Recruitment Blog From Blue Octopus

Welcome to The Blogtopus - the official blog of flat fee recruitment specialists Blue Octopus and general all-round recruitment blog. With regular posts from recruitment experts on all aspects of recruitment, employment and job hunting we hope to share our insights into this fast moving and exciting industry. Whether you’re looking to hire new staff, embark along a new career path or merely interested in the world of recruitment we hope you find what you’re looking for! If you have any feedback or suggestions of topics for us to cover on this recruitment blog then please get in touch.

Finding a Job in a Competitive Market

November 22nd, 2011 by Steph
"Blogtopus Scribe"

Unemployment is unbelievably high in the UK as fewer job positions are emerging. According to Fresh Business Thinking, UK employers are reluctant to hire new employees which, combined with public sector cuts, could spell an increase in unemployment figures. This is bad news for those who are currently job seeking as competitiveness for positions could increase further.

If you’re currently unemployed and looking for a new position, getting hired could prove more difficult than ever. It’s not just about impressing the interviewer, the number of applicants for each position makes it harder than ever for you to be top of the pile. In order to seek employment you must source job vacancies which aren’t as competitive as others and be one step ahead of the job market.

Knowing Where to Look

Although jumping on the most popular job boards and recruitment websites seems realistic, there are hundreds of vacancies for the most popular companies and brands, it may not be the best use of your time. Not only does it take an eternity to browse through the abundance of vacancies and find one that’s relevant, the employer will undoubtedly be inundated with applicants. To ensure you make the best use of your time spent job hunting, visit a variety of online recruitment websites like Blue Octopus. You’re more likely to find some hidden gems with small businesses – plus there’ll be fewer applicants, meaning you’ll have a higher chance of success.

Keeping it Personal

Performing some offline job seeking to supplement your online job hunt can help to assist you in your quest for employment. The beauty of visiting businesses and handing them your CV is that this is very much a dying trend. With job advertisements moving online, fewer people are walking around with a stack of CVs and greeting business owners with a friendly face. This means you’re more likely to be remembered for your enthusiasm and proactivity.

Visiting employers in person may not be suitable for large companies whose recruitment process is solely based online, small businesses often still use traditional recruitment methods due to budget restrictions. You could stumble upon a really promising opportunity by using “door-to-door” methods of selling yourself. Make sure you always have sufficient copies of your CV to hand, that it’s formatted appropriately and contains all the necessary information.

The Early Bird…

“The early bird catches the worm” is a very accurate description of job seeking. If employers receive a high number of applicants, they often close the vacancy early as they can’t cope with any more submissions. This is why being one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to sourcing job vacancies gives you a considerable advantage.

Some recruitment websites offer live job feeds – as soon as a vacancy is listed on the site it’s sent out to Twitter and Facebook for its followers and fans to see. If you subscribe to the job feed you can apply for jobs as soon as they’re listed, giving you a firm head start. Blue Octopus job feeds can be found here for Facebook and here for Twitter, subscribe to them to be one step ahead of everyone else!

With a high number of people being unemployed and desperately seeking work, it can be hard to compete against the large numbers of applicants within your field of work. Sourcing job vacancies which are harder to find means that less people will have heard of them, therefore you’ll have less competition. Just make sure you have a strong CV to send out too, it’s important to create the perfect first impression.

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We’re Now On Google+…Are You?

November 21st, 2011 by Jamie Rock
"Blue Octopus PR"


- Click the red button to engage with us!

Blue Octopus Win ‘Best Recruiter’ and ‘Best Candidate Communication’ in High Volume Category of 2011 RecruitRank Awards

November 17th, 2011 by Jamie Rock
"Blue Octopus PR"

Following on from nomination in four out of five applicable categories in this year’s Jobsite Recruit Rank Awards; Leeds based online recruitment experts Blue Octopus – http://www.blueoctopus.co.uk have scooped the highly coveted accolades of “Best Recruiter” and “Best Candidate Communication” in the High Volume Jobsite User category.

Now in their sixth year, the Recruit Rank Awards are amongst the most prestigious commendations in the recruitment calendar as they are awarded in accordance with the feedback of actual candidates who have used the recruiter’s services over the course of the year.

