The better you know yourself, the more likely you are to choose a satisfying successful job.

How do you discover yourself?

One suggestion is to write things down. Have your own journal in which you can jot your musings, thoughts, and feelings down. And you can add results to any of the self-exploratory exercises or psychometric tests that you may take.

Some simple helpful steps:

1. Think carefully about your achievements at school, college or work and identify where you have done well. What particular subject have you excelled and enjoyed, and at work what tasks and aspects go well? What does this tell you about your interests and abilities?
2. Write down three headings – Abilities, Interests and Values and under each heading write down your thoughts regarding how you use your leisure time. So whether it is a hobby, social, political or religious activity, note the theme and points that reoccur when you are enjoying yourself.
3. Complete self-assessment tests or inventories that measure your abilities, interests, values and personality. Do these results reflect a true picture of how you feel and what you are good at?
4. Invest in some professional career counselling.
5. Identify your skills. Work through different exercises and talk through activities with a career counsellor or friend/family member to discover which transferable and employability skills you have; and which ones are your strongest and the ones you really want to use.
6. Write a personal mission statement including what you want to be, what you want to accomplish and what principles you want to guide you. Reread it regularly and add to it the skills, strengths and motivators.

Self-understanding happens over time. Sometimes it is a light bulb moment, but more often it happens over a period of time and with serious reflection it can be an invaluable investment in time and self-awareness.

There’s also the process to finalise. These are a few things to consider:

• Have you got an in-house design that you need to stick to? What will the content of the advert be?
• How will applicants respond? By application form, fax, telephone, in person at the organisation or agency, by letter, by email on the internet, by tape or braille?
• Who is to be responsible for sifting the applications? What is the selection process going to be?
• If interviews are to be held, when will they be and will everyone who needs to be involved be available?
• Are selection tests to be used? Is there the expertise to administer them and ensure they are non-discriminatory and appropriate?
• Are references/medicals to be requested?
• Are arrangements in hand to give prompt acknowledgement of applications received?

Now, the advertisement itself.  These need to be designed to catch and attract the right applicants.  If you are submitting to newspapers or professional journals, you can ask for guidance.

Remember to target the right audience, so tailor the advert appropriately. The advert should be clear and easily understood and must be non-discriminatory, avoiding any gender or culturally specific language.  It is a good idea to include your company’s statement of commitment to equal opportunities saying you welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Top tips:

• if your company is well-known, does it have a logo that could feature prominently in the advertisement? Make the advertisement consistent with the company image
• should the job title be the most prominent feature?
• keep the text short and simple while giving the main aspects of the job, pay, career prospects, location, contract length
• can specific details – such as pay, qualifications and experience required – be given in a way which will reduce the number of unsuitable applications?
• is it possible to avoid generalisations such as ‘attractive salary’, or ‘appropriate qualifications’ which may discourage valid applications?
• can you provide job details on tape or in braille and accept applications in a similar format?
• is the form of reply and the closing date for applications clear? Is there a contact name and phone number for further information and enquiries?

All advertisements should carry the same information, whether for internal or external use.

• Career, Aptitude & Selection Tests, J Barrett, Kogan Page
• How to Pass Graduate Recruitment Tests, M Byron, Kogan Page
• How to Pass Selection Tests, M Byron, S Modha, Kogan Page
• How to Succeed in Psychometric Tests, D Cohen, Sheldon Press
• How to Pass Civic Service Qualifying Tests, M Byron, Kogan Page
• How to Pass Verbal Reasoning Tests, H Tolley & S Thomas, Kogan Page
• How to Pass Computer Selection Tests, S Modha, Kogan Page
• How to Master Personality Questionnaires, M Parkinson, Kogan Page
• Test Your Own Aptitude, J Barratt, G Williams, Kogan Page
• How to Win at Aptitude Tests, P Pelshenke, Thorsons
• Interviews Made Easy, M Parkinson, Kogan Page

Lynn Tulip Chartered MCIPD, PgDip Guidance & Assessment
HR & Career Management Consultant
http://assessment4potential.tel/

Responsibility for dealing with absence in a fair and consistent manner sits not only with HR but with managers. So with ownership of absence issues dispersed across all levels of management, the question is: what can be done to ensure staff are treated in a fair and consistent way?

Employees stranded abroad on business:

* Where employees have been abroad on business (as opposed to holiday) they may have the facilities to work remotely (i.e. laptop, Blackberry etc). It would be reasonable for an employer to expect that such employees will be able to undertake work notwithstanding the fact they cannot make it into the office.

* If an employee is overseas on business and cannot work remotely then they are clearly not on holiday and a continued absence should not be treated as such. It would be unreasonable for an employer to stop wages or request that an employee takes holidays due to an extended business trip when they have sent them to a particular destination to work, unless the employee agrees to this. Employers who have staff abroad on business are still responsible for the welfare of their employees, and should be actively assisting them with travel options for returning to the country.

