With more and more commercial and government organisations moving toward utilising video technology in recruitment, here’s our 9 top tips for success in the virtual world.

Tip 1: Set the scene

When we step into an interview in a recruiter’s office or the hiring company, the hirer controls the environment.  This is not the case with an online interview.

The interview room is now operating in two spaces, theirs and yours.  You’ll be responsible for ensuring that yours is professional, clean and well presented.

Tip 2: Personal presentation

For a face-to-face interviews, you would ensure appropriate dress, polished shoes, good personal grooming and this is no different in a virtual setting.  Wearing interview appropriate clothing to an online video is essential as it set’s the ‘tone’ , demonstrates your commitment and interest in the role and helps establish your professional presence.

We’ve all heard the stories of the person who throws on his favourite pink business shirt over his pyjama pants for team meetings via Zoom, but there’s always a risk that you will need to stand and be caught out.  If you’re appropriately dressed and you have to move from your seat, the interviewers will see that you’re the whole package.

Tip 3: Align the camera

I like to set my camera at a distance from me.  I’m a big hand talker (tie mine behind my back and I’ll struggle to say three words!) and waving hands too close to the camera is just a skin-coloured blur – very distracting.  A good balance is to show the top third of your body – head and shoulders.

Make sure the camera is aligned to your eye height – this will reduce the likelihood of you looking as though you’re looking down.  No-one wants to see the top of your head or up your nostrils.

Offset your camera.  A nice touch is to offset the camera so that it is not pointing directly at you, this slight shift can create a warmer, inclusive mood to the viewer.

Tip 4: Check the background

What’s behind you?  Is it a blank wall?  This is OK, but could be improved by some artwork, a lamp or a plant.  Something to soften the view and frame your face – just make sure the plant doesn’t make you look like it’s growing out of your head!

If using a bookshelf, ensure that the titles of the books are appropriate and adding to your professional persona.

If you don’t have a wall or space that is appropriate, consider utilising the virtual backgrounds available in Zoom (if that’s the tech you’re using).  You can get creative around these if it will reflect well on you (e.g. using the employer’s brand or a motif that aligns with the organisations work, in the background).

Tip 5: Check the lighting

Face some natural light, as this will show you to your best effect, ensure that your interviewers can see you and read your expressions.

If you wear glasses, check for the reflection from any other objects, the screen, the view outside, etc.

Tip 6: Check your tech

Test your video camera, microphone and headphones well in advance of the interview.  Ensure that they are all connected to the technology and in good working order and at the right noise levels.

Tip 7: Manage the surrounding space

Ensure that you are operating in a private space where you will not be interrupted and can communicate freely with your interviewer.

If you are connecting from the home environment, ensure all pets are outside, phones are placed on do not disturb and others in your house are aware of your engagement.  I suggest to my clients that they send their housemates out for a coffee!

Tip 8: Props

Props can be a useful tool.  Consider if you will need to explain a key concept, whether a whiteboard might be a useful backdrop.  Alternatively, you may wish to pre-write some key points on the whiteboard to refer to during the interview.

Sticky notes can be your friend.  Try a smiley face above the camera, to remind you to look directly into the camera when speaking.

Key words and dot-points, and interview panellists names can also be added along the edge of your screen – but please don’t overuse these as it will be obvious to those on the other end if you’re reading notes!

Tip 9: Be prepared and be flexible in an imperfect world

With all the very best intentions and planning, technology can play a hand in the success or otherwise of your online interview.  It will be important to ensure that you have a back-up plan.  For instance, if connecting via wifi, have a hotspot available via your phone in case there is a connection problem at your end.  Provide your phone number as backup in case the connection is lost and you need to move to a phone call.  Remember, technology plays a role at both ends, and despite your best efforts, the problems may occur at the interviewer’s end.  Be prepared, be flexible and keep breathing!

Career management is the conscious planning of activities and engagements in the jobs a person undertakes during their life for personal/professional fulfilment, growth and financial stability.

With the changing demands of new generations of workers and the need for organisations to be more agile and responsive in a world where there’s ever more volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), forward thinking organisations are taking the lead and offering outsourced career development support services to their staff.

Through a career management program, employees can:

·       Identify their strengths and interests and review their current performance.

·       Identify gaps in their knowledge and experience to target specific jobs of interest.

·       Create a clear career path and plan steps to achieve it.

·       Identify pathways within their organisation that align with their career goals.

The benefits to organisations in bringing in external career development practitioners are many and varied.

Research indicates that more than 50% of organisations globally have trouble retaining their most valued employee groups.

Several factors impact on employee retention:

• Employee Engagement – engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave their organisation

• Employee Morale –  studies by Dailypay demonstrate that employees who do not align with their organisation’s culture are nearly 15% more likely to think about a new job.

• Financial Reward – Financial reward, while not the only factor in retention, is still of importance to your workforce.  35% of employees indicated in research conducted by Glassdoor that they would look for alternative employment if they did not receive a pay increase within the next year.

