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Careers & workplace advice from Hays

Every day that passes with an empty desk is another day of lost productivity. As an employer myself, I know how frustrating that can be. But equally, I know how important it is to take the time to find the right person for the job.

During my years working in recruitment, I’ve seen the same mistakes being made time and time again, which almost always lead to a bad hiring decision.  Most of these mistakes stem from one thing – many hiring managers don’t know what exactly it is they are looking for during an interview or how to assess this during the interview process.

I’m not just talking about looking out for hard, more technical skills and experience here, although, undoubtedly it is vitally important to assess these to find the right candidate. However, as an employer, it is crucial that you are equipped to adequately assess the less technical (but no less important), more subtle skills, such as emotional intelligence traits and cultural fit.

Therefore, in this blog, I’ve outlined some simple steps you can take to help identify what it is you are really looking for in a candidate, plus some actionable ways for measuring these criteria during the interview process.

How to assess hard skills

What are the core requirements for the role you are looking for in terms of hard skills? Hard skills are measurable proficiencies which come from experience or training. For example, you may require a Spanish speaking PA with a typing speed of 60 words per minute and 98 percent accuracy.

So how can you test for hard skills during the interview process?  Start by preparing some competency based interview questions whereby the candidate is encouraged to give examples of times that they demonstrated these skills. You would also put together some practical assessments for the candidate to complete either before or during the interview. These assessments should reflect day to day life in the role. Therefore, in the above example, you may set the candidate a typing test which measures speed and accuracy.

How to assess soft skills

It is important that you also think about which soft skills are needed for the role. Soft skills are inherent personality traits which are trickier to teach and harder to measure.  So how can you determine which soft skills to look for?

Think about which soft skills would be of benefit to the role. For example, you may be hiring for a sales executive and would need someone with an ability to build up a rapport with stakeholders.  Therefore you would look for the soft trait of having good interpersonal skills. Also think about the attributes the previous job holder had which were beneficial to the role, and which weren’t.  You should also speak to colleagues in the industry to find out which personality traits they recommend, as well as to your recruiter to get their expertise.

Your recruiter will most likely meet the candidate before you do, and many soft skills, such as having strong interpersonal skills, are much better-demonstrated face-to-face. Therefore keeping your recruiter involved and fully briefed, will help them screen for the right traits, giving you the best to choose from during the interview process.

Once the candidate is in front of you, how can you assess a candidate’s soft skills in an interview situation? One thing I will say is that it’s actually much harder to do than assessing technical skills. Ask questions which give them the chance to demonstrate this skill, for example, “can you think of a time that you build a lucrative relationship with a client, how did you do this?”. You can also read between the lines to see how they demonstrate this skill in the way they talk to you as a senior stakeholder.  Do you feel that they come across as confident and able to build a rapport with key decision makers?

Soft skills are not to be underestimated when interviewing for new talent, they can set the difference between a candidate that’s good on paper, and one that’s great in practice.

How to determine cultural fit

As I mentioned in a previous blog, many employers only scrutinise qualifications and skills without properly evaluating how well the candidate will fit in with the team, organisation and company culture. Here at Hays Canada, we have actually developed a report  which reveals that fit is one of the lowest considerations in the hiring process, yet it is the main reason that people are either let go or choose to leave a company.

In order to avoid this mistake, before you start interviewing, brainstorm the keywords which describe your team, organisation and culture. For instance, you may work at a close-knit organisation where everyone is very friendly and team-spirited. Therefore you should look for these attributes in your candidate during the interview.

Prepare some questions which can reveal whether or not the candidate possesses the traits that could make them a good fit. For example, in the case of requiring a team spirited individual, you would ask questions like “how would you describe your style of working?” or “can you give an example of a time when you worked well in a team?”

It may also be a good idea to introduce the candidate to other people within your team and organisation, and let these colleagues know what exactly you are trying to gauge. This way they can ask the right questions and feed back to you on how well they think this candidate would fit in.

How to assess their career goals

Think about the opportunities available within this role. For instance, there may be scope for the successful candidate to progress their skill-set and career within your organisation.  Will this candidate take advantage of the opportunities available? Ask them questions like “what are you looking for in this role?” and “where do you see yourself in x amount of time?” You should also find out what their expectations are for training and development opportunities.

