LinkedIn and dating; much the same really!

The business world has changed so much in the last twenty years that it is nigh on impossible imaging returning to sitting in a library flicking through reference manuals or scrolling through microfiche to unearth the information that you were after. If you’re under 30 you’ll probably have to Google microfiche – now how old do I feel!

So, where would we be without LinkedIn, the new business white pages that seems to dominate these days? I bet you couldn't imagine going back to the days before you could find people you'd lost track of or attempt to connect with pretty much anyone in the working world, whether they like it or not. And therein, lies the rub.

In many ways, LinkedIn is a lot like a dating site, except for business.

If you’re old enough you’ll remember the J. Geils Band who had a song called "Love Stinks" that goes like this, "You love her; but she loves him. And he loves somebody else; you just can't win." Trying to connect with people on LinkedIn can be just like that. Moreover, how we network and form relationships in the working world is very similar to how we do it in our personal lives.

It is an almost unquestionable fact that these days if you want to have a career, you've got to have a LinkedIn profile. On top of that it's also a great way to manage your business contacts. But LinkedIn also makes it easy to try to connect with people you don't know to further your career or your business opportunities. However, don’t be surprised that it’s not just beautiful blondes who hit on your LinkedIn profile but the occasional moose too.

OK, not the world’s best analogy, but you've got to admit, it true. I’d be surprised if you haven’t had an opportunist or two contact you on a number of occasions. They put you on the spot and then you've got to reject them. It's annoying. Unless, of course, they've got something you want, in which case you’ve just made a connection. Not for life. Just until you get what you want, get bored and dump them. Just like dating.

As for posting to all those groups and commenting on discussions, that's just like when you were single, wasting your nights bouncing from one bar to another hoping to meet that someone special. Just try to imagine all those desperate, inane, rambling nightclub conversations that ultimately led to absolutely nothing. That's right. LinkedIn is just like that.

Twitter's different. Twitter's a media outlet, an overloaded news source for people with ADD - because very few people really ever have the time to read even a tiny fraction of what is tweeted. Anyway, you're not going to form any real relationships on Twitter. Either personal or business.

I’m over thirty (and quite a bit) so yes this all makes me sound cynical and jaded, but really that's because there's nothing new here, at least not if you’ve been around the block a few times. Working at a company or doing business is all about relationships. Business relationships, personal relationships, they all work pretty much the same way. And online social networks are just a new way to find each other.

Is there anything that can be learned from this? Business life is a lot like personal life. Companies are a lot like homes. Bosses are like parents. Business partners are like spouses. Colleagues are like friends. And employees are like kids. Yes that sounds strange, but if you think about it, it might actually make sense.

As for online social networks, they're just a new way to do the same old stuff. They're another way to find and connect with each other. The same rules apply.

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts on networking, social networks and if you must – your dating experiences!!

You can contact us at: blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

Will Social Media scupper your career?

There has been a lot in the press (both online and in print) recently about Hiring Managers and HR using Social Media to take up unofficial references on candidates; this has included comment and research and some of the conclusions are quite alarming. For example research by the website CareerBuilder.co.uk found that over half the employers who responded have rejected a candidate after having seen something on their social media that put them off!

You may think that this only applies to Generation X and Y – the young, tech savvy candidates and not the mature professional, management grade candidates. But think again; how many of these now have a strong presence on social media through LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as well as YouTube?

Many of the younger generation we talk to are quite prepared to share their lives via social media (ask your teenage children if email is old hat) and don’t seem to comprehend that it is all in the public domain and not confined to their immediate circle of friends. Unfortunately this is now moving up the age and professional scale with many individuals posting regularly on Twitter and Facebook.

But here is the big question: should you as a (potential) employer seek to find answers to those delicate questions you can’t ask in an interview anymore on social media? And if you do should someone’s private life influence your decision? Should a candidates’ social media profile be used to pre-screen them and to judge if they are a worthy person who will fit into the company culture?

As a candidate you can obviously use social media to increase your chances of success by posting great stuff that shows you in a good light and by networking carefully. On the flip side it is so easy to damage your chance of success by throwing caution to wind and posting what to an employer may be seen as inappropriate content.

Many users of social media do not realise that the internet never forgets – once it is posted it will be found, even years later – a public skeleton in the cupboard!

So beware those photos that you wouldn’t want your mum or granny to see and be careful not to make any comments you may regret later. Remember you have chosen to share this content with the public so make sure it shows you to advantage.

Make sure you look professional on-line and avoid posting anything that could be construed as an illegal activity; shows you as a drinker or drug taker; shows you can’t spell or construct a proper sentence; is untruthful about your experience; has improper photos; bad-mouths your colleagues or ex-employer; demonstrates that you are not confidential at work.

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

5 Soft skills you should always bring up in an interview

With a few short weeks until the Christmas holiday season starts, a lot of candidates start brushing up their CV’s in preparation for the expected New Year uplift in the jobs market. Whilst that’s an obvious strategy, along with preparing yourself for the interview, we thought that we’d look at a few of the other oft overlooked issues that the majority of candidates overlook.

Even if you are extremely qualified, have terrific application materials, a targeted CV and you're interviewing for jobs, but always coming up with a silver medal, it's possible that you're bumping up against an elusive almost impossible trait to pin down: likability.

Also known in the industry as "cultural fit," likability is a reason many candidates don't make the final cut—the interviewers either didn't like them or didn't believe they would mesh well with current employees.

Emotional intelligence, otherwise known as soft skills, is the category of skills most likely involved when evaluating likability or fit. Wikipedia defines them as "Personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. Unlike hard skills, which are about a person's skill set and ability to perform a certain type of task or activity, soft skills relate to a person's ability to interact effectively with co-workers and customers and are broadly applicable both in and outside the workplace.

Soft skills include: attitude, communication skills, time management, critical thinking and a slew of other categories that do not relate to intelligence.

It’s undeniable that soft skills play a role in most, if not all, recruitment decisions. So how can you demonstrate these skills during an interview? Unfortunately there is no hard and fast answer to that, however we believe that the following tips help highlight five soft skills that are key during an interview.

