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Get ahead of the curve and undertake interviews remotely

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]The Coronavirus situation is evolving daily. Travel restrictions, changing guidelines and organisations’ policies are in flux, and because of these, there are three major influencers on recruitment decisions

• International travel.
• Domestic travel.
• Meetings of large groups of employees or candidates.

The impact on recruitment decisions are potentially far reaching. Candidates may not be able to attend assessment days or in-person interviews. Internal applicants may not be able to attend development centres or training events. Even if these events are able to run, the management or recruitment team cannot guarantee resource accessibility or availability due to illness, self-isolation or travel restrictions.

The result could be a knee-jerk reaction to postpone everything recruitment, induction or training related.  However, it doesn’t have to be that way – there are alternatives.

Remote interviewing


Now is a great time to seriously consider video interviews. There has already been a huge increase in the use of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Google Hangouts in the last few weeks. Many organisations are already well ahead and even conducting full blown virtual assessment centres.

Communicate, communicate



With the fast pace of change it would be too easy to overlook the need for a thorough candidate communication plan. A poor candidate experience has consequence’s – from sharing stories with friends and family to negative comments left on employer review sites and on social media. This is the opportunity to demonstrate the strength of your employer brand values.

Our tips for effective virtual interviews

Video Technology

First, determine how you are going to carry out a virtual job interview. The big question you need to answer is whether you’ll incorporate video or simply use the phone. We highly recommend that you try to integrate video if possible, as it will allow you to best simulate a real, in-person interview.

There is no shortage of virtual options to utilize video conferencing for a virtual job interview. Skype, Zoom, UberConference, FaceTime, MS Teams and Google Hangout are just a few to consider.
Before your virtual job interview takes place, make sure you test out your video provider to ensure things run smoothly.

Things to check on include:

• That your account is up to date
• The latest software update has been installed
• Being familiar with features software features
• Connection speed

Set up

Just as you would if your interviewee was coming into the office, you want to make sure that you have set a professional scene for your virtual interview. While testing your technology, determine where in your remote location to have the conversation. Find a quiet room with good lighting (being near a window helps) and a blank, clean wall. You want to be the focal point of the interview so that your interviewee is focused on your questions and answers, not on the picture hanging behind you. Turn off any audio distractions such as a TV or radio that could be picked up by the video conference audio.
Also, tidy up your surroundings. You wouldn’t want to have an untidy office when interviewing a candidate in person.

Body Language

Before your virtual interview, spend some time checking your body language and posture by watching yourself using your video conferencing software`. The angle of your computer’s camera and the chair you’re sitting in can have a significant impact on how you present on your interviewee’s screen. You don’t want to spend the first few minutes of the interview shuffling around with your camera to find your best light and angle.

We’ve all taken photos where we’ve wished the photographer would have tried a different angle to allow ourselves to showcase our best selves. The same is true with video conference feed. Figure out a configuration that will enable you to interview with confidence.

Dress the Part

One of the perks of working remotely is that employees do not have to spend the time getting ready and dressed for their day. However, if you’re hosting a virtual job interview, you need to dress the part.
How would you dress if the interview was taking place at your office? That is exactly what you should wear for your virtual meeting. You don’t want the candidate to think that you’re not taking it seriously and that they’re not receiving the same experience that they would with an in-person experience.

Acknowledge the Unusual Circumstances

While your goal is to make this experience as similar to a regular interview as possible, you’ll want to acknowledge that this isn’t a normal circumstance. Thank your interviewee for agreeing to interview virtually and make a comment on how extraordinary this interview is— just like the dozens of other extraordinary things that are happening due to the Coronavirus.
This experience will probably just as new to the candidate as it is to you. By letting them know you’re in it together, you can accelerate the connection between the two of you, and allow them to be comfortable during the course of the interview.

Be Normal, Be Prepared

The most important thing about conducting this type of interview is that you and the candidate both feel like the virtual element of the conversation did not negatively affect the experience. That starts with being prepared.

Plan how you’d like the interview to unfold and prepare all of the questions you need to ask the interviewee. If you’re not as prepared as you usually are, the candidate might feel like they were cheated out of a true interview because of the virtual element. However, if you’re prepared and are able to control the flow of the interview, the candidate will feel comfortable and answer.

