Most of you have been there. You’ve felt excited and geared up about a new job opportunity, maybe gone to an interview or two or at least applied, but then - silence. Nothing; no calls, no emails and especially no feedback to let you know where it went pear shaped or if the recruiter is still thinking about you. Unfortunately, mutual “ghosting” and the bad habit of not giving candidates feedback hasn’t helped people’s negative perceptions and experiences of the recruitment industry. And who can blame the critics? The issue of feedback has been a constant conversation within our industry for as long as I’ve been in recruitment (which is a pretty long time). Interestingly, the whole candidate experience was the main discussion topic at Understanding Recruitment’s Strategy Day earlier this year and is an area that we’re keen to improve in our “year of the candidate”. My personal ethos is an aspiration to provide feedback (positive & negative) to all candidates at all stages of the process. I think it’s the only way to provide the best service to those looking to take the next step in their career. Despite this ethos I'm not naive enough to think that we provide feedback to the satisfaction of everyone all of the time, despite having won multiple awards and been recognised for our approach to customer service. There can be a number of reasons behind this: lack of care from the recruiter’s side, lack of feedback from clients, recruiters chasing the short term £ rather than the caring about long term reputation, recruitment companies who advocate the wrong behaviours amongst their employees, recruiters focusing on people who they’ll place now rather than people who could be of interest in the future, human forgetfulness, candidate behaviour and many more. To recruiters who aspire to be better, reputation is key, and we want to exceed expectations. Why then, is giving feedback still an issue? It’s a tricky situation with most recruiters juggling multiple roles, clients and candidates all the time and there only being so many hours in a day. So how can we still give people the personal experience they’ve come to expect without burning ourselves out? I don’t have the perfect solution and we’re still working on what that solution might look like for us as a business. I suspect we’ll end up with a combination of the use of smart recruitment & AI tech for a certain amount of automated feedback while also continuing to provide the vital human and personal contact in order to build long lasting relationships. Like a lot of traditional industries recruitment is experiencing a lot of disruption that will raise standards, put candidates at the centre of the business and give you, the customer a better experience. I hope so anyway! I would love to hear your opinions and suggestions on how we can make the feedback issue a thing of the past.

Searching for your next career move can be hard-work, a bit of a hassle and in some cases pretty nerve-wracking. Although recruiters can’t promise to calm the butterflies in your stomach before the big interview, they're here to help you secure the job you want. Here are 7 thing recruiters wish you knew... Be honest – honesty is the best policy when working with a recruiter. Be transparent about what type of role you’re looking for and let them know straightaway if you’re not open to new positions. This way you’ll get the most out of working together and don’t waste each other’s time. Working exclusively with one recruitment agency is also the best way to simplify the process of finding your next role. Recruiters will always have multiple roles that they’re working on so the chances of you getting a new role increase when you work with one recruiter instead of multiple different agencies. Give feedback – recruiters put a lot of work into getting you that interview and really appreciate a catch up after the interview or at the end of the day (yes, we will probably still be working past 6pm). Although this may seem like a bit of a waste of time, it really helps the recruiter get a better understanding of how the interview went and gives you a chance to share your thoughts on the experience. It also helps your recruiter move you forward in the interview process if you are still interested in pursuing the role. Make time – recruiters know that most candidates are currently employed and probably at work when they call. While this can be a nuisance for candidates, recruiters do try their best not to disturb your day too much and will double check if you can talk. A good recruiter should be discreet and respect that you’re at work and can rarely talk privately. An initial conversation with a recruiter will take around 10 minutes so making time for this at some point is crucial. This initial conversation will help your recruiter understand what you’re looking for and what your expectations are. This will also help them paint a better picture of you when they put you forward to the client. It’s also a way of making sure they find the best role for you and only send you to relevant interviews. Make sure you look at all the information your recruiter sends you before an interview and do the recommended research, so you’re prepared. Also listen to their interview advice as they’ve worked closely with the client and have a pretty good understanding of what type of person they’re looking for. Don’t be shy - recruiters are busy people and work quickly. Having 100+ applicants for a position is not unusual so if you sent in your CV and haven’t heard back from them after a few days, give them a call to follow up. This will help recruiters prioritise your CV as someone who has shown interest and will set you apart from other candidates. Due to the