Nov 20, 2018 | IT
So many times candidates fail to put their addresses or postal codes on their CV. For some it’s concerns about security and keeping their personal information safe. But for the majority of people, they simply don’t think it’s important.
Here’s how important it is. Without an address or even a postal code, we as recruiters, have no idea what area you live in and which positions you’d qualify for in terms of the commute. And as a result your CV doesn’t make it to the shortlist to get presented to clients.
The reality is that most people aren’t willing to commute more than 45 minutes each way. In fact, the majority of companies prefer for their employees to live within a 20 minute commute of work.
What’s the big deal with commuting?
It used to be that people would move jobs for more money, flexible work hours or better benefits. Today most people change jobs because of commutable distance.
Long daily commutes contribute to employee fatigue, especially if it’s more than 45 minutes each way. Who’d want to spend 1.5 to 2 hours daily sitting in traffic or on a train? It’s like cancelling two hours of your life every day, when instead you could be spending time with your family, socialising with friends, doing a sport or leisure activity or even just getting an extra half hours sleep.
Employees that have a shorter commute tend to be more focused and productive at work than those travelling more than 45 minutes daily. And as a result many companies have a radius area from which they’ll employ.
Without an address you’re in no-man’s land
For a recruiter, initially vetting a potential candidate takes at least an hour and one of the first things we look for on a CV is an address. Our database uses postal codes to organise candidates by area, so without an address or even a postal code, your CV gets placed into no-man’s land.
No recruiter wants to spend an hour or more vetting a candidate and shortlisting them for a client, only to discover that they live the other side of London, and most likely won’t take up the position because it’ll involve a long commute.
On the other side of the coin, including your address could move your CV to the top of the shortlist – provided of course you qualify for the position with having the right skills and experience.
But what about keeping personal information secure?
Since the introduction of GDPR, recruitment companies are required by law to keep personal information secure. However, if giving the street name and number is still a concern, be assured, you don’t need to. Including just the area and postal code is enough for recruiters to know where you’ll be commuting from.
Think about it for a minute. There really shouldn’t be a concern for candidates to divulge their full address to recruiters. Recruiters aren’t going to sell your address or send you junk mail. They aren’t going to track you down after an interview and come knocking on your door asking why you haven’t gotten back to them. There are far more efficient ways of doing this – like telephone or email.
The bottom line is that omitting your address from your CV is causing you to lose out on job opportunities. Instead of going to the top of the shortlist pile, you’re going to no-man’s land, just because your CV doesn’t contain a postal code. It seems silly really, but it underlines the importance of getting the details right. A postal code is all it takes to make the difference.
Are you looking for your dream job? Then we’d like to help you. Please email us your CV to langleyjames@langleyjames.com
Nov 20, 2018 | IT
I’ve never really understood it. When I walk into McDonald’s and ask for a burger, the first thing they do is ask me if I want cheese with it. No, then I would have asked for a cheeseburger! But you know what, when I’m not being grumpy, it works. Because statistics show that at least 70% of the time people will say yes. It’s one of fast-food franchises’ most effective upsell strategies.
The point is, just because you haven’t thought of it, doesn’t mean you don’t want it. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to make a suggestion, to make you aware of a need (or in the case of a burger – a want) that you didn’t even know you had.
In recruitment sometimes what you think you want isn’t always the same as what your business needs. Often when a key person leaves the instinct is to replace them with a carbon copy. But maybe there is someone better out there. Someone who can offer something different, someone who has experience in a different industry that can be transferred to make your business more competitive.
But how will you know this unless someone suggests it? This is where a recruitment partner comes in. They have an outside perspective and years of industry experience. At Langley James, we like to work with our clients as their recruitment partner so that we can help them grow their business effectively. Working together we get to know your business as well as you do so that we can help you discern your recruiting needs. So even if you don’t want cheese on your burger today, at least you have it as an option to consider.
If you have questions about recruiting for your IT team call us today Tel: 0207 788 6600. Or even better let’s meet up and discuss it over a burger or two. Let’s see if your business needs some cheese.
Nov 12, 2018 | IT
You may recall that we were recently talking about burgers. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about envisioning the taste of food that always comes to mind when I start to talk about recruitment.
Taste is something so personal, what one person loves, another will hate. Take brussel sprouts for example. I can’t think of a single reason why anyone would consider them a food, never mind appetizing but there are people who love them. Apparently, I don’t personally know any – but I believe they exist.
Recruitment is the same, it’s personal! Well at least it should be, because it’s about people – not employee numbers and job descriptions – but living breathing people that add real value to a business.
And that’s why it’s about taste, or fit, finding the right people that can not only do the job, but also fit the culture of the company. People that will join and grow with the business, yes even if for some strange reason they happen to like brussel sprouts!
So what is the taste of your business? What type of people do you want working for you? And how can you find them?
Let us help you answer those questions, because that’s what we do best at Langley James Recruitment.
Nov 5, 2018 | IT
Avoid ‘Zombie’ Employees: Use Contractors
Confidence is up but where are my team?
Move at lightning speed to secure the permanent candidates you want. Quality candidates are getting harder to find as demand overtakes supply.
The wrong choice of candidate can manifest as the stuff of nightmares… the ‘zombie’ employee. Completely disengaged with you and your business and with the motivation and company loyalty of a slug, ‘zombie’ employees can cost you money, time and reputation, not to mention raising your stress to the level of a volcano about to erupt.
Massive Losses
40% of companies in the UK estimate that a mis-hire has cost them over £16,000 while a quarter estimate the figure at over £30,000. Even losses of over £100,000 are being reported.
But quality hires are being snapped up as fast as they appear. What can you do to avoid a potentially professionally fatal ‘zombie’ attack?
Zombie Insurance
You have two choices when it comes to ‘zombie slaying ’. You can act fast and snatch the talent from above the waiting arms of your competitors… or you can find peace of mind by utilising some of the most flexible and talented of IT professionals: Contractors.
Benefits of utilising a Contractor
– Many may accept a permanent role
– Available on a short or long-term basis – from a few days to 2 or 3 months
– Motivated and inspired by new challenges
– Experience working in many different environments
– Fresh ideas and industry knowledge into your team
– Short-term, low risk commitment
– Utilising a Contractor is a great idea while you make decisions on the future of a role
We can help
Here at Langley James, we know how to find the most vibrant and talented IT professionals available, from Web Developers to IT Managers and everyone in-between. Many of these candidates are available for short term contract work.
Whatever your requirements, permanent or contract, and up to the highest level of seniority, we can match you with the ideal candidate.
To discuss your IT recruitment needs please call us on 0207 099 4839 or email us at langleyjames@langleyjames.com.
We’d love you to join in the conversation. Tweet us @ITRecruitment or follow us on Facebook.
How can an IT recruitment agency help your business to excel?
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