“Tiger really understands what we’re looking for, so I don’t have to explain everything each time. The candidates are always well researched and a good fit. They only send through the right number of CVs, which makes the whole process far easier and gives us confidence in every hire.”

Company Details

Industry: Investment management

Role: Various

Headcount: 60+

Division: Business support & finance

The Challenge

As the business grew, the operations director faced increasing pressure to scale support functions efficiently while maintaining quality and consistency at the senior level. Historically, the company had worked with other recruitment agencies, but as expansion accelerated, the need for reliable, long-term assistant support became more critical.

Speed, candidate quality and confidence in the hiring process were key challenges. With limited internal bandwidth and high expectations from senior stakeholders, there was little room for error. The business needed a recruitment partner that genuinely understood their environment and could deliver strong candidates without lengthy briefing or excessive CVs.

The Solution

The business began working with Tiger in 2021 to support assistant hires. The recruiter invested time in understanding the organisation’s culture, working style and stakeholder expectations. This allowed the team to work with minimal direction, consistently delivering a small number of highly relevant candidates rather than relying on volume.

Through thorough research and careful screening, Tiger ensured candidates not only met the technical requirements of each role but were also well-suited to the business long-term. This trusted, consultative approach reduced the need for repeated explanations and significantly streamlined the hiring process.

The Impact

Over time, the business hired several assistants through Tiger. Three assistants currently in the organisation were placed by the recruiter, while two others remained in their roles for around two years, providing stability and continuity during periods of growth.

The consistency and reliability of the service reduced pressure on the operations director and gave senior stakeholders confidence that the right people were being introduced to the business. Knowing that Tiger could manage the process end-to-end allowed internal teams to focus on their core responsibilities.

Looking Ahead

We continue to support the business with assistant hires as they evolve. With a strong understanding of the organisation and a trusted partnership in place, Tiger remains a key recruitment partner for business support roles as the company continues to grow.

The post Case Studies: Complete Confidence in Every Hire appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Company details

Industry: Strategic Advisory and Intelligence Firm
Headcount: ~200 globally
First placement made: 2021
Division: Business Support (Executive Assistants, Administrative Temps, HR)
Number of placements: 15

The Challenge

For many years, the client relied on a single recruitment agency to hire PAs (now EAs). That relationship worked well until standards began to slip, leaving the business without a trusted partner.

With hiring needs growing as the company expanded from 45 employees to around 200, the client needed a recruitment agency that could take the time to understand the firm’s values, find the right calibre of candidates, and build a lasting relationship. They preferred to work with one recruiter who “just gets us,” rather than having to repeat requirements to multiple agencies.

After testing several firms, including both boutique and high-volume recruiters, the client engaged Tiger Recruitment.

The Solution

From the outset, Tiger Recruitment stood out by focusing on relationship-building and cultural understanding. Working closely with the hiring manager, our consultant quickly grasped the types of profiles that would thrive in the business, while also ensuring diversity of thought and background rather than providing “carbon copies.”

The client described Tiger’s approach as one where their consultant “just nailed it” – consistently presenting candidates who not only had the skills required but also fit seamlessly into the team dynamic.

Tiger’s long-standing partnership with The Oxford Media & Business School (OMBS) was also highlighted as a differentiator, giving the client confidence in the calibre of entry-level candidates. Alongside this, Tiger maintained transparency when the market was challenging, setting realistic expectations.

Over time, the relationship has become one of familiarity and trust: “It’s easy, it’s familiar. We don’t use anyone else now.”

The Impact

Tiger Recruitment has had a measurable impact on the client’s recruitment strategy:

• Efficiency in hiring: fewer unsuitable CVs, saving managers’ time.
• High-quality hires: many of the firm’s EAs have come through Tiger, creating instant recognition and shared standards within the team.
• Trusted relationships: strong rapport with individual consultants ensures continuity and confidence in the recruitment process.
• Added value beyond recruitment: regular attendance at Tiger’s seminars and use of resources such as DEI and neurodiversity reports has enriched the client’s HR and leadership teams.

Client Feedback

• “She just gets us – the profile, the culture, and the diversity we need.”
• “Tiger makes our recruitment processes more efficient because we’re not wasting time with rubbish candidates.”
• “We don’t use other agents in London anymore – it’s easy, it’s familiar.”

Looking Ahead

While the firm doesn’t anticipate major expansion in the immediate future, Tiger Recruitment remains the first call for EA and administrative hires. The client continues to recommend Tiger to peers and values the partnership as a cornerstone of their recruitment strategy.

Disclaimer: This case study is based on the experience of a real client. For confidentiality reasons, their identity has been withheld. If you would like to speak directly with one of our clients about their experience working with us, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange an introduction.

The post Case Study: Beyond Carbon Copies – Recruiting for Company Values and Diversity appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Company details

Industry: Global Private Equity Investment Firm
Headcount: 600+
Division: Business Support
Number of placements: 7

The Challenge

When our client stepped into their current role, they inherited a large business support function comprising approximately 25 staff members. With so many direct reports to oversee, they required a recruitment partner who could deliver high-calibre candidates who would complement the existing team and bring long-term value.

While they had known Tiger Recruitment for years, initially as a candidate themselves, the choice of agency came down to quality. Other agencies often submitted numerous CVs without proper screening, leaving the hiring manager to request additional CVs. The challenge was finding a partner who understood both the demands of the role and the nuances of team culture, ensuring every introduction was worthwhile.

The Solution

Tiger Recruitment built a strong working relationship with the client by investing time in understanding their needs. Through regular feedback sessions and ongoing communication, the agency developed a deep understanding of the client’s management style and the types of personalities that would thrive in their team.

By carefully screening candidates before submission and prioritising quality over quantity, Tiger ensured that every CV sent to the client was relevant and well-matched. This approach saved time while increasing the likelihood of long-term success.

This method led to several successful placements, including a new receptionist and team assistant who are “absolutely smashing it,” as well as a calm, steady EA whose personality perfectly complements the existing team. Tiger Recruitment’s approach ensures hires not only meet the skill requirements but also add diversity and balance to the team dynamic.

The Impact

Tiger Recruitment’s partnership has had a transformative effect on the client’s business support team. The impact includes:

• High-performing hires who have quickly added value and shown strong long-term potential.
• A stronger team dynamic, with complementary personalities enhancing collaboration.
• A trusted recruitment process, removing the frustration of reviewing unsuitable CVs.
• A boutique, high-standard service, aligning with the client’s view of Tiger as a “quality” brand within the recruitment market.

Client Feedback

• “Tiger Recruitment just gets it. They absolutely smash it out of the park.”
• “I don’t get 10 CVs for the sake of it – it’s quality over quantity, which I appreciate.”
• “I’m not sure what I’d do without them. They have oodles of patience and flexibility.”
• “It feels boutique, elite – Tiger is well known now, and the quality is super high.”

Looking Ahead

The client continues to work with several agencies, but Tiger Recruitment remains firmly in their top three and often their first choice. They regularly recommend Tiger to peers, confident in both the speed of response and the quality of delivery.

Disclaimer: This case study is based on the experience of a real client. For confidentiality reasons, their identity has been withheld. If you would like to speak directly with one of our clients about their experience working with us, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange an introduction.

The post Case Study: Less CVs, Better Fits – How Tiger Recruitment Saves Time appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Company Details

Company industry: Renewable Energy

Company headcount: 25-30

First placement made: 2018

Division: Business Support (Receptionists)

Number of placements: 13

The Challenge

In 2018, our client began looking for a recruitment partner to support them with administrative hires. At the time, they were seeking a receptionist to ease the pressure on existing staff and wanted a candidate who could grow with the company. Having not worked with other agencies previously, they turned to Tiger Recruitment to provide the right solution.

The Solution

We quickly introduced a strong candidate who matched not only the immediate need for reception support but also had the potential to progress into more senior responsibilities. This hire proved highly successful, remaining with the business and advancing within the organisation, where they continue to be a valued member of the team today.

Since then, we have continued to partner with the client exclusively for administrative recruitment. Each receptionist placed has gone on to take on more senior responsibilities, creating a clear progression pathway within their team. Our approach of understanding the role requirements and providing high-calibre candidates has ensured a seamless recruitment process every time.

The Impact

The client notes that our service has consistently made them “look good” to their team and leadership, thanks to the calibre of candidates delivered. They value the efficiency of our consultants, the speed of response, and the assurance that submitted CVs always align closely with the job description.

By continuing to use our temp-to-perm offering, the client has been able to secure exceptional talent who not only meet their immediate requirements but also contribute to their longer-term growth.

Client Feedback

• “The calibre of people who come through is fantastic, I know I won’t be sent someone who isn’t right for the role.”
• “Tiger are really efficient, responsive, and always deliver quickly, even in emergencies.”

Looking Ahead

Our relationship with this client continues to strengthen, with introductions being made to other organisations through their professional networks. The trust built over years of successful placements has established Tiger Recruitment as their go-to partner for administrative roles.

Disclaimer: This case study is based on the experience of a real client. For confidentiality reasons, their identity has been withheld. If you would like to speak directly with one of our clients about their experience working with us, please contact us and we will be happy to arrange an introduction.

The post Case Study: How One Reception Hire Sparked a Long-Term Partnership appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Inclusive hiring has always been at the forefront of my mind throughout my career. Prior to becoming a recruiter, my interest stemmed from my own lived experience, from reflecting on inequalities during maternity leave and supporting my neurodivergent daughter to witnessing the wider impact of movements like Black Lives Matter. When I stepped up into a leadership role, my experiences evolved into responsibility, I now had an obligation to use my position to drive meaningful change.

I’ve worked with professionals across a number of industries but one area I’ve seen a consistent need for change is neurodiversity in hiring. For most employers, the confidence to act on their desire to change is often lacking. HR leaders have such a crucial role in closing this gap.

So what can HR leaders do to build confidence around Neurodiversity in Hiring?

Be vulnerable

A couple of years ago, I shared a LinkedIn post about neurodiversity in hiring, and by doing so I was unexpectedly inundated with messages from individuals who I had encouraged to share their own experiences. A senior candidate who had applied for a role I was advertising reached out to say the post had given them the courage to disclose their neurodivergence to the employer, which was something they hadn’t spoken about since she was in school. With reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process they were able to display their suitability for the role and as a result, were offered the job. I saw the impact of simply being transparent and learnt how valuable it is to share your own experience, because it might encourage someone else to do the same.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Most employers are eager to support neurodiverse candidates, but often aren’t sure how. Some say the terminology is daunting, or are afraid they might say or do something to offend. Others just aren’t sure what accommodations might look like in practice and worry it might just cause confusion. Encouragingly, this is beginning to change. More businesses are educating employees on bias in job adverts and including positive action statements explicitly welcoming neurodiverse applicants. But it’s not just about what you say that will have the most impact, but how you act. HR leaders should feel empowered to ask questions, seek guidance and work together to create a process that works for everyone.

Challenge the status quo

A huge part of a recruiter’s role is constructively challenging hiring processes that inadvertently exclude talent. I recently supported a neurodivergent candidate who asked for the interview questions in advance. At first, the employer felt this might give her an unfair advantage, but I suggested the questions should be shared with all applicants. Although their resistance resulted in the candidate withdrawing from the process, the next time I partnered with them, they implemented this change from the outset. I worked with them to prepare the questions further in advance, to allow them to be distributed. As a result, the interviews were more structured and insightful, and the panel was better prepared.

Similarly, I worked with a leading non-profit to rework their recruitment process for a director of people role. Instead of submitting their CV, applicants were given the opportunity to answer three questions, in a written or spoken format. Candidates also experienced inclusive language, an adapted format and received job packs. They were given clear fixed timelines for each stage of the recruitment process and were provided with financial support for travel and additional childcare costs required to attend the interview. Most importantly, the interview process featured structured questions with clear criteria, levelling the playing field for each of the applicants. As a result, the successful candidate was neurodivergent and they have since played a pivotal role in applying the same changes across the organisation.

Consider the working environment

Candidates who successfully navigate an inclusive recruitment process, don’t necessarily thrive in the workplace. More often than not, employers place so much importance on the accommodations made during the interview that there’s not much support once they start their job. As a result, a new hire feels let down and may struggle to perform to the best of their ability. On a basic level, employers should consider the working environment, offer flexible working arrangements, provide clear onboarding documentation and regularly check in on what’s working and what isn’t.

Start Small

Businesses often fear making adjustments for candidates because they think it’s expensive and time-consuming. However, it’s possible to make simple changes to the recruitment process that cost nothing. Employers can create a psychologically safe environment by merely asking the question, “Are there any reasonable adjustments required?” This will make them more comfortable disclosing their neurodivergence, even if it’s at a later stage in the recruitment process. Other examples include providing interview questions in advance, offering extra time for tasks or providing clear, structured communication.

I’ve seen firsthand how transformative inclusive hiring can be, for both the candidate and employer. A candidate I worked with has since launched a neurodiversity committee at their organisation, another helped reshape an entire onboarding process. As HR leaders, we don’t need to have all the answers but we must be willing to listen and learn. As a result, we create workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, which is beneficial for all.

The post How HR Leaders Can Build Confidence Around Neurodiversity in Hiring appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

The introduction of AI to our lives has disrupted the way we all work, whether that’s positive or negative depends on who you ask, but when it comes to job applications, we advise steering away from the temptation of using it.

As AI becomes more accessible, professionals are resorting to using it in many areas of their jobs. AI tools like ChatGPT have over 5.19 billion visits a month, whilst sitting at number 5 of the most visited sites in April 2025.

Although there is an argument that AI streamlines the work we are doing day-to-day, it should be avoided in your job search. David Morel, Tiger’s CEO reports that he’s seen “a significant increase in employers pushing back on applicants who submit CVs generated by AI”. Simply speaking, by using AI in your job search, you’re putting yourself at a huge disadvantage behind those who don’t.

We see this all the time with candidates at all levels of seniority, and they wonder how something so useful can place you at a disadvantage. There are several reasons why this is the case.

1. AI doesn’t know you

It’s important to keep in mind that AI doesn’t know you. It doesn’t understand your work experience, motivations for applying for a role, and what makes you tick. You can feed the tool your CV and give it the information about a role you’re applying for. But we all know a CV merely touches the surface of the achievements you’ve had over your working life.

When it comes to placing someone in a new role, companies, of course, look for experience and knowledge, but they also place importance on value alignment.  An AI-generated CV isn’t something that can demonstrate your personality and how you’d fit within a team. Hiring managers want to understand who you are, not just what you’ve done.

2. AI doesn’t replace human touch

We’ve all seen those LinkedIn posts outlining how to spot AI-generated content, with a particular spotlight on the “em dash”, but what many people don’t realise is that there is so much more that gives away that a CV has been created using AI. It loses a human touch and authenticity; it’s almost crafted too perfectly and robotically. That doesn’t mean to say you should generate an AI CV and add a few mistakes to make it seem like you’ve created it. It’s more about losing the robotic tone.

3. Don’t even think about using it for interviews

The issue with using AI for interviews is that you’re going to end up with answers the same as any other candidate in the process, which isn’t going to do much for you when you’re trying to stand out. Moreover, when you’re asked skill-based interview questions, which are incredibly common in an interview, AI doesn’t understand your experience or know every example of where you have shown a certain skill. Only you can give a genuine answer about your experience.

Thinking of using AI to feed your answers during a live interview? Don’t do it. Interviewers can tell, and it instantly raises red flags. Your preparation ahead of the interview should give you enough confidence to go into the room and show the value you’d bring to a team. However, if you’re presented with a question that you’re unsure of how to answer, you can always ask for it to be rephrased in another way or explain that it’s a knowledge gap, but you’re eager to learn more.

Employers don’t want perfection when it comes to interviews, which is what AI has led us to believe. But the truth is, not many of us can keep that level of perfection up. Hiring managers want to see someone who’s passionate and eager to learn. Giving robotic answers that are fed to you during an interview isn’t going to match that brief.

4. What can AI help me with?

If you’re looking to use AI, you can explore software that offers speech feedback, which will analyse your tone and speaking voice to make sure what you’re saying is coming across as you planned. However, no analytical tool can prepare you for the natural pivots that happen in an interview, so it’s important to be mindful that this will only help you to a certain extent.

Taking all these points into consideration, it’s important to remember the value you can bring to a role and understand this isn’t something that can be described for you. If you’re struggling to convey this yourself, reach out to a recruitment agency that can support you and help you put your best foot forward.

AI can be a valuable tool at times, but your personality, potential and passion are what truly set you apart in job applications.

Explore our latest roles or submit your CV today.

The post Why AI Won’t Get You Job Interviews appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Learning at Work Week is a timely reminder of the value of continuous development. But meaningful learning doesn’t always come from formal training programmes or online courses. Often, it’s practical experience and conversations that lead to the most impactful professional growth.

Whether you’re early in your career or looking to move up the career ladder, here are five practical ways to enhance your development at work.

1. Shadow a Colleague in a Different Team

Gaining insight into how other teams operate can expand your understanding of the business, improve cross-functional collaboration, and potentially uncover new career interests.

Even a brief shadowing session can offer valuable perspective and sharpen your understanding of how the wider business operates. Gaining insight into another team’s priorities and challenges can directly enhance the quality and impact of your work. For example, if you work in marketing, spending time with the customer service team can reveal any recurring consumer queries. You can then tailor your messaging, content, or campaigns more effectively.

Tip: Try shadowing a role that challenges your understanding. It may highlight skills you’d like to develop or spark interest in a new direction.

2. Keep a Weekly Reflection or ‘Learning Log’

Allocating time at the end of each week to reflect on a challenge, mistake, or accomplishment can reveal patterns in how you work and think. This habit encourages accountability, builds self-awareness, and helps turn daily experiences into learning opportunities. You can use this as a checklist to avoid making the same mistake again.

Tip: At the end of each week, reflect on what went well, what could have gone better, and what you would do differently next time.

3. Identify a Process You Can Improve

An effective way to grow professionally is by re-evaluating your regular routines. Taking a step back to question existing processes, no matter how small, can reveal opportunities for greater efficiency or collaboration.

Is there a recurring team task that could be streamlined? Perhaps meeting schedules could be better coordinated, reports shared more effectively, or handovers could be clearer. Proactively identifying and refining these processes not only supports your team’s success but also demonstrates strategic thinking and initiative.

These small improvements can lead to meaningful impact, and the ability to spot them is often a strong indicator of leadership potential.

Tip: Try finding a process that helps streamline activities for your manager or team. This way, your work will be visible, so you can track its impact.

4. Help Others Learn

Helping others learn is a great way to test your understanding of a topic or skill. If a colleague approaches you or your team with a question, consider how you could use your existing skillset or conduct your own research to help fill knowledge gaps within your organisation. You can share your insights by offering short, upskilling sessions for the wider company. Perhaps you have a particular skill in building your personal brand on LinkedIn, which you think could benefit others across the business. Alternatively, you can offer to help train new starters as part of their onboarding process, or provide mentoring for junior staff.

Tip: This is an effective way to demonstrate your leadership skills if you’re looking to progress into a managerial role in the future.

5. Speak to a Professional You Admire

If you want to expand your knowledge proactively, try reaching out to someone whose work you genuinely admire. That could be a colleague in a different department or a professional on LinkedIn.

You might ask how they approached a recent challenge, what tools they use to stay productive, or what advice they’d offer someone looking to develop similar skills. Most professionals are more than happy to share their insights, and this kind of informal learning can build your confidence, strengthen relationships with colleagues and create new industry connections.

Tip: Try to speak to someone outside of your usual circle; this way, you’re pushing yourself to speak to people you wouldn’t usually.

Final Thoughts

Professional development isn’t confined to online courses or structured learning programmes. Some of the most impactful growth happens when we proactively seek out small opportunities to learn, reflect, and engage with the broader picture of our work.

This Learning at Work Week, we encourage you to think differently about how you grow and take ownership of your development in a way that’s practical and sustainable for you. Powerful moments of growth can be sparked by curiosity, courage, and the decision to learn differently.

If you’re eager to upskill in a new role and take your next career step, submit your CV or browse jobs with Tiger today.

The post Five Meaningful Ways to Learn at Work – Without Signing up for a Course appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

At some point in our careers, we’ve all felt the creeping exhaustion of burnout. It’s that overwhelming mental fatigue or a loss of motivation. But here’s the thing: burnout isn’t just something that happens. It’s crucial to recognise the early signs, and taking proactive steps can help you regain control before it takes over.

With the line between working and leisure hours becoming fuzzier every day, separating the two concepts is becoming harder than ever. With the risk of burnout only continuing to increase.

Below, we break down the key indicators of burnout and practical strategies to prevent it so you can stay energised, motivated, and in charge of your well-being.

Recognising the Early Signs of Burnout

Burnout doesn’t look the same for everyone; what overwhelms one person may not affect another. Physical exhaustion is one of the earliest red flags. Feeling drained no matter how much rest you get. Mood swings and irritability can creep in, making it harder to stay positive or engaged. You might also notice increased anxiety at work, constantly feeling on edge about deadlines, expectations, or routine tasks. Over time, a lack of enthusiasm for your job can set in, making once-exciting projects feel like a burden. Recognising these warning signs early is key to preventing burnout from taking a serious toll on your well-being. If you’re experiencing any early signs, follow the methods outlined below to help prevent burnout before it escalates.

Methods for Managing Burnout

1. Establish boundaries and manage expectations

Once your late-night email habits become the norm, others will expect this of you. Therefore, it’s time to rein it in, letting others know of your designated hours of availability. If you have a work phone, leave it in your bag and out of sight outside of those hours. If your phone also acts as your work phone, hide your email app at the very back of your collection, so it’s not front and centre every time you open your screen.

Setting boundaries at work isn’t always easy, especially if you’re driven to succeed and genuinely care about your job. However, without limits, your workload can quickly become unmanageable, leading to stress and burnout.

Establishing boundaries means defining what is sustainable for you, whether that’s setting firm start and finish times, managing workload expectations, or simply knowing when to say no. By prioritising balance, you’ll not only protect your well-being but also improve your productivity and job satisfaction in the long run.

Some examples of how you can do this are:

• Resist the urge to dive into work outside your core hours – Avoid checking emails first thing in the morning or late at night. This helps maintain a clear separation between personal and professional time.
• Protect your focus time – Block dedicated work sessions in your calendar to minimise interruptions and boost productivity. This ensures you’re focused and staying on track with what you need to get done without overworking yourself.
• Communicate boundaries firmly (but politely):
  • With colleagues: “I’d love to help, but I have a full plate. Can we revisit this later?”
  • With your manager: If you’re at capacity, say, “I want to deliver my best work, but I need to focus on my current priorities. Can we discuss what’s most urgent?”
  • For work hours: “I’m available from 9 AM to 6 PM, but after that, I prioritise personal time.”

• Be consistent – Once you set a boundary, stick to it. If you make exceptions too often, colleagues may assume you’re always available.

By reinforcing these boundaries daily, you can create a healthier work-life balance, reduce stress, and stay in control of your workload.

2. Prioritise self-care

We often find ourselves constantly on the go, juggling multiple responsibilities and neglecting our need for rest and self-care. However, taking time for ourselves is crucial for managing stress, improving focus, and preventing burnout.

Burning the candle at both ends is the quickest route to complete mental collapse. Ensure you’re taking care of yourself by scheduling in self-care slots into your week – and not budging on them. Whether it’s going to the gym, running or yoga, practicing mindfulness or even spending a few hours on the couch with a new series will ensure that you are prioritising your needs, reducing your stress levels and giving yourself a much-needed mental refresh.

Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine is one of the most effective ways to combat stress and boost energy. Regular exercise releases endorphins, which not only improve mood but also enhance mental resilience, helping you navigate workplace pressures more effectively. Small movements throughout the day, such as stretching at your desk, taking quick walking breaks, or opting for the stairs instead of the lift, can go a long way in keeping your energy levels up and reducing mental fatigue.

3. Focus on your personal life

While you may not necessarily want to increase your commitments, finding something you love outside work will go a long way in helping reduce the extra hours you’re at work. Engage the creative side of your brain by booking language lessons or learning a new skill – is now the time to brush up on your calligraphy, knitting or wood-making skills? Instead of heading to drinks with friends after work, why not suggest a walk around the park or going to an interesting talk? You’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone by reducing your alcohol intake, increasing your chances of getting a better sleep while also doing something that’s physically or mentally stimulating.