Internal progression and development could be a core part of your staff retention strategy and a key driver of company performance. Therefore it is important to find a candidate whose career goals are aligned with this.

In sum, there are plenty of things you can easily forget to assess for when interviewing for new talent. I’m not just talking about skills and experience, but also things like soft traits, personality and ambition. These factors are harder, but not impossible to gauge. In following my advice on how to do this, you increase your chances of finding, and more importantly retaining the best candidate for the job.

Want to attract the best talent? Our talent attraction tips and advice will help you attract the right people for your business
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Sometimes risks are worth taking. I’m a firm believer in the fact that always following the standard, predictable path doesn’t necessary get you to where you want to be. However, where your career is concerned, taking risks can seem stupid. After all, so much is riding on the career that you’ve spent years building, for instance – your financial situation, your happiness and much, much more.

Continue reading Five risks smart jobseekers should take →

Updated: 28th September 2022.

As a leader, it’s imperative for you to help your teams adapt to difficult situations, by helping to drive motivation and engagement.

After all, as our Hays CEO Alistair Cox has said before, “crises and uncertainty causes people to complicate things. A leader’s job is to simplify them and set the action plan”.

So, below, I’ve shared seven ways to help you keep your team motivated during these difficult times:

1. Don’t keep them in the dark – regular communication is key

As soon as a change or a new challenge arises, make sure you are communicative and clear. You need to have regular conversations with your team – whether that’s over a phone or video call – to help them feel trusted, valued, informed and included.

In fact, as our CEO Alistair Cox has discussed, the contact you have with your team at this time needs to be even more frequent than perhaps it would be normally; “this will keep the lines of communication open, and they won’t feel they’ve just been left to get on with it”. Regular communication is particularly important if there are going to be any furloughs, redundancies, budget cuts, changes to your strategic priorities, or perhaps the new plans for transitioning back into the office.

You should remind your team that they can approach you at any time if they have any questions or concerns, or if they just want to chat. Make this as easy for them to initiate as possible; using whatever means of remote communication they find most comfortable – whether that’s a phone call, instant message, email or video call – ensure you’re reachable through all platforms during working hours. Be well equipped and plan well for the questions you predict your team might ask you about, and be as reassuring as possible with your answers, whilst remaining honest and realistic at the same time.

The message here is that if you keep employees in the dark during this crisis, you risk them picking up on rumours and jumping to the wrong conclusions. In my experience, it’s when this miscommunication (or lack of communication) happens that people will begin to feel negative, morale gets affected and motivation and productivity suffers.

2. Be inclusive

It is not enough to just be transparent about the unique challenges facing your business, you should also endeavour to get people’s feedback and input on them. Hold virtual team meetings and ask your team to raise their ideas and solutions – try to create an open environment where everybody feels they can speak up and make a valued contribution.

Use this as an opportunity to develop your inclusive leadership skills, knowing that this will make your employees feel more involved in working together towards a solution. There are some simple steps you can take that will make a big difference to your team, such as asking yourself the following questions: do you show acceptance of everyone without bias? Do you listen to the opinions of diverse groups? Do you provide an appealing vision which inspires diversity of thinking?

If employees are involved in decisions, they will feel like they are needed. If they feel like they are needed, they will feel more confident in their abilities and motivated to continue delivering value. As Yvonne Smyth, our Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion, explains: “one of the most important but perhaps overlooked skills of an inclusive leader is to be truly open to new ideas borne from perspectives different to your own. To resist the temptation to take executive style action and instead consult and actively listen to the views of others.”

Taking an inclusive approach to your leadership style will help your team stay unified and connected through this challenging time – something that Diversity & Inclusion expert Charlotte Sweeney OBE has recently written about for us. For example, if you’ve finished a big team project, or completed a difficult task, why not organise a team celebration? Although you can’t pop to the nearest bar after work to raise a glass together, what’s stopping you from all grabbing a drink from your fridge and jumping on a video conference for a virtual “cheers!”? Activities like this will demonstrate to your team that you really appreciate their support and commitment during this time and will remind them that you’re all in this together.

