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Asking for a salary increase is something that everyone is likely to do at some point in their career. However, having to have ‘that conversation’ can feel unnatural and the experience can be intimidating and awkward, even if you have a good relationship with your manager.

If you’re struggling to pluck up the courage to broach the topic of a pay rise, try following our tips below:

Have a Realistic Figure in Mind

When you’re working out how to get a higher salary, it’s important to know your worth so that you have a realistic figure in mind when you begin negotiations.

Do your research to find out if your salary is in line with the market average, establishing what the range of pay is for both newly trained and experienced staff in the role. 

Do this by:

• Using a salary checker – the big recruitment websites such as Totaljobs, Indeed and Reed all have online tools that will show what the average salary is for your sector
• Speaking to a recruiter
• Looking at jobs boards to see what salaries are being offered
• Asking other professionals in similar roles to give you an idea of their earnings
• Check if the market rate for your salary differs depending on where you live in the country.

If you’re offered a smaller pay rise than you hoped for, try compromising by asking about a bonus scheme (if you don’t already have one in place) to increase your earnings based on performance or professional training courses to increase your knowledge and skills.

Build your Case

Gather evidence and prepare examples of your achievements that you can confidently summarise, for example:

• Initiatives you have implemented and their impact on company results
• Extra responsibilities you have taken on
• Innovation you have introduced that is reliant on your skills for success
• Training and qualifications you have gained 
• Your job milestones – top salesperson of the year, say, or winner of a recognition award, or securing the account of a leading client
• How you have developed other team members
• Lack of disciplinary action

The more evidence you can gather to back-up your proposed pay rise, the better. Discuss market factors that justify your pay rise, such as a skills shortage in your sector and high demand for your skills or qualifications.

Ensure you Ask in the Right Way

When asking for a pay rise, keep it professional at all times. Don’t be demanding and don’t speak negatively of anyone else within the business. Start by talking about why you enjoy working for the company and summarise your recent progress. For instance, you should avoid saying things like:

“I work harder than XX and I know that he’s on more money than me.”

This comes across as bitter and you don’t want to be seen as gossiping about your colleagues’ salaries. Speak calmly, reasonably and present your case clearly.

“Thanks for meeting with me today. I’ve really enjoyed being part of the [XX] team. I’ve been working here for [X] years and I’m proud of the contribution I’ve made. As you know, my targets were to [XXX]. I’m excited to share my results with you and discuss my salary.”

Conclude by getting to the point. “Given my dedication to the company’s success over the past 12 months, and my achievements, I’d like a review of my salary. Based on my research of salaries in my sector, my experience and skills, a X% increase is appropriate.”

Timing is Everything

Think carefully about when to ask for a pay rise. Don’t broach the subject publicly as it will put your manager on the spot (and will appear unprofessional); an appraisal, review or other formal meeting is the ideal setting for this conversation. Find out if you are allowed to discuss a rise outside any performance review; if not, you will have to wait. 

If possible, don’t choose a time when your boss is under pressure, or the company is in financial difficulty. More positively, and where you can, plan your meeting for the end of a big project, say, or after you have received an award, passed exams, or achieved another milestone. Request your meeting at least a week in advance and be clear about your objective so they have time to plan too.

Be Prepared to Negotiate

This is a negotiation, so be ready to answer questions, provide further evidence or to receive a counteroffer from your boss. This is where your research and preparation are worth their weight in gold. If you are told that the figure you have requested isn’t possible, summarise why it is reasonable and in line with the market, and ask for an explanation.

Be ready to compromise. Threatening to quit if you don’t get what you want is a risky strategy.  

Instead, find out if there is a package of benefits that the company could offer you to accompany a lower pay rise.

You have successfully applied and are now just one step away from your dream job. The interview is a great opportunity to show what you can do. Unfortunately, there are also some traps lurking here that you can fall into. We have summarized 6 tips for your next job interview and tell you the most common mistakes so that you can fully concentrate on the interview.

Do Research

If you prepare and do your research, you can score points in the interview. Be aware of the products and services offered, the company values and philosophy, and the turnover of the company. Also find out about the competitors and the target group. With your in-depth knowledge, you can show HR management that you are interested in the company and have prepared yourself well.

Plan your Journey

The journey is the first hurdle on the way to the interview and should therefore be planned carefully. Find out about the route, make sure you plan enough time and, if in doubt, leave yourself a buffer. This way you are relaxed and can fully concentrate on the conversation. The following applies to video interviews: test the technology, find a quiet place with an attractive background.

Choosing the Right Outfit

Choosing what to wear for an interview isn't easy: you don't want to be overdressed or overdressed. Basically, we can advise you to dress according to the industry, but you should not disguise yourself and slip into another role. You should feel comfortable in your own skin and radiate this to the outside world. Clean clothes should be a requirement no matter where you applied. In a large corporation or a bank you should appear serious, in a medium-sized company or a start-up a shirt, blouse and jeans are usually sufficient.

Appearance in the Company & Self-Confidence

Body language provides constant information about our emotional state and our behavior. These signals are picked up and evaluated by the people around us, especially in a professional context. Gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, posture and way of speaking are the important points. When we feel tense or nervous, it can have a negative impact on our body language - for example, when we don't make eye contact. A posture that is too tense can quickly be perceived as unsympathetic or aggressive.

A good method is to mirror the interlocutor. This creates trust and sympathy in the subconscious. However, you shouldn't delve into every move made by the recruiter. Spending more time observing the movements instead of paying attention to the questions is suboptimal. But if you know the basic principle, you can apply it in a targeted manner and build sympathy.

Be Authentic and Honest

Authenticity pays off - always! Your potential employer wants to get to know you and nobody else. So, let your personality shine and be honest. Little lies might seem like a good idea at first, but they aren't. The truth is always the best choice, avoiding unpleasant surprises or even losing your job.

Answer the Questions Specifically

You should express yourself clearly and precisely when answering questions in the interview and not beat too many words around the bush. Please take a moment before you answer. Do it discreetly by taking a sip of water and then responding to the question. Filter out the core of the question and formulate the appropriate answer. Make sure to create a casual atmosphere by smiling or even giving some humorous answers. Also keep in mind that talking bad about the job or even the department head is by no means well received. So think about good answers to unpleasant topics and try to create positive parallels to your current professional situation.

Conclusion

The interview is a great opportunity to show what you can do. Unfortunately, there are some pitfalls lurking here that you should definitely avoid. With these 6 tips you are guaranteed to make a great impression and get the job! We keep our fingers crossed for your next job interview! As recruiting experts, we have a direct line to employers from a wide variety of industries and are happy to support you in getting a little closer to your dream job.

Searching for candidates with the ideal mix of qualities, including a solid education, relevant work experience, and the appropriate technical skill sets and expertise, is a crucial component of an efficient hiring strategy. Another factor to consider is culture fit, which is equally vital, if not more so.

Hiring for culture fit is about bringing employees into the mix whose beliefs, behaviours, and values align with those of your organization. This is not the same as hiring people who merely share similar backgrounds and experiences. It’s essential to include diversity while hiring for culture fit because different perspectives and experiences will help your company improve and scale.

Finding someone who shares the same outlook and attitude as his or her possible co-workers is a key component of determining whether a candidate is a good cultural match while conducting an interview.

Why Does Company Culture Matter?

Establishing a solid culture that you can promote to candidates right away provides potential employees an idea of what it's like to work for your company. Before wasting any more of either party's time, they can search elsewhere if they don't think they would perform well in that environment.

A applicant who isn't a good fit might end up going through the full process and being hired if your hiring procedure doesn't take your culture into consideration, simply because neither party was aware of the mismatch. A strong business culture that can be effectively articulated to candidates should be an essential component of your hiring strategy given the high cost of staff turnover.

Your company culture not only aids in bringing in new talent but also aids in keeping the talent you already have happy and working for you rather than leaving for the competition. One of the primary causes of job satisfaction and employee engagement is a happy, healthy workplace, which is why your hiring strategy should include a focus on cultural fit.

The best talent may be attracted by fantastic salary and benefits, but it takes much more to keep them for the long run. Your staff members will be more devoted and enthusiastic about supporting the accomplishment of your corporate objectives when they perceive that they matter to you and are genuinely invested in your company.

Why Culture Fit Should Be Included in Your Hiring Strategy

Here are some of the most important reasons your company can benefit from emphasising culture fit in your hiring approach.

Increased Employee Satisfaction

Employee happiness increases productivity, engagement, and drive for achievement.. That's a critical combination in any industry, where employees are entrusted with your company's health. In an ideal world, who wouldn't want to enjoy going to work every day?

High-Level Performance

Workers are eager to take on new challenges and responsibilities when they feel like they belong. Their willingness to go above and above helps the entire team. The result? High-level performance from your employees.

Decreased Turnover    

Employee turnover is expensive. People remain in positions they enjoy. Happy workers are 12 percent more productive at work and have a stronger sense of ownership over the long-term success of the business. They want to remain and continue to fulfil their roles.

Lower Stress Levels

Lack of a cultural fit for a job is a major contributor to workplace stress, which can be reduced by aligning the values of the organisation with the employees. Stress can damage relationships between coworkers and prevents employees from performing their jobs effectively. Be aware of how new recruits will affect (and be affected by) existing dynamics because cohesive teams produce more.

Employee Loyalty 

Everyday participation at work shouldn't make employees dread it. Employees identify with the company's success and contribute to the broader purpose and goals of the firm if they perceive themselves as valuable team members. If they feel accountable to both their company and their coworkers, they are less likely to leave. Excellent hires infuse their teams with fresh energy, inspiring creativity and innovation and igniting motivation.

The Wrong Cultural Fit in the Workplace is Bad for Business   

Customer care suffers when you hire someone who doesn't fit your culture; this effect extends beyond management and other employees. An entire office's morale can be negatively impacted by one employee, which increases the risk of poor performance.

Maintaining the good name of your business depends on hiring for cultural fit. Dissatisfied cultural fits frequently become disengaged at work. You can save money in the long run by weeding out candidates who don't fit your culture throughout the recruitment process.

The culture and objectives of your organisation cannot be taught to someone. However, you may ensure the success of your company and the pillar of your fundamental values by hiring the best applicant.

It is obvious that finding the correct cultural fit for your company can have a good influence in a variety of ways.

How To Hire For Culture Fit

After learning how crucial company culture is and how a poor match can damage your entire organisation, you may be asking yourself, "How can I prevent these issues? How am I meant to determine whether a candidate will fit into my culture before they have even started working for me?

There are a few things you may do to gain some understanding before making a further investment, even if there is no perfect way to ascertain a candidate's genuine attitude and personality before you contact with them on a daily basis. Although it's not impossible, it does require a little more time and money up front, but in the long term, it will be well worth it. Pay attention to these pointers while hiring for culture fit:

Clearly Define your Company Culture and Values

Clearly defining your vision and values is the first step in making sure a prospective hiring is compatible with your company culture. Obtain buy-in from the entire organisation and document your corporate culture in your employee handbook so that it is constantly accessible.

Reference your Company Culture and Values in Job Description

Make sure your job postings mention your culture and utilise language consistent with company values right from the start. Candidates should know after reading your job description whether they would fit in with your workplace and should apply or not.

During the interview process, talk about these principles and what it really means to be a member of your company's culture.

Be open and honest about the environment that exists at work every day. Inform potential hires about any cultural efforts your team members can take part in and how they help to create a positive, healthy work environment. Examples include a business wellness programme or regular social outings.

Ask Culture Fit interview Questions 

To find out if their responses are consistent with your values, ask candidates "How would you manage yourself if presented with XYZ ethical challenge" or "How would you treat a fellow employee in XYZ situation" during interviews in order to identify if their mindset would align with the businesses.

Get to know Potential Candidates on a more Personal Level

In a formal interview situation, it might be challenging to evaluate someone's personality and moral character. Before spending money on hiring a top prospect, take them out for lunch, coffee, or to a company-wide social function to evaluate how they get along with other team members.

Focus on Company Culture During Onboarding

While onboarding should go over processes and daily job duties, it is also the perfect opportunity to discuss your corporate culture. Don't assume that your new hires are aware of your company's principles or how you expect them to conduct themselves and treat others; instead, be sure to clarify everything to them before they begin working in their new position.

Check-in with New Hires

To make sure your new hires feel like they are integrating into your culture and are at ease in your workplace environment, check in with them at the end of their first day, week, and month. If there is an issue, it may ideally be dealt with immediately this way rather than escalating or spreading.

An important factor in determining a company's success is its culture. It is essential for enhancing productivity, performance, and employee engagement. Employees that feel more a part of their workplace are happier, have higher levels of job satisfaction, are more devoted, work more, and are more likely to stick with their organisation. Cultural compatibility is crucial for this reason.

You’re in the interview and they ask you, “why are you applying for this position?”… or “why did you apply for this job?”…

Are you prepared with what you want to say?

It's one of the most straightforward interview questions, and how you respond could determine whether you get the job or not.

The employer will be able to see from your response how excited you are about the chance and what made you want the position. There are two main reasons why employers ask candidates such questions as "why did you apply for this job?" or "why are you interested in this position?" They'll check to see first if you've done your homework and are aware of what their job entails. Second, they want to know if you have considered your career and know what you want.

Focus on the position for which you are interviewing when responding to this question. Instead of expressing reservations about your current work or employer, try to focus your conversation on the prospects you see with the new employment. Confidence and professionalism will be communicated by positively structuring the dialogue.

There are a few general measures you may take while you get ready for the interview, though you should definitely develop an answer to this question that highlights your distinctive abilities and traits in relation to the position:

1. The Position

By preparing for this question prior to the interview, you'll be able to respond to the hiring manager's question quickly and professionally. You must first comprehend the position's responsibilities in order to formulate a response. It is a good idea to read the job description in its entirety before the interview. Will you be interacting with customers? Are you going to be in charge of accounting-related duties? This information is crucial for understanding which of your qualifications are most pertinent to the position and for effectively expressing your reasons for applying for it.

2. Research the Company

Be careful you read the job description and research the firm before the interview. You might express a specific interest in the position to the interviewer by demonstrating that you did your research on the organisation and its business strategy.

• The company website: Begin with the “About Us” page, and look for company press releases, blogs or social media profiles.
• Outside media coverage: Find recent news stories or press releases related to the organization.
• Personal networks: Consider reaching out to your own connections to learn about the company culture and inner workings.

3. Structure your Answer

Condense and organise your response after researching the company and the job description in relation to your background. Even while writing down your response can help, you get better at it, you should be ready to speak out even if you don't have the information in front of you. Instead of memorising it, keep in mind a few important points you wish to make.

Consider including the following three pieces of information in your response while preparing your response:

How would this job help you improve professionally?

How does the job fit in with your long-term objectives?

What makes this job unique?

What about you makes you a particularly good fit for this organisation or job?

Your response should demonstrate that you read the job description in its entirety and thoughtfully considered if the employment was actually a suitable fit for you both now and in the future. Finally, it shows that you are more interested in that particular position than other comparable roles.

4. End your answer with a question

Ending your response with a pertinent question for the interviewer is a great strategy to differentiate yourself from other job candidates. The interview becomes more conversational when you conclude your statement with a question. Additionally, it demonstrates that you're not afraid to seek clarification when necessary.

When it comes to efficiently recruiting prospects, you need some hard data. You can spend all the time you want writing an excellent job description. A candidate's decision to apply for a job may or may not depend on some of this information. Is the position in a place they are willing to relocate to or work at? Does it have any particular experience needs that most people don't meet?  

The location and type of role are both necessary information, but some of this data may be more optional than others. We are specifically discussing the salary range.  

The underlying question is: Should salaries be mentioned in job descriptions in order to attract top people with high potential? The inclusion of a wage can attract interest in your position in the current, fiercely competitive employment market where businesses are vying for skilled candidates. 

When looking for a new career, money may not be everything, but it is undoubtedly significant. When looking at job listings, candidates prioritise the job's details above salary information, although 61 percent of candidates still expect to see compensation information among the top three things. Many businesses still choose not to disclose compensation information in job postings, frequently out of concern that doing so would put them at a competitive disadvantage or fuel employee animosity.  

However, there is a rising global movement to turn salary transparency into the law, not just a new standard. The reason for this is that a growing body of research demonstrates that employers who are open about their pay scales may draw better, more diverse talent, making compensation transparency a realistic means of promoting an equitable workplace.  

A salary range in your job descriptions can be beneficial, but it can also be harmful. It has been said that having a salary lessens the other's advantage in the market and bargaining position. On the other hand, some businesses feel that disclosing their salaries to applicants enables them to be open and honest (building trust). Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of both sides can help you decide whether or not you want to list it.  

It’s a hot-button topic right now and you’re looking for answers so read below to find out.

