As any great comic over the centuries will tell you, the secret to great comedy is in the timing. Whether that’s Chaplin or Connolly, it’s usually the pauses and interruptions that make joke or the tall tale work.
In some respects recruitment is no different. It does not matter which side of the table you are on, the ability to hit the perfect moment is an art form, but just as the ability to tell the perfect joke needs planning and practice, so the ability to deliver the perfect candidate needs planning at the outset.
The place to start is the start date! That of course is the day that you want the candidate to start and then to work backwards through the process, ours and yours, until you reach the ideal date to start the assignment. Unfortunately experience over many years tells us that inevitably once you have mapped out that process you will find that you should have started quite a while before you actually did.
We have a number of key client relationships that work because we meet for half an hour three or four times a year, even or especially when they’re not recruiting, for a catch up with their line managers and the HR team. As a consequence, when the client does sign off an assignment we are already ahead of the game because the dialogue has enabled us to update target lists and to understand the ethos behind the recruitment.
If you would like to be one step ahead of the game and more importantly your competitors then please feel free to have an informal discussion with one of our director. www.intersearchuk.com
Thursday 29 April 2010
Wednesday 21 April 2010
The value of global coverage
Rumour has it that the world’s a small place, and getting smaller by the day as technology shrinks commuting times across the globe whilst opening up our ability to communicate with a customer or colleague on the other side of the world.
The automotive world has long been an exponent of global platforms, after all Mondeo is derived from the Latin mundus which means “world”, and it prides itself on working with both local and global suppliers. Our world is no different. These days it’s rare indeed that companies only have single country markets, as they seek to expand their reach into and to develop new territories.
Whilst sending an expat to be the Country Manager is still extremely common, these days the majority of the management layers below are local nationals, recruited to give the company presence in that market. It is always a bold step moving into new some unknown territories, so, what better way to ensure that your local staffing capabilities are the equal to your own than by using a firm that can deliver true global standards and can deliver the same service levels and reporting procedures wherever your presence in the world is?
These days as multi-nationals demand consistent and seamless employment contracts they turn to InterSearch to work with them to deliver the employees that will drive their business forward in good and bad times.
InterSearch WorldWide has a network of offices across 45 countries and is currently managing cross border assignments for clients that involve nearly half of them. The assignments span a broad cross section of sectors and include: Automotive, Biotechnology / Life Sciences, Capital Equipment, FMCG, Environmental, Energy/Utilities, Engineering and Constructions, Pharmaceuticals and Professional Services.
If you would like to discuss how InterSearch in the UK can help you with your business wherever you are in the world, please contact one of our Directors at www.intersearchuk.com or call them at 0207 969 2766
The automotive world has long been an exponent of global platforms, after all Mondeo is derived from the Latin mundus which means “world”, and it prides itself on working with both local and global suppliers. Our world is no different. These days it’s rare indeed that companies only have single country markets, as they seek to expand their reach into and to develop new territories.
Whilst sending an expat to be the Country Manager is still extremely common, these days the majority of the management layers below are local nationals, recruited to give the company presence in that market. It is always a bold step moving into new some unknown territories, so, what better way to ensure that your local staffing capabilities are the equal to your own than by using a firm that can deliver true global standards and can deliver the same service levels and reporting procedures wherever your presence in the world is?
These days as multi-nationals demand consistent and seamless employment contracts they turn to InterSearch to work with them to deliver the employees that will drive their business forward in good and bad times.
InterSearch WorldWide has a network of offices across 45 countries and is currently managing cross border assignments for clients that involve nearly half of them. The assignments span a broad cross section of sectors and include: Automotive, Biotechnology / Life Sciences, Capital Equipment, FMCG, Environmental, Energy/Utilities, Engineering and Constructions, Pharmaceuticals and Professional Services.
If you would like to discuss how InterSearch in the UK can help you with your business wherever you are in the world, please contact one of our Directors at www.intersearchuk.com or call them at 0207 969 2766
Thursday 15 April 2010
The work life balance
Fortunately for almost all of us the days of the Victorian workhouse are long gone and we have managed to establish enough common sense in our working lives so that 20 hours days are a thing of the past.
The debate about the work life balance first came to the fore in the mid 70’s and has raged ever since. Once upon a time it focused mainly upon women’s role in the workplace and how their home life impacted upon their performance. Today many of those anomalies have been eradicated except, according to a recent Sunday Times article, in the financial district of the City where law suits are still rife.
So, have we at last managed to reach equilibrium? Unfortunately almost certainly not. There are still far too many fathers who complain (or in many cases are too afraid to do so) that they see too little of their children because they leave home before their child is up and return after they’re already in bed. From this the phrase “weekend father” has become a widely adopted term and many still feel pressurised to put in the extra hours to earn extra salary or because it is their own business.
Then there are the big corporations. It’s not that long ago that I worked for a Divisional MD who threw his toys out of the pram when his staff went home before 6.30pm rather than at 7pm. We pointed out that many were sitting around the office being seen to be there rather than working and that many were tired and fed up of constant near 11 hour working days. The thought that if they went home and saw their families might mean that they’d come back in the morning happy never occurred to him and he refused to countenance it. The net result is that almost all of us left the company fairly rapidly.
What had once been accepted as an occasional occurrence had become expected and the balance had gone.
The debate about the work life balance first came to the fore in the mid 70’s and has raged ever since. Once upon a time it focused mainly upon women’s role in the workplace and how their home life impacted upon their performance. Today many of those anomalies have been eradicated except, according to a recent Sunday Times article, in the financial district of the City where law suits are still rife.
So, have we at last managed to reach equilibrium? Unfortunately almost certainly not. There are still far too many fathers who complain (or in many cases are too afraid to do so) that they see too little of their children because they leave home before their child is up and return after they’re already in bed. From this the phrase “weekend father” has become a widely adopted term and many still feel pressurised to put in the extra hours to earn extra salary or because it is their own business.
Then there are the big corporations. It’s not that long ago that I worked for a Divisional MD who threw his toys out of the pram when his staff went home before 6.30pm rather than at 7pm. We pointed out that many were sitting around the office being seen to be there rather than working and that many were tired and fed up of constant near 11 hour working days. The thought that if they went home and saw their families might mean that they’d come back in the morning happy never occurred to him and he refused to countenance it. The net result is that almost all of us left the company fairly rapidly.
What had once been accepted as an occasional occurrence had become expected and the balance had gone.
Wednesday 7 April 2010
That all important X
In the middle of January I wrote a blog (http://theintersearchintheukblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/already-fed-up-with-election.html) about the number of times that the election was starting to come up in conversations with clients, despite the fact that there wasn’t a date for it at that time. Well as we all now know, after yesterday’s announcement, we do now have a date. May the 6th, the same day as the local elections in many parts of the country.
Now it’s not my place to tell you, or to advise you, where to place that X on the 6th but simply to point out that now that the speculation is over can we please get on with running our businesses and making a few decisions?
At the moment the parties are firing broadsides and counter claims against each other about what they will or will not do to help stimulate the economy and put UK plc back on a firm trading footing. This election, probably more than most in the last decade or so will be won or lost or by whom the voter believes will do more for the pound in their pocket. So, the price of fuel which continues to rise inexorably and NI contributions will be much to the fore, whilst funding for big infrastructure programmes is likely to be hit by whichever of the parties wins on the day.
However, despite all the arguments that will rage and the promises that will be made and inevitably broken, yours and my daily routine will go on. Businesses will continue to trade and export goods across the globe.
The global economic indices have been more positive recently, and whilst the rest of the global economies will keep half an eye on our decision making, their businesses will try and take advantage if we sit on our hands.
To thrive, businesses need employees and with staff retention and recruitment back on boardroom agendas again, InterSearch is ideally placed to help you whichever party rules the land on 7th May.
Now it’s not my place to tell you, or to advise you, where to place that X on the 6th but simply to point out that now that the speculation is over can we please get on with running our businesses and making a few decisions?
At the moment the parties are firing broadsides and counter claims against each other about what they will or will not do to help stimulate the economy and put UK plc back on a firm trading footing. This election, probably more than most in the last decade or so will be won or lost or by whom the voter believes will do more for the pound in their pocket. So, the price of fuel which continues to rise inexorably and NI contributions will be much to the fore, whilst funding for big infrastructure programmes is likely to be hit by whichever of the parties wins on the day.
However, despite all the arguments that will rage and the promises that will be made and inevitably broken, yours and my daily routine will go on. Businesses will continue to trade and export goods across the globe.
The global economic indices have been more positive recently, and whilst the rest of the global economies will keep half an eye on our decision making, their businesses will try and take advantage if we sit on our hands.
To thrive, businesses need employees and with staff retention and recruitment back on boardroom agendas again, InterSearch is ideally placed to help you whichever party rules the land on 7th May.
Thursday 1 April 2010
GL, GLS, GLX or Ghia?
I well remember the many years I spent working with colleagues who recruited Sales Reps, sorry Sales Execs as they’re called these days, and the constant back and forth negotiations between client and candidate about those all important suffix’s on the back of the Cortina/Mondeo in the offer letter.
Oddly twenty odd years later the debate on what you’re called in your job still rages on, whilst sometimes I feel that it has overtaken in importance what you actually do in your job!
Take me for example: I’m a Recruitment Consultant. Simple really, does what it says on the can. Actually it’s not. I’m a Head-hunter. Or a Search Consultant. Or, heaven forbid, a Human Capital Management Consultant. Then moving into the commercial world I wish that I had a £1 for every discussion as to whether a candidate was (for example) a Sales Director, a Director of Sales or a Business Development Director.
To most of us these are trivial issues and yet there is an almighty emotion tied up in these discussions for the individuals involved and the perception as to what the difference makes to your career. It is simplistic to think that the UK is alone in having these issues, talking with my global InterSearch colleagues they exist almost everywhere.
So as we head off to into the long Easter break, I’ve just promoted myself to Assistant Vice President Client Talent Sourcing Management.
Have a great Easter.
Oddly twenty odd years later the debate on what you’re called in your job still rages on, whilst sometimes I feel that it has overtaken in importance what you actually do in your job!
Take me for example: I’m a Recruitment Consultant. Simple really, does what it says on the can. Actually it’s not. I’m a Head-hunter. Or a Search Consultant. Or, heaven forbid, a Human Capital Management Consultant. Then moving into the commercial world I wish that I had a £1 for every discussion as to whether a candidate was (for example) a Sales Director, a Director of Sales or a Business Development Director.
To most of us these are trivial issues and yet there is an almighty emotion tied up in these discussions for the individuals involved and the perception as to what the difference makes to your career. It is simplistic to think that the UK is alone in having these issues, talking with my global InterSearch colleagues they exist almost everywhere.
So as we head off to into the long Easter break, I’ve just promoted myself to Assistant Vice President Client Talent Sourcing Management.
Have a great Easter.
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