3. Don’t forget to praise

Whilst financial incentives may not be possible at the moment, there are other ways to reward your team which won’t affect your budget. Praise costs nothing, but will mean a lot to your team, particularly during periods of uncertainty such as these. So, give credit where credit is due and thank them for their hard work.

Praising your team remotely doesn’t have to be any different to praising them in person. Where you once would have walked over to their desk and thanked them for their work, why not send them a quick message to say how grateful you are? This could be an audio or video clip, which would only take you a couple of minutes to record. Or perhaps arrange a video catch up call and let them know that you’re really impressed with a piece of work they recently completed, or that you’re thankful to have them on your team to help through this difficult time. Dialling them on an unscheduled video call is a really great way and makes a pleasant change and a lovely surprise when they realise what you are calling for. Communicating your appreciation through video is particularly powerful as it will allow you to demonstrate that the praise is genuine through your body language, and particularly a smile! Remember that your virtual acts of praise don’t need to be large and lavish, but they do need to be sincere.

4. Keep the balance

When we are facing unexpected or new challenges to our businesses, as we are now, we all often need to work a little (and sometimes a lot) harder. Wherever possible, make sure your employees aren’t working long hours, and be flexible in giving them the autonomy to manage their working hours in a way that works for them.

Remember that so long as the work gets done, it doesn’t matter when it happens. Your team members may have found new routines which work for their arrangements and responsibilities, and you need to be flexible, understanding and open to that. After all, performance isn’t judged on how long someone sits at their desk each day, it’s judged on the output produced and value delivered.

It’s little acts of compassion and tolerance like these that will communicate to your employees that you appreciate the hard work they’re doing at this difficult time, and show that you view their wellbeing and work-life balance as a priority.

Whilst there may be lots to do, having overworked and overwhelmed employees will not benefit you. There is only so much your team can take before they lose all motivation, burnout and give up completely. Follow the advice from our Managing Director of Belgium Robby Vanuxem’s latest blog around how you and your team can avoid overworking during lockdown. For example, setting strict boundaries and minimising distractions, such as chatty housemates or loud TVs.

It’s also worth reminding yourself of the three ABCs of our basic psychological needs: Autonomy, Belonging and Competence. This is something Dr Kevin Teoh, Chartered Psychologist, recently wrote about, and encapsulates exactly how you can be helping your team to maintain their mental wellbeing in an uncertain world. For example, providing your employees with the autonomy and freedom to decide their own working hours, to help them adjust and fit their working life around their home life.

5. Make upskilling a priority

As a leader, you need to be using this time to invest in the upskilling of your employees. After all, it’s the companies that spend time and resource investing in the training and development of their people now, that will likely emerge at the other end in the best possible situation. As our CEO, Alistair Cox explained, this crisis is temporary, and we need to use this time to better ourselves in any way we can. Furthermore, “by investing in them [your employees] now, you are proactively showing them that you are investing in their future”.

Start by asking your team in which areas they would like further development and think about what the future skills requirements of your team might be, post-crisis. Understandably, budget may be an issue for any kind of formal training but there are other ways such as mentoring, free online training tools or by delegating certain tasks which would build upon their skills set. Encourage them to upskill themselves, for instance via webinars or even listening to podcasts.

Investing in both your own personal development and that of your team won’t only better equip you all for the future; it will also demonstrate to your employees that you care about their progression needs and are committed to helping them achieve their career goals. Knowing this will make them feel more motivated to make you proud and stick with you through this challenging time.

6. Keep positive

The casual, upbeat conversations you once had on a daily basis with team members might now be more difficult to come by if you’re all spread across the country, working remotely. But maintaining positivity and cheerfulness when speaking to others, will do a world of good for your employees during this period. Perhaps in your next team catch up call you could share some positive stories of how the business has adapted, explored new markets or launched new products?

It’s important, too, to keep having those informal conversations with your team during the crisis, whether that’s asking how their evening was, what meal they are cooking tonight or what their weekend plans are. Create those ‘water cooler’ moments even when you’re working remotely; perhaps everyone is hooked on the same tv drama, or maybe someone has a funny story about a new hobby or activity they’ve tried out during lockdown or can share a good book recommendation? You could even encourage your team to take virtual lunch breaks together – a chance for them to catch up and maintain the informal relationships they’ve built up over the years or months they’ve worked together.

