Age & Opportunity

Staying in Jobs

As more and more workers are staying in jobs beyond the previous retirement age, this can offer firms a wealth of experience from the employer’s side, and also allow older employees opportunities in terms of new skills and, indeed, new careers.  According to William Fry’s 2016 Employment Report: Age In The Workplace, 48% of organisations, do not have a mandatory retirement age at all. Another stand-out statistic was that 63% of older employees do not wish to, nor expect to be in a financial position to retire at the current state pension age.

Security and Opportunity

This trend is reflected in worldwide statistics and is not just an Irish phenomenon. The U.S. Census Bureau is predicting a 5% rise in workers over the age of 65 by the year 2022. This makes this particular age group the fastest growing in the American economy. Another example of this trend is in Korea where new figures show that 37% of new employees are now over the age of 50.  A recent poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) showed that more than seven in 10 human resource professionals believe the loss of skilled older workers is “a potential problem” for their particular sectors. As the number of industries looking to keep or employ experienced employees increases, this offers older employees opportunities in terms of learning new skills, changing job or even changing career.  For employers, the benefits of hiring an older employee are easy to see. An employer can determine how loyal a candidate is. This is not the case with a graduate. An older employee also has the potential to be more flexible as their family circumstances may be more stable than a younger employee. Giving older employees opportunities also creates the ‘mentor factor’ where younger employees can gain the wisdom and insights of someone who has a depth of life experience.

Changing Perception

As a new perception of today’s workforce dynamic begins to emerge, both employers and employees alike can benefit. Opportunities for older employees can help transition a company through the current economic climate by contributing stability, wisdom and experience.    

Construction Sector Encouraging Female Applicants

AECOM Warning

There was some surprise this week when government figures were released showing that only 1% of apprentices are women. Out of 9’587 apprentices, only 52 were female.

One area where this gender imbalance is having a huge effect is the construction sector.

Last week, AECOM released a statement which included the following warning, “The construction sector in Ireland must improve gender diversity if it is to tackle the industry-wide skills shortage.” At the moment, men account for 90% of the construction sector’s employee’s.

Speaking Out

Speaking ahead of UK Construction Week, which runs from October 18^th at the NEC, Birmingham, Director, Nathan Garnett is encouraging more women to consider construction as a career. UK Construction Week is hoping to change the image of the sector and make it more attractive to female applicants. It is estimated that in Britain alone over 250’000 new construction jobs will be created over the next five years. This is a huge opportunity for apprentices and graduates. This is echoed by an Irish Director of AECOM, John O Reagan.

O Reagan believes that flexible hours, days worked and the option for working from home can attract women to various construction sectors. AECOM have set themselves a target of making 40% of their European staff women by 2020. Like the UK, the projection for Irish construction jobs is also high, and with over 80’000 new jobs expected to be created by 2020, O Reagan believes that it is only through diversity and overcoming previous biases that we will manage to fill these vacancies.

One innovative element of AECOM’s recruitment strategy is to raise the profile of its female employees in order to encourage others into the construction and property sector.

Career Profile

Casey Elsby, a crane operator with construction firm Laing O’ Rourke, believes that choosing a construction career path can be of huge benefit to women and will strengthen and diversify a person’s career profile. With women making up half of the overall career pool, the construction sector cannot afford to ignore such numbers based on the job vacancy projections currently being forecast.

Tough Interview Questions

Managers More Sophisticated

In a previous Blog post, we spoke about various preparation techniques which can help a candidate with nerves and apprehension relating to tough job interview questions. Recently, a survey published by Business Insider UK revealed that leading hiring managers are becoming even more sophisticated regarding gleaning information from candidates without candidates truly understanding the effect their answers can have. The reason for this, according to Tina Nicolai, founder of Resume Writers Ink, is to break through traditional interview “noise and clutter”. In other words, managers are aware that with so many free online interview tutorials available to candidates, answers to traditionally tough job interview questions can be rehearsed beforehand. This makes hiring decisions more difficult to negotiate.

First Five Minutes Crucial

A recent Harris Poll Survey is a telling dissection of employer’s attitudes to interviews, with 50% saying that they have decided upon a candidate’s suitability within the first five minutes.

Is this down to a flaw within a candidate’s interview strategy or attitude? Tellingly, it may connect to the topic of tough job interview questions. Richard Branson, writing in The Virgin Way: Everything I know About Leadership, has concluded that a manager cannot always believe what is written on a CV and suggests beginning an interview with a question like, “What didn’t you get a chance to write on your resume?” 

