Articles

An astonishing 70% of new hires leave in the first year. I came across this figure years ago and checked it again today; sadly, it's still the same.  40% of new employees leave in their first 90 days!  However, only 12% of Vinehouse new hires leave during their first year.  What accounts for this difference? …

A lot has changed in hiring since the pandemic. Let's break down some of the key changes that have impacted the hiring process.  “The Great Resignation.” Record numbers of people have taken themselves out of the workforce after the pandemic. This is because they liked being at home more than working, even with all the…

Every now and then, we get a client who wants us to find someone for a role that is particularly hard to fill.  In the current climate – a candidate’s market – there are more of these. As employers, we’ve been used to filling most jobs and getting plenty of applicants. I think we’ve gotten…

Right at the end of last year, I was called by a client from over 20 years ago. By coincidence, he was also married to one of the best people I have ever worked with, Ros. He reminded me that it had been ten years since she had passed away. Ros was our bookkeeper for…

This question is a tricky one.  Years ago, I was a Production Manager in an electronic factory and needed an assistant. As I sifted through the applications, I spotted one I recognised. It was from the father of an old school friend. He was massively over-qualified. His last salary was well over twice what we…

Usually, the flow of candidates slows down considerably in December, as you will know if you’ve ever tried to hire anyone around this time of year. Not this year. We have seen such large numbers of candidates for some of the roles we are working on at the moment that we had to pause the…

If you’ve tried hiring anyone recently, you may have noticed that it’s more difficult than usual.   There are all kinds of reasons for this. First, there are fewer people looking for jobs (quite a lot of people decided they really didn’t want to carry on working after being in lockdown). Second, there are more jobs…

With Nancy Slessenger and Marketer Perry Marshall In this webinar hiring expert Nancy Slessenger discusses how to avoid the biggest hiring mistakes: - - Not being clear on what you really need - Writing an ad that shuts down your campaign - Using resumes- Not using application forms - Asking really bad questions This webinar…

A vital recruitment tool that you need to be using is a task-based assessment that is not only a barrier to poor candidates, but is a great way of highlighting a really good candidate. But it’s not that simple. Before you even get to that stage there are a number of steps that you must…

My very first job as a school governor (equivalent to a school board member) was to recruit a new deputy head. It was quite clear who the best candidate was and I can say, without doubt, that we recruited the wrong candidate. I arrived at the meeting and was given a piece of paper with…

18 Examples of What Not to Write Have you ever had a comment like one of these made about you on your employee review? “An invaluable member of the team.”“Exceeds expectations.”“Happy and cheerful while interacting with colleagues and managers.”“A great listener.”“Thinks about the happiness of colleagues.”“A real team player.”“Seeks opportunities to improve learning.”“Passionate about working…

Values tell you how people are likely to behave When I am working with clients on objectives, it often helps to clarify the difference between Values, Behaviours and Objectives: Objectives are what you need to achieveBehaviours are how you do itValues are why you do it that way Know what their values are When we are recruiting or dealing with new…

How to make the most of your appraisal or performance review Your System Check how the appraisal system or performance review works in your organisation. Often these things will have been updated with new forms and new ways of doing things since you last used them. Pay particular attention to What the paperwork involves –…

A Grapevine reader sent in a question asking what the difference is between objectives, goals (or aims) and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is. This is a common question, so here is an answer for you, in case have been wondering. OBJECTIVES Objectives are what you need to achieve. KPIS KPIs are like your car speedometer…

Nine reasons why you should never use resumes or CVs to sort your candidates This is the method most people use to identify the candidates they are going to invite in for a final interview. If you've ever found it difficult, you may be surprised to learn that it’s not only you – it’s because…