It’s very tempting for companies to include a long list of minimum requirements when compiling a job description; especially if it’s for a senior role. Often companies request specific industry experience and qualifications.

In some roles, a specific level of knowledge and experience is crucial. But, in many roles, a strong cultural match with comparable experience from a different industry, can be just as effective.

For example, a hospitality company may require a customer services manager and ask that they have a minimum of three years’ experience in the industry. By narrowing their choice like this, they will exclude suitable candidates from comparable sectors, like retail.

A few weeks back we had a company who were looking for a senior marketing person. They were adamant that the applicant should have a very specific industry background. To convince them that they should look at the individual first and their industry experience second, we presented a varied shortlist of candidates and focussed on their marketing experience, cultural fit and transferable skills.

They were delighted at the range of suitable candidates offered to them and have booked interviews with the ones we decided were a strong match.

By being flexible about industry specific experience, companies not only gain access to a new talent pool, but they also benefit from the different experiences and work practices that a candidate brings with them to the role.

For more top recruitment tips, just call us on 01865 335600.

Over 130 questions and comments about networking formed a recent debate on the Guardian’s careers website. The Q&A remains live on the Guardian website, and there are some interesting questions as well as lots of advice from experts to refer to if you’re looking for some top tips…

Kate Allen took part on the expert Q&A panel and posted advice for job hunters wanting to improve their networking skills, Kate says: “It was a great experience taking part in a real-time online discussion and answering a range of great questions on networking!”

Here is a selection of some of the top networking tips. Check out the full discussion online too for more.

Networking tips:

1. Attending industry events
To make the most of attending industry events, highlight people from the event list you want to meet. Contact each one directly together with the recruiting managers from these organisations using LinkedIn or other sources to get email addresses. Refer to the event you attended and mention anything else that will convey your knowledge of that contact/organisation. Remember to attach an up-to-date CV and covering email. Keep all of this brief and succinct. You then need to follow this up one week later with a ‘phone call asking them if you could meet with them to discuss your job search.
Don’t forget that people like talking about themselves so it is really important to make sure that you are not doing all the talking! People will remember you if you are confident, up-front, positive and sociable. You must be sure to use your active listening skills and try to remember things they have spoken about so you can refer to these facts when you follow up. Try to do some role playing first so all of this comes across as being natural and not too forced!

 
2. Connecting via social media
Have a good look at LinkedIn and do some extensive research. Compare and contrast what you believe are strong and professional profiles and those that are not so punchy. Build your profile using the best of what you have seen online.
If, for example, you are a recent graduate with limited work experience, there is nothing wrong with a status saying something like – ‘Ambitious Graduate with First Class Degree in International Marketing seeking a challenging opportunity in Marketing/PR in Oxfordshire’.
Be sure to make a note in your profile of all relevant commercial experience and try to get previous employers to endorse you too

3. First steps for job hunting
- Get your CV ready and make sure someone proofs it!
- Set some key priorities: What type of role, location – have two or three fall back options
- Research the profession: What qualifications/experience do I need – How do I get this? Am I being realistic?
- Make a plan to include: Networking, social networking, contact with trade bodies
- Use your contacts including friends and family – Ask them to spread the word!
- Post your CV on Job sites
- Visit Agencies and take on temp work: Update your CV with this work experience
- Maintain flexibility and be proactive
- Stay positive and don’t give up!
- Get a new suit and a hair cut!

Graduates should check out the following sites:
www.prospects.ac.uk
www.milkround.com
www.agr.org.uk

Kate Allen says: “It’s important to remember that whilst we may all have some short term wins through networking, you should be realistic about what it can bring you in the longer term. I have been a member of various networking groups for many years and am still reaping the rewards from events I attended and people I met in the late 1990′s. It’s about relationship building.”

A record 1,086 people registered for the fun run to help raise thousands of pounds for new equipment for the Oxford Children’s Hospital. This is the third year that we sponsored the event and we fielded our fastest team yet!

Six members of the Allen Associates team completed the five-mile run with some impressive times – notably Rob Allen in 48 minutes 45 seconds. For Rob it was a great warm up for his London marathon bid which takes place on 17 April.

We’ll keep you posted on the total funds raised for the hospital as everyone gathers in the sponsorship monies. We’ll also be announcing the corporate cup winner at an awards ceremony in May at the hospital.