• Defined Career Paths – Research by Randstad indicates that 43% of employees point to limited career paths as their top reason for leaving a job.

Employee retention is important because staff departures cause a disruption that effects bottom line profits.  Replacing an employee can cost your organisation 150% of that individual’s annual salary.  High staff turnover can severely impact your organisation’s bottom line.

If you have an organisation of 1000 workers with  a turnover rate of 20% and an average salary of $50,000, the cost to your bottom line of turnover in a year is $10M!  Conversely, a 5% increase in employee retention will provide a savings of $500,000.

Poor employee retention will impact on remaining employee effectiveness, knowledge retention and succession planning.

A proactive approach to retention is a high yield approach to saving costs, retaining knowledge, increasing effectiveness and maintaining succession pipelines.

Four key activities will ensure your organisation’s success:

• Build a conscious company culture within your organisation.

• Hire the right people.  Ensure new hires are a good fit with your culture first and have the technical skills to perform the role.

• Implement career development programs to support your employees in growing their careers.

• Be transparent about the culture, activities and decisions within your organisation.  Management transparency builds trust and contributes to 30% better employee retention.

Udemy research indicates that 42% of employees list learning and development as the most important benefit received from employment.

In conducting in-house career development, employees can see that their knowledge and skills are valued within your organisation.  Gallup research indicates that 93% of employees indicated that they would stay within their current organisation if they provided professional growth opportunities.  This does not necessarily mean promotion and linear progress but can simply be development and an opportunity to identify their own career path.

The benefits of offering a career development program can include:

1. Increased employee engagement

2. Internal development of a leadership talent pipeline

3. Development of individual career paths – ensuring that your employees are able to communicate their strengths and interests in identifying how they can best add value within your organisation- often in ways that you may have not yet identified.

4. Increased positive culture, where top talent remains and your organisation becomes an employer of choice to attract further talent.

At Strategic Career Management, we provide workshops and assistance to develop and promote conscious company cultures within organisations.  We also provide both face-to-face and online career development programs to support your workforce.

The secret to a great job search

A Labour Market Information Portal report released today provided interesting data on where the demand for staff remains high despite of, or because of, Covid-19.  It highlighted key employment areas, employability skills in demand and how recruiters are finding hires.

The Jobs in Demand Employer Survey confirmed that health care, social assistance, transport, postal/courier services, warehousing and manufacturing industries are recruiting.  Perhaps surprisingly retail sales also made the list.  Aligned with those industries, the occupations most in demand were, truck drivers, nurses, aged/disability carers, packers, pharmacy and retail assistants.

The report identified the following key employability skills as being most in demand:

Reliability

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Work Ethic

• People Skills

• Organisational Skills

And this is where it gets interesting.  The report showed that while 65% of the employers surveyed are advertising roles on online job boards like Seek, 50% are using word of mouth to source new talent, either as a stand-alone or in addition to other methods.   Why?  In uncertain times, employers are keen to have talent come with recommendations as there is a perception that this decreases the risk of a bad hire.  Think about it – would you recommend someone to your employer if you didn’t think that they would build your own reputation in a positive way?

So how do you take advantage of this information in your job search?  Know and work your networks!

A lot of people are reluctant to use their networks in their job search as they believe it involves going cap in hand and asking people for jobs.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  You are recruiting them onto your ‘helping team’.  This approach will generally bring out the best in your helpers – as most people are flattered to be asked to provide assistance in making connections and passing along leads.  They don’t have to feel cautious about having to give you a job, so they’ll keep the lines of communication open.

The more people in your network, the more chance you enjoy to learn of opportunities and have a shot at these roles.   Research indicates that in the job search it is the weak network connections (second and third level) that produce the best results.

You may have seen the Covid-19 infection models – well, networks work the same way.  For every 5 people that you know, if they each know 5 more, you’ve an effective second-level network of 25 people and 125 at the third level!  Who amongst them might have information on a role that would be a good fit for you and your skills?

So how should you go about using your networks?

Step 1

Firstly consider everyone you know.  These may be work colleagues through your previous work (both local and overseas), your partner’s colleagues, friends, people from your place of worship, LinkedIn connections, someone you met at the gym or a sports club/association.  The list is almost limitless.  It might also be the presenter or co-attendees at that recent online learning webinar you attended.

Consider the following:

Q.       Who might they know that they could connect you with?

Q.       Where do they work?

Q. Is this a company that does work that interests you?

Q. Might they have connections into another organisation that interests you?

Q.       What do you want these people to do?

Step 2

Be clear in what you are hoping to achieve when you contact people and how they can help you.  Are they connectors? Advice givers?  Sounding boards? Supporters? Facilitators? Sponsors? Potential employers?

Step 3

Make your approach with your purpose in mind.  Know your transferable skills and be prepared to guide them in what you’re hoping they will add to your job search.