* In a very small minority of cases an employee who is on holiday may be able to work remotely or from a foreign office of an employer. However this may be unrealistic for many families on holiday due to childcare issues.

* If working remotely isn’t feasible, an employer will need to consider how to treat the days of inevitable absence: holiday, paid absence or unpaid absence.

Employees stranded abroad on annual leave:

* Obviously an employer could look to have its employees take the days off as part of their annual leave entitlement. There are technical issues if an employer insists that this is the case, but if the alternative is unpaid leave then employees may well simply accept the requirement to take it as holiday.

* Alternatively an employer could continue to pay the employees but make it clear that they will be expected to make up the time at a later date.

* Finally, if the employee has reached the limit of their leave entitlement, or if the employer doesn’t want to insist that they use their holiday entitlement, the employer could decide that the days off will be treated as unpaid leave. Whilst there is always the risk that employees could pursue unlawful deductions from wages claims in respect of the salary they are not paid for the days they have off, the risk is low, particularly where employers have asked employees to use up their remaining leave. Depending on the small print an employee may be able to claim for financial losses through their travel insurance.

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• Don’t include criteria that can’t be objectively assessed, such as a good sense of humour

• Don’t overstate the requirements of the job. This may result in suitable candidates being put off or in appointing an over-qualified candidate who then becomes frustrated in the job and moves on. Giving candidates an accurate impression of what is required of them can improve staff retention

-~-

• DO make clear the relative importance of requirements that are essential and desirable and be able to justify them

• DO make clear the importance of any biographical information you request such as educational attainment and validity of certificates (ie those from abroad)

• DO have the person specification checked by someone else, preferably someone responsible for equal opportunities, to remove any personal preferences

• DO review the person specification(s) over time for potential revisions

• DO be explicit about what is required and why

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Have you ever employed someone who really didn’t get on with the rest of the team? Or someone whose integrity wasn’t what you thought it was? Or someone who needed hands-on management to deliver when you thought they could work on their own initiative?

If you have, you are not alone. These mistakes however, can be very costly and may even damage not only your reputation but your team as well. Perhaps next time you might like to think about using some formal testing and psychometric assessment during the recruitment and selection process.

When used by competent and appropriately qualified individuals, the best thing about properly developed psychometric tests and questionnaires is that they lead to better judgements and are therefore more likely to be more valid than decisions made by other means.

In broad terms, psychometric tests are a relatively economic, quick and simple way of understanding an individual’s unique behaviours, style, and approach to work life as well as identifying their core motivations, strengths and other traits. All essential qualities that are required in today’s competitive job markets.

I like to use different tests for different purposes – I do not believe that there is one test that is suitable for all. Tests can be done before or at the time of the interview, but should not be used as the sole method of candidate selection. Keep in mind that such tests could also be unlawful if they discriminate against candidates of a particular race, sex or age or who have a disability. Suitable tests should therefore only be used if they are well designed and relevant to the job.

For example alongside personality questionnaires and analysis, you will want to check out the potential of the candidate joining your company. Now, if you’ve already got a robust job description and person specification, you’ll know and understand what level of skills and attributes you will be looking for. So, for an administrative post you might be looking at completing an on-line 15FQ+ questionnaire with reasoning tests; for a senior manager the WAVE Professional together with the Professional Aptitude tests.

These tests are relatively quick for the candidates to complete. One of the shortest is only 10 minutes long. Costs will vary of course depending on the amount of candidates, tests and level of services you need.

Interpretation of the results however is fundamental. Upon completion, reports are generated and sent to the qualified administrator who will give feedback not only to the candidate but also to you as the potential employer. Interpreted with skill the results can help you:

• Drill beneath the surface to find out what someone is really like.

• Decide which qualities will be most important in the new person joining your team.

• Check compatibility and prevent potential issues from becoming major problems by sharing the applicant’s profile with their manager. (In this way the investment from psychometrics can roll forward from recruitment into development and management.)

• Help individuals to understand themselves and others better. (If compared with the job role, gaps can be defined and discussed. You can then use the profile to plot progress towards a training goal.)

• Acquire the language of “people-understanding”

One of my favourite psychometric tools is the Four Groups 4G questionnaire which I’ve used successfully in not only recruitment but also for team building and talent management. The completed and complex reports give an overall picture of compatibility, work styles and communication amongst team members and their leaders. It’s been invaluable in resolving issues and building relationships.

A company’s success depends upon its people.

Psychometrics can help build that success by getting the right people in the right roles, by helping them to understand themselves and others, and by enabling the company to build a better, clearer vision, drawing on the strengths of all its people. Used by employers for successful recruitment & selection and management & team development, the long-term cost benefits are considerable: including reduced costs of recruitment, lower staff turnover, less under-performance and minimal mis-deployment of staff resulting in increased profits, better staff retention and raised morale.