In 2010 Blue Octopus took home the award for “Most Improved” in the Low Volume Jobsite User category and Blue Octopus Director Chris Coleman notes that given the relatively short history of the company this escalation in stature is as worthy of recognition as the awards received:

Looking back to when we first started, it’s truly amazing the journey we’ve had here at Blue Octopus. To be nominated in our first year and to win was fantastic but to win two this year and be within the High Volume category really is an unbelievable achievement for our business. To be crowned Best Recruiter – High Volume is phenomenal, especially when 12 months ago we were celebrating the Most Improved Award – Low Volume so this just puts it into perspective how much we’ve really grown within an extremely competitive industry and how it’s so important to listen to candidates demands for exceptional customer service.

We are extremely proud of our team and know that they work very hard to provide the best customer service to all candidates and they fully deserve to win such prestigious awards from Jobsite.  We’d like to thank our candidates first of all for nominating Blue Octopus and promise to build on these high standards to make sure we continue to improve our service for many years to come!

The 2011 awards were presented at a lavish event held on November 15th at stylish London venue Grace and represented both a milestone and an opportunity for Blue Octopus to reflect on a year which has seen rapid growth and consistent development within the industry.

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HMP Jobs

November 14th, 2011 by Steph
"Blogtopus Scribe"

If you’re looking for work within the public sector, working in one of Her Majesty’s Prisons can be an incredibly rewarding experience. There’s a vast array of HMP jobs, ranging from helping to rehabilitate offenders to performing the essential administrative duties that help prisons to operate effectively. HMP jobs aren’t just about rehabilitating offenders, they’re also about reinforcing security and increasing public safety, by monitoring inmates who could pose a threat to the general public.

Here at Blue Octopus we work with The Manchester College to provide education and tutoring for offenders to help with their rehabilitation and reduce the chance of them reoffending. If you’re looking for a rewarding job with an attractive salary then look no further than HMP jobs.

Administration

Administrative duties are a necessity to ensure that a prison is run smoothly and efficiently. Administrators within the education department of a prison are expected to provide an effective administration service and be responsible for some office management.

Organisation and IT skills are usually an essential skill along with some level of experience within an administrative role. Some positions require GCSE’s in mathematics/English depending on the responsibilities of the role.

Thorough background checks are often run on potential administrators and CRB checks may need to be carried out if the position you’ve applied for involves dealing with young offenders who are under the age of 18.

Tutoring

Tutoring within a prison can be one of the most rewarding HMP jobs. Tutoring and training opportunities help to rehabilitate offenders and prepare them for a new life outside of prison. Many sessions cover the teaching of hands-on trades such as; catering, mechanics, carpentry and painting and decorating. Providing tutoring sessions for inmates can help to better their prospects of finding employment when released from prison which in turn, can reduce the likelihood of them returning to prison.

Previous teaching experience is always a preference and often, a specific qualification related to teaching will be required depending on the role. The ability to empathise with offenders is an unwritten personal quality requirement as each offender will need different levels of attention and care in order for the subject training to be successful. Tutoring within a prison can be an extremely rewarding role as you’re safeguarding society whilst giving offenders another chance to make the right choices in life.

There are many positions within the public sector, and HMP jobs are ideal for anyone who rises well to challenges. Many prison workers say that no two days are the same – with both testing and rewarding experiences.

If you’re interested in safeguarding society whilst rehabilitating offenders you can begin your job search here, at Blue Octopus. Head on over to our job search page to find education HMP vacancies in your area. You can also follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to receive a real-time feed of the latest jobs – so you can be the first to apply when a vacancy appears.

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Press Release: Blue Octopus Nominated for 4 Prestigious Awards

October 26th, 2011 by Jamie Rock
"Blue Octopus PR"

For the second year running Otley based flat fee recruitment experts Blue Octopus have been named finalists in categories across the board in the RecruitRank Awards. The awards established by Jobsite six years ago, serve to recognise the recruitment organisations that have received the best candidate feedback over the course of the year.

Having scooped the prestigious “Most Improved Recruiter” award in the Low Volume Jobsite User class last year, the company are now in contention for 4 out of the 5 awards in the High Volume Jobsite User class. This step up from low to high volume user classification demonstrates just how much Blue Octopus have grown over the past year and Director Chris Coleman is over the moon with the organisation’s nominations:

It’s been an incredible first couple of years that we’ve had here at Blue Octopus and to be finalists for the 2nd year running is a great reward for the team’s hard work and effort. Our goal has always been to be a leading recruitment service provider, not only for clients but also candidates too – and being named finalists again shows that our candidates value the service we provide. Let’s hope we can come away with another Winner’s trophy like we did in our first year.