Reasons against including a Salary in Job Descriptions 

Concerns over how Existing Employees will React 

Existing employees will pay attention to companies that post new job listings. The ability for other employees to see a new hire's wage is another drawback of putting it in job postings; when this happens, morale and workplace cohesion may suffer. They might check the ad to see the qualifications that their employer is seeking. They may feel underpaid and slighted if they learn that the starting salary is higher than their own. Employees may then start looking for other positions or requesting raises as a result. This may raise personnel turnover and wage costs in the short run. 

Competitive Advantage 

Businesses that operate in competitive industries compete for the best talent to fill open positions. The claim is that if a company mentions a salary in a job advertisement, a rival may notice it and offer more money (and/or benefits) to entice that person, diminishing competitive advantage.  

Higher Paid Positions Assume Salary Negotiations 

The compensation negotiation procedure is expected of applicants for senior, management, and director level positions. Candidates at this level typically assign a value to their own knowledge, experience, network, etc. As a result, they are more inclined to disclose to the employer their desired compensation in their application (through a CV, cover letter, or other means) and to discuss it once the position has been extended to them.  

Provides More Negotiating Power 

If a job is advertised without pay, the employer has the negotiating position. Some companies believe that giving candidates the upper hand when negotiating a compensation package is to include a salary rate in their job descriptions. This allows businesses to raise salaries for preferred candidates who may have turned down the salary listed, and, on the other hand, to cut salaries for those candidates who aren't as desirable. 

Salary Shouldn't be the Deciding Factor 

Employers are seeking experts and skilled individuals that will not only be qualified but also fit into their business. Candidates are more inclined to focus on income when it is included in job ads and either ignore other benefits of working for the company (if it is too low) or become ignorant of the fact that the company culture is not a good fit for them. According to this reasoning, it discourages applicants who are "money-focused" and draws in those who think they are qualified for the position and the company. Reasons for including a salary in job descriptions 

Reasons for Including a Salary in Job Descriptions 

Transparency 

Candidates seeking a new position want to work for a company that values its employees and is open and honest with them. For the majority of these applicants, it all begins with the job advert. Even though their corporate culture and ethics mention it, organizations risk giving the impression they are not open and honest with their employees by omitting the compensation.  

Company and Candidate Time Saved

The role, location, and compensation are the first three main considerations for candidates while looking for a potential new job or career opportunity. The candidate can concentrate more on the business and the job description if the compensation is disclosed.  As a result, businesses may devote more time to reviewing applications and less time to attracting candidates. You can use a salary rate as a screening method to filter out applicants you wouldn't be able to afford or who might not have the qualifications for the position. 

The Focus is more on the Candidate and the Role 

A candidate who has responded to a job advert with a salary has accepted the salary on offer. Therefore, this gives companies more time to explore the candidate’s experience, abilities, qualifications, etc; thus, making more informed hiring decision. 

Creating a company vision may be simple, but getting your employees to buy into it is tough. Even the best employees can struggle with this at times, and may require direction on how to best match their vision with the company's.

Employees must closely align with their company's values and goal in order to attain this vision. Only 40% of millennial employees polled felt closely linked to their company's vision, according to Gallup's 2016 research, How Millennials Want to Work and Live. This gap will almost certainly result in a lack of direction and disgruntled staff.

Here is how to get your valued employees to align with your company vision:

1. Set clear company goals

Every company needs a set of clearly stated objectives that employees may follow and match with their personal objectives. This allows them to prioritise their tasks and concentrate their efforts in the most effective way possible. The more specific the objectives, the better!

2. Hire the right culture fit

Hiring people that fit your company's culture minimises turnover, increases job happiness, and improves the quality of work you do. Employ people who have the necessary skills and personality attributes for your company's culture, not just those who meet the job description.

3. Play to employee strengths

According to Gallup's "State of the American Workplace" report from February 2017. They discovered that focusing on an employee's strengths rather than trying to improve their faults is far more effective. Know your employees' talents so you can align them with the company's goals.

4. Get top management to involved

Employees must hear the company's vision at all times in order to become aligned with it. During the hiring process, the vision should be communicated, incorporated into the onboarding process, and then continually reinforced during their employment. When this happens, employees are more likely to have a sense of belonging and are less inclined to leave. Top management must be actively involved and regularly communicate and remind staff of the company's objectives.

Video interviews are an important part of the hiring process and are becoming more popular and they're definitely here to stay. Understanding the requirements of a video interview will help you feel more at ease and succeed during the process. In this article, we'll go over what a video interview is, how to prepare for one, and how to handle any potential issues that may arise.

Choose a Suitable Location

It's important to choose a quiet and appropriate environment for your video interview. If you want an interviewer to focus on you, go somewhere with few interruptions. Select a wall with a neutral background and, ideally, no photographs or artwork behind you. Make sure you have adequate lighting, either from natural light or from a nearby light source. Set up your camera so the upper third of your body is clearly visible to the interviewer.

It is critical that you have a stable internet connection at your location. Whether you're concerned about your home's internet speed, ask if your local public library has a private room that you may reserve. Even if they have better internet, coffee shops and other communal locations should be avoided.

Dress Appropriately

You want to make sure that you're dressed appropriately for you if video interviews, it doesn't have to be the traditional suit, but make sure you're wearing something smart and also make sure there's no distractions in the background. Research the company culture before your interview, so you have a good idea of what's appropriate. Position the camera so that you are looking up slightly and centred on the screen. While it's likely that the interviewer will only see your upper half, it's still a good idea to wear professional trousers or a skirt in case you need to stand up for any reason.

Arrive Early and Review your Setup

You want to give a really good first impression to your next potential employer and it’s a sign of professionalism for you to arrive on your video interviews approximately five minutes before they start. This gives you time to review and ensure all your technology is working before the interview, make sure you have a strong internet connect and to make sure that you've got the right link. Ensure you check the camera and audio on your computer or phone and if you're going to wear headphones throughout the interview, ensure sure they're compatible with the software.

Use Video Interviews to your Advantage

 You've got a lot of great resources that you can have open while she sat at home. During your interviews, you can have the company website, you can have your resume open in front of you. You can have the interviewers LinkedIn profile, actually using all the things to your advantage should make a great first impression and make sure you got there in the smash video interviews.

To Conclude

It's imperative that you are able to check all the things that you can control within the interview; however, we do understand that some things do go wrong with doing video interviews. That is part of doing them remotely, but control of the controllable.

A job interview is an opportunity for the organization to find out what it wants to know about finalists for a position, but it is also an opportunity for each finalist to find out what he or she wants to know as well. Interviewing is a two-way street.

As much as the hiring manager wants to know more about the individual they hire, the individual wants to know about the hiring manager, future co-workers, and the organization. A finalist that neglects to prepare and ask questions during an interview misses opportunities to impress the hiring manager and to gather more information that will inform the decision to accept a job offer.

This is a scenario-based question that really should be answered on an individual basis. It depends on the specific information you want to get out of the interview or the interview, or if you just want to see if it's a good fit. However, there are a few things that you can stick to consistently.

To begin, make sure your queries are tailored to the individual you're interacting with. Going on a call with HR and asking them questions regarding technological environments can appear to be poor judgement at times.

Second, I believe you should make sure to ask thought-provoking questions. The questions should allow you to get the information you require and desire from the interview. It is today, more than ever, used as a two-way street. Future growth opportunities, firm expansion plans, strategy, technology plans, points, ambitions, and realistic roadmaps are all good things to ask.

The most important thing is that you're demonstrating an interest in the position and showing that you've done your research beforehand and gathering the information that you need to make an educated decision at the end of the interview on whether it's the right fit essentially.

There is no right or wrong answer to which questions to ask; just make sure you've thought about them ahead of time. Before going into an interview, I normally recommend preparing six to eight questions. The reason for this is that some of these issues are likely to be covered throughout the interview, and you don't want to be left speechless when it comes to the questions part at the end.

Finally, I usually prefer to end an interview with a question, such as 'do you have any reservations about anything I've done or said today?' This just allows you to manage any objections that are voiced and maybe offer them a cause to rethink their thoughts or opinions.

Franklin Fitch is proud to have been awarded a 2-star accreditation from Best Companies, representing "outstanding" levels of employee engagement. 

For the 2nd year in a row, Franklin Fitch has been named an Outstanding Company to Work for! 

We are beyond proud to share that Franklin Fitch is now...

- An Outstanding Company to Work For.

- #23 Best Company to Work for in the UK Recruitment Sector.

- #31 Best Mid-Sized Companies to Work for in the UK.

- #13 Best Companies to Work for in London.

We are ecstatic with our Best Companies rankings; achieving "outstanding" levels of employee engagement indicates our leadership team's vision, our company's ethics, and our people's dedication.

Our people are our most valuable asset, and we're grateful to know that they feel valued. Thank you very much to everyone who participated in the survey and for all of your hard work in driving Franklin Fitch forward.

We couldn't be prouder of this achievement. We consider our people to be our biggest asset, and knowing that they feel engaged at work is very important to us. Having an engaged workforce encourages people to feel connected to each other and our aims at Franklin Fitch, meaning we all want to work towards a shared goal.

Looking forward, we're already getting started on analysing and implementing the feedback from the Best Companies survey. This data will provide invaluable insights into what we can do to make Franklin Fitch the very best place to work - because that's the standard we're aiming for. 

This feedback comes at a great time for us, as we've got ambitious growth plans moving forward. We want to reach 100 heads by November 2023, and are looking for talented people to join us on this journey. Do you think this might be you? Are you keen to hear more about what it's like to work at Franklin Fitch? Get in touch with us today!

Whether you're actively looking for new work or happy in your existing position, it's a good idea to keep your CV updated on a regular basis. As your career progresses, you may acquire valuable new talents, experiences, and attributes that will appear on your CV. It's a good habit to examine your CV on a regular basis to highlight your most current accomplishments and eliminate any outdated information.

Your CV will most likely be your first opportunity to impress hiring managers, so it must effectively highlight your talents, experience, and qualifications. According to studies, recruiters spend only seven seconds on average looking at a CV before assessing whether or not a prospect is suited for the position. As a result, first impressions are crucial to success. So, before you start looking for a job, clean up your CV and give it a makeover.

Here are 4 keys things to keep in mind when updating your CV on a regular basis: 

Tailor to the Specific Job

One of the most important things to remember when writing a CV is to personalise it to the job description and company you're applying to. No two positions are the same, and no two CVs you submit should be the same. It's a good idea to do some research to make sure your CV is optimised for the employment role you want. Look at job ads and job descriptions for the role you desire and underline common keywords that you can use in your CV.

Examine company websites and professional networking sites for talents, qualifications, and values that are significant in your chosen field. Locate relevant keywords in a particular job description to include in your CV. Where applicable, add those keywords throughout your skills section and other areas. When you apply to a second job, spend an extra 10 minutes repeating this process rather than sending in the same CV, and you’ll have a much higher chance of success.

Make it Easier on the Eyes

Don't only change the text on your CV; pay attention to the design as well. CVs are summaries of your whole professional and academic experience, plus a little more, so expect them to be rich. Make sure there's plenty of white space so the hiring manager can easily read it. Use clear titles for the various subsections so that they can skip right to the bits that are most interesting to them.

Other design components should also be considered. Choose a legible font and avoid using too many colours. Use clean columns to keep things organised, and if you haven't done, insert bullet points beneath career history and other relevant parts.

Remove Unnecessary Information
When you add a new piece of information to your CV, you can generally remove an old piece of information. Remove prior positions that are no longer relevant to your target position to make room for more information about your professional goals. You can consider eliminating your school achievements and solely mentioning your degree-level qualifications as your job progresses. This can free up space for you to emphasize more professional achievements that recruiters will find more impressive.

Proofread

The value of proofreading cannot be underestimated. A single spelling or punctuation error could turn off a hiring manager, so double-check, triple-check, and quadruple-check your CV before sending it out.

In today's job market, your ability to acquire your desired job is no longer only determined by your technical abilities. Every job has essential hard skills and experience necessary for the work. Despite the importance of these abilities, there are specific "soft talents" that employers seek for when employing new employees.

While technical skills are commonly discussed during interviews, it is becoming increasingly important to assess a candidate's prospects of integrating into the company's culture and work environment. Soft skills include human characteristics like as communication, time management, teamwork, and work ethic.  Soft skills are more important than ever.

Here are 10 soft talents that employers are looking for if you're thinking about improving yours:

Creative Problem-Solving Skills

Within companies, problems will always arise. Employees who can solve problems and identify solutions are more valuable to a company than those who find problems but no solutions. Some managers prefer to have an issue given to them together with possible remedies at the same time.

Be an Effective Communicator

Employers value individuals who can communicate well both verbally and in writing. It is impossible to overstate the impact of excellent communication. Employees must be able to communicate as well as listen in order to work effectively with bosses, co-workers, and clients in the workplace. An excellent communicator can inspire others, explain complicated situations, and provide vital feedback.

Leadership Skills

Leadership is not simply being the one in charge and leading a team. It's your ability to persuade other employers, especially your peers, to hire you. Employers want employees who can collaborate with others, explain their expert viewpoints, and persuade them to make decisions that are in line with their ideas. Persuasive leaders travel from project to project, use their abilities to ensure that their portion of the project is completed on time.

A Positive Attitude

A positive attitude can go a long way toward turning around a department or company. It's crucial for businesses to have that energy in the office since having employees with a positive attitude can be contagious. It keeps individuals going when they're stressed, makes difficult job appear less challenging, and can make a workplace more pleasant.

Adaptability

Even without the challenges of the past few years, change is an important part of the modern workplace. Due to the rapid growth of technology, we are constantly doing things differently. Adaptability allows us to be more flexible and adapt to change. Many of us dislike change but learning to adjust to constantly changing needs and goals in the job while maintaining a positive, problem-solving mindset can make you an invaluable asset to your business. It will also help you stay relevant in your profession so that you can continue to be a valuable contributor in the future.

Time Management

This is an important soft talent that benefits both you and your employer. Time management refers to the ability to organise your schedule on a daily and weekly basis in order to complete jobs on time and efficiently. Taking care of any of these concerns and managing your time will show management that you are dependable and that you will give them your all every day.

A Strong Work Ethic

A strong work ethic is the will to work hard and achieve success. Finding and hiring people with a strong work ethic is critical to any company's success. A strong work ethic is difficult to instil and even more difficult to maintain if one does not already exist. Having a strong work ethic is incredibly valuable in any profession or business. Employers prefer to hire people who will work to their full potential. It's not about being perfect; it's about being trustworthy and professional, as well as respecting your co-workers and workplace.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to notice, assess, and respond to your own and others' emotions is referred to as emotional intelligence. This soft skill, like communication and adaptation, goes beyond understanding and controlling your own emotions to placing yourself in others' shoes for optimal collaborative production and success. It can also aid in stress management, conflict resolution, and the assessment of nonverbal cues.

Teamwork

Employees used to look for jobs that matched their desire to work independently or in a team setting. Those who believe they know how to do the job and don't trust others to do their part might cause stress in the workplace and reduce overall efficiency.

Much of the work in today's workplace is done in groups; while employees must be able to work individually (sometimes as part of a team), you will almost certainly be part of a group working toward a common goal. Now you must be able to complete all of this while not in the same room as your co-workers. Learning to trust others, collaborate, and provide and accept feedback is a challenging talent to master, but if you can, you'll be well ahead of the competition.

Perform Under Pressure

Working under pressure requires dealing with constraints that are frequently beyond your control. Last-minute adjustments, impending deadlines, and a lack of expertise required to complete your job are all possibilities. When urgent needs emerge, you can keep your calm instead of being stressed out and overwhelmed if you have work under pressure skills. And no matter where you work, there will surely be times when you are required to work under pressure.

To Conclude

At each step of the job search, it's critical to cover both your hard (technical) and soft (transferable) skills. Consider how you'll express these abilities in your CV, and practise describing them in person before your interview. To give your future employer a greater understanding of your traits and abilities, include real-life examples of how you've used your soft skills.

Keep in mind that you offer a lot more to the table than just technical abilities. Soft skills are valued by employers since they show your personality and attitude. It's a big part of who you are!

As a recruiter, much of the advice I've seen published about the hiring process is aimed at the candidate, and how to make your profile more appealing to a client. The current job market, on the other hand, is very candidate driven, with each candidate we see having multiple opportunities and offers. As a result, it is now more important than ever to make your company and job as appealing as possible.

Below are some tips on how you can go about ensuring you maximise your possiblities of securing high quality candidates in the hiring process:

1. Strong Job Advert

A job advert is one of first impressions a candidate will get of a both you as a company, and then about the role. Knowing this, you need to really make your advert stand out from the rest. Use your advert to sell back to common desirables that candidates in your market often look for. If you have really strong benefits, include them! If you have a great development programme, mention this! By doing this and putting a little bit more time into your advert, it will not only increase the number of responses, but increase the quality of people.