high number of applicants, recruiters can’t always get back to you if you’re not the right fit for the role. So, getting in touch is a sure way to find out if you weren’t the right fit, if the maximum number of candidates have been sent to the client already or if there are other similar roles that you might be more suitable for. Patience is a virtue – recruiters may seem to ask a lot of random questions but it’s all for a reason. They need to build your profile, so they can find you the best roles, tell clients about you and make sure they are aligned with you in your search. For example, we may ask you how you think your employer will react when you hand in your notice. This is not just us being nosey, but actually gives us a good indication if you’re really serious about leaving your current company. Most companies will try and keep candidates with a counter offer because it costs them more to hire a new person. We genuinely think that companies should pay people what they are worth instead of increasing their salaries when they threaten to leave. In our experience, 90% of candidates who accepted a counter offer wind up leaving the business within six months anyway. Once you decide you want to leave, commit to the decision and don’t be fooled by short-sighted counter offers. Remember why you started your job search in the first place. A salary increase won’t change the atmosphere you work in, the work you do or that manager you don’t get along with. Be seen - LinkedIn´s search engine gives priority to fully completed profiles so unless you have completed every section of your profile chances are recruiters can’t find you. You can also share your career interests with recruiters on LinkedIn. This option can be activated on your profile and will not be visible to your network so is a good way to let recruiters know you’re looking for a new challenge and what that looks like. Recruiters also use a wide range of job boards so if you’re looking for a new role make sure your CV is visible here too, so we can contact you with relevant opportunities. Stand out – Looking through CV’s is a huge part of a recruiter’s day and they come across the same buzzwords again and again. Overusing words like motivated, initiative, organised, and driven can actually be an indicator of a lack of time and effort going into your CV creation. To stand out, tailor your CV to each role you apply for. The best way to do this is to run through the job description and highlight the key experiences required for the role. Then show how you tick every box and let your personality shine through.

We all know how important branding is for companies but what about us personally? A personal brand exists whether or not you create it for yourself. Not purposefully building it just means you don’t have control over it. The concept of cultivating a personal brand can seem daunting to most of us. But it doesn’t have to be complex or time intensive and can really help people remember you. Two of our consultants experienced this first hand after recently enrolling in The Recruitment Network Trailblazers programme that aims to develop the next generation of recruitment leaders and runs for a year. As part of the programme’s series of regular London based meetups Hannah and Ben enjoyed a workshop that was all about the importance of personal branding for recruiters. We caught up with Hishem Azzouz from the inbound marketing and creative agency, Hoxo Media, who presented the keynote on the day and shared some of his key takeaways with us: “You can only reach a certain amount of people by calling and meeting them. The amazing part about creating content is that you can reach thousands of people with one post. Recruiters historically just share their new jobs everywhere online, but we all know this isn't successful and quite frankly doesn't work. Recruiters are in a really unique position. They listen to candidates’ challenges and aspirations within their industry along with the businesses in that industry. If you have the courage to start sharing your opinion on candidates/clients’ challenges/aspirations then you can work yourself into an amazing position as a recruiter where you won't just be perceived as someone who helps people get new jobs, but someone who is an expert within their industry. Start sharing your opinion online as a recruiter and take a step closer to becoming a thought leader within your space, which in turn will make you stand out amongst your competitors.” Personal branding isn’t just important for recruiters though. No matter what role or industry you’re in; the more successful you want to be, the more important your personal brand becomes. Whether you just want to improve engagement with your network or you’re aiming for personal branding to open doors to public speaking gigs, you decide how far you take it. As a rule of thumb, the more you put into it the more you’ll get out of it. How to get started Your personality is probably the most unique thing about yourself and being your authentic self is the basis of building your personal brand. Don’t be afraid to let your personality and opinions show in the way you communicate online and the types of stories you tell. It’s all about communicating and creating emotional connections with your audience. Being honest about what you know and don’t know will also help you build credibility in your industry. Ever Googled yourself? We suggest you do! Google automatically gives priority to your social channels and will list the channel you’re most active on above the others. Know what search results are attached to your name by auditing them and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit your vision for your personal