Category: Workplace

Employee experience can seriously impact your bottom line. The Employer Brand Index gives you insight into what talent really thinks about your company.

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Workplace

How Do You Best Approach a Target Employer?

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I received a question from a loyal reader the other day. Let’s pretend her name is Ying and that she is in the photo. Ying works in the PR world and has been thinking about moving jobs for while now, let’s hear what she has to say.
 
Question:
 
“I’m actively looking for a senior in-house PR/comms role in a large organization. Given the current competitive job market, is it more effective to go through recruitment agencies or to directly approach target companies?”
 
Answer:
 
Ying already knows what role she is looking for and possibly what companies as well. This means there is little need for using job boards, this is a case of how to pitch yourself to the employer.
 
The market is very tough indeed and the best route to a new job is to get introduced to the company by someone credible. By that I mean someone the company trusts and that is willing to put their reputation on the line for you. This someone can either work for the company already, they could be a client or supplier or even a competitor.
 
In a perfect world, we would have great contacts at every company we want to work for. Whenever we felt like moving jobs, we’d ring that particular contact up and they would introduce us to the right people.
 
Some people have great networks and are actually close to this, but most of us don’t and have to look at other options.
 
Networking
 
By getting to know people that work for your target company, you will get a way in. The best way to strike up these acquantancies would be to attend industry events, networking evenings and using social media online to get close to the right people. Networking will take time and a great deal of effort. Don’t expect results to come in overnight and remember that being an effective networker is all about helping others and this way they will return the favor one day.
 
Recruiters
 
Using a recruiter basically means you are leveraging their network and contacts to get a new position. Some recruiters have great relationships with hiring managers and can smooth talk them into interviewing you, sometimes even when there is no position going. The recruiter route is quick and can be very effective, the downside is that it will cost the company money to hire you. By using a recuiter you are attaching a price tag to yourself, which for some companies can be an additional hurdle for you to get a job offer.
 
Networking, recruiters… which is better then?
 
I would say use both. The networking should really be an integral part to anyone’s career management. The thing with networking is that you never know when a good opportunity comes up, typically when you least expect it. With recruiters it’s more straightforward, they will only look at smoking hot positions that need to filled pronto.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Categories
Timebound Workplace

Hate Your Job? He’ll be the Judge of That!

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Today, I spoke to Vincenzo Migliore, who is a Manchester (England) based recruitment veteran and founder/director of the website Judge the Job.
 
Tell us Vincenzo, what is Judge the Job all about?
 
Judge the Job is an anonymous employee review site that allows users to discover the real best companies to work for.
 
How does it help people out there?
 
We all know how difficult it can be to make a career move or decide whether or not to join a particular company, so the aim of Judge the Job is not to replace, but to provide another trusted and unbiased source of information, that helps in this process. Actually it’s a little bit like therapy, helping you put things into perspective by encouraging you to take time out, to think about all the elements good and bad that make up your job. And actually after leaving a review… Well, it’s kind of satisfying.
 
How many reviews are listed?
 
We currently have almost 100 live reviews for a range companies from Lloyds TSB, British Airways, BT Group and more.
 
What do companies think about being listed?
 
Aah yes, interesting one! It really varies, some feel a little uncomfortable with the loss of control and concerned about what people will say, now that we are giving them the chance, whereas other companies, believe it or not, have actively asked their employees to visit the site and get involved, which is great!
 
Does it cost anything?
 
No, it’s completely free to use and I quote, “we will never charge users to access reviews”. In fact all we ask is that you submit a quick anonymous review in return for 12 months full access to the site.
 
Reasons you started it up?
 
Having worked in the recruitment industry I was becoming a little skeptical of so many companies offering so called ‘great opportunities’, and I realized it would be helpful if there was somewhere people could actually read first hand experiences for themselves.
 
I also noticed how much time people seemed to be spending reading/writing reviews about holidays, restaurants, and even smaller purchases such as books and CDs…. Yet there seemed very few places for people to review one of the biggest parts of their lives, their jobs.
 
So I set about creating Judge the Job; allowing users to anonymously discuss their experiences of working at particular companies.
 
Is Judge the Job just for people to complain about their company?
 
Well some might think so, but this something we work hard to avoid, we’re aiming for balanced reviews of the workplace. Ok we understand people like to moan about work but on JudgetheJob, companies deserve a fair trial which is why we insist people put the good and bad points before completing their review – no company deserves 0%. After all there’s always something good about your job – even if it’s just the people you work with.
 
Admittedly it is up to the users to make this work, the more information they share the more useful it will become as a career tool. But judgethejob.com isn’t about anonymous ‘revenge’; it’s about honest, open reviews and sharing of that information. All reviews are personally read and approved before they go live on the site. We’ve also put some pretty strict guidelines in place to make sure people treat the community and members with respect.
 
Where are you taking your site next?
 