Remember also to watch how you speak to others and the language you use during this testing time – it’s not just what you say but also how you say it. Whilst you may be under plenty of stress, don’t take this out on your team. Instead, use your position as a leader to nip outward negativity in the bud and to exude positivity. This should have a trickle-down effect within your team, increasing their workplace happiness levels and overall motivation.

7. ‘Business as usual’

Try to maintain ‘business as usual’ by establishing routines and habits to provide stability and familiarity. Continue to delegate and oversee workloads accordingly, and keep routine things like team catch up meetings, one to ones and weekly reports in the diary. Dr Maggi Evans, Occupational Psychologist, suggests that setting short-term targets with your team will help to provide clarity on your expectations, and help people to know what good looks like, whilst also enabling a sense of achievement as things are ticked off. Whilst this may not be how you would usually work in your normal setting, it will provide your team with clear priorities and goals, enabling them to maintain focus. After all, steadiness and routine will reassure any employees who feel negative about their futures and therefore tempted to develop a defeatist attitude.

Follow the above steps to help you respond directly to your employees’ fears, insecurities and grievances, making them feel appreciated, useful and ultimately motivated to work productively and deliver value both now and in the future.

Did you find this blog useful? Here is some related content that you might find helpful during this difficult time:

So, you’ve been invited to interview for your dream job, and you’re starting your all-important preparation. As part of that preparation, you’ve thought about the most likely things you could be asked, such as “why do you want to work here?” or “what first attracted you to this role?” and you have diligently prepared your answers. But, are you prepared to answer those trickier interview questions?

We find that many candidates are caught off guard because they’re not fully equipped with a satisfactory answer. So, what are these trickier interview questions? Why are you being asked them? And how should you answer?

1. Tell me about yourself

This is likely to be one of the first questions you are asked and can set the tone for the rest of the interview. Because of its vague nature, this question can prompt an all or nothing response. Either the candidate tells their entire life story, or simply recites their current job title and company.

By asking this question, the interviewer really wants to know how you got to where you are, how suitable you are for the role and the company, and what makes you tick. Therefore, my advice would be to tell your story up until now but focus on what you can bring to this opportunity.

For instance, if you are a Marketing Manager for a national business, interviewing for a role at an international company with better opportunities, you could follow the below structure and provide answers like the below:

  • Open your answer with what first drew you to your profession

“Upon completing a Marketing Management module as part of my Business Degree, I realised this was a field in which I excelled and felt passionate about.”

  • Tie this into a headline overview of your (relevant) career history up until now

“Since then I have applied this knowledge to a number of Marketing roles, whilst developing new skills, progressing my career, and reaching my current position of Marketing Manager at x company.”

  • Now, end your story with why you are here

“I am now looking to expand upon my skills within a role that has a global remit and plenty of scope for continued progression, hence why I applied.”

In sticking to the above structure you can strike that balance between storytelling, and getting straight to the point about why you think you’re the right person for the job.

Download your free job interview guide from Hays

2.Can you tell me about a time when you implemented an innovative idea successfully?

This question is not to be underestimated. Employers are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that in order to survive the latest digital, political and industry changes, they will need a workforce of innovative “ideas people” who can pre-empt these. Our CEO and LinkedIn Influencer, Alistair Cox explains the importance he places on the need to recruit staff with an innovative mindset in one of his recent blogs, and outlines how “at Hays, we enable our staff to act ‘like an owner’, encouraging employees to introduce their own ideas.”

Therefore, try and think about a time when you not only came up with a good idea but more so came up with an idea which was topical, responsive and produced a great result. Adhere to the “STAR” technique when planning your answer so your point doesn’t get lost amongst the storytelling i.e. –

  • S to set the situation

“I was a Marketing Manager for a small cyber-security company. One morning I read a news story about a new data protection law that was to be implemented over the next few months affecting the healthcare sector. This law required all healthcare records to have a certain level of encryption, with penalties attached for not doing so. The company I worked at sold a market leading product for encrypting files to the highest standard.”