In the meantime check out the photos on our Facebook page of the race day action, including Raymond Blanc meeting the Allen Associates team and starting the run for the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

As part of Rob’s aim to raise £5,000 for Oxford’s Children’s Hospital, he needs your help and is looking for 26 local companies to sponsor him for one mile each of the course.

You can choose the least sweaty option of the first mile through Greenwich Park, or maybe you’d like to sponsor his agony and ecstasy as he crosses the line down the Mall! Whichever mile you choose – from one to 26 – your money will be going to a worthy cause.

The first company to sponsor over £100 for a mile for Rob will receive a case of wine and the most generous sponsor will receive a case of Champagne as well as our huge thanks.

Please help Rob to reach his target and support the 65,000 children that are treated at the hospital each year. Call him on 01865 335600 or go to his JustGiving page. Thank you!

New photos of Rob Allen with fellow Marathon runner and consultant paediatric neurologist Tony McShane from the Oxford Children’s Hospital on Flickr and Facebook.

1. Review your current recruitment arrangements

Look at how effective your recruitment process is. If you use external resources, such as recruitment agencies, are you getting value for money?

2. Find new resources

The review will probably highlight threats and opportunities within your workforce planning and recruitment procedures. Look for alternative suppliers if yours no longer provide the service you need.

3. Use specialists

They’ll know your market and be able to guide you effectively. They’ll also have access to some of the best talent.

4. Preferred suppliers

Having a list of resources your team can trust ensures continuity of quality and often a speedier service.

5. Interims and temps

A flexible solution when you are working in a difficult market. They also give you a good idea of the available talent pool.

To find out more about how Allen Associates can help you find the best people for your business go to the employers section of our website.

With recruitment budgets tight, it’s more important than ever to get the right person for a role. If they leave within the first six months, you’ve wasted valuable time and money.

It may seem appealing, then, to use the wealth of information available from the rapid growth of social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn to gather further details on a potential recruit.

However, the danger is that employers can look up candidates online to verify factual information, without knowing exactly what they’re going to find…and can end up discovering more about a person than they bargained for. This can make it difficult to make a recruitment decision not influenced by the facts you have learned. There are risks and legal implications too if rejecting a candidate because of their online reputation.

The advice from law firm Manches at our recent breakfast briefing on this topic is that employers need to think carefully about what they hope to achieve by using sites as part of their recruitment process.

Click on the links below to read the full advice notes on using Social Networking as a Recruitment Tool and also Database rights and social networking which looks at employers’ ownership rights of contacts databases – including address lists held in Outlook and contacts on LinkedIn.

For more details on these two advice notes contact speakers from the seminar from Manches – Daff Richardson or Sally Nesbitt – daff.richardson@manches.com and sally.nesbitt@manches.com

To find out more about how Allen Associates can help you find the best people for your business go to the employers section of our website.

“I’m now well in to a 34-week training programme and I’m really enjoying the challenge.  How I’ll feel trudging the roads in the middle of winter is anyone’s guess but I most definitely will be running in London on April 17 next year! 

I’m hoping to raise a minimum of £5,000 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital and that, in addition to the expectations of everyone I’ve told about the challenge, is a fantastic incentive.”

Look out for updates from Rob about his training and details about how you can sponsor his marathon effort in future editions of this newsletter. Find out how you can get involved and it only takes a few minutes to sponsor Rob via his new JustGiving.com page

Last month, the Living with Jack competition challenged 50 people to carry a life size cut outs of Jack’s breakfast presenters everywhere they went. The more places they got seen, the more ‘publicity points’ they were awarded. At the end of the promotion the winner was the person who gained the most points – Emma Bruno.

Kate and Rob Allen presented Emma with her cheque at their offices this week. See the photo on Flickr and Facebook.  Find out what she got up to during the competition.

On a more local level the OEP has just announced the results of a survey of 1,200 Oxfordshire businesses’ skills needs in its Oxfordshire Employer Skills Study. It’s more important than ever in the current climate for business to secure the right people first time – the right fit not only in terms of skills and experience but the right cultural fit too. Our face to face interviews with each candidate are a really important part of establishing the best person for the role.
Interestingly, we’re now experiencing a shift away from interim and temporary contracts towards permanent placements, which suggest employers are planning for an upturn in growth. There’s also a really wide mix of job roles coming through in areas such as marketing, so there are opportunities out there for talented job hunters.