If this sounds like a question that might catch a candidate off-guard, then spare a thought for those interviewed by Elon Musk, the South African-born business magnate. Musk has used this geography riddle as one of his tough job interview questions, “You’re standing on the surface of the earth. You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north. You end up exactly where you started. Where are you?”

The answer, by the way, is either the North or the South Pole.

The Best Advantage

Here at Elk Recruitment, our knowledge of the fast-moving recruitment environment differentiates us from our competitors. We strive to give all of our candidates the best advantage relating to industry knowledge, career advice and the best preparation for all of those tough job interview questions.

Choosing The Postgraduate Route

A Higher Degree Increase Potential Earnings.

Today’s Blog follows on from last weeks which highlighted the various paths open to students and graduates by examining the advantages of a postgraduate degree.

Having finished college, the most popular route taken by graduates is into immediate employment but deciding to pursue further education, as well as diversifying, can give a potential employee numerous advantages in today’s job market.

Statistics show that the higher level of qualification a graduate has, the higher their earnings will ultimately be. This in itself may seem justification enough to seriously consider the postgraduate path. But research also shows that a higher degree has the benefit of increasing a candidate’s chances of being called to interview when compared with a bachelor’s degree. As many graduates know, competition in today’s employment market begins with CV appraisal and well before the interview stage.

Adapt and Thrive

The range of additional skills that come with further education can also be advantageous in the areas of self-management, confidence and the ability to diversify in order to find multi-level solutions to business problems and impasses. Prospective employees with the ability to think on their feet and bring a wide range of experience to an organisation are valued highly. Gary Hamel, one of the world’s foremost business thinkers and strategists, summed this up perfectly when he said, “You can’t build an adaptable organisation without adaptable people.”

Extra Third Level Funding

Funding for third level degree courses is expected to rise significantly in this year’s budget which will be announced in October. Some figures suggest an investment of over 100 million Euros, part of which will be allocated towards postgraduate grants. This is in itself good reason to reconsider the postgraduate path. Courses can accommodate varying needs, including both taught and research-based curriculum’s so there is room for manoeuvre depending upon a graduates circumstances. Whether a graduate chooses to progress in such varying sectors such as computing or healthcare the employment statistics tell the same story; the further a candidate progresses in education, the more likely they will be to find employment. Postgraduate job statistics continue to bear this out.

Life After The Leaving Cert

Pathways and Crossroads.

Now that the leaving cert results have been announced there will be many graduates facing different choices and pathways. Some of these decisions will be determined by expected outcomes whereas for others this moment will bring uncertainty. There may be the need to reassess where to go from here. Perhaps for some this will be the first time in their lives where thinking outside of previous expectation is required. For others, it will be one step further along a chosen path.

Follow Your Heart.

There are many famous instances where classroom ability fails to reflect the intelligence, ingenuity, and potential of a student. Albert Einstein’s poor schooling record, which included an expulsion, is the perfect example. A more recent entrepreneur who did not receive a degree was Steve Jobs who had this to say, “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Reflect, Act and Believe.

Today might be the day when you decide upon your dream and begin to pursue it. Or, maybe it will be the day you realise that the dream you thought you wanted is not for you. However, at moments like this, it is always beneficial to reflect upon where to go next. Perhaps you will look back upon your schooling and find yourself exactly where you want to be. Or maybe you will decide to move in an entirely new direction. The world is full of dream jobs waiting to be filled, and you may become the new Steve Jobs or Sheryl Sandberg or you may not. In the words of Anatole France, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan but also believe.” Remember no matter what, tomorrow is the beginning of whatever you want it to be.

The Growth Of Electronic Aptitude Tests

Online numerical, verbal and logical reasoning examinations are becoming more and more popular with prospective employers. These methods of evaluation are used to quantify a candidate’s skills when it comes to structured and systematic ways of thinking.  There can also be a time element involved which may be indicative of conditions a candidate would be expected to perform under if securing future employment. In particular, electronic tests are becoming the standard procedure for organisations that draw a large volume of applicants.

Electronic examinations can discover particular skill-sets and abilities related to a specific occupation. By comparing the answers and choices of candidates an employer can quickly select those most suitable to their sector. This information is then assessed to determine who will go forward into the next stage of the interview process. Although many aptitude tests relate initially to numerical and literacy skills, it is not unusual for employers to attempt to discover deeper and underlying traits in prospective employees. In this context, some tests will ask a candidate to evaluate a scenario which they may experience in employment. Some of these situational judgment questions are derived in order to evaluate psychological thinking within social anxiety situations and are particularly prevalent to careers within law enforcement, the medical profession and social work. A candidate’s answers will often reflect potential teamwork and leadership skills.   