The new normal?

Many business owners believe we are experiencing the dawn of a new way of working. In every crisis there are opportunities and we all have an opportunity to really up our recruitment game by using technology to improve the recruitment process. 

More team members are working from home.  When you get it right, research shows that working virtually can drive productivity improvements of up to 43%.

Working virtually could drive really positive changes in your recruitment processes.

If you would like to know more about how the First Base team can support you during and after these unusual and challenging times, contact Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

Coronavirus – Employers Liability and Obligations

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Sticks and Stones – Mental Health and the Power of Words

The sad story that hit the headlines regarding Caroline Flack once again put mental health in the spotlight as more celebrities, sports people and business leaders open up about their own challenges.  Mental health issues of course don’t just affect those people we read about in the news.  They often affect the people you employ, the person sitting next to you, your boss, suppliers, customers, friends and family.

You don’t need to be an expert to help

Most of us are not experts at dealing with issues around mental health.  Awareness and enough knowledge to signpost where expert support can be found are useful, but one area we can all help with is how we communicate with other people.  Specifically, the words we speak and the words we write.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words…can change someone’s direction for an hour, a day or a lifetime”   –  David Tovey

Words cannot change reality, but they can change how people perceive reality.  Words create filters through which people view the world around them.  They are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity.  We can choose to use the powerful force of words constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words that hurt or cause despair.  Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.

Words can change how people behave.  They become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Convince someone that they can’t do something and they won’t try.  Convince them that they have the ability to succeed and they will give it their best shot.  Convince them that they are worthy human beings and they thrive, convince them they are worthless and they can spiral into a terminal decline.

Consequences 

We all have a choice about the words we use.  Everyone, but particularly those in authority, should think through the potential consequences of the words they are about to use.  We know of course that there is a body of people out there who delight in using words destructively, they intend to hurt and to humiliate.  They don’t care or think about the consequences of what they might describe as ‘just words’.  Some people feel compelled to give voice to any passing feeling, thought or impression they have.  They randomly dump the contents of their mind without regard to the significance of what they are saying.

Though it might not seem like it with all the negativity we hear that surrounds the use (misuse?) of social media, most people don’t actually intend to do harm. Never-the-less, thoughtless use of words can have the same effect.  When we speak we should speak with mindfulness, in ways that inspire and builds not that hurt or destroy.

As my grandma used to say “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything”.

Be kind!

 “Be kind to all and speak words that are beacons of inspiration, enthusiasm and encouragement”

Kindness isn’t a soft business strategy, it is intelligent, mature, moral and improves business performance.  It is not about avoiding critical feedback, difficult conversations or pointing out where improvement is needed, it’s about the best and most effective way to communicate.  It’s not only our words that matter, the tone which we use has a huge impact.  There are certain rules that should guide all our communications with others.

Always speak the truth, avoid exaggerations, be consistent in what you are saying, don’t use double standards in addressing people, don’t use your words to manipulate others, and most importantly do not use words to insult or belittle anyone.

 THINK!

I did some voluntary work providing presentation skills at school for students with learning difficulties a couple of years ago.  On the wall in the room we use there was a hand written A1 size poster produced by the students. It had a simple yet really effective message.

Before You Speak

T   – is it true?

H –  is it helpful?

I  –   is it inspiring?

N –   is it necessary?

K –   is it kind?

THINK before we speak and we can make where we work (and the rest of the world) a little better for everybody – including those challenged by mental health issues.

Contact Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk if you would like to learn more about how the First Base team could help you or your organisations with any of the issues raised by this article.

UK unemployment remains low – flexibility needed

The UK’s unemployment rate has remained at 3.8% – its joint lowest level since early 1975, according to official figures.  New figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, reveal UK unemployment fell by 16,000 to 1.29m in the three months to December and the number of people in work rose from 180,000 to 32.93m over the quarter.

Total vacancies rose to 810,000, the highest since the quarter to September 2019, with total earnings growth including rising by 2.9%.