  • T to describe your task and involvement

“I saw this occasion as a chance to get ahead of the game, and put together a marketing campaign which promoted this product to the healthcare sector.”

  • A to tell of your action (or in this case, idea)

“I made it my priority secure some budget and invest in quality healthcare sector data for our telemarketers to cold call.  I also put together a follow-up email template with a link to an on-demand product webinar, which the telemarketers could send out following a marketing call.”

  • R to show off the results

“As a result, product webinar views went up x percent that week. My company secured x meetings with x IT procurement managers for the healthcare sector, and closed x amount of deals before this new law even came into practice.”

3. How do you ensure your skills are up to date and relevant?

This question has a similar objective to the above. Not only does the interviewer want to know that you have a keen interest or passion in the field, they also want to know that you are always eager to learn and develop within your role.

Can you think of any training or mentoring programmes which you have undertaken in order to develop your competencies and skill set?  What about any interesting educational material? Some of the best answers I have seen when interviewing for positions at Hays will mention any expert-led content that they have recently read and enjoyed. You could also mention podcasts, press releases and books.

4. Can you tell us about a time when you failed?

The word “fail” typically puts candidates on the defensive, which is understandable. However, the worst thing you can say in this situation is that you have never failed. Remember that by asking you this question, the interviewer isn’t trying to catch you out. They know even the most diligent and promising candidates would have experienced setbacks. They want to know how you overcame them and what you learnt.

Your failure doesn’t don’t have to be massively detrimental. You could mention a time that you simply missed a deadline or didn’t meet one of your Key Performance Indicators. When you answer this question set the scene, paint a clear picture of where you went wrong, what you learnt from it and what you would do differently next time. For example:

“When I was a Marketing Manager at X company, I was tasked with co-ordinating the launch of our first company magazine. The launch date had been given; however, I underestimated how long it would take to gather editorial content from the magazine’s contributors. Therefore, the publication launched two days behind schedule. Whilst the magazine was well received, our clients did expect to receive their copy earlier than they did. From this, I learnt to give myself plenty of time when working with external contributors and to give plenty of leeway when deciding on launch dates.”

5. Describe your ideal job

This isn’t a trick to check you have read the job description properly. The interviewer will have asked you this question to determine whether you would actually be happy in this role, therefore, likely to stay and progress within the company.

When preparing this answer, think about what your core responsibilities be in your ideal role, and how you would apply your key skills to these. Now think about how this can tie into the role that you are interviewing for, and highlight both what you are looking for, what you can offer, and why you are a good match for them. For example:

“My ideal job would be a Marketing Manager role with several direct reports and a global remit, within a forward thinking, sociable organisation, where there are opportunities to develop and work overseas.”

6. How would your friends describe you?

This is a popular interview question, and by asking it, the interviewer will be trying to determine: a. if your personality suits the role and b. if your personality suits the team and company.

Let’s start with how well your personality traits suit your role. What kind of personal attributes would be useful here? For instance, you might be interviewing for a sales role, and your friends describe you as friendly and a good listener. Therefore you would bring this up in order to demonstrate your ability to build a rapport with people, including potential and existing clients. For example:

“My friends and family would describe me as friendly and a good listener. I have found that these attributes can translate well in a sales environment, especially when building a rapport with clients and establishing their business needs.”

In this industry, we also encourage our clients to assess personality fit; because this is often the main reason a new hire does not work out.  Once again, it is in your interest to be honest here. Don’t just think about traits that relate to the job description, actually think about how your friends would describe you. This will indicate to the interviewer how well you will get on with your potential colleagues.

7. What type of salary are you looking for?

Your interviewer should know the industry standard for your role and level of experience. Make sure you do, and if not, then check out our salary guides.

Having this information will allow you to answer this question with a lot more conviction, and will put you in a much better position should you need to negotiate. If you are still in the early stages of the interview process and don’t feel that you want to negotiate just yet, you can always say that you want to better understand the company and the role before commenting on salary.