In most circumstances a candidate will be told in advance when the exam will take place and so, as in face to face interviews, will have an opportunity to prepare. There are some differences in terms of how to prepare for an online examination, however. Participants may be asked to use a calculator and a pen and notepaper. An environment conducive to a formal examination may also be specified, such as a quiet room or a place where a candidate will not be interrupted for the duration of the exam. Finally, it is worth remembering that in most circumstances once an electronic exam has begun it cannot be interrupted so a good network connection is imperative in order to maximise the chances of a fully completed test being delivered.

How Good Communication Can Benefit Staff Retention

Employee retention can be a problem for businesses in every sector. Perhaps one of the most overlooked factors relating to this issue is the non-communication of a clear lack of vision on behalf of the employer. 

This absence of clarity can affect employees in a surprising number of ways. For example, foresight and job security are intimately intertwined and demonstrate a thorough commitment to a goal, creating a shared vision between both employer and employee alike.

In the words of renowned motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” 

Without clear and consistent communication, however, an employee can become disconnected to a company ethos and may end up feeling isolated within an unnecessarily fractured environment. In many cases the employer may be unaware of the employee’s feelings in the first place resulting in surprise when notice is given. Time is then spent trying to stem the loss of productivity and the further complication of having to source and appoint new staff who will need to receive induction and training.

This issue can be avoided by improving work-place communication which can be instigated and amended using a variety of tried and tested methods. Assigning a time for regular meetings, for example, is a logical and progressive tactic which can maintain contact on a formal level to begin with. However, personal check-ins and memos which encourage employee questions, as well as imparting information relating to what is expected of them, is a less used but equally valuable way to encourage ongoing communication outside of structured timetables.

An employee will remember when their employer refers to suggestions that they have made and will feel that they are being listened to when contributed input they have offered in the past is acknowledged and acted upon. In turn, a reciprocal relationship develops trust and security, factors which cement the bond between employer and employee. An employer who has demonstrated the ability to be open and available to discuss the ideas and experiences of employees is much less likely to lose staff in the medium term.

The Night Before The Interview

The night before a job interview can bring as much apprehension as it does excitement but if you have prepared properly there is no need to fall victim to nerves or a last minute attack of self-doubt. Remember, this is the position you wished to find yourself in: to have been selected from the many applicants and CV’sand now you will have the opportunity to speak further for yourself and to expand upon the experience and skills that your prospective employer has already noticed.

Presuming all of the preparatory work has been done, such as researching the organisation and possible questions and responses, there are practical and potentially calming tasks you can carry out in order to compliment your mental preparedness.

For example, deciding what to wear and having your selection ready the night before will create confidence and extra time on the morning of the interview. This will also allow you to begin the day with a sense of control. Such a seemingly small detail is often overlooked but it can help calibrate your mindset for the interview ahead.

Another practical tip which can eliminate unexpected hitches is planning your route to the location of the interview itself. Being aware of a second alternative route in case of bad traffic will allow you the certainty of knowing you will be on time.

Practical tips

Perhaps one of the most important practical tips for the night before the interview is to make sure you allow yourself a proper night’s sleep. There are some practical steps you can take to maximise the chances of being well rested and clear headed when the morning arrives. A walk or exercise the night before can help the body rest. If you find relaxing music helpful then perhaps listening to a favourite album before bed can assist this process. Try to eliminate or reduce any kind of screen-time in the hours before you sleep as this can often excite the brain and delay the instigation of the sleep process.  Go to bed at your usual time and feel confident that you have everything under control.  And good luck!

Can My Social Networking Impact My Job Hunt?

With the advent of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Instagram to name but a few, people are inclined to publish just about anything in relation to their personal lives, their political views, opinions and in general tend to let their guard down when social networking.

Employers are of course interested in your skills and ability to do the job first and foremost, however in any placement there are also character traits to consider and you don’t want your online content to jeopardise this by posting something that could be construed as offensive. Now of course there must be a line drawn between what goes on in our personal lives and what goes on in our professional lives and people have the right to publish whatever they want but when this information is readily available to prospective employers, it is best to be cautious and keep comments, updates, photos and shares at the very least respectable and choose your audience wisely.

On any social media platform always customise your privacy options to prevent unwanted eyes from accessing your content and keep your content clean. Post content applicable to that forum for example on LinkedIn only post work/industry related topics and certainly don’t use it as a means to air your views about colleagues, current or past employers.  Be careful when and where you post, for instance I have heard many instances of employees ringing in sick and then they post a photo of themselves sipping a cool beer delighted with life or swinging down a zip line. Another good idea is to search yourself on Google or Yahoo and see what comes up, if you find the results should we say questionable then go to that site and delete the content if required to do so.