brand and could even damage your reputation. Next up, take some time to determine your personality traits and amplify them to make your personal brand stronger. Here are some questions to ask yourself: What makes you unique? What do you stand for? What are your values and beliefs? What are you passionate about? What do you want to be known for? Who are you? What makes you unique? What is your vision for your personal brand? What is your goal with personal branding? What are your professional goals? Who is your audience? Who can you help? How can you help them? What makes you different? Including images in your updates is best practice but make sure they are copyright free. There are multiple sites that offer free images without copyright such as unsplash.com, pixabay.com and pexels.com. You’re now ready to start sharing your personal brand with the world! Start by posting regularly, experiment with short videos and write content online and offline. Ben and Hannah’s top 10 personal branding takeaways: Do a little, often. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Have an opinion and share it online. Connect with relevant people and follow influencers for inspiration. Engage regularly with other people’s content and posts. Pick your channels and post regularly instead of posting sporadically on lots of channels. Include relevant hashtags. LinkedIn is increasingly becoming the tool to search and find high calibre candidates, it has never been more important to have your own personal LinkedIn brand. It’s key you build your influence within your sector by posting articles on your niche, having an opinion on topics related to that industry and asking peoples’ thoughts on current developments. A new feature to LinkedIn that is predicted to take off more and more, is the production of video content. When producing content and engaging with your audience it’s crucial to persist. Initially traction will be slow, but as you continue posting regularly your following and audience will grow and reach more people. Finally, be patient and don’t expect overnight success. Everyone expects a flurry of engagement but how often do you engage with other people’s posts? Simply posting an update is not enough, so make sure to respond to comments and questions from your audience and engage with other people’s post too. As you see, it doesn’t have to as complex as building a whole personal branding strategy and your own website. With tools like LinkedIn publishing at your fingertips, writing short blogs and sharing your take on a topic in your industry has never been easier. Why not challenge yourself to make a start today?

Euan McGonagle, who specialises in the field of Python FinTech at Understanding Recruitment, recently attended the Unthink Tank event in London. This edition explored the concept of 'unthinking', inviting leaders and innovators from the tech, disruptor, and creative communities to discuss the issues that impassion and empower them. Technologist, author, applied Artificial Intelligence designer, technologist, accidental polymath, mental health campaigner, and co-founder of 'Us Ai', Pete Trainor, explored the growing role that Artificial Intelligence plays in our every-day lives, from our mental health to our money. Over the last three years, Pete has helped to pioneer an entirely new approach to AI focused products, one that looks at ‘self-evolving systems’ and ‘minimum viable personality’ to help solve societal and human issues. He was recently voted, by the industry, as one of the 5 most influential people in the British digital industry in Econsultancys 2017 industry report. Here's Euan's take on his evening spent at the Unthink Tank: I thoroughly enjoyed Pete Trainor’s talk on the Future of AI in FinTech. The talk focussed on the use of AI as a tool within Financial applications to identify risks to the user’s mental health. In effect, indicators like credit card debt or unusual spending habits are identified and as a result, help is offered to hopefully prevent any harm coming to the user, with a real emphasis being placed on reducing suicide rates. Firstly, I think the idea is absolutely brilliant and the use of technology to possibly save lives can only be applauded. I also think the tech involved is really cool! The ability of AI to learn what is and isn’t normal behaviour, using the data created by the individual and then tailoring its response based on this is a brilliant idea. In my last post I wrote about the use of Open Banking and The FinTech Revolution. This is a brilliant example of that revolution, the use of technology to bring Financial services into the 21st century. Traditionally from an outside perspective at least, the finance sector has looked to make as much money as possible and not think about the customer. I think it’s brilliant that it is moving completely in the other direction with a far more customer centric approach. I think the revolution of the “Disruptive FinTech” has really driven this. The biggest challenge to this kind of technology is to decide where you draw the line between support and surveillance? Ethically, Artificial Intelligence has always thrown up a number of conundrums (although if you believed the media, sometimes you’d think the robots are taking over!). As AI advances, these kinds of issues are going to become more and more prevalent. How we are going to deal with that? I’m not sure… Pete highlighted this issue and put forward a really interesting question on the topic: "Is one person’s life worth more than the privacy of 99 others?" ​ If you're looking for you next tech role in Fintech get in touch with Euan emcgonagle@understandingrecruitment.co.uk 01727 225 551 or check out our latest roles.

