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Created: 24 August 2014

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PRIME Recruitment Blog

CV's short but INFORMATIVE

I have recently had the great pleasure of looking through CVs but also noticed we need try more. In short they are often too irrelevant, contain too little of the RIGHT information and also issues NEW, need go in there.

We also need think more of 'Who is the Reader' and to individualise ALL applications - sure you may have a standard for emergencies - but each job is a project of its own! Each person receiving is a human - technical people tend to want it short and no emotion (facts & figures). Sales managers may want more of your results - Take the chance to express this! Also in the cover letter! Boast nicely:)!

What I noticed is that some have 6-9 pages and are still just around 40. I suggest you cut down or have a Plan B -CV so you can send more, but try keeping it around 2-3-4 pages for this age group, and if to make an appendix of early jobs when/if someone asks. Thus 'OUT them' from the current day CV!

On LinkedIn here too many start with the present job and no history - I wouldn't trust to link up with such a person - ever!

Each job should have the company name, place and time you worked and broken down into months at least.

HOLES need be explained. One such is Maternity. Nothing to be ashamed of - and women, I suggest you headline these and the time so people see! Maternity is a job and it developes you and your other half - maybe you should put a line in HOW? I would!

Military service to the nation - why not mention how it developed you? Time, what when.

Add how many in your work places, sections & department so, sales revenues or turn-over - BUILD the image of your greatness. DATES at the end - no one wishes to read when in the beginning, they want the WHAT position, where and how in dot form.

Same owner / employer? - Tell so, make one general headline, have sub-headlines and show they employer keeping you on. THAT must mean something. TELL YOUR STORY!

Skip references! -Write may be made available upon request. Don't wear them out. Make sure they are not corrupt! Your GOOD name is everything and good only once...

Put in hobbies that develop you and deliver better work performance or open up the interest of the interviewer - that may give you fast-tracking to the next step...:))

Last - write it yourself - we take notice at interviews. A ghost writer is not you.

All this put together and possibly with a nice selling photo helps us sort and you to WIN!

-Do we have any takers out there? -Suggestions of what You do? HELP us!

Henrik Mjoman, Recruiter Former unemployed. Looked for 320 jobs and spoke on national, Swedish television to share with others. www.prime.lv

If I could without internet and smart phones, You can even better!!!

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Created: 09 August 2014

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PRIME Recruitment Blog

Reference Checks - a winner Plan 'B' ? You may SAVE MORE than just the DAY!

This happened in my early days in recruitment in the Baltics when a friend of mine educated both here, there and the US, had to run a reference check without the guy knowing. My friend Martins Nigals, was a real whiz! -You see, having just completed his MBA he had a few insights. Namely, instead of calling round to the usual people he turned it into a small market study of 'The White Goods Market in Latvia'.

In a matter of days he had in the local language (and they can well hear he is not from there), called to various distributors where the candidate worked, and had interspersed some of these as places our candidate would have known, they would have met and thus could pass a second opinion of him! They did! And HOW! You see among these were also some of the initial references, but instead of being asked the usual - they were swept into this questionnaire about goods and ser-vices, opinions of known and unknowns (my friend added a few of those too:) and no one suspected anything. We asked bar owners, restaurant managers, a night club owner, people in the warehouses and the retail outlets and when he first posed the silly questions and then dropped a name or two - they were off guard and were very spontane!

The man, a very capable sales person, still is, the only qualified then speaking English in that role which was crucial to our success as I had visited the store just two years earlier, picked up his businesscard thinking it will come handy one day. Eventually our man got the job, and I later recruited him further and who knows, maybe he'll even become three times...LUCKY? Anyway, that's what I call a ''win-win'' !:)))

-What's your best story?

P.s. I am still interested in refridgerators...!

LIKE, SHARE & Comment is the name of the game!!:))

PRIME Recruitment operates the Latvian and Baltic market since 1997, trailing back to 1994 and 1995 when the owner-to-be, Henrik Mjoman, first came to Latvia on a scholarship in aid of the young nation that had just regained its independence. Today we recruit for all sectors by matching carefully the client's needs with that of the candidate resulting in that people stay as they feel welcome and needed. PRIME Recruitment is also the representative of the THOMAS International (DISC to some) and therein can provide you with services that audit your staff and identify their best features for the your workplace's development. And more... www.prime.lv

P.s. Un es ari parvaldu Latviesu valodu - bet perfekts, ne, nebus!

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Created: 18 August 2014

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PRIME Recruitment Blog

Horoscopes & Recruitment - S E R I O U S?!

Recruiting Flesh & Blood is not Voodoo....

