It’s a scenario every recruiter and hiring manager knows well… I had spent a few months completing a difficult search for a Creative Director. Although we had a strong shortlist, there was one candidate who was clearly preferred by me and the client. For weeks he had been measured and deliberate throughout the process. He […]
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How executive recruitment finds leaders who actually make a difference
When I started the search 18 months ago for a CFO for a manufacturing business going through major expansion, the client’s original brief was clear: they wanted a qualified accountant, manufacturing experience, and a strong systems background. Pretty standard stuff. What we learned in our subsequent conversations was something much more: they needed someone who […]
Read MoreThe perils of overanalysing body language in interviews
Where do you stand on body language? Hopefully not slouching and with your arms crossed? Body language has become big business. There are many “experts” appearing on TV and in the press who analyse body language in interviews. They tell us what a particular celebrity or politician was thinking, but not saying. In a business […]
Read MoreDoes the truth matter anymore?
Does the truth matter? Mark Twain once wrote “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” That’s a fine attitude for a fiction writer, but for most of us who work, run businesses, or are in public life, it has generally been considered that being “economical with the truth” is not […]
Read MoreThe truth about “great” interview questions
There’s a lot of nonsense spoken, and written, about interview questions. A recent LinkedIn post about how “great” the “sell me this pen” question is, had accumulated 36,513 likes and more than 2500 comments at the time of writing this. Of course, it’s not a great interview question – unless you want to hire someone to […]
Read MoreDoes “executive presence” really matter for leaders?
How important is “executive presence” and “looking the part” when applying for a new leadership job? This is a subject that comes up often when working with employers during recruitment projects and with individuals who are seeking new roles. We all know that clean and pressed clothes for an interview is a basic requirement, but […]
Read MoreAre your interview questions a strength or a weakness?
One of the most used interview questions is “What are your stengths?” This is closely followed, of course, by the inevitable, pointless, question about weaknesses. These stock questions reveal little about candidates, who are mostly well-rehearsed and trot out equally stock answers… How many times have you heard that your candidate is “a perfectionist” or […]
Read MoreFirst interviews: 6 tips for the perfect match
It’s Valentine’s Day and there’s no rest at bfpeople towers as we continue our work in finding leaders and developing talent – creating more perfect relationships in the workplace. The path to the perfect long-term hire, like the path to true love, is rarely easy going and it’s often said that the first interview is like […]
Read MoreAre your candidates committing CV fraud?
There is a lot of CV fraud around… Tonight, the BBC Apprentice show has its infamous Interview round where candidates are grilled about their career history and business plans. Audiences delight in the fiction exposed in the candidates’ CVs and their boastful brags being shot to pieces as the candidates squirm and try to explain […]
Read MoreHow do we plug the creative skills gap?
Matt Hancock, the government minister responsible for the creative industries, spoke recently (read his full speech here) about how important the sector is to Britain’s future. He promised ongoing commitment to the industry and this is good news, of course. But his speech comes at a time when skills are diminishing and good people are […]
Read MoreSpending your recruitment budget wisely
A coffee, a stranger, and a masterclass in how not to interview “Do you use Powerpoint?” “Yes. I do.” “Great. Because this job really needs an advanced knowledge of Powerpoint to design and make presentations to staff and the board. Um… Er… How are you on Employment Law?” It was at this point that I […]
Read MoreRecruiting a full sales team
A B2B supplier of high value, capital goods asked us for support in recruiting a team of sales people for a specific project. The business was launching a new range and needed to rapidly increase awareness and achieve penetration in its target market. We were asked to support the company in recruiting a full sales […]
Read MoreWhy good candidates are hard to find
Good candidates have never been easy to find. What’s changed is why. There was a time, when I started in executive recruitment, that a well-placed advert in the national or local newspaper (yes, it’s that long ago!) would produce a solid field of candidates for most vacancies. That stopped being true some years ago. The […]
Read MoreCreating a talent pool
Creating a talent pool of staff to save time and money A UK university had an ongoing requirement for high quality administration staff. They were needed for the various faculties and departments across the large organisation. It found it was advertising for the same types of skills in the local press every week. There was considerable duplication […]
Read MoreAre you “untouchable” at work
Jose Mourinho has said today that none of the Chelsea football team should think they have a permanent place in his team selection, saying “At this moment I don’t have untouchables.” Mourinho has been talking about “untouchables” for at least 9 years: in December 2006 he said: ‘Claude Makelele is untouchable because of the way […]
Read MoreA tight recruitment brief
When a client needed specific skills in their new appointment. A high profile Business to Consumer service organisation was recruiting a Director of Communications and Customer Services into a “lion’s den” of an appointment. The company was making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, there were significant industrial relations issues and customer satisfaction was […]
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