5. Know when to ask for help

If you’re constantly exhausted, feeling alienated at work and feeling like you’re not performing at your best, then it’s time to seek help. There’s nothing wrong with scheduling a meeting with your boss or HR to discuss your workload and see if certain tasks can be delegated to other members of your team. In your personal life, consider outsourcing whatever you don’t have time to do – organise a food delivery box like Mindful Chef or Hello Fresh, find a cleaner or use a service like Airtasker or TaskRabbit to get those things you’ve been putting off done. With all of this off your plate, you’ll have time to focus on other, more important things.

6. Reverse Scheduling

Instead of planning your day around tasks and deadlines, try reverse scheduling. This approach starts by prioritising self-care activities such as relaxation, meals, and physical exercise and then fitting your work tasks around these commitments. By focusing on well-being first, you ensure that you don’t overextend yourself and that your mental and physical health remains a priority throughout your day.

7. The Pomodoro ‘Flow State’ Technique

A niche twist on the traditional Pomodoro Technique, the ‘Flow State’ method involves working in intervals that align with your natural energy peaks. By identifying when you’re most focused and productive, you can tailor your work blocks to these periods, maximising efficiency without pushing yourself to burnout. This strategy allows you to maintain a high level of performance while respecting your rhythms, ensuring you don’t overexert yourself and stay on track for long-term success.

Long-Term Strategies to Prevent Burnout

Prevention is about adopting long-term strategies that support resilience and balance over time. Building resilience through mindfulness and stress management techniques can significantly enhance emotional strength and improve how you handle workplace pressures. By taking a moment each day to focus on your mental and emotional well-being, you equip yourself with the tools to navigate stress more effectively.

What is equally as important is creating a balanced lifestyle that goes beyond work. Engaging in hobbies, creative pursuits, or social activities provides a much-needed break from professional demands and cultivates a sense of fulfilment and relaxation. These personal interests offer an opportunity to recharge, fostering a greater sense of joy and creativity that can carry over into your work life.

Finally, regularly assessing your job satisfaction and making necessary adjustments ensures that your career aligns with your values and long-term goals. It’s essential to check in with yourself and your work environment to ensure that it supports your well-being and growth. If you find yourself ready for a change of roles due to burnout, submit your CV, then browse our jobs to start your search.

The post The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Burnout appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

The world of Human Resources (HR) is rapidly evolving, and at the forefront of this transformation are two game-changing technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. As we venture deeper into the digital age, HR professionals and hiring managers find themselves on the cusp of a revolution that promises to improve processes, elevate candidate experiences, and unlock the full potential of their workforce.

In this article, we’ll explore the insights of two HR experts, Lorenzo Chiozzi, HR Director at Hikvision UK & Ireland, and Tess Hilson-Greener, CEO of AI Capability Ltd, as they share their experiences and visions for the integration of AI and automation in HR. Alongside this, the article looks at the wider HR function and how areas like talent management, administration and onboarding can be developed and improved by HR teams that are willing to embrace AI and automation.

Enhancing HR Processes through AI

OpenAI, the creators of Chat GPT, published a research paper estimating that “80 percent of jobs can incorporate generative AI technology”. In HR, there is great potential for companies to incorporate AI into performance reviews, talent acquisition, evaluating large pools of candidates, administrative tasks, and other repetitive and data-driven functions. This view is shared by a leading thinker of AI in HR, Josh Bersin, who remarks that much of the data taken by HR is numerically focused, involving surveys, feedback forms, and data” which is then correlated with “business results against various people metrics”. This data-driven approach to HR is one that AI and automation can support, from developing best-practice employee engagement surveys to evaluating large numbers of CVs against the job requirements and a profile of a desired candidate.

In simple terms, AI frees up HR teams to complete business-critical projects by automating administrative tasks. Lorenzo Chiozzi explains, “In recruitment, you can use predictive analysis, interview scheduling, chatbots and candidate sourcing to boost productivity. Reporting has changed with predictive reporting and automated report generation.” These AI-powered applications allow HR teams to work more efficiently, saving valuable time and resources.

Tess Hilson-Greener agrees, emphasising the diverse applications of AI and automation in HR. “These include talent acquisition and recruitment, employee engagement and performance management, workforce planning and analytics, learning and development, and HR operations and administration”. This showcases the wide range of opportunities that AI presents to HR teams, enabling them to strengthen various aspects of talent management.

Delving deeper, Workable mentions that AI can also help businesses “anticipate and plan for outcomes using predictive analytics and machine learning.” This can be especially useful for small businesses without the resources or expertise to map out detailed HR strategies. Utilising AI can help HR teams understand best practices and case studies that AI can digest and provide actionable ideas tailored to individual organisations.

Enhancing HR Operations and Administration

AI and automation have instigated a fundamental shift for HR operations and administration, significantly reducing administrative burdens and freeing up valuable time. Lorenzo shares, “I use AI daily in some HR processes, recruitment, and in a variety of different contexts.” Tools like automated applicant tracking systems, chatbots, and virtual assistants streamline candidate interactions and deliver seamless experiences throughout the hiring process.

For those new to AI, Tess recommends starting with “policy management and reporting” and to “use Chat GPT and other AI video/voice solutions.” AI-powered chatbots can answer employees’ frequently asked questions and provide prompt assistance, enhancing employee self-service options and fostering a more efficient HR service delivery.

The efficiency of operational tasks can be improved by using AI, which can help with speeding up the onboarding and acclimatisation process for new employees. An article by Oracle, referencing data compiled from 34,000 exit interviews, notes that “40% of new employees quit within the first year of being hired”. Whilst employees choose to leave their jobs for a multitude of reasons, delays and inefficiencies in the onboarding process can lead to employees feeling overwhelmed at work, unsuited to the role, or struggling to adapt to the company’s culture or way of working.

Utilising AI allows the onboarding process to support employees 24/7.

It can also ease the time-consuming administrative tasks involved. Furthermore, Oracle state that AI can “equip an employee with intelligent suggestions for courses or reading that will aid in day-to-day job duties”, which highlights the value that AI and automation can provide in career development too.

Mitigating Risks and Embracing Opportunities

Microsoft’s 2023 Work Trend Index Annual Report sheds light on employee attitudes towards AI. Whilst 49% of respondents noted that they have concerns about AI replacing their jobs, 70% would be in favour of delegating as much work as possible to AI. HR teams can leverage this curiosity and act as the champions of AI and automation, to upskill employees in its wide-ranging uses.

This view is echoed by Gosia Adamczyk, speaking to HR Magazine, who suggests that HR teams should build confidence, “starting with the acceptance that these tools are here to stay”. Companies and HR teams can jump on the AI revolution and develop programmes and initiatives aimed at allowing employees to harness the potential of AI in their work rather than allowing them to see it as a threat.

These initiatives still need to be developed with a degree of caution, and it’s important to remember that with any technological advancement, AI comes with risks and challenges. “It can be very dangerous if the model is totally trusted, as it can generate manipulation or systematic biases,” cautions Lorenzo. HR teams must ensure transparency, fairness and oversight when using AI algorithms to avoid unintended consequences. Tess adds, “To mitigate risks, organisations should ensure transparency and fairness in AI algorithms, regularly monitor and validate AI outputs, and have appropriate safeguards for data privacy and security.” Embracing opportunities with AI, while being aware of its limitations and risks, is essential to maximising its use within HR.

Ethical Concerns and DEI

As AI and automation continue to play a more significant role in HR, addressing ethical concerns becomes crucial. Tess reminds HR professionals that “Human oversight and review are important to catch and correct any potential biases or errors.” Ensuring AI algorithms are transparent, fair, and free from bias is paramount in upholding fairness and equality in HR practices.

Incorporating AI into DEI plans ensures that AI-driven decisions align with organisational values and promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.

By investing in AI-qualified consultants and experts, HR teams can mitigate risks and maximise the value of AI and automation in driving positive outcomes for both employees and the company.

Supporting this, Sameer Maskey remarks in a Forbes article that “AI-powered internal survey assessment tools can help HR teams conduct sentiment analysis and deploy data-driven organisation initiatives that focus on employee morale and things today’s workforce considers a priority, such as diversity and sustainability.”

There’s no doubt that AI offers an important, unbiased tool for HR and talent acquisition teams in assessing employee morale and diversity within a company. And for hiring, AI can assess a wide pool of candidates without unconscious bias, not to mention provide a fresh perspective on ideas for employee engagement, for businesses that are ‘set in their ways’.

The Human Touch in HR

While AI improves efficiency, it cannot replace human empathy, creativity, and critical thinking. As Tess explains, “Balancing automation with human interaction and personalised experiences is crucial.” Lorenzo emphasises the importance of strategic implementation, saying, “AI should be implemented strategically, always considering the human factor. AI can make happen what has always been missing in people management – the ability to read information and analytics in a holistic and meaningful way.”

Josh Bersin remarks that AI can pull together data that can be used to make better hiring decisions and likewise decide “who to promote, who to demote, and who should make it to the very top ranks of the company”. Regarding the internal movement of employees, it’s important not to rely completely on AI to make the decisions but to use human intuition and the insight of managers working with employees to ensure that balanced decisions can be made regarding an employee’s potential, suitability for a promotion, and other factors.

Likewise, AI is not yet advanced enough to accurately grasp the values, feel or culture of a company, and HR teams are best placed to decide whether benefits or initiatives are working well, rather than simply relying on data and figures to cast judgment. Small initiatives can have a large impact on employee engagement and morale, and soft benefits can be crucial in retaining and attracting talent that might be overlooked in a hiring strategy based on ‘hard data’.

The Future of HR

Both experts agree that the progression of AI and automation will have a significant impact on the future of HR. Tess predicts that, “There will be new professions, and organisations that manage to crack the AI code for a practical and useful HR approach will prevail.”

The seamless integration of AI and automation will empower HR teams to make data-driven decisions, optimise talent management, and drive employee performance, ultimately ushering in a new era of HR excellence.

As generative AI develops further and becomes widespread in the workforce, new regulations will be developed to ensure that it is safe and beneficial to society. There will be plenty of firsts when it comes to AI, and Jack Aldane, writing for Global Government Forum, mentions that Romania recently “unveiled the world’s first AI government adviser.” The working world will be moulded in the coming years to incorporate AI, and HR teams will be at the forefront of harnessing its capabilities while upskilling workers to utilise it fluidly, thereby firmly positioning it as an ally rather than a threat to job security.

Conclusion: A Journey of Progress

AI and automation have transformed the landscape of HR, promising to revolutionise talent acquisition, employee development, workforce planning and HR operations.

As HR professionals and hiring managers navigate this transformative journey, they must strike a balance between leveraging AI’s capabilities and preserving the human touch.

Embracing AI strategically, with a keen eye on ethics, transparency and fairness, HR professionals can unlock the true potential of their workforce and create a thriving, future-proof organisation.

As businesses embrace the power of AI and automation, HR’s role will evolve into a pivotal one, overseeing the co-existence of human expertise and machine intelligence in companies. Navigating this path with foresight will pave the way for HR to emerge as a strategic driver of business success, steering businesses towards a future of limitless possibilities. The journey towards HR’s AI-powered future has only just begun, and the possibilities are as exciting as they are limitless.

The post AI and Automation: HR’s Evolution into the Future appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Table Of Contents

• Introduction
• Money Talks
• Development and Training
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Flexible Working
• Employee Wellbeing
• Relationships At Work
• Summary

Introduction

At the close of 2022, Tiger Recruitment hosted a roundtable event, bringing together a select group of HR leaders across a range of industries. The discussion focused on their experiences of employee retention and acquisition.

There are plenty of reasons why staff leave their jobs — from low salary, poor management and lack of flexible working through to a long commute. According to Forbes, however, the most common reason an employee leaves is because of a toxic company culture, which ranks number one for 62% of jobseekers. With this in mind, the ever-evolving challenges that HR leaders face are far from simple.

Throw in the cost-of-living crisis, and employers now face even more pressure to improve working conditions for their employees. With junior jobseekers and graduates receiving lower salaries, compared to the average UK business support salary at £40,656, graduate retention and attraction came up time and time again as a key concern among our HR leaders. Is it possible to attract entry-level staff without offering the same attractive salary that might be offered to those with more experience?

In 2022, workplace trends like the Great Resignation and quiet quitting exploded, prompting many to reconsider their retention strategies. From boosting salaries to protecting employee well-being, read on to discover what our HR Leaders will be investing in over the next 12 months.

Money Talks

Our latest Salary and Benefits Review revealed that 51% of UK office workers received a pay raise in the last 12 months — almost twice as many as 2021 (28%). While that might not present too much of a shock, given the current cost-of-living challenges the UK is facing, what may surprise employers is that many employees are prepared to receive less money overall (inclusive of salary, benefits, bonuses), in return for an increased base level of pay.

As bonuses are usually positioned as a job performance incentive, some employees aren’t confident that their performance will be accurately evaluated. Those in roles without commission also have less faith in the bonus system, as the value that they bring to a role has more vague indicators of performance. According to Employer News, 83% of HR professionals believe that compensation should be linked to performance. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that new employees who are yet to ‘prove themselves’ have concerns about the effectiveness of bonuses.

Some employers are experiencing an increase in requests for salary rises from junior candidates due to a generational trend of open discussion about salary ranges. With 64% of UK-based employees wanting greater transparency from their employers about pay practices and over half of employees across the US wanting to know what everyone at their organisation is paid, it’s clear that the push for more open communication is strengthening.

What employers are finding difficult, however, is not the request for transparency but the lack of variable allowance across different industries, roles, types of pay, and experience. If these factors are omitted, the reality of an individual’s desired pay may fall short of their expectations.

At our roundtable, employers spoke openly about graduate salaries, with most — in light of the cost of living — agreeing there is a growing pressure to increase them. Many have altered their graduate bonus and salary structure, to accommodate for higher salaries with lower bonuses.

Employers mentioned that they were getting to the stage where the grads that they hired five years ago were starting to think about buying a home. But with the cost to buy being so expensive, these employees were looking to move further out. One employer expressed how disruptive this was for the business and that they were planning financial support options for employees looking to buy their first home, to retain talent effectively.

Key actions

• Consider offering financial support to long-term employees looking to buy their first home. This will help to retain staff who are debating whether to relocate.
• If the budget doesn’t allow for an increase in the overall employment package, increase the base pay and reduce bonuses.
• Only consider pay transparency or banding if you can accommodate variations across experience, sector and role type.

Development and Training

Career development remains a leading factor in employee retention. In our Salary and Benefits review, over 40% of jobseekers reported that career development was a priority in their next job. Around the table, HR leaders made it clear that their retention efforts were focused on strong employee development structures, regardless of role or industry.

Some shared how they had realigned their career development framework to prioritise visibility in their structure. In doing this, they found employee feedback overwhelmingly positive as a result of all staff being able to map out a clear path of personal progression.

Some HR leaders said that they were trying to improve the level of training offered to roles that traditionally lacked in this area. For example, one company was in the process of launching a new training programme with the Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators. This employer also planned to implement a top-to-bottom training plan, allowing for a diverse group of employees with varying experience to capitalise on peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, thereby encouraging transparency at the same time.

Training, as part of graduate apprenticeships, is a key focus for 2023. Many are evaluating these, with the majority seeing apprentices working weekends and unusual working hours due to off-the-job training requirements. Following a full day of learning and working, many employers received negative feedback from their grads and a contributing factor to feeling burnt out.

The training and development piece for grads is a key focus for employers, with most leaders at the roundtable saying that they find graduate employees the hardest to retain. In the Wiley Edge 2021 report on graduate retention, 16% of employers surveyed found that a staggering 51% – 100% of their graduate employees typically leave the business within 24 months. A further 38% found that between 21% and 50% leave within two years. With this in mind, HR leaders at the roundtable were either thinking of scrapping apprenticeships completely or had done so already.

KEY ACTIONS

Retention efforts should be focused on strong employee development structures, regardless of role or industry

Prioritise visibility in the career development framework, so staff can take greater ownership of their personal progression within the business

Extra hours and “tick-box” exercises enforced in certain graduate apprenticeships are proving to have a negative impact on graduate retention. Companies should consider assessing these schemes by requesting feedback from their graduates

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Diverse workplaces make better decisions 87% of the time. Research has also shown that diverse staff are more innovative, creative, and faster problem-solvers.

The push for a more diverse workplace is still front-of-mind for many employers. HR leaders at our event declared that their diversity and inclusion had improved across the board, and that they are still reporting rising numbers in their data.

Several employers have made significant progress as a result of establishing ED&I committees, with one claiming they were inundated with applications for the committee elections. Another stated that increased maternity and paternity payments have been a great success in regard to a more inclusive work environment. With new strategies in place, employers also have more accessible data on ED&I, which has been pivotal in their plans to make further changes.

One leader said that by requesting ongoing feedback on their ED&I initiatives, they are able to ensure that new strategies are well received and gain greater insight into the thoughts of a wide range of employees.

Although progress is being made, equity, diversity and inclusion remain an area that still needs sustained and continued attention. The majority of employers agree that moving forward, actively hiring a more diverse workforce is essential in striving for equality.

It’s still as important as ever for employers to be part of the change, and at Tiger we will continue to champion the efforts made for progress. If you are looking to improve your ED&I, here are a few tips on how to do so.

Education

• Education can be in the form of training, discussions, and open communication. A good place to start is by creating an ED&I guide for staff.
• Learn from previous mistakes; educate yourself and your employees on what can be improved.
• Lead by example as an employer; pass on the importance and benefits of inclusion in the workplace.

Reach wider audiences

• When writing job openings, descriptions should be catered to reach broader audiences. These jobs should also be sent to a wider net of platforms and outreach programs.
• Advertise your company values on ED&I. Most companies forget to celebrate their workplace culture in their job listings, website, and media channels, but this should be a very visible part of your employer brand.

Communication

• Inclusive language is very important and a powerful tool for managers to open up internal communication.
• To make sure you are using inclusive language, avoid biases, slang, and expressions that discriminate against groups of people.
• By asking your diverse workforce for feedback you will ensure transparency as well as ownership of your actions.

Offer meaningful opportunities

• Take an individualistic approach to career development by nurturing talent and asking people what they want. Offer equal opportunities and be inclusive of all diversity groups.
• Set measurable goals, whether it be through quotas or feedback. Use this data to help direct progress in the right areas.

Foster at all levels

• From the management level down to graduates, diversity should be a consideration when hiring for any position.
• Whether via blind CV, skills testing or widening your candidate pool, make a commitment to remove biases from the recruitment process.

Offer better workplace flexibility and policies

• Allow employees to take time off for religious holidays that may not be officially observed by the company.
• Be flexible with RTW parents and offer competitive parental leave.
• Ensure your office is well-equipped with inclusive facilities, including wheelchair access and non-gendered bathrooms.
• Offer the option for flexible working hours.

KEY ACTIONS

• Actively align the recruitment process into DE&I initiatives, involving key stakeholders and training managers where needed.
• Review existing policies to make sure they’re inclusive. Installing an ED&I committee in the workplace can support internal change.
• Even with improved ED&I data in 2023, more still needs to be done, as equality figures remain unbalanced across the board. Hold those in management accountable to change.

Flexible working

In the second half of this year, we saw a wave of employers insisting on workers returning to the office full time and, as a response, many employees started to look elsewhere. While most people enjoyed the flexibility of WFH and found greater productivity, some employers were not convinced. According to a BBC report, 87% of workers believe they’re performing just fine, while only 12% of employers say they have full confidence their team is productive.

Many of the HR leaders that we spoke to said that, post-pandemic, they had asked workers to come in three days a week, but received a lot of pushback. People couldn’t benefit from the savings of a five-day season ticket, and, as a result, some employees were asking companies to expense the difference. Under the assumption that remote working was a permanent fixture, some staff relocated further away from their offices during lockdown and were more resistant to coming in for three days.

Since then, most employers have decided to judge flexible working on a team-by-team basis. Certain businesses have found this altered approach to be a popular strategy, as there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As for travel expenses, the HR leaders we spoke to were unanimously opposed to reimbursing these costs.

However, the rise in the cost of living has shed light on the pressures for employers to help out with rising energy prices. As remote working has become less affordable, some employees have campaigned for businesses to reimburse their energy usage whilst they’re working from home.

Uswitch estimates that full-time home workers increase their daily gas use by 75%, while electricity use is predicted to rise by 25%.

If an employee is seeking financial support, employers agreed that encouraging them to return to the office would help with the reduction of home energy usage. Collectively, our HR leaders agreed that they would rather increase salary than recoup energy bills.

Being inclusive of new starters has continued to be a struggle in the remote landscape. Some employers have emphasised the importance of new employees being in the office in the first few months of their role, even if their role is fully remote. By having direct access to their superiors, some employers have noticed that learning has been faster, and new starters have built better relationships within their teams.

That said, some employers felt that we should perhaps be embracing the new way of working to be more accommodating to the younger generations, by finding better solutions in the remote world. One HR leader expressed that it’s just a matter of showing them the right tools and changing the mentality of how leaders can knowledge-share. By adapting how we mentor, we can provide learning and development opportunities without forcing them back
into the office.

While hybrid working has its benefits, employers have noticed a greater risk of burnout in those who work exclusively remotely. Some have said that remote workers are more likely to work longer hours to try to keep up with the workload. Given these circumstances, employers have encouraged these members of staff to attend the office more. In doing so, they’ve resolved workload anxiety organically by collaboratively sharing the load without the fear of bothering colleagues over the phone.

At our roundtable, the concluded outlook on flexible working was that flexibility goes both ways. On the whole, employers were more open to offer flexibility to those employees who showed willing and, in return, met the needs of the company.

• Recent evidence suggests that companies with a 90% remote workforce reported being just as happy with manager-employee face time as those with a 10% remote workforce. Of those with face-time concerns, engagement and culture – not productivity – emerged as the primary challenge.
• 1.8% According to the ONS labour productivity report, output per hour worked was 1.8% higher in Quarter 2 (Apr
  to June) 2022 than the average level in 2019, pre-pandemic.

KEY ACTIONS

• Employers should stand by employee flexible working, as productivity remains higher compared to those working in the office full time.
• There’s no one-size-fits-all all to hybrid working. Flexibility should be judged on a team-by-team basis, allowing managers to decide what works best for their individual teams.
• If employees are looking for help with their energy usage and/or travel expenses, consider implementing a designated cost-of-living bonus rather than a reimbursement.

Employee Wellbeing

More than 50% of employees want employers to do more to support their mental wellbeing, and feel that workplace stress and anxiety can result in increased absence and dissatisfaction with their job. With this in mind, employee wellbeing has been in the spotlight. By implementing workplace support, employers have noticed a positive shift in office morale as well as sustained productivity. Some have been actioning an individualised approach, whereby one-to-one coaching and therapy sessions are offered to help employees build coping mechanisms when confronted with anxiety and stress.

The wellbeing of newer members of staff is of particular importance, especially those with limited work experience, as they’re less likely to ask for help when their workload becomes overwhelming. Many employers believe this is partly because new starters don’t feel completely comfortable yet within their team relationships, which could be hindered by the lack of social exchanges in remote working.

Successfully onboarding a new employee into the workplace is all about trying to provide opportunities for the new employees to build key relationships and make new connections, whether they are working from the office or from home.

Small interactions can make all the difference when integrating new starters into the workplace. Many employers have encouraged their senior management to take initiative and the time to introduce themselves to new starters whenever they catch them in the office. Saying hello by the coffee machine or sparking conversation in the communal areas of the office, are all simple but effective ways in making a less intimidating work environment.

Relationships at work

According to m3, half of the people stated that company culture is the most important factor when deciding whether to accept a new role, while 41% said that culture is one of their main considerations. This suggests that publicising and promoting the company culture should form a key part of the recruitment process, yet businesses are failing to effectively capitalise on this opportunity. Disappointingly, one in 10 businesses do not promote their company culture to potential new employees at all.

While flexible working remains highly sought after, the office social life has become tumbleweed to some. In the hybrid world of working, Friday has become a popular WFH day for many employees — a world away from pre-pandemic Friday evenings when co-workers would gather and go for drinks.

The HR community has had their fair share of challenges in reintroducing a post-pandemic social life to the workplace — with one notable issue being the increased popularity of sobriety. In fact, 26% of 16–24-year-olds are not interested in drinking alcohol at all. Our HR leaders recommended social activities such as sporting events, bowling, and even candle-making workshops, with the most creative approaches being the most well-received among staff.

