#NEWSFLASH: Award Ceremony Announcement!!

Having won the title of ‘Highly Commended New Business’ last year, we are proud to announce that Essex Business Awards have shortlisted us to represent the following categories this year:

• Small Business of the Year- An award open to small businesses, including sole traders who employ fewer than 11 people.

•  New Company- Companies who have started operating in the last 1-3 years, and who shown significant progress and evidence of success against targets set.

The Success team are honored

to be considered for both awards, and we have our glam dresses at the ready for what we’re sure will be an evening full of celebrations!

We look forward to keeping you all updated on the night’s event.

All you need to do is ASK!

Ask, ask, ask!

It is important to understand that your employer won’t expect you to know everything, so if a situation arises where you are confused or need guidance, ASK!  Asking questions on your first day will help you to familiarise yourself with the company and help you to understand what is required of you. Every company is different, with varying cultures so make sure you're observing and asking the right questions so that you can tailor your methods to suit them.  However, make sure you’re also listening! Asking a lot of questions is understandable when starting a new job but you won’t make a good impression if colleagues have to keep repeating things to you. It’s a great idea to write things down so invest in a good pen and pad!!

As a business owner, I would rather an employee ask than to ever guess, get it wrong and have a detrimental impact to the business. From training various employers in the past the most frustrating thing is when someone says Yes, Yes to everything you tell them and within an hour they are asking the same question – remember everyone’s time is important within a business and to ensure everyone works well having an open door policy for questions is great, at the same time having the initiative to write things down when you are told is even better and trying to remember J

Success Recruit welcome Lian Van-Der-Kwast to the team!

Hi Lian, 

Q) How does your current role differ to your previous roles in recruitment?

My current role as a Relationship Manager is very different to my previous role, as here at Success I get to meet all of our candidates’ who we submit to our clients, it allows me to get a better understanding of what they are looking for in their next career move, plus I can pair them up to other opportunities’ we have. A Relationship Manager keeps in contact with all live candidates on a weekly basis to find out how their own job search has been going, doing this enables us to know who is active in the market and to build relationships.

Q) What attracted you to Success Recruit? 

I was attracted to Success as isn’t like other recruitment agencies, they truly listen to each of their Clients’ and understand exactly what they are searching for in their next employee, they also mirror this when speaking to candidates and understanding their requirements too. Knowing this information allows Success to place a candidate within a job role which is right for both them and the client. In addition, I wanted to be a part of an upcoming business and really wanted to utilise my London experience to help promote Success and to be an integral member of the team.

Q) What has been the most challenging obstacle you have had to face since being at Success Recruit?

My most challenging role I’ve had to face so far at Success is within my first week I had to get a group of 6 temps ready for a placement in Clacton, making sure all paperwork was filled in correctly and sent back to us, at least 2 references on each temp and all ID was scanned in.

Q) What attributes have you been able to bring to your new job role?

Having had 2 ½ years’ of recruitment experience in London I already knew how recruitment worked and what processes I had to go through. I feel this gave me an upper hand as I already knew how to speak to candidates and help them with their job searches. 

Q) What has been your highlight of being a Success Recruit team member so far?

My highlight of being a Success Recruit team member so far is within 9 days of beginning my career I landed my first placement. This was a real achievement for me as I’d not been at Success long and knew the importance of placing the right candidate within the right role for both them and the client.

Q) Tell us one interesting fact about yourself

One interesting fact about myself is that I enjoy exotic foods, the strangest thing I have ever eaten is Sea Urchin with my father. From a young age I was always taught to try things once then make up your mind if you don’t like it. Let’s just say it’s safe to say Sea Urchin is one food item I shall never eat again!

Success Recruit's #nomakeupselfie for Cancer Research!

It is likely that the #nomakeupselfie hashtag has made an appearance on your social network feeds this past week.  In an attempt to heighten awareness for Cancer Research UK, millions of women across the nation have been uploading bare-faced pictures of themselves.  So far, the trending phenomenon has raised an impressive £2million- and donations are still being made!

At Success, we were happy to ditch the foundation and eyeliner for a day, in support of a charity whose endless hard work is to be admired.  

Why not get involved! 

The art of preparation

I’m sure you are familiar with the well-known phrase ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’, a phrase appropriate from as early on as childhood, being told to pack your school bag the night before so that you didn't  forget your reading book.  Well this phrase still remains relevant even up until now, be it preparing for meetings, work appraisals, not to mention the preparation that stands in between you and your dream job.