With over 18 years of experience using a wide range of psychometric tools, I’d love to be able to give you more information on assessments, recruitment & selection, management & team development and to help you avoid costly personnel mistakes; so please contact me.

Lynn Tulip Chartered MCIPD, PgDip Guidance & Assessment

HR & Career Management Consultant

http://assessment4potential.tel/

• people who listen
• people who answer questions with examples
• people who come prepared
• people who appear confident

Also remember during discussions (and in your letters) employers look again at people who can:

• Cut costs
• Get it done more quickly
• Avoid potential problems
• Improve appearance
• Organise it
• Increase sales/profits/turnover
• Use old things in a new way
• Provide more information
• Cut down time
• Reduce the risks
• Meet deadlines easily
• Cut staff costs
• Develop staff performance
• Turn round a bad situation
• Introduce new systems
• Improve teamwork and relationships

1) Ensure a robust job description/person specification is in place; you can’t recruit without this basic document.

2) Develop a job advert and best place to advertise – on the net, local paper, specialist journal – the role and the target market decides this

3) Develop a structured interview process – decide who is on panel, what will you say about the company and job, questions, ability test (or even an assessment day if it’s a senior manager or graduate position)

4) Short-list using a grid to avoid discrimination, invite chosen candidates to interview

5) Chose the best candidate on the day and provide a structured induction.

It’s 2010 – a sigh of relief that we’ve got here.

2009 has been a challenging year for many of us, and despite the recession, lawmakers continue to update and later legislation which affects businesses employing people.

Why not try our quiz and check you’re fully up-to-date?

Questions

In memoriam

1.  What statutory rules affecting employment rights died in April 2009?

Births

2.  What new arrival joined the employment law world in April, the latest in a long and distinguished line?

3.  What new rules affecting those working with children and vulnerable adults came into force on 12^th October – but without their central database?

Honours

4.  Which bearded businessman was elevated to the House of Lords this year – and hired as enterprise car?

Paying the price

5.  Who hired an illegal housekeeper – and paid the penalty?

Moving on up

6.  What amount did a week’s pay for redundancy purposes increase to in October?

7.  What can employers in the restaurant and other service sectors no longer use towards paying the National Minimum Wage?

8.  What, since April, is 28 days or 5.6 weeks?

9.  Who, apart from parents of children under 5, disabled children under 18, and carers of people over 18, can since 6^th April request flexible working arrangements?

Nearly gone

10.  Can employers still lawfully require staff to retire at age 65?

Answers

1.  The Statutory Dispute Resolution procedures were abolished from 6^th April.

For more information, see NatWest’s news story: New rules on discipline and grievance handling now in force (April 2009)

2.  The new ACAS Code of Practice on discipline and grievance handling in the workplace came into force from 6^th April.

3.  The Vetting and Barring Scheme came into force on 12^th October.

4.  Lord (formerly Sir Alan) Sugar was hired by the Government as an “enterprise champion” and was given a seat in the House of Lords in June.  Read more: You’re Hired – Alan Sugar to advise government on business issues (June 2009)

5.  Baroness Scotland – the Attorney General – fell foul of the Home Office’s Civil Penalty Scheme for failing to check the immigration status of a person she hired as a housekeeper.  For more information: Attorney General fined for hiring illegal worker (Oct 2009)

6.  Statutory Redundancy Pay increased to £380 per week in October.  Check details: Redundancy Payments to increase (May 2009)

7.  Since 1^st October, employers can no longer use tips received by staff towards paying them the National Minimum Wage.  Read more: Tips will no longer count towards the National Minimum Wage (May 2009)

8.  Statutory minimum annual holiday entitlement increased to 28 days or 5.6 weeks from April 2009.  More info:  Annual Holiday Entitlement

9.  From April, parents of all children aged under 17 have the right to request flexible working arrangements from their employer.  Further info: The right to request flexible working

10.  Following a recent ruling in the Supreme Court, employers can continue to require employees to retire at age 65, provided they follow the correct procedure.  However, the ruling makes clear that changes to this rule may need to be made.  Read on: Retirement at 65 legal – for now (Oct 2009)

How did you score?

8-10 Well done!  You’ve pretty much kept up to date in a difficult year.  But make sure you look up the answers for the questions that floored you.

5-7 Not bad.  It’s understandable if some changes passed you by in this busy year.  But it is worth doing some homework on getting to grips with the changes you’ve missed.

Under 5 You’ve clearly been very busy “minding the shop” – but you have let some important developments in employment law pass you by.  You may be taking risks by not bringing yourself up to date.  Many of the changes this year are new minimum rights for staff, or things that mean you risk a financial penalty if you don’t comply with them.

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