Mar 15, 2019 | IT
Recruiting the best IT contractors and IT staff can be a protracted process and the danger of candidates changing their minds, or worse still, accepting a counter-offer from a competitor is ever present.
In order to minimise the risk of losing the best candidates before they have signed their new contract of employment it is essential to ensure that you have a recruitment process which is as efficient as possible.
It is important to balance the need to act quickly, in order to secure the best talent, with the need to bide your time so that you do not appear desperate. A shrewd candidate may pick up on the fact that the recruitment process appears to be rushed and they may then try to turn that to their advantage when it comes to negotiating terms.
Employing the services of a specialist recruitment agency to act as a professional intermediary is a cost-effective way to recruit IT contractors and IT permanent staff. Their experience, advice and refined procedures will minimise the risk of losing out on the best candidates during the recruitment process and help to avoid complications in the future.
A recruitment agency will be able to advise on an accurate package offer based on current market rates, the skills and experience of the candidate and the candidate’s current situation. This negates the risk of making an offensively low offer or an offer which is too high which could then cause conflict and tension between existing employees and put financial pressure on a business.
A good recruitment agency will also spend time maintaining a dialogue with prospective candidates as well as acting as an advocate on your behalf, this helps to keep your company at the forefront of the candidates mind when they are considering offers.
They will also be skilled in asking the questions which determine a candidate’s motivation for seeking a new role; if money is a key factor then it is likely that the candidate will be susceptible to counter-offers. If you are aware of this then you can act accordingly.
Once a candidate is committed to the recruitment process it is important to maintain momentum by arranging first and second interview dates quickly, providing feedback and keeping in regular contact via phone or email. Having an efficient method of completing the necessary paperwork is equally important as candidates are prone to changing their minds between receiving a verbal offer of employment and a copy of their new contract of employment.
To find out how Langley James can help you recruit someone worth recruiting to streamline your IT recruitment process please contact us on 0207 099 4839 or langleyjames@langleyjames.com
Mar 15, 2019 | IT
How To Create A Positive Candidate Experience in 4 Steps
The recruitment process is a stressful time for both employees and applicants. Businesses place such a huge emphasis on hiring the ‘perfect’ candidate for the role, they often forget the importance in nurturing relationships with those who aren’t ‘perfect’ for the role. Don’t forget, when somebody applies for a job, they are taking a risk and putting their current job on the line. All applicants deserve a positive candidate experience and when you master this, you are providing your company with an excellent marketing tool. Here are our 4 steps to creating a positive candidate experience for ALL applicants:
- First Impressions are Crucial
It only takes 3-5 seconds for someone to make a first impression. This begins right at the outset when an applicant applies for a role. A person’s first interaction with your company is likely to begin at your website and from there, judgement and perceptions of your company are heavily shaped by their user experience at initial search stages. You may not realize the importance of providing users with a positive experience externally, but a poor website can tell an awful lot to an applicant about the kind of company they could potentially be working for. This first impression will proceed to heavily influence a candidate’s decision over whether they want to work for you or not.
- Honesty is the Best Policy
Companies who are honest and transparent about the roles they are recruiting for, are always the ones who are able to recruit the best candidates and maintain the best retention and employee satisfaction rates. Little white lies such as “you’ll hear from us either way” when you have no intention of getting back in touch; or “we are interested but still have some more people to interview”, when in actual fact you have extended an offer and are waiting for the candidate to except; all contribute to leaving a candidate feeling deceived and disappointed. Again, this type of behavior will certainly impact on your employer branding – don’t forget, word of mouth is a very strong tool. Avoid getting into a situation where your company is given a bad name all because you committed to something you never delivered on.