All finalists in the RecruitRank Awards have earned their position as a result of feedback provided by candidates who have used their service over the course of the year, and the fact that the awards reward those who have demonstrated value to the end user as opposed to relying on a panel of judges has resulted in the RecruitRank Awards developing a unique prestige in the industry. Keith Potts, CEO of Jobsite acknowledges the long hard journey to success in the awards in his congratulatory statement to Blue Octopus following their victory last year:

“With several thousand recruitment consultancies eligible for inclusion in the RecruitRank Awards every year, Blue Octopus stand-out as an example of providing exceptional customer service. There is a lot we can learn from the RecruitRank Award winners, who epitomise best practice in the area of customer service. Jobsite congratulates Blue Octopus on their accolade.”

In this year’s awards Blue Octopus have been named finalists in the following categories:

-          Best Candidate Communication: High volume Jobsite user

-          Best Understanding of Candidate Needs: High volume Jobsite user

-          Best Industry Knowledge: High volume Jobsite user

-          Best Recruiter: High volume Jobsite user

The winners of the 2011 RecruitRank Awards will be announced on 15th November.

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Selling Yourself as a Valuable Employee

October 11th, 2011 by Steph
"Blogtopus Scribe"

The job market has become overrun with applicants due to the effects of the recession and the possibility of a “double-dip”. It’s currently more important than ever to sell yourself as a valuable employee who can bring skills, expertise and personality to the role you’ve applied for.

It’s not just first-time job seekers and recent school leavers that have difficulty selling themselves to potential employers. Recent surveys by InterExec have revealed that even senior executives have problems selling themselves on paper. But you don’t just need to sell yourself on CV, where you have time to plan and tailor your writing, you also have to demonstrate and discuss your employability at interview – where the questions come thick and fast will little time to consider your answers.

As humans, we find it difficult to talk to others about ourselves in a purely positive manner, this is most likely due to the fear of being perceived arrogant or self-involved. So when we’re asked to sell ourselves at an interview we’re immediately removed from our comfort zone whilst we seek the perfect balance between informing the interviewer of our positive aspects and blowing our own trumpets’.

If you’re uncomfortable talking about yourself yet want to ensure your potential employer hears about your qualities here are a few tips on how to sell yourself.

False claims never make you look good

Alarm bells ring in employers’ minds at statements such as “I am/was the best at…” followed by a nearly impossible claim. Remember Stuart Baggs from the Apprentice series 6? He made outrageous statements about himself being the best at practically everything to Sir Alan Sugar and ended up in hot water when he couldn’t back them up. Not only does this arrogant attitude irritate employers (it’s highly unlikely that you were “the best salesman in the country”) but it also makes your potential employer’s expectations of you immediately incredibly high. If you say you’re the best salesman in the country they expect to see results that reflect that and when they don’t prevail you could end up with a letter of dismissal in your hand.

Employers believe previous employers more than you

Always have documentation to support your qualifications, achievements and skills. Documentation of this sense isn’t limited to academic certificates, if you previously worked in customer service role and have a reference from a previous employer which evaluates your skills at the time and areas for improvement, it shows your potential employer that you’re legitimate with no further research. Always keep references however old they may be, this immediately shows your employer your career history from previous employers’ perspectives, adding authenticity to your claims.

Accept that you can improve

Share your thoughts on where you can improve. A true self-critic will evaluate both sides of their skill sets – highlighting areas for improvement. Employers know that no one is perfect and will often respect those who are willing to accept criticism. You could always use your weaknesses to your advantage during interview, by saying “I really want to work for this organisation as I know you can help me develop my skills in areas where I need to improve”. Not only does this show you’re evaluating yourself realistically, it also compliments the employer as you have chosen them to help you improve on your career.

When talking about yourself at interview, you don’t have to brag and boast, telling your interviewer your areas of interest and aspects of the job role that you’d like to gain experience in shows genuine interest and honesty.

Advances in Recruitment and Staff Performance Techniques

September 22nd, 2011 by Jamie Rock
"Blue Octopus PR"

Most companies are looking to find the highest calibre of candidate to join their team, and therefore are constantly looking for new methods to help them source the best person for the job. It’s generally believed that the most anticipated stage of your job application process is ‘the interview.’ You’ve spent hours rehearsing answers to tons of possible questions, researched the companies background and gotten your head around any useful information you have at your disposal. What more could you possibly prepare for?

