Tag Archives: Executive Search Brussels

making an international move

The golden rule to making an international move

It’s the summer, so inquiries about making an international move always rise. For me, they usually peak in September where the glow of returning to home territory is of the radio-active variety. Post Covid, people are travelling again, so this year feelings definitely seem to have intensified. Many have been released  literally from the confines…

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Post-Brexit job search

Post-Brexit Job Search Tips

I wrote a post in 2019 about the impact on talent in the U.K. as both E.U. nationals start to repatriate or return to another parts of the E.U. and and Brits look for jobs in Europe. One element that many British nationals seem not to have fully appreciated is that they now have third country status…

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The value of references in the hiring process

There is a lot of social media white noise around the value of references in the hiring process. As with everything today opinions are divided and polarised. I mean….. really? People actually feel strongly about references? Seemingly they do. Pros and cons Many people underestimate the value of references in the hiring process. But that…

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How communication styles trigger interview bias

“Facts tell stories sell” is a piece of marketing and personal branding advice I see almost daily on social media, especially targeting job seekers. Like a lot of bumper sticker homilies, it can work some of the time, but it doesn’t work all of the time. Why? Because it lacks nuance, a topic which is…

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handwritten thank you letters

Reasons to rethink handwritten thank you letters

I regularly observe career coaches and recruiters encouraging candidates to send handwritten thank you letters to their interviewers. I have even seen hiring managers say that receipt of a thank you note is part of their decision making process and they judge candidates negatively for failing to comply. In some cases they even cut candidates…

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water cooler moments

The dangers of online water cooler moments

The phrase “water cooler moments” is used as a short-cut, catch-all phrase to represent the casual camaraderie we look for in our workplaces. These are characterised by serendipitous  feel-good banter, and more personal types of casual discussions around daily news, Size matters Usually a water cooler group would be limited to small number of colleagues…

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How to make your interview process more inclusive

How to make your interview process more inclusive

The hiring process for most organisations is flawed throughout and riddled with unconscious bias. Despite good intentions, there is no doubt that unconscious bias is the barrier to diversity. It’s important you understand how to make your interview process more inclusive as part of your hiring best practices. Inclusive hiring Inclusive hiring is an equitable…

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make the most of furloughs

6 ways to make the most of furloughs

We are now for some people in a second or even third period of layoffs. Many complain they didn’t maximise their time in the first series and want to do better this time around. So how can you make the most of furloughs in the next round to manage your career in times of uncertainty?  …

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Ikigai and career coaching

Intertwining Ikigai and career coaching

I have always incorporated the concept of Ikigai and career coaching, although when I started doing this many years ago, I didn’t understand at the time that this was what I was actually doing. My approach has always been holistic and to avoid to siloed thinking. Our professional and personal goals not separate and unrelated…

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back to basics job search tips

10 back to basics job search tips. Job seekers help yourselves!

I have been conducting a European wide search, a region in the throes of an economic depression.  In the middle of a global pandemic unemployment levels are at an all time high, so I anticipated being overwhelmed by significant numbers of on-target job seekers, with difficult selection decisions to make. I was wrong. Despite there being millions of career coaches…

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