With 750,000 new digital jobs by 2020 the UK is facing a huge tech skills shortage. Brexit could help fill this gap. “Could” being the most important word in that sentence. Before my recruitment days I spent a summer working in parliament between my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Studies. In my time there I witnessed a vote to leave the EU, a change of Prime Minister, and an unprecedented amount of shadow cabinet resignations. It was a crazy time. Almost 3 years on I have left parliament, finished my studies, started my recruitment career finding top talent for the UK tech market and then switched to doing the same for the Berlin Tech scene. Being English and recruiting into an international Berlin naturally the topic of Brexit will come up in conversation whilst I’m on the phone, and sometimes people are interested to hear my opinion. If anything, I was expecting to become much more Europe-centric in my stance whilst recruiting into Berlin. But this has not been the case. Why? Well, one thing that stands out about Berlin tech is its truly international nature. Each day I speak to tech professionals from all corners of the globe: Egypt, Brazil, China, the Lebanon, and I could literally list the countries all day. The relative ease of obtaining a visa goes some way to addressing the huge skills shortages in Berlin. Something I think maybe the UK can learn from as they look to attract talent in a time where a good Software Developer has a large list of vacancies to choose from; or should I say a large list of recruiter’s emails to choose to reply to. In Recruiting into the Berlin market what I’ve realised is that, yes! Europe is a big place and something that should definitely be treasured. But, the rest of the world is even bigger, and in each corner of the globe is an immense amount of talent that can, not only address the skills shortage, but also add some real value to the UK’s tech industry. Of course, Brexit has the potential to make the UK look inwards which would be catastrophic. Conversely, it could actually give the UK Tech market an opportunity to look at the wider world for strong tech talent, and it is this that can make the UK realise how big the world actually is.

Well done on getting a new role! Handing in your resignation can be the most daunting part of the process, so here are some tips on how to do it in style. HOW TO RESIGN GRACEFULLY 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within six months as the underlying issues never go away. 50% become active on job boards within 60 days. 1. Plan ahead. Write down what you want to say and list the reasons why just to remind yourself. If you need to practice it with a partner/friend, then do. 2. Be firm and assertive but always remain professional. 3. Thank your manager for all their time and effort but reinforce that your mind is 100% made up and that you would like them to respect your decision. 4. Have a resignation letter with you and get a leaving date confirmed. 5. Be selective on the reasons why you're leaving or where you're going. This information will only be used to sell against your new opportunity. Usually employers act in one of three ways when you hand in your notice: 1. They may thank you for your time and hard work and wish you all the best in your next role. That's the easiest response to get as the employer has accepted your resignation. However, still make sure it's official with your resignation letter and leaving date secured. 2. They may take it personally and be difficult about the whole situation. Fortunately, it's not that common, however you need to remain professional and rise above this. Remember, you're doing it for your best career interests. 3. They counteroffer. All of a sudden you gain a promotion and a pay rise due to your resignation. Sometimes this is enough to persuade an employee to stay on however beware that 90% of all counter offered candidates leave within 6 months as the underlying issues never go away. Just remember the reasons you started to look for a role in the first place. HOW TO HANDLE COUNTEROFFERS 1. Your employer should pay you what you're worth from the beginning, not when you threaten to leave. 2. If you accept a counteroffer, you'll always be considered a fidelity risk. You've already lost their trust and shown your lack of loyalty. 3. Counteroffers are often made to give the employer time to replace you. 4. While a counteroffer may make the situation more tolerable in the short term, your reason for wanting to leave still remains. 5. Counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit. Are you prepared to threaten to quit every time you deserve better compensation?​ 6. Decent and well-managed companies don't make counteroffers. We'll always advise you to decline counteroffers made to you by your current employer.