2. Have a Good Hiring Process

The current market moves very fast for good candidates. If your interview process is too long, or too straining on the candidate’s time, this can be the reason for losing a candidate to a company with a faster process. It may be hard to hear, and although WE may know that your company and the opportunity you have is amazing…the market is filled with hot job opportunities who are all looking for your good candidate. Is not doing that technical test really going to affect you in the long run, or are you going to be more affected by losing out on good candidates?

3. Choose the Right People to Interview

It’s all well and good to shorten and improve the length of your hiring process, but it is then important to be selective about who you are putting in to interview candidates. From previous experience, this person needs to be able to truly represent your company, be a good advocate for your brand, and give a good first impression. By only choosing the decision makers to conduct the interviews, this can lose rapport with the candidate who may want to get a sense of what the company is like from someone more junior.

4. Competitive Salary, and a Strong Offer

The most obvious way to secure good candidates, but something I see getting overlooked way too often, is the importance of paying a competitive salary. This is something that we as recruiters can definitely help you with as we have extensive market knowledge and will have insight into what salaries competitors are paying, and what good candidates are expecting. It is easy to think your job opportunity is amazing even at an average salary rate, and although this saves you money, it will not appeal to candidates who are financially driven. The national average in the US for a salary increase is 14.8%, meaning candidates will expect a good offer for them to consider leaving. On top of this, it is important to make your first offer strong. It is extremely hard to go to a candidate with a second offer after you have already low-balled them. They will ask questions like…If that flex was there to start with, why did they try and offer me lower? Do they really appreciate my value by offering me lower than we originally agreed?

5. Use Us Recruiters!

Although potentially a bit biased, one of the best bits of advice I can give regarding securing good candidates in a tight market, is to utilise your chosen agencies…this really is what we are good at! As recruiters, we have extensive market knowledge and can help add value to your hiring. We also build up strong relationships with candidates and are trained negotiators, so will actively help you secure the candidate through knowing their selling points and lowering their expectations if needed. We also have the time and resources that are required to find those candidates that aren’t on job sites and aren’t going to reply to your job adverts. Don’t miss out on an entire pool of candidates, let us help.

We talk about diversity and establishing inclusive teams a lot as recruiters. A varied workforce brings to your firm an unique set of viewpoints and opinions. In reality, businesses with a diverse staff outperform their competitors and report happier employees.

Despite the hype, just around half of firms have strategies in place to attract a diverse workforce. Approximately the same number of companies do not keep track of workforce diversity.

Unfortunately, bias – even if it is unconscious – can impede some businesses from naturally achieving diversity. It's critical for your recruiters to have initiatives in place that encourage more diverse hires in order to build inclusive teams.

Inclusive hiring can help your team develop more quickly, produce happier employees, form stronger teams, and help your company outperform its competition. Here are a few best practises for inclusive recruitment that your organisation can use.

What is inclusive hiring?

The inclusive hiring process actively accepts a wide range of traits and viewpoints that candidates offer to the firm. It's not just about filling quotas by hiring persons from underrepresented groups or those with disabilities. Instead, inclusive hiring practises seek to level the playing field for all applicants in order to combat bias in hiring and discrimination in general.

In an inclusive recruiting environment, multiple perspectives, beliefs, and values are considered in order to reach a common goal. Your employees will be forced to think outside their comfort zones and challenge new notions or ideas by having a diverse workforce.

It's difficult to avoid unconscious bias when examining a candidate's job application, even with the greatest of intentions. Organizations that want to improve their team's diversity and attract the greatest talent can't afford to have recruitment practises that unintentionally exclude specific groups of people. Bias can occur at any point of the hiring process, but the talent attraction stage, application review, and face-to-face interview are the most important to investigate.

Through job ad placements, bad language choices in job descriptions, and bias in the interview stages, your organisation may be unwittingly decreasing the number of quality applicants from the very beginning of the recruitment process.

Requirements for the Job

Taking a second look at what you're asking of them is one of the simplest methods to attract more diverse prospects. When you're interviewing candidates for an open position, you'll probably have a list of requirements in mind. While having certain standards can be beneficial, adhering to them too rigidly can actually hinder your chances of finding a quality hire.

Your ideal applicant may have five years of industry-specific expertise, but if you focus solely on this criteria, you'll overlook a multitude of other candidates with diverse backgrounds. While this assures that you select someone with the degree of expertise you require, it also eliminates individuals who may be exactly what you need with only three or four years of experience.

Language Used for Audience

Job descriptions can either entice or repel candidates depending on the language used. A good job description speaks to a wide range of candidates while being explicit about the skillsets required. Leading with sensitive, thoughtful, and inclusive language demonstrates to prospects that you are a diverse workplace that evaluates all applicants regardless of gender, race, disability, or status.

Make sure you get it correctly by removing any terminology that could be interpreted as catering to a specific demographic. When it comes to hiring, use inclusive language, which means avoiding gender-specific vocabulary and words, as well as industry jargon. Begin with a job title that is devoid of any references to gender or industry. Keep things simple and concentrated on the task at hand. Work on removing masculine and feminine words as well from job postings.

Advertising the Role

Consider where you're advertising if you want to create a truly inclusive process and attract applicants from various backgrounds. Elite universities may produce outstanding individuals, but they struggle with diversity, as do many other institutions. Your search may be too restricted if you notice that your candidate pool is made up of people with similar educations, histories, and experience levels. After all, similar individuals prefer to apply for employment through the same routes.

While knowing how to connect with the people you want to apply for your open positions is beneficial, you shouldn't limit your prospect pool too much. Get imaginative about where you post your openings to reopen it and attract more different applications.

Many candidates may be looking for jobs via print ads, contacting and visiting job fairs and boot camps, conducting searches on social media, or using their mobile devices to access job adverts. With this in mind, try looking for new employees in a variety of venues; this increases your chances of recruiting for a more diversified demographic. 

Screening and Interviewing

Preventing and Exclusion in the CV Review

It's even more important to have an effective screening process in place if you've drawn a larger pool of applications in order to objectively evaluate your candidate pool. This is when bias, whether conscious or unconscious, may creep into decision-making and undermine all of your hard work in attracting diverse candidates.

This problem has two solutions: removing identifying information from CV’s or abandoning CV’s entirely in favour of another way of candidate screening.

• Blind hiring involves removing any information from resumés that could cause bias, such as age, ethnicity, gender, education, and geographic location. Ideally, only the facts that matter will be left: their skills, experience, and achievements.

• The practice of replacing CV’s with skills testing is gaining traction in the recruitment industry. The idea is to hire based on skills rather than background. Candidates are tested for technical skills (such as coding) and soft skills (like communication), then graded and ranked according to their performance — creating a shortlist of top candidates without any identifying information.

The blind hiring method delays rather than removes bias if your recruitment process includes a face-to-face or video job interview. The key advantage is that you can rest assured that the shortlist of candidates for interviews was generated without bias, and that no promising candidate was screened out for the incorrect reasons.

Minimising Bias in the Job Interview

If you have conducted a blind hiring process up to this stage, the job interview should be the first moment you see the candidate’s ethnicity, age, gender, and appearance. Unconscious bias is therefore unavoidable, but it can be minimized in the following ways:

• Screen questions for exclusive language

• Ask every candidate the same set of standardized questions and stick to the script.

• Use the same assessment criteria and debrief for every candidate.

• Avoid one-on-one interviews. Have a panel of at least three interviewers.

• Make sure your panel is diverse

• Beware of hiring for likeability.

• Don’t make a decision based on the interview alone.

Conduct panel interviews to reduce interview bias and provide for a variety of perspectives during the interview process. You can gather feedback, viewpoints, and ideas from people with a variety of requirements and expectations if you have a lot of people following along in the hiring process. Those outside of your recruiting and hiring staff should be involved in the hiring process. By reaching out to other departments, team members, and company executives, you can eliminate bias by considering other points of view and use their diverse experiences to build an inclusive workplace for newcomers. 

Onboarding New Hires

The first step is to have an inclusive hiring process. Employees who don't fit a homogeneous mould will be unhappy in their new jobs if you simply focus on developing an inclusive hiring procedure and overlook your company culture.

You need to build an inclusive work atmosphere to persuade them to stay––and to actually enjoy their time at your company. Each employee has an unique voice in an inclusive workplace culture, which encourages them to be themselves. Not only are their particular needs met, but they are also encouraged to devote time to personal duties that they consider vital.

To Conclude

There should be a purpose and meaning behind establishing an inclusive workplace and recruitment process, not just another box to check.

There are numerous reasons why having a diverse workforce is advantageous, but it won't happen immediately. As a result, for modern firms, putting in place the proper processes and mechanisms to build an inclusive recruitment team is a step in the right way.

The efforts you take to increase inclusive hiring should be tracked and reviewed on a regular basis, with training being a top emphasis. If you want inclusive hiring to work, you need buy-in and passion for what you're attempting to do.

Isabelle Melton joined our Franklin Fitch Training Programme in November 2021, which provided her with the tools she needed to get started in the recruitment industry. Fast forward to present day, Isabelle not only excelled in the programme, but has recently been promoted to Recruitment Consultant. We spoke with her about her recruitment career journey, her advice for individuals considering a career in recruitment, and how she's adjusted to her job and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role, and your responsibilities.

My name is Isabelle, and I work as a Recruitment Consultant at Franklin Fitch. I've been here since November and was recently promoted from trainee consultant to consultant. I got into recruitment after earning a degree in Criminology and Psychology while also working in retail. I am now looking to start working towards my next promotion, which will be to Senior Consultant, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Team Lead here.

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced?

My most difficult challenge since starting here at Franklin Fitch has been organisation! You must be extremely organised as a recruitment consultant since you must juggle so many things at once.

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch?

One of my favourite aspects of Franklin Fitch, and one of the reasons I first joined, is the training programme. Even during the pandemic, I received extensive training and support, and I believe that in such a short period of time, I have significantly expanded my skill set and even worked on my own self-confidence.

What are your thoughts on being on the programme?

I absolutely love being a part of the programme. Going into recruitment straight out of university can be daunting, so working under Charlotte, our L&D Manager, is an excellent way to feel like you can grow and develop. That being said, there is no micromanagement at Franklin Fitch, and they allow you to get your hands dirty early on while guiding you through the entire process. This method of learning is beneficial to me because it gives me a push while also giving me the encouragement of knowing that I am supported.

Why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch?

I chose a career at Franklin Fitch because I am very money-driven, and after speaking with some of the team's more senior members, I realised that there are tremendous earning opportunities here. I also liked the idea of eventually moving to America, so the fact that they work in multiple markets and are constantly expanding in the US was very appealing to me for my career.

Any advice you would give to future recruiters?

My main piece of advice to aspiring recruiters is to trust the process. It can be difficult to keep a positive attitude during the first year of employment, and they say you will consider leaving several times. However, if you persevere and have faith in your own learning and development, as well as the procedures in place at Franklin Fitch, the opportunity can be life changing.

Dealing with stress in the workplace has long been a problem for businesses. However, the ongoing mental health impact of the coronavirus pandemic has shown us how quickly our world can change in the last few months. The ability to be adaptable and flexible has taken on a new meaning as many people struggle to find a happy medium.

Stress is a normal part of life; some stress is beneficial and motivating, but when stress becomes overwhelming, it can have a negative impact on a person's mental health. Recognizing the warning signs and intervening early can help prevent feelings from spiralling out of control. Taking steps to manage workplace stress is critical for both employers and employees in order to create a mentally healthy working environment where people feel supported.

The statistics speak for themselves. The total number of cases of work-related stress, depression, or anxiety reached 828,000 in 2019/20, resulting in 17.9 million days lost – a significant increase over the previous period. It is expected that the upheaval of COVID-19 and increased demand for services will have triggered a further increase in cases – in fact, a recent CIPD survey found that 37% of organisations have noticed an increase in stress-related absences this year.

Workplace stress manifests itself in a variety of ways, and it is critical to understand how to recognise it and effectively deal with it so that it does not escalate. Let's take a look at some scenarios and strategies you can employ the next time you're stressed at work.

Manage your Workload

When we work too much, we put ourselves at risk of burnout—a psychological syndrome that leaves us constantly exhausted, overly cynical, and feeling like nothing we do matters.

Everyone needs help from time to time and discussing your workload with your manager is important if you’re struggling. Simply getting your worries off your chest can help, and together you can work to set realistic targets. It’s okay to place boundaries: say no. Strong boundaries are essential in any healthy relationship, including your relationship with your employer.

Accepting a task that you are unable to complete may result in an excessive amount of stress in addition to the task being poorly completed. And without clear boundaries around the workday (and even during the workday), you’ll always be tempted to keep working. You might have a conversation with your boss about expectations and deadlines. They might be able to help you set boundaries at work and resolve any time-management issues you're having.

An important strategy to help manage your workload is prioritising your work. By learning how to prioritize means getting more out of the limited time you have each day. It’s one of the cornerstones of productivity and once you know how to properly prioritize, it can help with everything from your time management to work-life balance.

Ask for Support

Clarity about expectations and performance are important steps toward feeling more confident and less stressed at work. However, having an honest and open relationship with your boss is a critical factor. Having a difficult conversation about workplace stress, especially with your boss, is never easy. However, it can assist you in focusing on what is best for your own mental well-being, which will benefit the company.

They will have the tools and resources to inform you about what the workplace has to offer. Many workplaces provide programmes such as counselling to assist you in getting through these trying times. Take the time to explain how you manage your professional and personal lives to a friend, co-worker, or family member. Don't be afraid to express your worries and concerns. The vast majority of people are going through the same thing and are unsure how to discuss it with others. If you're feeling disconnected from your co-workers, try to find a way to reach out to them. When you are able to express your emotions, your thoughts become clearer.

Give Yourself a Break

If you've been under a lot of stress at work, it's okay to reward yourself and find a work-life balance. Create habits! It's possible that this is easier said than done... Try muting teams or deleting the email app from your phone. This is especially useful if you work remotely, as it can be difficult to unwind after a long day at work.

Why not make the most of your paid holidays? Take advantage of the time off you are entitled to and use it to reset your mind: plan a holiday, go to movies, visit family, or do anything else that you enjoy and will help you feel more relaxed. Try to balance things out by taking advantage of your free time, such as weekends. These activities can assist you in unwinding and enjoying life. This, in turn, can fuel your creativity and help you find fresh perspectives on your work.

These small steps can make a big difference in reducing stress, building resilience, and improving your mental health in the workplace.

Are you stuck deciding whether to take that great new job or accept your boss' counteroffer and stay where you are?

These enticing offers can cause you to seriously reconsider your decision to leave, whether they offer you a promotion, more flexibility and responsibility, or a pay raise. But that's exactly the point.

On the one hand, it's a fantastic issue to have. If your boss/employer is willing to up the ante in order to keep you, you're obviously doing something right. Moving on to a new company, on the other hand, may provide you with additional benefits and opportunities that your current employer does not provide.

It can be difficult to decide whether to accept a counteroffer, and there are numerous factors to consider. Your decision will most likely have a significant impact on your career and should not be taken lightly.

Why do companies make counter offers?

Is your current employer making a counteroffer because they are concerned about losing a valuable employee or for other reasons? In a candidate-led market, where competition for talent is fierce, counteroffers are becoming increasingly common. Counteroffers are understandably, incredibly flattering, and can evoke lots of new emotions that make you wonder why you ever wanted to leave your employer in the first place. However, keep in mind that a counteroffer from your employer or a senior executive within the company is not about you.

Aside from salary, the costs of advertising your job, filling the vacant position you leave, and training a new hire can total tens of thousands of pounds. Furthermore, many IT and digital jobs are currently difficult to fill due to current skill shortages. Such difficult positions can remain open for months or even years, inadvertently costing companies money by delaying them from meeting their objectives. Employers do not make counteroffers because they like you and will miss having you around. Although their counteroffer may make you feel special, the main reason businesses make counteroffers is to save money.

Why You Might Accept a Counteroffer

Over 50% of employees accept counteroffers. At the time, it can seem like the right decision as you won’t have to master the working methods of another company or build relationships with new colleagues. Being offered more money is one of the most common reasons that employees will accept a counteroffer. This will work well if you are satisfied with your current position, like the company, and get along well with your work colleagues. You get to stay in a place that is comfortable for you, and you are fairly compensated for the work that you do.

Accepting a counteroffer should be done with caution, as the employer may question your loyalty to the company, and you may be perceived as only interested in financial gain. 80% of employees that accept a counteroffer leave within six months and 90% within a year. Proving that money isn’t always enough to overcome the problems that made you want to look for a new job in the first place.

Why You Shouldn’t Accept a Counteroffer

Unfortunately, there are more reasons to turn down than accept a counteroffer.

