Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool Spotting candidates red flags takes a mix of robust screening and experience. Then that human hunch a Recruitment Consultant gets that something may be amiss. Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool. In any engagement between Recruitment Consultant and candidate, there’s a rapport of unspoken trust established. The candidate entrusts a Recruiter to find them a job that’s in sync with their vision for their career path. Sometimes it’s to grow their skillset. It might be to work in a team with a shared mission. Or perhaps to soar to seniority where you can lead and impart onto others your expertise. But the trust in the Recruiter-Candidate relationship needs to be a 2-way street. Spotting candidates red flags is a Recruiter’s invaluable human tool. While certain red flags are obvious others require closer examination. This usually follows our human instinct that kicks in when your internal suspicious alert goes off. The first introduction to any candidate is their CV. This is the first point of scrutiny where a Recruiter will fact-check. Questionable aspects like discrepancies in dates will be noted. Or huge gaps in employment or moving…
As South Africans we shall soon cast our very critically important ballot at the election polls. Your vote ensures simple pleasures like your neighbourhood maintaining a pristine aesthetic. That’s if, of course, your dirt bins get regularly collected – and on the assigned day. Your vote decides who takes charge of your municipality and your city. It’s an invaluable exercise which reminds us that we still live in a democracy. A country where you have the right to justice and my personal favourite – freedom of expression. In the workplace, your voice is that tool to express and give input as a member of the team. Similarly, in any job, use your voice as you would your vote. Navigating the complexities around the workplace IS tricky since many companies now operate remotely. it has Thus become more crucial to speak up and voice your concerns. Each team member plays a pivotal role in the cog of the business engine. A colleague closely linked to your workflow might not be doing something in a specific way you would like. To ensure continuation or optimal productivity, have a chat with them to iron this issue out quickly. Communication platforms like MS Teams…
ALLEVIATE WORKERS’ STATE OF “PRESENTEEISM” AND “RESENTEEISM” As the cost of living continues to soar along with retrenchments on a global scale, employees are left with uncertainty. Bosses can, however, utilise ways to help alleviate workers’ state of “Presenteeism” and “Resenteeism” and inject positivity back into their staff. If you’re of the “old stock” like myself – you know life before cellphones existed and you would have physically used a fax machine. If that’s a silent nod in agreement – then you probably have no cooking clue as I did when hearing workers today are suffering a state of “Presenteeism” and “Resenteeism”. Well, it’s the latest in the string of trendy terms, summed up as two ways of describing workers who are at work, but not happy or particularly productive in their job. The difference between “Presenteeism” vs “Resenteeism”. In the case of “Presenteeism” you’re signed in for work and online or physically at the office. You presenting as “Checked In” at your workplace. But you’re not performing your job optimally. You are highly unproductive and usually it’s due to personal problems. This could be issues with your physical or mental health or other distractions unrelated to work.When you’re down…
Office Christmas parties are underway. And what’s better than to celebrate with a team that makes you feel a home away from home. If you’re not feeling that fuzzy feeling of home at your current job, we are here to help. Let’s help you find your “work home”. It’s that jingle belly time of year again with Christmas almost upon us. ’Tis the season’ synonymous with spending time with family and loved ones and being surrounded by that warm fuzzy feeling of home. As many businesses wrap up, companies often treat their staff to an Office Christmas aka year end. Either a Soiree with glitz and glam. Or an intimate get-together to enjoy a braai or a relaxing lounge by the pool. Spending most of our lives at work, you eventually bond with your colleagues and become a “work family”. These staff parties can be equated to your “work Christmas” and your colleagues your “work family”. Some people even jokingly refer to their work bestie as a “work husband or work wife”. These terms have come about because we spend the majority of our lives at our jobs. You develop closeknit relationships because that’s the natural course of human nature…
Utilise your cv profile to not only get a “swipe right” and make a career love connection, but a job match made in heaven GETTING a “swipe right” on your CV in order to make a true career love connection, will fortunately for you, be based on more than just a great selfie with good lighting. One you managed to post on your dating profile to gain attention or to get that favourable “swipe right” like on popular dating app, Tinder. And, in the hunt for that “dream job”, your CV serves as the first visual glimpse into who you might be or present as. WhEN TRYING GET A “SWIPE RIGHT” ON YOUR cv PROFILE, YOUR jOB HISTORY MATTERS MORE – Unlike on your dating profile, it’s your job history compared to a picture of you, that gets your CV shortlisted. Even if an actual photograph of you is displayed on your CV, your work credentials matter more. More than whether you have the look of a possible unsuspecting “Tinder Swindler” or the appearance of having the personality of a pea. Similarly, as you would venture online to find a potential love interest, finding that job that is a good…