Step 4

Keep in touch with your ‘helping team’ – keep them informed of your progress and make sure to thank them for their help and let them know when you’re successful in your search.

Step 5

Continue to maintain and build your networks beyond your job search to position yourself and have the opportunity to return the favour down the line.

Next steps

The long and short of it is that if you don’t have or don’t action a networking strategy in your job search, you’re likely missing some of the biggest chances to learn of and secure a new opportunity.  So go on, get uncomfortable and have a go.

Need more assistance in developing your job search strategy? We know that everyone’s story is different and requires a unique approach.  If you need help in identifying your next role and pitching yourself to employers, contact us to see how we can help you find the job that’s your best fit.

We hope this blog post finds you well and coping with this ever-changing environment.

We’ve been watching as recent events develop and unsettle our careers, how we do business, interact socially and conduct ourselves in the wider world and we urge you to look after your health and wellness.

While there are many challenges, we can use this opportunity to engage in self-reflection, prepare for beyond the crisis and further strengthen family bonds.

We’re offering a discount of 19% on access to our Ignite! Career Management online program. Ignite! provides a wealth of resources to advance self-awareness, identify career preferences, build career (employability) skills and develop a career plan.

These resources include interview simulators, resume and pitch builders along with materials on strengthening resilience and dealing with change alongside many other career related topics that are beneficial for navigating our careers in the current environment.

You can watch a video about Ignite! here https://lnkd.in/gPqG-Nu

If you are (or know of anyone who is) currently in mandated self-isolation or experiencing significant workplace disruptions and is unable to afford access to the program, please message me and we’ll arrange 14 days’ free access to the program.

#careerdevelopment #careermanagement #develop #bewell

I cannot enumerate the times that a new client has found our website via a random search on Google and told me they thought “this is just what I’m after!” right alongside “I didn’t know this existed”.  It’s time to spread the word people.  “Is it normal for people my age (30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s) to do this?”  Yes, it is!

 Career Counselling is for Grown-ups!

In this 4th industrial revolution, we can expect long, multi-staged and multiple careers throughout our lifetimes.  The roles we choose as teenagers leaving high school are rarely the ones we will be pursuing in middle-age or beyond and not everyone dreams of retiring at 65 with only golf and cruises to fill our days toward 100.

Just as life is a series of events, problems, solution-seeking and resolution finding, so are our careers.

In the same way we may approach a doctor for a medical issue, a relationship counsellor for relationship struggles  or a plumber to fix a burst pipe, Career Counsellors are the people to work with when there is career problem that feels too big to manage alone.

Career Counsellors provide services that help people make occupational and study decisions, find career information, plan and manage their careers and plan career transitions. They assist individuals and organisations to prepare for their futures by making informed decisions about career and workforce development.

In this new series of blogs, we will be breaking down what we do and how we approach our work with clients, so that the mysterious world of career counselling can stand in the sunlight.

This first blog will be focusing on Career Counselling for adults.  What is it and why do I need it?

Career counselling is a very specific field that focuses entirely on wellbeing at work.  Career Counsellors are highly educated and trained professionals with a passion for their field and a deep knowledge of the world of work alongside the economic, political and social changes at play in their society.

Career counsellors are deep, active listeners who take a person-centred approach to their work.  What does this mean?  We focus on you, the client, your needs, your specific situation, your strengths, your challenges and your interests.  With you at the centre of the conversation, we help you understand and unpack the issues that are central to your personal decision-making and the choices open to you within the familial, cultural, social and economic framework of where you live.

In placing you at the centre of the puzzle, we help you understand yourself, communicate your aspirations and build a plan for your career that is personal, focused and achievable.

As an adult, it is a rare thing to sit in front of another adult who is impartial, objective and unbiased about your choices, your experiences and your opportunities, yet who is informed, fair-minded and qualified to provide cohesive, constructive and practical support and encouragement to assist you in building a plan and actioning it to ensure you fully embrace your own significant strengths toward a career that allows you to contribute in a meaningful way to your community.

Often-times, with the support and backing of a qualified Career Development Practitioner (Career Coach), individuals finally identify their career direction with the confidence to articulate their “motivating why” for making change, alongside an understanding of the challenges they may face and a plan for how to overcome those challenges and make change.

Good career coaches utilise a range of tools in doing this work, some might be assessments of career interests, strengths and personality profiles, resources for understanding different career options and learning opportunities and the global and local job market.  The resources utilised will be dependent upon the needs of each individual and no two sessions will look identical and no two outcomes will be the same.

Professional career coaches  subscribe to a professional code of practice and meet the ethical standards of the CDAA and CICA.  They will be able to provide a list of testimonials from satisfied clients who have had a positive experience and have gone on to make courageous career decisions that have ultimately led to real career satisfaction.

At Strategic Career Management, we pride ourselves on being the leading career coaches in Perth and we invite you to take a look at our website and get in touch today to discuss how we can help you unravel your career conundrum.