Author Archives: Dorothy Dalton

After work socialising

After work socialising: Do you feel pressurized?

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Business and pleasure have always been uncomfortable bedfellows. It is widely considered than an informal off site or out of hours coffee, lunch, dinner or drink can oil commercial wheels and resolve tricky office situations much more smoothly than dealing with them in the office. Networking and after work socialising both internal or external are considered to be political skills necessary for professional success. It is rarely mentioned in the recruitment process but taken as a given.

However, I am increasingly hearing  from a number of sources the difficulties of dealing with the unspoken pressure in socialising outside offices hours with either co-workers, vendors or clients.

Processing this can be challenging for any number of reasons. Meet four people who say ” No”.

When after work socialising is a problem!

  • Childcare responsibilities:  many working  parents manage tight schedules when it comes to childcare. Many have  teenage children at home unsupervised,  others need to relieve nannies or collect kids from nurseries and day care. Very often there is also some after school participation in the early evening.  Suzette an IT Recruitment Manager told me “it’s  part of our office culture and routine to meet good clients for a drink on a Friday after work. My son plays football for a local junior team and I simply have to be back to take him there. My partner’s commute is much longer than mine and he can’t make it back in time. I  know this puts me in the poor team player category but it can’t be helped.  Sometimes I ask one of the other parents to cover for me with my son, but I resent feeling pressurized when I’m doing a good job in office hours and have excellent relations with all my clients. I actually resent the pressure to be involved in after work socialising.”   

I want to do other things after work!

  • No interest:  Some people simply don’t want to go to cafés and bars  and socialising with their colleagues. Aashif, an associate with an international law firm suggests “If I have been in the office since 0800 and I can actually leave the office at 1800 –  I wouldn’t choose to go for a drink with people I have been working with all day. I  have given enough time. I just want to get home, not because I have a wife or children,  but I want to do other things. I also don’t drink alcohol so it’s not a lot of fun because as a non-drinker I can see the impact that even one glass has on some people. I am always happy to meet clients for lunch or breakfast. I know I am viewed as anti-social”
  • Blurring boundaries:  Chloe a Fund Manager at a large bank finds the pressure to go to after work outings with colleagues and clients frustrating and even annoying.  “There is a lot of blurring of boundaries at these post work drinks and some bad behaviour. If people really want to socialize with their work colleagues or clients they can have coffee, lunch or even breakfast.  Very often some of these functions turn into late night events which I think can be inappropriate.”   
  • Damages reputation:  Behaviour outside office hours can be quite often misconstrued and lead to office gossip and even reputation damage. Martin heads up an all female team and found that he was the subject of water cooler whispering following after work social events with a group of only women. “They were perfectly correct occasions and genuinely intended to cement the team. But  the best of intentions back fired and there was a lot of open sniggering from outside the department, so I simply stopped suggesting them.”

So do you feel pressurized to  get involved with after work socialising with clients, colleagues or vendors. Let us know how you feel!   

15 Tips to finesse an online interview

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Increasingly organisations are wanting to replace first contact screenings or even an initial interview with a Skype call or other online interview.

This is something that is given insufficient priority by job seekers or even totally disregarded. Research from Right Management in 2012 indicated that at that time only 9% of interviews take place via web cam. Their prediction was that this will increase to 43%  over the next few years. So although cutting out extended travel time can  be a bonus for job seekers, online interviewing skills are now a must have.

Offering a Skype call can also help arrange an informational interview. A network connection might be reluctant to give up hours for lunch or coffee, but a Skype call,  which can be more easily scheduled into a busy calendar,  might be more appealing.

Get it right!

However, simple as it might seem,  it can be challenging for most of us to be our sparkling best with our job search A game on tap for an online interview. Sometimes even the best internet connection and web cam don’t do any of us any justice at all. Today, with advanced technology our faces can be beamed onto over sized plasma screens in conference rooms the world over. “Skyping” is no longer associated with hunching over a lap top screaming into a pilot size headset, sounding like a goldfish.