We can't promise to take away the butterflies, but we can share our interview tips with you. It's time to step up your interview game... Stage 1 Research the company Find out as much as you possibly can about the company. Look at the latest company news, their annual reports, website information, and anything else you can get your hands on. This shows your enthusiasm and interest and will also make you feel more prepared. If it's a close match between you and another candidate, it can make all the difference. Arriving early You should plan your route and give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview. Plan for the worst-case scenario i.e. traffic jams, nowhere to park and so on. Aim to get to the interview at least 20-30 minutes early. If there is a remote chance of being late call a member of Understanding Recruitment so we can make the client aware. Understand your CV Know yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses and achievements? You should try and plan for what questions may be asked during the interview as well as providing examples to back up your answers. These are typically for competency-based interviews (usually lead by the Human Resources department). First impressions count You should always dress appropriately for interviews. This is your first opportunity to impress the client and get off to a great start. Research the company and figure out what the dress code is for the current employees. If in doubt, always dress smartly. Being overdressed is definitely better than being too casual. Stage 2 Smile and offer a firm handshake As well as being a strong cultural and technical fit, it's also good to portray yourself as someone who would be a real asset to work with. Always offer a firm handshake when you meet interviewers. Even make an effort to get on with reception whilst you're waiting as this feedback does filter through. If an interviewer is unsure about you, they may well poll others you passed in the corridor or briefly met. It may not be fair, but it is common practice. Communicate concisely and listen carefully Thoughtful and concise communication is the key to successful interviewing. Listen very closely to the interviewer and don't interrupt their question as this can be extremely frustrating. Also use positive body language. Be respectful It's important to show the utmost respect to everyone you meet throughout the interview process from the office junior through to the CTO. Everyone you meet will be part of the decision-making process. Don't ramble The most effective interviews are those where an interactive two-way conversation prevails. Make sure you answer the question directly without any rambling. Each answer should be no longer than 1-2 minutes. Stage 3 Provide examples There's nothing more powerful than backing up an answer to a question with an example of how you demonstrated that particular capability/characteristic. That's why it's important to try and predict some of the likely questions and plan out your responses with strong examples. Prepare questions Asking a few questions during or at the end of an interview can be a really positive sign to an interviewer while also answering any lingering queries you may have about the role. Make sure these questions are well thought out and relevant but also of interest, rather than purely for the sake of asking a question. If you're interested in the job, tell them! Too many candidates don't let the client know exactly how interested they are in the opportunity. If you're keen on the position, it's crucial to express your high level of commitment. Don't be afraid to ask what the next stage would be and whether they would want to be informed if you receive another offer in the meantime (this may well speed up the process).​ Communicate concisely and listen carefully Don't blag - you'll eventually be found out. We've already discussed the importance of being prepared for the interview which means that there should be very few hidden surprises. However, if you do get that "difficult question" that you're struggling on, don't blag an answer, be honest, and say you don't know, but that it's an area you'd be keen to learn and explore further.

Your CV is your digital handshake and the first thing your potential employer sees. Here's how to make a great first impression. The tech market is growing rapidly and there's an increase of talent. This makes your CV a really important tool to help you stand out from the crowd. Your CV should always be role specific and provide a brief, but full account of your working life, including your interests and academic achievements. Personal Information - Name - Address - Telephone number - Email address - DOB (optional) Employment History - List your employers in date order (starting with the most recent) - The role you held in each company - A short summary of your tasks and responsibilities Education - GCSE's & A-levels (or equivalent) - Degree - Any other professional training or qualifications - Relevant skills Interests - What you like to do outside of work Referees -Whether they can be contacted COVER LETTERS Some roles require you to submit a cover letter. It should be a short statement to summarise your CV, highlighting why you're right for the job. Remember to tailor your cover letter to every position you apply for. Here's an example: Dear Name (or Sir/Madam as appropriate), Opening Paragraph: Identify yourself; state what position you're applying for and where the vacancy was advertised. Second Paragraph: Cover: why you're interested in the job/work and why the company appeals to you. Mention your academic background, relevant qualifications and related work experience. Third Paragraph: Mention that you've enclosed your CV/completed application form - and cover any additional points of relevance. Finally: Close with the following: your availability to interview, your expected salary (or current package), and a positive final sentence to encourage a positive response. Yours Sincerely, Your name

