After 20 years within the recruitment industry – taking hundreds of briefs from clients for various jobs – I have never, ever (and I mean EVER!!!) taken a brief from a client for the following:

“Naomi, I need….

• A lazy person with a very bad attitude.
• Someone who doesn’t want to come to work or be part of a team.
• A candidate who turns up late and leaves early every day would be great.
• Someone who constantly makes the same mistake, over and over. Even if we have given them lots of training on that task.
• Someone who is disengaged, doesn’t want to be here, and shows us regularly with their body language that they hate coming to work every day.
• A liar and someone who fakes illnesses – calling in sick on a Monday morning when we have limited ability to cover their workload for the day would be ideal. Friday’s are another good day, especially when we know they went out for staff drinks the night before so it’s obvious they have a hangover.
• Terrible communication skills, no ability to spell or follow English grammar is a prerequisite.
• A candidate who can’t form relationships and we don’t want them to be nice to others, actually the ruder the better.
• Someone who thinks they are better than others is another prerequisite. It’s actually a deal breaker. We have to have that in every person in our office.

…You get the idea!”

Ok, so if after 20 years I have NEVER taken this brief (and to add to that, I have only ever taken briefs for the EXACT opposite)….WHY do I still have employers/clients call me on a semi-regular basis saying they have employees behaving this way????

Your employer is driving a business. They need happy, positive, friendly, engaged people in their business every….single….day. No matter how tough it gets, you are there to do a job and do it well. You are getting paid to do your job.

They need the exact opposite of the traits listed above….all the time.

So before you book in to see the recruiter to cry tears over the fact that your employer ‘isn’t giving YOU want YOU want’, ask yourself “are YOU giving them what THEY want???”

Naomi Marshall – Director
P: (02) 9271 0011
M: 0422 139 910
E: naomi@sprintpeople.com.au

It’s no secret that interviewing for a new role can be nerve wracking! This can mean that even the most basic behavioural based questions can throw you for six if you’re not prepared.

The biggest tip I can give is to know your work history inside out! Mentally prepare by thinking about various scenarios that you have experienced within the workplace. For example;

• Closing a sale
• Dealing with a difficult customer/client
• Going over and above to please a customer/client
• Meeting a deadline
• Managing a project

Take the time to think about how you would explain each scenario succinctly, without missing crucial information. Practice explaining the scenarios out loud in front of a mirror and you may find that they are initially not as easy out loud as you thought. Without practice you could end up making one of the following key mistakes;

• Missing crucial information, or explaining the situation out of order and being forced to backtrack (which could result in the interviewer being confused)
• Stumbling over the explanation of the situation because you can’t remember the details
• Generalising e.g. “we did that all the time” or “I did that every day”
• Being stuck on the spot trying to bring the best examples to the forefront of your mind

Remember, if an interviewer is asking you to give them an example, they are looking for a specific example! They want to know what YOU did within the scenario and YOUR part in making it a success!

The mind thinks in pictures not words, therefore, you really need to paint a picture for the interviewer. Certain tasks and responsibilities may seem basic, or implied in your eyes, but you need to spell it out for the interviewer.

So…. to answer behavioural questions like a ninja in heels I suggest the S.T.A.R method;

SITUATION – Outline the scenario (what you/your team) was hoping to achieve.

TASKS – How did you decide on what tasks would rectify the situation (e.g. brainstorming session)?

ACTIONS – How did you roll it out? What actions did YOU specifically take?

RESULTS – What was the result? Was it positive/negative? What was your part in it? Would you have done anything differently if you had your time over?

It may sound logical, but I can’t tell you how many times clients come back to us rejecting candidates that are very capable, simply because those candidates failed to give detailed examples!

Prepare well and answer with S.T.A.R and you’ll be nailing those behavioural based questions in no time!

We’re all really busy. More so than ever. Everything is at our fingertips providing instant results. It’s the age of technology and it’s amazing.

However, there are some things that haven’t caught up to this go-go-go revelation. And probably should. Common courtesy and politeness are two things that come to mind.  It is only too often these general manners have been lost or forgotten in our fast paced ever-ready indulgence.

The one thing that I find completely disheartening is the lack of response in returning phone calls, both as a prospective candidate and on the job. I’m sure this fits into the common courtesy category.

As an experienced Executive Assistant currently looking for new opportunities, I’ve had to swiftly adapt to the changing market and methods to a get a look in. The job market moves very quickly, blink and you’ve missed an opening.

Occasionally the standard thank you email comes through. Occasionally the phone rings for a great chat about a position, which may lead to interview. Sadly a large proportion simply don’t respond. I’ve experienced positive conversations ending with “you’ll receive a phone call by the end of the week either way”, yet that phone call doesn’t come. I’ve experienced being the final candidate with referees lined up to never hear about the role again. But these types of behaviour happen in the every day workplace too. I’ve experienced people not responding to me on the job simply because I am the EA and not the boss.

A good EA is integral because they are organised, savvy and well connected. We know as much about the goings on as our boss. We’re the movers and shakers behind the Executive, the glue that binds the pages of the book, if you like. We can be influential and we usually have good memories.

Take a moment out of your busy schedule. Call if you said you would. A short email is quite acceptable, even the standard response is ok, at least then we know exactly where we stand. Either way, have the common courtesy to respond. It is always appreciated.

Written by Sharon Herzog