KEY ACTIONS

• HR leaders are planning more inclusive work events that cater for sober employees.
• With Friday evening socials off the table, employees are enjoying more activity-based social activities.

Summary

In 2022, we witnessed trends like the Great Resignation and quiet quitting, which formed the basis of recurrent recruitment and retention difficulties. In response, we have also seen employers prioritising the upskilling of their existing staff to compensate for hard-to-fill roles. If you’re doing this, we encourage you to put in place a clear career development
plan. This allows staff to progress in new areas of the company or role, motivated by a supportive structure and the promised rewards of expanding their skillset.

In 2023, we expect to see the ratio of job vacancies to candidates be more equally matched, ahead of the Great Rebalance. The January “big move”, where employees leave positions in the new year after bonuses are paid, is a trend that we see repeated year after year. With this in mind, we advise employers to recognise the employees that have gone the extra mile in their EOY appraisals and to consider offering competitive salaries and career development training for the new year.

At Tiger, we expect to see flexible working as a continued attraction to jobseekers in 2023, and we encourage employers to offer hybrid working as part of their employment package. Like many of the employers at the roundtable, we suggest judging flexible working on a team-by-team basis to better meet the needs of the employees and company.

At our roundtable, job perks were a discussion highlight in the context of 2023 retention strategies, and we were pleasantly surprised to hear about some of the innovative ways companies were prioritising employee wellbeing. Organised activities such as massages and mindfulness lessons were most popular among staff, with the consensus being that these directly impacted improved morale and positivity.

Free office lunches were also suggested as an easy win. Employers noticed an increase in office attendance when they provided food, and plan to continue organising free meals as part of making a small difference with the cost of living. One HR leader also mentioned that this was a great way for new starters to socialise with other staff, as they found attendance was up and everyone took some time to chat whilst on lunch.

As many as two thirds (67%) of employees who have free food at work class themselves as “extremely happy” or “very happy”.

Some HR leaders are also finding value in employee apps that provide financial advice, mindfulness techniques, yoga etc., which employees can access at any given time. Some of these include Welbot, Headspace for Work and Ben. Private financial planning was another retention strategy that some employers were looking to help their employees with in 2023.

KEY ACTIONS

• Ahead of the January big move, recognise the employees that have gone the extra mile in their EOY appraisals, and consider offering competitive salaries and career development training for the new year.
• The key to retention in 2023 is securing a strong benefits package. Where relevant, this should also be updated to suit the hybrid working model.
• Employee well-being is in the spotlight for 2023. HR leaders are trying to incorporate mindfulness into the workplace, as well as perks that make employees feel valued.

The post Retention and Acquisition Trends 2023 appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Exceptional, innovative, industry-leading employees won’t simply walk through your company’s front door, no matter how impressive the reception. Competition is too high at the moment to be complacent or passive when it comes to hiring talent acquisition staff. To adapt an old saying, good things come to those with… a strong talent acquisition team – and building that strong team means knowing what to look for in a candidate.

But what is talent acquisition? It’s not simply a matter of recruiting to fill existing roles – it encompasses elements of HR, business strategy, marketing and trend forecasting, and thus calls for people with several strings to their bow.

Five key attributes of talent acquisition specialists

A good judge of character

It may seem overly simple, but an essential starting point for any talent acquisition professional is a strong intuition about who is the right fit for the role in question. This goes beyond gut instinct; a top talent acquisition specialist will train this perception by being deeply immersed in the ins and outs of their company, its industry, and the wider culture.

Within this context, they will need to weigh the prospect’s personality, skillset and experience against the company’s needs, the dynamic of the team already in place, and the challenges in the future. The latter point leads us to another important trait.

Future-conscious

Time waits for no company, so staying ahead of the curve requires constant attention. The ways we do business have changed drastically even in the last 10 years, often leaving skills gaps within your workforce that must be plugged swiftly.

Your TA team should be in the vanguard, looking for potential challenges and opportunities up ahead and keeping a close eye on the competition. This way, they can report to business heads on the company’s blind spots and advise on recruitment drives and in-house staff training to ensure future-proofing across the whole business.

Tech-savvy

Hand-in-hand with a forward-thinking mindset is technological know-how. Recruiting for roles is becoming increasingly data-driven, and while the latter stages of choosing the right candidate will always benefit from the human touch, starting with the data approach is more and more essential.

The best TA teams understand this and are well-trained in the latest data software and analysis. They put in research on candidates through a variety of means that go well beyond the typical CV and interview route.

Speak the language

It’s often new technology and changing cultural norms that expose holes in a company’s operational knowledge, so it follows that those with the necessary skillset are typically in the younger demographic. It’s important then to be able to communicate with them in a way that will catch their interest and draw them in.

We’re not suggesting going all-out on memes or TikTok videos, but tweaking certain aspects of company branding and your job adverts will show your company to be a player in the here and now, facing the future. Talent Acquisition teams should work closely with marketing departments to ensure they’re talking to the right audience in the right language.

Relationship-minded

Identifying a highly promising prospect is only half the battle for talent acquisition managers; attracting and then securing them as a new hire requires a different set of relationship management skills. We’ve spoken of the importance of talent recruiters planning for and targeting business growth, but they also need to think of the other side of the table and show prospective employees the opportunity for their career growth at the company.

And that’s not all; it’s also crucial that TA teams think internally as well as externally. The best TA specialist will follow through on the promises made in the courting phase and pay close attention to the needs of these new hires (and, indeed, the full gamut of employee retention), devising training and development plans and wellness initiatives that both attract and retain.

Along with the wider HR department, talent acquisition performs an impressive balancing act between business needs and employee needs, something that has been at the front of everyone’s minds since the pandemic began. Having a strong TA team can thus be a key piece of the puzzle in staying ahead of the competition.

As for acquiring the acquisition, Tiger HR is the leader in placing talent acquisition candidates in all manner of businesses, so please get in touch today to talk to a consultant about your needs.

The post The Five attributes we look for in talent acquisition specialists appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Table of Contents

• Attracting talent in the UAE
• Writing a job description
• Writing a good job ad
• Creative candidate attraction strategies
• What to look for in a CV
• How to conduct an interview
• Tailoring interview questions
• The offer process and securing a candidate
• Best-practice onboarding process

We have matched exceptional jobseekers with fantastic businesses since 2001, and for those looking to recruit staff, the recruitment and selection process has changed drastically since then. The pandemic instigated a significant shift in the way we work and, therefore, a change in the desires of both businesses and jobseekers.

Now, we’re seeing another dramatic shift in hiring. Both the pandemic and the calls for increased diversity in the workplace have forced many businesses to transform their recruitment and selection processes. From the conversations we’re having with employers in the wake of this, it’s clear there is a need for a simple, straightforward guide to the basics of the recruitment and selection process from start to finish.

What is recruitment and selection?

Recruitment and selection processes refer to the procedure of finding suitable candidates for a company to fill job vacancies. It involves identifying the requirements of a job, advertising the position, defining the requirements of the position, and choosing the appropriate candidate for the job.

Learning the recruitment and selection process effectively is essential for employers who want to recruit suitable staff, save the business time and optimise resources. Following each step of the process through to selection will also lead to better retention rates and long-term hires.

Difference between recruitment and selection

What is the difference between recruitment and selection?

Recruitment refers to the process of finding potential applications for a role. If you’re working with a recruiter, this might be with an initial briefing to understand exactly what you’re looking for so that they might then write a job ad, search for candidates, and provide a shortlist. Once you’ve signed off on this, the next step would involve an interview process. Selection then follows, which is the route to hiring your preferred employee from those you’ve met.

In other words, selection is the process of choosing the right person for the job.

Recruitment and selection policy?

A comprehensive recruitment and selection policy ensures consistency in the process and helps to manage expectations for all parties. Such a policy serves as a guiding framework that outlines the organisation’s principles, procedures and best practices for attracting, assessing, and hiring potential candidates.

Firstly, a well-defined policy ensures consistency and fairness throughout the recruitment process. Establishing clear guidelines and criteria helps minimise any potential biases and ensures that all candidates are assessed on their merits and qualifications. Moreover, a recruitment and selection policy promotes transparency, both internally and externally. It provides employees with a clear understanding of the company’s hiring practices, ensuring a consistent approach and reducing ambiguity or confusion. Externally, it presents a professional and ethical image of the company, fostering trust between jobseekers and employers. Additionally, a robust policy helps mitigate legal risks and compliance issues by ensuring adherence to applicable laws and regulations. It outlines procedures for handling sensitive information, ensuring confidentiality and data protection.

Overall, a recruitment and selection policy is crucial for maintaining a fair, efficient and legally compliant recruitment process, ultimately leading to the identification and hiring of the most suitable candidates for the organisation’s needs.

Tiger’s recruitment and selection process

Let’s look at Tiger’s recruitment and selection process.

Attracting talent in the UAE

There are many elements to consider when attracting talent in the UAE. As the majority of the population are expatriates of working age (with only 11.48% of the population made up of UAE citizens), it’s important to consider what your ideal worker will be attracted to.

Expatriates

The UAE has long been attractive to expatriates, due to companies offering high salaries, zero income tax, relocation packages, school tuition and other benefits which aren’t offered in many other countries in the world. The lifestyle of living in the UAE is also attractive for some, with warm weather all year round and new developments offering many creature comforts. If you’re in a position to offer the above, that’s fantastic. However, employers can also attract expats by developing a positive, international employer brand and progression opportunities.

Emirati talent

For a long time, UAE citizens were attracted to working in the public sector, as they were able to access a larger number of annual leave days and shorter working hours. While the government has since worked on equalising the gap between the public and private sectors, some Emiratis may still perceive the public sector as a more desirable workplace. Therefore, an employer who offers great, individualised benefits is more likely to attract Emirati employees, like flexible working.

Attracting Emirati talent is now an essential consideration for many businesses due to Emiratisation. In the UAE, Article 14 of the UAE Labour Law mandates that Emirati candidates must be prioritised by employers in certain companies due to high unemployment levels among locals. As such, you will likely have to take this into account when selecting talent to work in your company.

There are benefits from hiring Emirati talent, as companies have the opportunity to save on Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation fees, among other discounts. If you’re looking for more information or are unfamiliar with the requirements, our guide to Emiratisation will help. 

Writing a job description

A job specification (job spec) or job description is a document created for candidates to understand the details of the job before they apply for it. It’s an easy way for them to understand what the job will entail and decide if it’s the right position for them.

Why is a job description important?

• It will convey the company’s expectations for the position in a transparent way
• It helps the business stay competitive in the market, as well as prove its investment in employees through details about benefits and company culture
• It will help distinguish between suitable candidates and those who don’t have essential skills or requirements
• It makes the recruitment process easier from the very start, as the job spec sets out expectations
• It gives the candidate a clear understanding of the role and what’s expected of them
• It can attract and entice candidates
• A good job spec comes across as professional and organised, helping to represent the employer brand in a positive light
• The more detailed the job spec, the easier it is for a recruiter to find the best possible person for the role

Format of a good job spec

If you’re looking for help in writing job descriptions and best practices around this, follow the format below:

• Information about the company
• Day-to-day duties
• Requirements/skills/experience needed (this can be separated into essential and desired categories)
• Personal attributes
• Benefits of the role

Writing a good job ad

If you’re not using a recruiter, likely, you will likely also write a job advertisement for the role in-house. The ultimate goal of a job ad is to attract the best talent, so it’s worth taking the time to write a fantastic ad.

While you want to attract the best talent, all role expectations must be communicated clearly and understood by the employee before any type of commitment is made. If a role includes a large amount of administration or irregular hours, mention it – otherwise, a discrepancy between what an employee expects and what you can deliver could arise.

Other elements to consider when writing a job ad include spelling and grammar, tone of voice, a clear heading, simple language and enthusiasm. Writing the best possible job ad will also reflect positively on your employer brand, which ensures your opportunity is considered by the right candidates.

There are also common mistakes that we see many employers make when writing their job ads. The following are some things to avoid:

• Exaggerating the position or company
• Ignoring company culture
• Being evasive about salary

What’s the difference between a job ad and a job description?

Remember, a job ad and a job description are different: a job description describes what a candidate does for you, whereas an ad should focus on what you can for them.

If using a recruiter, they will likely write the job ad for you once you’ve provided them with a thorough job description or spec.

Creative candidate attraction strategies

When looking to attract talented candidates, it’s useful to think outside the box (and the traditional job ad). It could be as elaborate as a creative job ad or as simple as setting up a strong referral process. Looking for inspiration to get you started? Head over to our blog on creative ways to attract the best talent.

Remember, by 2025, millennials will make up three-quarters of the workforce, so it’s incredibly important that you take them into account as part of your attraction strategy. You can do this by investing in your digital presence. They are the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital technologies, and as such, they will rely on the internet for information about your employer brand. Invest in building a digital presence that’s attractive to the best talent, with consistent messaging and experiences across all sites. Don’t be afraid to use social media for sourcing – LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Glassdoor can all be effective.

What to look for in a CV

When looking at candidates’ CVs, it’s important to know what to look out for with a quick scan of the document. Below, we outline what we look for in a great CV, along with common misconceptions we’ve heard along the way.

CV Layout

So, what should a CV look like? Look for:

• Consistent formatting
• Correct spelling/grammar
• No more than two to three pages in length
• Simple design and font use

Find a good example of a CV below:

Education

Education is important, but often employers will rule out candidates who don’t have a bachelor’s degree, even if they are intelligent (e.g. strong A-levels but have chosen not to go to university). We see this quite often when hiring personal assistants and office managers. Remember, if you do rule out a candidate based on their university qualifications, you’re at risk of narrowing your pool of candidates and potentially excluding your dream hire!

Interests/achievements/further information

These sections are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about a candidate on a personal level, behind the CV. This, in turn, gives you a better indication of their personality and if they are likely to be a good fit for your workplace. It’s also a good indication of the level of imagination and creativity a candidate possesses, as there isn’t a lot of room for individual expression on the rest of the CV. As recruiters, we use this information to help us do just that, so we would highly recommend more than a cursory glance at these sections.

Soft skills

It can be tempting to hire prospective employees based on specific skillsets, experience, and referrals. Personality type and soft skills like patience and enthusiasm, however, factor into workers’ success just as much (if not more) than their ability to carry out the role. Unlike industry experience and technical skills, soft skills often cannot be taught, though they can make or break a successful onboarding process.

While CVs may outline the soft skills of a candidate, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to completely understand the breadth of these from this alone. Therefore, you should always try to go into soft skills in more detail in the later stages of the process.

Movement on a CV

Several employers find a CV with little movement unusual or an indication that the candidate won’t stay in one role for long. While this may have been the case in the past, it’s now very normal for a candidate to ‘hop’ from one role to the next, particularly millennials.

When you review the CV of a job-hopper, consider the following points:

• The calibre of the companies they have worked for
• Why they might have left their previous roles (ask your recruiter for more information about this if you’re unsure)

Essentially, job hopping isn’t necessarily a negative thing, so never exclude a candidate based on this reason alone.

For more tips, read our blog on how to screen CVs.

How to conduct an interview – a manager’s interview guide

Effective interview techniques are essential to get the most out of the experience. If done well, you’ll better understand your employees’ motivations and be better equipped to nurture their desired career path for the benefit of your business.

As the interviewer, it’s your job to make the candidate feel at ease in the situation (as they are probably nervous) when conducting interviews. Remember: a calm, informative and honest interview will ensure the candidate performs at their best, allowing you to ultimately make the right decision. It’s also a good idea for hiring managers to prepare for an interview beforehand.

Set the scene for the interview

Effective interview techniques are essential to get the most out of the experience. If done well, you’ll better understand your employees’ motivations and be better equipped to nurture their desired career path for the benefit of your business.

As the interviewer, it’s your job to make the candidate feel at ease in the situation (as they are probably nervous) when conducting interviews. Remember: a calm, informative and honest interview will ensure the candidate performs at their best, allowing you to ultimately make the right decision. It’s also a good idea for hiring managers to prepare for an interview beforehand.

Make interviewees feel at ease

If the candidate feels at ease, you will get the best out of them in the interview and have a more accurate representation of their character/ skill set. If working with a recruiter, brief them on what the interview will entail so that they can prepare the candidate for what to expect.

This includes:

• Who will they be meeting?
• What is the interview type (i.e. panel, telephone interview, video)?
• Will there be a skills or psychometric test?

In the interview, you can make the candidate feel at ease by adopting friendly, open and warm body language. As mentioned above, start the interview by outlining what the candidate can expect. It’s also a good idea to give the candidate an overview of the company and the role, as this will allow them to settle in and calm their nerves before answering questions.

There are topics you should avoid venturing into during the interview, as they have no bearing on the candidate’s ability to perform the role successfully. These include those topics to do with protected characteristics (as mentioned above), but also questions about social media accounts and leading questions.

Structure of interview

In the beginning, reiterate what structure the interview will follow and give the candidate an overview of the company and role. This is an effective interviewing technique as it will make the candidate feel at ease and give them time to tailor their answers and choose the best examples.

Next, talk through a candidate’s CV and experience. This, alongside targeted questioning, will take up most of the interview. The goal here is to find out about the candidate, their previous experience and what they’re looking for in a new role. Questions to ask at this stage may include:

• Their reasons for leaving
• Why they want to work for the company
• What can they bring to the role

After your questions, give the interviewee a chance to ask their own. This allows them to show an interest in the role and company, as well as proves they’ve done background research into the company.

End the interview by explaining what the next steps might be and when the candidate can expect to hear feedback. Regardless of how well the interview went, always thank a candidate for their time and finish on a positive note.

How long does a job interview take?

The length of the interview depends on the role, the level of experience and the number of stages in the interview process. We recommend a minimum of 20 minutes for a first-stage interview (if there are several stages). A single interview could take up to 45 minutes, but try not to keep the candidate too long, especially if they are meeting different people.

Tailoring interview questions

While it’s important to tailor interview questions depending on the specific role the candidates are applying for, there are several general questions employers should always ask in an interview. Below, we break down the specific types of questions that can be asked when assessing a candidate.

Different types of interview questions

There are different types of questions that an employer can ask when conducting interviews. These include:

• Open and closed questions – closed questions have a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, whereas open interview questions are those which require further explanation from a candidate.
• Competency/behavioural questions – these are designed to test/ask questions about a candidate’s specific skills or behaviours
• Situational – focuses on a hypothetical circumstance and asks how the candidate would react in that situation
• Probing – often used to learn more about the candidate’s personal qualities, skills and experiences, based on their initial answers to questions

A combination of both competency and situational questions will provide you with a holistic view of a candidate’s thought process and problem-solving abilities. These are open questions and will, therefore require the candidate to tell you a bit of a story and paint a complete picture of their experience and approach to work. These should be defined ahead of the interview with the desired competencies in mind.

Closed questions can be useful, too. These are the ones that only need one-word answers. They have their place, especially in an interview environment where you might be asking prospective permanent staff technical questions to test their understanding. Equally, if you’re rushed for time, closed questions can be a speedy way of generating easy conversation at the start or end of a meeting.

Competency-based interviews are becoming increasingly popular, with companies opting to ask broad questions that reveal a candidate’s skills and personality behind their CV.

What is a competency-based question?

Competency-based questions typically lead a candidate towards describing a situation and/or task.

For example, you may start a question by saying:

• Tell me about a time when …
• Give an example of when …
• Describe a time when …
• Have you ever been in a situation where …

Competency-based interview questions always require an example of something a candidate has done in the past (to use as an example of their competency or behaviour in a certain situation).

Pros of competency-based interviews

Competency-based interviews allow you to use a set script or a score-based system for assessing candidates. This typically means that all candidates are asked the same questions, allowing there to be a fair interview process in place, where every candidate has an equal opportunity to shine. Competency questions force candidates to recall their personal experiences, which may then elaborate on.

Finally, these questions allow candidates to show they have all the experience and capabilities to do the job well.

Cons of competency-based interviews

As with every type of interview, there are cons associated with using competency-based questions. In some cases, candidates spend so much time preparing polished answers that they unintentionally give the impression that they have a robotic personality. Also, some may struggle with the open-ended nature of the questions and end up giving poorly constructed or unclear answers. Typically, these are the most challenging types of questions — some employers report that they find candidates will freeze if they feel they’re put on the spot with a competency-based question. Finally, if an interview focuses exclusively on competencies, a candidate might not get the opportunity to convey their emotions or motivations.

Examples of competency questions

Influencing or persuading others:

• Tell me about a time when you were able to change someone’s viewpoint significantly
• Tell me about a time when you were asked to do something that you disagreed with

Interpersonal and team skills:

• What experience have you had working with a team?
• Which skills and personal qualities have you contributed to the teams you have been a part of?
• Tell me about a time when you used tact and diplomacy
• Tell me about the last time you disagreed with someone
• Tell me about the most difficult person you have worked with
• What have you disliked in your past jobs?
• What kinds of people do you enjoy working with?
• What qualities do you admire most in others?

Communication skills:

• Tell me about a time when you were successful in getting crucial information from another person
• Tell me about a time when someone misunderstood what you were attempting to communicate to them

Personal adaptability, energy and resilience:

• Tell me about a time when you felt under pressure
• Tell me about a time when your work or ideas were criticised
• Tell me about a time when you felt frustrated by your work

Self-management, self-motivation and self-knowledge:

• Tell me about a time when you acted over and above the expectations of your role
• What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work?
• What are three major accomplishments from your last role?
• What does ‘success’ mean to you?
• What does ‘failure’ mean to you?
• What motivates you at work?
• What are your interests outside work?
• Tell me about a major problem you have encountered and how you dealt with it.

Problem solving and decision making:

• Tell me about a difficult decision that you have made
• Tell me about an unpopular decision you have made
• What significant problems have you faced in the last year?
• How do you work under pressure?
• How would you motivate an employee who was performing poorly?

Conflict management and ethics:

• How did you resolve conflict in the groups or teams that you were a member of?
• How would you resolve a dispute?
• Tell me about a time when you bent the rules. When is it okay to do so?

Personal and career objectives:

• What are your short- and long-term goals?
• What are the most important things you are seeking in a career?
• Who do you admire most and why?
• Why do you want this position?

Knowledge of the organisation and role:

• Why did you apply for this position?
• What skills and personal qualities are essential for success in this role?
• What would you like to know about this organisation?
• What do you believe you can contribute to this organisation?
• What do you know about our organisation?
• Why are you interested in working for our organisation?
• In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
• What qualities should a successful manager possess?
• Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her

Work experience:

• Tell me about the best job you’ve ever had
• What did you enjoy most or least about your last job?
• What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

Ability, competence and achievement:

• What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
• What do you feel qualifies you for this position?

Stress questions:

• How do you react to criticism?
• Can you accept criticism for poor work?
• What causes you to lose your temper?
• Aren’t you overqualified for this role?
• How long would you expect to remain with this organisation?

Essentially, what you’re looking for is someone who can positively contribute to the business by using their pre-existing knowledge and any new skills they learn on the job. It’s important to establish that they possess the relevant skills for the advertised role, which can be conducted through a small skills-based task.

The offer process and securing a candidate

Congratulations! All your hard work throughout the interview process has paid off, and you’ve found your dream hire! Below, we outline the next steps to take to ensure you win over your chosen candidate as quickly as possible.

The pre-offer stage

The offer process is an integral part of securing your dream candidate. Essentially, strong communication and acting quickly are key.

This process begins before interviews start, as communicating timings and setting expectations around the interview process are essential. If working with a recruiter, talk to them to learn important information, such as where the candidates might be in recruitment processes for other positions and salary expectations.

Offer and acceptance

When making an offer to a candidate, this usually begins with a verbal conversation. During this talk, you may mention salary, benefits, an expected start date and reference requirements.

In some cases, there may be some negotiation and working around a counter-offer from the existing employer.

Once the candidate accepts, you will be able to get in contact with them directly (if you’ve been using a recruitment agency up to this point). At this stage, the contract and offer letter is sent to the candidate.

Elements to include in the contract/offer letter

There are a few key points to include in a contract or job offer letter. These include:

• The job title and key duties
• Compensation, benefits and terms, i.e. start date, working hours, notice period, and probation period
• The name of their direct line manager

You will also need to carry out any background and reference checks and talk to the candidate about when they will hand in notice with their current employer (if applicable).

Finally, communicate any final information pre-starting with the candidate. This could include the start date/time, who to ask for on arrival and how the onboarding process will go ahead.