There are other technologies also on the market such as Zoom. Some organisations use Skype for Business or platforms such as Web ex. See below the comments on understanding the technology before the call. An online interview now requires an element of finesse and one job seekers should factor into their prep work.

So where to start with an online interview?

  1. Treat it  seriously:  just because it’s online doesn’t mean you are not being professionally evaluated. You most certainly are…. and it’s even more difficult than a face to face.
  2. Have a professional photo:  as well as your USP in your Skype  profile. This is part of your consistent branding. Many choose funky pictures for their Skype  profiles,  forgetting the professional associations of this technology. Re-visit that thought.
  3. Make sure your name and Skype address is easily traceable. We all like to think we are unique only to find there are dozens with the same name or handle.
  4. Test the technology: Don’t download Skype or any other technology five minutes before your appointment. Test your microphone and headset.
  5. Understand the technology:  know how to Skype type, screen share and what to do if the signal drops, which it does sometimes even now  (turn off your camera.)
  6. Request a time that suits:  one where you can be guaranteed calm, the kids are in bed,  the dog isn’t running amok or the dishwasher  gurgling in the background, and so on.
  7. Location: you need a tidy, quiet, professional or neutral background with writing materials to hand. If your computer is in your bedroom or kitchen, try to angle the computer away from your unmade bed or dirty dishes. I once interviewed someone sitting on the sofa in his living room with his partner ironing in the background and the kids fighting in the corner. It didn’t go well.
  8. Dress code, grooming:  it’s very easy to take Skype or Face Time calls in your PJs, chilled,  having a coffee. I even had someone drinking what I suspect was a bottle rather than a glass of wine. But it’s not professional. Dress code should be as for a face to face interview.
  9. Watch your posture : sit up straight.  Elevate your computer if you have to on a pile of books. It avoids your interviewers looking up your nose.
  10. A wifi head set is best otherwise we can all look like pilots on a space launch.
  11. Look at the camera and not the screen. Minimize your own image.
  12. Close down any sound alerts: incoming mails, Twitter and so on. Nothing is more distracting than hearing constant pinging in the background.
  13. Turn off your other phones: land line and mobile  – also potential distractions.
  14. Have any documents available for easy sharing – either via screen share or download
  15. Use mobile technology judiciously.  We are all on the run – but taking an important interview via Skype on a Smart Phone or Tablet can be tricky.  I have been involved in these situations and they don’t generally favour the candidate. I recently talked to an interviewee literally running between meetings including a period in a lift. She was so out of breath she sounded as if she was experiencing a cardiac arrest. If it’s absolutely unavoidable try to stand your phone on a shelf rather than holding it in your hand. You can buy purpose made stands but for the occasional interview this may be an unnecessary expense.

So don’t forget to be prepared for this latest trend! It could well happen to you sometime very soon!

Need help with your interview technique? Get in touch!  

Why there’s only one new year’s resolution to make in job search

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Make it a big one!

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”  Tony Robbins

I’m a well documented contrarian when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. I think particularly with job search that goals should be ongoing and strategic. It’s no use setting any goals  in January and only to forget about them during the rest of the year. But there is a lot of hype associated with the start of a professional new year and this week is the first back to work after a protracted break for many.  It’s perhaps better to tap into the momentum of the zeitgeist than ignore it.

So instead of setting multiple potentially short-lived, minor goals  – go for  just one. But think big.

Commit to taking control of your job search.

This is particularly important for the behavioural and serial procrastinator who avoids taking on any tasks because of the complexity of choice, perfectionism, or fear of failure.  Procrastination is ‘the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.”  says Wayne Dyer.

I worked with a client this weekend for the first time who bemoaned the inequities in the recruitment system, only to find that two days before a major interview he was not familiar with the content of the hiring company’s website.   His lack of past success and confidence,  I suspect can be attributed to the fact that he was simply inadequately prepared.

That is his responsibility and totally within his control. 

But with a new year and new challenges,  the task can seem daunting. To avoid falling into the trap of  “in one year out the other” what can be done going forward?  Simply make a basic commitment to taking control of the elements of your job search where it’s feasible and possible to do so.