The new figures suggest that we have a UK job market that is growing in confidence, that remains buoyant and is placing record numbers of people in work.   Those organisations that took a more cautious approach during the recent years of political and economic uncertainty, are now putting into action ambitious recruiting plans.

A candidate’s market?

Whilst the employment figures tell a good story, 41% of business leaders remain concerned about their ability to attract and retain the best people.  Talented candidates are often juggling multiple job offers at a time.

Employers really do need to think differently about how they attract the right people.  The best organisations are reviewing remuneration packages, benefits and working environment in order to make sure they attract good candidates.  Flexible working, regular high quality training, good working conditions and employee wellbeing benefits are actively being sought by candidate’s keen to bring a more balanced approach to their working lives.

They say there is nothing as constant as change and UK businesses are certainly operating in a new dynamic environment where there is not much certainty around.  A more flexible approach around the working environment and employment conditions is fast becoming a vital strategy for UK business.

Speak to the team at First Base if you would like to know more how we can support your recruitment plans and help you attract the right people. Contact Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

New UK points-based immigration scheme

Any business that has depended on recruiting from overseas should make sure that they familiarise themselves with the governments new immigration points-based system.

The Home Secretary has announced that a new scheme will take effect from January 2021 that will assign points for specific skills, qualifications, salaries or professions.  Visas will only be awarded for those who gain enough points. In the announcement the Home Secretary made clear the government’s intention to end the reliance on what she described as “cheap, low skilled labour coming in from overseas”.

The new single global system will treat EU and non-EU citizens equally. It will give top priority to those with the highest skills and the greatest talents, including scientists, engineers and academics.

The global talent scheme will also be opened up to EU citizens which will allow highly-skilled scientists and researchers to come to the UK without a job offer.

Minimum salary threshold

The points threshold will be carefully set to attract the talent the UK needs. Skilled workers will need to meet a number of relevant criteria, including specific skills and the ability to speak English, to be able to work in the UK. All applicants will be required to have a job offer and, in line with the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommendations, the minimum salary threshold will be set at £25,600.

Those looking to live and work in the UK will now need to be qualified up to A level or equivalent, rather than degree level under the current system.  There will be no specific route for low-skilled workers.  It is estimated 70% of the existing EU workforce would not meet the requirements of the skilled worker route, which will help to bring overall numbers down in future.

Student visa routes will also be points-based and be opened up to EU citizens, ensuring talent from around the globe has access to the UK’s world-class universities.  Those wishing to study in the UK will need to demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, that they can support themselves financially and that they speak English.

In addition, the seasonal workers pilot will also be expanded in time for the 2020 harvest from 2,500 to 10,000 places, responding to the specific temporary requirements of the agricultural sector.

EU citizens and other non-visa nationals will not require a visa to enter the UK when visiting the UK for up to 6 months.  However, the use of national identity cards will be phased out for travel to the UK and the Home Office will set out our plans in due course.  Those EU citizens resident in the UK by 31 December 2020 can still apply to settle in the UK through the EU Settlement Scheme until June 2021.

If you would like to find out more about how the new points-based immigration scheme might affect your business and future recruitment needs, contract Tricia Hay at First Base on 01453 755330 or tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk.

Optimism : How to maintain the drive to succeed and flourish

I’ve asked over 600 groups of managers from all around the world about their personal experience of good management.  In these groups activities I always made it clear I wasn’t looking for ‘text book’ responses about leadership and that I wanted real personal experiences of good management that really made a difference.

Optimism has always featured on the ‘best managers’ list of characteristics and in our experience, the best candidates like to work for great managers.

Optimism lies at the heart of a managers ability to inspire others, particularly in time of change.  Management and leadership is about relationships and the ability to help others remain positive, is key if you want a dynamic culture and want your team to deliver outstanding performance.  It is too easy for a team to default to a pessimistic outlook, particularly in challenging times.   Of course it’s easy to be optimistic on good days.  Managers with the ability to remain optimistic and instill optimism in others on the not so good days are worth their weight in gold.

How do you recognise an optimistic manager?