1. Work ethic. Make sure to weave your thoughts about how important the company's mission and vision are to you and explain why you're willing to go the extra mile to help the organisation succeed. One tenet of evaluating candidates is that past performance is a predictor of future results. Make sure you prove that you have a strong work ethic by giving examples from the past about how you went above and beyond the call of duty to get a job done. Describe how you always complete projects efficiently and on-time, why you're punctual and persistent and how you balance your drive to succeed with the company's goals.

2. Positive attitude. Give examples of how you improved employee morale in a past position, or how your positive attitude helped motivate your colleagues or those you managed. I know from all the interviews that I’ve conducted over the years that some people are naturally bubbly and always upbeat whilst others have a more restrained and low-energy demeanour. If you tend to be more low-key, smile when you shake the interviewer's hand and make an extra effort to add some intonation and expression to your responses.

Make sure you aren't boring or dry, or you could lose your chance to be recruited.

3. Communication skills. Your interview is a great opportunity to demonstrate how well you communicate, so be sure you prepare and practice responses to showcase your best skills. Be concrete with these examples, and bring proof to the interview. Provide examples of materials you’ve created or written campaigns you developed in past roles.

4. Time management. This is a crucial skill many employers seek in their hires. It's especially important for candidates who want to work in a start-up to know how to manage their time, tasks and responsibilities effectively. Be prepared to explain how you prioritise the most important items first, delegate the items that others can do and figure out a way to get things done in the confines of your resources on the job.

5. Self-confidence. Very few employers want a wall flower. You can demonstrate self-confidence at the interview by the way you present yourself, including how you dress for the interview, the way you approach to shake hands and how you speak about your experiences during the interview.

If you're not particularly confident, practice acting as though you were. Make direct eye contact when speaking with strangers. Listen to your own voice, is it forceful or timid? Rehearse speaking in a more confident-sounding voice. Don't forget about your body language, which is one of the first ways employers will gauge your confidence levels. If you tend to hunch over, make sure you think about sitting up during your interview.

Don't forget to think about these soft skills when you prepare for an interview, be sure you demonstrate everything you have to offer the employer.


As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

Should you wait for a second job offer?

The economic problems that have affected us over the last few years have had a massive impact upon the psyche of those candidates that are job hunting and especially those that have been out of work through no fault of their own. Redundancy can have a massive impact upon self-confidence and there is only so much ‘down time’ that you can have between jobs before you start to become stir crazy as well as getting under your partners feet having done all the decorating that any house could possibly need!

Interviews can be stressful and it’s a relief to get through the process and to be advised that the company will be making an offer. What happens though if you’re concluding one but still interviewing with another company?

Job offers can be like London buses, you wait ages for one and then fortuitously (or not) a couple arrive at once. Over the years we are consistently asked by candidates how they should address this issue and whilst there is no perfect catch all answer, there are a number of issues that you need to think about before making a decision.

The first thing you need to be clear about in your own mind is how the two companies stack up in relation to each other and how that affects whatever time constraints are being placed upon you. The company that has already offered you a role won’t be expecting an instant acceptance but neither will they be prepared to let you drag the process out longer than is reasonable. They have a business to run and need to make plans too. The fundamental questions about the offer that you should be asking yourself are (a) does the role offer me the challenges that I’m looking for? (b) can the company offer me the long term career opportunities that I’m after? (c) can I work with this person as my new boss? (d) does the salary match up to my expectations? If you answer ‘yes’ to all four, then you should seriously be considering accepting the offer!

If you want to pursue the second company then you need to talk (urgently) either with them or the recruitment firm about the time frames that the current and next interview steps will take. If they’re talking several weeks for second and/or third interviews, then it’s decision time for you. If you drag out the first company and don’t get the second offer there is a very high risk that the first offer will be withdrawn and you ‘ll be back to square one. If the second company expect it to be wrapped up within the next week, then you have the opportunity to run with it, but you need to make sure that the first company knows that you will make a decision by a fixed date.

Professionalism is the key to this. You need to manage this well because you never know when you might bump into either party again or whether quite by chance one of them might actually end up your boss one day in the future!

If fortune has smiled upon you, you might now have two offers sitting on your desk, in which case you go back to the four questions that you asked after the first offer. With those out of the way, you should have a much clearer idea of which offer you are going to accept.

If you are in gainful employment you now come to the day when you have to hand in your resignation. A word of warning; as for your current company giving you a counter offer? Forget it. Counteroffers generally end badly; you went out looking for a new job because of problems with your current one. A bigger salary doesn't solve any of those problems and from now on they’ll be keeping an eye on you as they know that you’ve tried to leave once. Say nice things about them in your exit interview and walk away with (hopefully) glowing references.

If you are currently in the job market, then good luck and I hope that everything slots into place for you.

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

10 things that you shouldn’t say in an office

Office jargon has been around since the first office was created and is frankly pretty annoying; it's an assault on the ears even to hear it. If you’re a cricket fan then the chances are you have played Boycott Bingo or if you too are one of those frustrated employees then the chances are that you’ve been to a meeting and played "Buzzword Bingo" using cards with expressions like "outside the box" or "on the same page."

Fortunately, such jargon goes out of style pretty quickly. I haven't heard "going forward" for a while but equally on the flip side, old expressions are almost immediately replaced by new, even more irritating ones.

Over a cup of coffee one morning we “brainstormed” the jargon we hear on a daily basis and here are a few of the results, with the odd example.

Leverage. Deployment of an insufficient amount of something to do that which was previously done with much more. Example: "After the layoffs, we can leverage our staff of three to cover the entire country".

Reach out. This one really is my pet hate for so many reasons. To deliver news. To talk or connect with someone. Example: "I wanted to reach out to you about my next job". No you don’t, you want to talk to me!!

It is what it is. Meaning: Get used to it.

Viral. So prevalent that it has almost became the word of 2013. Example: "Twitter has gone viral".

Game changer. A catalyst that will transform a frog into a prince or vice-versa. Example: "Getting indicted for fraud was a game changer for Joe Bloggs".

Disconnect. A situation in which you wanted jam, but someone gave you peanut butter. Example: "There is a disconnect between what the consumer wants and what we intend to provide".