- Acknowledge ALL Applicants
Establishing and maintaining relationships is crucial if you want to successfully recruit new members to your team. Whether an applicant fits the bill or not, each person who has taken the time to apply for the role deserves your time and courtesy to let them know the situation. If the applicant is not right for that particular role, then contact them with a simple call or email to let them know that you will not be proceeding any further with their application but to thank them kindly for their application. This common courtesy throughout the recruitment process. It is imperative to create strong relationships with applicants, whether they are suitable for the role or not – because you never know when an unsuccessful candidate’s skill set and experience may become of significant value to your company. A staggering 70% of online applicants never receive a response if their application is unsuccessful. This disheartening statistic demonstrates the lack of importance placed on responding to applicants. Strong communication is a positive marketing tool – and lack of it demonstrates poor leadership and inadequate HR.
- Feedback is Key
The one thing that candidates truly hate when going through an interview process with a company, is when clients simply do not provide feedback following the interview. Candidates place a large importance on the interview, and go to great lengths to ensure they are fully prepared. A client who fails to provide feedback can do more damage to their own reputation than they realize. Whether it be that feedback is on your to-do list and you just haven’t got round to it; or that you didn’t feel the candidate was suitable and you will not be proceeding any further with their application, so therefore feedback is unnecessary, feedback is of high importance and must always be provided where possible. It can be hard to give negative feedback to a candidate, but even negative feedback is constructive and can be used to improve a candidate’s interview skills in their future endeavors. It also gives you the opportunity to seek feedback from the interviewee. This is a chance to review what you did well in the interview and what you could improve on in future interviews.
Our expert IT recruitment consultants are here to take the pressure off you when recruiting someone new. We liaise with candidates with the utmost care to ensure that their candidate experience is a positive one. Call us on 0207 788 6600 and let us help you Recruit Someone worth Recruiting.
Mar 15, 2019 | IT
Generally speaking employee turnover is seen as a bad thing. Aside from having to accept that someone may not want to work for your business any more, turnover can have a negative effect on moral and the cost involved in recruiting and training someone new can build up too. This may be the case for larger organisations. However, for smaller firms, SMEs and start-ups the discussion about positive employee turnover produces a strong argument.
Dr John Sullivan, an internationally known HR thought-leader said “true recruiters are always trying to steal away the best employees, even during tough economic times. If no one steals (or even tries to steal) your employees, it might mean they aren’t worth stealing.” With this in mind, we take a look at some of the positives of employee turnover.
Developing The Right Team
Smaller businesses may have started up fast, with a keen CEO employing new staff to get essential jobs done and help the business get moving and begin to grow. However, in the longer term as the business evolves, these people may no longer be the best people for the job. It’s important to assemble the right team over time and not just one of convenience. In this case, experiencing employee turnover may not be negative but simply part of the evolution of the business, helping it to grow, improve and discover the core strengths required by team members.
Identifying Poor Performers
Because during the recession most organisations saw their workforce fall, as they hire again focus is often on job security and so turnover is all too often seen as a negative. Reassessing and monitoring performance and ROIs will help you to evaluate whether or not it is bad for your organisation. Dr Sullivan talked about categorising turnover into the three categories of ‘regrettable’, ‘neutral’ or ‘desirable’. This will depend on who is leaving, why and how. In order to understand what kind of turnover you’re experiencing you’ll have to know your staff and have an idea about their performance rate, attitude, and skills. Regular reviews and assessment will allow you to see who is not performing as well as you’d like or who is causing holdups or low quality work. To lose these employees shouldn’t be detrimental to your business, it should be advantageous, and if one of these poor performers went to a competitor instead, well that’s just a bonus!
Encourage and Incentivise
Following on from the above, nurturing the top talent is just as important, as these are the people you don’t want to turnover! Regularly evaluating employees to recognise who is worthy of a promotion or bonus encourages staff to try their best. Often a high turnover rate itself may encourage employees to work harder. Some organisations seem to have implemented a company culture where great performance is key and employees either choose to continually improve or to leave. This may sound a little harsh, but if the right kind of incentive structure is in place, top performers will be able to enjoy the benefits of their hard work.