We think of Product Managers as the CEOs of the product, responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for that product or product line. With the tech industry booming, the role of Product Manager, is becoming increasingly significant. But how can you make sure you stand out from the crowd when you’re looking for your next challenge? Our Head of Product Recruitment, Zak Forbes, specialises in this field and has put together some tips for you to step up your game! Your CV 1. Listing your achievements should form the core of your CV and lets employers know what you’ve done. While it does sound like common CV advice, you’d be surprised how few people do it. Did you lead the development of a new product? Did you look after the product from the research phase to release? Did you implement a new way of gathering customer feedback? Were you the champion of the team methodology? Let us know about it! 2. Be clear about what type of product you worked on and were involved in building. Was it data analytics, a B2C restaurant app, a new e-commerce platform, EdTech, or something like a challenger bank? The type of product you have experienced with is crucial to securing your next role. Also mention what size of business you built a product within. For example, you could say: “I work/ed for a global retailer and built the analytics product, that enabled managers across the world, to know which lines were selling and which weren’t.” 3. Be succinct - no one wants to read long statements about everything you’ve ever done. The less you write, the clearer it is to see what you’ve actually done, so focus on the stuff that really matters. 4. Don’t forget to mention challenges you’ve overcome. Did you come into a product behind schedule? Did the stakeholders hate your product ideas? Or did you hate the stakeholders’ ideas but pushed back anyway? Product leaders like to know you can be relied on to make a difference to the business, so make sure to mention the difference you’ve made in past roles! The Job Search 5. Product Managers are some of the most active, when it comes to giving back to the community they work in. At the start of your job search, it’s worth increasing your activity on social media channels, attending meet-ups, or creating something in your own time to showcase your skills. Hiring managers love to see that you’re passionate about creating brilliant products outside of work too. 6. Knowing the market is important to your job search. Understand who the movers and shakers are, and which are the growing sectors. This will give you lots of insight into the type of roles to apply for, but also a lot to talk about at your interviews. Try to be a little savvier in your research, we all know who the challenger banks are. Common Interview Feedback We Get from Clients 7. Too often, candidates don’t have enough specific examples to illustrate what they’ve done. This leaves hiring managers thinking they were just part of a team, told what to do by someone else. To avoid this, be clear about what your involvement was and think of situations you can talk about as examples. 8. Another piece of common feedback we hear a lot, is that the candidate didn’t demonstrate leadership capabilities. Even if you’re joining a large team, Product Managers must be able to lead people in some capacity. They must be able to guide anyone, from stakeholders, to developers, designers, all the way to the CEO. This doesn’t mean you have to be a micromanager, but you do have to be a natural leader of people and demonstrate this. 9. Being clear and concise is difficult to prep for but is always analysed in a Product interview. Many candidates aren’t clear enough. You’re going to have to be able to communicate effectively with everyone, so interviewers need to know you can speak about a subject clearly and concisely. Normally this is judged by asking questions such as “What did your role entail?” or something along the lines of “Tell us about a product you’ve worked on.” General Interview Tips 10. Do your research and make sure you know the company you’re interviewing with. A lot of clients will test your knowledge and ask what you would change about their product. Being prepared will not only avoid any hesitation in your answer but will also show that you’re interested in the role and the company. 11. Avoid talking too much about your team and focus more on talking about yourself. While you want to show that you’re a team player, and speak about your team’s achievements, always saying the team did this or the team did that, makes it seem like you had no real control.

Our Head of Contracts Alexandra Martuccio works with all our Contractors daily. Here are her top tips to secure your next contracting role! 1. Don’t be a generic consultant or jack of all trades. Most clients we work with are looking for specific skill sets for their projects. 2. Make sure to read the role that is advertised in detail. If you have experience in the skills mentioned, make sure to highlight these on your CV. Only include the relevant skills you think match the role and describe what you’ve achieved by applying them in past roles. 3. In addition to skills, list relevant work experience you’ve had that is similar to the role you’re applying for. 4. What is your unique selling point? What makes you stand out from the other 500 applicants? 5. You may have the skills for the role but does your CV tell the same story? It’s the first thing we (and the client) see. 6. Clients and I don’t need to know your blood type or how many pets you have – keep it professional! 7. LinkedIn is your shop window and where clients find you. Double check that your CV and your LinkedIn profile match in terms of contract dates, companies and job titles. 8. Quantity is not always quality. CVs don’t need to be 20 pages long to be good. Just include the most up to date roles over the last 5-8 years in detail including a few bullet points followed by job title, client and dates. 9. Make sure your CV looks presentable and double check for spelling mistakes and alignment issues. Ask someone else to take a look for you and make any changes we might suggest before we put you forward for a role.​