8. Do you have any questions for me?

Finally, this is your chance to end the interview on a high by showing a genuine interest in the role. Some candidates make the mistake of having set questions in their mind, and not listening out for the answers to these questions during the interview. Therefore, they will proceed to ask these answered questions at the end, and the interviewer will think they weren’t listening.

Pay attention and have a number of questions up your sleeve. You should also keep an open mind for any new questions which may crop up during the interview, stemming from any of the topics that your interviewer covers.

By asking these trickier interview questions, the interviewer is trying to gauge more about you as a person as well as a potential recruit; be it personality fit, an innovative spirit or staying power.  I hope the above advice will give you an idea of why your interviewer might ask you certain questions; and more importantly, how to provide strong, honest and informative answers which put you ahead of the competition.

Have you got a job interview coming up? These blogs will help you answer some of the most common interview questions:

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Freelancing is fast becoming the new normal. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, the number of self-employed people in the country rose from 2.7 million in 1984 to 4.8 million in May 2016, representing about 15.2 percent of the UK workforce.

Likewise, a 2015 study commissioned by the Freelancers Union in the US showed that freelancers now make up 34 percent of the nation’s workforce, with this figure predicted to rise to 40 percent in 2020. But how can companies get the best from this segment of the workforce?

1. Remember they can deliver quickly

Many organisations are attracted by both the speed of hire, and the speed at which work can be completed when the right skills are employed. Helena Santos is Senior HR Manager Asia Pacific and Global HRBP for the IT and Finance Division of the International Baccalaureate in Singapore. She says IT contractors are being hired in large numbers where assignments have to be completed to tight deadlines. So, essentially, the best time to hire freelancers is when you need a specific skillset for a time-sensitive project.

2. Deploy them to control costs and win business

In some circumstances, it makes more financial sense to hire a freelancer instead of a permanent employee. Santos explains, “Using contractors enables any organisation to budget on a project-by-project basis and only bring in the skills they need for as long as they need them, which is very important when you are looking to control IT costs,” says Santos. She adds that, although companies are under pressure to control their permanent headcount, they still need people with the skills to complete projects and support new business wins.

3. But don’t think of them as a long-term solution

Professor Andrew Burke, Dean of Trinity Business School in Dublin and Chairman of think tank the Centre for Research on Self-Employment, notes that freelancers’ daily rates will likely be higher on a day-to-day basis than permanent staff. “This is not about getting people on the cheap, but saving money by not having people on the wage bill when they are not needed.”

4. Use technology to your advantage

Costs can be cut further by allowing off-site working, and technology’s role in the rise of freelancers cannot be underestimated. Anyone can work from anywhere these days, while social media has become an important tool for finding new clients and for employers needing freelancers at short notice.

5. Trial potential employees before hiring

Employment on a freelance basis can be a good opportunity to test fit within a business for both the employer and employee. Home Group is a UK social enterprise and a charity with an annual turnover of more than £325 million. Some 10 percent of its national workforce is made up of freelancers and the organisation has to balance social and commercial pressures. Many people who start as freelancers end up in permanent posts. “It creates a talent pipeline for HR and is a kind of ‘try before you buy’. We get to see someone’s capabilities and the value they bring,” says Director of HR and Development Susan Coulson.

6. Don’t underestimate the drawbacks

Hiring freelancers is not without risk. It can be harder to guarantee the standard of work you will get, which can mean an element of micro-management is necessary. Freelancers are unlikely to be as engaged with your company brand and culture as a permanent member of staff. There are administration issues too. For smaller businesses, setting up back office processes such as an accounts payable system can be a headache.

7. Treat them as equals

You will get the most out of your freelancers if they feel they are treated fairly and equally. “I deal with everyone in the office in the same way, whether they are permanent or freelance because everyone is representing our brand, so you need to try and engage contractors in what you are trying to achieve,” says Santos. “There should not be any differentiation in HR policy, although we are aware of how tax and employment legislation varies in different countries when hiring freelancers.”

If you enjoyed the above blog then you might also be interested in other stories featured in the latest issue of the Hays Journal:

View the Hays Journal online or request a printed copy from [email protected]

With organisations becoming increasingly aware of their recruitment metrics and how they affect their bottom line, many are realising it’s actually better to take on a temporary worker rather than hire someone on a perm basis that’s not the right fit, or spend months trying to find the perfect perm candidate. Although their salary may be higher than a perm employee in the short-term, in the long-term savings will be made.