In my experience they tend to exhibit the following attitudes:

They focus on solutions

Optimistic managers use optimistic language.  Faced with the ‘why does this happen to us’ of pessimism, the optimistic manager always prefers to seek out options or new opportunities that might arise from a particular difficult situation, they are more likely to say ‘how can we find a solution?’.

Optimist managers don’t tend to over analyse or apportion blame for a problem before they get on with finding a way forward.

They seek out quick wins and small victories

Positive mangers keep and eye on the big picture and the organisations ultimate goal – but they never miss a chance to celebrate quick wins and small victories.  They actively seek opportunities to recognise their teams efforts, marking an obstacle overcome, an customer issue resolved, a technical advance or a new client won with praise and celebration.

They seek out what their team does well and they recognise even modest success.

They focus on strengths not weaknesses

Optimistic managers cultivate and strengthen everyone’s strong points, seeking to minimise any weaknesses by using their strengths in order to find ways to improve and progress.

They encourage perseverance and risk

Positive managers understand that failures are part of life and that setbacks can be an opportunity to learn.  They prepare for setbacks and know what they will do if things go wrong – they don’t give up and they don’t give in.  Optimism creates the right environment for perseverance – a dogged determination to succeed.

The mangers in those 600 groups who shared their experience of good managers with me often said about optimistic leaders ‘when the chips were down and we couldn’t see a way forward, they got us to believe in ourselves again’

If you would like to learn more about what makes a great manager and what attracts the best candidates for your job roles, call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk.

What is Integrity?

A recent national news item outlined the story of a senior manager who received a suspended jail sentence because he lied on his CV.  He falsely claimed to have a University Degree (which as it happened was not even required for the post) and the Judge in summing up said that this action brought into question the individuals integrity.  The managers actions certainly brought into question his honesty, but did he really lack integrity?

Integrity is a word that frequently crops up on LinkedIn profiles and on company websites.  In an effort to stand out from the crowd, brands and individuals sometimes feel it necessary to highlight their ‘integrity’.  However it is a word often misunderstood – and sometimes overused by those who lack it.  It is usually associated with being of good character, being honest and being ethical – but it is really more about being consistent.

I experienced a perfect example of integrity at a supermarket checkout.

A young man came back to the store in order to return a small over payment of change from a transaction that had taken place a few minutes earlier.  A customer services manager was called over and she thanked the young man for his ‘unusual’ honesty.  ‘Normally’ she said ‘as a big company our business is seen as fair game and if we make a mistake in the customer’s favour we tend to lose out’.

As he left the store, I managed to speak with the young man and asked him why he returned such a small amount of change – ‘after all’ I said ‘no one would have known if you’d just driven off’.  There was a short pause then he looked me in the eyes and said ‘I would have known’.  He went on to tell me it was about doing the right thing – one of the values he learned as an officer in the Royal Marines. Having spent time studying leadership at the Royal Marine Commando Training Centre at Lympstone in Devon – I knew instantly what he meant.

Not always positive 

The young Royal Marine wasn’t demonstrating integrity because he was being honest.  ‘Integrity’ doesn’t necessarily mean positive characteristics like honesty and trust.  That definition is only relevant in the context of what we might think of as ethical or moral behaviour.

The Latin root of the word integrity is ‘integer’ – to be whole or complete.

Having integrity is about consistency – consistency of values, principles – and more importantly acting in accordance with those values and principles.  The young Royal Marine acted in accordance with his values and principles – even when only he knew he was doing it.

Even street gangs and criminals can have integrity. In terms of ethics it’s just that their values and principles are different from most people in business.  Have no doubt that they do have a ‘code’ – principles and values that they adhere to – and the penalty for lacking integrity can be severe!

“In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence and energy.  If they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.” – Warren Buffet, CEO Berkshire Hathaway

If any relationship is to thrive, whether internal or external (or personal for that matter) there has to be congruence between the words that set the expectation of certain values and the actions someone demonstrates.  When you actions match you intentions, when others EXPERIENCE that you live your values and stick to your principles, whatever the circumstance, it builds trust and relationships blossom.  Customers, clients, colleagues, suppliers, people who you report to and people who report to you want to know that they can trust you.  People leave an organisation when they don’t trust their manager, employees are fired when trust is lost and customers stop buying from suppliers that fail to deliver on promises.

