs, things didn’t go so well. Dan…
Read MoreWhat exactly are ‘excellent communication skills’?
It has to be one of the most clichéd lines in job descriptions and hence, recruitment advertising – the request for ‘excellent communication skills’. It is omnipresent in today’s recruitment lexicon. Alternatively, you can substitute another one of your favourite synonyms such as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘outstanding’, ‘exceptional’, ‘superior’ or ‘high level’. Unfortunately…
Read MoreAre you sold on yourself?
‘The first sale is always with yourself. If you are not sold, no one else will be. Your work before the sales meeting is to make sure you are sold – energetically you need to be convinced that what you are selling is going to provide value to the right client. Effective sales…
Read MorePersonalities don’t conflict – people have communication issues
Consider the following interview exchange, which any recruiter with more than a few weeks experience will be familiar with: Recruiter: “Why did you leave your role at XYZ company?” Candidate: (Stony-faced) “I had a personality conflict with my boss” Recruiter: (Awkward Pause) “Okay” What happened next? Did you probe to discover more information or…
Read MoreThe 10 Biggest Culture Killers in Recruitment Companies
This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in recruitment extra (March 2005 issue). The culture of a company is created, enhanced and also destroyed primarily by the quality of communication (both verbal and non-verbal) that occurs every day in the office. High quality communication is direct, face-to-face,…
Read MoreRecruitment 101: How to win friends and influence people
In last week’s InSight lead article Play More Beach Volleyball to Bill More Fees , I referred to the research supporting the importance of making genuine connections at work in order to build a more resilient and productive workforce. Today I will discuss specifically how recruiters can create this connectedness with their colleagues, their candidates…
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