We caught up with Understanding Recruitment's Founding Director, Dale Swords, to talk about the latest issue affecting the hiring process. We all have biases we aren’t aware of. It’s a human trait, to be more attracted and form stronger bonds with people who act and look similar to ourselves. After all, familiarity is comfortable. But this is exactly the bias that’s breaking your hiring process one interview at a time. Would you say most hiring processes are broken? In my experience, companies that are growing quickly sometimes haven’t been deliberate enough about their hiring process and end up allowing unconscious biases to creep into their decision making. Although a lot of companies are already aware of this issue and claim they are trying to make their hiring processes less bias, it is easy to fall into the trap. In many cases, people don’t even realise they’re doing it. How do people know if they have biases and what do these biases look like? We all have our own biases but aren’t necessarily aware of it. It’s an almost hardwired trait and isn’t necessarily malicious or prejudice. Most CEOs understand the concept of unconscious bias but don’t believe it’s happening at their company. And that’s the problem. If the bias comes from the top down it can easily get embedded into an organisation. Some examples of unconscious bias are judging people on their name, gender, origin, the University they attended, and the titles they’ve held. It can also be the initial feeling they give you based on their looks or even what they’re wearing. Whichever it is, the outcome is that people are discounting the candidate from the hiring process or making them first choice for the wrong reasons. Why is unconscious bias a hazard in the workplace? Encouraging certain hiring processes means they become the norm. Because of the biases, a lot of talent is missed out on because they “didn’t fit” the profile the hiring manager was looking for. When people involved in the hiring process are encouraged to look for a certain profile or behaviours, that negatively impacts business performance. You could be losing out on talent without knowing it. There can also be legal implications around discrimination. Why is it so important for the hiring process to eliminate unconscious bias? It’s all really about fairness and inclusiveness. Companies that embrace diversity are proven to be much better positioned for innovation and perform better. It also creates a more diverse and inclusive company which research proves makes for a far more productive and successful business. Can a broken hiring process be fixed? The good news is that the easiest place to remove unconscious bias is in recruitment. Taking the time to make biases visible will help companies address them and improve the diversity of their teams. We advise our clients to work with standardised competency-based questions, making sure questions don’t vary between candidates so they are interviewed objectively. Letting interviewers pick their own questions means that their experience of the candidate can vary. While some people might just have a friendly chat based on common interests, others interrogate the candidate. This means that candidates often end up being recommended for the role based on a personal connection rather than their ability to do the job, a fact often supported by the company’s staff retention rate, a statistic often ignored. Having different people with multiple perspectives involved can also help check the unconscious bias of any individual during the interview process. Who is responsible for it? I think it’s the job of everyone involved in the hiring process, from the hiring manager to the person writing the job description, to be mindful of diversity every step of the way. What role will artificial intelligence play in the future of recruitment? AI is everywhere. Lots of companies use chat bots to run initial job interviews. For example, Nike and Intel use intelligent video software to analyse 25,000 data points from video interviews. AI can see around our biases and is a great tool to extract human emotion, but at the same time that’s what works against it. While it means people are getting the same chance regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, or University attended, I don’t think AI will take our jobs away any time soon. Technology just doesn’t have the human traits needed to make a well-rounded hiring decision, but it helps make it fairer. ​ How is Understanding Recruitment dealing with the issue? We recently launched an App we’ve called i-Q that offers users a combination of advanced technology and cutting-edge methodology. It helps businesses of all sizes get more in-depth candidate assessment and streamlines the recruitment process, eliminating unconscious bias by using a scientific approach to the process. Using the App’s features, clients determine what factors are most important to them in the hiring process which helps minimise unconscious bias and means candidates are selected on both their suitability for the role as well as their behaviours being in line with the organisation. It also assists in writing job applications, includes psychometric testing and candidate videos. We can also help clients calculate the cost of a bad hire with our cost calculator tool which has really helped to illustrate to our customers the significance of getting this right. In the long-term, we aim to help clients gradually shift away from contingency based recruitment towards a more dependable and focused search approach which supports them in reducing their staff retention, improving their hiring process and enhancing the recruitment process for everyone.

