New code compliant and proud of it! RCSA CEO Charles Cameron says it best:

“Professionalism is not a tagline, it is something we learn and earn.”

In an interview you are faced with a wide range of questions, all structured to generate different responses.  Most questions will be open-ended – requiring more detail than a simple yes or no.

Competency based questions are designed so the interviewer can better understand your approach to a task, how you react, and act in certain work situations, as well as what learnings you have taken from your past experiences.

The STAR approach is a way to answer such questions. STAR stands for:

Situation – describe the setting for the interviewer.

Task – explain what you had to do, your roles and responsibilities in the situation.

Action – what did you do to address the situation?

Result – what was the outcome and what did you learn?

An interview is a two-way street, for the employer to assess your suitability for the role and vice versa.  Whilst most of the questions are targeted at the interviewee, the employer often (and should) give the opportunity to be asked a question or two.

Phrasing your questions correctly does require a little preparation but having a couple ready is much easier than trying to come up with something on the spot. 

It’s common to spend a lot of time perfecting your CV, but your cover letter can easily be overlooked.  If you currently use a standard template for every role, today is the day to stop!

As recruiters, myself and the PN Personnel team read a lot of cover letters. If you are serious about the vacancy you are applying for, you need to spend the time to tailor your cover letter.

We’ve got our own key words starting with S in the PN Personnel office.  They relate specifically to temporary staff: Simple – Speed – Skills.

Simple – one call to us is all it takes.  We manage the entire recruitment process and employment contract.

Speed – PN Personnel has a pool of talented temporaries available now for work.

Skills – Our temporaries cover a wide range of industries.

Working from home is the option for many staff currently, as businesses work with COVID-19 guidelines for staff and customers.  If you have never worked from home before, there are some tips to manage your working day remotely.

You were probably not expecting in our current lockdown situation for a heading such as this – yet this is the long-term prediction from leading economist Shamubeel Eaqub from his Trade Me webinar this afternoon.

It’s always amazing what you can do if you set your mind to it.  The speaker at the recent 3Keys event I attended impressed me with her story.  Hollie Woodhouse is a full-time endurance athlete, adventurer and graphic designer.  Every year she sets herself a goal, a challenge to complete.  In doing this, she has been on some impressive adventures. 

Video is an excellent tool an employer can use as part of the job selection process.  Video combined with a written CV can be a highly effective part of your recruitment strategy.  

To make a sound business decision, you need to be well-informed and have all the facts and information to hand.  To employ the right person for your business, you need the time and tools to target, identify and qualify this individual’s suitability for you position.

As recruiters we have been trained and have many years of experience in the hiring process.

When discussing our process with an employer we explain all the steps required for a successful recruitment and why they are important in attracting, assessing and qualifying the right person.

To assist you in your next recruitment, make sure you take these steps! 

CV length and structure can and do make a difference - so should it be a generic CV with all history included? Or should your CV be laser targeted and with as much punch as triple shot espresso?

The answer may surprise you!

If someone said I would have spent the last month working from home last year, I would have laughed at them.  In recruitment, our business is people, meeting with employers and employees daily. Going from a physical face to face meeting to a video meeting is a big change.  Luckily, we have the tools to work effectively; laptop, second screen, access to all the files and programmes we need to deliver the same quality standard of our recruitment services.

Finding a job in 2020 is different.  By using a combination of traditional and new communication methods, you can discuss job opportunities, interview for roles and view a potential new workplace without leaving your home. Whilst ideally face to face contact is preferred, meetings and interviews via technology will become part of your new normal.

Here’s how we think it will look, what is means for you and how we see it working within recruitment.

The New Zealand Government, along with many partners have dedicated web pages to share and update on COVID-19.

There is a lot of information circulating and frequently updated as new developments occur.  It is important to be aware, and current on these unfolding events to be able to establish and amend as necessary your own planning and procedures for your business and your employees.