The interviewers are going to be looking at your experience and suitability to each particular role, but what else are they looking for? There are companies out there who provide expert online psychometric assessments for use in recruitment and training, and interview skills courses that teach new techniques and provide various types of ability tests to the people conducting these interviews.

So let’s talk about advancements in interview techniques, and why the man behind the desk is conducting just as much preparation for your interview as you are.

Psychometric Testing

Psychometric testing is a popular method of assessing a potential employee’s suitability to a role, whether it is through ability or personality based assessments. The idea behind this is that there are no biases or objective selections when it comes to the successful candidate as all applicants will go through the same selection process. It all sounds a bit daunting, but think about it like this; after all your preparation and research, would you expect the job to go to you, or the managers nephew? Psychometric assessments cut out personal feelings and give a more accurate representation of the applicant’s knowledge of and suitability to the job role.

Behavioural and Personality Assessments

Personality assessments are designed to showcase your abilities in areas such as teamwork, dealing with stressful problems, relationships with others and general people skills. Generally candidates must have a base set of skills and prior knowledge when going into a job role, but particular positions require a certain kind of personality. For example, the door host in a restaurant may have great organisational skills and be fantastic at managing their time efficiently, but without the ability to be calm and assertive when dealing with aggressive complaints then they will crumble within their first week of employment.

Cognitive Ability Tests

These assessments are more to determine a candidate’s general aptitude. They can measure numerical, verbal and reasoning abilities which in turn can reflect a candidate’s ability to attain, store and apply information. It helps to highlight those applicants who are likely to develop well within a company and blossom into a valuable employee. In this assessment the questions are likely to become progressively more difficult to give a comprehensive overall view of the candidate’s cognitive ability.

As you can see there are constant developments and advancements within methods to improving our performance in the workplace, whether it’s assessing your suitability to the role beforehand, analysing your personality traits or developing your skills and approach once you are part of the workforce.

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Fixed Fee Recruitment

September 6th, 2011 by Jamie Rock
"Blue Octopus PR"

fixed fee recruitment

Low-cost recruitment has encountered heightened levels of interest in recent years – not least due to the role of the internet in facilitating job advertising on modest budgets. At the forefront of this digital movement towards affordable means of finding new employees is fixed fee recruitment.

Fixed fee recruitment is built upon the simple principle that employing new staff members need not be a costly endeavour – and nor should oblique pricing be tolerated for the service. Fixed fee recruitment is simply the provision of a recruitment initiative for a pre-established fee – regardless of the salary offered to successful candidates or how many individuals are employed off the back of the campaign.

At Blue Octopus we are firm believers in fixed fee recruitment and as such offer it to all potential clients. We establish the cost of the service to the client before contracts are drawn up, take payment before we start and don’t charge another penny to the client at any point – no going over recruitment budgets, no placement fees: just efficient, professional recruitment with no nasty surprises.

What makes the Blue Octopus Fixed Fee Recruitment service truly unique is the Engage Recruitment Platform – our own bespoke technology which puts the power and know-how of our expert team at the fingertips of our clients. Get in touch with us if you’d like to find out more and give Engage a test-run to see how it can help to streamline and improve your recruitment and Human Resources.

Frequently Asked Interview Questions

August 9th, 2011 by Steph
"Blogtopus Scribe"

Top 10 Frequently Asked Interview Questions

Undoubtedly, the most nerve-racking part of anyone’s job seeking process is the interview stage. With so many different interviewing techniques being implemented by employers it’s impossible to provide set advice on what will get you hired. Being prepared for your interview however, will give you a significant advantage.

It’s inevitable you’ll be asked questions at your interview and knowing the most frequently asked interview questions can help you to prepare. It’s also worth asking yourself the questions before writing a cover letter as it can help structure and focus your pitch.

1. What makes you more employable/stand out over the other candidates?

This is definitely worth considering when writing a cover letter, play to your strengths and mention any experience which is relevant to the position. Try to think of 5 key attributes that would make you a valuable team member.

2. How does this position appeal to you and how does it fit into your career path?

Due to the high volumes of candidates applying for each role employers are seeking passionate, dedicated employees to keep staff turnover levels to a minimum. This is the where you can mention your ultimate career goals that are obviously within the position’s niche.

3. If you could describe yourself in only five words what would they be?

Consider 3 skills that relate to your working style and two which describe you as a person. No one is a robot and employers like to know what kind of personality they’d be introducing to the workplace.