Now and then when I interview, the candidate suddenly interrupts him-/herself and says: '' well you know what, it's because I am a Virgo'....and I am so amazed each time, I don't know what to say. Thus this evening I made a Round Robin calling another fellow recruiter, a politician, a fellow Swede, another fellow Swede who knows Latvia and Eastern Europe well and yet another two people. From all walks of life, aged 43-60, I asked their opinion.

-What came out was that my ex-Boss, a Recruiter had never come across it ever in his entire career - whereas we over here in the 'Near-East' had heard it both at every interview... Had it been in Sweden - I would probably have discarded that candidate..

We agreed that it was hardly the ideal answer to say but each have their opinion, we need respect it and perhaps follow up with a question or two 'How so', or 'Explain further' and then weigh those answers together with other responses to understand the validity.

Many years ago I was asked to give in an offer for a recruitment job to an international company here to look for a replacement for the manager who had to depart early. The person briefing me suddenly made a remark under what sign he was born ...and my mouth fell open and I must have looked dumb.....and to be frank, I tried to collect my self but have always been a bad liar... (I don't at all) and I can't have concealed it well, because we never go the job...:))...

-This leaves me to go to you, the Readership, -what's your take when people make such remarks and confess to believing? How do you handle it and Do you think it has any implications?

Living mid sixties in the Far East we had the Chinese Lunar years. Writing then 1966, it was the year of the Fire Horse which was the worst that could happen to a family. Many Chinese women as a result had abortions when they realized they would have children that year.

-Well, I have met both good and bad 1966'ers and it is really not their fault...but the story went that we should avoid anyone born that Year.... -What's Your point of View? -I mean many of us believe in God, so where do we draw the line? Or the Chinese LUNAR years? And I believe in people, despite all! -And why shouldn't I?

LIKE, share or COMMENT?!
-Up to you - but please add your exciting story!:)

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Created: 09 August 2014

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PRIME Recruitment Blog

Employees -Ambassadors for YOU..?! But of course!

Just like when having a long-standing relationship it is having a motivated employee.

It starts already on the interview when you first meet them, and certainly in how they were invited. Having an appropriate induction plan cements the early part of the relationship, then it need be followed up and continued in new directions such as projects taken on involving more people employing a whole system that simply keeps that initial 'spark'.

My focus here is how to take care of people leaving - which is often a costly affair to small companies with poor resources - evenso we need dry our tears and move on! Once a person has decided to leave you shouldn't start to 'bribe' them to come back...but you need analyse the why and work to mend this - and fast. It may not be a quick fix, it may mean the overhaul of many things but it need be handled and the issues sought out.

An exit interview is certainly one way of picking out the information - and this may differ if done immediately upon leaving or six months laters - in fact you need do both. But leaving that is how this person is treated as they leave -certainly the circumstances decide and it may be best the person leaves- but otherwise like my lady manager left when my time was up - she asked me, and asked knowing I was moving overseas, if I needed anything - for me these were rather costly at time, books for studying Latvian. The sum was mentioned and she 'Henrik, get the receipts, give them to me, I will imburse you! And she did. I still have them, I was the only one who had - and I never forget. This was one of my BEST experiences!

My last day in the office all staff had made an effort - 46 of the credit handlers in this state body for student's loans, CSN, had let the hat walk round! -They bought me a tie, a tie pin, a nice card and I think a small bottle of Champaign:). I was asked up on the stage, they wished me well! We kept contacts and I visited them for years. Even those whom I had not been close to, even the opposite, l were friendly and I sent them cards telling of my new life. Thus the staff & management had the good grace of taking care of their legacy - for future!

This example is only one - BUT it helps you recruit new people, I always spoke well of them, the fact that all came out from their rooms to say their goodbyes now 20 years ago speaks miles! In today's world where you can read on web sites about grumpy employers...this can well be like a bush-fire sweeping over your organisation. Having to handle that sort of battle damage when recruiting for you, unless I have been informed, literally stops all recruitment in its tracks! The same on the 'intake' of new stars - allow them to be different and maybe outgrow you. Handle that and allow them to leave positively! I take mine out to dinner, or gave a subscription of a magazine and membership my 'STAR' loved.

Of course severance pay, and unpaid bonuses should be in this package too - who knows you may this way find a good customer standing on your porch or a business opportunity or them coming back buying your services. -So HANDLE with CARE - Your life may just hang on it!

..And I have never forgotten my good Bosses at Statoil, the Navy, CSN, ERICSSON, NORDBanken...

-Any feedback? -How would you do it? Maybe how we can improve things all of us?