Organisations are recognising even more that low turnover is not such an important factor in evaluating business success. There is often no ideal level of turnover for firms, and some will be suited, and benefit from, a higher turnover. If you would like some advice on finding innovative new employees for your organisation, we work with hundreds of candidates who could be the perfect fit, so give us a call (0207 099 4839) and see how we can help you to recruit someone worth recruiting.
Feb 18, 2019 | IT
If you are considering a new project and taking on a short term contractor to support the day to day issues, or are being pressured to let the vendor carry out the installation themselves, please consider this …
Getting an expert IT Contractor to undertake the actual project can be much more cost effective than undertaking it yourself and using a short term contractor to support the day to day issues.
Projects aren’t undertaken on a whim and very often have both time and cost restraints and getting it right first time and within budget is vital to its success. Even if you re-assign someone within your existing team to carry out your new project, entrusting something so important to someone who may not necessarily have all of the skills or specific experience will be delving into the unknown. They will most likely be learning on the job which will ultimately work out more costly in the long term, not even taking into account the extra stress experienced by both parties. And that’s before you think about the additional time taken to bring in an IT Support Contractor and get them up to speed to fulfill the role they will be covering.
Forget all that! You’ve made enough sacrifices and carried too much stress for far too long. For once, reap the benefit for yourself and really take advantage of the IT Contract market.
Get an expert Contractor in! Not just an IT Contractor who has the skills, but a specialist IT Contractor who will have already completed these projects numerous times, with references to prove it.
We are proud to say that we have saved one client several thousands of pounds by doing just this. Instead of using a software vendor to carry out the installation, complete with their own phenomenal costs, we enabled the client to keep full control of the installation by supplying specialist, expert Contractors. Due to the complexity of the project, we supplied 3 Contractors engaged at intervals, each one with a different skill for each stage of the project. The project was completed on time and well within budget without any other area of the business suffering as a result.
We can supply you with an expert IT Contractor, within budget, to carry out your project to a strict timeframe, giving you peace of mind by knowing the exact cost of the project from the outset and allowing day to day IT Operations to carry on as seamlessly as possible.
Let us find you an expert IT Contractor who not only has the T Shirt but is going back to remake the film. Now is a great time to get on with those projects that have been hanging around and getting specialist contractors has never been cheaper than it is now. You can buy in an expert who can turn a project around to a set schedule and budget.
We have been recruiting IT Contractors and permanent IT staff for over 19 years, we have an extensive network of experienced contractors, so let us know all about the project – not just the skills needed – and we will find you an expert contractor who has the experience of undertaking that specific project.
Feb 18, 2019 | IT
When it comes to recruiting, it is essential to make the right choice and this means being able to attract talented individuals. Attracting talent is not just about instructing a number of agencies. The right agency will be able to not only attract candidates from a multitude of different areas and networks in the right places, but also represent your company in a way that will ensure they want to join, especially in competitive times such as these. Highly qualified and experienced individuals now have their pick when it comes to joining a company, so it is important to choose the right recruitment partner for you.
Clear Job Description
Job descriptions are often thrown together quickly and without a lot of thought, but this can be a major error to make. Often, job descriptions are simply an exhaustive list of duties and expectations whereas the focus really needs to also be on what you can offer the candidate. Don’t forget the WIIFM – What’s In It For Me. Make sure you are clear about any incentives you can offer, including salary increments, bonuses and flexible working. This is the first thing a candidate sees from your company and it’s a really important first impression. Don’t lose the best people with a poor spec – we are happy to offer advice and guidance.
Quick Response
Don’t wait for weeks after the closing date of your application to get back to the agency regarding the candidates as this is the sure-fire way to lose good people. You should endeavour to respond to applications within 24 hours and get interviews set up within a day or two. With the market as it is at the moment, talented candidates looking for new roles are having back to back interviews and choosing from up to 5 offers within a week! They have a lot of choice, so the quicker you act, the more professional you will look and the more likely you will secure your next superstar.