Best-practice onboarding process

The hiring process doesn’t end at the candidate’s acceptance of the job. Without a smooth introduction to the organisation in the days following their acceptance, you are in danger of alienating your recruits and impacting their motivation and productivity.

Effective inductions are timely, organised and engaging. The aim is to inspire and excite new starters while giving a good first impression of the company. They should set out an organisation’s mission and vision for them, while educating them about the company’s history, culture and values.

Your employee onboarding process could take up to three months, depending on the level and scope of the role. HR staff, line managers or the office manager can help onboard new staff. We’ve outlined the best practices for onboarding below:

Planning the onboarding in advance

A successful onboarding process doesn’t begin from the new employee’s start date. As soon as the individual accepts the role, you should be managing your recruit’s perception of the organisation’s brand and the team they’re about to join.

How to structure a new starter’s first day

On a new starter’s first day:

• Welcome them in and show them around the office, all the facilities and their desk
• Introduce them to their line manager, colleagues and senior managers
• Put in place a well-planned timetable
• Make sure they’re aware of any soft benefits that they can take advantage of on a daily basis (casual Fridays, free lunches etc.)
• Tailor the induction to suit the new employee — for example, a graduate’s onboarding is likely to be different to a new employee who has extensive experience with other companies or someone returning to work after a long absence
• Provide them with a training manual that they can refer to, which includes all company procedures, including health and safety and company information

A new starter’s first weeks

It’s a good idea for HR to organise catch-ups with individual managers once they’ve started the role. Communicate to managers that this is an important step in the new starter’s onboarding process, as it will also help them to feel as though senior staff are taking a genuine interest in them and their skills.

The first few weeks are the most important time for any new starter. In this time, they’ll form an opinion of your company which will be hard to change if it isn’t a positive one.

Send around an email asking their colleagues to introduce themselves so that they have informal introductions over a few days. Introducing them to everyone at once will be overwhelming and the recruit is unlikely to remember any names. Organising a buddy who can take them for lunch and show them around the local area is also a good way to relax and orientate them.

Continue holding regular catch-ups and check-ins, and allow different team members to take part in the induction process to draw on their own skill sets and give them some responsibility when training the new starter.

Planning a new starter’s initial workload

Recognise that a new employee will take some time to be able to work at their full capacity. If you enforce deadlines too quickly, you could get the wrong impression of their capabilities, as they may be tempted to rush tasks to deliver them on time. Small mistakes are likely to be made while the recruit is taking in all this new information, so try to set them small tasks and evaluate their performance after each is completed, ensuring that you give constructive feedback.

Remote onboarding

If onboarding remotely, it’s important that:

• Any necessary hardware is sent to a new starter’s home office
• They have scheduled video calls with their team, their line manager and the person leading their induction
• They have a new starter guide which outlines all of the systems used for communication, e.g. Skype, Slack, Zoom
• They are provided an e-version of their induction schedule
• They are included in any virtual social events with the company
• Their buddy contacts them regularly about work or otherwise

Remember, the onboarding process can be overwhelming for a new starter. It’s important that everyone in the office reaches out and makes them feel welcome.

If you’d like any additional guidance on recruiting new staff, get in touch with us today and we’ll be able to guide you through the process. If you’d like to request the PDF version of our Interview and Selection guide, please email us at marketing@tiger-recruitment.co.uk.

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Whether you’re a small business experiencing growth or a large corporation needing to improve efficiency and compliance, choosing to hire a financial controller is a strategic step. They play a vital role in managing day-to-day accounting operations and ensuring financial accuracy. A skilled controller can also provide valuable insights, helping to drive your business forward.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about hiring a financial controller. From understanding their role and responsibilities to identifying the signs it’s time to bring one on board, we’ve got you covered.

What Is a Financial Controller?

A financial controller is a senior financial executive who’s responsible for overseeing a company’s accounting operations. They ensure that the day-to-day accounting activities and reports are accurate and compliant. They can also offer valuable insights based on the accounting data to help with decision-making.

The Role of a Financial Controller

Whether you are running a major corporation or small business, a financial controller has an important role to play in your company. They ensure your accounting operations are accurate, compliant, and efficient.

Here are some of their key responsibilities:

• Overseeing all accounting operations.
• Ensuring the accuracy of financial reports.
• Ensuring compliance with financial regulations and internal policies.
• Preparing financial statements, including income statements and balance sheets.
• Conducting internal audits to prevent inaccuracies and fraud.
• Developing and monitoring budgets.
• Analysing financial data to identify trends and provide insights.
• Managing the accounting team and financial processes.
• Supporting strategic financial planning and decision-making.

How a Financial Controller Differs from Other Financial Roles

Financial controllers fill a unique role in your business. They are more than just accountants because they oversee the entire accounting process, ensuring compliance and accuracy. If you need someone to handle basic bookkeeping and daily transactions, you will hire an accountant, not a controller.

The controllers also differ from finance directors. While controllers focus on managing daily accounting operations and ensuring accurate financial reports, finance directors set the overall financial strategy and goals for the company. The controllers will manage the day-to-day, while the finance directors will manage the broader financial direction.

They also play a distinct role compared to finance business partners. Finance business partners are deeply integrated with different departments. They use their financial insights to guide strategic initiatives and ensure collaboration between finance and operational teams.

Signs Your Business Needs a Financial Controller

Knowing when to hire a financial controller is crucial. Here are some of the sure signs that your business needs to recruit a controller:

Rapid Business Growth

If your business is experiencing rapid growth, it can become challenging to manage finances effectively. A controller can help ensure that your accounting operations scale with your business. They provide the expertise needed to handle increased financial complexity and support sustainable growth.

Increased Regulatory Requirements

As your business grows, so do the regulatory requirements you must comply with. A controller ensures that all financial practices meet legal standards and internal policies, helping you avoid any costly penalties.

Inaccurate Financial Reporting

Frequent errors or inconsistencies in your accounting reports are clear signs that you are relying too heavily on your accountants. Financial controllers bring the necessary skills to improve accuracy and reliability in financial reporting, ensuring you have the precise data needed for making informed business decisions.

Qualifications and Skills to Look for in a Financial Controller

If it’s time for your business to hire a financial controller, you need to know what to look for in potential candidates. All candidates should have a strong background in accounting and finance, demonstrated by a relevant degree and professional certifications.

To suit this role, the candidate should also have strong analytical skills, proficiency in accounting software, and reporting capabilities. Candidates with experience in your industry will mean they are familiar with industry-specific financial challenges and regulations, making them a great fit.

How to Hire a Financial Controller

Using finance recruitment agencies can streamline the hiring process. These specialised agencies will quickly identify your specific needs and match you with the right candidates. They can also help you with creating the perfect job description, screening, and securing your ideal candidate, saving you time and effort.

If you want to do it yourself, follow our step-by-step process:

1. Identifying Your Needs

You first need to identify your business’s needs for this role. Consulting with your accountancy team can provide valuable insights into what is required. They can highlight areas where additional support is needed and identify specific skills that are crucial for the role.

You can then use this information to create a detailed job description. A well-crafted job description will attract candidates who are well-suited to meet your business’s specific requirements. Make sure to clearly outline the responsibilities, qualifications, and skills needed for the role.

2. Finding Potential Candidates

A finance recruitment agency is one of the best ways to find potential candidates. They have extensive networks and resources to connect you with highly qualified professionals. This can speed up the hiring process and ensure you find top talent.

You can also place the job description online on various job boards, network within your industry, and use LinkedIn to find suitable candidates. Attending industry events can help you meet professionals who might be looking for new opportunities. These methods can help you reach a broad audience and find the right fit for your business.

3. Evaluating Financial Controllers

Start by assessing candidates’ CVs and resumes to identify those with the right qualifications and experience. Look for relevant certifications, such as CPA, and experience in accounting management. Pay attention to the industries of their previous roles and any accomplishments to determine their suitability for your role.

Conducting interviews is the next crucial step in the evaluation process. You will need to prepare a set of questions that cover both technical skills and their problem-solving abilities. Make sure to ask about their experience with reporting, compliance, and how they have handled any financial challenges in the past.

You can also use assessments, such as practical tests or case studies, to gain insights into a candidate’s capabilities. These assessments help ensure you choose a candidate who can effectively manage your accounting operations.

4. Making the Decision

It’s now time to decide who you will bring into your business. Before making an offer, it’s always best to check the references and background of your potential candidate. This ensures the person you choose will be the best fit for your company’s culture and future success.

Once you have narrowed it down to one candidate, you can make them a formal job offer. This should clearly state the terms of employment, including salary, benefits, and any other relevant details. With a well-structured offer, you are set to secure the top candidate.

Check out our salary and benefits review to ensure you are making a competitive offer that will attract and retain your ideal candidate.

How a Financial Controller with Tiger Finance

At Tiger Finance, we’re ready to help you hire a financial controller. We have years of industry experience and access to an extensive network of both active and passive candidates, ensuring that we will always find the right fit for your role. Our team will support you throughout the hiring process, from sourcing candidates to aftercare.

Fill in the request form so that we can make your recruitment process easier and faster.

The post Hire a Financial Controller: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Hiring a finance director is essential for any organisation looking to enhance its financial management and strategic planning. They will bring financial leadership, expert insights, and strategic vision to your business, ensuring you can handle any economic challenges and take any growth opportunities.

In this guide, we explain how to recruit a finance director, helping you secure the perfect candidate to drive your company’s financial success.

What is a Finance Director?

A finance director is a senior executive responsible for overseeing your company’s financial operations. They will typically hold a seat on the company board, working closely with other senior leaders to align financial goals with overall business objectives. Their role involves strategic planning, risk management, and ensuring the long-term financial stability of your business.

They are often confused with financial controllers. A financial controller handles the day-to-day financial operations, including accounting, reporting, and compliance. The director typically has a broader, more strategic outlook. Both roles are crucial, but it’s important to know what you need before looking into how to hire a financial controller or director.

Key Duties of a Finance Director

Before you hire a finance director, it’s important to understand their key duties. This ensures you’re hiring the right person for the role.

Their duties are extensive and can vary depending on the specific needs of your business. Here are their main responsibilities:

• Overseeing financial planning and analysis.
• Developing long-term financial strategies.
• Establishing and managing budgets and financial forecasts.
• Ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
• Supervising financial reporting and audits.
• Identifying and preventing financial risks.
• Advising on investments and financial decisions.
• Leading the finance team.
• Ensuring professional development within the finance team.

Essential Skills and Experience

To hire the best director for your business, you need to know what skills and qualifications to look for during the candidate screening process.

Experience Level

Experience is crucial when selecting a director. Look for candidates with at least five years of experience in financial management, ideally within your industry. They should also have a record of successfully leading financial teams and implementing strategic financial plans.

Expertise

Look for candidates who are skilled in financial modelling, budgeting, and forecasting. They should also be experts in financial software and have a deep understanding of regulatory compliance and risk management.

Soft skills are equally important in this role. Your director should have excellent leadership abilities to manage, motivate, and develop the finance team. Strong communication skills are crucial for conveying complex financial information clearly to stakeholders. Strategic thinking is also critical for ensuring your business is a success.

Importance of a Finance Director in an Organisation

You might already have a great team of accountants and financial analysts and wonder if you need a director. A finance director is an essential role as they bring valuable strategic insight and leadership that can take your financial operations to the next level.

Here are some key benefits that show why this is an important role to fill:

Strategic Financial Management

A director ensures your company’s financial health is monitored and managed strategically. They provide expert oversight of financial planning and analysis, helping you make informed business decisions. This financial insight keeps your organisation competitive and financially stable.

Risk Management

This role plays an important part in managing risks for your business. They identify potential financial risks and develop strategies to prevent them, such as credit or interest rate risks. This proactive approach protects your company from unexpected financial challenges.

Credibility and Compliance

A finance director enhances the credibility of your financial reports. Their expertise in compliance and reporting reassures investors, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies about the accuracy of the reports. They also ensure all reports are completed on time and meet regulatory standards, maintaining a positive reputation for your business.

Broad Impact

A finance director will manage the entire financial strategy of your organisation. Compared to a finance business partner, who focuses on specific departments, a director has a wider reach across all financial aspects of the business. Both roles are important, but a director has a broader strategic impact.

They also have a more complex role than an accountant. If you need tasks like bookkeeping and tax preparation done, you will hire an accountant. If you need strategic planning and financial leadership, a finance director is the right person for the job.

How to Recruit a Finance Director

The director you choose will play a crucial role in your business, making the recruitment process vital. Finance recruitment agencies are helpful because they have access to a broad talent pool and know how to find the right candidates. They can save you time and ensure you hire the best person for your business needs and culture.

If you prefer to handle the recruitment yourself, here are the steps to follow:

1. Crafting the Job Description

A clear job description is essential for attracting the right candidates to your role. It should outline the role’s responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications, helping potential candidates understand if they are a good fit. This will help save you time by ensuring only suitable applicants apply, reducing your screening process.

Here’s what to include in a job description for a finance director:

• Key responsibilities and duties
• Required qualifications and certifications
• Essential skills and experience
• Company background and culture
• Reporting structure and team details
• Expected performance metrics
• Salary range and benefits

A job description differs from a job advertisement. The job description provides detailed information about the role’s responsibilities and requirements. A job advertisement is a shorter, more engaging summary designed to attract candidates to apply.

2. Identifying Ideal Candidates

Once your job description is ready, you can post it on job boards or your company’s website. You can also send it to a finance recruitment agency, who will help find and screen potential candidates for you.

Alongside posting your job description, you can actively source ideal candidates to approach. This proactive strategy helps you find qualified professionals who may not be actively job hunting. Use professional networks, LinkedIn, and industry events to identify and reach out to these candidates.

3. Screening and Shortlisting Candidates

Once you have a list of candidates, the screening process can begin. This is when you will review each candidate’s CV and cover letter to assess their qualifications and experience. Look for red flags like missing qualifications, irrelevant experience, or poorly written resumes to quickly narrow down your list to the most promising candidates.

4. Conducting Effective Interviews

The next step in the recruitment process is conducting interviews. This is your chance to talk with each shortlisted candidate and get a deeper understanding of their qualifications, experience, skills, and how they present themselves.

For the interviews to be effective, you need to prepare the right questions to ask the candidate. There are questions you should always ask in an interview, but you will also need to create tailored questions that are relevant to the role and your business. For example, you might ask how they have managed financial risks in the past or how they approach financial planning.

You also need to use the interview to assess how well they would fit into your company culture. A good cultural fit is crucial for long-term success and job satisfaction, which can save you from having to repeat the hiring process. Ask about their leadership style and teamwork, paying close attention to their communication style.

5. Assessing Competencies and Aptitude

After the interviews, you can ask the remaining candidates to complete competency-based assessments. You might include assessments such as financial modelling exercises, case studies on risk management, or strategic planning tasks. These tests can provide insight into their analytical skills and capabilities so that you can confidently select a candidate who will excel in the role.

6. Checking References and Backgrounds

Before you make a final decision, you will need to check the candidate’s references and background. Reach out to former employers to verify the candidate’s work history and performance. Use this as an opportunity to ask specific questions about their strengths and areas for improvement.

It’s also best practice to ensure that the candidate has a clean financial and legal background. This helps maintain the integrity of your business’s financial operations and reputation.

7. Making the Job Offer

This is a critical stage of the recruitment process. You must make the best job offer so you can secure your ideal candidate.

To make the best job offer, include comprehensive details about the salary, benefits, and any additional perks. Clearly outline the job responsibilities, the reporting structure, and performance expectations. This transparency helps the candidate understand exactly what to expect and makes your offer more attractive.

It’s important to be open to negotiation during this stage. Your candidate may have specific requests or conditions that need to be met. Being flexible and willing to discuss these aspects can help you get the candidate you want.

8. Onboarding and Integration

After the candidate accepts the offer, focus on their onboarding and integration. Begin with a thorough orientation to introduce them to your company, their team, and their role. Make sure they have all the tools, resources, and training they need to get started.

Integration is key to helping your new finance director feel welcome and become productive quickly. Schedule regular check-ins and encourage open communication to address any questions or concerns. This support will help them adjust to your company culture and align with your goals.

Retaining Your Finance Director

Now that you know how to hire a finance director, it’s important to focus on retaining them. Losing a director can disrupt your business and lead to costly and time-consuming recruitment efforts.

Here are some tips to ensure your director stays long-term:

Competitive Compensation

You should regularly review and adjust their salary and benefits to ensure you are keeping up with industry standards. This will help keep your director satisfied and less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Professional Development

Providing opportunities for professional development will benefit both the director and your business. You can encourage your director to attend conferences, pursue certifications, and stay updated with industry trends.

Positive Work Environment

Focus on creating a positive and supportive environment to help enhance their job satisfaction. You can do this by formally acknowledging any impressive contributions, providing constructive feedback, and promoting a culture of respect and collaboration.

How to Recruit a Finance Director with Tiger Finance

Tiger Finance specialises in recruiting top-tier finance professionals. Our team of experts, extensive network, and deep industry knowledge enable us to identify and attract the best candidates for your specific needs.

We handle every step of the finance director recruitment process, from crafting job descriptions to conducting interviews and reference checks. By partnering with us, you will find a director who is highly qualified and a perfect fit for your company’s culture and goals.

Ready to hire your next finance director? Fill in our request form today to start your search.

The post How To Recruit a Finance Director appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Managing business finances can be overwhelming. You have to deal with tax preparation, financial forecasting, regulatory compliance, and more. Add challenging economic conditions and changing regulations into the mix, and the task becomes even more daunting.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a competent accountant on your team. Their expertise is essential for maintaining your financial health and driving your business forward.

In this guide, we explore the benefits of hiring an accountant, the costs, and how to find the perfect match for your financial management needs. If you need help finding qualified accountant candidates, Tiger Finance is here to help.

What Is an Accountant?

An accountant is a professional trained in managing financial accounts, ensuring compliance with tax laws, and providing financial advice. Any business, from small startups to large corporations, can hire an accountant to help manage their finances. Individuals can also hire an accountant for taxes and other financial tasks, especially those with complex financial situations who will benefit from an accountant’s expertise.

Accountants are frequently mistaken for bookkeepers. Bookkeepers primarily record financial transactions, while accountants take a broader role by analysing these records, generating reports, and advising on financial strategy. Understanding the difference can help you decide what kind of financial professional fits your needs best.

Here are a few of the typical responsibilities of an accountant:

• Preparing and examining financial records
• Ensuring records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time
• Assessing financial operations and making best-practices recommendations to management
• Suggesting ways to reduce costs, enhance revenues, and improve profits
• Providing auditing services for businesses and individuals
• Advising on tax strategies and preparing tax returns
• Helping clients comply with legal and regulatory requirements

Benefits of Hiring an Accountant

Choosing to hire an accountant can transform the way your business operates, offering benefits that go beyond simple number crunching.

Expert Financial Advice

Accountants provide expert advice on how to handle financial matters, making them invaluable for strategic planning and decision-making. Their insights can help identify profitable opportunities and avoid financial risks, ensuring the long-term sustainability of your business.

Time Savings

Your accountant will handle all the complex, time-consuming financial management tasks. This saves you time, allowing you to instead focus on core business strategies and growth opportunities.

Compliance and Tax Efficiency

With ever-changing tax laws and compliance regulations, having an accountant ensures that your business adheres to all legal requirements. They can also improve your tax position, potentially saving you a substantial amount of money annually.

What to Look for in an Accountant

When hiring an accountant, you need to consider their qualifications, experience, and how they will fit into your company’s culture.

Skillset and Specialisation

The qualified accountant you hire should have a solid understanding of financial reporting and planning, risk management, tax preparation, and compliance. They should be specialised in either corporate finance, public sector finance, or personal finance, depending on your unique needs. You should look for someone with experience in successful strategic decision-making, ensuring that they can bring long-term financial benefits to your business.

Team Dynamics

Your accountant will need to work closely with other departments to gather, manage, and report on financial data. When recruiting an accountant, it’s important to assess their communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues and management. You can do this by asking specific behavioural questions or checking their references to see how the candidate performed in team settings.

Accountancy Recruitment: Finding the Right Fit

Are you ready to recruit an accountant? Find out what you need to do to ensure you hire the best accountant for your company:

Know What You Need

Before you start the recruitment process, it’s essential to identify the specific skills and experiences that are crucial for your accountant. This clarity helps in targeting the right candidates and ensures that they can meet your business’s unique financial challenges.

Job Posting and Advertising

Crafting a clear and compelling job description and using the right channels to advertise your vacancy is crucial. It ensures that the position reaches a wide range of qualified candidates, increasing your chances of finding the perfect match.

Screening and Interviews

Screening CVs and conducting thorough interviews are critical steps in the recruitment process. These allow you to assess not only the technical skills and experience of the candidates but also their fit within your company culture.

How Do I Hire an Accountant?

We explain the steps you need to take to hire an accountant, plus how finance recruitment agencies like Tiger Finance can help:

Determine Your Budget

You first need to determine your budget for your accountant role. This will help you determine whether you need a permanent, contract, or temporary accounting professional, depending on what makes the most financial sense for your business.

At Tiger Finance, we’re here to assist you through every step of the accountant hiring process.

Evaluate Credentials and Experience

An accountant candidate with these certifications indicates an expert level of training. Candidates with experience in your specific industry can also be beneficial as this means they will understand the unique challenges and opportunities your business may face.

At Tiger Finance, we can assist you in evaluating the credentials and experience of potential candidates. We have access to a broad network of highly qualified and vetted accountants. Our team of specialist recruiters can guide you through the process of matching the right credentials and experience with your specific business needs.

Onboarding and Training

Once you have chosen your accountant, proper onboarding and training are essential to integrate them into your business smoothly. This ensures they understand your business processes and financial practices, setting them up for success in their new role.

Tiger Finance is committed to creating a long-lasting relationship with each of our clients. That means we don’t stop once we have sourced you a candidate. Whether we help you with accountant recruitment or hiring a financial planner, we will provide aftercare to ensure you are always supported while you integrate your new member into your team.

Cost to Hire an Accountant

Fee Structures

Accountants can be compensated through various fee structures, including salaries, hourly rates, fixed fees, or a retainer basis. The fees they charge will depend on whether it is corporate finance recruitment, public sector recruitment, or personal finance recruitment, impacting the nature of the work and the level of expertise required.

Cost vs. Value

Hiring an accountant can seem costly, but it’s important to consider the value they bring. An experienced accountant can save your business money in the long run through efficient tax strategies and financial management. This can quickly outweigh the expense of your accountant.

Negotiating Terms

Negotiating terms with an accountant helps control costs by agreeing on a fee structure that fits your budget. It ensures that the scope of services is clearly defined, preventing overcharges for unnecessary services. This flexibility allows for adjustments in services and fees based on your business’s changing needs.

Tips for Successful Accountancy Recruitment

It can be frustrating to go through a lengthy recruitment process only to discover that the accountant you’ve hired isn’t the right fit for your business. To avoid this, we have some tips to ensure your accountant recruitment is a success:

Networking

Networking can be a powerful way to enhance your accountant recruitment process. By attending industry seminars or engaging on platforms like LinkedIn, you can connect with qualified accountants. These networks provide access to a broader pool of talent and increase your chances of finding the right fit for your company.

Continuous Learning and Development

Highlighting continuous learning and development in your company can attract top accountants who value career growth. This emphasis on professional advancement makes your business more appealing to skilled candidates looking for long-term opportunities, helping attract high-quality talent.

Performance Reviews and Feedback

Performance reviews and feedback from your current accounting team can help refine your recruitment process. These insights can help you identify the skills and personal qualities that suit your company, helping you tailor job descriptions and selection criteria. Feedback can also reveal skill gaps in your team, ensuring you focus on candidates who can fill these specific needs. You can also use this step if you’re looking for how to recruit a finance director.

Why Tiger Finance?

Tiger Finance specialises in recruiting best-in-class accountants. Our recruiters have extensive experience and deep market understanding to ensure that we fill your roles with top financial talent. We’ve worked with SMEs to large corporations, offering tailored recruitment solutions that meet the unique needs of your business. If you’re looking to recruit for other finance roles, such as a financial controller or a finance business partner, please get in touch to see how we can help.

Hire an Accountant with Tiger Finance

Hire a perfectly matched accountant with Tiger Finance. Our expert recruiters have an extensive network and sourcing tools to find the best candidates for your needs. Whether you’re looking for a contract-based or permanent accountant, our accountancy recruitment service is ready to meet your requirements.

Get in touch today to kickstart your accountant recruitment.

