The Apprentice Episode 11: Who ate all the pies?
In a twist to the regular format, Lord Sugar decided to postpone the dreaded interview round in the penultimate show of the series, in favour of a fast food challenge. The candidates were set the task of creating, branding, and producing a fast food chain to determine who would reach the final boardroom.
This week really separated the men from the boys. Helen and Tom on team Logic dominated this episode with their business skills and talent. Helen was team leader [...]
Continue Reading →Can today’s graduates really be bothered?
I have read many articles and blog postings about the candidate experience – hell I even wrote one myself bemoaning the bad service candidates get in terms of engagement and feedback.
However, as someone who has been involved in recruiting for our own organisation over the past few weeks, I have been quite literally gobsmacked at the poor level of effort, courtesy and basic communication skills displayed by applicants. We hear lots of stuff about how we need to really engage [...]
Continue Reading →I couldn’t agree more, Mr Sartre
When well-known Gallic philosopher/writer, Jean-Paul Sartre, came up with the phrase, “Hell is other people” , he very likely wasn’t commenting on the problems of talent planning in an SME. Far too busy quaffing red wine, smoking Gauloises and womanising was good old Jean-Paul. But the famous phrase does strike a bit of a chord in sunny Hertfordshire. Here we are in a rapidly growing PR company doing some really good work with great clients, both in the UK and [...]
Continue Reading →Do Recruiters give themselves negative PR?
I am new to working within the recruitment sector but getting here hasn’t been the best experience, and I have to admit that it left me feeling somewhat negative towards recruitment consultancies. However since working at BlueSky I have met a lot of highly professional individuals within the sector, who are already changing my view that maybe recruiters aren’t all bad.
In my job search experience I have come across some great consultants – they have listened and understood exactly [...]
Continue Reading →Facebook – damaging candidate’s chances. A true story.
I came across an article on HR Zone recently claiming that social media is feared by some graduate recruiters. Why? It can result in unsuccessful and unproductive employees and some stated that social media was actually dangerous for a company’s reputation if staff members publicly posted content on there. This is not to say that recruiters are not using it – plenty are and very successfully. But what about the dangers of social media to potential candidates?
This got me thinking [...]
Continue Reading →Recruitment and company culture
I recently spent the day with Twenty Recruitment at a vision and values day they were holding for their most recent hires. I have to say it was really refreshing to see a recruitment firm not just talking the talk and paying lip service to the notion of values – but really living them. The firm has three values Life’s Short; Be Eclectic and Crystal Clear. Through the facilitator Rafe Offer, a marketing and branding expert, the new consultants [...]
Continue Reading →If you want to work at Google…
…you’ll have to get through these interview questions first. These have been doing the rounds over the last couple of weeks, but I thought I would share a few of my favourites in case you had missed them, or wanted to take another look. Some questions are designed to test creativity, others are intended to test your ability to calculate. A handful are simply brainteasers that Google want to hear your responses to. Here are some of the more bizarre and [...]
Continue Reading →TECHNOLOGY – FRIEND OR FOE ?
If I read one more article about how technology is going to put traditional recruitment firms out of business, I think I might weep (with frustration). I have a few grey hairs ( well quite a lot actually) and I get so bored with the same old scaremongering thats trotted out during every recession! Now don’t get me wrong – I’m a big fan of technology. But, as I pointed out in my last post, it has to [...]
Continue Reading →WHO CARES ABOUT CANDIDATES
I was chatting to Alan Whitford recently of RCEuro .
To any innocent eavesdropper it would have sounded like an episode of grumpy old men/woman. You see Alan and I are from the old school of recruiters – before technology, before faxes – hell even before electronic typewriters. But during the last twenty odd years one thing has remained constant – the complaint from candidates about the candidate experience.
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