Consider the Reasons for Wanting to Leave

Getting a raise is, at best, a temporary fix. Only 12% of employees resign for financial reasons; poor work-life balance, a lack of career development opportunities, and a lack of benefits are increasingly motivating factors to leave. So, chances are you're looking for a new job for other reasons than a higher salary, and these reasons aren't going away with a higher salary. Consider why you started looking for other opportunities in the first place. Most likely, salary was a factor, but it was not the only one. Perhaps you felt stuck, with few opportunities for advancement, or you realised you were comfortable but not reaching your full potential.

Trust is Broken

Accepting a counteroffer will almost certainly harm your relationship with your current employer. Your resignation will be interpreted as a lack of dedication to the company. The desire you expressed to leave may indicate that you are not as loyal or committed as other employees, which may have an impact on your career development as you may be passed over for promotions in favour of co-workers who have not attempted to leave.

Will Things Really Change?

The frustration, suffocating feelings, and dissatisfaction that drove you to look for new opportunities will remain, and the raise in pay is unlikely to make them any less unbearable. Whatever turned you off about your job before the new offer will irritate you even after you accept it. Perhaps you were passed over for a promotion or were simply not given the opportunities to advance. You most likely expressed these concerns to your employer at some point, but they were not effectively addressed. These issues are likely to persist after you accept the counteroffer and will eventually force you to resign – this time for good.

Will my Job Security be Affected?

Accepting a counteroffer significantly reduces your job security. Your boss has worked hard to keep you from leaving, but you can bet that when it comes time to make redundancies or reduce personnel, you'll be near the top of the list because you've already tried to jump ship. This desire to leave may indicate that you are not as loyal or committed as other employees, which may have an impact on your career development as you may be passed over for promotions in favour of co-workers who have not attempted to leave.

Making a Final Decision

It can be difficult to decide whether or not to accept a counteroffer. It is critical to consider each of the previously discussed points and create a list of pros and cons. You may discover that you require additional information about your potential new employer. In this case, it's often best to consult with your recruiter so you have all the information you need to make the best decision for your personal and professional development.

Coming from a university background completing a BSc and MSc in Sport and International Business, you see both sides of university life. The relatively easy undergrad where every day is a weekend, there are no ties or commitments, and heaven forbid you get two one-hour lectures back-to-back. Then there's the full-on, demanding MSc, where you're drowning in deadlines and your workload triples.

You must develop strategies to help you deal with the news pressures and workloads. This can be a valuable learning experience in dealing with real-world pressure and stress. The coping strategies you learn here will help you manage and reduce stress later in life. You work hard to meet deadlines and maintain a work-life balance with sports and social circles, and then one day you turn in your last assignment and the adult world knocks.

This gives you some breathing room as you try to find your way. Trying to find that path can be difficult and perplexing at times. I'd advise you to keep an eye out for potential opportunities that will allow you to develop whatever qualities are important to you. Recruitment seemed like a no-brainer to me. Coming from a hardworking family, recruitment allowed me to continue to build on the skills I learned in my master's programme and previous experiences in my current line of work.

Coming from a social and sporting background, recruitment allowed me to continue to evolve social aspects of my life by developing communication styles. It gave me the ability to take on personal responsibilities and manage my own workload. Recruitment is a profession that rewards hard work, and it is often said that "what you put in, you get out." It is not an easy journey, and I would not recommend it to everyone, but it can be a highly rewarding and exciting career.

To be successful in this field, you must be resilient and willing to roll with the punches. No recruiter is finished after their first day, and I doubt they ever will be. Be prepared for highs and lows. You must enter this field with an open mind so that you can absorb all the necessary information and learn from those around you. You'll get into the swing of things once you've found your feet and your own style. Then success will begin to arrive, and your efforts will be rewarded. Dividends will be paid on what you have invested. Simply buckle up, brace yourself for the blows, and settle in for the ride.

In August 2021, Oliver Boulton, a member of our London US team, enrolled in Franklin Fitch's Academy Program. From there, he has excelled throughout the training programme and was promoted to Recruitment Consultant. We got the chance to speak with him about his career journey into recruitment, his advice for individuals considering a career in recruitment and how he's adjusted into his job and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role and your responsibilities.

My name is Olly and I work for Franklin Fitch as a Recruitment Consultant. I started at Franklin Fitch in August 2021 following my graduation from Exeter University where I did a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. I started off as a Trainee Recruitment Consultant and recently got promoted following five months of training. I am now about to start working towards my Senior Recruitment Consultant targets with the aim of achieving this by the end of the year.

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced?

One of the hardest adjustments I faced was going from being a student to full-time work – it is a shock to the system! However, I have had a great support system at Franklin Fitch who have always been ready and available if I needed any advice or assistance.

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch?

The training programme has been second to none. When I interviewed for Franklin Fitch, they sold me on their continuous training programme, and it turned out to be one of the biggest benefits of working here. It is led by a dedicated Learning and Development Manager, Charlotte Drury, who provided me with constant support and training and was always there to help with issues either inside or outside of recruitment.

What are your thoughts on being on the programme?

The two main selling points for Franklin Fitch were the culture and continuous learning approach. Everyone is always accessible and willing to help regardless of their seniority within the company. Even though I have graduated from the Academy, my learning and development is still being closely monitored and every day I feel like I learn something new and improve my ability as a Recruitment Consultant. Regardless of where you sit in the company, there are always opportunities to learn and grow and they regularly bring in external industry experts to conduct training sessions, even when you reach Principal or Director level!

Why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch?

My main motivation to start a career in recruitment was the ability to make the same money in your first year as you would in your fifth year in a typical graduate job. In addition to this, there are no other jobs where you can potentially earn two promotions within the space of a year. The career growth opportunities at Franklin Fitch are clear and tangible, and you know exactly what you need to do to hit your targets and are given all the support required to do so!

Any advice you would give to future recruiters?

Stick it out. It is not an easy process, particularly at the beginning it can feel very overwhelming, and it requires a lot of resilience and dedication. I adopted the approach of no expectations for the first six months, I just focused on my learning and development and let the results come naturally. Focus on the process and the results will follow.

The battle for talent is at an all-time high with organisations doing whatever they can to attract and retain industry-leading talent. Whether or not you choose to accept this, the reality is that we are currently in a candidate-driven market and if organisations fail to adapt, they risk falling behind in the race to the top.

 I recently spoke with a client who had been struggling to remain competitive due to having a six-stage interview process, and a technical assessment which even their most Senior Engineers were unable to complete. This resulted in candidates being unwilling to go through such a long, drawn-out process or receiving offers from companies with a more streamlined process. Thankfully, they were an adaptive company who were willing to recognise their downfalls and make changes to the way they structured their interview process. Following this, they reduced the size of the process by 50% and have since been thriving ever since.

I've summarised 5 key points in which organisations can do in order to attract and retain the top talent:

1. Get your job description and advert right

A well-written and informative job post that defines abilities and needs should not only weed out unsuitable individuals.

2. Communication

Once applications begin to roll in you must ensure that the candidates are acknowledged and informed on the next step. When you ask someone for an interview, tell them everything they need to know beforehand, including who’s doing the interview, how long it’s likely to last, if there are any tests, and who to contact if they need to change or cancel the interview.

3. Get your interviews right

In some circumstances, two or three step interviews are necessary, but with the current unemployment rate at around 4.1% it is likely that you will be competing with other employers and roles and let’s face it, nobody likes the waiting game created by an unnecessarily lengthy interview process.

Most of us expect to have a couple of interviews for a position. But many more than that and you risk losing Don’t forget about video interviews either – even though things are now returning to normality after the COVID-19 pandemic, a video interview could be much quicker to schedule. And it also means you can recruit from further afield. You could always look to carry out first interviews by video and then bring the best candidates in for a face-to-face later.

4. Remember that one size doesn’t fit all

Always have a plan for your interviews. You’ll want to tailor each one for the candidate you’re talking to. So, make sure you’ve studied every CV – there’s bound to be some specific skill or experience that you’ll want to ask them more about. Having said that, you’ll also want to have some standard questions you ask everyone. This is a great way to help you choose between similarly qualified candidates.

5. After you’ve found your person

You’ve got your perfect candidate. So don’t wait around to make your offer. And when you do, make sure you give them a deadline as to when you want their decision. A couple of days should be enough, although bear in mind they might have other companies interested in them as well – so try to be flexible if they need a bit more time Once they accept, keep in touch with them before they start. This will help make onboarding go much more smoothly.

My advice is therefore aimed towards both clients and candidates. Candidates: You are in demand. Understand your value and do not settle for long drawn-out interview processes where you are made to jump through hoops which even existing employees are not able to. Clients: Adapt. It is a candidate-driven market and I appreciate that you may have traditional processes which you have worked in accordance with for many years, but the most successful organisations are those which are able adapt in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive market.

Brooke Feinglass, a member of our US Austin team, relocated to Austin in July 2021 and enrolled in the Franklin Fitch Academy Program. She has been a part of our training programme since joining the team, which has provided her all the tools she needs to get started in the recruiting industry. We chatted with her about her time in the Academy, her decision to work in recruiting, and how she's adjusting to her new job and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role and your responsibilities. 

I started my career in recruiting as a Trainee Consultant in Franklin Fitch's Austin, TX office at the end of July 2021. I had no idea what I was doing and spent most of my days attempting to soak up as much knowledge as possible from my colleagues and received specialised training and development from Academy Management Charlotte from beginning to end. With the help of my supervisors and colleagues, I gained confidence in dealing with applicants and made my first placement in September. I was promoted to Consultant in November after placing four candidates. Now that I've gained a thorough grasp of the hiring process, I'm tasked with sourcing, qualifying, and managing prospects throughout their job search, attempting to make the process as painless as possible.

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced? 

Finding a strategy that helps me keep organised has been my biggest problem since joining Franklin Fitch. I've been able to discover strategies to successfully manage my time and keep organised with my calendar as a result of my training, which is a valuable life skill to learn and develop.

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch?

My training at Franklin Fitch consisted of discussions, peer mentoring, technical studying etc. and I was extremely impressed throughout the entirety of it. The thoroughness of the program and its attention to detail assured me I was surrounded by people that wanted me to the best I could be. 

What are your thoughts on being on the programme and why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch?

Franklin Fitch's training programme continues to impress me. All of the training is designed to provide you with the support and resources you'll need to succeed. It's a true mash-up of several sorts of training, including on-the-job coaching, listening, and observation. The use of KPI challenges and activities to motivate you to meet your goals while still having fun was fantastic and made the experience even more pleasurable.

I chose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch because I wanted a company to give me the dedication, attention and training needed in order to be a great recruiter.

Any advice you would give to future recruiters?

Pay attention to what your peers are saying and learn from them. Everyone has a range of expertise and experience, and they are always eager to help if you have a query or want guidance.

In August 2021, Robyn, a member of our London US team, enrolled in Franklin Fitch's Academy Program. She has been a part of our intensive training programme, where she has received classroom and on-the-job training from our committed L&D Managers, giving her the tools she needs to get started in the recruitment sector. We spoke with her about her experience in the Academy, her decision to pursue a career in recruitment, and how she's settled into her new role and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role and your responsibilities. 

My name is Robyn and I joined Franklin Fitch’s US London team in August 2021. After graduating from university in the spring, it was my dream to relocate to the big city that is London. I’ll be honest and say that recruitment wasn’t a career I had considered before Franklin Fitch reached out to me. I was pretty open in terms of what roles I was considering, I just know I wanted a career that offered unlimited progression, the chance to earn good money and be rewarded for my hard work, and meet new, likeminded people in the city that was soon to become my home. Six months on, I’m really glad I was open to having that initial conversation, as I’m now working in a role that ticks all of those boxes. Since starting here, I have been part of an extensive training programme, where I have been provided with all of the tools, support and expertise to get me up to speed with the world that is recruitment. I work with both clients and candidates in the US market, to either fill their positions or land candidates their dream role. 

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced? 

I would say the biggest challenge I have faced would be diving into the unknown. I had moved from a small, seaside town in Wales and jumped feet first into a huge city, living in a house with five other strangers and working in an industry I didn’t have much knowledge of. When starting at Franklin Fitch, I found a great support network. Everyone at Franklin Fitch couldn’t have been more welcoming and supportive, both in terms of work and my personal life. They really went above and beyond, and even offered to help me find somewhere to live prior to my big move. I found having a job that I could really get my teeth stuck into gave me something to focus on, and everything else slowly fell into place. 

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch? 

The training programme at Franklin Fitch is second to none. You are thrown all of the tools, resources, knowledge and expertise you need to develop the skills to become an excellent Recruitment Consultant; some of the more senior members of staff are testimony to that. You have a dedicated academy manager, Charlotte, who is there to support and guide you throughout the whole process. It is great to know that no question is a silly question. All the staff are so supportive and there is always someone who is happy to help you out when you need it. 

What are your thoughts on being on the programme and why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch? 

I’m really glad I have been offered the opportunity to jump onboard this excellent training programme. It is true that recruitment has a lot of ups and downs, and sometimes it can be tough when you experience knockbacks. However, working closely with your mentors can ensure that you have greater control over those factors, and help you to build resilience, so when you do experience those knockbacks, you can use them as lesson and bounce back quicker every time. The reason I chose a career in recruitment is that I wanted a job that would give me the opportunity to continuously improve and progress. I always used to worry about being stuck in job where I would hit a ceiling of progression; however, this is a job where that would never happen. The great thing about Franklin Fitch is that you never have to wait for a promotion, you are all on your own path and once you hit those targets, you can climb the career ladder. I wanted a job where I would be rewarded for my hard work, and would get out what I put in. I’m more than happy to work hard, stay late, go the extra mile, as long as I am seeing those results. Finally, it was the people for me at Franklin Fitch, the brilliant mentors, managers and friends. Since being here, I have made some really great friends and done some really cool things. 

Any advice you would give to future recruiters? 

My advice would be to take the leap. A lot of people don’t know too much about the recruitment industry, but be open to having that initial conversation and find out a bit more about it before you rule it out. Take advantage of the exceptional training and development opportunity on offer, as they help to build all the skills and confidence you need to be an excellent Recruitment Consultant. Be patient and persistent, show up for yourself every day and you will reap the benefits!

For some time, the four-day work week and demands for this new style of working to become a reality in the workplace have been gaining traction.

While the five-day week was once a great concept for getting the most out of employees, it was developed during a time when industrial labour was the norm. However, in today’s society modern technology has significantly sped up the way we work, and that the five-day week is no longer necessary.

Across the globe, businesses big and small, have been experimenting with how feasible, productive, and profitable a transition to working four days a week may be. Trials of a four-day work week have been successful in New Zealand, Sweden, and Spain, with the United Kingdom being the most recent country to test the concept in the hopes of achieving the same level of productivity in fewer hours of labour. 30 large companies will be participating in trialling a “4-day work week” for 6 months with researchers measuring not only productivity but also the impact on workers’ wellbeing and assess the program’s effect on the environment and gender equality.  

The UK trial will follow the 100:80:100 model, where workers receive 100 per cent of the pay for 80 per cent of the time - in return for committing to maintain 100 per cent of their previous productivity. As a result, the individual would work approximately 28 hours over four days.

So, what are some key pros and cons of the 4-day work week?

Advantages of a four-day working week

Better Work-Life Balance

Allowing employees to take an additional personal day allows them to focus on personal projects, pursue hobbies, and spend more time with their families, all of which may be beneficial to their mental health.

It seems to reason that having more leisure time, working fewer hours, and spending less time in front of a computer screen will lower stress. Employees who have a better work-life balance are healthier and more productive.

Increase in Productivity Levels

Working fewer hours has been found by researchers to increase productivity. Employees may feel better and more content as a result of spending less time at work, allowing them to focus on their task while they are there. Employees who are happier and more content are more focused on their jobs when they are at work, according to the theory behind a shorter week.

Perpetual Guardian, a significant New Zealand company, experimented with a four-day work week and discovered that not only did productivity increase by 20%, but work-life balance scores improved from 54% to 78%.

Smaller Carbon Footprint

Shorter working hours are associated with a lower carbon footprint, thus cutting our work week from five to four days might be beneficial to the environment as well. Employees will need to commute less if their work week is cut short, lowering their carbon impact. Research published recently by the environmental organisation Platform London showed that moving the economy to a four-day, 32-hour working week—crucially, with no reduction in pay for workers—would reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year.

Recruitment and retention

Workers demand more flexible work patterns as a result of the growth in hybrid and remote working during the pandemic. This is clearly a bonus that persuades employees to stay at a firm. Employees are encouraged to work week after week when they know they'll get a three-day weekend. It's still a somewhat uncommon benefit, but it may be a terrific way to attract top people and keep them motivated. 

Disadvantages of a 4-day work week

It Doesn’t Suit Every Business Model

Unfortunately, a four-day workweek isn't suitable for every company. It's only a feasible choice for businesses that can convert their entire operation to a new style of functioning. Longer hours and work-related stress.

