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.

Facade & Fenestration

Exciting New Projects

Elk Recruitment, as winners of the Best Niche Recruitment Firm 2016-Global, can offer job seekers the chance of placement within the Fenestration, Façade & Window and Door industry throughout Europe and Asia, as well as North & South America.  Currently, both the Façade and Fenestration industries are enjoying strong growth, and business managers are speaking confidentially of exciting new projects and targets in the years ahead. Here at Elk Recruitment, we pride ourselves on keeping up to date with the latest developments and openings in this fast-moving sector.

Market Size Growing

A recent press release from Global Market Insights has predicted that window and door market size is expected to exceed USD 250 billion by 2023 growing at a compound annual growth rate of over 6% from 2016 to 2023. As well as new construction projects, repair and upgrade activities will further support this growth. In North America, a recent government tax credit for energy efficient doors and windows has been a huge success. In the Middle East, 2017 will be the busiest year for hotel openings, and a new industry report has revealed. Also of interest to those in the Façade and Fenestration sector is the forecast that the UAE and Saudi Arabia will, between them, open more than 320 new hotels before 2020.

Green Building

One of the most exciting pre-announcements from the upcoming Intersolar Middle East event, (September 19 to 21), was that in 2017, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) would complete Dubai’s first 100% solar-powered hotel. Complementing the news of this venture was the Green Building Conference which took place last week in Singapore.  One of the main topics up for discussion was whether all buildings could be made net-zero regarding their carbon footprint and if not, the short-term target should be reduced energy consumption. All of these developments will result in a growing job market and further opportunities for suitable candidates. At Elk Recruitment, our in-depth knowledge of the Façade and Fenestration sector means we are at the forefront of this industry and are strategically positioned to offer exciting new placements within this sector.

MedTech and Medical Device Manufacturing

More College Graduates Entering Manufacturing Roles

One of the most misunderstood statistics in relation to today’s job market is the way manufacturing employment numbers are processed by the general public.

This area has become a sector requiring highly skilled employees as machinery and technology advances but many people interpret the change in traditional factory roles based purely on employment numbers. These often conceal that a skilled candidate can reap great rewards in the manufacturing sector today.

An example of this can be found in recent American figures which showed that in 2000, 53% of American manufacturing workers had no education beyond High-School level. When a new survey was conducted in 2015 it was discovered that this figure had dropped by 10% with the introduction of college graduates rising by almost the same number. This trend is being mirrored worldwide and offers the opportunity for new growth and potential for the skilled individual. Here at Elk Recruitment, we are already taking advantage of these changes.

200 New Medtech Jobs Announced Last Week

The Medtech industry is one particular sector which is coming to terms with this realignment of manufacturing and new technology. Last week, Irish medical firm, VistaMed announced that 200 new jobs are to be created at their state-of-the-art facility in Leitrim. 

According to Tom Kelly, head of the life sciences division at Enterprise Ireland, the Medtech sector offers a very bright future to anyone contemplating a career in this area as it already employs over 27’000 people and is continuing to grow.

Employees Hold Upper Hand

The great news for graduates is that they hold the upper hand as these changes continue. Companies are raising salaries in order to secure the brightest talent and added incentives such as career growth plans and opportunities to engage with more diversification within a company structure itself.

Due to our experience, and continued investment reputation, here at Elk Recruitment we are in a prime position to place highly skilled candidates throughout the high-growth Medtech sector.

As Ireland continues to benefit from a well-educated workforce we can guarantee our full commitment to assisting career success.     

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.

Construction Industry Using Apps & Games to Recruit Future Talent

Strong Construction Growth Expected

Figures released for July 2016 show that the construction industry continues to grow steadily. The statistics were released by the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers Index and were compiled by senior economists at the bank. This is very encouraging news as many had predicted a decline following the first composition of data following the Brexit. Although economic predictors remain cautious there is a growing optimism that the construction sector will continue to experience strong growth going forward.  Simon Barry, Ulster Bank’s chief economist in the Republic of Ireland said that new orders have risen to their highest level since March.

New Construction Employees Needed

This predicted growth in the construction industry has led The Chartered Institute of Building to develop a novel new app based on the Minecraft video game in order to train and eventually recruit the next generation of architects and construction employees. In the UK alone, for example, over 400’000 construction workers will retire between 2018 and 2023, which will create an unprecedented vacuum in the industry unless planned for today. The app is called Craft Your Future and can be accessed at ciobmc.org. Minecraft is an open-world building game which allows participants to plan, design and construct everything from houses and skyscrapers to entire cities incorporating electricity grids and water systems.

Minecraft Designs Inspiring Architecture

According to the CIOB, construction sector employees of the future will need such diverse skills such as digital construction technologies, sustainability planning and logistics, just to name three. All of these areas are incorporated into the Minecraft app and already solid results are being observed. At a recent house design competition in the UK four of the finalists were designed using Minecraft.  Even more impressive is the feat of Guy MacDonnell, a quantity surveyor for Interserve Construction who won a major construction award for designing and building an update of the CCTV Tower in Beijing using Minecraft.  Going forward, Irish recruitment companies and the construction industry itself will be able to access, examine and recommend online portfolio’s of prospective jobseekers which are already being uploaded onto the CIOB website. 

Job Hopping Affecting Recruiters & Human Resources

1 in 3 Irish Jobseekers Are Job Hopping In The First Year 

Figures by The American Bureau of Labour Statistics have backed up what many Irish recruitment agencies and HR professionals have noticed recently, namely that job hopping, particularly in the cases of young women, is rising dramatically.

They found that the average time a person spends in a job is 4.4 years but in the cases of young employees, this time, length is halved. In Ireland, 1 in 3 job seekers will move job within the first year. Regarding reasoning, salary, change of location and fresh motivation are listed as the primary factors behind these statistics. But are these reasons actually beneficial to job seekers in the long term?

Red Lights Upon CV Appraisal

There is no doubt that the allure of new experiences can broaden horizons and add to a CV skill-set but along with restarting in a new job comes having to adapt to new rules and to fit into an already existing work environment. Valid questions are also being asked by recruitment agencies and Human Resource professionals when it comes to the appraisal of a CV that shows a clear pattern of switching jobs over the short term. How a recruiter’s recommendation might impact upon any future relationship between the agency and the company is one prominent concern, but a recruiter may also become suspicious about the reasons behind so many job changes. Many Human Resource professionals will look at this information as a potential sign of previous strife and an inability to adapt and stay motivated.      

Innovation Encourages Loyalty

Xerox’s Chief of Marketing Christa Carone has come up with some possible solutions to ensure that employees feel less need to change jobs which Irish recruiters and employers can integrate into work environments and when weighing up the suitability of prospective candidates. Carone cites clear communication, applying to both management, recruiter and employee, and the encouragement of new ideas. She also advises entrepreneurial side projects to create innovation and leadership. These tactics help in fostering motivation and loyalty in the work environment, reducing the need to job hop.