The natural step for us is to include vacancies, something we are looking to introduce fairly soon. We’re also constantly exploring new ways of developing and improving the site and in fact have something very special planned for the coming months….so watch this space!
 
Give me 3 reasons why people should go to your site right now?
 
You can access all reviews free of charge, you can read inside information on the companies you want to work for and finally you can get that much needed career therapy!
 
Grazie mille for your time Vincenzo.
 
Vincenzo Migliore is the founder of Judge the Job, a site that allows employees to anonymously read/write impartial reviews about their place of work.
 
You can reach him via

Categories
Employer Branding Workplace

Do You Get a Pay Increase when Changing Jobs Internally?

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Got this question from a Linkedin contact today and thought I would share the answer with the world, and at the same time enlighten any other career advancers who are in the same boat.
 
First off, let’s pretend the contact’s name is Carlos and mainly for comedy effect that he is the mustache sporting gentleman in the photo above. Second, let’s look at the question:
 
New internal gig, more wonga?
 
“Can I ask you for an advice? If I am given an opportunity to change my role/responsibilities by moving to a different department in the same company, is it a good idea to ask for a raise?
 
Thing is a new role has opened up in my company and open for internal people only. I am very much interested. As part of the process, I am required to go through interviews and other recruitment related stuff. I am thinking of asking for compensation raise when I am in the final round. Is this fine thing to do? If yes, what stage should I ask for it – final stage when everything is confirmed or at the first step even before applying for it?”
 
Of course he should get more moolah
 
There are really two questions here. The first is, should Carlos ask for raise when moving jobs internally? I would say yes he should. The new position could entail new tasks, more responsibilities or more travelling to different sites – these are all good reasons for giving someone a raise as they increase the workload, stress and learning curve for the employee. But what if the new position is merely a change of scenery, doing the exact same job but in another location? Carlos should still get a raise as he has to make changes in his life, and he is crucially taking a risk moving away from the safe confines of his current position. 
 
How much does one ask for?
 
Carlos doesn’t want to rule himself out early in the process by making high demands. In my experience, he has nothing to fear as long as his request is reasonable and he can justify it. Asking for a 10% increase when taking on a new position is realistic, perhaps even 15%. If Carlos goes any higher than this, he could be treading on thin ice.
 
What about the timing?
 
Question number two is when does he ask for the pay hike? The more honest and upfront he is, the more he will be respected for it. There is nothing wrong in valuing your own work as long as you can back it up. I say he should prepare the reasons why a raise is justified and then mention it in the first interview. It can even work in Carlos’ favor if the hiring manager realizes that Carlos doesn’t sugar coat anything and speaks his mind on matters like these.
 
Bottom line
 
Going for a new internal position is a safer way of learning a new job in a tough economy. You are still taking a risk though and you deserve a reward for it. If you want something, you have to ask for it. And you have to be prepared to back your request up with a good case. As long as you provide value equal to, or exceeding your request – you are in the money. Go for it Carlos and please let us know how it went!
 
What is your experience of moving jobs internally, more cash or just more work? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Categories
Workplace

12 Kickass Ways to Love Your Job

Just how happy are you at your workplace? No matter how well you do your job, you may not always be appreciated or rewarded for the work you do. You could also face many challenges in your workplace, such as: Little fulfillment Long hours and tight deadlines Conflicting demands on your time and loyalty Little…

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Timebound Workplace

Desperate People Don’t Get New Jobs, Try This Approach Instead

Just like in the world of dating, looking desperate is not going to get you anywhere in your job search. When someone sees the glint of desperation in your eye, they question your motives and you lose credibility in an instant. Sure, there is a correlation of number of job applications and number of interviews…

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Workplace

Top 5 Buying Signals in Job Interviews

A job interview is essentially a sales meeting. The product or service you are selling and marketing is yourself. The best sales people are very good listeners and thus your most important interviewing skill is listening. Being a good listener allows you to pick up on the subtle details that could indicate interest; these are…

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Talent Acquisition Workplace

Elevator Pitch or Take the Stairs?

“Have a nice day”, I love New York Tee shirts, Canary Yellow Cabs, and Elevator pitches. Being a true Brit my instant feelings towards an elevator pitch is clear – a collision of Anglo-American culture that is hard for everyone in Britain to instantly align themselves with. Admittedly, the benefits that can come from a…

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Workplace

Job Interview Preparation Makes for Great Conversation

Come along with me on this recap of the great interview you just had, and how your preparation made it rock. Let’s pretend… You’ve been keeping a list of possible interview questions and the best stories from your past history to illustrate those. The stories are very specific, crafted to leave a positive impression on…

Categories
Workplace

8 Ways to Choose Your New Boss

Going for a job interview is as much about you being interviewed as you interviewing the interviewer. Remember that the reason you are in an interview is that the employer has a need that you can hopefully be the solution to. Before you agree to join a company, you want to be sure that the…