Difficult to Implement

Changing from a five-day to a four-day workweek is difficult to implement. Schedules must be revised, policies must be amended, and personnel must be informed of the changes. Because this changes the way all areas of your business work, it may take some time to implement.

Increased Deadline Pressure

Workers will have fewer days to finish tasks while working the same or less hours per week. When employees have less time, they may feel more pressure to get things done. On days when you aren't working, work from other companies may still pour in, adding to your stress.

Although the reduced work week has been successful for many European firms, it remains to be seen whether a 4-day week is the solution to the changing 21st century workplace or not.

The four-day approach may not be appropriate for all industries but what research and statistics have shown is that companies who place a greater emphasis on employee well-being, engagement, morale, and productivity reap the advantages.

We spoke with Dafydd from our Cardiff office, who joined Franklin Fitch's Academy Programme in July 2021. Throughout his time at Franklin Fitch he has swiftly progressed through the Academy, most recently being promoted to Recruitment Consultant. We got the chance to speak with him about his time in the Academy, his advice for individuals considering a career in recruitment and how he's adjusted into his job and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role and your responsibilities. 

My name is Dafydd and I’m part of Franklin Fitch’s UK team based in Cardiff, Wales. I was searching for a dynamic profession that would allow me to progress swiftly, earn good money, and meet new people after graduating from Aberystwyth University with a degree in International Politics.  Since joining I have undergone extensive training and development activities that allowed me to successfully progress from the academy into a Recruitment Consultant role. Currently, I work directly with candidates to assist them in finding their ideal positions and to genuinely understand their needs. 

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced? 

The most difficult aspect has been transitioning from a student lifestyle to full-time employment. As this is my first work outside of university, there was definitely a transition period, but after I established a routine and acquired confidence in my talents via the Academy, everything started to make sense and I now have ownership of my own day and routine.  

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch?

The training programme at Franklin Fitch was extensive but enjoyable. The sessions were instructive and thought-provoking, allowing you to reach your own conclusions and grasp the many functions and practices. One of the things that immediately stood out for me when starting the Academy is that you receive real-world experience and a dedicated network to draw on and learn from; everyone is so supportive and friendly and great to talk to.  

What are your thoughts on being on the programme and why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch?

The training has aided professional and personal development, and the focused support network has aided this growth. Recruitment appealed to me because of its social nature, the possibility of making good money, and the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics ranging from technology and business to personal attributes. 

Any advice you would give to future recruiters?

My advice is to be prepared to take on any challenge, jump straight in, and take advantage of the training and growth that Franklin Fitch will provide. Take any given opportunity and make it excellent. Just embrace the challenge and run with it! 

When you receive a call or email from a recruiter, your first instinct is to hang up or ignore it, but you should view it as a learning opportunity, even if you aren't seriously considering leaving your current position.  

In most circumstances, the experience will help you learn more about yourself as a job candidate and give you an idea of what employers are looking for – information that will prove invaluable when time comes to make a change.  

When given a compelling opportunity, we've seen people, who weren't previously considering a career transition, dramatically transform their perspective — and approach — and end up better off.  

So, if you  are  contacted by a recruiter, consider asking some questions and building a relationship as you never know what you might find out. Below are some questions you should consider asking.

Consider asking:

Why is the position open? Determine whether the position is a newly created one or one that has become unoccupied. If the latter, inquire as to why the prior occupant of the position left and how long the position has been open.  

What skills and experiences do the hiring managers value the most? Request a list of the needed skills and experiences for the position from the recruiter. Having such a list will make comparing the employer's criteria to your own skill set and deciding whether to pursue the opportunity much easier.  

What does the day-to-day of the job look like?  This is a great approach to get past the repetition of a job description and gain a better understanding of what the role requires. Ask questions to help you figure out how you'll spend the most of your time.  

Why did you connect with me? What about my background indicates that I'd be a good fit for the job? The answer to this question can reveal how individuals outside your organisation evaluate your work and successes, as well as how rigorously the recruiter did their homework, which could indicate how well they understand the role they've been hired to fill.  

Is there anything concerning about my CV or background? This is a great tool to see how competitive you are for the job, and it will also give you information to help you plan a strategy for filling any perceived gaps in your cover letter, resume, and interview. 

What kind of flexible work arrangements does the job offer? This is particularly essential knowledge in the COVID era, when many people have become accustomed to working from home and may wish to do so in the future. Understanding the variety of advantages that come with a position in general is also a useful approach to learn about the culture and values of the company. 

What can you tell me about the company's culture? What are the organization's values, and how do they manifest themselves in its work? Organisational culture and values are important considerations for most people when deciding whether to accept a new position. Inquire about details that go beyond what's on the organization's website or in a handbook, such as how the organization's principles are demonstrated in day-to-day activities. Inquire about the company's professional development opportunities, human resources practices, and everything else that goes into developing a healthy organisational culture. 

What work has the organization done to become more diverse and inclusive? What has been done to make the organisation more diverse, inclusive, and equitable? This will be critical in 2022 for applicants looking for inclusive and progressive workplaces. Inquire about training and development opportunities that concentrate on diversity and equality.  

What does the interview process look like and how long does it take? If you choose to pursue the opportunity, the answer to this question should offer you an idea of how much time commitment you'll be required to make, as well as whether it's something worth investing your time and energy in. 

The questions above are meant to be a starting point for assessing whether a potential career is a suitable fit for you and deciding whether you want to pursue an opportunity presented to you by a recruiter. It’s always good to think outside the box and come up with a couple more questions of your own. Moving to a new company can be intimidating, but it's also a fantastic — perhaps the best — way to grow your career. Before making a decision, gather as much information as possible and act on it. 

My name is Patrick Griffiths and I’ve been working at Franklin Fitch for over a year. I’m a Recruitment Consultant and I’m about to tell you about how I made the decision to transition into recruitment. 

Before becoming a Recruitment Consultant, I did something entirely different; I owned my own Fencing company. When I ran my own fencing business, instead of sitting in front of a computer typing on a keyboard, I worked extremely hard physically. I've always wanted to work in an agricultural field, such as forestry or sustainability. Due to this, my parents decided that sending me to an agricultural school would be the greatest option, and I thrived. 

Following my undergraduate degree, I launched my own company and began building and installing fences across the rural areas of England. It was a difficult and gruelling profession, but one that I liked. After a few years of fencing, I've chosen to broaden my professional options and pursue a job in another industry. I was delighted to have found a company like Franklin Fitch; they have a clear career pathway for individuals, tailored to each person to help them develop and excel through learning and training. I learned from my previous career that the more you work, the more you get out of it; and that is already one of the primary parallels between the fencing and recruitment industries. 

My decision to leave fencing was partially motivated by a desire to try something new. When I discovered the recruitment profession, I was astounded at how many transferable talents I had from fencing that I could apply here as well, such as the capacity to communicate with people in a professional setting or delivering excellent service to clients.  

Fencing was physically demanding, whereas recruiting was mentally demanding. You'll learn how to deal with rejection and identify your major motivators in this section. Even if things went utterly wrong occasionally, you must keep going day after day to be successful. I'm delighted I took the plunge into recruitment, and I'm excited to be on my way to being a senior consultant. My strong work ethic sets me apart from people who have never worked before, and my professional expertise also helps me perform better. 

So yes, fencing might be something completely different, but it helped me perform even better in recruitment. Just be brave and make a move if you think recruitment might be the right thing for you to do. 

When searching for a new role, quality over quantity wins every time. I see many candidates who take the approach of submitting hundreds of applications for any role with a relevant title, who then end up frustrated when they receive little to no response. Learning why these are mistakes can help you avoid wasting time and focus on the position perfect for you.

So how can you fix this?

Be Specific – think about your next career move before starting to apply and only apply to roles that are truly relevant and match your skillset. Candidates that use job search sites to apply for many jobs at the same time and have a CV that is overly generic will almost certainly be sent to the bottom of the stack. The CV should demonstrate that the candidate has the qualifications to perform a certain job and that they would be a suitable fit for the position and the firm. This is why individuals who submit many applications rarely receive a response from recruiters. It is preferable to spend time researching the organisation and reworking a job application to meet the job description.

Tailor your CV – this can be difficult to do for every application, but for the ones that you're really interested in and believe you're a good fit for, it's worth it. It doesn't need to be a re-write, a quick re-shuffle of your technical skills and highlighting the skills that match the job specification on the first page makes a world of difference. Take the time to personalise job applications to indicate that you are qualified to fill specific jobs. (Extra Tip: Ask your recruiter if they have any advice on what changes you could make to put you in better stead!)

Follow up – don't let your CV get lost in the pile. If you've applied for a role and you can see a recruiter is managing it, follow up! Send them an email or a LinkedIn message to let them know you've applied and that you've read the job advert and explain briefly why you believe you're a good fit. This really helps you stand out from the crowd.

I'm a firm believer that It's better to do 10 deep applications than 100 shallow ones!

We spoke with Garett, who joined Franklin Fitch's Academy Programme in July 2021 and has swiftly progressed through the ranks, most recently being promoted to Recruitment Consultant, about his experiences in the programme, his best piece of advice and how he's adjusted into his job and team at Franklin Fitch.

Introduce yourself, your career journey at Franklin Fitch, your current role and your responsibilities. 

I'm Garett Bechdolt (aka GABE), and I work at Franklin Fitch as a recruiting consultant. I started as a trainee in the Austin office in June 2021, with no prior recruitment experience. My current responsibilities involve working with clients on business development, communicating with candidates, and managing both candidates and clients through their individual interview procedures.

Since joining Franklin Fitch what has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced? 

Learning efficient strategies to govern your candidates has been one of the most difficult problems (apart from sharing a small workspace with JOGU). Early on, I struggled to gain candidate buy-in, but I've made significant progress in this area in the last several months. The idea is to simply listen to the individual to determine their requirements, and then demonstrate how you can meet those needs. They are more likely to pick up the phone when you call again if they believe you understand their position effectively.

What was the training programme like for you at Franklin Fitch?

The Franklin Fitch Academy leaders are fantastic mentors, and they make sure that we are following daily practises that are the foundation of a successful recruiter. There are a lot of moving components in recruiting, but they make everything as simple as possible to understand.

What are your thoughts on being on the programme and why did you choose a career in recruitment at Franklin Fitch?

I chose a career with Franklin Fitch because I see great opportunities in our market, and I believe that we have the pieces in place to grow very quickly. I was also impressed with everyone I spoke with during my interviews, and I don’t think there is anything they told during that process that wasn’t true. Everyone within the company are always so helpful, and you can always reach out to anyone and they will be extremely supportive.

Any advice you would give to future recruiters?

Listen to your mentors and observe their work often. Your team around you should have the experience to guide you through difficult situations as they arise. It is important to listen to them when they give you feedback and do everything you can to incorporate it into your work. Spending time studying why they have been successful can unlock your ability to do the same.

My name is Anthony and I’ve been working at Franklin Fitch for over 3 years. I’m currently a Senior Recruitment Consultant, but prior to taking a chance and embarking upon my recruitment career, I was a DJ in which I performed around the world.

I first started getting into music when I was 12 years old and whilst music was my passion, I didn’t earn money with it in the beginning, so I had to get myself a job. After my A-levels I started working in a law firm whilst listening to drum and bass, house, and techno music. I’ve learned a lot about property law and administration, but realised quickly that that’s not for me as it’s a very black and white world you live in. So, I invested more time into becoming a DJ, travelled from country to country for gigs, and played for a huge amount of people. I’d consider myself a people person as playing to the crowd and talking to people is part of my daily business.

In terms of my journey into recruitment, my first intention was to earn more money and have a regular salary and a structured full-time job. As soon as I’ve started the job, I realised that there are much more similarities to my previous career steps than I thought and the transferable skills, which I learned from performing, helped in my transition into recruitment. Recruitment and law for example both have clients you need to communicate with. So, in both working environments communication and confidence are key to be able to reach your targets.

Both of my prior employment taught me how to be a friendly and social person while remaining professional and appropriate at the same time. Being a DJ entails connecting with the crowd and responding to the music preferences of the listeners. When working with various types of clients on various types of issues, I've also learnt to be versatile. This capacity to adapt to diverse personalities now sets me apart from my co-workers.

Recruitment is a challenging job with a high variety of tasks, but less pressure than working in a law firm for example. Apart from the salary what I love most is that you learn from people about people, you communicate and collaborate. So, within recruitment, I found a job that brings out the social aspect as well as the routine that I was looking for. So don’t hesitate and decide to take a chance and make a change, maybe this is also going to be your future.

The Great Resignation is here, and its real. A new era for the workforce as we emerge from the pandemic. In this new era, we see a critical movement from employees – a change in their hearts and minds about where and how they want to work. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, during the months of April, May, and June 2021, a total of 11.5 million workers quit their jobs. Anthony Klotz, the Texas A&M psychologist who coined the term “The Great Resignation,” believes a major factor in job departures is that people are re-evaluating their relationship to work in the wake of COVID-19. 

Workers have been able to reassess their jobs, working circumstances, and long-term ambitions as a result of the epidemic. Many have experienced “pandemic epiphanies” making workers less likely to maintain positions they find unsatisfactory, and more likely to feel empowered in their search for better (or more fulfilling) roles in the workforce. As a result of this paradigm change, a significant number of people are looking for new occupations, and many firms are striving to fill available positions.

If considering making a change in your career our advice is to critically evaluate each of the following:

• The Job- Is your new position exciting to you? Is it a test for you? It might be the first step toward a new professional path or functional area. Alternatively, you may go into a firm where you've always wanted to work. If you're leaving to perform the same job for greater money, we recommend that you consider the various factors that led to this decision.

• The Purpose- How does the goal of what you're going to undertake align with your own personal values? Consider how your own values connect with the firm, the products they sell, the services they provide, or the personal cause they support. As you invest in the moral good, your purpose will fuel your enthusiasm and transform your career into more than just employment.

• The Leadership- We know that one of the main reasons employees search for new chances is because of their direct or immediate superiors, it is critical to assess new leadership during the change process. Find a leader that will push you to be a greater contributor by challenging, coaching, and supporting you; one who will support your professional goals and objectives, your passion, and is focused on your best interests; one who will not hinder or stop you from advancement due to self-serving motives.

• The Culture- Make sure you're familiar with the company's culture before you start working there. Assess if the firm as a whole invests in its culture and holds the leadership accountable for their behaviour and actions in achieving the stated cultural objectives, rather than merely reading the companies' value statements. It's just as vital to find your people and a sense of belonging as it is to be paid and have opportunities. If you miss the target on this, you'll rapidly become unhappy and demotivated.

Over the last several months, there has been a significant surge in competition for experienced talent, particularly in the Solution Provider and Consultancy market, where demand for individuals with a strong balance of technical competence and client-facing abilities has skyrocketed. Returning to the office and taking advantage of the market are two prominent reasons applicants have offered for quitting. Clients that are taking advantage of the market are doing so by listening to their current employees in order to improve retention, as well as modernising archaic recruitment methods in order to secure the finest personnel.Companies must consider adaptation and flexibility in this new era of the job market if they want to keep people and guarantee that they are satisfied in their roles.

Prior to working in recruiting, I worked as a Sales Negotiator for an Estate Agent. My work involved dealing with vendors and purchases, as well as supporting and guiding individuals through the sales process by identifying potential house buyers' needs and comparing their criteria to available properties in the portfolio to discover the ideal fit.

When the opportunity to pursue my dream of relocating to London arose early this year, I made the transition to recruitment. I was drawn to recruitment, particularly in IT since it provided me with the stability and opportunities for advancement that I desired. I was able to draw on my previous experience working in a sales-oriented environment, and I immediately discovered that I had transferrable skills that I could use in my new position. There were numerous parallels between the two jobs, particularly the challenges experienced while attempting to execute a candidate placement or a housing sale. From the early qualifying conversations to discuss requirements and desires, through the coaching of the induvial throughout the process, giving guidance and assistance, to the initial offer and acceptance of the contract or property, the linear structure of the procedures is directly comparable.

My experience in the real estate sector taught me the value of resilience and how to cope with difficult situations given that recruitment can be deemed one of the tougher industries to break into. One of the obstacles I've encountered, and which I'm sure many other recruiters have as well, is when a placement receives a counteroffer and accepts it. It happens in the home market when someone goes through the full process and then backs out at the last minute, leaving you discouraged, questioning your talents, and damaging your confidence.

However, every cloud has a silver lining and there are some key take away points from situations of setbacks:

• View every setback as an opportunity to learn. No matter how long you've worked in the recruitment market, there's always potential for improvement. Take notes on the process and identify any potential red flags that you may have overlooked. Inquire about the issues that were detected and learn why they occurred; this will guarantee that you don't make the same error next time and can reduce the danger of a setback. If you can spot the red flag sooner in the procedure the next time, you'll save time and resources.