4. What were your reasons for leaving previous employment(s)?

This is often asked on application forms and you will be asked to elaborate at the interview. Avoid slandering your previous boss or blaming them, you’ll come across as a troublesome employee.

5. What are your salary expectations for this role?

This question confuses many people, do you go high or do you undervalue yourself? The only solution is to think realistic. Put the amount you’d be happy working for, if you say an amount you consider to be low you’ll only feel degraded if offered the position anyway.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

There’s no doubt you’d expect to see this one among the most frequently asked interview questions. Avoid saying anything which leads the interviewer to believe you don’t intend to stay loyal to their company.

7. When have you had to deal with a great deal of pressure and how did you handle the situation?

This may seem like a challenging question but it actually gives you the perfect opportunity to boast your organisational and problem solving skills. Have an answer to this question before attending any customer-based role interview.

8. What can you tell me about current news and affairs within our industry?

It’s worth researching industry related news a few days prior to your interview so you can fluently discuss industry news and demonstrate your understanding of the business. It also expresses interest and gives you an advantage – the other candidates may not have performed their research.

9. How do you take to criticism?

The obvious choice here is to avoid anything negative regarding criticism. Try to think of an anecdote of when you’ve utilised criticism to improve a skill or quality.

10. Do you have any questions?

This is the most likely to occur of all the frequently asked interview questions. This is your chance to shine by asking industry-specific questions. Think of current trending technologies and ask how they-re utilising them within the business. Avoid questions like “how long will I get for my dinner?” it shouts lack of commitment and immense immaturity.

When preparing for your interview, consider researching what kind of business the company is to get a better idea of the type of questions that will be fired at you. The old cliché of “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” sums up job interviews nicely.

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Top 5 Tips on What Not To Include on CVs

July 14th, 2011 by Steph
"Blogtopus Scribe"

Writing an effective CV can be a challenging concept. There are numerous arguments around what content to include in a CV and what appropriate formatting involves. Many people make the same mistakes on their CVs’. Instead of mass emailing it to numerous employers it’s best to research what information’s  inappropriate to include on your CV to save you and your potential employer’s time.

Here are some CV writing aspects you should know before committing a common blunder.

Know your English

Spelling and grammatical errors are easily avoidable, yet they are one of the most common mistakes on a CV. Not only does it look unprofessional, but misspelling your own name isn’t the best way of showing off your literary talent.

Know your audience

Due to the growth in online recruitment, a large proportion of job applications are now submitted via the internet. Although emails are generally treated with more informality than a letter, colloquialism should be left to social emails. Beginning your email with “yo dude” and abbreviating “and” to “n” is extremely unprofessional and your application probably won’t be taken seriously. Treat your emails as though they are merely a more convenient alternative letters; never compromise formality, spelling or grammar when applying for a position via email.

Know your limits

Nobody likes a person who enjoys the sound of their own voice, so if the length of your CV is starting to resemble that of J.R.R Tolkien’s famous trilogy then some severe editing is in order. Prioritise what information’s important on your CV. Describing what primary school you attended and listing your after school activities are details your employer could hire you without knowing. List your most relevant work experiences if you have worked in many different jobs to remain concise and leave out anything which would be more suitable appearing in an autobiography.

Know your job descriptions

Elaborate on all your work experience positions in layman’s terms. Rather than just saying “I worked as a waitress”, describe your duties as many waiting jobs involve different duties depending on the establishment. When writing your previous employment descriptions, imagine the employer has minimal knowledge of your previous position and its duties. For example, if you have worked in an IT based role you have to assume that your potential employer has never heard of the software you’re claiming to have used. Write a brief description of the software to provide a better understanding for your reader.

Know your ability

On CVs, exaggerations are a dangerous as lies. If you’re used to telling white lies then pay particular attention to exactly what skills you’re offering. Claiming to have cooked in a restaurant that caters for 60 people when you’ve only prepared salads for a small tearoom may look better on CV but you’re destined to fail if offered the position. If a company hires you and you can’t meet the targets you’re claiming to have already achieved then it’s only a ticking time bomb until your bitter dismissal.

A CV is essentially used as a human sales pitch. Sell yourself wisely, speaking of positive achievements you have made in your life but avoid false claims. You CV should be detailed but not longwinded, quality information is of higher value than using word fillers to achieve a greater word count.

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