The post Hire an Accountant: The Essential Guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Finding the right private staff for your household or family office goes beyond assessing skills and experience. It’s just as important to ensure they align with your lifestyle, household dynamics, and expectations. That’s why many private employers choose a temp-to-perm (TTP) hiring model—allowing them to trial a candidate before offering a permanent contract. A survey by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation found that nearly 50% of temporary workers transitioned to permanent positions within the organisations they were assigned to, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach in securing committed employees.

Why Choose TTP for Private Staff?

Ensure the Right Fit

A trial period lets you assess how a staff member integrates with your household, interacts with existing staff, and handles responsibilities before making a long-term commitment.

Flexibility Without the Admin Burden

If a candidate isn’t the right match, you can adjust your staffing needs quickly. As your Employer of Record, we handle payroll, HR administration, and compliance, meaning you avoid the complexities of setting up contracts, taxes, and benefits.

Adjust Working Hours as Needed

Hiring on a temporary basis allows you to fine-tune schedules and workloads before committing to a full-time hire. Whether it’s determining the required hours for a housekeeper or trialling a private PA’s support level, TTP hiring provides valuable flexibility.

Quick Replacements When Needed

If a candidate isn’t the right fit, we can provide an alternative, ensuring minimal disruption to your household or family office operations.

Key Roles That Benefit from a TTP Approach

Housekeepers

A housekeeper plays a vital role in maintaining a home’s cleanliness and organisation, but every household has different standards and preferences. A trial period allows you to assess:

• Their attention to detail and ability to meet household expectations.
• How well they integrate with existing staff and daily routines.
• Their level of discretion and professionalism in a private setting.

Butlers

A butler is responsible for a household’s formal service, front-of-house management, and guest hospitality. The right fit depends on factors like:

• Experience with formal service protocols or specific household traditions.
• Ability to manage staff, oversee events, and cater to personal preferences.
• Adaptability to the household’s pace, lifestyle, and guests.

Private Chefs

Food is deeply personal, and hiring a private chef requires more than just reviewing a CV. A TTP approach allows you to:

• Ensure their cooking style aligns with your family’s dietary needs and tastes.
• Assess their ability to plan menus, source ingredients, and adapt to preferences.
• Determine if their personality and discretion suit your household.

Nannies

Hiring a nanny is one of the most personal staffing decisions for any household. A trial period helps ensure:

• Their childcare approach aligns with your parenting style.
• They build a strong and comfortable bond with your children.
• Their schedule and adaptability work within your household’s routine.

Private PAs

A Private PA manages personal affairs, travel, and household administration, requiring a high level of trust and efficiency. A TTP period allows you to:

• Test their ability to manage sensitive information discreetly.
• Assess their efficiency in organising schedules, handling logistics, and coordinating with other staff.
• Ensure their communication style aligns with your expectations.

By opting for a TTP arrangement, you gain peace of mind, flexibility, and ease of hiring – all without the administrative burden of payroll and compliance.

For more information on hiring private staff on a TTP basis, contact us today.

The post The Benefits of Hiring Private Staff on a Temp-to-Perm Basis appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Coralie Fernando, Head of Marketing and Communication at Tiger, sits down with Laura Glendenning, Head of Tiger Private, to talk through how private household staff recruitment has changed during COVID-19. They discuss the high-quality candidate pool available, the popularity of certain household positions, consolidation of roles and how virtual technologies are speeding up the recruitment process. Listen to the podcast below.

You can find out more about private household recruitment here or email Laura directly for more info.

The post LISTEN: How private household staffing has changed during COVID-19 appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Your curriculum vitae (Latin for ‘course of life’) will most likely be your first point of contact with a potential employer. It’s a simple document that represents you on paper, and it may be the only form of communication that decides if you are a suitable candidate. When looking for a job in Dubai, it’s essential that you get it right. Here are our top tips to consider when writing your CV!

Your Audience

When applying for a corporate administrative or support role, consider your audience. Who is going to read your CV?  The list may include recruiters, HR professionals, talent acquisition managers and ultimately the person who will make the decision to hire you or not.

Grammar

As one of the leading job agencies in Dubai, we know how frustrated some hiring managers can get when they see errors on jobseekers’ CVs. Always check your spelling, punctuation, and syntax, as you’ll be judged accordingly! If you’re applying for a role that requires ‘great attention to detail’, your CV must reflect this! Similarly, if your potential new role involves written communication, a poorly written CV will not get you to the interview stage.

Style

Your CV is not a high school art project, so please refrain from technicolour company logos, stylized bullet points, or colourful backgrounds. CVs are usually printed in black and white – so all that rainbow you’ve painstakingly added will just become various shades of grey!

Format

It’s best to stick to one font in black, as the document will become too cluttered and hard to read otherwise. Bold is fine for headings and subheadings, but don’t stray down the path of italics or go overboard with underlining! A well-formatted CV that is clear and easy to read will have a higher chance of being pulled from the pile for a closer look. In addition, avoid slang, jargon, and text speak. You may, however, include familiar terms and commonly used abbreviations, such as ‘PA’ or ‘HR’.

Brevity

Keep the biography/personal statement brief, ensure you’re concise and accurate when listing your skills and experience, and ensure your dates tally. You will probably be asked questions based on your CV, so be prepared to expand on your past roles and achievements, and know your CV inside-out. You should also modify your CV depending on the role you’re applying for. For example, suppose you’re looking for PA jobs in Dubai. In that case, your CV should focus only on your experience in similar support roles, and mention skills like gatekeeping, diary management, and scheduling.

These simple tips will instantly make your CV more legible, give it credibility, and help you to stand out from the crowd. This is your chance to sell yourself, so take the time to do it right. Remember – you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

Tiger Recruitment is one of the leading job agencies in Dubai. Submit your details or browse our live job listings today!

The post Is your CV getting you the right attention in your Dubai job search? appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

There is no single starting point on a personal assistant career path, and successful PAs can find their way into the role in very diverse ways. However, for those people with a clear desire to pursue a PA career, there are several organisations that offer learning and development opportunities tailored to the profession.

Employers should take note of these higher education institutes, both as a marker of experience and initiative in a PA candidate, and as potential partners for their internal learning and development programmes.

In this blog we’ll look at some of the best personal assistant courses. If you’re an aspiring personal assistant and wondering how to become a PA, you may well be nervous about being underqualified for the job. We’re here to put your mind at ease, and show you exactly what actions you can take to secure your dream PA job. For employers, this is designed to give you an idea of what to look for on candidate CVs, and what to offer in .

Do you need a degree to be a personal assistant?

Before we delve into some fantastic options for PA education, let’s first address a common question: do you need a degree to be a personal assistant?

The short answer is no – many PA roles will require education up to A-level only. The long answer is: it depends on the particular PA job. In more formal and high-pressure workplaces such as corporate finance, private equity, or family offices, an undergraduate degree may be a prerequisite, while the more interesting and higher-paid PA positions will of course be more suitable to a candidate with a degree.

However, there are alternatives to a degree that can be just as powerful when it comes to PA jobs. This is why we advise you to consider the below personal assistant courses: someone with these under their belt is more likely to be successful and see long-term career progression.

London Business School (Dubai courses)

The prestigious London Business School runs a group of courses in Dubai, specialising in management and leadership. These are a fantastic choice for PAs looking to advance into positions of greater responsibility, such as Senior PA, OM, and EA.

Zabeel International Institute

Zabeel International Institute’s executive secretary training course is an excellent primer course for PAs, EAs, office managers, and secretaries. Their qualifications focus on administrative skills and employability, helping to produce graduates with the right mindset for a long and successful career.

Capital

Capital run an online executive secretary course for graduates looking to gain further qualifications for senior administrative positions. The Executive Secretary Diploma is approved by the Knowledge And Human Development Authority, making it a desirable employee benefit for career-minded personal assistants.

Looking to become a PA?

Personal assistant courses should be a consideration at any point in your career as a PA, due to the ever-changing nature of the role. However, at the outset of your PA journey, you should draw on any qualifications you have when aiming to impress a hiring manager. Read our guides to personal assistant CVs, PA personal statements and PA cover letters for insider tips on how to make your experience shine!

When you’re ready to apply for your next PA job, head to our job search page.

Looking to hire a PA?

If you are looking for the best way to hire a personal assistant, read our ultimate guide to hiring a PA. When you are ready to start the hiring process, get in touch with your requirements.

The post What are the best personal assistant courses? appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Commonly raised at half-year or annual appraisals, it may come as a surprise to hear that many people don’t actually set achievable career goals (or understand the value in doing so). At Tiger, we’ve found that the process of setting career goals can be clouded by misconceptions and misunderstandings, even among experienced professionals with many years under their belts[1].

To help you set achievable professional goals and establish where you want to be, we’ve decided to bust a few common myths on this subject.

Common questions asked about setting career goals

Not everyone can have career goals, can they?

So, let’s start with the most obvious myth – only people high up the hierarchy should take the time to set career goals. They’re reserved for the top managers, CEOs and anyone else who has a huge title that precedes their name.

Not true! Setting career goals is something everyone should do, regardless of their position, experience, or industry they’re working in. Whether you’re a designer fresh out of college, a pastry shop owner, or a CFO of the biggest bank in the world, you’re entitled to take time to figure out exactly what you want out of your career. So, no matter where you are, grab a pen and start writing!

Professional development goals require a lot of time and energy, don’t they?

While developing your goals is going to require some time and effort, it’s often the very task of creating them in the first place that seems so overwhelming. Many people give up before they even begin, which is a mistake!

To help you get started, it’s important to spend some time simply thinking about where you want to be in one, five or ten years (depending on the scope of your goals). Having a firm idea in place of where you want to be will make it that much easier to come up with a few achievable goals.

I should follow a certain process, shouldn’t I?

It’s true that there are some established tools, methods and patterns that you can use when you set up your career goals (or any goals for that matter) — one of the most famous being the SMART method^[1]. Using a method like this is definitely very useful, especially if you’re a beginner and this is your first time setting goals.

On the other hand, using these well-worn strategies can also be limiting, especially if your goal is innovative or unique. If you find that your goals simply don’t fit into a pattern and you need to draw outside of the lines a little, that is completely fine.

It’s not enough to simply set them, is it?

The (perceived) mountain of establishing your career aspirations is quite high. Unfortunately, this is only the first step. Following through is much more important since it makes all the difference in the end. So, how can you make sure that your goals don’t just stay written on a piece of paper?

One thing you could do is have a buddy – a partner, a friend, a coach – someone who will follow through with you and who will keep you accountable. Another important thing is to break down your goals into smaller actions to follow through every month, week, or even day. That way you’ll be able to see whether or not you’re making progress and you can easily correct yourself if you’re going down the wrong path.

It’s better to just focus on my current situation, isn’t it?

When setting career goals, most people tend to focus on their present issues. Let’s say you’re looking for a job and your first goal is to get hired at a good company. Logically, you would sharpen up your CV^[2]and focus on improving your LinkedIn page. While these are great initial actions, it’s also important to look at a holistic approach to your goals. In this example, a person looking for a job should also think about how industry events, networking, improving their portfolio and learning additional skills will help them in the long term.

Even if you’re not looking to move on from your current role, don’t underestimate the value of looking at all your options. For example, if you want to expand your client base, posting regular articles on LinkedIn will help you become known as a thought leader for your particular niche.

Try to think outside the box when considering your career aspirations, because sometimes the best opportunities come to us unexpectedly. If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that, no matter what our original plans were, a positive mindset and adaptable goals can present new opportunities to improve our situation and grow even further – through a new role, a new relationship or simply a new activity.

Author bio: Michael Deane has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle^[3].

[1] https://career-intelligence.com/career-misconceptions/

^[2] www.wikihow.com/Set-SMART-Goals

^[3] www.upskillcoach.com/blog/12-tips-resume-social-media-cv-online-presence

^[4] www.qeedle.com/licensee-vs-franchisee-which-works-best

The post Career goals: Separating fact from fiction appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Exercise and avoid the summer sun in Dubai and the MENA region

Unlike other cities in the world, staying active during the work day can seem impossible in Dubai during the summer months. With average temperatures during the day nudging 40°C, it’s not the ideal environment in which to take a walk around the block to get your legs moving after sitting at your desk all day, especially if you’re permanent staff based in the same office day in, day out. While there are many benefits to going outside during your work day, you don’t want to leave the air-conditioned bliss of your office. Here are some tips for staying active when you can’t leave your air-conditioned office.

Change your desk set up

Making a few simple changes to your desk can encourage you to stay active while working. It can be as easy as putting a couple of ankle weights underneath your desk to encourage you to get your legs moving while you’re sitting still. If your company has the scope, ask them for a standing desk or an exercise ball. These are two pieces of equipment that will keep you mobile for hours at a time, which will help burn calories and keep the blood flowing without leaving your desk.

Take advantage of the AC

When going outside in the heat to exercise is out of the question, why not take advantage of your cool office environment? Instead of going for a lunchtime run during a cooler time of year, utilise your office stairs for the same purpose. Running up and down stairs will get your heart pumping, and because climbing creates more resistance, you may get a better workout than jogging outside. If running isn’t your thing, for an hour a week, turn the office meeting room into a yoga or pilates studio. Organise a group of your interested co-workers and, if possible, bring in an external teacher to lead the session. It’s a great way to utilise space while everyone is having their lunch, and this gentle exercise means you can stretch and re-focus in the middle of the day.

Change phone habits

How long do you spend on the phone each day at work? What if, every time you took a call, you stood up or went for a walk while talking? This simple habit can really help get you moving throughout the work day, and should be easy to implement in your day to day with enough practice.

Find excuses to move

Unfortunately, in an office environment, there aren’t many opportunities to move throughout the work day. It means that you must make the effort to move around during your work day. An easy way to do this is to download an app that will give you a reminder to get up every hour to stretch or take a walk. Another idea is to change up the kitchen or bathroom you visit throughout the day. Instead of going to the facilities next to your office, walk up to the next floor up to take more steps.

As one of the leading recruitment agencies in Dubai, we publish workplace insights on a regular basis. Check them out here.

The post How to stay active when it’s too hot outside the office appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

When hiring a executive assistant, PA or other administrative position, it is essential to get the interview right. The judgement you make at the end could have dramatic consequences for your team or your business. Therefore, before every meeting with a potential employee, it is worth taking the time to prepare, going through the questions you are going to ask and working out what you want to get out of the process

The nature of these questions will depend on your business, the role you are conducting interviews for and technical skills required. However, there are key questions employers should ask.

Interview questions to ask candidates

Experience

Why did you leave your last position, or why are you looking to leave your current job?

Whilst most candidates will have a perfectly acceptable reason for moving on, there are some whose reasons might not stand up to further questioning. Trust your gut instinct and if you are unhappy with the candidate’s response, then challenge them by asking the following question:

If the reason you left your position had not been an issue after all, would you have stayed?

This seems innocuous enough but you will be amazed how a candidate can open up to this probe. Repeat this question until you get to the real reason for leaving. This will help you form a more accurate opinion of the candidate.

What were the salaries and benefits for your last three roles?

Interviewers often enquire as to a candidate’s salary in their current/last role. However, employers should ask interviewees about their last three roles. This will tell you about a candidate’s progression and, if a candidate has been given a big pay rise in a job, their value as an employee. While you should always find out their starting and leaving salary, context is important – a lack of any visible salary increase doesn’t necessarily indicate a bad candidate, as market forces and a previous employer’s modus operandi might have prevented an increase. It’s also a good idea to find out their previous salaries as it will allow you to benchmark this against what you’re offering.

Benefits can also make a huge difference to an offer, so it is worth asking what benefits the candidate was enjoying at their previous company. This ensures full transparency and gives you an opportunity to discuss your own benefit packages.

Please explain the gap in your CV.

Many people have taken time out of their career; maybe to start a family, a sabbatical, or go travelling. However, it is common knowledge that every gap should be explained on a CV so there should be no discrepancies.

If dates don’t line up, it is reasonable to ask the candidate why – this could also trigger a conversation that reveals a little more about their life experiences and personality.

Personality

Many employers want to make sure that a candidate is going to fit in to the culture of the company, regardless of whether or not they have the technical skills to do the job. Here are a few questions that can help you in assessing a candidate’s fit.

Who are your referees and why have you chosen them?

This is a question that candidates don’t necessarily expect and therefore prepare for. The answer often gives a good insight into a candidate’s reasoning and their level of confidence in the opinions of their peers. The split between personal and business references can be particularly interesting.

Discuss your interests and achievements.

This perhaps gives the most accurate assessment as to a candidate’s personality and without delving too deep, you can quickly determine whether there is common ground between the interviewee and the people he/she will be working with. Candidates are advised to take this section of their CV seriously so should be able to talk animatedly about anything listed here.
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There are obviously many hiring manager interview questions, but the above are ones that can elicit a telling response and help you make the right hiring decisions quickly and efficiently. There are also some questions you definitely shouldn’t ask in interview.

If you’re ready to hire HR staff, get in touch today. If you’re looking for guidance on interviewing, read our selection guide for employers and HR staff. 

The post Questions to ask an interviewee – an employer guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

With over 200 nationalities, the UAE is a melting pot of cultures, experiences and people. Emiratis make up roughly 20% of the population, while expats from Europe, Asia and Africa consist of the other 80%, emigrating for career progression, an improved quality of life and the chance to increase their earnings.[1] The booming expat population, and the effects of the pandemic, continue to place a strain on an already-saturated job market, making each job application more competitive than ever. This has seen salaries drop, as many jobseekers are willing to take on roles for a lower salary in order to stand out from the crowd and win a lucrative position.

With this is mind, jobseekers should ensure they are getting the basics of the job search right in order to stand out from the crowd. To help, here are our top tips to increase your chances of securing a job in the UAE!

Understand the market

It’s important to understand what the market looks like before applying for jobs. If you plan to move into the region, do your homework first. You should know the cost of living, how much you could potentially earn and what opportunities could be on offer. If you don’t have any MENA experience, you may need to carefully consider why a business might employ you over someone who does. Unfortunately, we see many jobseekers wanting to move into the region without knowing much about living or working here, so it’s important to prepare as much as you can beforehand.

When it comes to salaries, it’s essential to educate yourself so you know what you’re asking for is in line with expectations. For example, top level industry-specific EAs can earn AED 25,000 (GBP 5150) a month, but if you have moved over with no local experience, it is unlikely you will find something at this level. EAs who have recently immigrated should expect to take a role on for around AED 12,000 (just under GBP 2,500) per month. This will allow you to get your foot in the door, gaining useful experience to then transfer into a higher paying role.

Read the job description carefully

While it may tempting to apply for every role you see advertised, this isn’t the way you’ll find your dream job. In fact, by applying to roles where you don’t meet the clearly specified criteria, it not only wastes your time, but it also leaves you feeling disheartened by the mounting rejections. Even when you think you may have enough experience for the role, if you don’t have the right qualifications, you won’t even be considered. For example, if a role requires +10 years of accounting experience and an ACCA qualification, there’s no use applying if you’ve not even completed your ACCA exams.

So, it’s important to be honest with yourself and your capabilities by only focussing on the roles that match your experience. In the UAE, you should expect to hear back from a role you apply for within five days (if not sooner!). If you don’t hear back in this time, assume you aren’t the right fit and keep looking.

Format your CV

Your CV is a potential employer’s first impression of you, so it needs to pack a punch. It should be no longer than two pages, clearly set out and justified. It should be clean and uncluttered, as this makes it much easier for recruiters or hiring managers to read. In the UAE, it’s common practice to include a photo, but make sure it’s not a selfie (a professional-looking headshot is best).

As always, it is essential that your CV is free of spelling and grammar errors and includes a personal statement, your professional experience (with both responsibilities and achievements), education and any other skills, such as languages. It’s also important that your CV is up-to-date. For example, if you left a role in October 2020, don’t list it is ‘current’. This little detail could make all the difference. If you’re worried about being seen as ‘available immediately’, don’t be! This could actually make you more attractive to a prospective employer.

The power of a cover letter

Unlike the UK, a cover letter is a necessary part of any application in the UAE. However, it’s not enough to include a generic letter – you need to tailor each submission, highlighting your ability to do the role. This is your chance to demonstrate why you’re the perfect person for the job, with specific examples about how you satisfy the criteria.

Network offline and online

Networking is such an important weapon in a jobseeker’s arsenal. You never know where an opportunity will come up, or where a conversation could take you! Therefore, keep an eye out for any jobseeker networking events in your city or other opportunities to meet employers, such as job fairs and career expos.

If you’re networking online, LinkedIn is a great place to connect with those already working in your industry. Ensure that your details are up to date and accurate, with your latest positions, responsibilities and achievements. It’s also a good idea to look at other social media, like Facebook. For example, if you’re from the UK, the Brits in Dubai Facebook page [2] can be a fantastic resource.

While you’re online, take the time to clean up your social media profiles. One of the first things a hiring manager or employer will do is look you up online, so it’s best to remove any unprofessional photos or content. It’s also worth checking your privacy settings and adapting as needed.

Pick up the phone

With so many jobseekers looking for roles, companies are receiving thousands of applications on a daily basis. Make sure you’re memorable by following up with a phone call – a simple introductory call will differentiate you from the crowd and give you yet another chance to impress.

Register with a recruitment agency

Another great way to ensure you stay ahead of the crowd in the job hunt is to register with a recruitment agency. Your consultant will be able to provide advice on your job-seeking efforts, as well as put you forward for any suitable roles. Recruitment agencies like Tiger often work exclusively with high-profile companies, providing a direct pathway to lucrative careers.

Word to the wise – if you’re using recruitment agencies in your job search, you shouldn’t agree to be put forward for the same role by several different recruiters. You may think this will maximise your chances of being called in for an interview, but it actually has the opposite effect as hiring managers will be more likely to discount you.

Prepare for your interview!

A hiring manager has seen your CV and welcomed you in for an interview – congratulations! Don’t throw away your chance by not preparing accordingly. Make sure you research the company, position and industry prior to the interview and have a think about your answers to potential interview questions. If interviewing in person, look up your route beforehand and make sure you arrive with plenty of time – it’s much better to arrive early and go for a coffee nearby, instead of rushing in a few minutes late. If interviewing virtually, double check the calendar invite to make sure you log in on time.

Should you be looking for a new role, get in touch with Tiger’s Dubai office.

1. HTTPS://WWW.EXPATEXPLORER.HSBC.COM/SURVEY//FILES/PDFS/COUNTRY-REPORTS/AE.PDF

2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/britsindubai

The post Job-hunting in a saturated market – how to stand out from the crowd in Dubai appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Dubai continues to be a popular option for European professionals looking for a new challenge – as of 2016, expats made up 7.8 million of the 9.2 million residents of the UAE.¹ If you’ve recently made the move, or are considering moving to the Middle East in the next few weeks, you’re bound to see Ramadan in full effect and notice the affect it has on the country’s job market.

As an Islamic country, Dubai is affected by the religion’s holidays and traditions. Just one of these is Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking or smoking between sunrise and sunset. Lasting about a month, it marks the time when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed.

This year, Ramadan starts on May 17, so for the next month, there are large-scale changes to nearly every industry in Dubai, including hospitality, professional services, retail, recruitment and tourism.

What is Dubai like in Ramadan?

From May 17 to June 14, it is illegal to eat, drink or smoke in public during the daylight hours and it’s advisable to dress conservatively. It is perfectly fine to eat and drink in specially screened-off areas, such as food courts and hotel restaurants. Many cafés and restaurants remain open during Ramadan with a curtain in front. Most bars open for regular business and still serve alcohol but no live music or loud music is allowed.

For tourists, there are better hotel rates and less crowding at tourist attractions, but expect shopping malls to be busy – they are a go-to place for locals to escape the heat and shop for their outfits for Eid, the celebration at the end of Ramadan.

How does this affect the job market?

Companies are only allowed to work for six hours a day by law, which means all businesses tend to shut two hours early. However, salaries are not amended during this time. Understandably, productivity can be negatively impacted, as workers cope with not eating or drinking between sunrise and sunset. As the month is a time to catch up with family, it’s also a popular time to take annual leave.

These patterns are reflected in general hiring activity, with companies holding off any recruitment until Eid celebrations have passed. While this is a trend across most industries, it can have the greatest effect on fresh graduates who are looking for their first or second job in their chosen career.