The tech industry is booming. While that is good news, it means that the war for talent is raging on with no sign of subsiding. Highly skilled IT professionals are finding that they have their pick of jobs, and no matter how great the perks found across the tech industry are, tech organisations (even the giants of the industry) can’t totally avoid the job-hopping nature of today’s workforce. While talent shortage is set to be the single biggest hurdle faced by recruiters across almost all industries, a recent PayScale report shows that the employee turnover rate among Fortune 500 companies in the IT industry is the highest among industries surveyed. Chances are that employee retention is an issue in your business. And you’re not alone. Nearly half of all employees across the UK are worried they won’t be able to find the talent they need with over three quarters saying they are struggling to find relevant candidates. With employers so keen to fill tech roles quickly, there is a temptation to just hire on instinct (or in some cases, desperation), making bad hires a growing issue across the industry. What is a bad hire? We define a bad hire as somebody who leaves your business within the first year of their employment. But it is also someone who just doesn’t have the skills to fulfil their role, who underperforms and doesn’t fit seamlessly into the rest of the team. According to the REC’s latest report, 85% of HR decision-makers admit their business has made a bad hire. 1 in 3 HR decision-makers also think it didn’t cost the business anything when they hired the wrong person, while 1 in 5 stated that they don’t know what the cost of a bad hire is. What is the true cost of a bad hire? Everyone knows that hiring is expensive. But so is re-recruiting to replace people who turned out to be bad hires. There’s the cost of creating job descriptions, advertising roles, reading through CVs, and carrying out interviews all over again. And it doesn’t stop there. After a new hire joins the business, you need to facture in onboarding costs and training. In most cases, the true cost works out to be roughly 3.5 x their annual salary which, clearly has a negative impact on business. What are the consequences of a bad hire? Apart from the substantial monetary cost, a bad hire can affect team morale and lead to low productivity. They also have a detrimental effect on your brand reputation over time as they are likely to interact with your customers. Poor performers lower the bar for other employees and bad habits spread like a virus. If an employee is not working to their full capacity, there is bound to be a knock-on effect on the rest of the team. According to Agency Central, 39% of hiring managers said poor hires had cost them productivity. When a team is struggling with lost productivity they may be urged to start assuming additional duties that aren’t really part of their role. In addition to impacting their own performance, it will also affect their ability to meet deadlines and targets. The negative change in the team’s morale will almost always be one of the first indicators of a bad hire. Disengagement is contagious, and the resulting toxic atmosphere puts your remaining employees at risk of leaving also. In the long run, it’s more difficult for managers and their teams to accommodate a poor performer than it is to invest in recruiting quality candidates. It’s clear that the cost of not firing a bad employee far outweighs the cost of keeping a bad hire in your business. How to avoid bad hires While there’s no obvious formula to avoid making bad hires, there are ways to retain employees for longer and conquer the battle of talent. Businesses can start with promoting a flexible and inclusive workforce, implementing soft skills assessment tools and properly inducting new recruits. Low pay, lack of clear career progression opportunities and no flexible working solutions are the main reasons why employees leave. By boosting these, businesses can increase engagement, productivity and teamwork, while also retaining talent for longer. Investing in learning opportunities and innovative training provides a better and more immersive experience to employees while also developing the next generation of leaders. A recent study by Udemy uncovered that 46% of employees cite limited opportunities to learn new skills as the top reason why they’re bored in their current roles and looking for a change. For more tips on how to fix your recruitment process check out this blog. Tools you can use Using a specialist recruitment agency can dramatically reduce the risk involved in taking on a new employee. Consultants are experienced in matching the right candidates to the right employer daily and are skilled to spot the tell-tale signs of a bad fit from the get go. Dale Swords, Managing Director Understanding Recruitment, recently told the Global Recruiter: “We have a responsibility to our clients to make sure that we offer the solution to an industry wide problem. Ultimately, finding the talent others can’t is what separates the good from the great recruiters.” “To help clients, tackle the issue of employee retention, we've also launched i-Q, a unique candidate assessment App. It offers a new recruitment experience for both clients and candidates that is much more user friendly and intuitive than the usual process. The app makes all the information about candidates accessible on the go, including candidate video profiles. i-Q also combines methodology and technology and assesses candidates using recognised tools, such as McQuaig behavioural profiling. Overall the app is designed to reduce the recruitment costs and we guarantee a 96% retention rate over 12 months.”