For you to reap the full time-saving benefits of hiring the temp worker, it is critical that you reduce ‘time to hire’, i.e. – that period between a candidate’s first engagement with an organisation and accepting an offer of employment.

Reducing time to hire is important; being short staffed will have a knock-on effect across the business, depleting the hiring managers’ confidence in the recruitment process and creating a poor candidate experience. With this in mind, how do you reduce time to hire for temp vacancies?

Anticipate who and when you’ll need to hire

Recruitment plans are often made in the New Year and as part of this process, you should anticipate what percentage of your workforce will need to be flexible. You can then plan how many people you will need to find and how much resource you will need to spend finding them.

Look at your past figures and see if there are any trends. What’s the average number of maternity leaves you have each year? How often were people off sick for longer than a few days? How much of your hiring was planned versus unplanned? If you are consistently underestimating the number of temp hires you need to make each year, then it’s time to re-evaluate your approach.

At Hays if we have a Managed Service Program (MSP) with a client we will sit down on a regular basis to go through this process with them. An MSP is when the sourcing, engagement and administration of ‘non-permanent’ resources and tasks are managed by an external provider. Planning and predicting future talent needs is a core component of the service. The more open the clients are with their information, the better plan we will be able to put in place and the quicker we’ll be able to react to their needs as they appear. Taking an open and honest approach to your planning is the only way you’ll improve in the future.

Ensure you are able to advertise an open role as soon as possible

You should try to keep up-to-date job specs for all positions in your company as a matter of best practice. This means you can quickly refresh them as and when needed and roll out your job ads. If you don’t have a job spec immediately to hand, a recruitment agency such as Hays should be able to send you something to adapt, especially for commonly recruited roles with a high turnover.

If you have plenty of lead time for a vacancy (e.g. if you are covering a maternity leave) don’t leave it to the last minute to advertise the role. This may sound obvious but properly scheduling out your hiring/interview process ahead of time is a step often ignored despite the fact it will maximise efficiencies.

A benefit of working with Hays is that we have a pool of good candidates available for ‘high-churn’ roles. Many hiring managers are actually willing to take candidates for junior roles without interviewing them if they have a strong relationship with their agency – safe in the knowledge that if they don’t work out they can get someone new in the next day.

Speed up the process of interviewing and decision-making

With junior roles, I would recommend limiting the decision-making process (and the number of people involved) as much as possible. You don’t need five rounds of interviews for an admin assistant on a two-week contract.

When it comes to making a hiring decision, speed is critical. In the temp world, a candidate won’t wait too long while you deliberate on the pros and cons of everyone you interviewed. They need an answer the next day or they will find themselves another assignment the day after. Try to do all of your interviews on the same day and commit to making a decision before you leave the office.

In sum, temp workers can save you a lot of time when it comes to hiring. However making the most of this benefit requires planning, urgency and decision-making – these are the key ingredients in reducing your temp time to hire!

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I’ve worked with my colleague Jessica (names have been changed to protect the embarrassed) for nearly 10 years. Jessica is an expert recruiter who had hired a new member of her team a few weeks earlier and I casually asked how the new guy was getting on. “I think I got it wrong” she admitted sheepishly “he’s not right for that job”.

For any hiring manager, the possibility of spending months tirelessly trying to find the perfect new member of their team, only to find weeks later that they have recruited the wrong person, can be an extremely worrying, and often all too real prospect.

Understandably decision-makers will do everything in their power to ensure that this doesn’t happen. This includes thoroughly evaluating each candidate they interview – weighing up their pros and cons, and quickly identifying any doubts they have or risks they might foresee.