Positive Interviewers
Choose your interview panel wisely. If you have two positive, energetic interviewers, they will instantly make the company appealing. Remember that an interview should be a 2 way conversation and is as much about the candidate asking questions as it is the interviewer. It’s a fine line between really selling the role and delving into the technical requirements – getting the balance right is the challenge. You may want to read more in our Taboo Interview Questions blog.
On-boarding
The last thing you want is to go through the whole hiring process, only for the candidate to leave after the first few days. This is frustrating and it can also be damaging to the reputation of your company. The first few days are imperative for helping to ensure people join your business and stay, so introduce a strong and engaging induction process. Make sure candidates know their way around and the departments they will be involved with. Introduce them to people and don’t leave them wandering around aimlessly. Simple steps like making sure they have someone to spend lunch with can go a long way to getting the best out of them and to help ensure high retention levels and a strong reputation.
For these and other advice to attract the best people to your company in this highly competitive market, why not give us a call on 0207 788 6600 and find out why so many companies chose Langley James as their trusted recruitment partner.
Jan 20, 2019 | IT
People aged between 35 and 54 are at the top of the hire list for small businesses in the UK, research by Aldermore has revealed.
In a survey of 1,002 SME business leaders, 50% said they would choose to hire from this age group out of all potential recruits – compared to 30% who would prefer to hire 18 to 34-year-olds.
Nearly half of small business owners (47%) also said they believe 35 to 54-year-olds have the greatest industry knowledge of any age group.
When describing current employees, similar numbers of employers said this age group are the most productive (53%), most focused (50%), and have the best work ethic (48%).
However, 21% said it is difficult to recruit employees in this age range, with this figure increasing to 32% among medium-sized businesses.
Carl D’Ammassa, group managing director of business finance at Aldermore, said businesses should also recognise the “fresh approach” that can come with hiring younger staff.
He said:
“Attracting and hiring the best industry talent can be a tough task, yet the long-term benefits that even a single new staff member can bring to a business can be very significant.
“Having a diverse workforce with different perspectives drives innovation and problem-solving, which is why hiring employees with different skills and levels of experience is so important.”
Jan 20, 2019 | IT
Workplace experts, Acas, have published guidance to help employers and employees know the rules around employment references.
A recent survey by AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) found that nearly half of employers want job applicants who have relevant work experience.
Tom Neil, Acas Senior Adviser said:
“The job market can very competitive so it is vitally important for job applicants and employers to know what the legal requirements are around work references.
“We’ve based our advice around the typical questions that we receive on our helpline about job references.
“Acas’ new advice has information on what to include in work references, when they are needed and how to resolve problems with references.”
Typical questions the Acas helpline receives about job references:Can an employer refuse to give a reference?
– How can I obtain a copy of the reference my previous employer has supplied?
– If a reference is incorrect what can I do about it?
– Can my employer includes absence rates relating to sickness in a reference?
– Can an employer put negative things in a reference?
Acas’ employment references advice includes top tips such as:
– Employers can usually choose whether or not to give a reference;
– Employers must only seek a reference from a job applicant’s current employers with their permission;
– If a conditional job offer is made then it can be withdrawn if the job applicant doesn’t meet satisfactory references. Employees should consider waiting until they get an unconditional job offer before handing in their notice in their current job;
– Potential employers should remember a referee may not provide a reference or might inaccurately suggest the applicant is suitable. In these circumstances, it may help to discuss any concerns with the job applicant directly first; and
– Job applicants who are unhappy with a reference can ask for a copy that was sent to their new employers and may be able to claim damages in court if they can prove it was misleading or inaccurate and resulted in the withdrawal of their job offer.
Read Acas’ employment references guidance.