Branding

So much of this process  is in the hands and at the whim of others or  impacted by happenstance.

These are the elements outside your control:

  • The number  and quality of  other applicants
  • The organisational structure
  • The recruitment process
  • The perception of others
  • The personalities of others
  • The questions posed
  • The decision-making process

So that means we should firmly take control of the things where and when we can.

Within our control we have:

  • —Our mind set
  • Our personal appearance and image
  • —CV content and presentation
  • —Online presence & content
  • ——Non verbal communication
  • Verbal delivery
  • —Responses and pitches prepared
  • Constructive and effective interaction

If a job seeker struggles with any of these critical components in  job search on an ongoing basis,  and can’t  or doesn’t take control,   then some basic questions need to be asked perhaps with professional help.

Dickensian: Zero-hours contracts

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I’ve just had two astonishing conversations with two young people. This wasn’t related to wild nights out or any inappropriate behaviour, but their employment conditions.  Both are working on zero-hours contracts.

For the uninitiated zero-hours contracts are apparently a particularly British phenomenon. A  bit like Christmas pudding and red double-decker buses, just infinitely less wholesome

They are understood to be an employment contract between an employer and a worker, during which the employer is not obliged to provide the worker with any minimum working hours, and the worker in turn is not obliged to accept any of the hours offered.

Increasingly, many companies  across all sectors  are taking on staff on ‘zero-hours’ contracts.  These contracts effectively provide employers with a pool of  employees who are ‘on-call’ and can be used when the need arises.

At one end of the spectrum  the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development suggest that they provide  great possibilities for  individuals to strike a work life balance or supplement fixed incomes on an ad hoc basis. Students and pensioners particularly value this arrangement .

On the other hand,  they are viewed as yet another component in the exploitation formula with rife mal-practise reported.

Risk reduction

Zero-hours contracts are becoming increasingly popular as a way of tapping into a pool of labour to meet operational requirements and reducing recruitment and employee costs. They are also a way of minimising risk connected with workforce planning or it would seem planning of any kind really.

Research indicates that those on zero-hours contracts earn less than those on staff or on fixed-hours contracts,  with no rights to sick pay  and holiday pay  often refused.  They are also more widespread than is generally thought and increasing used for  hiring young people in the 18-24 demographic.  They are fast becoming a way of circumventing corporate statutory obligations. Although officially associated mainly with unskilled labour, anecdotal evidence would suggest that this is not consistently the case.

Victorian

There is something very Dickensian about this system with workers lining up, albeit at the end of their mobile phone and a few being selected,  with the rest remaining un-contacted.  Peter is on a zero- hours contract with a London  based call centre company.  Earlier this month he paid for travel to his place of work only to be told that there had been a miscommunication between the account manager and the client and there was no work until further notice. The contacted group was sent home after thirty minutes without pay.

Peter an arts graduate told me ” The choice to refuse work  in reality doesn’t exist.  If you refuse you are labelled as inflexible. Very often the management is poor with minimal training given. There is no accountability. The manager screws up and the workforce has their shifts cancelled.  Communication is erratic and anyone who speaks up is regarded as a ” trouble-maker. ”

He continued  “It’s made clear when you are hired any employment rights are restricted and there is  no job security until anyone has been employed for two years. But usually any long-termers are terminated just before they reach  the two years service point. Very often employees are given spurious official warnings for the slightest contravention to create an HR paper trail to “justify” a termination. One colleague was five minutes late after his train broke down and was given a written warning even though he sent an explanatory text to say  why he had been held up”

It is generally agreed that zero-hours contracts are effectively becoming licences for poor management and a pathway for potential employment abuse.

Kara with a degree in Psychology,  has been working on zero-hours contracts in the hospitality and retail sector. She explained “with no job security it is impossible to plan or save. My daily worry is how I am going to pay my most basic bills. Many of my friends are forced to live with their parents even though they are in their mid 20s. I work two jobs to make sure I have enough money to eat and cover my rent.  I’m 26 with a degree and it seems crazy that I can’t get a job to keep myself above the poverty line. When I do go for interviews for “proper jobs” I am told I don’t have the right experience. It’s like being on a treadmill ” 

Although the U.K. government plans to outlaw any restrictions  on employees on zero-hours contracts working elsewhere,  they are still allowing the concept to remain.

So although much is written about leadership and employees being valued the reality is that those leadership priorities are often disregarded to increase shareholder value and benefit business balance sheets regardless of the longer term implications.

Short term solutions

These are very short term solutions which will come back to haunt us. Together with it’s bed fellow unpaid internships  with zero-hours contracts we are seeing a reverse trend to Victorian era style employment practises which has a multi-generation impact.  Nicknamed KIPPERs (“kids in parents’ pockets eroding retirement savings”) in the U.K., we have a huge demographic who are spending what should be a formative period acquiring key professional skills in employment,  are now in economic limbo and unemployed. This in turn is impacting their parents who continue to be forced to support them.

What will we see next? The return of the truck shop? 

Do you need a “staycation”? Or are you an alpha vacationer?

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The holiday season is upon us and for many it is a time of acute stress and busy-ness. Honouring our professional commitments and personal obligations becomes almost a full-time job at this time of the year trying to relax.

Many look forward to taking a vacation to get away from it all.  But sometimes the process and planning to get away is equally tiring. This  might involve extensive periods in traffic, never-ending queues in airports, followed by often delayed long haul flights. Only then to jostle with the crowds for a patch of sand on a beach and warm cocktail.

Planning

One candidate told me he was so exhausted last year  “trying to get to the Maldives” that this year he has decided to stay put on a “staycation.”

As quite often happens, over the following weeks I heard the same word  “stay-cation” repeated.  I had never come across it before. It involves apparently simply staying in or around your home and chilling and relaxing. But staycationers complain that when they talk to alpha vacationers,  that  they have to be almost apologetic when they mention their “staycation” plans.  Extreme vacationers it would seem are not happy unless they are abseiling off cliffs,  skiing off-piste in places the more remote and far-flung the better, spiced up by a dose of horrendous adverse weather for good measure.

Vacation snobbery

We seem to have created a vacation hierarchy, and “staycationing” it would seem is definitely not near the top.

One job seeker has given herself permission to take time off from her job search other than tracking some key emails and some light seasonal networking.  A keen outdoor pursuits and nature lover  is she heading for an exotic destination? “No” she told me in an almost guilty whisper  ” I am just staying home“.

Since when did the vacation police become so powerful?

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Shortly after, my own daughter, an intrepid international traveller herself,  told me how she is looking forward to her own “staycation.” She lives in Dubai so there are worse places to chill.

I have also subsequently read pieces about “planning your staycation” to make them more effective.  Vacations are supposed to be relaxing surely? The origin of the word is 14th century “freedom from obligations, leisure and release.” 

There is nothing in there about location or the nature of the activity. Perhaps this is just me,  or do we also need to be released from the obligation of planning?

What do you think? Are you a vacation snob?

The return of the office Christmas party

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The festive period is now upon us. After several years consigned to the doldrums by diminished, recession ravaged budgets, I have it on good authority that this year, with the green shoots of recovery and buoyant economies the good old office Christmas party is back in full force.

With a cautiously optimistic outlook about the future,  many organisations are going back to hosting their annual office Christmas knees-up.  A simple Google search on the topic produces more than one million results in 48 seconds would testify to this hearsay.  The physical reminders are all around us. Tacky earrings, seasonal ties and notices about Secret Santa gifts. The office Christmas party is firmly on the calendar.

Post recession

For most companies the lavish budgets of yester year, with no expense spared events at restaurants or hotels are still history. I’ve only ever read about the ones featuring ice sculptures, flowing Veuve Clicquot and cabaret artists that people have actually heard of.  My experiences, especially in my early career, have been more centred around parties characterised by Micawber like frugality: a few mince pies thrown together in the staff cafeteria, accompanied by a solitary glass of something singularly and poisonously unpleasant.

My first ever boss invited me for Christmas lunch,  ordered two cheese and onion sandwiches, before knocking back five double G & Ts and then going on to eat my leftover onion to take away the smell of the gin.

But for a great number, these renewed office festivities are a return to the dread that they faced prior to the economic crisis. This is synonymous with being forced to make small talk with the boss (or worse still his/her partner) eating limp canapés and drinking inferior plonk with co-workers they would prefer to spend less time with, not more.

Super party-ers 

However,  there are always the super office party goers who regardless of the economic climate subscribe to the theory that if the drinks are on the house they are most definitely going to make the most of it. These are the ones whose drunken aberrations (which they don’t remember happening and have no wish to recall … ever) turn them into legends, provide the high-octane fuel of office gossip, well after the half-year results have been published.

Opportunity

For the savvy networker they can represent a great and unique opportunity to raise internal visibility and make strategic alliances. On what other occasion is the whole company brought together under the one roof,  at the same time?

By that I don’t mean chasing the co-worker who figures in their sexual fantasies around the photo copy machine with a sprig of mistletoe. Pre #MeToo there was always someone and probably still is. Or slurring to a senior executive that a box of cereal contains more strategic elements than the latest sales plan. That is a true story. Nor obsequiously trying to ingratiate themselves with executive Board Members who wouldn’t recognise them in a line-up thirty minutes later.

The office party can be a great opportunity to look into your own organisation to simply identify the people whom it would be great and useful to know.

How can you best help each other and work together?

Research them.  Introduce yourself and tell them exactly that!

Have a great time!

Need to identify and recruit top talent – get in touch! 

10 Barriers to successful promotion

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I see many people in transition who struggle to advance in their careers  internally within their own organisations, in almost the same way as if they were involved in an external job search.

Today,  many companies have very rigorous internal promotion processes which can be as daunting as looking for a position outside a current organisation.

However,  there are many common elements and they require the same structured approach to achieve success. Just like an external  job search,  the process can take up to a year, further complicated by competition against colleagues, some of whom may have become friends. Some companies even go to the expense of conducting external executive searches to benchmark the quality of their internal talent pipeline.

Over the years I’ve noticed what has become an all too familiar pattern with ten barriers to success:

  1. Lack of expertise in self-promotion:  many are unused to dealing with this type of process and are simply confused. This is compounded by a refusal to ask for help. Many in established positions have no idea how neutral input can make a difference to the outcome. Very often organisations will fund transition coaching especially at a senior level. Ask, and if they say “no”,  don’t hesitate invest in yourself.
  2. Lack of self-awareness: most people make very little time to think about themselves – their skills, goals, achievements, vision and passions. Those who are still employed are equally as guilty as  job seekers of this, perhaps more so because they know the organisation and the players. They think they can ” wing it ” on the day.  A thorough inventory of achievements and skills should always be made as part of any on going career strategy. Internal candidates quite frequently have less interview exposure than externals so their self presentation skills can be more rusty.
  3. Stuck in “yes / but” :  Many want to make a change and explore new methodologies but get stuck in self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours. They are unable to make that paradigm shift to get there.  As Einstein pointed out “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different  results.”
  4. Avoidance strategies:  transitioning professionally takes a lot of work and many are not prepared to run the hard yards. They get caught up in the cyber black  hole of “busyness” , unproductive work on computers of all sizes,  convincing themselves they are working effectively, when they are clearly not. Business plans have to be prepared, strategic value to market statements must be created, plus whatever other activities organisations demands  (personality and psychological testing for example.) All of this is time-consuming.
  5. Low self-esteem and or anxiety:  these two psychological states are frequent bed fellows which feed on each other to produce the  “busyness” above. Fear of failure maybe at the root of these dangerous emotions or perhaps there have been some missed  or failed opportunities in the past. Falling into the low self-esteem cycle undermines productivity and ultimately success. Find a coach, a mentor or a neutral friend or colleague to support you.
  6. Poor time management: whether in employment or on a job search a structured approach to time management is critical. Goals should be set, plans made and implemented and time planned.
  7. Failure to set goals: internal candidates are well-known to their management which has  both negatives and positives. It’s not enough to pitch up, suited and booted to give a brilliantly polished performance on the day. Strategic preparation over an extended period is critical, including professional image management. If your appearance looks like a sack of spanners most days in the office,  a one day transformation for the interview will not be enough.
  8.  Lack of both mentors and sponsors: for the necessary support. Implement some visibility raising strategies to  raise your profile within your company. It is really easy to neglect an internal network. Create some strategic alliances.
  9. Failure to evaluate the competition. Is your manager sponsoring you? If so, is he/she also sponsoring others for the position? Find out what you need to do to get full and unqualified support. Be aware of who the other candidates might be and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
  10. No Plan B: in very  competitive internal processes which might have long-term career impact, as part of the planning process ask yourself what you want to do if you are not successful. Having a “Plan B” is key – will you stay on and try again? Does this mean your career will have stalled? It’s important to understand what your next steps will be and create a plan in advance. Knowing that a potential key resource may leave an organisation can be a factor.  Make sure your external network is in place too,  as your ” just in case” safety net.

Stuck getting to the next level? Check out the individual career coaching programmes.

So whether an external or internal candidate, the career transition process carries many common elements! What would you add?

Good luck!

maternity leave

Maternity leave – then what?

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Maternity leave: then what? Making decisions about going back to work after maternity leave is always challenging.  D-day looms large and is unavoidable. Decisions have to be made eventually. The period leading  up to the return to work can be one of great stress.

What goes on for the new mother?

Guilt and angst

These emotions plays a massive and understandable role. The arrival is a bundle of joy who has become the centre of your new-found universe. You love being with your new-born and are fearful of missing major moments in your baby’s life. You worry about his/her well-being, developmental needs and even safety if you make other childcare arrangements. Only you can make that call. It might be helpful to put this phenomenon of a full-time stay at home Mum into historical perspective.

The notion of a stay at home mum whose sole activity was to focus on children and home is rooted  in the post World War II  demand to keep jobs open for soldiers returning from the war and a need to increase a decimated population. At the same time we saw a distinct separation of work and home and the development of a child centred culture.  However, throughout history children have been raised by many people other than their mothers,  or by their mothers who took on  economically related tasks. In lower income groups women always worked and the upper classes farmed their offspring out to wet nurses and nannies.

So this “mummy” dilemma in the overall historical scheme of things is relatively new.

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Other factors

  • Too much work: it is a lot of work. There is no other way to say this. But with good organisational skills and outsourcing low value work then there are ways  to prioritise. Many couples now use workplace practises in their homes.
  • Cost of childcare: there is a real need to be strategic and think long-term. Childcare costs are indeed high and women should campaign for tax breaks to defray expenses. If governments are serious about encouraging women to return to the workplace, they will make sure that happens and also cap childcare costs. But the short-term burden of childcare expenses should be benchmarked against the longer term impact of lost salary, career gaps and reduced future pensionable earnings caused by opting to work at a lower level or part-time to accommodate childcare responsibilities.
  • Lack of support network: women express concern about managing the responsibilities of career and family. The workload does increase exponentially with children. But very often the toughest negotiations are needed within the woman’s own home and relationships. In most developed economies where women make up 50% of the work force and are the most qualified, they are still carrying out 80% of household chores. There is something wrong with that picture.

  • The partner will have an affair with the nanny:  Any number of high-profile husbands have had dalliances with their nannies: Ethan Hawke, Jude Law and Tiger Woods to name but three. But if the thought of finding the father of your baby in flagrante in the playroom is a real deterrent to returning to work, then that might suggest serious reflection is required.    Although it’s normal for any new Mum to feel a little insecure after giving birth, there are lots of hormones whizzing round.  Retaining your professional self  and financial independence is even more important long-term with divorce rate impacting as many as 50% of marriages.
  • Paternity leave: there is a growing movement to encourage men to take parenting leave to share the load.  In Sweden studies by the Institute of Labour Market Policy Evaluation suggests that higher levels of involvement by both men and women in childcare result in stronger earnings potential for women and a reduced divorce rate. What we are seeing is the pendulum swing and the emergence of the ” daddy factor” where men are acknowledged  for soft skills related to parenting. Women of course are not generally afforded the same recognition.
  • Exploring new options: for many women, motherhood is a catalyst for other career transitions to find that elusive work life balance with as many as 33% leaving the corporate workforce never to return.