Preparation before a job interview should entail background research into the company because it gives the impression that your decision to apply for a role at their company was a well thought through decision. It also shows the interviewer that you believe that your qualities and previous experience would complement the company, rather than just mass producing your CV and covering letter and sending them out to a number of different for pot luck.  Find out how long the company has been established for, what their mission statement is, and so forth. Most of this information should be located on the company’s website, have a look!  It may also be worth conducting research around the job profile you are applying for, as well as finding out about current trends and recent news within the job sector.

Prep should also involve you staging mock interviews.  This is where you pre-formulate questions that you anticipate will be asked.  The majority of interviews usually involve you having to discuss your strengths and weaknesses, so be sure to have some examples at the ready.  At the end of the interview, employers tend to give you the chance to ask any questions at, so prepare a response that is related to the job or to the company. 

An interview isn't just about what comes out of your mouth; an employer wants to see that you are a well presented candidate. So give those shoes a good polish, and have your outfit ready the night before. The dress code for an interview is usually dependent on the work environment, but in most cases, formal attire is the preference.  

On the day of the interview, be sure to leave plenty of time for your journey.  You should aim to be at the interview 15 minutes before you’re scheduled time. And make sure all your electronic devices are switched off!

Best of luck! 

Hire the best!

Hiring the wrong person for a job is always such an inconvenient.  Not only is it a waste of time, both for the candidate and the interviewer, but it can be costly too! A strong interview process will make sure that you get the best possible analyses of an interviewee to prevent you from choosing the wrong employee.

Skilled interviewers:

·         Ask questions that are specific- You tend to get those one or two candidates whose nerves results in them doing a lot of waffling.  Or the candidate who is so keen to make a good impression that they start talking about school achievements when asked about their last previous role . Specific questions will eliminate the problem of candidates going off topic, and will help you later on when you compare the answers of each candidate interviewed.

·         Ask questions smartly- There is a big difference between asking the right question and asking the question right.  By asking follow-up questions , you are giving the candidate a chance to expand on their answers, which in turn gives you the opportunity to conjure up a more in-depth view of the candidate.

·         Be human- There is already a clear hierarchy of authority in place in an interview room.  Try not to make this even more obvious, as this will only create distance between you and the interviewee.  If you offer a relaxed, yet professional setting, the candidate will feel more comfortable answering questions honestly and not feel the need to mask facts in an attempt to match your professionalism.

Our HR workshop will be taking place on Tuesday 18^th March 2014 from 8.00am – 10.00am and will be a great opportunity to hear some more useful advice and tips on what questions should be asked during an interview to produce the most effective results so that you can hire confidently! Book your place now!! http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/myevent?eid=10187494069

All eyes on you!

Congratulations! You got the job! But do not for a second think that the spotlight has left you.

Ever watched a real belter during an x factor audition then anxiously await their live performance to see whether they are able to live up to expectations?  Well this is somewhat the position you may find yourself in once offered a job, and now faced with ways to prove to yourself and your employer that you were indeed the right candidate for the job.

Out with the old, in with the new

Whether you had the title of ‘late bird’ at your old place of work, or maybe you were known more for your chitter-chatter, with your new job, you will need to quickly become accustomed to the new work environment. So be prepared to eliminate all of your previous bad work habits so that you are in sync with the new company.  It helps to identify the high achievers that you can learn from and mimic their performance.  

Time to communicate

It is always nice to get to know the people you are working with, so take time out to find out who your team members are.  Work lunch breaks are a great opportunity for you to get to know your colleagues and to find out who does what within the company.  Having a smile on your face (even on a Monday morning) will make you come across as friendly and approachable, and people will quickly welcome you in as part of the team, allowing you to quickly lose your title of newbie.

Newfound success!

Yes, there is a lot to take in when starting a new job, but don’t panic!  Overthinking things will cause you to be stressed and will hinder you from performing the best that you can.  Instead, take each day as it comes, perfecting your new skills.  Relax.  Remember, you were successful in getting the job so you obviously have great potential, so unleash it!

Go the Extra Mile!

It is important to have a can do attitude and be happy to help in your new position anyway that will benefit the business! Always ask for extra work if you have completed what has been asked of you!

Good luck in your new job! Show them you have the X Factor and who knows what the future will hold for you!!