Over the last few years, we as a nation and world have been in survival mode. We have gone into overdrive to assess, adapt and act on instinct. Having been faced with very real-life threatening circumstances. Medical and financial hardships were felt by so many of the world’s population in something we only imagined in sci-fi movies. COVID! It’s like a swear word these days and one we would rather not talk about. This year after a well-deserved rest, I hope we all were lucky to have, we need to launch ourselves forward with positivity and inner motivation to achieve our goals and aspirations. May it be in our personal lives and professional ones too. Things you can do to kick start the process: Apply for that job you have been dreaming of. Research what your next move should be. Register for your studies you have put off the last year due to the workload. Enforce that structure into your life to create the balance between work and home life. Whatever you have been dreaming or voicing your concerns on in 2022, 2023 is now the time to get moving on making them a reality. Start simple and work your…
2022 has been a year we can all say was challenging. As we near the festive season and start to wind down for our holiday festivities and a well-deserved break, we can’t but think of “Wow! What a long and hard year this was.” We started the year in ‘good ol’ lock down mode with Covid running wild however in no time at all restrictions lifted, no masks, no more vaccination requirements and life was getting back on track for most. So many excited, happy and hopeful smiles were seen once again. 😁 Companies were running full speed ahead and staff were returning into the office again. (Not that this was a welcome change to the remote working rule for some. 😉) This year we have encountered very different types of challenges and candidates reasons for leaving have been a lot different to pre-covid times. First challenge was definitely Covid, Vaccination policies, Loadshedding (with no light at the end of the tunnel for us), Flooding, Political upheaval all of which made it rather difficult to find candidates willing to make the move under all these conditions. Our most heard reasons for leaving from our candidates were definitely: “I would like…
Picture having your morning coffee with a breathtaking view of a landscape of ice, glistening freshwater lakes and rocky terrain while cosily tucked away in your hi-tech and luxurious interior designed camping pod. And to top it off, this is your workplace. Yes, that’s what dream jobs are made of and sometimes they do come true. One of our candidate’s will be jetting off to the continent of Antarctica and if he had failed to keep applying, he would have missed out on his new job adventure – an opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t quit the job hunt and keep applying, as behind one closed door, another could open to a career you’ve always been dreaming of The term job hunt is called that for the very reason it physically requires one to scour job sites and to keep applying to as many different positions until you find what matches your skillset or desired job. It can be tedious and what feels like a closed door in your face, every time you receive unsuccessful feedback. In Recruitment circles, these perceived “failures” such as candidates not turning up for an interview without any notification, is a natural part of the job.…
Regular feedback: A critical tool to gain a competitive edge in business & strengthen hybrid/remote staff and client relations Utilising feedback sessions serves as a critical tool in post-pandemic business models to gain a competitive edge by strengthening staff and productivity. With more companies having adopted a hybrid or remote working environment, there is an obvious disconnect when it comes to the human element. With less physical interaction where mostly everyone is no longer collectively in the same space at the same time, video platforms are now where team chats, interviews and meetings take place. The provision of a communication channel or way to have regular catchups, is especially useful to maintain some sort of team synergy and ultimately, ensure that your company performs optimally with or without a concrete office. Bridge the gap with regular check-ins As a fully remote operation itself, we here at Datafin have become more aware of the effectiveness of having regular check-ins with our clients and candidates alike. Human connection is at the heart of our business, and we need to get a feel for the people we deal with. Since Covid, many candidates have more introspection and want to know aspects such as…
IN times of chaos, commit to Small gains to alleviate the stress of reaching big goals While working towards any goal, life happens, and stress can leave you feeling like throwing in the towel. But change your focus instead to commit to small gains chasing your dream job. Ask any fitness enthusiast or IT entrepreneur how they remained on track despite unforeseen hurdles, I’m sure they will tell you small wins are crucial to ensure you don’t quit your dream and keep eye on the prize. If the ultimate goal is making a career move, the ever-evolving landscape of work and life since Covid hit, may be feeling more daunting than ever before. Chaotic times amplifies feelings of stress and uncertainty It doesn’t take a magnifying glass to be aware of how chaotic life has been not only in South Africa, but across the world, ever since a certain pandemic entered our lives. There was the confusion when restrictions were apparently lifted around wearing masks (some of us still wondering about the absence of a formal “family meeting” announcement) and company vaccine mandates. Then petrol hikes fueling the rising cost of living. And let’s not forget, Eskom’s recent switcheroo of…