• See how flexible the individual you're dealing with is. To identify what the individual need and how far they are willing to go, and this will allow you to determine boundaries. To learn more, be inquisitive and ask questions. People may need to be pushed to share key details that are critical to your ability to assist them.

• Lean on the more experienced people in your team. They can be your sounding board to discuss issues you may be facing and can provide a wealth of information and expertise on how to cope with setbacks and overcome obstacles.

• Concentrate on what you have control over. Although setbacks are inevitable, how you respond to them is entirely up to you. Don’t allow them to define who you are and what you do next in your career. Because there is no such thing as a flawless approach to recruit, there are always things you can improve and adjust.

• Be accountable to yourself. Determine what went wrong and why it happened. You'll be able to make the required adjustments to guarantee it doesn't happen again once you've had time to think on the process.

Prior sales expertise helped me make the transition into recruitment, but it wasn't necessary because with the right support and training, you can flourish in any profession. I've learned to bounce back from setbacks and have been able to develop professionally and personally as a result.

What does it feel like to be the Best Small Recruitment Business in the land? Hopefully we’ll get to find out in October when the Global Recruiter Awards happen in London.

Why? Because we’re delighted to announce that Franklin Fitch is one of five shortlisted businesses in the running for the long-standing and industry-respected title of Best Small Recruitment Business.

Commenting on the shortlisting, Steven Ewer said:

“In the month that we are celebrating 10 years of Franklin Fitch, it’s great to get recognition from Global Recruiter on our successes over what has been a challenging year to say the least. Despite all the chaos that has been happening around the world, the team here has stuck together and grown across the board.

Headcount has increased in all our locations, and we’ve moved to bigger spaces in both our Cardiff and Austin offices. Most importantly though, we are pleased to have continued to connect brilliant IT infrastructure talent with companies across Europe and the US, building great partnerships along the way.

This will probably be our last year of being eligible to enter this category so it would be great to sign off with a win. There are some brilliant recruitment businesses shortlisted alongside us – congratulations to them as well. I look forward to hopefully celebrating with everyone in October.”

You can view the Global Recruiter Awards shortlist in its entirety here.

For a long time, organisations have focused their efforts and investments on financial capital rather than their human capital. However, with a lot more studies being conducted and evidence showing the significant impact top talent has on business performance, the focus of organisations has seemed to slowly start shifting.

Knowing the value of talent for companies, there also comes a problem with it; talent is very scarce. A company needs to be outstanding in order to make scarce top talent apprised of their existence. The market is highly competitive; the more an employer understands talent’s needs and core motivations, the easier it will become to attract the exact people wanted and needed. Talent is as varied as the many job opportunities out there, so it is of utmost importance to match the right talent with the right job for long-term success. To do so, talent has to be looked at from all different perspectives such as age, gender or geographical location.

Building a strong EVP is one of the key attributes it takes to attract top talent, establishing an outstanding talent magnet position in the market, and communicating it successfully to the target audience. However most companies face limitations, especially when it comes to finding the best and brightest candidates. Therefore recruitment agencies out there can help them tap into different and broader talent pools. Recruitment needs to be a pro-active process, “employers cannot wait for the new talent to find them; they have to go out and look for it”. (Hillenbrand, 2020, p. 4)

Passive jobseekers make up a great share of talent and therefore have to be actively sourced and reached out to. There are many different possibilities on how to reach out to all the bright and different talent out there. Instead of focusing on only a few talent pools, companies should embrace diversity to fill open positions and take advantage of the effect it has on overall business success.

Recruitment agencies act as a middleman, a third party between the candidate and hiring company. Recruiters usually have a deeper talent pool than the in-house talent acquisition teams, as it is their job to have a large database with potential candidates to reach out to. They also do not wait for active applicants but put themselves out there, actively searching for talent. Hiring a recruitment agency is also time-saving, they take on the pre-screening and selection of potential candidates. It also makes the hiring process more efficient, as good recruiters act in the interest of the client and the candidate and think long-term. They know their market, what the client expects from a candidate and what the candidate will be able to deliver.

In order to attract the right talent, it is not only crucial to understand what talent wants, but also where required talent can be found and ways to make contact. Therefore, understanding the channels that are being used by jobseekers to search and apply for jobs will help to implement the right technology when reaching out to potential candidates, which will also differ from geographic location and age. Some information is more valuable than others for candidates when reading a job description. Recruiters ensure the right information is available upfront to an interview in order to increase the efficiency of the hiring process. The more transparency a candidate can get, the better he or she is able to understand what to expect from their potential future job and employer.

In conclusion, recruiters provide you with an exclusive and specific selection of top talent for your business. If you want to find out how Franklin Fitch can support your recruitment process please reach out to Carmen Hiemisch (c.hiemisch@franklinfitch.com or +49 69 971 94 2913).

Source: Hillenbrand, P. “The people-first approach to business building”, McKinsey Digital, 2020, p. 4

written by Carmen Hiemisch

As recruiters, we get the opportunity to speak to a whole host of hiring managers, each facing their own challenges when looking to bring the best talent on board and grow out their teams. Although even the largest, most resourceful companies are still likely to face their fair share of tests, this article will focus on identifying the key challenges faced by SMEs when hiring for their IT/Infrastructure teams, as well as looking into best practices and new ideas on how to solve them.

I am in contact with a range of SMEs, speaking with hiring manages to get to the bottom of what works, what doesn’t and how they have managed to improve and streamline their recruitment processes. Outlined below are some of the key talking points that arose, which will hopefully provide insight and assist in building a hiring process that works for you.

What to focus on when hiring IT/Infrastructure employees?

Believe it or not, a surprisingly large number of hiring managers found putting too much emphasis on a candidate’s technical capabilities was ineffective in the initial recruitment stage. It was an almost unanimous agreement that on reflection, more focus should have been placed on values fit and working attitude. Bringing in someone that shares the values of the company, as well as having a positive can-do attitude can have a huge impact on SMEs.

Having a team of motivators is a sure way to maintain positivity, overcome challenges and create opportunity for innovation. Someone could be exceptionally talented in terms of technical ability, yet if they aren’t invested and motivated to make things work, they’re probably going to be more of a detriment to the business in the long run. As the saying goes, “one bad apple can spoil the bunch”.

Unlike technical skills, mentality can’t be taught. So, when it comes to technical skills vs mentality, let’s call it even. Hitting that perfect balance of technical prowess and personality fit in a new hire is any SME’s dream!

Make your interview process more effective

Giving candidates reasons to buy into the company from the start is crucial for attracting talent (and it only takes 10 minutes). The current market is extremely candidate driven; strong candidates are likely to have multiple other processes going on alongside the opportunity you’re offering. Ten minutes on the phone is all it takes to create a good first impression and make candidates feel like you are valuing their application and are aware that interviews are a two-way street. You are aiming to put your company at the forefront of the candidate’s mind.

Testing technical ability

The interview processes at SMEs are often far more thorough than some of the larger companies I’ve worked with, and why shouldn’t they be? The associated risk of every hire is far greater than in larger and more established companies. Holding some form of technical test, whether it’s an online screen share, or a verbal test in the interview from one of the senior team members is a great way to separate the technically strong from the lesser capable.

There are two big “don’ts” when it comes to testing technical ability. Firstly, jumping straight into a technical interview as a first stage, without previously giving buy-in to the company (yes, this again). This can be hugely off-putting and can give a sense of elitism to your hiring process.

Secondly, putting candidates through a ridiculously long process, just to prove what they’re capable of. The candidate shouldn’t need to be asked the same questions by 4 different people within the organisation. This can give the impression of poor communication and time management within the business, whether this is the case or not. Candidates are often reluctant to commit to such a long process for a job that they ultimately might not land.

One of my clients mentioned the idea of collaboration-based interviews. The way this works is that they get the candidate to participate in a real-life situation. Sit in on a brainstorming session with the team, focusing on how best to overcome a specific, real problem. This way you can test the candidate on how well they collaborate, how confident they are giving their own ideas and how they communicate these ideas to a wider audience. This also gives a positive experience to the candidate as they get a real insight into what it would be like working in the company – and ultimately the team.

Finally, something hugely important for all companies, big or small, is responsiveness and feedback. This is so vital, yet still not on the priority list for many companies. Due to the competitiveness of the industry, candidates can be off the market within a matter of days. If you aren’t providing constructive feedback on profile submissions or interviews within two days maximum and keeping candidates in the loop, assume that your competition is, and expect to be left behind!

How does your tech stack correlate with talent attraction?

I asked each hiring manager: “when choosing your tech stack, do you think about how that correlates with talent attraction and current technical trends for when you’re likely to be growing the team further down the line?” This often prompted the response: “I’d never really thought about it until now”.

Around 90% of the people I spoke to stated that the tech stack was chosen with the sole focus on implementing the best tools for the product, without giving a thought to how their choices would affect the future hiring process. Makes sense! However, keeping talent attraction in mind when discussing technical decisions is no bad thing. This doesn’t mean that you should pick a tool unsuitable for the job just because it’s the “next big thing” but keeping up to date with the latest versions of the tools and technologies that you’re using is likely to appeal to potential candidates when the time comes to grow out the team. Emerging technologies will also keep your product/service scalable as you continue to expand.

Being open to implementing new technologies and offering an element of technical freedom to your IT employees can also be a great way to attract talent, encourage innovation and ensure that your hires have the mindset of continuous development (which is the attitude needed in most successful tech SMEs).

How do you compete with the tech industries “Top Dogs”? And do you need to?

Interestingly, the majority of people I spoke to didn’t feel as though they are competing with large organisations on anywhere near the same level that they are competing with other SME’s. This is due to the belief that the majority of candidates either have the appetite for an SME, or they don’t.

If you have a candidate with their mind set on working in a small, more open environment, how do you attract them to yours? Many thought that it is more effective to focus on offering the candidate intangible benefits such as technical freedom, ownership over projects, the chance to make a real difference on projects and the company as a whole. This would often be more appealing than trying to match the ‘competitive’ financial packages that are being offered elsewhere.

Whilst these benefits will appeal to a “smaller company” minded candidate, it’s important not to use these benefits as leverage to negotiate a lower salary. Underwhelming a candidate with a job offer is a sure-fire way to put them off!

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If you have any questions, comments, or tried and tested methods for attracting talent to SMEs that haven’t been covered here, please feel free to share.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, which focuses on the theme of nature. During the long months of the pandemic, millions of people globally turned to nature as a coping mechanism - with 45% of people reporting that being in green spaces had been vital for their mental health.

There is lots of research to support the role that nature can play in protecting our mental health. This week, the Mental Health Foundation is encouraging those who can to spend some time connecting with nature. 

We care deeply about mental health at Franklin Fitch. Our charity of the year for 2021 is Heads Together, who are fighting the stigma around mental health. We've shared some of the ways in which we are connecting with nature this week, and encourage you to do the same.

Algida Gaidyte: 'I'm going to give my houseplants some extra love this week."

Richard Shayler: 'I'm growing some basil plants"

Charlotte Drury: 'My friend and I are growing spring onions from the end bit of old spring onions that we had in the fridge. They've already shot up after only a couple of weeks.'

Dane Keenan: 'I'm going to make the effort to eat my lunch outside rather than at my desk.'

Konstantin Ehrenberger: 'I'm going to take a picnic to Brickwell Park, where the oldest Oak tree there is over 600 years old.'

Carmen Hiemisch: 'I'm cycling to work this week rather than getting public transport.'

Parnian Faqiryar: 'I'll ditch the bus this week in favour of walking to work.'

Luned Jones: 'I'm spending a day at Kew Gardens with family and friends.'

Patrick Griffiths: 'I've been growing apples from the seeds, I even had to re-pot them this week'.

Dominique Lianos: 'Myself and my housemates are growing various herbs that we've already used in our cooking'.

Mona Aboud: 'I plan to take a walk in the forest this week.'

Maike Nenninger: 'I'm going to my parents' place with a protected landscape area for a family walk in the woods.'

Gareth Streefland: 'I'm going surfing in Swansea at the weekend.'

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How do you plan to connect to nature this week? For resources, tips and more information on Mental Health Awareness Week, please visit the Mental Health Foundation website.

Franklin Fitch is proud to have been awarded a 2-star accreditation from Best Companies, representing "outstanding" levels of employee engagement. 

In addition to the 2-star rating (out of a possible three), Best Companies recognised Franklin Fitch as one of the following:
London's 30 Best Small Companies to Work For 2021
Recruitment's 40 Best Companies to Work For 2021
The UK's 100 Best Small Companies to Work For 2021

We couldn't be prouder of this achievement. We consider our people to be our biggest asset, and knowing that they feel engaged at work is very important to us. Having an engaged workforce encourages people to feel connected to each other and our aims at Franklin Fitch, meaning we all want to work towards a shared goal.

Looking forward, we're already getting started on analysing and implementing the feedback from the Best Companies survey. This data will provide invaluable insights into what we can do to make Franklin Fitch the very best place to work - because that's the standard we're aiming for. 

This feedback comes at a great time for us, as we've got ambitious growth plans moving forward. We want to reach 100 heads by November 2023, and are looking for talented people to join us on this journey. Do you think this might be you? Are you keen to hear more about what it's like to work at Franklin Fitch? Get in touch with us today!

People hear the word "headhunter" or "external recruiter" and immediately take a defensive stance. Yet HR professionals, especially with today's shortage of skilled workers, often rely on the expert knowledge of external recruiters to find suitable candidates for niche vacancies.

In the IT industry, candidates with expert knowledge and skills are needed. Specialist IT recruitment consultants can help, yet the negative stigma surrounding recruiters can make this difficult. So what common ideas about recruiters are true, and which are myths?

Initially, applicants might be unsure whether they want to put their job search in the hands of a recruiter and whether they can trust them – the same can be said for organisations looking to hire. Recruiters are often met with statements such as "we don't need that", "we have our internal recruiter" or even "we already have enough applicants". So where does this initial rejection come from? Below are some of the common misconceptions that we hear about the recruitment industry…

Recruiters ...

1. ... only work with established companies on management roles.

This isn’t true. Time is money, both companies and applicants know that. The selection process - from the initial selection to the interviews - takes time. Not only large companies, but SMEs can benefit from the network and talent pools of recruitment agencies. Recruiters have already established relationships with decision-makers at a variety of companies and organisations, which makes it easier for candidates to get their application seen and heard.

2. ... take a cut of your salary.

This is wrong! The candidates' salary remains untouched, nor is it lowered to compensate for the cost of the recruiter. In fact, recruiters often help candidates negotiate a better salary. Many people simply can't believe it, but it's true - for candidates, working with recruitment agencies is completely free of charge.

3. ... have no idea about the job they’re recruiting in.

More often than not, recruiters specialise in a niche industry that they spend years learning about. At Franklin Fitch, our consultants have in-depth tech and IT training that equips them with the skills needed to fully understand the job spec that they’re hiring for. Our teams stay up-to-date with the latest industry news and developments, which furthers their knowledge and understanding of the IT industry.

4. ... work only to get commission.

Some recruitment agencies indeed work on a commission basis, but that doesn’t mean that money is their only motivator. The goal of every consultant is a long-term partnership with their clients, which can only be achieved after a first-class service has been provided. Adding true value to your client’s team through an excellent hire will foster a solid, long-term relationship. The same applies to the candidates - the satisfaction of all parties is essential for success.

5. ... approach candidates from other companies.

Due to the scarcity of skilled workers in the technology industry, it can be difficult to find qualified individuals for vacant positions. To ensure the best possible shortlist for their client, recruiters often headhunt candidates who are already employed. However, it’s up to the candidate to decide whether or not to apply for the new position. Let's put it this way - recruitment consultants enable further career development and training opportunities for their candidates.

6. ... take forever to get back to you.

This shouldn’t happen, but depending on the company and their application process, it can occur. Rule of thumb: the larger the company, the longer takes the application process. Recruiters keep in touch with their candidates throughout the process and keep them updated on their current application status.

We hope this clarified the most common misunderstandings about recruitment. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!

If there is one thing that makes me smile in the morning, it’s knowing that I get to spend the day working with a wicked group of people I’m lucky enough to call my colleagues. And hopefully soon, actually see them in the flesh in the office… madness!

Having people at work who you can call your friends has a lot of benefits. Whether it’s someone to eat lunch with, take a screen break with or even sit next to, work feels more fun with friends.

Research taken from the Personality and Social Psychology Review looked into the connection between forming meaningful relationships at work and our health. The data showed that those with strong relationships with their colleagues reported having better health and wellbeing. So if you and your co-workers feel like a community, the more likely you’ll feel physically and mentally healthy at work. Win-win!

This research isn’t alone. Experts agree that friendly colleagues foster a better work environment. “A department, or company, that works well together, has the most success together”, says corporate veteran and author Andy Teach. “When you enjoy working with your colleagues and look forward to interacting with them, everyone benefits.” High morale at work leads to better productivity.