Value-add. A gain, usually financial. Example:

Circle back. See you again and again and again whether or not you want to be seen. Example: "The stalker abided by the court's restraining order but then circled back to hang out by the house".

Socialise. Ram the idea down their throats. Example: "We need to socialise to our patients our practice of closing the doctor's office every day for two hours at lunch." In other words, “Call an ambulance”!

Cutting edge. Oh dear, my second pet hate. So modern, it's to die for. Example: "Their offering is so cutting edge that they will take the country by storm".

Now that these expressions have been officially identified as irritating jargon, you might want to give them up, or add to the list! Unless your boss is planning to circle back to reach out to interface and socialise to your value-add. What can I tell you? It is what it is.

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

Five personalities that might wreck your meeting!

When I secured my first “proper” job I don’t think that I was really aware of what the ‘management’ actually got up to or that they were never available for me to talk to because they were in meetings; in fact they always had a looming presence!

These days the world has moved on and it doesn’t really seem to matter who you work for, whether you’re a small family firm or whether you work in a large corporation, the chances are that you spend a lot of time in meetings.

And if you do spend a lot of time in meetings, you soon see human nature displayed in its full glory as your colleagues and customers jockey for attention, claim credit for anything they can and prey, Darwinian-style, on weaker members of the tribe.

So, next time that you are called to a meeting, here are five kinds of people that can make things go awry fast -- and a few thoughts on how to deal with them:

1. The bully. Speaks loudly and speaks for softer-spoken team members, apparently deciding that they are unable to make their points for themselves. Actually says things like "that's a stupid idea" to someone whose ideas aren't stupid. Feel free to treat this person like the primary schoolchild whose behaviour they’re channelling. If you let them get away with their infractions, they’re only going to get worse.

2. The non sequitur. This person needs to be heard and either doesn't understand or doesn't care that the ground rules of a discussion require at least some relation between discussion points. As a counterpoint you could interrupt swiftly with "That's an interesting point. Let's note that and move back to our current agenda." If you don't have a timed meeting agenda, then you're inviting this behaviour.

3. The would-be visionary. This person is a frustrated philosopher who has a nasty habit of sending the discussion down a rabbit hole by proposing ideas that sound important the first time you hear them, but rapidly leave you cringing by the time they’ve brought them up in a third or fourth meeting. Respond with humour if you can but it’s key to bring the discussion back to your line.

4. The constant questioner. This person assumes that asking questions about everything the speaker says makes them sound smart and attentive, not realising (or caring) how distracting it is for the others in the meeting. Unless the person is your boss, this person usually turns out not to have any real questions once he or she realises it won't be possible to turn the meeting into a Socratic dialogue.

5. The rambler. Now we all know of these! Occasionally makes good points, but buries each nugget in 10 minutes of fluff. Unless you want your 20-minute meeting to last an hour, get adept at asking a question that cuts to the chase.

Those are my thoughts, how do you keep bad meeting personalities in check?

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, let us know your thoughts at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

‘Tis the season to be job hunting!

The first “proper” working Monday of the New Year is supposed to be the day when disgruntled employees finally decide after the Christmas and New Year break that enough is enough and that it’s time to look for a new job. And ideally a pay rise!!

The big job boards report increased activity, particularly at lunch time (odd that!) and at about 6pm when candidates get home and log on having said hello to the wife/husband/kids/dog/cats/hamster and start trawling for the net for their next career move.
The other incentive to move is that many companies are now in a new financial year and as a consequence have the budgets to hire the next round of talent that’s coming onto the market.

So, if that sounds like you today, then head over to www.chestertongray.com and talk to one of the Directors or consultants about the roles that we are recruiting or if you’re a company come and discuss how we work and can help you unearth your next superstar.

5 Questions great candidates ask at an interview

Whenever we pitch for a new assignment we always discuss the interview stages that the client will go through as part of the recruitment process. Normally they’re all pretty similar; very occasionally there is the odd assessment centre thrown in, but by and large little seems to have changed over the last twenty years or so. Which got us into thinking about the process from the candidate’s perspective.

Having discussed post interview feedback with a number of them, it appears interview techniques haven’t changed much either and the phase of the interview that still seems to stump far too many candidates is when the client turns the tables and asks: "Do you have any questions for me?"

Either candidates haven’t planned ahead or they have over planned. Most candidates don't actually care about the answers; they just hope to make themselves look good by asking "smart" questions. To them, what they ask is more important than the answer.

Great candidates ask questions they want answered because they're evaluating the interviewer, the company--and whether they really want to work for the management.

Here are five questions great candidates ask:

What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 60 to 90 days?
Great candidates want to hit the ground running. They don't want to spend weeks or months "getting to know the organisation." They want to make a difference--right away.

What are the common attributes of your top performers?
Great candidates also want to be great long-term employees. Every organisation is different, and so are the key qualities of top performers in those organisations. Maybe top performers work longer hours. Maybe creativity is more important than methodology. Maybe constantly landing new customers in new markets is more important than building long-term customer relationships. Maybe it's a willingness to spend the same amount of time educating an entry-level customer as helping an enthusiast who wants high-end equipment. Great candidates want to know, because 1) they want to know if they fit, and 2) if they do fit, they want to be a top performer.

What are a few things that really drive results for the company?
Employees are investments, and every employee should generate a positive return on his or her salary. (Otherwise why are they on the payroll?)

In every job some activities make a bigger difference than others. The HR team need to fill vacant positions... but what everyone really wants is for HR to find the right candidates because that results in higher retention rates, lower training costs, and better overall productivity.

Companies need its IT people to perform effective repairs... but what candidates really want is for the techies to identify ways to solve problems and provide other benefits--in short, to generate additional sales. Great candidates want to know what truly makes a difference.
They know helping the company succeed means they succeed as well.

What do employees do in their spare time?
Happy employees 1) like what they do and 2) like the people they work with.

Granted this is a tough question to answer. Unless the company is really small, all any interviewer can do is speak in generalities. What's important is that the candidate wants to make sure they have a reasonable chance of fitting in--because great job candidates usually have options.