That said, those looking to change roles tend to start their job-seeking preparations over this period. A survey by Bayt.com found that 79.1% of MENA professionals said they plan to spend more time looking for a new job during Ramadan.² This is in part due to the nature of the month itself – it allows jobseekers to slow down, disregard their distractions and focus on their career goals.

What can I do as a jobseeker?

If you are looking for a new role during the Ramadan period, don’t despair. There’s plenty you can do to ensure that you’re ready for the job hunt:

• Make sure your CV is up to date, with your latest responsibilities and achievements
• Clean up your social media, deleting anything you wouldn’t want your boss to see. Make sure your LinkedIn is also up to date and reflects your CV.
• Practice interview questions to make sure you’re confident and prepared for anything a hiring manager may ask. Consider asking a friend to participate in interview role play so you can rehearse your responses.
• Identify a list of companies that you’d like to work with and keep an eye on the careers section of their website for any vacancies – they may be bucking the trend!
• Take some time to establish and narrow down your career goals – where do you want to be in 12 months? Are the roles you’re applying for going to get you there?

It’s also worth touching base with your recruiters and keeping an eye on any job boards, just in case any opportunities come through. When hiring activity increases once more, you’ll be ready to jump at the roles available.

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Tiger’s Dubai office can help you find a new role. Get in touch today to see how we can help.

1. https://www.guide2dubai.com/visiting/tourist-information/uae-population
2. https://www.khaleejtimes.com/jobseekers-optimistic-about-chances-during-ramadan

The post How Ramadan affects the Dubai job market appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many people and businesses. Challenges arising from the coronavirus have resulted in many workers finding themselves with less work than usual. If you’re currently out of work or have more free time due to the pandemic, why not make the best of it?

You can use the extra time as an opportunity to gain new knowledge and improve your job skills. To help you get started, we’ve put together the best free online courses to complete during the pandemic.

Introduction to Marketing

https://alison.com/course/introduction-to-marketing

Although your chosen career path may not involve marketing; having a base-level of knowledge of this part of business is always an advantage. The Introduction to Marketing course from Alison is a great way to learn about marketing management fundamentals. You will get the best of both theoretical and practical elements, while learning about the different strategies and platforms for marketing.

After completing the course, you’ll understand how marketing works for different types of businesses. The course only takes a few hours to do, so it’s a quick and easy way to get to grips with the basic principles of marketing.

Introduction to cybersecurity: stay safe online

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/introduction-cyber-security-stay-safe-online/content-section-overview?in_menu=1190776

Cyber security is a massive focus in any company and it is the responsibility of everyone in the business to stay safe online. This free online course from the Open University helps you gain essential cyber security skills. The lessons learned will be a great benefit in both your work and personal life, especially if you work in a business support role. It’s likely you’ll have access to sensitive company information, so it’s essential for you to learn how to be vigilant while online.

In the course, you’ll learn how to protect your digital life, whether you’re at home or work. The course has been developed with support from the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Programme and is endorsed by the CPD Standards Office, proving its expertise and reliability. Finally, it is an excellent way of showing professional development, as your current or future employer will appreciate how conscientious you are about cyber safety.

Harvard free online courses 

https://online-learning.harvard.edu/subject/business

Some of the top educational institutions in the world have responded to the pandemic by offering free online resources, including Harvard University. Harvard free online courses are available across many subjects and within their business courses category, you will find a great choice of free material.

Whether you’re interested in learning about the basics of accounting, or how to improve your business leadership skills, you will find a course to suit. Also, as one of the best business schools world-wide, Harvard is an impressive name to have on your CV.

Free business course online

https://www.oxfordhomestudy.com/courses/business-studies-online/free-business-course-online

If you’re looking to advance your career, this free online business course is an excellent first step. As an introductory-level course, you’re given a set of lessons to help you understand how a business functions. Being able to apply this to your work gives you a greater understanding of all levels of business hierarchy.

The course covers everything from business models to human resource management. Not only will it help you in your daily work, but it also shows any potential employer your commitment to improving your skills.

Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19

https://www.coursera.org/learn/manage-health-covid-19

When it comes to improving your skills, it doesn’t just have to be about work or your CV. As we go through this unprecedented time, our mental health becomes more important than ever, with several free mental health and wellbeing courses created to help cope with the pandemic.

The Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health During COVID-19 course has been created in collaboration with the Psychology Department of the University of Toronto. You will explore how to manage anxiety, find tools to cope with crises and look at the effects of isolation. The course also covers how to manage the consumption of news, along with control measures to protect against depression.

This is only a selection of the hundreds of resources online to explore. Anything that helps you make the most of your free time is worth completing, whether it’s something to further your career aspirations, or something to aid your personal development. If you’re considering a new role when restrictions lift, or you’re looking to recruit the right candidate to fill a position, Tiger Recruitment is here to help. Contact us today for more information.

The post Five free online courses to try during lockdown appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Fly through your next PA interview with these top tips!

Interviewing can be a daunting task, particularly when there is significant competition among job seekers. We understand that great jobs in Dubai can be few and far between, and – like anything – preparation is key. Take comfort in the fact that your prospective employer is obviously impressed by your experience and your CV. All that’s left to do is wow them with your presence and detailed experience. As a reputable job agency in Dubai, we’re experienced PA and executive assistant recruiters who have the inside track on how best to stand out from the crowd. Think about taking on board the below tips before you approach your next interview – hopefully they’ll help you seal the deal!

Do your research

First things first, do your research! We recommend starting with researching your interviewer(s) and/or line manager. You can do this quite easily on LinkedIn and by googling their names. Finding out about your interviewers just gives you a little bit of knowledge that could be useful in context. For example, if your interviewer has spent a number of years with the company and progressed through the ranks, you could ask, “When doing my research, I noticed that you have been here a while and have had quite impressive career progression. What advice would you have for me if I wanted to do the same?”

Similarly, it’s important to research the company itself. Check if they’ve recently been featured in the news, find out the company size and look into the company values and mission statement. All of these useful snippets can be used to weave into the conversation. Demonstrating that you have completed your research shows the interviewer that you are thorough, considered in your approach and enthusiastic about the role at hand – all of which will pay dividends when it comes to deciding on the selected candidate.

Put your best shoe forward

One of the key reasons for interviewing candidates face-to-face, rather than hiring a personal assistant based on the CV, is to assess how you present.

First things first: wardrobe! Even if you know that the office has a more casual dress code, always attend your interview in more formal attire. Iron your clothes, if they need it, and polish your shoes. Ladies, please wear minimal jewellery and make-up.

Next up: body language! Did you know that you have just 30 seconds to make a positive first impression? Most of this will be based on your body language, so make it count! When you meet your interviewer(s), ensure you are standing and show them a warm smile. The hand shake should be firm. While sitting down for your interview, keep your body language open. Hands should be placed on your lap or on the table, rather than crossed against your chest.

Lastly, try not to let nerves overshadow your personality from shining through. Your prospective employer wants to see how well you might fit into the team environment, and they will (as most people are) likely be drawn to a warm and engaging personality rather than someone who gives one-word answers and doesn’t smile.

Match your experience to the job description

When preparing for your new job in Dubai or wider Middle East, print out the job description and review the responsibilities and desired skills listed. For each of them, think about previous experiences you’ve had where you can demonstrate a competency in that area. Ideally, you’ll go armed into the interview with a handful of strong examples that you can incorporate into your responses.

For example, if the job description lists complex travel arrangements and a desired skill for ‘juggling multiple priorities’, draw on an example where you perhaps had to organise a multi-stop trip for a previous principal and mitigated a crisis of airline cancellations, delayed meetings and transfer problems. Explaining how you responded in a crisis, all the while ensuring the principal had a great trip and experienced as seamless a trip as possible, will show the interviewer that you absolutely meet those set criteria.

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Ultimately, it’s always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Try practising your interview techniques with a friend or family member. Additionally, use your recruiter and ask them for advice on what the hiring manager might be looking for! Any good recruitment agency in Abu Dhabi, Dubai or the wider Middle East will help you prep for your interview properly!

To find your next perfect personal assistant job in Dubai, submit your information to our database here.

The post Interviewing for a personal assistant job in Dubai? Read our tips! appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

In today’s market, it can be a tough gig convincing the most talented candidates to choose you over a competitor. While the power of your brand plays an important role, for the vast majority of employers, it’s an effective job ad that truly attracts applications from prospective candidates.

But how many of us actually get it right? You only have to look at a handful of job adverts online to see there are as many good ones as there are bad. So, how do you write an employment ad? Here are our top nine tips on how to attract the best talent through an effective job ad.

1. Spelling and grammar

Correct spelling and grammar is, without a doubt, one of the most important elements of any job ad. Just as you would shake your head upon seeing a typo in a CV, so will a candidate looking for a professional company with which to work. After all, if you can’t get the basics right, what confidence does this give the candidate? Therefore, it’s essential you write it, check it and then ask someone else to check it. Before you publish, check it one final time.

2. Tone of voice

The tone of voice in which you write your job ad will give prospective candidates some insight into the personality of your business and your company culture. Are you a corporate professional services firm looking for polished professional candidates? Make sure you reflect this in your language. Conversely, an advertising and media agency with a more laid-back approach might use informal language to give a more accurate impression of what it might be like to work there.

3. Avoid complex and lengthy headlines

The job headline should be the job title. After all, that’s what people will be looking for! If the job title doesn’t clearly describe the role, or requires further explanation, then use a strapline to do so. As an aside, if you realise you’re writing an ad for a job with an obscure job title that in no way conveys what the role’s purpose is, then consider changing the job title altogether.

If your business is well-known with a good reputation among your targeted candidates, then display the organisation or brand name prominently, either as a strapline or contained in the main heading alongside the job title, as well as incorporated in the body of the advert.

4. Keep it simple and clear 

A powerful advert is succinct and to the point. With four in five jobseekers using their phones to apply for jobs[1], it’s essential that you keep things short and sharp, making it very easy for candidates to review what the role is, what the successful candidate looks like, and why they should apply.

Therefore, keep sentences and paragraphs short and use bullet points to list key responsibilities or ideal requirements. After writing your first draft, find the commas and ‘and’s, and replace with full-stops.

It’s also worth avoiding jargon, elaborate design or multiple font styles.

5. Be excited

Do you want your candidates to be excited and enthusiastic about your unique opportunity? Ensure this is reflected in the writing of your advert. Take the following two extracts as an example:

a) The role has direct responsibility for all core operational departments, including sales, account management and administrative operations. Candidates will have P&L management experience and should be confident managing senior staff, each of which manage offices and teams.

b) Fully accountable for the operations and finances, we’ll look to you to maximise revenue opportunities, control costs and guarantee safe and healthy surroundings. We want our staff to love coming to work every day, and your role will make sure this is brought to life, through your fantastic interpersonal abilities.

While seemingly similar requirements are highlighted, which of the two would you rather apply for? If you’re needing some inspiration, check out 10 of the most creative job ads.

6. Why you?

All too often, we see ads that list a whole host of responsibilities and ideal requirements, with absolutely no incentive for the candidate to apply. It’s essential that you demonstrate why a candidate should leave their current position to come work for you. If you can’t sell the pros, one could assume there are none and therefore you don’t really care about your staff.

If you want motivated and ambitious candidates looking to make an investment in you, you should be prepared to do the same and give them some really good reasons as to why you are unique. Beware, however, if your advert is littered with ‘too-good-to-be-true’ empty promises. You may come across as less than credible and walk away with a damaged reputation.

7. What do they want to know?

The structure and content of an advert can of course vary from one business to the next, and from one sector to the other. Generally, you should always include the following pieces of information:

• Overview of the position
• Location
• What differentiates this role from another in the same sector?
• What makes your company so great to work for?
• What experience, skills and qualifications are required?
• How to apply/call to action

This last point would seem a bit of a no-brainer, but a simple instruction of what to do/what not to do is often missed, and obviously, quite important if you want them to get in touch!

8. Which job boards will your candidates be using?

There are a number of general job boards that the majority of jobseekers use but there are also many industry-specific ones (for example, within the creative industry), that you may want to consider advertising with. Similarly, your target candidates may not even be looking online, in which case you’ll need to think about the publications they will be most likely to read and when.

9. Let them know what to expect next

Before you post your advert, think about how every applicant will receive a response. It doesn’t have to be personal – though of course that’s always best. An auto-responder that thanks them for applying and says you will get back to them by a certain date is a whole lot better than no response at all.

Keeping prospective candidates engaged in the hiring process will also result in a positive process and increase your chances of winning them over.

Why is this important? Other than basic good manners, you just never know where they might pop up in the future.
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Looking for more guidance on job ads? Our selection guide for employers and HR staff will help!

Are you looking to hire staff? Tiger’s consultants are experts in helping you find outstanding candidates for each role. Get in touch today to see how they can help.

[1] https://wearelanded.com/2019/03/29/four-in-five-use-smartphones-for-job-applications/

The post How to write a job advertisement (and attract the right candidates) appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Regardless of whether you’re recruiting a PA role in professional services, financial services, the creative sector or oil and gas, there are a couple of standard best-practice guidelines that you should abide by when hiring personal assistants or EAs.

As seasoned PA and executive assistant recruiters, we do recognise that hiring a new team member can present a unique opportunity for a team and business. It’s a chance to change up the dynamics of a team, refresh the job responsibilities, or even improve your Emiratisation and diversity targets. Taking the time to plan for your PA recruitment properly is essential. Even if you’re in a rush to hire someone quickly, taking your time will reap rewards later.

PA recruitment, in Dubai or elsewhere, requires additional thought and consideration as the cultural fit will play a critical role in the success of your new permanent hire. A personal assistant or executive administrative assistant works so closely with their principal(s) that the personality fit needs to be spot on.

With this in mind, we’ve put together our top five tips to ensure you hire a personal assistant who lasts the distance!

1. Hire for fit

Hiring with cultural fit in mind is of exceptional importance when recruiting your next EA or PA. That said, when a candidate is in the hot seat of an interview, it can be tricky to determine what their personality type is actually like. Asking questions along the lines of ‘How would your former boss describe your personality?’ and ‘How do you like to relax after work?’ could help you gain better insight into your potential candidate’s personality.

Many employers make the mistake of hiring secretarial staff based uniquely on skillset or experience, which will undoubtedly result in a poor cultural alignment and increased turnover. If you’re unsure, our advice would be to go with your gut feel.

2. Ask competency-based questions

Previous experience is the best predictor of future behaviour. So, when you come to interview your EA or PA, ask them to paint a picture of their career to date. Once you have a clearer understanding of their experience, you’ll be in a good position to frame the competency questions. Good examples include questions like, ‘Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult decision’, if you want to delve deeper into their capacity for decision-making.  ‘Can you elaborate on your time in that role, describing how you went about winning over that reluctant person?’, if you want to better understand their ability to motivate.

Additionally, understanding their reasons for leaving various positions will give you a much clearer idea about what they’re really looking for now.

3. Interview at least three candidates

If you’re working with a good PA recruitment agency, you should receive three-five strong CVs as part of your shortlist. Just as you would when you’re sourcing quotes for a home renovation, ensure you meet with at least three PAs to ensure that you are able to form a strong understanding of the current job market. It will also help to inform your priorities for the role itself, as you may meet with people whose skills and/or personality are more advantageous than you had previously thought!

4. Act fast

While the preparatory process is incredibly important, once you’re in the flow of the process and have strong candidates to meet, test or obtain references for, it’s important to act quickly to ensure you don’t lose your candidate to a competitor. Educating your internal hiring managers on the importance of making themselves available for interviews is critical here. If possible, try and secure their availability at the beginning of the process so that interview slots can be booked ahead of time. Similarly, being proactive and acting quickly will do wonders for your employer brand.

3. Partner with a PA recruitment expert

Engaging a specialist PA recruiter will give you a better overview of the candidate market, compared to if you were just recruiting for yourself. Tiger Recruitment, for example, has access to tens of thousands of candidates on our database, not to mention the hundreds more within our personal networks. We can also give you advice about the candidate market across the Middle East, provide guidance on salaries and even write the job description!

If you’re thinking about hiring a new permanent office support staff member, contact us today.

The post Tips on hiring a PA and permanent staff in Middle East appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

When hiring permanent staff, good open-ended interview questions can provide a perfect opportunity to break the ice with nervous candidates. They can help to paint a picture of prospective employees in a broader sense by allowing them the opportunity to tell their story in an unstructured way. Hopefully, these should prompt unrehearsed responses, resulting in more genuine and uninfluenced dialogue.

By asking the right open questions, candidates may well unknowingly reveal personal attitudes and opinions. In doing so, you’ll be able to read between the lines and learn much more about your prospective new hire. Here are some of our recommended open-ended interview questions that will see you getting the most out of your interviewee.

1. What do you like most about [name of profession]? What do you like least, and what do you find the most challenging?

By asking about likes and dislikes, you’ll be able to get a good overview of a candidate’s perception of their role. Reassure candidates that there’s no right or wrong answer here!

2. Tell me about a typical day in your current position.

A CV can only say so much. By asking interviewees to describe a typical day, alongside the question above, you’ll be able to quickly understand the bigger picture of their role and their key motivators for leaving.

3. What was your primary contribution or achievement in your last or current position?

This is a good alternative question to the traditional ‘what are your strengths’ as it allows them to give you a real-life example (as well as a barometer) of what they consider to be strong performance.

4. What was the best job you ever had? What was the worst? Why?

This question will shed light on what the candidate is really looking for moving forward. In describing the reasons for their likes and dislikes, you’ll gain a more honest assessment of what they’re really looking for moving forward.

5. What are your short- and long-term career goals?

By asking candidates to define both long- and short-term goals, you’ll be able to evaluate how your business might be able to accommodate their progression – if at all. If the candidate is particularly ambitious with notions of moving up the career ladder quite quickly, it’s possible they might not be the right fit for a permanent appointment if you can’t offer that.

6. What’s the best book you’ve read in the last year?

Tell me what you liked about it. Interviews are as much about discovering candidates’ personalities as they are about their skillsets. Their favourite book will offer a glimpse into their potential cultural alignment.

7. What is your interpretation of “success”?

You can set so many KPIs, goals, success measures as an employer, but it’s the candidate’s own yard stick that you’ll want to truly have a measure of. With insight into their personal drivers, you’ll be able to better manage them as employees and push them to exceed expectations.

We believe interviews should be organic conversations. While these questions serve as a guide, don’t be afraid to let the conversation run a natural course with a little prompting and direction from you at points. Rigid interview formats will not serve you or the candidate best in being able to show off your best selves.

Get in touch with us today to get the recruitment process started. If you’re looking for more guidance on the interviewing process, read our comprehensive interview guide for employers.

The post Hiring managers: What you’ll learn from these seven open-ended interview questions appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

20 years ago, most workers would leave school or university, find themselves a job and work their way up the ladder, staying within the same company for five, 10 or even 20 years. As such, the idea of ‘longevity’ on a CV stuck, as employers looked for employees who could demonstrate their loyalty.

The idea of longevity is now a thing of the past, thanks to a millennial sensibility that’s seen the average jobseeker spend less than two years in each position as they career hop. This is especially true of PA recruitment in Dubai.

So, what does this job jumping mean for employers examining CVs now?

The stats

Tiger’s 2021 UK Salary Review revealed that 40% of staff were planning on leaving within the next 12 months. Similarly, a survey by Gallup found that half of millennials show less willingness to stay in their current job [1]. The same survey revealed 60% of millennials say they are open to a different job opportunity.

This shift, led by the younger workforce and encouraged by the global recession in 2008, has seen the norm shift from a ‘job for life’ to workers who aren’t afraid to move on, search for new opportunities, a pay rise, better benefits, a sense of purpose or simply reaching the ceiling in their organisation. Even despite the financial uncertainty of the pandemic, many are willing to move on due to the way their organisation handled the crisis.

What does this mean for hiring managers?

With all of this in mind, the approach to job hoppers must now shift. The definition for ‘hoppy’ has now changed – a candidate changing jobs every two years is the new standard, provided that they can validate their reasons for leaving. Therefore, the baseline for loyalty must change – instead of judging on longevity, hiring managers need to examine the scope of work completed by the candidate in their role and the impact they were able to have on the business. Instead of wondering ‘when will this candidate leave?’, it is up to the hiring manager to harness their ambition and highlight what the business can do to encourage their growth and career progression. At the end of the day, which would you rather – a high-performing candidate that excels over 18 months before moving on, or a candidate that does what they’re meant to and nothing more for five years?

The benefits of job-hopping

There are many reasons that a candidate may change jobs more regularly than before, some of which will be outside their control. Post-2008, most support staff roles in the banking and financial services industries, for example, are based on two-year or 20-month contracts.

A candidate with numerous stints in a range of workplaces has usually experienced different working styles, personalities and processes, meaning they’ll be able to adapt to new procedures easily. Their depth of knowledge and skillset also tends to be wider, as they have encountered a variety of programmes and techniques.

Often, candidates who do move jobs within two years are doing so for progression, or for an opportunity for professional development. This demonstrates a drive for self-improvement and a desire to keep learning, which only bodes well for a business – an employee willing to upskill and develop their knowledge will bring this back into the business.

What to look for instead

When hiring a personal assistant or other support staff, it’s important to focus on the experiences they’ve had, rather than how long they’ve had them. An EA that’s worked in a fast-paced private equity firm may have experienced a much steeper learning curve and been exposed to much more than, say, a PA who has stayed in the same role for 18 months. Therefore, when looking at CVs, look for the skillset that you know your role needs. Should it be appointment-heavy, look for PAs and EAs who have dealt with multiple or ever-changing diaries. If the role requires knowledge of an office move, look for previous experience in this area.

It’s also worth discussing with your recruiter, or the candidate themselves, the reasons for a candidate’s jumpy CV. Understanding their reason for leaving can go a long way in understanding their career goals and the value they could bring to your business.

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Looking to hire? Tiger works with candidates from a range of industries and backgrounds. Get in touch to see how we can help, or read our comprehensive interview guide for employers. 

[1] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/231587/millennials-job-hopping-generation.aspx

The post What should a good CV look like? Re-defining job hopping appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

In today’s recruitment market it can be pretty tricky to stand out from the crowd on a standard job board. When the listings start to fade into each other, the roles responsibilities all look alike and the benefits can’t be distinguished from one to the next, it can be tricky to get a feel for a company’s company culture. Or even their sense of humour! It’s this personal element that many businesses sometimes miss in their advertising of job roles, so we thought we’d highlight our pick of ten creative job ad examples we found around the internet.

The below ads manage to successfully convey a sense of their business’s identity without disclosing too much at all about the job itself. Most of them rely on intrigue… And it works! Be sure to let us know your favourites!

1. Hungry Designers Wanted – Tonic International

At first glance you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s another clever Apple ad, but it’s Tonic International inviting designers (who use Apple products as standard) to think about how hungry for success they really are. A smart way to simultaneously appeal to a designer’s creativity whilst leveraging from their favourite brand.

2. We’re Looking For Dishwashers – Restaurant Binnen

This Dutch restaurant needed dishwashers – arguably one of the lesser glamorous roles out there. But what better way to appeal to someone’s penchant for cleaning than to distract them with (fake) lipstick marks on their wine and beer glasses? It accompanied the simple phrase ‘we’re looking for dishwashers’. Apparently it took them just one week to hire someone.

3. New Tattoo Artists Wanted – Bergge Tattoo

A very creative ad that encourages immediate engagement from its applicants whilst at the same time tests their technical abilities! In this ad, applicants must carefully fill in the QR code so as to be able to scan and upload the application form. Smart.

4. Problem Solvers Wanted – Microsoft

The ad below shows how Microsoft embraces the inner geeks with their software engineer job adverts. Bold, effective, and a nifty way to test their skills before they even have the chance to apply!

5. Life’s Too Short For The Wrong Job – Jobs In Town

This German job search platform ran a whole series of similar ads to the below to entice more users to use their service. Funny, engaging and visually arresting, we’re sure this one had people uploading their CVs in no time.

6. If You’re A Medical Transcriptionist Who Doesn’t Mishear ‘Prednisone’ – Accolade

It’s not too often job adverts in the healthcare sector are afforded the opportunity to be too creative, so Accolade did well to introduce some humour into this advertising campaign. We can’t imagine this Indian medical transcription company would have had too many problems sourcing new recruits.

7. McMistake – McDonalds 

McDonalds decided to go simple for their ad campaign to hire students and those with little-to-no experience. To do so, they created a series of posters displaying the wrong menu item in their iconic packaging. The tagline was simple: everyone makes mistakes!