Integrity in business, based on sound values and principles; trust, honesty, ethics, doing the right thing – builds loyalty, engagement and high performance from individuals and teams. It builds long term profitable relationships with clients and customers that buy and re-buy.

Integrity = Influence

If you want real influence, if you want to lead others or win business; integrity has to be a key characteristic of who you are. You can’t fake integrity (well not for long) and we all know people who don’t live up to the expectations they set – particularly those who push their apparent integrity as a marketing tool.  Successful individuals base the decisions they make on principles. They consistently do the right thing rather than the convenient, easy or popular thing to do. Because they base their actions on values and principles they are trusted to consistently deliver as promised.

“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity”. Tom Peters

Human beings excel when allowed to act in accordance with their personal values. Ultimately people leave organisations where their own values and the values of the organisation differ (or worse – they stay and disengage).  Whilst having integrity doesn’t necessarily mean an individual is a ‘good’ person, it does mean they can be depended on to act in accordance with the values they claim to live by.

Organisations need more people that can be depended on to act in accordance with the values they claim to live by.

David Tovey

Employing staff for the first time – your checklist

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You’ve come to the conclusion that you can’t manage the growth of your business without some help. You’ve been putting off the question of how to hire your first employee and have been trying to juggle all the demands of a small business on your own for too long.  Maybe you need to bring in specialist skills or you’ve discovered that simply putting in more hours produces diminishing returns and you don’t have the human capacity to service new customers or maybe even risk a reduced service to existing clients.

Even if you have managed and recruited people in a previous life with a larger organisation, you may find that how you employ someone in a small business has different challenges.  Hiring your first employee is an exciting time but how you find staff for your business requires serious thought and often means acquiring new knowledge and skills. In our experience, there are no ‘born’ or naturally good recruiters. It takes both an investment of money and time if you are going to find the right staff for your business.

Get recruitment right and the dreams for the future growth of your business can be realised.  Getting it wrong can be a nightmare for you and your employees.  Sadly, too often we see more effort put into selecting a new piece of plant or machinery than employing someone for the first time.

1. Where do I start?

Start with the financials.  This might seem obvious but your new member of staff will be relying on you to pay their salary, on time and in full every month.  Do you have the forecast cash flow to be able to meet all your financial commitments as an employer?  Financial factors to take into consideration include:

• Basic pay
• Commission or bonus
• National Insurance
• Pension contributions
• Training

2. Creating a job description

You might be surprised how often we get feedback from people that the job they thought they were applying for was very different from the requirements made of them once they had started. This mismatch between the expectation of the job and the reality is often why new recruits leave after a few week or months.  It’s an expensive lesson to learn and so easily avoided.

Make sure you are absolutely clear about the job you want your first employee to do,  what type of person you want to hire and what skills are required – but don’t only consider skills.  Think about what type of culture you are trying to develop. What type of behaviours do you want from your first employee?  Getting this right with your first member of staff will make it so much easier to achieve the culture you want when you grow your team.

Right now, we have a high employment economy and many skills are in high demand.  Consider whether recruiting someone with the right attitude and transferable skills will work or whether someone who is fast to learn new skills could be the right fit for your business.

Finally, consider whether the role is full time, part-time or whether a temporary member of staff would work  better for you.

3. Who will do the recruiting?

Do you have the time and experience to carry out all the elements involved in successfully hiring your first member of staff?  Things you need to consider include:

• producing a job description
• creating a person profile
• advertising the role (using on and offline tools)
• communicating with potential candidates
• answering questions about the job and your business
• screening CV’s
• interviewing
• following up
• communicating with unsuccessful candidates

As someone seeking to employ staff for the first time, you may not have an established employer ‘brand’ and good candidates will want to know what it’s like to work for you as an employee.  As you won’t have an existing reputation as an employer it is even more important to get the recruitment stage right.  It’s the only measure that a candidate can use to judge whether you are the right fit for them.  Remember that hiring is a two-way street, a candidate is assessing you, just as much as you are assessing them.

If you don’t have the time or skills to do all of this. It might be more effective to consider outsourcing this to someone you know or to partner with a professional recruitment consultancy.