How do you plan to deal with...?
Every business faces a major challenge: technological changes, competitors entering the market, shifting economic trends... there's rarely a Warren Buffett moat protecting a small business. So while a candidate may see the company as a stepping-stone, they still hope for growth and advancement... and if they do eventually leave, they want it to be on their terms and not because it was forced out of business. A great candidate doesn't just want to know what you think; they want to know what you plan to do--and how they will fit into those plans.

As ever we would like to hear your thoughts; from either side of the desk. Have interview techniques changed or stagnated? Do candidates ask mundane or killer questions? Do clients prepare themselves for the interview as well as candidates? What would you change about the whole process?

Please feel free to go to www.chestertongray.com and let us know your thoughts.

The high cost of bad recruitment

A few days ago I worked out that I’m now in my twenty sixth year in the recruitment industry and I think that it’s fair to say that I’ve done my fair share of recruiting. And I can tell you with absolute certainty that one of the most costly, time-consuming blunders a business can make is picking the wrong person for the job.


How costly? The industry employment statistics currently estimates that the average cost of a bad hiring decision can equal 30% of the individual’s first-year potential earnings. That means a single bad hire with an annual income of £50,000 can equal a potential £15,000 loss for the employer.

On top of the financial cost the loss is compounded by the impact of a bad hire on productivity and team morale. One subpar employee can throw an entire department into disarray. Team members end up investing their own time into training someone who has no future with the company.

One of America’s top CEO’s has estimated that his own bad hires have cost the company well over $100 million. As a consequence of that he now offers new recruits a $2000 bonus to quit after their first week on the job!!

As the search and recruitment firm we’re not in that position but here are a few techniques we believe to be effective in preventing recruitment disasters:

1. Over-prepare: A job candidate isn’t the only one who should prepare before the interview.

When you’re recruiting employees for specific, technical roles, it can be hard to prepare the right interview questions. It’s useful to find an expert in the candidate’s specific field and get some advice on the best questions to ask. This is worth the extra effort, even if it means consulting someone outside your company.

So if you’re recruiting for an IT role, find and talk to an IT person about what makes a good team member. Then, add three specific IT-related questions to your interview. Don’t be afraid to loop back with your expert to get their feedback on the responses.

2. The secretary test: Great collaborators don’t pull rank.

All of the candidates who we invite here to meet us for an assignment are initially met by our team PA. Over the years it always surprises us to find out that a number of the candidates who had been personable and courteous to us were rude to her.

The ability to work well with others is a skill that benefits any workplace. An obvious way to gauge this is to contact the candidate’s references. But, why not take it a step further and dig into a candidate’s social media profiles? Switched on HR departments are already looking through candidates’ Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. I recommend going as far as checking a candidate’s Twitter feed to gain insight. You never know what you might find!

3. The curveball: Hide an unexpected question in the fine print.

We believe that the most effective employees are those who take the time to read the fine print. During one assignment a client mentioned that they write a small, unconventional request into a job application. This can be something as innocuous as, “Please list three websites you visit often.” In their view, candidates who overlook this question or didn’t provide a full answer aren’t worth interviewing.

Why? People tend to be the most alert and thoughtful during this initial stage of the job application process. If they can’t pay attention to details here, how will they perform once they’re on board?

When it comes to recruitment, Steve Jobs once said: "I noticed that the dynamic range between what an average person could accomplish and what the best person could accomplish was 50 or 100 to 1. Given that, you're well advised to go after the cream of the cream. ...A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players."

How do you find your crème de la crème?

If you would like to discuss how you we can work with you on your key recruitment issues then please contact one of the Directors at www.chestertongray.com

Office presents; tricky but not impossible.

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, holiday shopping season is officially underway. And for office workers, that includes shopping for colleagues and bosses. But buying gifts for them can be as much of an etiquette minefield as the annual holiday party. Give the wrong gift, and you can derail your career before New Year's. Give the right one, and you'll start 2013 off right.

Here are 7 brief tips which we hope can help you:

Don't blow your budget

It's all too easy to want to impress your boss and colleagues with expensive presents, but this may send the message that you're trying to buy their loyalty. If there is no agreed upon budget, spend less rather than more. An office holiday gift is meant to be a token of appreciation rather than a large holiday gift from Santa, not only will your gift be seen as more tasteful, your credit card will thank you.

Do make thoughtful choices

While your gift to your colleague won't be as personal as to your spouse or parent, show that you know something about the person. If you don't know them particularly well then choose something he or she can use at work, such as a quality pen, a stylish organizer, or an iPad or eReader cover. Gift or music vouchers or sports tickets are safe options. By and large it’s probably best to avoid bottles of booze or spa treatments (the first is risky if the person doesn't drink, the latter could send a mixed message)!!

Give gifts away from the office

If you're only giving gifts to a few select people (and not the entire staff) then you should consider doing it at lunch. However, if you're playing Santa to all, make sure the gifts are equal in value, particularly if staff members are at equal levels on the corporate ladder. You shouldn't give more to one than the other because inevitably they will compare.

Always give your PA something

Again, a small token is still fine - but always give something. It's a nice holiday gesture to show your gratitude to someone who supports you and shows loyalty throughout the year. Even if this person is new, it's still appropriate and can work wonders for the forthcoming year.

Think about joining forces

If you're not sure whether it's appropriate to get your boss a gift, consider organising a group one. By doing so it looks less self-serving and with joint funds you'll be able to give him or her a nicer gift without breaking your budget.

Remember to say ‘Thank you’

It always seems to happen that someone is caught off guard by a gift from someone they didn't buy for. Don't panic - simply give back your gratitude. It is not mandatory to reciprocate, but it is essential to accept the gift with a genuine smile on your face and say something such as, “Thank you so much for thinking of me”.

Just say no to gag gifts

Ok, we all like a joke and a laugh to lighten the working atmosphere, but anything that can be seen as possibly offensive has no place in an office environment. Save the gag gifts for very close family and friends. Unless your office is hosting a white elephant exchange where the premise is to give a silly gift, opt for tasteful over tacky.

Those few thoughts should give you plenty of time to prepare and come up with the perfect gift for your colleague(s).

As ever, the team can be contacted at www.chestertongray.com

The Annual Appraisal.