8. Big Shoes – Times Ascent

How do you get to fill those big shoes? By buying Times Ascent of course. This employment paper keeps it simple, manages to get a smile out of the reader and employs a subtle aspirational concept well.

9. This Agency Is Not A Sweatshop – Saatchi & Saatchi

It’s no secret that agency life can be challenging and we love how Saatchi and Saatchi play up to their reputation, even managing to crack a joke about it. This clever pun is likely to appeal to creatives in the know.

10. Don’t Mention The M – Burger King

It’s no secret that McDonalds and Burger King are arch rivals, so what better way to earn a giggle from potential applicants and show they know how to laugh at themselves? The concept implies a complicity that is as cheeky as it is entertaining.

If you’re looking for guidance on your hiring process, our comprehensive interview guide for employers will help!

The post Ten creative job ad examples appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Whether you’re a busy family or business owner, personal assistant recruitment offers numerous benefits. A skilled PA can handle administrative tasks, manage schedules, and support personal errands, freeing up your time to focus on more strategic activities.

Finding the right PA can come with its challenges. The process requires identifying a candidate who not only has the necessary skills but also fits well with your personality and work environment. It’s about striking the right balance between professional competencies and personal dynamics, which can be a time-consuming and difficult task.

We’ve put together our top five tips on how to hire a PA, plus how a professional recruiter can help.

How To Ensure PA Recruitment Success

Recruitment of any kind presents a fantastic opportunity to refresh a team, job function or business culture. That being said, it’s not uncommon to feel some trepidation at the start of your recruitment journey. The process can take time and in a candidate-short market, you may need to shortlist multiple times before securing a suitable candidate. This is where working with an experienced recruiter can help.

Personal Assistant recruitment, particularly, is unique as the values alignment plays such a significant role in ensuring a candidate’s success. A personal assistant works so closely with their managers and team that it’s crucial to get the personality mix right. This is crucially relevant to permanent recruitment, while hiring a temp PA can generally be recruited quickly to fulfil the short-term functional requirements of the role.

If you’re considering hiring using an AI-based software for certain steps, such as CV screening, we would ask you to consider a different approach. While there is a place for this type of technology, especially when it comes to advanced candidate testing such as gamification, the ultimate decision for a candidate’s fit for a business should remain with human recruiters.

With this in mind, we’ve put together our top six tips on how a recruiter can help to ensure you hire a personal assistant who lasts the distance.

Here are five PA recruitment tips to ensure a successful process:

1. Personality fit

Personality fit is crucial when hiring a personal assistant. A PA will work closely with you, often during stressful times or in personal spaces. A candidate whose personality complements yours can make the working relationship more enjoyable and productive.

You can ensure the right personality fit during the interview process by asking the right questions. These questions should encourage the candidate to share their values, work ethics, and how they handle stress and conflict. Observing how they interact with you and others during the interview can also provide insights into their personality and how well they might integrate into your personal and professional life.

A professional recruiter can help you source candidates with the right personality fit. They can pre-screen candidates, saving you time and ensuring that you meet only those who have already passed a preliminary fit assessment. For example, if a candidate communicates quietly and seems withdrawn in their body language, a good recruiter will never send them to a workplace where they will be supporting outspoken, straight-to-the-point management styles.

2. Consider Previous Experience

Previous experience is a critical factor in PA recruitment. Their track record can showcase how they will handle the demands of your role and reduce the risk of a mismatch. A candidate with experience in a similar industry or who has supported professionals with comparable responsibilities to yours might adapt more quickly to your requirements.

When interviewing a candidate, you should ask them to tell the story of their career to date, with a particular focus on how long they stayed at each job and why they left. If a candidate has previously jumped around from one role to the next, it generally does mean there’s a higher likelihood they’ll do the same again. Similarly, their reasons for leaving will often paint a more colourful picture of what they’re looking for now.

A recruiter can help you evaluate a candidate’s previous experience. They have the expertise to spot red flags or patterns of excellence that you might overlook. Recruiters also verify references and past employment details, ensuring that the information presented is accurate and relevant to your needs.

3. Trust Your Recruiter

When looking for a PA, it’s essential to secure a robust shortlist to get an accurate overview of the market and available candidates. A recruiter should send you a few strong, but different options, to ensure you have a range of choices. They might even suggest a candidate who seems to lack certain technical skills but has the right personality fit, adhering to the philosophy that specific skills can be learned, whereas the right cultural fit is priceless.

It is essential to trust your recruiter’s recommendations. Recruiters have a deep understanding of the job market and the qualities that make a candidate a good fit for a role. By relying on their recommendations, you can increase your chances of finding the right person for your PA position.

4. Identify Soft Skills

For a personal assistant, essential soft skills include effective communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and time management. A PA will also be savvy to the ways of the city, including the best transport, food, and gifting options: characteristics that are also important when supporting management. You would be surprised by how much these little details make a difference when working with your PA!

You can identify these essential soft skills by asking specific behavioural questions during the interview. For example, you can ask about a time they overcame a challenge or had to adapt quickly to a change. Their responses will give you insight into their problem-solving abilities and flexibility.

A personal assistant’s soft skills may not always be obvious from their CV. A recruiter will be able to gauge a PA’s transferable attributes, such as emotional intelligence, leadership traits, and communication style from an initial face-to-face registration. Recruiters can also interpret subtle cues in candidates’ responses and behaviours, ensuring you meet only the most suitable individuals who possess the soft skills essential for the role.

5. Manage Expectations and Be Responsive

Managing candidate expectations and being responsive is essential during the recruitment process. This includes keeping potential candidates informed about their application status, the recruitment process stages, and expected timelines for your decisions. In our current market, speed is of the essence, especially with recruiting for PAs and EAs. We have seen hundreds of employers miss fantastic candidates by being unavailable or inflexible to interview or delaying feedback.

Being unresponsive with your recruiter will be especially detrimental to you finding the best person for the job. Responsiveness enables a smooth and efficient search, allowing recruiters to quickly refine their selection based on your feedback. This collaboration ensures that the candidates presented match your requirements, saving you time and resources.

Expert PA Hiring with Tiger Recruitment

At Tiger Recruitment, we pride ourselves on our expertise in pairing top-tier personal assistants with professionals and business owners. We are committed to understanding your unique needs and preferences, enabling us to find the right candidates for your requirements. With our bespoke approach, you will receive support throughout the recruitment process.

If you are thinking about hiring a new permanent or temporary PA, contact us today.

FAQs

How do I recruit a personal assistant?

To recruit a personal assistant, start by creating a personal assistant job description that clearly defines the role, including the key responsibilities and desired skills. You can then advertise the available position on job boards or social media platforms to attract candidates. For a more effective and efficient search, you can use a professional PA recruitment agency. Recruiters will connect you with vetted candidates who match your specific needs and preferences.

What makes a brilliant PA?

A brilliant PA possesses a unique combination of skills and qualities. They are highly organised, capable of multitasking, and possess excellent time management skills. They also have strong communication skills and problem-solving abilities. A brilliant PA will make your life easier and more productive by proactively supporting you with your personal and professional tasks.

Learn more about the PA hiring process in our guide to PA recruitment.

The post Five PA recruitment tips appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

When it comes to understanding what makes a good PA, it’s one thing learning about the tasks of a personal assistant, but to gain the full picture you’ll need a firm grasp of the top PA skills that support those tasks.

These range from administrative to time management and interpersonal skills.

The best personal assistants possess a balance of hard and soft skills that allow them to handle the admin side of the job and, as the name suggests, the personal side. Let’s look at what these personal assistant skills are.

Organisation and timekeeping

The first skill that will see a PA sink or swim is their ability to multitask. Staying on top of the workload is a must for any job, but because the daily duties of a PA are so varied and often at the mercy of other people’s schedules, they will need to have a knack for organising, prioritising, and sticking to deadlines. We recommend getting to know the many useful apps and tools for PAs that will help a PA manage multiple projects and calendars.

Clear communication

A personal assistant must filter out the barrage of noise coming their manager’s way, and pick out only the most pertinent points to feed through to them. The manager will want quick and concise updates that they can then make a decision on, so learning to ‘cut to the chase’ when speaking or writing should be a priority for a PA.

Attention to detail

Having a good eye and memory for small but important details is a superpower of personal assistants. Working at a fast pace on a mix of tasks means crucial information is always at risk of being lost, be it data for a report, flight times, or a top client’s email address, a PA will need to stay vigilant at all times.

Tech-savvy

While a PA won’t need to be a tech guru to do their job effectively, general computer and software fluency is essential. Programmes like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint will be a permanent fixture on their desktop for tasks like expenses, comms and presentations, while businesses will also expect a PA to be able to pick up their internal systems quickly.

Be a people person

The number one soft skill for the role of PA is sociability. As the first point of contact for their manager, PAs occasionally deal with frustrated or angry colleagues and clients, not to mention the manager themselves. So, the best PAs have a thick skin, calm temperament, and the ability to connect with all sorts of personalities, ensuring even the trickiest situations can be resolved.

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If you’re planning to apply for a PA job, being able to demonstrate these skills will greatly improve your desirability to a hiring manager, so don’t forget to include them on your personal assistant CV.

If you are looking to hire a personal assistant, read our guide to hiring a PA for a comprehensive rundown of every aspect of the recruitment process.

The post Five personal assistant skills you need to succeed appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Personal assistants may be known for their resourcefulness and can-do attitude, but even the best rely on a little help from smart tech to boost their productivity. These online services are becoming more and more vital with the rise of remote-working PAs and EAs.

In this list, we’ve highlighted the top software and apps designed to complement the most common personal assistant duties, including:

• Diary management
• Project management
• Travel & accommodation
• Expenses
• Comms

All the personal assistant resources listed below have desktop and smartphone versions, can be integrated with other apps and, best of all, have a free tier! So, what are the best PA and virtual assistant tools?

Diary management: Calendly

A big part of the personal assistant role is keeping on top of the manager’s diary. With new client appointments, team meetings and event invitations coming in from multiple platforms every day, a coordinating tool like Calendly is indispensable. It can integrate all online calendars into one place, and allow contacts to view a manager’s availability and book in a meeting – all without the long emails back and forth.

• Top tip: Include a link to Calendly in your email signature to make it even easier for contacts to secure a free slot.

Tidying up the to do list: Trello

Trello is hugely popular across industries and professions, and for good reason. It’s a customisable, easy-to-use, shareable task manager that helps teams work seamlessly together. PAs can organise theirs and their manager’s day-to-day tasks in a simple, visual style that will help to prioritise work, separate different projects, and set deadlines.

• Top tip: Are you currently using spreadsheets to create project plans and to do lists? Trello lets you convert these into its card-based system simply by copying and pasting it in.

Travel itinerary: TravelPerk

Booking and managing travel and accommodation can be a messy business. Shopping around for the best airline and hotel deals often means you end up juggling emails from different travel companies for every leg of a business trip. Enter TravelPerk: a one-stop shop for plane, train and hotel bookings! Personal assistants can view all tickets, amendments, and cancellations on their desktop or mobile, making one of the most stressful aspects of the role manageable.

• Top tip: For B Corp certified companies like Tiger, sustainable travel is a must. Use GreenPerk to not only offset your carbon footprint, but make meaningful contributions to environmental projects around the world.

Balancing the books: Expensify

With Expensify, PAs can create automatic expense reports, input physical receipts via photos, and even sync with apps like TravelPerk to import digital receipts. Cutting out tricky manual inputting makes this a real time-saver.

• Top tip: The optional Expensify Card can be used as a replacement for company credit cards, with customisable spending limits and smart fraud protection.

Flawless writing: Grammarly

Corresponding with clients and other senior partners on behalf of their manager is a significant responsibility for a PA. They will need excellent writing skills and an understanding of tone of voice. Grammarly is the perfect tool to help with this. Not only does it catch any grammatical errors that could reflect badly on the manager, but it will also suggest revisions to the writing to make it clearer, more concise, and appropriate to different audiences.

• Top tip: Use the ‘tone detector’ to choose between formal, neutral, and informal tones of voice – because we all let our emotions slip into our writing sometimes!

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With these tools in their arsenal, a PA will free up hours of time spent on admin, and in turn help their manager be more productive.

If you’re a PA starting to use these tools, don’t forget to add them to your CV! Refer to our personal assistant CV template for extra tips on getting ahead of the pack.

If you are looking to hire a personal assistant, read our guide to hiring a PA and get in touch with your requirements.

The post Five Essential Personal Assistant Tools appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Privacy Statement and Cookies Policy

The Company is a recruitment business that provides work-finding services to its clients and work-seekers. The
Company must process personal data (including sensitive personal data) so that it can provide these services – in doing
so, the Company acts as a data controller.

You may give your personal details to the Company directly, such as on an application or registration form or via our
website, or we may collect them from another source such as a jobs board. The Company must have a legal basis for
processing your personal data. For the purposes of providing you with work-finding services and/or information
relating to roles relevant to you we will only use your personal data in accordance with this privacy statement. At all
times we will comply with current data protection laws.

Contents

1. Collection and use of personal data
a. Purpose of processing and legal basis
b. Legitimate interest
c. Statutory/contractual requirement
d. Recipients of data
2. Information to be provided when data is not collected directly from the data subject
a. Categories of data
b. Sources of data
3. Overseas transfers
4. Data retention
5. Your rights
6. Automated decision making
7. Cookies
8. Login files
9. Links to external sites
10. Sale of the business
11. Data security
12. Changes to this privacy statement
13. Complaints or queries

1. Collection and use of personal data
a. Purpose of processing and legal basis

The Company will collect your personal data (which may include sensitive personal data) and will process your personal
data for the purposes of providing you with work-finding services. This includes, for example, contacting you about
job opportunities, assessing your suitability for those opportunities, updating our databases, putting you forward for
job opportunities, arranging payments to you and developing and managing our services and relationship with you
and our clients.

If you have opted-in we may also send you marketing information and news via email/text. You can opt-out from
receiving these at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” when you receive these communications from us.
In some cases we may be required to use your data for the purpose of investigating, reporting and detecting crime
and also to comply with laws that apply to us. We may also use your information during the course of internal audits
to demonstrate our compliance with certain industry standards.
We must have a legal basis to process your personal data. The legal bases we rely upon to offer our work-finding
services to you are:

• Your consent
• Where we have a legitimate interest
• To comply with a legal obligation that we have
• To fulfil a contractual obligation that we have with you

b. Legitimate interest

This is where the Company has a legitimate reason to process your data provided it is reasonable and does not go
against what you would reasonably expect from us. Where the Company has relied on a legitimate interest to process
your personal data our legitimate interests is/are as follows:

• To provide and undertake recruitment services;
• To assess data against vacancies the Company judge may be suitable for you;
• To send your information to clients so they can receive your application or assess your eligibility for jobs;
• To enable you to submit your CV or apply for jobs;
• To improve the Company’s service and to make the Company’s services more relevant to you (including updating
the Company’s website to enhance your digital experience);
• Where you have consented to being contacted, send you promotions, offers, networking events and market
information;
• To answer your queries;
• To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and the Company, or any
contracts the Company enters into with third parties in relation to providing you recruitment services;
• To facilitate the Company’s payroll and invoicing processes;
• To third parties that undertake references, qualifications and criminal reference checking services, the
verification of the details you have provided from a third-party source, psychometric or skills evaluation;
• To third parties, regulatory or law enforcement bodies if the Company believes that they are required to disclose
it in connection with a crime, the collection of taxes/duties, or in order to observe an applicable law or legal
proceedings.

c. Statutory/contractual requirement
The Company has certain legal and contractual requirements to collect personal data (e.g. to comply with the Conduct
of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, immigration and tax legislation, and in some
circumstances safeguarding requirements.) Our clients may also require this personal data, and/or we may need your
data to enter into a contract with you. If you do not give us personal data we need to collect we may not be able to
continue to provide work-finding services to you.

d. Recipient/s of data
The Company will process your personal data and/or sensitive personal data with the following recipients:
• Any of the Company’s branches;
• Third parties who require reference information relating to your past or future employment;
• Third party services providers who supply processing services or perform functions on the Company’s behalf;
• Outsourced IT and document storage providers that the Company has entered into contractual agreements with;
• Marketing technology suppliers and platforms;
• MSP and RPO suppliers, where the Company’s clients utilise these suppliers.

2. Information to be provided when data collected not from the data subject
Categories of data: The Company has collected the following personal data on you:
Personal data:
• Name
• Address
• Contact number
• Email

Source of the personal data: The Company sourced your personal data:

• From jobs boards, LinkedIn and company websites
• A former employer
• A referee whose details you previously provided to us
• Cookies listed in section 7

This information came from a publicly accessible source.

3. Overseas Transfers
The Company may transfer the information you provide to us to countries outside the European Economic Area (‘EEA’)
for the purposes of providing you with work-finding services. We will take steps to ensure adequate protections are
in place to ensure the security of your information. The EEA comprises the EU member states plus Norway, Iceland
and Liechtenstein.

4. Data retention
The Company will retain your personal data only for aslong as is necessary for the purpose we collect it. Different laws
may also require us to keep different data for different periods of time. For example, the Conduct of Employment
Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, require us to keep work-seeker records for at least one year
from (a) the date of their creation or (b) after the date on which we last provide you with work-finding services.
We must also keep your payroll records, holiday pay, sick pay and pensions auto-enrolment records for as long as is
legally required by HMRC and associated national minimum wage, social security and tax legislation. This is currently
three to six years.

Where the Company has obtained your consent to process your sensitive personal data, we will do so in line with our
retention policy. Upon expiry of that period the Company will seek further consent from you. Where consent is not
granted the Company will cease to process your sensitive personal data.

In addition to our obligations under the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations
2003, the Company will delete your personal data after three years if we have not had any meaningful contact with
you or if we do not hold any records on you that are in our legitimate interests to keep.
“Meaningful contact” means, for example, any form of contact between us in relation to the Company
assisting/providing recruitment services to you.

5. Your rights
Please be aware that you have the following data protection rights:
• The right to be informed about the personal data the Company processes on you;
• The right of access to the personal data the Company processes on you;
• The right to rectification of your personal data;
• The right to erasure of your personal data in certain circumstances;
• The right to restrict processing of your personal data;
• The right to data portability in certain circumstances;
• The right to object to the processing of your personal data that was based on a public or legitimate interest;
• The right not to be subjected to automated decision making and profiling; and
• The right to withdraw consent at any time.

Where you have consented to the Company processing your sensitive personal data you have the right to withdraw
that consent at any time by contacting Beanna Field, Compliance Officer at beanna.field@tiger-recruitment.co.uk.
Please note that if you withdraw your consent to further processing, this does not affect any processing done prior to
the withdrawal of that consent, or which is done according to another legal basis.

There may be circumstances where the Company will still need to process your data for legal or official reasons. Where
this is the case, we will tell you and we will restrict the data to only what is necessary for those specific reasons.
If you believe that any of your data that the Company processes is incorrect or incomplete, please contact us using the
details above and we will take reasonable steps to check its accuracy and correct it where necessary.
You can also contact us using the above details if you want us to restrict the type or amount of data we process for
you, access your personal data or exercise any of the other rights listed above.

6. Cookies Policy
We may obtain data about you from cookies. These are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites
that you visit. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide
information to the owners of the site. Cookies also enable us to deliver more personalised content.
The cookie-related information is not used to identify you personally and the pattern data is fully under our control.
These cookies are not used for any purpose other than those described here. The only third-party cookies we use on
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These cookies are needed for effective site usage and, as such, cannot be turned off.
These cookies do not gather information about you that could be used for other
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you have made to text size, font and other customisable elements. It also prevents
repeat processes such as pop-ups. Functionality cookies may also be used to provide
services you wish to use, such as watching video and commenting, and are usually
anonymous.

Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). This service uses
cookies to help us analyse how users navigate and interact with the site. The information generated by the cookie
includes your IP address and is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. It uses this
information to create reports on website activity for Tiger Recruitment and providing other services relating to website
activity and internet usage. Google may send this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or if
such third parties use the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other
data held by Google.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings.

7. Log Files
We use IP addresses to analyse trends, administer the site, track users’ movements, and to gather broad demographic
information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

8. Links to external websites

The Company’s website may contains links to other external websites. Please be aware that the Company is not
responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. When you leave our site we encourage you to read the privacy
statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies
solely to information collected by the Company’s website.

9. Sale of business
If the Company’s business is sold or integrated with another business your details may be disclosed to our advisers
and any prospective purchasers and their advisers and will be passed on to the new owners of the business.

10. Data Security
The Company takes every precaution to protect our users’ information. The Company uses the following security
measures to safeguard your data;

• Firewalls including anti-spyware software
• Anti-virus software
• Patching
• Anti-spam filters
• All data is backed up daily
• All files/data are stored on password protected systems

Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, consultants, our accounts clerk or
a marketing assistant) are granted access to your information.

The Company uses all reasonable efforts to safeguard your personal information. However, you should be aware that
the use of email/the Internet is not entirely secure and for this reason the Company cannot guarantee the security or
integrity of any personal information which is transferred from you or to you via email/the Internet.
If you share a device with others we recommend that you do not select the “remember my details” function when
that option is offered.

If you have any questions about the security at our website, you can email Beanna Field, beanna.field@tiger-recruitment.co.uk.

11.Changes to this privacy statement
Any changes to this Privacy Statement will be updated on this website as and when it is required. If at any time we use
personal data in a significantly different manner than from stated in this statement, we will notify you and you will be
able to decide if we are able to use this information in the new manner.

12.Complaints or queries
If you wish to complain about this privacy notice or any of the procedures set out in it please contact: Beanna Field,
beanna.field@tiger-recruitment.co.uk.

You also have the right to raise concerns with Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113 or at
https://ico.org.uk/concerns/, or any other relevant supervisory authority should your personal data be processed
outside of the UK, if you believe that your data protection rights have not been adhered to.

Annex A
a) The lawfulness of processing conditions for personal data are:
1. Consent of the individual for one or more specific purposes.
2. Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with the individual or in order to take steps at the
request of the individual to enter into a contract.
3. Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation that the controller is subject to.
4. Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the individual or another person.
5. Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of
official authority vested in the data controller.
6. Processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party,
except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights or freedoms of the
individual which require protection of personal data, in particular where the individual is a child.
b) The lawfulness of processing conditions for sensitive personal data are:
1. Explicit consent of the individual for one or more specified purposes, unless reliance on consent is prohibited
by EU or Member State law.
2. Processing is necessary for carrying out data controller’s obligations under employment, social security or
social protection law, or a collective agreement, providing for appropriate safeguards for the fundamental
rights and interests of the individual.
3. Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the individual or another individual where the
individual is physically or legally incapable of giving consent.
4. In the course of its legitimate activities, processing is carried out with appropriate safeguards by a foundation,
association or any other not-for-profit body, with a political, philosophical, religious or trade union aim and on
condition that the processing relates only to members or former members (or those who have regular contact
with it in connection with those purposes) and provided there is no disclosure to a third party without the
consent of the individual.
5. Processing relates to personal data which are manifestly made public by the individual.
6. Processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are
acting in their judicial capacity.
7. Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest on the basis of EU or Member State law which
shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respects the essence of the right to data protection and provide
for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and interests of the individual.
8. Processing is necessary for the purposes of preventative or occupational medicine, for assessing the working
capacity of the employee, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care or treatment or the
management of health or social care systems and services on the basis of EU or Member State law or a contract
with a health professional and subject to the necessary conditions and safeguards.
9. Processing is necessary for reasons of public interest in the area of public health, such as protecting against
serious cross-border threats to health or ensuring high standards of quality and safety of healthcare and of
medicinal products or medical devices, on the basis of EU or Member State law which provides for suitable
and specific measures to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the individual, in particular professional
secrecy.
10. Processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes
or statistical purposes, which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to
data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard fundamental rights and interests
of the individual.

The post Privacy Statement and Cookies Policy appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Asking your boss for more money can be a nervous conversation for many people. However, with proper preparation and research you can both improve your chances and plan out your next step, whatever the outcome. Here are five things to know before you begin the conversation.

1. Know the business

Make sure you know what the company’s policy is on pay rises. Some will only consider them at annual reviews whilst others will have pay grades that are reliant on an employee’s position within the company. If there is an employee handbook it may contain details on this. Otherwise consider the best person to ask, be it your manager or a more experienced colleague. Either way, if it goes against company policy your chances will be slim. By finding out ahead of time, you can save yourself what could be an awkward conversation.

