What is  a “slow no?” A “slow no” is a communication device used by hiring managers or recruiters for keeping short listed candidates warm as a back-up plan. It involves indirect and opaque communication, which is a death knell to any search carried out with integrity. It might involve no communication at all, or fluff about delays. Sometimes it’s intentional.…

Many of us sit on aeroplanes, especially frequent flier business trips and watch the cabin crew go through the emergency procedures with tuned-out indifference. We know the drill because we’ve seen it possibly hundreds of times in our lifetimes. Despite the commentary that all should pay attention, we dutifully turn off our electronic devices as…

Fixing your job search visibility I have spent the past week with two different women, of two different ages. Their backgrounds could not be further apart. One is a young graduate, seeking entry-level employment, the other a woman in her 40s, with extensive supply chain and procurement experience, as well as an MBA. She has…

After a period of huge workplace change, despite predictions we are seeing and uptick in the job market. Going hand in hand with this trend is a resurgence of candidate power, with employers very much playing catch up leading to huge numbers of unfilled vacancies. Top candidates making greater demands As the worst of the…

Does the feminisation of HR have a downside? The feminisation of HR has been creeping up on us for years. I was recently involved in an executive search for an upper level middle management HR position. The European VP asked me to try to produce a gender balanced short list. Now, this is not what…

According to research carried out by international organisations such as Manpower and Deloitte, there are many indications that after a period of cautiousness brought about by stringent economic times, a high percentage of employees will now be open to new job opportunities. The numbers range from 66% – 84%, but whichever one you take, they…

You would think that when you reach a certain age there shouldn’t be much left in this life that can surprise you. But yet it does …every day! It seems that my destiny is to live in a state of perpetual surprise or shock. This monty alone I have raised my eyebrows around execs not…

Women an untapped resource for our male dominated think tanks The World Economic Forum, one of the world’s most recognised think tanks, issued a report indicating long-term talent management issues were actually being concealed by high levels of unemployment. “In today’s global and fast-changing business environment, access to highly skilled people – not just top talent,…

Why red alert resumés send out a warning signal. I’m going to come clean. I hate functional CVs. With a passion. As someone who reads possibly hundreds of CVs a week, there is nothing more frustrating than reading a list of qualities and so called achievements and still having very little idea of what the…

As the number of permenant jobs shrinks and the competition hots up – can you afford not to have a career management strategy?