Personal choice

But after all the soul-searching,  the only people who can make those choices are the individual parents. For those that stay together they must also deal with the future consequences of those decisions. For those that don’t,  it is quite often the  single mother who faces those challenges alone.

If you need help planning a strategy around your maternity leave get in touch NOW! 

childare and interview questions

The perennial chestnut: Childcare and interview questions

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Interviewers need to clean up their acts on childcare and interview questions

We are constantly inundated with soundbites from high-profile women such as Marissa Meyer, Anne- Marie-Slaughter and Sheryl Sandberg  who vie for media attention in the business stratosphere. Now we have the  ex-CEO of Burberry drifting or jumping into the fray, I’m not sure which. The topic – that thorny childcare interview questions.

Angela Ahrendts, one of the highest paid female executives says she tries to lead by example:

“We have a lot of women working here and I always tell them they are mothers first. Those children are their legacy and they have partners and that’s a big obligation.”

This is all fine and dandy with a seven-figure salary and massive IPO pay outs. But let’s think for a moment on what happens to mere female mortals in the trenches where balance takes on a different more mundane form, centred on the every day demands of family life. Grocery shopping, after school activities, homework, dinner. How do these women handle their roles as mothers when they are grilled about it from the earliest stages in the hiring process? Some are even questioned before they have children. 

Women and family planning

Many young women ask in interview coaching  what they should say if they are asked about their family planning ideas and other inappropriate childcare interview questions.   I always tell women:

  • Stay calm.
  • Ask for the question to be repeated or clarified. This gives the interviewer to reflect and hopefully withdraw realizing they have over stepped the mark
  • Re-frame the question “I’m not sure if I want children, but I’m glad you asked me. Are you concerned that  if I have children it will reduce my commitment to ….. Please let me reassure you…

Women should also ask themselves if they want to work for such an organisation. Maybe not.

But what do women with children encounter? The single mother, the divorcée, the woman who can’t afford to lose her salary or a woman who simply wants to reach her potential?  

And the Dads? What are their responsibilities and roles? Isn’t the very phrase “working mother” rooted in an antiquated concept, when women now make up 50% of the workforce?childcare and interview questions

I actually have no problem with the ex-CEO of Burberry telling women they are mothers first. As long as she is giving male employees the same line about their status as fathers. I think an open dialogue on non-workplace issues including childcare, is an excellent idea at an interview or in the workplace.That is if the idea is discussed with both male and female candidates or employees.

Discriminatory questioning

Yet, it would  appear that despite statutory regulations,  women  are still being asked  blatantly discriminatory questions in interviews about their roles as mothers. Even by other women.  One senior sales executive in the tele-communications  sector told me: “My husband is fifteen years older than me and now retired. I am the sole breadwinner. We have four kids between us in our blended family.  I was asked  what would happen to my kids if I was travelling four days a week.”  She went on to tell me  how difficult it had been to persuade the hiring manager that her husband and nanny could manage in her absence and without her salary they would starve and be homeless.”‘That seemed to work ” she said only semi- jokingly.  

An MBA candidate with a scientific PhD and strong commercial  experience recounted how hard it was to convince potential employers that her husband would be willing to re-locate to follow her career.  She was  quick to report that they have never asked her partner the same question. I always ask candidates whether male or female to discuss with their partners any assignment where re-location would be an issue.

Another candidate explained how she and her husband interviewed at the same company   “How will you manage childcare if you take this job” they asked her. The same question was not posed to her husband. Her husband was offered a position, she was not, and he went on to refuse the role.