We wanted to conduct our own research into this theory. We asked the question “what do you love most about your current role?” and the results were as follows:

41% - my team/colleagues

25% - the work itself

18% - the benefits/flexibility

16% - the salary

The majority of people surveyed said that their colleagues were their favourite thing about work. This only bolsters the importance of creating and fostering friendships with your colleagues – it’s more than likely that they’ll be your favourite part of going to work!

At Franklin Fitch, our company culture is something we’re proud of. We’re a tight-knit bunch who work collaboratively across our international offices, and that’s the way we like it.

Can you see yourself working with a team like us? If so, get in touch to find out about our hiring plans. 

Before I started in Recruitment, I used to produce TV shows for Channel 4, Discovery and the BBC.

One of my fondest memories was the time I bumped into Paul Daniels in the corridors of the BBC Studios when he was a participant on Strictly. We locked eyes and he immediately asked if I wanted to see a magic trick, even though he was just about to go on stage. 

I said yes (of course) and he produced a deck of cards from his waistcoat pocket (because naturally, Paul never left home without a deck of cards on his person). 

It was refreshing to interact with someone you grew up watching on TV to be exactly as you imagined them to be. Something you most definitely cannot say for every celeb… 

As January draws to a close and the UK remains in a third national lockdown, it's expected that spirits might be a little low. ​Now more than ever it is so important to look after our mental health, which can be challenging when we aren't able to see loved ones.

Even though a lot of people are working from home, it's still important to try to keep your working day as enjoyable as possible. Some people are working longer hours than usual, so it's essential that you're not hating every second of it. Below, we share our top tips on how to stay happy at work. 

Be Organised 

Keep your desk as tidy as possible and manage your time to avoid stress. If you have a plan for your day you will feel prepared and work effectively.  

Stay active 

Exercising at work can be difficult and it isn’t 100% necessary, but research says staying physically active can improve your mood and performance. Even just standing up at your table or walking around for a few minutes every now and then is better than nothing. 

Self-Development 

Take care of your professional development. In today’s working world experience is key, so ask for training opportunities to develop and improve your skills. 

Ask for Feedback 

In order to improve your skills, it's important to look for constructive criticism. If you ask your supervisors for feedback on your performance you might even be praised, which is always a little motivation booster. 

Talk to your colleagues 

Keeping a good relationship with your colleagues will brighten up your mood every day. It also helps you make yourself more comfortable in your workplace.

If you dread coming into work on a Monday morning, perhaps you're not getting the job satisfaction that you deserve in your current role. We have loads of amazing opportunities available, whether you're an IT Infrastructure professional or looking to start a career in recruitment - feel free to get in touch.

Interested in a career in recruitment but feeling overwhelmed with questions? Want to know more about graduate opportunities here at Franklin Fitch?

We sit down with our Academy Manager, Charlotte, to answer some of the most common questions that she gets from graduates seeking a career in recruitment.

How can I get a job in recruitment?

Stick to the basics, so find a company that fits your ideals, apply and prepare really well for the interview.

What are the typical working hours like? Have you ever been asked to work weekends?

Our standard working hours are 8.30am - 6pm and Consultants do work either side of that, depending on workload. I've never been asked to work weekends, but in recruitment, the more you put in, the more you will get out - but it's completely up to you.

How important is your work environment for your success in recruitment?

It's really important, it's just great to collaborate and bounce ideas off different Consultants with different approaches, tends to make you better in the end. Recruitment is full of lots of highs and lows, so it's good to celebrate those or commiserate those with other Consultants.

How does the Academy work?

It's a team set up to equip Consultants that have no recruitment background with the tools they need to then move on to have a successful career in senior teams in recruitment.

Do I need to know all about IT before applying?

Absolutely not. There is technical training as part of your onboarding here and most of our highest performers had no technical understanding before they came into the business and now they're experts, so don't worry.

What does the first week in the Academy look like?

The first week is fairly easy really, it's geared towards you getting to know everyone in the business and it usually ends with a social event on the Friday.

What is the training like at Franklin Fitch?

The training is a long programme that follows you from trainee all the way through to director-level. It's a multiple-strand approach, so we do variations of classroom, theory, workshops, listening sessions and live coaching depending on your learning style and your individual needs at the time.

What are the incentives like?

The incentives are really varied and really fun! We've done everything from Las Vegas, skiing trips, Dublin, watersports, London nights out - so really varied and they tend to be lots of fun.

How quickly can I progress through the business?

Each stage at Franklin Fitch has a structured career path so it's standardised targets that you can hit. So the short answer would be, as soon as you want to but realistically you're looking at your first promotion within 6-8 months.

Can you actually earn the figures that we see on the adverts?

There are some massive figures going around on some of the adverts out there. The short answer is yes, you absolutely can earn those figures in recruitment. We are confident we'd get Consultants there, but we focus on those smaller steps at first, to get you there. The building blocks to get you to that success.

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If there are any questions that haven't been answered, or you want to find out more about the graduate opportunities that we have at Franklin Fitch, drop Dane a message!

While December might feel like a strange time to be making new hires, it’s actually the ideal month to be hiring new talent into your business before the chaos of January commences. Most businesses tend to be fairly quiet during December, which makes it the perfect time to focus on hiring. Here are a few reasons why….

Franklin Fitch are announced as the winner of the Best Recruitment Company to Work For (£5m to £20m) at the TIARA 2020 Recruitment Awards!

After being shortlisted for two awards, it was a huge honour to walk away with the award for Best Recruitment Company to Work For, especially given that we pride ourselves on being people- focused.

The awards evening was held virtually over Zoom, with live acceptance speeches from all of the winners (including our Founder Dave!). We were ecstatic to be recognised for our hard work during what has been a challenging year for everyone. Our people remained at the forefront of our business during the pandemic – they’re our biggest asset, which makes this award particularly special to us.

A few comments from the judges:

“Franklin Fitch showed strong growth through their investment in people and international expansion. The business is clearly people led with a major focus on training and development, with major strides to address diversity.”

We were pleased to be recognised for our work to address diversity within our industry. We’re proud to run our Inclusive Infrastructure campaign, where we actively promote diversity and inclusion in our interaction with candidates and clients, as well as the way we run our business. We are providing a platform for those working within or interested in IT Infrastructure to share their experiences with us and to come up with possible solutions together.

‘Absolutely delighted to be announced as the winner of the Best Recruitment Company to work for 2020 in the TIARA Awards last night, genuinely surprised and humbled by this accolade’, says David Annable, our Founder and Director. ‘I'm very proud of our awesome people, it's their dedication that makes this possible. Supporting our community and seeing our values enacted daily, it is a true pleasure to lead Franklin Fitch.’

We have ambitious growth plans for our offices across Europe and the US. If you’re interested in joining the Best Recruitment Company to Work For then get in touch!

written by Evangeline Hunt

Franklin Fitch is named as the Best IT/Technology Recruitment Agency at the 2020 Recruiter Awards!

After being shortlisted in three categories in this year’s Recruiter Awards, it was a huge honour to walk away with the award for best IT/tech recruitment agency, especially given that we were up against some great companies within the industry.

The awards evening was held virtually, meaning our whole team were able to watch from their desks (be it at home or in our socially distanced office). We were ecstatic to be recognised for our hard work during what has been a challenging time across the whole industry. It’s safe to say that the Franklin Fitch cheers could be heard a mile off!

A few notes from Recruiter Awards regarding our win:

“To give its clients valuable up-to-date information, building on the traditional salary survey, Franklin Fitch released its Market & Skills Report. Sent to more than 19,000 infrastructure professionals in the UK and Germany, with a diverse response across all demographics, the survey looked into the topics and trends affecting its clients on a daily basis, not just around pay rates, but what talent in the IT Infrastructure space was demanding.”

Comments from the judges:

“An excellent understanding of their sector and adding value with data-driven insights (market and skills report). Consultants have to pass a test on sector – Franklin Fitch also trains its staff in skills relevant to the sector. Showed they care and would add value to the process.”

We were pleased to hear of the positive impact of our previous Market and Skills report given that we are in the process of compiling another one to be sent out to tech workers towards the end of the year.

“We are ecstatic to be announced as the winner of best IT/ Technology Recruitment Agency 2020 in the prestigious Recruiter Awards last night,” says David Annable, our Founder and Director. “It's a testament to the whole team's hard work and dedication throughout one of the toughest periods. I'm humbled by this achievement and very proud of our people and community.”

We have ambitious growth plans for our offices across Europe and the US. If you’re interested in joining the best then we’d love to hear from you!

written by Evangeline Hunt

Do you want to be part of something special right from the start? At Franklin Fitch we offer exactly that opportunity as we expand to the US East Coast.

Why the East Coast?

The home of bagels, steak sandwiches, the tallest buildings and the straightest roads – of course it’s the US East Coast.

Two years into starting our Austin-based operations we’re ready to take our US venture to the next step. Covid-19 hit the UK recruitment industry hard yet hiring in the US seems to have been less affected by the pandemic.

A recent Dice report on the state of technology jobs across the US supports the idea of a real hotspot for vacancies on the East Coast which have the potential to be tapped into. From May to June 2020, Boston saw a 39% increase in tech jobs, Pittsburgh saw a 44% increase, Philadelphia saw a 36% increase and Baltimore saw a 34% increase.

In addition to this, job postings within the technology sector increased in Q2 of 2020 compared to Q2 of 2019 – during a pandemic this is quite an achievement. Java Developer jobs increased by 14% from 2019 to 2020 Q2, while Cyber Security jobs increased by 15% in this period.

What we can offer you

To assist with our expansion to the US East Coast we’re looking for our next generation of recruiters. Based in our London HQ, you will be working the East Coast market alongside our already established US team.

Since this is a brand-new venture for our business, we’re offering a unique opportunity to our consultants –autonomy to shape your role from the beginning. Although we have existing clients with East Coast presence we are keen for you to build up your own business within our business.

In addition to this you’ll be able to benefit from our market-leading commission structure as well as our plenteous opportunities for career progression which enable you to fast-track your way up the Franklin Fitch career ladder.

Once we have established our presence in the East Coast we will be looking to open an office there. Have you always wanted the opportunity to work and live abroad? This could be your chance!

As an experienced recruiter, you will already know the skills, attributes and work ethic required for the job but do you have the ambition to lead a new operation to success? Do you want to make your mark on a new venture? Then give us a shout!

written by Evangeline Hunt

There is no denying that recruitment has been slow recently. And by recently, I mean the past six months. Covid hit our industry hard, but after what feels like an age, we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Companies are starting to hire again which means now is the time for us to put our foot on the gas. But this might feel challenging after so long out of practice. Getting back into the swing of things can feel difficult, especially as we adjust to the so-called ‘new-normal’.

Maintaining productivity is key during this transition period. We all know what it’s like to experience a lull in productivity – it can be frustrating and demotivating. We’re here to give you our favourite productivity hacks to keep you motivated as you put in that grind!

Organise your day into time blocks

Start the day by looking at your to-do list and assigning yourself specific time blocks for each task. If you have to look for candidates today, assign it an hour – then move in. This will make your hour more focussed knowing you have limited time to get it done, and prevents time wasting and procrastination. It can also just make you feel more organised, which in itself can be a motivator.

We all need breaks

We're only human – and all of us need short breaks fairly often. Don’t be hard on yourself by saying you don’t have time. Taking small breaks will ensure that your working time is more productive – which saves time in the long run.  

Reward yourself

As recruiters we like to be rewarded for hitting certain metrics. But this doesn’t have to come from someone else and it doesn’t have to be for big things. It can be as simple as making a cup of tea after your next CV send out, or having a walk around the office after an hour of work. Small targets will make each task feel small itself – winning!

Don’t start the day with admin

Admin can be done any time of the day, and is actually quite a good task to do when you’ve run out of brain power near the end of the day. Instead, start your day with the most challenging tasks – the things that require the most brain power to get through. It’s only natural to get a little tired towards the end of the day, so having something easy rather than challenging to fill your time later on will seem less daunting.

Learn to prioritise

Prioritisation can sort your never-ending to-do list into something that resembles organisation. It goes without saying that the most important things go at the top… but sometimes there is the temptation to start with the easy stuff. Don’t do it!

Get out of the office

Having a change in environment is so important. On your lunch break try to get outside for some fresh air and to stretch your legs. Changing your environment is important when taking breaks – it can be hard to shut off from work at lunch time if you remain in the office. Besides, fresh air is never a bad thing.

Hot drinks

The thing that unites office workers across the world – a love of hot drinks. We’re not suggesting 27 cups of coffee each day, but caffeine can stimulate your brain and help you focus.

If all else fails, try something a bit more structured

Trying something like the Pomodoro Technique can be an easy way of ensuring your day has some structure. This technique encourages you to break your day up into 25 minute chunks of work separated by a five minute break. It’s a firm favourite of many, so it might be worth giving it a go if you’re finding nothing works for you!

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What is your favourite productivity hack? If we’ve missed a good one we’d love to hear it!

To pivot, or not to pivot, that is the question: 

“Pivot” must be the business word of the year. In 2020, many businesses have taken stock and considered whether to channel their efforts in a new direction. I understand it, particularly as the current economic landscape and even future outlook is very different to previous years. However, my question is this; if you chose to pivot, at what cost, and should you also reconsider your brand?

We've been clear since inception that our vision is to be a market leading talent provider focused purely on the IT infrastructure market. Naturally we will follow technology trends and advances of the IT infrastructure stack, but we will expand our geographical coverage long before diluting our service offering into other sectors or technology areas. Our Franklin Fitch feet are firmly planted within our niche, we love it, and will not be pivoting anytime soon.

However, if a business does choose to pivot, and hopefully it’s only once, then should that company’s brand identity also change? Surely the original brand was set up for the initial service offering, I wonder how this translates to the new path of said business? From an employee perspective, if decisions are made too hastily, further pivots or a retraction could follow and this creates brand uncertainty and confusion. At some point it could feel like the circus is in town and the whole organisation have spent too long on the Waltzers.

Our people and our time are the two most important facets of our business. I believe it’s paramount that everyone clearly knows our purpose, fully understands it and identifies with it. One pivot can be tricky, numerous pivots can be dangerous. Brand identities can be lost in translation, your all-important people can become disorientated and time will be frittered away.

Leadership is tough right now, pivoting can look appealing, but be mindful, the brand you’ve worked so hard to build, may quickly be lost in the ether.

Pause:

I’d like you to hit pause for just a moment.

Given the opportunity, would you rewind the last 6 months to take another shot at navigating the Coronavirus storm? I wonder which decisions you would make differently and which you’d keep the same. I do not believe many business leaders could have imagined the magnitude or ferocity of the ensuing turmoil caused by this pandemic. Reacting quickly was critical, the stakes were high and potential mistakes costly.

Rewind:

I’m writing this to give an insight into Franklin Fitch’s journey over the first half of 2020. To do this fairly, I need to give perspective, so I’ve shared previous years’ results, our expectations at the beginning of 2020 and our actual results from January to June this year.

I am proud to say that since our inception in 2011, we have grown our group Net Fee Income* (NFI) each and every year. Eight years of successful, sustainable, organic growth, mostly gained through a mix of careful strategic planning, rigorous hiring processes, a “people first” growth mindset, and a great deal of hard work.

The chart above illustrates our H1 results for the previous 5 years. Using 2015 as our baseline, the year on year compound H1 growth rates are:

2016: 43% increase

2017: 47% increase

2018: 39% increase

2019: 42% increase

Thus, from 2015 to 2019, I’m pleased to say our H1 results have produced an average compound growth rate of 43%. So, when forecasting our growth expectations for 2020, we didn’t deviate far from the norm (dotted purple line on the chart). Since our forecast in December, it’s been a whirlwind, the game has certainly changed.

The solid purple line on the chart plots our actual H1 2020 results. This year for the first time ever, we have tracked behind the previous years’ H1 results. In fact, by the end of June 2020, we tracked behind our 2019 results by 12% and tracked behind our original H1 forecast by approximately 55%. Whilst the latter number is worryingly large on first view, it is completely understandable when considering the severity and pace at which Coronavirus’ effects were felt across Germany, the UK and the US.

When reflecting on the above I have many thoughts and feelings. My first thought is always with our people and the wider physical and mental impact of this period. We continually search for ways to support and lead our people to excellence inside and outside of work. Guiding the leaders and team members through this has easily been the biggest challenge I’ve ever had to face.

How successful we have been is difficult to know at this point. We believe we’ve made good decisions with the information available, but only time will truly tell.

Play:

I’m hoping that my transparency here can give other leaders comfort and confidence when considering their company and team performances. I am sad that we will very likely lose our impeccable record for year on year growth, but I am proud of the efforts of our people, their work rate, focus and resilience enduring this relentless downpour.

I believe we need to pull together in times of hardship, not forget the bigger picture, whilst working daily on the more granular tasks and targets.

