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…

Sounds crazy doesn’t it? When a coach is not a coach. And when does not being a coach become a problem? This is especially important if you think you are one already or want to become one. The word coach means different things to different people. As such it has become horribly mis and over-used.…

The employee referrals debate today Employee referrals programmes have been around throughout history. Research suggests that Julius Caesar created the first programme when he offered up to one-third of a soldier’s annual salary for referrals into the army. Employee referrals are a way of finding candidates for an open role by asking current employees for introductions…

Today we will be inundated with posts about goal setting and New year’s resolutions. It’s well recorded that I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions especially when it comes to career goals. “In one year and out the next” is pretty accurate way to describe the process. I’ve long favoured manageable, achievable goals which…

The challenges of Brexit and Talent are long term issues In August 2016 I wrote a post on Brexit and talent focusing on a potential talent drain. It recently gained some renewed traction, so I felt it merited revisiting. I specifically mentioned top end and skilled talent, those with strong transferable skill who were voluntarily…

The business world is trying to make sense of the implications of Brexit in a world now characterized by uncertainty. It was clear that this shock result, from which we are still reeling, was so unexpected that almost no one had a post Brexit plan. Against many unknown factors, businesses are trying to create strategies…

Why do so many underestimate interviews with H.R? I’ve heard some comments recently from candidates or job search clients related to interviews with H.R. I’ve selected two, because the others carried the same message, they were just phrased differently. Comment #1 – From a job seeking client:  “I’ve only attended a series of meaningless interviews with H.R.” Comment #2 – From a…

The Glasshammer in a recent post has written about how executive search companies and headhunters serve to exclude women. I read it with interest and the report it was based on  “And then there are none: on the exclusion of women in processes of executive search,” which appeared in Gender in Management: An International Journal in…

The Peter Drucker phrase “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” has been around in management training manuals for decades. With some dissenting views, it is widely accepted if not as a business truism, certainly as a useful guideline and management tool. In career management what is also gaining credibility is the line “If you can’t…

Much is written about professional profiles by many “experts” that frightens the life out of the average job seeker, or even passive candidate who simply want to have a strong online presence. The list of dos and don’ts is never-ending, with the net result that many are totally confused. I’m actually confused. There are many so-called pearls of wisdom written about…