4. The legal stuff

• Register with HMRC as an employer and set up PAYE
• Take out employer’s liability insurance
• Comply with equal opportunities legislation
• Check employees right to work in the UK
• Is a DBS (criminal background) check needed and do you have an ex-offender’s policy?
• Will the workplace pension scheme be applicable?
• What Health and safety legislation, policy and requirements are applicable?

5. Screening and Interviewing

Once you’ve received some applications, you’ll need to start shortlisting candidates that you’d like to interview.

Out of the initial pool of applicants that you feel have potential, you might want to consider holding telephone interviews before committing to inviting them to a face-to-face interview.

Use this as an opportunity to find out a little more about their experience and why they’re interested in the role.

Next, hold face-to-face interviews with the most promising applicants using a competency-based interviewing style and any appropriate skills testing. Use a broad set of the same questions for all candidates so that it’s easier to compare them against each other.  It will also ensure that your recruitment process is fair and non- discriminatory.

6. Make an offer

Once you have made a decision BE DECISIVE! Good people have options and won’t wait around if you dither about making an offer.  Whether the offer is made face-to-face or over the phone, you will need to confirm details in writing.

Don’t forget to communicate with those candidates that haven’t been successful. Better that they are telling their network of contacts that they were impressed by you and your business than they are glad they weren’t offered a job!

Recruiting good people is key to the future success of any business.  Happy employees lead to happy customers and a healthy growing business. Never be caught in the trap of hiring the best of a bad bunch – take your time and plan to find the best possible fit.

If you would like to know more about how the First Base team can help you to recruit staff for your business call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

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Management Guide to Employee Experience

Do we have another HR buzzword? Is Employee Experience just another phrase for Employee Engagement? If not, what exactly is it?

Employee Engagement has been on the agenda of forward looking organisations for a number of years. Managers across all sectors and sizes of business appreciate the benefits to the bottom line and their people of an engaged workforce.  So where does Employee Experience play its part?

Inputs and Outputs

We like to think of Employee Engagement as the output that follows the experience employees are exposed to, from recruitment right through to their exit from the organisation.   A bit like customer experience, it includes all the touch points an employee has with their employer; its culture, people and systems.  These touch points can be a positive experience (leading to greater engagement) or a negative experience (leading to reduced engagement).

Starting from their time as applicants and candidates, employees look at everything that happens at work as an integrated experience that impacts daily life in and outside the workplace.  Employee experience includes overall physical, emotional, professional, and financial well-being.  Candidates assess future employers from the very start of the recruitment experience and make quick judgments about what life will be like for them in the organization, based on how they interact with the company throughout the recruitment process

In other words, employee experience is an employee-centric way of thinking about the organisation.  When decisions are made with employee experience in mind, managers and business leaders ask “how will our people perceive this?” and “What impression are we giving our people if we act this way?”  Employee experience takes into consideration how employees see, hear, believe and feel about all aspects of their employment.  These aspects stretch from the recruitment process, through to their last day at your company.

Employee experience encompasses the physical, technological and cultural environment of a business.

For example, during recruitment, managers should be considering:

• Do all candidates feel treated fairly and equally?
• Have their contacts from within the organisation “lived” the stated company values?
• Have they had a positive experience of the meeting places, technology and tools used through the process?

During induction, managers can ask:

• Does the employee know how to use the various technologies and tools the company relies on?
• Has the new employee been made to feel part of the team?
• Does the new employee know where they can get the support and resources they need?
• Does your new person know exactly what you expect of them?

Through the early stages of employment managers will want to know:

• Does the employee feel they are getting enough feedback?
• How often is the employee meeting for a one-to-one with their line manager?
• Does the employee feel supported and encouraged by those around them?
• Does the employee feel they are part of a well-functioning team?

As part of their career development:

• Does the colleague feel they have fair and equal access to development opportunities?
• During periods of stretch and learning, is their physical and mental wellbeing supported?
• Do they have access to the technology and tools they need to develop?