According to our recent datasets, the choppy waters are beginning to calm and we are hopeful for a few sunnier days in H2. We are consistently reviewing the course we chart and are diligent in our decisions and movements, hopefully plain sailing is not too far away again.

Fast Forward. Bonus track coming….

I’m sure most of us would like to fast forward this entire year, but unfortunately time is one thing we cannot control. I would be interested to hear your views and opinions on the above. If comfortable, feel free to share your results or simply your feelings. I wish everyone luck over the coming months, it’ll be Christmas before we know it!

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*NFI is a term often used in the recruitment sector and can be used as a metric to measure success/ growth. Of course, there are many other important metrics.

Personal brand has been a buzzword for some time now. So does that make it an actual ‘thing’?

In reality it’s just a snazzy word for your reputation. Everyone has a reputation whether online or offline – some people are known for being experts in a particular field, others are known for having a humorous approach to how they communicate and in other cases it’s a combination of several things. It really is who you are.

Having a solid and respected personal brand is beneficial at the best of times, but in this almost exclusively digital world, it could be the difference between nabbing your dream job and not. Being able to showcase your personality and allowing people to “get to know” before they meet you can be a huge advantage.

As much as we’d like it to, coronavirus isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future. The result is a hugely competitive job market and increasing rates of unemployment. While this might seem bleak, your personal brand could be your biggest tool for ensuring you stand out. If you are an expert in something (and everyone is an expert in their chosen career, right?) or feel passionate about a topic, trend or issue you can use your personal brand to showcase yourself.

On that note, we’re here to give you three tips on how to build a successful personal brand.

1. Social media is your best friend

This might go without saying, but LinkedIn is the perfect space to be able to show your level of expertise and knowledge. Write articles, make videos, record podcasts, host a virtual workshop, engage with content from others, have an opinion – you get the idea.

If you’re an IT infrastructure professional, make sure your content is focussed on this space alone. You don’t want to be known as someone who has an opinion on everything, but you do want to be known as someone who has an opinion on all things IT infrastructure – you want to be that guy. But don’t be robotic, be you, make sure your personality shines through.

When recruiters/hiring managers are looking over job applications, LinkedIn is likely to be one of the first places they’re going to look to verify your level of expertise. Do you claim to be an expert in cloud migration? If you’ve recently written, shared or engaged with an article about it, that’s a pretty good indication that you know what you’re talking about.  

Doing the above is a great way to virtually network. Given that we can’t network in person yet, engaging with others online and adding value to their conversations is a great way to get your name out there and maximise your connections. You don’t always need to be the conversation starter but you should try and be involved in them. You never know who might have the next job opportunity for you!

2. Show that you’re adaptable

Coronavirus has changed everyone’s working life in one way or another. For many it was as drastic as losing their job, for others it was adapting to working from home. However it was that you were affected, you want to show that you rose to the challenge and came out on top. With the uncertainty of the future, employers will be looking for someone who can deal with the changing way of the world, so showing you’re adaptable should be a key trait of your personal brand. In that sense as when, showing vulnerability is not a bad thing, people are able to relate to it and will buy into you a lot more.

So how do you do this? You’ve got a few options. Include a section on your CV/resume on how you responded to coronavirus. Write a short post on LinkedIn. Mention it when you have job interviews.

And if you struggled to adapt to the changing way of the world, then it’s all a learning curve. Think about what you could have done differently, and how you can use this moving forward. Self-reflection is essential for development and growth, while also showing you can be genuine and honest with yourself.

3. Don’t be afraid of failure

As humans, we want to avoid failure as much as possible – that’s natural. But the reality is that in order to push yourself one step ahead of the crowd, you’re going to fail a few times.

Most successes don’t come first time around – there’s a lot of trial and error involved. Take any successful brand/person/business and all of them will have stories of trying things that didn’t work.

Walt Disney experienced countless failures throughout his career, but instead of getting him down, he learnt from it. ‘It is good to have a failure while you’re young because it teaches you so much’ says Disney. ‘For one thing, it makes you aware that such a thing can happen to anybody, and once you’ve lived through the worst, you’re never quite as vulnerable afterwards.”

We worry about what people may think but those that are able to get past that hurdle of fear will connect with those who they want to start building relationships with. The others don’t really matter.

And surely, the only thing worst than failing is never trying in the first place?

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Do you think you’ve got an awesome personal brand? We’d love to see it! If you need help building your own personal brand, or have any other ideas on ways to do this, feel free to get in touch.

With redundancies happening across the board due to the current pandemic, it can be even more difficult than normal to make your application stand out in a hugely competitive market. Not to mention the frustration of not getting a response (even when you are promised one).

‘I’ve never seen it so competitive out there’, says Practice Manager Simon Nicholls. ‘With that many people applying for the same role it’s impossible as a recruiter to review all of the candidates, and similarly impossible to get attention as a candidate’.

Despite this, there are things that you can do to make it as easy as possible to make your application stand out. Simon shares his advice below.

1) Make sure the role is a perfect fit for you

It’s common for people to apply to anything and everything when job hunting. This not only wastes your time, but also the recruiter/hiring manager who has to go through the applications. If your profile doesn’t match the job description, you won’t get the job – simple as! With this in mind, you do want to challenge yourself to a role that you know you can do, but requires some brain power and is engaging. Some people suggest your profile needs to match 80% of the job description – this isn’t an exact science and varies every time but might be worth keeping in mind.

2) Apply to the role on the job board/LinkedIn etc

This might sound like it’s a given, but you’d be surprised how many people call/email to say they’re interested in a job but haven’t actually applied yet. Job applications can be tough, so try not to procrastinate and get it done. You’ll be in a much better position after you’ve applied to the role.

3) Track down the recruiter on LinkedIn and send an InMail & Email. This InMail/Email should include a very short overview of your suitability e.g.

"Hi Simon. I've just applied for the ROLE in LOCATION. I feel I am a good fit for the following reasons:
- The rate/salary is in line with my expectations
- I am based near to the location (description)
- I have experience in X, Y and Z and companies A,B and C
- I am immediately available for interviews and starting
Please let me know if we could discuss this role further."

4) Follow up with a call (but at the same time don’t spam call)

It’s all about getting your name heard! (and having the application to back it up…)

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This may not be a sure-fire guide to get your application viewed by decision-makers, but it can sure help. If you have any more suggestions or questions regarding this topic feel free to get in touch!

With unemployment figures rising across the globe, companies run the risk of taking their eye off the ball when it comes to paying attention to the experience that people who are looking at, or indeed applying to opportunities and engaging with businesses.

Even if you’re not actively recruiting at the moment you need to focus on candidates whether they are active or passive. A proactive approach to candidate experience in the current climate will pay dividends down the line.

We take a look at three areas all businesses should continue to invest in and pay particular thought to regarding candidate experience.

Walk in their shoes

It is a tough time for many people at the moment but if we are working in businesses then we need to understand that many people are either not working or seriously want to consider their career options.

Before you dismiss speculative applications, reject messages on LinkedIn (both direct and from recruiters) or ignore social media messages, take a moment. Many people are not purposely trying to waste your time, they don’t know the ins and outs of your business so appreciate their point of view.

Emphatic approaches and processes will position companies as an employer of choice even more so in the ‘new world’.

Communicate

Some things never change. If you have “live” roles and people apply, then you simply have to listen and communicate on a regular basis. People want to understand the process from applying to roles all of the way through to interview and offer stage.

Many of these processes have changed, maybe indefinitely, so this is even more important now.

Recruitment is often a process of rejection. People know this but they want to be told. This doesn’t necessarily mean a dissertation on every application, that’s unrealistic, but ignoring is rude.

Have you been transparent? Does your website explain the recruitment process with clear timescales to manage expectations? Do you have email templates to facilitate communication? Could you pre-record videos from hiring managers that updates on applications?

Oh, if you don’t have live roles and there are still some floating about online then you should take them down. There is nothing worse than presenting an opportunity that simply does not exist.

Technology

We have spoken previously about interviews moving online but this is only one aspect of the candidate experience where technology plays an important part. We’ve forever heard of clunky ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) that frustrate applicants.

There is no better time to review the experience of your candidates across all technology touchpoints. Are you using a chatbot on your Facebook page? Have you looked at using AI in the screening stage of recruitment? Is the way you do video interviewing secure enough?

Technology’s role in candidate experience cannot be understated. Choice and accessibility are absolutely essential, so you need to ensure that everything you use (and offer) is fit for purpose.

Here at Franklin Fitch, we speak with businesses and advise them on candidate experience. We have the benefit as recruiters to experience the processes across a wide range of companies and industries. The common theme is that the ones who invest time and effort in CX secure and retain the best talent on the market.

In the current climate, it would be remiss to think that it will be “easy” to pick up talent and bad candidate experience can be damaging in both the short and medium-term.

If you’d like to speak to us about our thoughts on best practice of candidate experience, please get in touch.

It’s all about upskilling 

“We are investing in our people from day one,” says Charlotte Drury, who heads up the academy in London. “Recruitment, particularly in London, can be very hire and fire, but for us it is about giving our people the best framework within which to learn and succeed.” 

“Ultimately we see them upskill much quicker and it enables us to expand at a much faster pace.” 

Role plays, one-to-one tutoring sessions, classroom teaching, peer coaching and group breakfast meetings are all in a week’s work for Charlotte, who is constantly on hand to support her team of graduates. Whether she’s listening in to a candidate call to help one academy member ‘seal the deal’, or providing guidance to another on how to handle a specific recurring situation, Charlotte’s presence is a great reassurance for the academy members. 

The level of support is great 

“It’s great to have someone who is solely dedicated to your progress,” says Marima Kauser, who seven months after joining the academy as a graduate has passed her probation and is preparing to move onto one of Franklin Fitch’s specialist recruitment desks. “There’s not many places where you get this level of support.”  

For Charlotte, the academy is all about opportunity. After working in 360 recruitment for two years, she was looking for the next challenge and liked the idea that people entering the academy wanted to progress. While the London academy is still in its infancy – the first graduates joined in late summer 2019 and are just coming to the end of their six-month probation period, Franklin Fitch has been doing it very successfully in Frankfurt for three years. “There is a very clear progression between the academy and becoming a fully-fledged consultant,” says Charlotte. “There are plenty of good role models to follow and people to help with ideas and issues along the way.” 

No cap on the opportunity to earn 

Unlike some trainee schemes where graduates are separated from the rest of the business, the Franklin Fitch Academy members have the opportunity to work alongside, and learn from, other more experienced members of the business. “Even though the academy members are learning, they still have the opportunity to do the whole job,” says Charlotte. “Their opportunity to earn isn’t capped and if they find the right candidate for a high-level position, then the commission is theirs.” 

For Sian Llewellyn, internal recruitment lead at Franklin Fitch, the key to the academy’s success is the combination of opportunity, structure and support. “Our graduates need to be motivated, eager to learn and willing to work hard,” she says. “If you combine those attributes with our proven academy model, the potential rewards for the individual participants are significant.” 

Anyone interested in joining Franklin Fitch’s Academy or simply wishing to find out more about it should contact Dane Keenan.

A new year, a new you, or so the saying goes. For some this will mean a new job, for others it will be new resolutions, but for the remainder, it will simply be a continuation of the same, picking up where they left off sometime before Christmas. Even if it’s the latter, there’s no room for complacency. The IT world is constantly changing, and so should you if you want to keep on top of your game and get the most out of 2020.

Whilst we at Franklin Fitch have many skills, unfortunately crystal-ball reading isn’t one of them. However, being involved in two of the fastest moving industries – IT Infrastructure and recruitment, we have no doubt that 2020 is set to be an exciting year. So, what do we expect the first year of the new decade to bring, and more importantly, what can you do to ensure you stay ahead?

Here we look at the five top trends we expect to be dominating the market over the next 12 months and how we believe you can use them to your advantage.

1. A tighter permanent recruitment market

There are several reasons for this: unemployment is at its lowest rate for more than 40 years (the latest figures from the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS) released in December show the unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, its lowest level since 1974) and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Britain’s departure from the EU. The upcoming change to the IR35 legislation is also having an impact, but we will examine this in more detail in another article.

Finding individuals with the required skills and experience to fill roles in cutting-edge sectors, such as serverless and cloud technology, DevOps, containerisation, networking and cyber security has never been easy, but it’s now harder than ever. Not only are there not enough Britons out there seeking these positions, but we are now faced with a likely shortage of skilled migrant workers thanks to the uncertainty around Britain’s future immigration policy. While there is much talk of an Australian-style point-based system, which would allow those with the necessary skills to take these roles, David Annable, Franklin Fitch’s founder, says that all the uncertainty is reducing the attractiveness of the UK as a place for non-Britons to work.

While the tight market makes it more difficult for businesses looking to hire highly-skilled security architects, network engineers or chief information (security) officers, it is also an opportunity for the UK’s top technology talent. 

2. Higher salaries

The knock-on effect of a shortage of candidates is obviously an increase in salaries. With fewer people to fill the roles, particularly in the highly-skilled areas of networks, servers, security or data, it goes without saying that those individuals capable of doing the job will need to be paid more to attract them to, and keep them in, the role.  

3. Candidate-led hiring

Another feature of a tight employment market is that it places the power very firmly in the hands of the candidate. Employers will need to work harder to attract and retain the right people, says Annable.

Training and development will be key to ensuring employees remain engaged and hopefully prevent them being enticed away to other roles. In our 2019 Market and Skills Report, the opportunity to progress featured highly, just behind salary, in the rankings of what candidates consider to be most important when choosing a new job.

4. Increased focus on employee benefits, including flexibility

Getting the right work-life balance has long been a talking point. While no definitive solution to the age-old challenge has been found, organisations have become much more open to alternative ways of working, including flexible hours, job sharing and the option to work from home. This is understandably not an option for all roles, but in today’s tight job market, organisations are going to have to pay more attention to the requests of individual employees and seek to accommodate their demands to attract the top talent. Again this offers a great opportunity for job seekers.

5. Ongoing emphasis on diversity in the workplace

Improving diversity and inclusion is not just a box-ticking exercise. Organisations are at last starting to realise the benefits of a diverse workforce. According to the latest figures from the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS), just over half of the 6.5 million Britons working in professional occupations are women. While this is indeed progress, it has unfortunately not filtered through to the IT and telecommunications’ sectors, where the ratio is just one in six.

However, the IT sector fares better when it comes to ethnic diversity, with the latest ONS figures showing that of the 1.84 million professionals who work in science, engineering and technology, 85.1% are white, compared with 87.6% across the UK workforce as a whole.

While the debate rumbles on as to how to achieve increased diversity in gender, ability, ethnicity and sexual orientation, you can expect organisations to try their own variations of quotas and targets to help achieve their goal. For some individuals, this will be an opportunity.

To conclude, there is no doubt that the tight employment market offers highly-skilled IT candidates the chance to shine and move ahead of the curve, but they aren't the only ones. The market situation also creates a significant opportunity for recruiters to face up to the challenge of finding the right person for the right role in a market where organisations themselves are likely to struggle. 

If 2020 is looking like a good year for candidates, then it's also not looking too bad for recruiters.....

by Claire Shoesmith

One of the most important things within the application process is your CV. It’s the first impression you make on a potential new employer. Here are our top tips on how to make it a good one.

Layout 

• Concise personal profile at the top
• Include a list of your key skills (maybe put it in order of expertise, starting with the one you’re most proficient at)
• Don’t make your CV longer than 2 A4 pages (absolute max. 3)
• Keep it simple: clean layout, easy to read font, not too colourful 
• Check on spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Start with your most recent relevant experience

Content 

• Your contact details
• Your work experiences (only mention the ones relevant to your field). 
• Include your education
• List your achievements: mention what you’ve achieved, how you managed to do that and what it took to get there (might be worth to include a complete portfolio of your projects and achievements so far)
• Match your personal skills to the ones required for the role as much as possible (be honest!)
• Don’t include a picture, your age, marital status, children, religion, political affiliation, or hobbies unless they are specifically relevant to the role you’re applying for. 
• Explain any gaps in your CV in a positive way
• Make sure your content is genuine and true 

Nearly there! Do’s and Don’ts before sending your CV out 

Do 

• Check your CV for spelling/grammatical/punctuation mistakes (maybe have someone else read through it) 
• Put the most recent experience first 
• Use the same easy to read font throughout your CV 
• Export your CV as a PDF file so it keeps the formatting wherever you send it

Don’t 

• Don’t leave gaps in your experience - explain why you weren’t working! 
• Don’t include bad grades 
• Don’t lie! 
• Don’t talk about yourself in 3rd person

Done? Perfect! Now send it off and let us take care of the next steps! If you have any further questions concerning your CV before sending it to us, feel free to get in touch. We are happy to help! 

Currently looking for a new role? Feel free to send us your CV or call us to see what opportunities we might have for you! We specialise in IT Networking, Server, Database and InfoSec.