Dec 6, 2018 | IT
There are a few meals that aren’t half bad as leftovers. Cold roast chicken, potato salad, even coleslaw is good. But why settle for leftovers if you can enjoy a fresh meal instead? Surely fresh food is a better option? Yet in recruiting, when someone resigns, managers often scramble to do everything they can to keep them, and I have to wonder why, because it’s the perfect opportunity to get in someone new.
Consider this: When a permanent staff member hands in their notice, they have probably already got another job. They’ve been for interviews, signed a contract and already considered their options. Leaving may be news for the manager, but it isn’t for them.
Chances are, they’re leaving because they’ve not been happy for a while. Trying to make them stay by dangling a few carrots isn’t going to change much. If they do stay, they’re seldom as productive or motivated and sometimes it can actually be more damaging to the team. Let them leave. Even if they were good, things will never be the same. They’ve shown they aren’t happy there, and there’s a good possibility that if they stay, in a few months time, they will be looking for other options again.
Forget the fear factor
One of the concerns that managers have is that they will never find someone as good to replace the person with. But what if you were to find someone better? There are a lot of good people out there and a lot of good reasons to bring in fresh talent to make your team perform even better.
In IT having to maintain a system is quite different from building it. It requires different skills and the costs are different too. Why pay the same costs when the maintenance could be so much cheaper?
Bringing in someone new also has the benefit of gaining a fresh perspective on a project. That person can help identify solutions that people involved in the project have been unable to solve because they are just too immersed in what they’re working on. The new person brings with them both expertise and an outside objective view. Also they’ll be looking for the best solution without having to defend the decisions made earlier on in the project.
Employees that have been around for a while may be good, but there is a strong temptation for them to rest on their laurels. After all, they’ve already shown they can do the job. Unfortunately this usually means that over time they become lazy and no longer feel the need to put in any extra effort. A new person will want to prove themselves so they’ll work harder and be more motivated. This alone should be reason enough for managers to jump on to the opportunity to hire when they can.
It’s all about the money – use it wisely
Yes people leave for more money, but offering them more money won’t necessarily make them stay. Rather than throwing money at counter offers rather put that money to the budget to hire someone new. The person who has resigned has already given as much value as you’re going to get from them, whereas someone new could have a lot more to offer.
If you brought in an existing contractor for a specific project and that project has been completed, then re-allocate the funding for that role to another project. That way you can ensure you get the right expertise and optimise the value you’re getting from your budget.
At the end of the day you want a team that is motivated and productive, and sometimes the best way to do that is to bring in fresh talent. Be smart with your recruiting budget and make it work for you by getting in new people when you need to and taking up the opportunity to hire whenever it arises.
Dec 1, 2018 | IT
First impressions are everything! Now that there are so many different dress codes for work, it can be difficult to judge what will be deemed most appropriate so that you make a good first impression to the candidate, whilst adhering to your organisations dress code. Your attire plays a pivotal role in the interview and can heavily influence a candidate’s decision as to whether they want to work with you or not – whether it is consciously or subconsciously.
To avoid any unwanted judgement about your attire, we would advise to always play safe and go for a traditional suit. This is the equivalent of turning up to the interview with a blank canvas – there is little room for pre-judgement if you wear a traditional suit. A suit will always look smart, clean and professional. Even if you usually dress less formally to work – don’t be tempted to.. You can dress casually every other day of the year. The interview is a professional meeting and more formal than a typical day at the office.
Attire must be fitted correctly and appropriate. Having to adjust ill-fitted garments all the way through the interview can hinder your ability to conduct an interview in a professional manner and can also be distracting for the candidate.
Be prepared! Prepare your outfit the night before. Interviews are not only nerve-wrecking for the candidate, but the interviewer too. Keep nerves at bay by ensuring that any jobs that can be done the night before- are done the night before! Having the added stress of deciding what to wear on the day will certainly lead to unwanted stress.
Most importantly – conduct, interpersonal skills and ability to formulate and articulate well-constructed questions is key. If the candidate is right for the role and they want the job they will certainly see past what you are wearing, but appropriate dress will give your company a good head start.
If you need help in recruiting for both permanent and contract staff, please contact us on 0207 788 6600 and one of our expert consultants will be ready to help.
You can view all our latest vacancies here.
Dec 1, 2018 | IT
This time of year fun in the workplace is a lot more likely, as things tend to wind down and Christmas parties, secret santas and festive activities are taking place. However, all year round workplace fun is becoming increasingly important in the modern day organisation.
According to a study by BrightHR and leading psychologist Professor Sir Cary Cooper more fun at work could lead to better motivation and productivity and less absenteeism. Well, this is the case for the younger generation at least. Those who were born from the early 1980s to early 2000 make up 75% of the UK workforce and these are the set of workers who value ‘playtime’ at work the most. Probably down to different working values and different workplace responsibilities the older generations don’t rank fun at work as highly.
When we talk about fun we mean anything from encouraging more downtime, to organised activities or canteens with Xboxes and pool tables. Fun activities and ideas ranged from birthday celebrations, massages, lottery syndicates, charity fundraising, karaoke, yoga, fancy dress or dress down days, board games, knitting clubs, nights out and even an office pet! Now there are different levels and aspects to this, as we see from around the world; a Guy Martin program from China saw a morning ritual of a group dancing session in the workplace to try and loosen employees up before the start of the day. A little extreme perhaps? Some US firms have entire job roles or even departments dedicated to workplace fun, with ‘Chief Fun Officer’ being a real job title and an American bank having a ‘Wow’ department with the aim of regularly surprising and entertaining workers. However, as soon as fun becomes part of a corporate strategy, can it any longer be classed as fun?
The most important aspect of getting fun in the workplace right is to communicate well with your employees. Once the activities or procedures are working and in place, trust is the key. As an employer I’m sure you’d be happy to organise a massage day or something similar if you knew employees would enjoy and benefit from the experience, resulting in better motivation, productivity and even loyalty. Perhaps installing a slide in the office is going to attract some enthusiastic young graduates, but whether it will improve productivity and loyalty is another thing.
One reason that it’s the younger generation who are keen for a little more enjoyment at work is because they have to work longer hours, wait longer for retirement and potentially have less financial security than they would have had a generation ago, so enjoying work and benefiting from fun extras helps them to see a little more return on their investment.
The real issue could in fact be that people simply want to enjoy their experience in the workplace more, not to have set ‘fun days’, but to simply be happier and more content day to day.
Dec 1, 2018 | IT
Company culture has increasingly become an important aspect of any organisation. It is more than simply corporate visions or the way the office is decorated, it is the values, beliefs and practices that are woven through everything within the firm.
Assuming you have identified and already have a good idea of what your company culture is and means to everyone involved, using it to your advantage when recruiting could be your secret weapon for finding the right candidates for your empty seats.
Be Open
Many candidates would argue that honesty is what they’re looking for in a company. Of course there is more to it than this, but if you can be as transparent as possible this is the first step. Candidates can the see the organisation for what it is and decide from there whether your values match their own. For example, some individuals may be motivated by money with a bonus or commission lead culture attracting them most, however others may find this threatening or impersonal. If your organisation is this way inclined, you want to attract the first candidate, the latter would not be a good fit for your culture, so being open and honest allows the right candidates to come forward.
Shout About It
If something new or exciting is happening within the organisation, always try and get the word out there, distribute a press release and add it to your newsletter. Maybe you’ve won an award or introduced a new flexible working scheme – let your community know about it. Your website is the obvious place to put everything you’re proud of, and it’s likely to be the first port of call for all potential candidates. Showcase your culture and values in different ways; add a ‘day in the life of’ video, quotes from current employees or a photo gallery from a recent event. Social media is of course the perfect way to share this kind of content and is a great way to showcase your company culture.