The age of big brother is here whether we like it or not, it’s not something to be concerned about but it is important you manage it and are mindful of your online brand at all times.

Returning to work after Maternity or Paternity leave.

Answer: Whether you are a mum or dad, the thought of returning to work after considerable time of can be a tough and daunting prospect for most, yet it is a time that is filled with renewed aspirations and excitement of what might be.

If you were on paternity or maternity leave then you probably have an existing job to slot back into which makes things somewhat easier but the change in routine for you and your family will be challenging. If you left your employment entirely before becoming a stay at home parent then returning to work is not so simple as you have the added challenge of trying to find a new job with a career gap in your CV, not to mention that maybe your once up to date skill-set is now outdated.  This should not hinder your desire to return to work or impact your confidence in any way, like any job seeker you will always face rejection and it is up to you to ensure you are skilfully capable to fulfil the role you are applying to and ensure you have prepared for the interview in advance.

Preparation is Key,

In relation to talking about the time period you were of work nurturing and caring for your children, talk about it positively and energetically but drive home the fact that you are now focused on returning to work and getting yourself back into the workforce and carrying on with your career where you left of.  In advance of any interview familiarise yourself with the company, study how the market, your industry and profession has progressed since you were last employed and explain what you did to bridge the gap in your skill set if one exists. Be prepared to explain convincingly how easy it would be for you to get back into your groove and be an asset to that company or position.

You can do it,

The main challenge in returning to work is not your ability to do a job you once did, its having the confidence to do it again and your readiness to return.  Remember, you can and will do it, it just takes belief, perseverance, commitment and lots of preparation. 

Degree or no Degree, that is the question!

I spoke to a candidate earlier this week who was enquiring about a position we had in Dublin, the requirement for the role was a Degree qualified candidate with four years’ experience. The candidate had 5 years’ experience with no Degree and unfortunately was not considered, this is the reality of today’s market.

Although there is a very true saying “you can read volumes on swimming and jump into a pool and drown” I would always advise candidates to read the volumes none the less and to finish a degree if they have the opportunity to do so.  Understood it is a long commitment and can involve considerable cost, but in today’s employment market it is nearly a prerequisite and expectation from employers to see candidates with a degree even for entry level positions. 

Is it worth it?

What does a degree mean for you and more importantly tell your employer?  It explains to the employer that you obviously have a certain level of education, it suggests to the employer that you can think in a certain way, solve problems analytically and you have the ability to follow things through.  Completing a degree is not easy and it shows you have commitment and resilience.  Even when your job applications are unsuccessful or they go unanswered, don’t question the point in having your degree, rest assured that having the degree ensures your application a first consideration.

You are a brand.

Choose a reputable college and ensure that the accreditation of the degree is applicable to the National Framework of Qualifications in Ireland. Having a degree does make your job hunt easier but the process of finding that perfect job with the financial rewards you desire will take patience and time. Remember your degree in most professions is only 33% of your personal brand, the other 66.6% is made up of practical experience, life experience and your portfolio (CV) itself. If you are finding that your job hunt is disastrous and not landing you the job you want or none at all, then take time to review your personal brand and don’t be afraid to seek help if required.

Changing Career

Our working career usually spans 40+ years including part time to full time positions. During the early stages of our career we start to make inroads into the industry/position that we will ultimately spend most of our working lives in which is determined by our gained practical and academic experience guiding us there. If you want to change direction here are a few important points to consider.

Career Identification

Have a general if not specific idea of what it is you would like to do. Take the time to sit down and mull over ideas and identify what career paths/occupations are of interest to you and why. If you cannot make the decision on your own, organise a visit to a reputable career guidance and seek clarity this way.

Up skilling Needs Patience

When you have identified what occupation you would like to do, it is then time to assess your current ability and skill set versus the skill set required to enable you work in this profession. You may need to up skill or re-skill, you may need to do voluntary work, a part time course or go to college full time. This may take a considerable amount of time to achieve so be patient and expect a time period anywhere from two years to five years for this change to happen.

It will take Resources

This will be an expensive and difficult time if you have to go back to college as fees as a mature student are not cheap. Even if your career change does not involve a monitory investment it may involve a time investment which can impact your personal life. During this period, you should have a financial cushion to fall back on and a supportive team.

Support

Communicate to your family and close friends that you are changing career, this is really important as your transition will be demanding and their support will be required at some point.

The one thing to remember in changing career is, it’s worth it.  If you are in a profession that you don’t like or find the demand for your current skill set in today’s employment market is falling, then it is both necessary and rewarding to do something about it and it is within you to make this happen. If you don’t then what’s the alternative?