As a jobseeker, it’s vitally important that you understand this, and have prepared thoroughly to overcome any doubts the interviewer might have of you, long before you even set foot in the interview room. To help you, I’ve highlighted below some common reservations interviewers can have of interviewees, and how, you, as a jobseeker can proactively tackle these to make sure they are comfortable committing to hire you:

1. You lack the right skills and experience:

The interviewer will be looking for the best match of skills and experience when interviewing candidates, and rightly so. Here’s what to do if you are lacking any:

  • Identify any mismatches: As part of your interview preparation, you may have highlighted areas on the job advert which match your skills and therefore are planning to emphasise these in the interview. However, it is also important to look at the areas in which your skills may not fully correlate and take note of these.
  • Can you tackle this before the interview? If you are lacking a key skill required for the role, consider whether this is something you can begin to learn in advance. Not all skills can be learnt to perfection in a short timescale, but showing commitment to learning and improving is a great start.
  • How to respond if the interviewer voices their concerns: If the interviewer explains their reservations about this outright, you should respond by emphasising that you are a quick learner and are always looking to expand your skill set. Perhaps highlight a time when you quickly learnt a new skill or proactively undertook a training course in your own time.

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2. You have employment gaps on your CV

Taking a break from your career out of choice can be extremely fulfilling and worthwhile. Of course, there may also be unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances that have led to employment gaps on your CV. Either way, during your interview, you must ensure that you are able to clearly and honestly outline why these gaps have occurred during the interview to help negate any doubts your interviewer may have. Here’s how:

  • Be ready to justify any employment gaps: Prior to the interview, you must be clear in your mind why you have employment gaps on your CV and if possible, how this break has benefited you and could benefit your potential new employer. This is likely to be something the interviewer will press you on during the interview. Thinking about your response in advance will enable you to justify your reasons for the gaps in a way that makes it clear to the interviewer that you weren’t sitting around doing nothing. Were you travelling? Were you volunteering? Were you unemployed? It’s important to be honest here.

3. You seem nervous and lacking in confidence

Try not to let your nerves overwhelm and prevent you from doing yourself justice in the interview. If you let your nerves get the better of you, the interviewer may not see your full potential, and therefore may have concerns about your suitability for the role. Here’s my advice:

  • Prepare thoroughly beforehand: If you know you are prone to nerves, you will need to do more preparation for the interview. The more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel, and the less nervous you will be. Rehearse answers to common interview questions out loud, plan your journey, get a good night’s sleep and ensure your interview outfit is ironed and ready to go.
  • During the interview:
    • Think positive and act positive
    • Try to treat the interview as a conversation
    • Think before you answer each question, when you speak, talk slowly and pace yourself
    • Be yourself
    • Use as much eye contact as possible and smile

4. You have too much experience for the role

If the hiring manager thinks you may overqualified for the role just by reading your CV, they will likely come into the interview room with preconceived doubts and reservations. For example, they may think you will not be engaged in the role and will seek out pastures new quickly, or that you will simply be too expensive. If you are considering roles which are comparatively less demanding or less well-paid, it is important to understand that you may need to work hard during the interview to tackle these assumptions. This advice will help you:

  • Demonstrate your interest in the position: To negate the interviewer’s doubts, it’s important to show the interviewer that you really want the job and this job Do your research, come armed with questions and take notes. Your passion and excitement for the job could really help to convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job, regardless of your level of experience.
  • Make it clear that you are in it for the long haul: As stated previously, one of the main concerns a hiring manager will have about an overqualified candidate is that they will go elsewhere. If possible, try to demonstrate to the interviewer that you have a solid career history, are loyal and have enjoyed long tenures at previous employers.
  • How to respond: Should the interviewer air their concerns that you may be too experienced for the role, be honest and open with them about why you applied in the first place. Are you looking to take a step back and would like less responsibility? Is money less of an issue now, thus leaving you able to pursue a role you are really interested in? Are you looking to make a career change? They will respect and appreciate your transparency here – responding in this way will also help the interviewer understand your reasoning.

In summary, being forewarned is being forearmed. Before your interview you should look in the mirror figuratively as well as literally; take the time to take a step back, put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and honestly identify which areas they may be concerned about. That way, you will arrive for the interview prepared, confident and ready to pre-empt any doubts, and ultimately convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job and that they can be confident they will still feel the same long after you have received your first paycheck!

Do you have an interview coming up? Read our interview tips to ensure it’s a success: 

How to create a successful CV

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