In fact in the many years I have been  involved in executive search, I recall few occasions when men were questioned  in any detail about their child care arrangements. One was a widower, in a critical function, with five kids. I always wonder if a single mother would have been afforded the same consideration.  Others were focused on package negotiations for school fees and housing allowances. But these men had already been offered the positions.

Keeping pace with cultural shifts

There are wider cultural shifts taking place and organisations need to recognise those developments. Life is becoming more complicated for many, with two career or two income families becoming the norm with a rise in the divorce rate impacting career flexibility.  By 2025 the majority of the workforce will be Millenials. It is well researched that they have different career expectations.

I am not actually in favour of outlawing discussion on childcare in the interview process. I think it adds value – as long as it is a question posed to all. I would be delighted to hear from any men who have been quizzed about their child care arrangements.

A Sheryl Sandberg quote which most resonated with me  is “Give us a world where half our homes are run by men and half our institutions are run by women.” 

 When will we use the expression “working father?” 

Career opportunities for seniors

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More worried about running out of money than death

More worried about running out of oney than death

Change is a bit like a sneeze. You know it’s coming but you can’t do anything about it.

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And, if you are anything like me (borrowing from Bill Clinton)  you  will have more yesterdays than tomorrows,  then struggling to adapt can be a challenge. But old dogs do want new tricks. Two things came to my attention last week. An article from 2010 sourcing a study from Allianz Life Insurance, suggesting that Americans considered running out of savings to be a fate worse than death.   This was followed by two calls from retired connections who wanted some advice about getting part-time jobs.  They were both in their mid 60s and happily in good health,  so could easily contemplate a return to the workforce. For different reasons their retirement funds were inadequate for their needs and  both seniors wanted to find an activity to supplement their incomes.

Upper end

One of the greatest challenges for ex-professionals is the possibility that they will not be able to work at their previous level of seniority.  At the upper end of the post retirement market, there are always senior consulting assignments for well established specialists.  The nature of their qualifications and experience will undoubtedly influence the availability of opportunities.  I know one executive who has a number of non executive director positions and claims to be working harder than she did when she was in full-time employment.  These are the type of roles that are usually obtained via an established professional network, built up over a long period. As with most things in the job search sector it’s better to plan ahead and position yourself before retirement.The seeds for these types of opportunities are usually planted way in advance.  However, for many, events (or recessions)  have overtaken them, ruling out any strategic preparation.They are left to explore more creative solutions.

In fact, many organisations do hire seniors, valuing their work ethic and old school communications…

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Do you need to create a strategy for your retirement? Check out individual coaching programmes 

Here are the suggestions  I came across:

    • Investigate freelance work: consulting, editing, translating, accounting, tax services etc. –  check out job boards and local employment offices.
    • Ad hoc or seasonal work –  house sitting, dog sitting, house keeping (post school – 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.) child minding,  taxi driving, retail positions, travel and museum guides. Many of these roles are advertised in local recruitment agencies or the equivalent of a government job centres  or employment offices.
    • Anti-social work  – with work/life balance being so sought  after, check out companies and positions that are associated with hours that no one else wants to work: help desks, call centres, night receptionists, security positions, all come to mind immediately. Who offers 24/7 service in your area?
When old dogs want new tricks

When old dogs want new tricks

  • Re-train – what could you do that would generate some revenue and be in line with your interests and abilities? I spoke to someone who had been a specialist in chemical safety prior to retirement who retrained as a medical chiropodist. Now this is not everyone’s idea of fun but a pretty savvy decision.   Feet are a  mass market opportunity. Everyone has feet. With an aging population, an increasing number need help in old people’s homes and hospitals.  Not only that, it’s a skill that travels and he is able to work – pretty much anywhere.  Another friend retrained as a roof thatcher. Caveat: he is exceptionally fit and heights don’t faze him.
  • Elder care –  Your back might go out more than you do, and although these gentleman are retired, they are still 20-25 years younger than many. What opportunities exist in this field? Many healthcare recruitment agencies offer part-time carer or support service roles.

The most important factors will be to: keep up to date, look after your health, maintain a professional image.

As George Burns said “Retirement at sixty-five is ridiculous.When I was sixty-five I still had…

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