Be Consistent
You have promised so much on screen, but you want to make sure each step of the recruitment process is not only true to what you’ve described but true to what day-to-day life is like within your organisation. The interview is probably the first time candidates get a real glimpse of this, so try and create an interview that will give them a taste of what life might be like there. They can get a feel for whether they are likely to enjoy working there, and you can get a feel for whether they’ll fit into the team. Make sure candidates meet key managers and team members, let them have a look around while everything is going on as normal so they can get a real sense of the office ‘vibe’.
Highlighting team bonding and team building activities in the recruitment process and describing what this might involve will also help a candidate to get a feel for what is valued and how things work. Many candidates are looking for a work life balance so they need to know what support is there, and whether there are options for flexible working.
Identifying and cultivating business culture can be an effective way to market your organisation and make it more attractive to potential new employees. If you’re still a little hazy about what your culture really is, speak to your current employees and managers and ask them about the atmosphere, reasons they like working there and what they might find frustrating, then build on that.
Your company is a brand and so should be your company culture, it should encompass everything you stand for and find important, reflecting that of your employees. Many organisations would describe their brand as their people, particularly in the service industry and your internal branding is all about shaping your company culture and a mutual belief in what’s important. Finding the right match is vital for the relationship to work, so use your culture to your advantage.
Nov 20, 2018 | IT
So many times candidates fail to put their addresses or postal codes on their CV. For some it’s concerns about security and keeping their personal information safe. But for the majority of people, they simply don’t think it’s important.
Here’s how important it is. Without an address or even a postal code, we as recruiters, have no idea what area you live in and which positions you’d qualify for in terms of the commute. And as a result your CV doesn’t make it to the shortlist to get presented to clients.
The reality is that most people aren’t willing to commute more than 45 minutes each way. In fact, the majority of companies prefer for their employees to live within a 20 minute commute of work.
What’s the big deal with commuting?
It used to be that people would move jobs for more money, flexible work hours or better benefits. Today most people change jobs because of commutable distance.
Long daily commutes contribute to employee fatigue, especially if it’s more than 45 minutes each way. Who’d want to spend 1.5 to 2 hours daily sitting in traffic or on a train? It’s like cancelling two hours of your life every day, when instead you could be spending time with your family, socialising with friends, doing a sport or leisure activity or even just getting an extra half hours sleep.
Employees that have a shorter commute tend to be more focused and productive at work than those travelling more than 45 minutes daily. And as a result many companies have a radius area from which they’ll employ.
Without an address you’re in no-man’s land
For a recruiter, initially vetting a potential candidate takes at least an hour and one of the first things we look for on a CV is an address. Our database uses postal codes to organise candidates by area, so without an address or even a postal code, your CV gets placed into no-man’s land.
No recruiter wants to spend an hour or more vetting a candidate and shortlisting them for a client, only to discover that they live the other side of London, and most likely won’t take up the position because it’ll involve a long commute.
On the other side of the coin, including your address could move your CV to the top of the shortlist – provided of course you qualify for the position with having the right skills and experience.
But what about keeping personal information secure?
Since the introduction of GDPR, recruitment companies are required by law to keep personal information secure. However, if giving the street name and number is still a concern, be assured, you don’t need to. Including just the area and postal code is enough for recruiters to know where you’ll be commuting from.
Think about it for a minute. There really shouldn’t be a concern for candidates to divulge their full address to recruiters. Recruiters aren’t going to sell your address or send you junk mail. They aren’t going to track you down after an interview and come knocking on your door asking why you haven’t gotten back to them. There are far more efficient ways of doing this – like telephone or email.
The bottom line is that omitting your address from your CV is causing you to lose out on job opportunities. Instead of going to the top of the shortlist pile, you’re going to no-man’s land, just because your CV doesn’t contain a postal code. It seems silly really, but it underlines the importance of getting the details right. A postal code is all it takes to make the difference.
Are you looking for your dream job? Then we’d like to help you. Please email us your CV to langleyjames@langleyjames.com
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