Finally, at the “exit” phase:

• Does the employee feel valued for the work they have done for your business?
• Does the employee feel that sufficient measures were put in place to ensure they had a good experience at your company?
• Did the employee feel fairly treated throughout their employee journey?

Customers will notice

There are many reasons for an increased focus on employee experience.  Companies are looking to combat the shortage of talent in a high employment economy and want to retain good people.  Another important point to consider is social media’s role when it comes to employer brand, recruitment and retention.  Your reputation as an employer, good or bad, can reach thousands of potential future employees (and customers) in seconds.  Employee experience won’t remain a secret for long as job applicants, staff and ex-employees share their interactions with the organisation.  Poor employee reviews spread quickly and affect whether good people will even apply for a job.  Glowing reviews on the other hand help recruiters like First Base to attract the very best people.

Another vital reason is that employees tend to treat customers as they themselves are treated.  Loyal, engaged staff inevitably results in loyal engaged customers.

Have you taken a look recently at your organisations employee experience?  If you would like to know more about how we can help you create a positive Employee Experience during your recruitment process call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

Experience isn’t the best predictor of a new recruits’ success

Harvard Business Review recently revealed a review of 81 studies that investigated the link between an employee’s prior work experience and their performance in a new organisation.  The HBR study found no significant correlation. Even when people had completed tasks, held roles, or worked in functions or industries relevant to their current ones, it did not translate into better performance inside a new organisation.

Their conclusion doesn’t surprise us – we know that experience isn’t a great predictor of a new recruits’ success.

It seems counterintuitive

It might seem intuitive that applicants who have general work experience or have already done the job that they’re applying for would be at an advantage.  But when HBR looked at the 81 studies, they discovered a very weak relationship between pre-hire experience and performance, both in training and on the job.  They also found zero correlation between work experience with earlier employers and retention, or the likelihood that a person would stick with their new organization.

Yet job related experience remains one of the top requirements of many employers when recruiting for a role.  Take a look at any job board and you will see that the majority of roles ask for experience even in non-skilled and entry level jobs.  Intuition might say that experience is important – but the evidence (and our experience as recruiters) doesn’t support the idea that candidates with more experience make for better employees.

Why not ‘experience’?

OK, so we haven’t conducted any formal studies – but anecdotal evidence over 22 years and thousands of positions filled suggests that the reason is that many employers measure ‘experience’ using the wrong metrics.  They sift CV’s based on how long an applicant was in a similar role or how many jobs someone has had. Often sifting out those with less or no direct experience.

The problem is that basic metrics like these say nothing about the quality or the significance of any experience gained, things that have more bearing on future performance.  Applicants with ‘experience’ can often impress with the use of industry jargon and what seem like industry related insight that gives the impression that that they will hit the ground running.  But it’s often not the case. Whilst past behaviour is a great predictor of future behaviour – basic metrics based on experience do not measure behaviours.  The applicant might have failed or stagnated in previous role – the key interview skill is to delve into what a candidate has learned from previous experience and how they actually performed.

Employers should also be considering what sort of organisational culture experience was gained in.  Bringing behaviours from an organisation that doesn’t operate in the same way you do can have a seriously negative effect of team dynamics and business performance.

Sadly, when individuals have been screened out because they lack traditional work experience, we lose the opportunity meet candidates who might impress with their answers and we miss the chance to explore behaviours that might be exactly those we want right for the role

What factors should we focus on?

Employers often assume that candidates with experience have gained appropriate knowledge and skills.  They can also think that certain types of previous roles – for instance sales – attract people with particular and much desired personality traits.  Our advice is to focus on knowledge, skills and traits during interview rather than relying on previous experience or even education.

We can understand why so many organisations ask for experience. Experience seems easy to assess. Have they worked in project management for at least five years? Have they managed people before? Have they got sale experience?  The answer is a binary yes or a no.  Past performance and existing knowledge and skills are more difficult to figure out, especially if all you have is an application form or a CV.

The reality is that at this time of high employment and when the best candidates have choices; companies simply can’t afford to select out candidates who would do really well but don’t have the experience that someone decided to put in the job description.  We live in a time when organisations need to expand the pool of people being considered.

If you would like to know more about how the First Base team can help you find the right people for your organisations please call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk.