It pays to be choosy when job hunting
WHEN employers are fighting over you, how do you choose between them?
John Nurthen of Staffing Industry Analysts, which compiles data for the Association of Professional Staffing Companies, says: ‘Staffing firms report finding it increasingly difficult to find good candidates. With demand remaining consistent, current employers are responding more with counter-offers to retain departing staff.’
Classics graduate Kamahl Hoque, 27, who has worked in several marketing agencies, says: ‘My LinkedIn inbox was flooded with recruiter alerts, so I researched them and created a shortlist of who to meet. I was looking for great work with people I would enjoy working with, an agency with energy and a spirit of collaboration.’
He ruled out anywhere without an open and collaborative culture. ‘As an account manager, the ability to communicate with your own team as well as clients is vital,’ he says.
Now an account director at marketing group Engine, he advises candidates to find out as much as they can about the company.
He says: ‘A job is more than its job description. Imagine working there. Get a sense of what the employer stands for, its output and where it wants to go.’
Check out sites such as glassdoor. co. uk, which includes reviews from past and present employees, and sites such as LinkedIn to find employees to talk to. Better still, use networking to talk face-to-face.
A report from Engine Group’s employee research business ORC, which used data from a global survey to list factors that make a winning workplace, shows the best are organisations where staff know they are valued and the job is worth something, and where employers invest in them.
They help people grow, innovate and get involved, are fair and supportive and communicate well.