It is one of those times that no matter how hard you’ve worked and how good you think that you are at your job; the butterflies kick in and rational sentiment can go out the window.


Your annual appraisal might seem like the at-work equivalent of a school report but in reality it's a progress report for both you and your boss.

"A review is an opportunity for the manager to motivate an employee, by recognising their good work and redirecting their efforts and energy if necessary," says Brian Poggi, author of "I Am Not Average: How to Succeed in your Performance Review." He has conducted hundreds of performance reviews during his time in corporate America, which includes stints at GE and Polaroid.


Here are six things Poggi says you should never say during your appraisal. They can damage not only your review, but also your career:


Nothing at all

If you fail to prepare for your review (by not giving yourself a self-review and anticipating questions or concerns), you should be prepared to fail, as the saying goes. "It communicates that you don't see this as an important event, and that signals that you may not be a competent employee," says Poggi. If you have some talking points ready (perhaps things that would help you do your job better), there will be a natural give and take of ideas -- particularly important if you are anticipating criticism.


How did I do?

"By asking this question you're inviting a critique, and while you may get some positive [input], you're leading them down a less-than-optimum view of your performance," Poggi says. Your boss will share his or her concerns -- you don't have to draw their attention straight there.


What can I do better?

Again, a relatively vague statement like this not only invites criticism, but also shows that you haven't really prepared or aren't self-aware. "Instead, say, 'These are some things I'd like to work on,'" says Poggi. He adds: "Rather than ask [about your faults], present how you can make your job more productive and the company a better place."


Can I have a pay rise?

Poggi says simply asking for a rise because you have been at the company for X number of years will get you nowhere. On the other hand, the review is a prime time to prove your worth -- which lays the groundwork for that salary conversation. "Your boss probably has several direct reports and there is no way he will remember all the great things you've done," says Poggi. "Many employees think if they keep their heads down they'll be rewarded. It's great in theory, but it doesn't work."


I'll do better

If you do get criticism, ask for further explanation or an example of what you can do to improve. "If they say, for example, you need to work better on a team with others, say 'Can you give me an example of how I can do that better?'" Poggi says. This shows you're interested, and gives you a clearer idea of what success in this area looks like to your supervisor.


I'm bored

If you're bored with your current position, outline your successes -- and then point out other areas where you could add value in a specific, new way. But don't mention giving up other responsibilities to focus on more challenging or interesting stuff just yet. "You want to come across as wanting more, not wanting to wash your hands of something," says Poggi.


So there you have it. A few simple thoughts on how to manage what might be a difficult and stressful situation and ways to turn it to your advantage.


If you have thoughts from either side of the annual appraisal table then we would be pleased to hear from you. www.chestertongray.com

Voicemail; love it or loathe it, we’ve all used it.

One of the foremost places that technology has transformed the basics of business etiquette is in the realms of communication. But there are few things that wind people up more than voicemail. Are there rules around the proper use of it? In fact, is voicemail acceptable at all anymore?


Considering I spend a sizeable portion of my life talking to people on the ‘phone you would have thought that by now I’d be a dab hand at leaving concise factual messages. But far from it. I know that occasionally I ramble and worse still I know that on certain occasions I am going to ramble when I have to leave a message!


The whole disaster that is voicemail hit home recently when I was interviewing and had switched the ‘phone to silent. After the interview I listened to the message from a candidate which went on and on and on, singularly failing to tell me who he was right until the end of the message, or even the gist of why he was calling me.


When I finally returned to my desk, I couldn't bear the thought of wasting another five minutes wading through the long, rambling message to find the candidate's name, email, and phone. So, after a short mental debate, I just deleted the message.


He could have left a short message with the pertinent details right up front. Even better, he could have simply emailed me, or at the very least followed up the call with a mail that contained the details I cared about. As a result he’s missed out and will probably do so again in the future unless he learns to present himself better.


I think my reaction was reasonable; in today's fast paced business world, I no longer have time to waste listening to voicemail, teasing out valuable details, and transcribing it onto paper myself. But what do you think? Is there a place for voicemail in the office anymore? If so, what are the rules of the phone that one should follow?

Here are my top five rules:

• Don't leave voicemail. It's fine to call and try to reach someone when they’re in the office, but if they're not available, skip the voicemail and leave an email, which is easier to scan for important details.

• Don't even call. If they’re not in the office, first try instant messaging. It's less intrusive, as it can be ignored if the person is busy.

• If you've decided to ignore my first two rules, keep it short. Voicemail is not the place for long narratives. If your message is more than a minute long, you're doing it wrong.

• The first words out of your mouth after the beep should be who you are, how you can be reached, and what you need. Once you're done with that, feel free to leave a little more context.

• Don't leave voicemail.

I’m quite prepared to be told that in fact I’ve got it all wrong and that voicemail is the singular most important office tool. If that’s the case drop me an email, not a voicemail, and tell me why I’m wrong!

If you would like to talk with one of the Directors or Consultants then please feel free to contact us as www.chestertongray.com

Loving your employees.

Whilst it’s hard to escape the news that Europe, or at least several parts of it, are in a downturn/recession/double-dip recession/in stagnation (please delete which option you feel isn’t applicable), the fact remains that there are successful businesses across the continent that are trading profitably, show growth signs and have cash in the bank. Invariably they don’t have a monopoly and as a consequence they have competitors which would like to steal (a) some of their market share and (b) quite possibly a number of their key employees.


That means that you run the risk of one of your staff handing you an envelope on a Monday or Friday with their resignation in it; so how are companies making sure that that doesn’t happen?

I'm talking about the things that the best companies do to engender the dedication, loyalty and, yes, even the love of the people who work for them.

Everyone knows that the days of the one-company career are long gone. Depending on what data you choose to believe, the average person will change jobs between five and seven times in a lifetime. So if you run a business, it is virtually certain you will lose every employee you have (hopefully not all at once).

It's a reality that hurts, because enlightened companies know that employees are every bit as important as customers and other stakeholders, and great employees are hard to find and painful to lose. Whilst you may have to accept that your employees won't stay forever, you should never stop working at making your company the kind of place that's hard to leave.

Companies with the happiest and most productive employees, and the lowest turnover, tend to have key people-priorities in common.


Trust. In both directions. Your employees need to trust you, know where they stand with you, and feel safe with you. And you must show that you trust them, whether it's with projects, decisions, time or money. The miserable and destructive phenomenon of "office politics," as clichéd as it may be, really boils down to nothing more than issues of trust.

Responsibility. Give your people as much as they can handle, maybe even a little more. It tells them that they and their jobs are valuable and gives them a chance to shine (or fail). It helps you identify star performers, it discourages logjams and gets more done, and it's good for your business.

Culture. Your company culture is its heart and soul, the glue that holds it together. Great employees don't stick around in companies with lousy cultures, and all other things being equal, employees perform better within a great culture. And this is usually an area where smaller businesses can almost always have an edge.

Opportunity. People naturally want to keep moving, preferably upward. And they will naturally stay with an employer longer if they know they can earn the chance to do more or different things, climb the proverbial ladder, and earn more money. This can be challenging for small companies, as with only a handful of jobs there just might not be a ladder to climb. You should seek and create opportunities for people wherever and however you can.

Recognition. Some people love getting awards, plaques and employee-of-the-month certificates. But what really matters over the long term is ongoing, straightforward, day-to-day appreciation and recognition. Give genuine praise, both publicly and privately, for work well done. Never take even tacit credit for someone else's work (and in general give much more credit than you take). Say thank you, often. There are few things that will get an employee to start polishing up their CV faster than feeling unappreciated.

Salary. Of everything on this list it's the one over which most small businesses have the least control. Clearly a good employer must do its best to pay good people what they're worth, but small companies often can't compete with big ones when it comes to compensation or "packages." So while pay is obviously a critical issue, the limited resources of a small business make the other five elements all the more important.

Trust, responsibility, culture, opportunity and recognition are entirely within the means and resources of any company, and it has been proven time and time again that employees will, within reason, make salary compromises for the most appealing overall opportunity.

The employer/employee relationship is much the same as any other relationship: what you get largely reflects what you give.

For more on Chesterton Gray then please visit our web site www.chestertongray.com

Simple steps to achieve your objectives

If there was a shortcut to success, would you want it? A strategy to follow that would help you get what you want in the most efficient and effective way possible?

Most normal people have a limited number of hours in the day and a limited amount of energy to get what you need to get accomplished, while at the same time going after your bigger goals.

Reading the autobiographies of successful business people and politicians, it becomes clear that they have all adopted broadly similar strategies, of which these tend to be the key four:

1. Know your desired outcome. When you use your car's sat nav, do you type in all of the addresses you don't want to go to or just the one where you do want to go? Clearly, it is critical to know your desired outcome. What do you want to achieve? What are you going after? Now is not the time to be casual, vague. Imagine you've rubbed the magic lamp and you get one shot at requesting what you want. Be clear and be specific.

2. Take action. Get started. Simply do something -- anything, really. Don't fall into the trap of having to know the best action to take to get started because this will cause delay. In fact, it's the excuse far too many use so they don't have to get started.

3. Focus on feedback. Remember the games that you played as a child? What if you only played them and never moved on? You'd never know if you were getting closer or farther away from the prize. If you try to analyse every conceivable next step, you'll never know if your path is leading you closer or farther away. Taking action is how you get feedback. Take the step, because even if you are wrong, that will give you valuable feedback so you can adjust your approach in the future.

4. Be flexible. If you notice your actions are not leading you to your desired outcome (or maybe not as quickly as you wish), then you have to be flexible in your approach. It's not enough to just notice what you are doing isn't working; you have to shift your strategy. Stop, turn, and take a step in a different direction until you get closer to your outcome even if you've invested a lot of time and energy in your previous moves.

It really doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether it’s in your business or personal life, if you keep to these four steps then they will help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently.

Please feel free to let us know your thoughts or whether you feel that there are other traits that should supersede these four. www.chestertongray.com

The 10% fee and why it doesn’t work.

Year after year, in challenging economic times, the mantra of cost down is bashed out across almost every business stream and the recruitment world is not immune from it. Those of us who have been around the block once or twice understand the need for businesses to cut costs but also see the number of times that it can actually do you a disservice.

In my best Max Bygraves; let me tell you a story.

Three years ago I won my first retained assignment from a client that I had been pursuing on and off for a couple of years. Good job and an interesting assignment to get my teeth into. As I approached finalising the shortlist they signed off a second role at a slightly reduced fee. I’ve no problem with as it makes sense, so much so that in fact I filled both roles and they recruited a third from the first shortlist. Hurrah!

However, last year as the sector tightened HR & Procurement decided to implement a European PSL and would only work with agencies/recruitment firms/search firms that would agree 10% success only fees.

I declined.

In December they signed off six roles in a new division which went out to their preferred agencies. Much to their surprise eight weeks later they hadn’t received a CV, let alone interviewed a candidate and senior management were jumping up and down on the line managers because the roles were still empty and the projects now really needed the staff.

So why has this situation happened?

Rightly or wrongly recruitment is seen as an overhead cost rather than an investment, with little or no understanding from the procurement and HR teams as to how the agencies operate.

The consultants in the agencies lead very regimented lives in the way that they work and are very heavily revenue targeted, which is why there is such a high turnover of staff in agencies.

Once you send them the 10% fee based job description they will work on it briefly until another client (maybe only hours later) asks them to work on a role with a 20% or more fee, so day by day your role slips remorselessly down the pecking order until quite frankly you’re forgotten in the desire to produce revenue and not be fired takes over. And then there is the other side of the equation. Let’s say that by chance the consultant does find a candidate who matches your brief; are you going to see the CV? Well not necessarily no. Why? Because the consultant’s manager will ask where the consultant is going to send “send out” the CV to and once again the need to satisfy revenue demands takes priority. The manager will ‘encourage’ the consultant to service the 20%+ fee clients rather than the 10% fee client.

Result? Eight weeks later the vacancy still hasn’t be serviced.

To return to my client: Eventually I agreed a 20% fee and in one month had the first three roles in order of priority at offer stage with a one role/one candidate success rate and yes they’re still waiting to hear from their agencies!

Not having people in place for key roles is as every bit, or more, expensive on the bottom lines as paying for the right recruitment firm to find those people.
Invest in expertise and specialist knowledge and it will deliver accordingly.

If you would like to talk with a Director or Consultant about how we can work with you then please contact us at www.chestertongray.com

Why You Should Stop Being a Wimp

Have you ever met a truly successful wimp?

I didn't think so. Somewhere out there you might find a wealthy wimp, but having money doesn't necessarily mean success. (And not having money doesn't necessarily mean failure.)

Who succeeds in the business world? It's not the person that sits back and doesn't take any chances.

Business owners cannot build their businesses by being wimpy. They take financial and personal risks. They evaluate the market and see what services are missing and try to jump in there or they think that they can do a better job than the people already out there. Sometimes (frequently) they commit themselves to pay other people's salaries before they know for sure if they'll bring in enough income to pay their own.

Successful sales people have to go out every day and risk rejection in order to sell their products. You cannot sit at home (or at your desk) and expect customers to call. If you are easily upset at being told no, you won't be successful in this area.

Senior Directors didn't get there by keeping their head down and doing precisely what their bosses asked of them. They looked for new opportunities. They suggested new paths for the business. They made decisions that perhaps the rest of us wouldn't make, because others might think they are stupid. They didn't go home at night and complain that they weren't being promoted. They asked for promotions, spoke up in meetings, and put themselves in the path of rejection every day.

Creative geniuses didn't achieve genius status just be drawing one picture, designing one ad campaign or auditioning for one play. They succeed because they recognise that they have something to offer and they do not give up. They show their portfolios. They attend audition after audition. They seek out feedback, teachers and mentors to show them where their mistakes are and what they can do better.

A lot of us have some traits that reflect a little of the wimpy side. It's much easier to take the safe path. And, honestly, there's nothing wrong with being safe. But just as being safe reduces your risk of failure, it also reduces your risk of success.

Now, this isn't advice to go in to your boss and announce loudly that you quit because someone told you to. It isn't advice to be irrational. It isn't license to be rude. Wimps are rude. Strong people are politely firm. You must think through your plans--you must have plans in the first place. But it is advice to take your risks where there is potential for payoff. It is advice to speak up in a meeting. It is advice to work extremely hard and then ask your boss for the recognition you deserve.

In short, stop being a wimp.

www.chestertongray.com

The Three Types of Multi-taskers

It is an alleged well known fact that men cannot multi-task, or can they? But in this age when we all have to buckle down and do more roles as departments become leaner, the question is: What kind of multi-tasker are you?

"Bleary-eyed," might seem like the most obvious answer, and for many who juggle multiple roles, it's no doubt true. But a study by Montreal's Concordia University and University of Toronto finds that there are actually three distinct types of multi-taskers and that some styles are definitely healthier than others.

The Universities studied people who had three hats to wear: student, employee, and family member. How did they cope? It appears in three ways:

Problem solvers.
This group face the problems of juggling multiple roles head-on, but, ironically, their can-do attitude can eventually get them into trouble. Problem solvers are great planners, but often fail to realise that even the best planning isn't going to create more hours in the day. They often have trouble accepting the fact that if they keep trying to do it all, they'll eventually burn out. The researchers say it's better to admit at the outset that energy and time are finite, and that things are going to slip through the cracks no matter what.

Talkers.
So-called talkers use venting, complaining and commiseration to help them deal with the stresses of multiple roles. As in the other two styles, this comes with both positives and negatives. On the positive side, talking to family and friends can result in new ideas about how to get things done and encourage other folks to lend a hand when possible. On the negative side, it's very easy for commiseration to become an end in itself, reinforcing feelings of hopelessness and eating up way too much time.

Avoiders.
These folks are in denial, and it's hard to blame them. They cut back on stress by trying to avoid it, and often resort to bad habits-sleeping too much, drinking too much, using drugs-to keep them from thinking about the stress they're under. Yet this 'type' has something to teach the others, too. Everyone who juggles multiple roles needs a break now and then, and healthy diversions are much-needed.

How to Cope
The study went on to give some advice for multi-taskers:
• Find areas where you can do double duty. Is there work-related projects that could also earn you class credit? If you're looking after an elderly relative, bring your own kids along and ask them to cook dinner.
• Talk to your employer about flexible work arrangements, even if they're only temporary.
• Give yourself a break. Dodge the stress, at least for a short time, with a small indulgence - even if it's only watching a favourite TV show.
• Let things slide. The house is going to get dirty. There's no use fighting it.

So there according to the Universities we have it. What do you think is the best way to deal with the conflicting, constant, and overlapping demands of being a spouse, parent, student, employee maybe all at once?

Answers and thoughts, as ever, to the team at www.chestertongray.com

How to leave the office at 5pm

Over the twenty odd years that I’ve been in (allegedly gainful) employment the culture of hours worked has changed markedly. The 80’s with its booming yuppie years accelerated the acceptance, or should that be expectation, that you were in before the first light of dawn and if at all possible were the last person to leave at night. In many cases changing the mindset of management has been part and parcel of changing a business’s culture and through some very high profile law suits and heart attacks the business world finally realised that the work life balance of its employees was an integral part of its success or failure.

Talking to the number of candidates that we do it is plain that every morning they set a goal to leave the office in time to spend the evening hanging out with their family and friends. And every evening around 5 or 6pm, they look at the pile of work that’s still outstanding and realise it's not happening. Again!

But before you settle for another late night of takeaway’s and furious family members, think about this: many people actually do manage to have both fulfilling careers and fulfilling home lives. What do they know? From all of our interviews I've realised that these successful people adopt a few key tactics for shutting down their pc at the end of the day and leaving the office:

1. Realise you can leave before everything's done. In our rapid-fire age, email, requests for assistance, calls and meetings can fill all available space. If you aim to go home with a zero inbox, you will almost certainly never go home. Work will always be there and will take whatever time you give it. So give it less time. We all have a point of diminishing returns.

2. Split your hours. Leaving the office at 5pm doesn't mean you need to be done for the night. Try going home, spending time with your family or pursuing other personal projects, and then if you must work from home, fire up your laptop later in the evening for another hour or two. You'll probably be refreshed enough to solve problems that would have taken you until 8:30 if you'd stayed put.

3. Do a 4pm triage. If the to-do list for the day that you created first thing has been too ambitious, you'll probably realise, by mid-afternoon, that it can't all happen by 5pm. So at 4pm, go through and rank the most important tasks. If you knew that the electricity was going to go off in your office at 5pm, rendering more work impossible, what would you do before then? Do those things. Then stop. Pick up the to-do list again when you do your evening session or better still, the next morning. Who knows, maybe some of the problems will have solved themselves in the night!

If you have some better thoughts and ideas on how to ensure that you’re not stuck in the office until midnight, the team at Chesterton Gray is always keen to hear from you.

Want to be a great communicator? Use plain English

For most professional people there comes a point in their lives when, sooner or later, their boss will take them aside and advise them that at the next meeting or business conference they’ll be making a presentation on....

After all, you can’t get very far in your career without learning to present. Well, the same is true of speaking and writing.

And if you work with and listen to enough successful executives and other business leaders, you’ll find that, with rare exception, they use plain English and cut to the chase. Think of Sir John Harvey-Jones as a classic example. That means no jargon, no beating around the bush, no padding and no flowery or big words.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the catch. For some odd reason, most people seem to have great difficulty being direct when they communicate.

When I first started working in sales I’d just come from working in a warehouse I couldn’t write or speak to save my own life. The first time I had to make a presentation, I was so terrified by my lack of experience that I nearly did a runner. The only thing that saved me was I was only given twenty minutes notice over lunch and my boss never left my side.

But, I worked for a big company and saw a number of very good practiced speakers who made it look easy and that’s where I learned two things:

1) Ditch all the flowery composition and big words they taught us in school, and
2) Get your message across as crisply, as clearly, and in as few words as possible.

Now I appreciate that that’s easy to say but harder to do. So here are 10 tips to help you succeed in business by learning to speak and write in plain English:
1. Be direct with your point or position. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don’t over-think or over-complicate it.
2. People will remember the first and last thing you say or write. Long rambling laundry lists are worthless.
3. Communicate economically, as if you have to pay for every word. Your audience is actually paying with their precious time and share of mind.
4. Words come from your mouth and fingers, but wisdom and inspiration come from inside you. Dig deep.
5. People are more likely to remember things you tell with stories and humour.
6. When you fumble around, it usually means you’re trying to come up with some way to spin what you want to say.
7. People connect more with genuine feelings than intelligent logic. People may learn from ideas but by and large they follow people.
8. It’s a proven fact that people do business with those they feel comfortable with and trust. They judge that, in a large part, on how you speak and write.
9. Communication is bidirectional, not a one-sided data-dump. Remember, you give a little to get a little.
10. Don’t over-rehearse or over-edit. Where to draw the line comes with time and experience. Anyone who has ever had to be best man/woman can tell you all about that one!

So now hopefully you are a little more prepared for that next occasion when your boss taps you on the shoulder and asks you to be their key note speaker.

As ever, comments, thoughts and suggestions are welcomed by the team at www.chestertongray.com

5 Things you should never say in a job interview

Sometimes it feels as though I’m stuck in Groundhog Day where everyday, or an event, is a repeat of a previous one. Earlier this week I overheard a colleague having to explain a few basic interviews techniques to a candidate who has changed jobs several times before but who plainly felt the need for guidance and reassurance.

We all know that job interviews are never easy and they’re especially stressful when opportunities are so few and far between, as they are at the moment with the European economy going through its travails.

When you have at last secured an interview, the single most important thing you can do is prepare and practice, by doing both a run-through with a savvy friend, and then doing a self-review. This practice should help settle your nerves and help you work on weaknesses. So, on the back of some surreptitious eavesdropping here are 5 things never to say to the line or recruiting manager:

1. Something they’ve heard a million times before
Some people just love interviewing others and spurring them to be creative and compelling in their answers. Others ask the same dull questions they’ve been asking for years. Whether your interviewer is inspiring or barely conscious, you’ll need to come up with new answers to what are likely old questions. Never be cliché. For instance, don’t tell the interviewer you are a people person. Prepare and practice your talking points prior, and you’ll be less likely to rely on stock answers.

2. A request for any kind of concessions
You can’t do overtime because your children’s day care finishes at 5. You’d like to work from home part-time because you have a new puppy. You need an ergonomically-sound mouse and phone set-up. You’re not so into working on weekends, holidays, or your birthday. Especially in a first interview, you want them to want you — badly. Once they do, you can then ask for what you want, which includes specific questions about salary, benefits, or holiday time.

3. Anything that shows you’re over or under ambitious
Inevitably you will be asked the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” A question which can make certain candidates answer too honestly (”I have no idea!”) or show their true colours (”Hopefully, in your job…haha…”). Helping you find your true passion isn’t really their problem, and the fact that you want to advance ASAP can also raise concerns that you’ll jump ship quickly.

4. Anything negative
You probably know better than to criticise your former boss. But you should be positive throughout the interview process. Don’t be negative about anything including your previous office, your old company’s personnel policies, traffic on the way to the interview, or the weather. That said, there are certain times to be constructively critical of your former corporation as well as the company with which you’re interviewing. The key is constructive input. What can you do to improve their situation with your skills and experience, instead of merely mocking it?

5. That you have no weaknesses
Yes, the question “What is your biggest weakness?” is incredibly annoying, boring, and irritating (see “Something they’ve heard a million times before,” above). But asserting that you are a perfect human being isn’t the answer either. That way you certainly won’t come across as credible if you say that you have no weaknesses. Ideally you should talk about a real weakness that is not central to the position that you are seeking and show how you have overcome that weakness. This will help the employer see you as a three-dimensional potential employee, instead of as a two-dimensional resume.

I truly don’t believe that any of the above is ground breaking news to the majority of job seekers, but equally it never does any harm to refresh one’s knowledge before you find yourself in the one interview situation that you didn’t want to be in.

As ever, thoughts and input more than welcome.
www.chestertongray.com