2. Know the market

Ensure you understand who else is out there who could take your role. For example, if you’re a PA and someone with a similar level of experience could be available at your current wages, it’s not necessarily in your employer’s interest to meet your wishes. By knowing the market you can be realistic about the likely outcome of your request but also benchmark what you believe you should be earning. Equally, if they turn you down without reasonable consideration you will know what else is out there and can consider moving on to find your desired salary.

3. Know your value

While you may be valued at a certain price on paper, think about what else you offer the business. If you have built up intricate knowledge that will be hard to replace, demonstrate it. Be ready to talk about your achievements in your role and how you’ve benefited the company. If your job description has changed or been added to, ensure this is acknowledged. Be fully prepared to explain what you personally offer the business and why it’s in their best interest to keep you.

4. Know the details

Once you’ve checked you’re working within company policy, are being realistic with your request and have noted why you believe you deserve a raise, it’s time to get your details in order. Be clear, concise and plan what you’ll say, working out a conversation framework ahead of the meeting. Try and pre-empt any questions or challenges your employer may put forward and have a response. And, though it may seem obvious, know how much you’re asking for, ensuring you can explain how you arrived at that figure.

5. Know your next move

There are several likely outcomes from a pay rise request. Be ready to respond to all of them. In the best case scenario, your employer says ‘yes’. This is where you’ll need to know exactly how much you’re asking for and why. Your employer may counter so be prepared for this as well. If you are willing to accept less than your initial request, know by how much. If not, explain why.

You may hear a response that starts “No, but…”. Listen carefully to their reasoning here. It may be the case that they want to but are unable due to cut backs or cash flow issues. If this is the case you may be able to agree a time to next discuss the issue or find out what you need to do to reach an agreement now. Worst case scenario is a flat no. Be polite and gracious, and enquire into what steps you could take for a pay rise to become a consideration. You can then decide if these are worth your while. If not, it may be time to move on.

Are you looking for an employer who knows your value? Send us your CV or get in touch to discuss your next move.

The post How to ask for a pay rise… and get one appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

A company is only as good as its people. From the person who greets your customers on the reception desk, to the executives sat on the board, every employee represents a facet of your organisation to your customers and shareholders.

The consequences of poor recruitment and selection can include dips in employee productivity and morale, problems in workplace culture and impacted customer care. Appointing an ill-suited employee is a time-consuming and costly mistake for businesses and could negatively impact reputation and employer branding.

Hiring the right people, however, will help businesses to build a stellar reputation, drive growth and reduce staff turnover.

To ensure business success, it’s critical that hiring teams know how to identify the right candidates and understand the process of best-practice candidate selection. One of the most effective strategies for doing so is robust reference checking.

Why is reference checking important?

Due diligence in the recruitment process helps to ensure that the candidate in question possesses the qualifications and skills required for the role being filled. Reference checking can be extremely valuable in the hiring process as it helps hiring managers to leverage an opinion about a candidate’s capabilities from someone other than the candidate, which in turn helps them to gain a well-rounded picture of the individual, thus increasing the likelihood of a value alignment between the candidate and employer.

It may be difficult to believe that anyone, let alone a top tier candidate you have expertly sourced, would lie on their CV, but international surveys have shown that many have! The majority were dishonest about the duration of previous employment, gaps in employment or about their previous salary.

Using background checks to verify employment history and credentials can help hiring managers to spot dishonest candidates.

How good reference checking helps to improve hiring decisions:

• Gain an unvarnished opinion about a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
• Learn about the work habits, attitude, capability and skills of a desired candidate by talking to someone who has first-hand experience of working with them
• Form a realistic and objective opinion of the individual
• Verify whether a candidate’s claims about qualifications, experience and previous positions are true
• Understand how the candidate’s aspirations fit with the role in question
• Gain crucial insight into how the candidate performs on the job

Eight tips for conducting effective reference checks

Ensure that checks include the candidate’s most recent work references

It’s important to seek references from the person’s current or former managers and supervisors, and/or educational supervisors. If their current or former manager is not available, other alternatives could be an indirect manager with whom the individual worked, a co-worker or team member.

Check their criminal history

Reduce the chances of hiring an employee with a troubling criminal past and exposing your business to potential liability by conducting criminal record verifications. By establishing if a potential employee poses any threat to the business, you are protecting your customers, employees, and vendors.

Consider taking references over the phone

This gives you, as the hiring manager, the opportunity to ask questions on the fly and to check factual evidence about the candidate in question. It can also be very useful for detecting the level of enthusiasm, or lack thereof, in the tone of their voice.

Look up potential candidates on LinkedIn

To ensure they are who they say are, use LinkedIn to help you in the screening process. LinkedIn can be used to verify information on an applicant’s CV at any stage of the application process. Carefully review the applicant’s profile, recommendations and employment history.

Ask the referee open-ended questions

It’s imperative to ask open-ended and behavioural-based questions to obtain objective information about the individual’s work performance and achievements, technical and soft skills, work habits, attitude, strengths and areas of improvement.

Example reference checking questions:

• What is your relationship to the candidate?
• What roles did the candidate perform while at your company?
• For how long did they work with you?
• What were their main responsibilities?
• How did the candidate deal with the most challenging aspects of their role?
• What are the candidate’s professional strengths?
• What skills do you think this individual can develop further?
• Tell me about a time when x had to deliver a project within x timeframe
• What type of management style did this person work best under?
• What type of working environment did this person excel in?
• Describe a specific problem this person encountered in their role, and how they went about resolving it

Whilst not an open-ended question, it’s always a good idea to ask the referee if they would have the candidate work with them again, as well as paying attention to what the referee doesn’t say about the candidate.

Obtain a minimum of three references

It’s best to avoid seeking personal references as it’s unlikely a personal referee would have worked with the candidate. Their opinion is also likely to be biased and the best they would be able to provide is a character reference rather than a work reference.

Map out your reference-checking process carefully

To ensure consistency, it’s important to develop a process for stringent reference checking. Compose a list of carefully thought through questions that you would like to ask the referee, ensuring that these have been approved by the management team.

Take time to evaluate reference checks on completion

This is particularly important if you are seeking reference checks for multiple applicants. Consider if the information provided confirms or contradicts the impression you have of the candidate, and/or if they raise any concerns that need to be addressed. If you don’t feel satisfied with the information received from the referees, consider asking for additional references, or inviting the candidate for a further conversation to clarify anything you are unsure of.

The bottom line is, never make a hire without having first conducted a robust reference check. Even though the task elongates the hiring process, if you end up hiring the wrong person it will cost you more time, money and headaches further down the road.

If you’d like some help with implementing an effective reference checking process to ensure you are achieving candidate-organisation fit with every hire, please get in touch today.

If you’re looking for more top tips for hiring, our complete interview and selection guide for employers will help!

The post Tiger Recruitment’s guide to reference checking appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Engaging, motivating, and training employees are considered core goals for HR teams. Likewise, distinguishing and engaging candidates to reveal the best talent is an ongoing objective for talent acquisition teams. Gamification can help with all these and more, to deliver results, create momentum, and drive engagement and learning in both existing and prospective employees.

We’ve consulted four gamification experts: Helen Routledge, CEO of Totem Learning Limited; An Coppens, Founder of Gamification Nation; Emanuela Corazziari, Gamification Trainer at SAP; and Michiel Van Eunen, Experience Designer at Living Story, to understand the potential of gamification in HR and talent acquisition.

Gamification in practice

In simple terms, gamification involves the integration of game mechanics and design principles into non-game contexts. Gabe Zicherman and Christopher Cunningham define it as “using the way of thinking and the game rules in the game to engage the user and solve problems.” Gamification has been gaining popularity in business over the past few decades, with companies successfully using it to tap into the human psyche to engage employees and attract talent.

HR Trend Institute outlines the wide-reaching uses of gamification and how it can be applied to different areas of a business. Cisco, for example, successfully used gamification to build the social media and sales outreach skills of their employees, while also utilising a certification system and team challenges to incentivise employees. Similarly, HR Cloud analysed Ford Motor Company, “who launched a game that trained the staff about new vehicles models, configurations, and financial details, [and] saw a 417% increase in learning engagement.” Humans are naturally drawn to games and friendly competition. Introducing gamified elements to training, if done well, can invigorate the learning process and improve desired outcomes. In other words, as PwC’s Chief Learning Officer Leah Houde remarks, “business outcomes are tied to how well employees are engaged”.

Avoiding pitfalls

For gamification to succeed, HR should clarify its purpose in the first instance. Helen Routledge explains how gamification “leverages the principles that make games captivating to transform how individuals interact with learning, training, and work processes.” Further, “True gamification is not just giving someone a badge for showing up to a website, it is the understanding of human engagement, motivation, desire, and mastery.” This understanding is vital for utilising gamification effectively in HR.

Michiel Van Eunen also warns against overlooking the potential downsides of technology-enabled gamification, such as feelings of surveillance. He advises HR professionals to carefully select gamification tools that align with their goals and employee preferences. While the promise of gamification is compelling, Emanuela Corazziari acknowledges the need for strategic implementation. She highlights the importance of recognising that not all gamification approaches fit every organisation. Companies should always test and learn, and find the right blend of gamification techniques and traditional methods in their HR and talent acquisition practices.

Improved onboarding

Gamification can also make a significant impact on employee onboarding, with a key strength being “instant feedback”. This allows the onboarding process to happen remotely, or before a new hire starts, and in a stimulating way. It is also efficient, with less supervision required from managers in a gamified training setting, reducing the amount of resources required in the onboarding.

According to research by Glassdoor, “a strong onboarding process improves retention rates by 82% and productivity rates by 70%.” In addition, TalentLMS found that “83% of those who receive gamified training feel motivated, while 61% of those who receive non-gamified training feel bored and unproductive”. Gamification can help employees identify with a company early on, thereby increasing their motivation and ability to retain information in the onboarding process. Given that the onboarding process is key to improving retention rates, gamification can help businesses save money and integrate new hires faster and more efficiently.

Gamification can be particularly effective with younger workers, with research by Business News Daily demonstrating that “gamification is especially effective when onboarding a digitally native workforce.” As companies compete to stand out and retain a new generation of workers, it’s clear that gamified onboarding can help Gen Z employees acclimatise to an organisation extremely effectively.

Employee engagement

When it comes to motivating employees, gamification “can increase employee engagement in an organization and can keep up employees’ efforts to continuously improve upon existing work.” The benefits of an engaging learning environment cannot be understated, and regular gamified training can motivate employees to self-develop and apply their learning. This is reinforced by An Coppens, who highlights that gamification “taps into what motivates people, offering them a sense of achievement and reward.” This is particularly effective with a younger workforce, who are accustomed to interactive and technology-driven experiences.

HR teams should ensure that the progress is being tracked, and anonymous surveys or feedback forms can be used to gauge how useful employees are finding it.

Gamification can be applied in many ways, and elements can be utilised by both large corporations with big training budgets, and smaller companies searching for cheap productivity boosts. Examples include “real-life work scenarios, microlearning-based games, and leaderboards”, which can be mixed and matched to form bespoke training programmes that suit individual organisations, teams, and budgets. With any employee engagement initiative, HR teams should ensure that the progress is being tracked, and anonymous surveys or feedback forms can be used to gauge how useful employees are finding it.

Micro-learning, where training is split into short sessions, is often linked with gamification, and Vardarlier looks at how “the use of gamification elements can encourage learning in small steps to improve their competence by identifying employees’ ways of learning and giving feedback on their progress.” Business News Daily describes how “gamification tactics, such as interactive visuals and infographics, can help people retain up to three times as much information as they would otherwise.”

Gamification in hiring

By incorporating gamified tasks in a hiring process, talent acquisition teams can create role-based scenarios to better assess a candidate’s suitability for the position. This also contributes to minimising any bias that might come from CV assessment alone. By levelling the playing field, more introverted candidates may also showcase their abilities that might otherwise be suppressed in a traditional interview setting. Overall, gamification can help employers recruit more diverse candidates and ensures that they hire the ‘best person for the job’. Routledge states, “A game doesn’t care who you are… it just wants to know can you do the job.” This equitable approach to assessment can help companies modernise their hiring practices.

To Gen Z workers, who place immense importance on work-life balance and company values, a gamified hiring process can reflect positively on an employer’s brand.

Corazziari agrees and points out that gamification allows candidates to showcase their “actual competencies and agility.” In the context of talent acquisition, this aspect is particularly valuable for candidates who are transitioning to new industries or career paths. While traditional assessments might overlook transferable skills, gamified scenarios can provide a platform for candidates to demonstrate their adaptability and relevant skills, leading to a fairer evaluation process.

To Gen Z workers, who place immense importance on work-life balance and company values, a gamified hiring process can reflect positively on an employer’s brand. Embracing ‘fun as a strategy’, as described by Vardarlier, provides an edge in the competition to attract top Gen Z talent. This is mirrored by Van Eunen, who emphasises that gamification introduces “a sense of competition and instant feedback.” This competitive element can translate seamlessly into talent acquisition, where candidates are more likely to invest time and effort into a recruitment process that resembles a game. By leveraging gamification in recruitment, employers gain a competitive edge in attracting top talent who are drawn to interactive and engaging experiences.

Employee bonding and collaboration

An article by Forbes showcases how “successful gamification can empower employees to perform their best, foster collaboration and celebrate and recognise employee achievement. Beyond these benefits, gamification can help create the all-important bond between company and employee.” When part of their regular training programme, employees work in a fun and collaborative way, for example by implementing games, challenges, quizzes, and spin-to-wins. Adding prizes can further increase the motivation and friendly competitiveness that is being sparked by gamification.

The Research Journal of Business and Management notes that the “effect of gamification is also reflected in the social lives of employees, and employees’ ability to establish communication and social relationships increases.” This is echoed by Coppens, who emphasises playfulness and its role in fostering positive work culture. Coppens notes, “Through play or playful experiences… we are tapping into a very primal instinct.” By incorporating playful elements, teams can build stronger connections, elevate morale, and reveal authentic selves.

________________________

HR and talent acquisition continue to evolve, but what is clear is that gamification has the potential to reshape work culture, streamline hiring processes, and foster team unity. With a strategic and inclusive approach to gamification, organisations can harness its potential to shape HR practices – leading to engaged employees, more effective learning outcomes, and an improved position in attracting and retaining talent.

The post Gamification in HR appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Your new job advert has only been live on job listings sites for a few days and it already received a hundred applications, and growing. With numbers like that, how can you sift through CVs to find the gems?

In this guide, we’ll talk through how to screen CVs effectively, breaking down large volumes of applications into manageable shortlists of the most promising candidates.

Once you’ve mastered the CV screening process, check out our Complete Interview and Selection Guide.

The Importance of Effective CV Screening in the Hiring Process

Learning how to screen CVs of applicants promises huge benefits for yourself as the hiring manager, and for your business. Cutting a longlist of candidates down to only the best fits will save time in the interview process, not to mention save money that might otherwise be wasted on a poorly-chosen employee.

Understanding the Basics of CV Screening: What to Look for and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Screening a CV can be broken down into five key steps:

• Understanding the job description
• Categorising candidates
• Evaluating key skills
• Identifying red flags
• Scoring the CV

By following this plan, you will be able to filter out inappropriate, unqualified candidates, and keep hold of those with the perfect skillset and values. You will also be able to identify those who may not be perfect on paper, but show promise in unexpected ways.

Familiarise Yourself With The Job Description

The first step in analysing an applicant’s suitability for a job is to improve your own knowledge of the job. The job description will lay out all the tasks, alongside expected skills and experience of a successful applicant, so this should be your first port of call. Becoming completely familiar with every aspect of the role will help you quickly spot CVs that tick every box, those that are lacking, and those that have enough transferable skills to catch your attention.

Categorise Candidates

Once your job advert is live, you may well have a flood of applications in a short time. This can be overwhelming, so it’s helpful to have a plan to keep on top of everything. You can cut out much time and effort by categorising applications after a first quick review:

• Qualified – these candidates meet all the criteria of your job. Applications in this category will receive a more in-depth review, and likely an interview
• Possibly qualified – candidates who may not meet all the criteria, but show promising signs. These will be given consideration, and several will secure an interview
• Unqualified – for candidates who do not demonstrate the required criteria. This is the ‘no’ pile, and will greatly speed up the screening process

Evaluate CV For Key Skills

With your applications categorised, you can begin taking a closer look at the CVs to find those with the strongest and most relevant skill set. Pay attention to any desirable qualifications, training, on-the-job experience, and transferable skills that could benefit the role in question. The latter skills are always worth evaluating, as they bring a new approach to the work that could identify areas for improvement.

Identify Red Flags

A red flag on a job applicant’s CV could be an unexplained gap in their employment, a series of short stints with different companies, or unusual career changes. Everyone’s career path is different, and some are very varied and interesting, but these signs could point to someone who isn’t as engaged as they will need to be for the role you are hoping to fill.

If these candidates secure an interview, it’s important to question them on these aspects of their career and determine whether they are enthusiastic about this potential role and committed to the long term.

Score CVs

When you have categorised and evaluated the CVs, give each a score. It could be a grade, a mark out of 10, 100 – score it however you like, but try to do so in the most neutral way, based on the evidence they’ve given for their suitability.

It’s important to strive for neutrality in the hiring process as a way of tackling unconscious bias. Despite our best intentions, there is always a risk of unconscious bias based on gender, sexuality, race, or religion playing a part in our choices. A scoring system can help cut down this risk, and improve a company’s diversity, equity and inclusion hiring, which has many benefits.

For example, you could create a checklist of the most desirable skills or qualifications you are looking for, each gaining one point for the candidate. This way you can build an unbiased list of the top candidates to take to the next stage of the hiring .

How Tiger Recruitment Can Help

Our consultants see hundreds of CVs week after week and are experts at sorting the wheat from the chaff. They will work with you to cut down applications into manageable shortlists, to which you can then apply your own critical eye.

If you’re ready to find top talent in a more efficient and effective way, reach out today with your requirements.

The post How to screen CVs: a comprehensive guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

If you’re thinking of hiring domestic staff to take on some of the burden of running a household, we can help.

In this blog we’ll take you through each step of the hiring process, from identifying your household support needs, to creating a job description, interviewing, and finally recruiting experienced staff.

1. Assess Business Needs

Everyone’s household needs are different, and to ensure you’re spending money in the right place when hiring domestic staff, you should do a full assessment of your personal needs before approaching a domestic recruitment agency.

2. Identifying the specific roles and responsibilities you require

The needs of your household will inform the type of staff you hire. For example, your requirements may include:

• Greeting guests
• Cooking
• Property security
• Household management
• Estate management

3. Creating Job Descriptions

An accurate and detailed job description is one of the most effective tools when hiring domestic staff. Recruitment consultants will help you finesse the document to target the most relevant, experienced candidates.

4. Advertise Job

With your job description ready, you can now work with your recruitment agency to craft an appealing job advert. This will include the description, as well as details of salary, benefits, and a small amount about the household they would be working within. Job adverts will typically be posted on your recruiter’s own jobs board and, with your permission, partner job boards they work with.

5. Screen CVs

As applications for your domestic role begin to roll in, your recruitment consultant will build a shortlist of the best candidates, cutting out any without the relevant experience. To decide which of these shortlisted candidates to interview, you will need to screen their CVs carefully, something your consultant will be able to assist with. Check for relevant experience, skills, values, and previous employers who could be contacted for referrals. You should also run a PCC check on all applicants before progressing to the interview stage.

6. Interviews

By this point you should have a strong understanding of a candidate’s employment history and skillset. The interview is a chance to get a better idea of their values, and to test some of those skills. As domestic staff will have close contact with your personal life, it is best practice to conduct face-to-face, or at least video call interviews, to find out whether you feel comfortable with them.

7. Recruiting Candidates

When you have made your choice on a new employee for your household, you will need a formal contract to finalise the recruitment process. Remember, you should still consult a lawyer to be sure the contract is legally binding.

Tiger also offers a payroll and contract service, which can take on much of this work, and give you some distance from employees if you prefer more privacy.

8. Onboarding Candidates

The final step in hiring domestic staff is the onboarding process. With household support, this will involve basics such as orienting them around the property, drawing up their schedule, and laying down any ground rules to follow while they are on-site. If you hire a butler, house manager, or estate manager, or house manager, much of the training and onboarding process for other household staff will then be handled by them.

Managing Your Domestic Staff

Household employees require ongoing management, and this aspect of hiring domestic staff should be planned for well in advance. If the daily admin becomes too much work as the domestic team grows, it’s advisable to hire a house manager or a butler.

Looking To Recruit Domestic Staff

Whether you’re looking for housekeepers, butlers, or gardeners, temporary or permanent, we can provide you with exceptional staff. Our expert team will advise on hiring for any role and any property type, so please get in touch with your requirements and we will be happy to set up a consultation.

The post Hiring household staff appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

When applying for a PA job, you should use every tool at your disposal to make the strongest case possible for yourself. The first and most important step should be an up-to-date and compelling personal assistant CV, but don’t neglect the icing on the cake – a personal assistant cover letter.

Cover letters are not always required by an employer but, where possible, we highly advise that you include one in your job applications. Many hiring managers still use them to distinguish the most enthusiastic and suitable applicants, and they’re a perfect way to showcase your writing skills and personality ahead of an interview.

Here we’ll give you a step-by-step guide to writing a personal assistant cover letter, with a downloadable PA cover letter example.

A step-by-step guide to writing a PA cover letter

A covering letter for personal assistant jobs can be treated as an expanded version of your PA personal statement on your CV. As with the personal statement, a cover letter will highlight your relevant skills, experience and character traits that are perfect for a PA job! But it’s also a chance to show your enthusiasm for the specific job and company, and explain why you’ll be a perfect fit.

In the simplest terms, your PA cover letter should tell the hiring manager:

• Who you are and why you’re applying for this role
• Your prior work experience and the skills attained
• Specific challenges and achievements in your career and how your skills and personality played a part in them
• How those same skills and personality traits will benefit the prospective employer

It’s best practice to keep the document to around one page and use the active voice to make your writing more powerful. Sentences in the active voice describe a subject performing an action on an object, whereas the passive voice describes an object having an action performed on it by the subject. For example, the active sentence “I increased the company’s efficiency by 30%” is much more direct and punchy than the passive version: “The company’s efficiency was increased 30% by me”.

Let’s look at each section of your personal assistant cover letter in detail:

1. Introduction

This is the ‘who and why’ of the piece. Keep it short and sweet, but show your interest in the position and company.

Perhaps you’re applying because you respect the company’s commitment to sustainability, or are a lifelong fan of their products and would love to be part of the team. Whatever it is, be honest in your reasons. In our PA cover letter example, the applicant is applying for a travel company, and highlights their love of travelling as part of the reason for their interest in the position.

If you know the hiring manager’s name, address the letter to them to give an added personal touch, but be careful to do your research and match the level of formality to the company culture.

2. Work experience, skills, and qualifications

Always keep the aim of your letter in mind so, when detailing previous jobs, focus on those that will get the hiring manager sit up and take notice. For a personal assistant cover letter, these will of course be any previous PA positions but, if you’re new to the PA role, it could be team assistant, office assistant, or even customer services roles that display your people skills.

Regardless of your depth of experience as a PA, the important thing in this section is to tie any jobs and the skills involved back to the question at hand: why are you the best person for this PA job?

This is also an opportunity to note any relevant PA certifications or qualifications you have.

3. Challenges & Achievements

By this point, your impressive list of prior employers and skillset have caught the hiring manager’s attention but, if you leave it at that, their answer will simply be “so what?”

There are any number of personal assistants out there with similar credentials who are doing a passable job. You need to show a new employer that you’ve done excellent work and will do so for them too. So, how do you do that?

A simple formula to follow is:

• Describe a challenge you encountered at work
• How did you use your skills and personality traits to overcome it?
• What was the outcome and how did it benefit the business?

Try to find two or three of these achievements that highlight your adaptability to different challenges. Don’t be shy to take credit for your achievements – use ‘I’, not ‘we’. While it’s important to show you work well with others, taking ownership of your successes shows your confidence and pride in doing a good job.

4. Benefits to the prospective employer

Now that you’ve shown proof of the value you can offer to the company or individual you’ll be assisting, all that’s left to do is to circle back to the opening points of your letter – why you want this PA job, and why you’re the best person for the role. Spell it out to the hiring manager in a punchy summary to leave them with the most important points clear in their mind.

It’s great practice to make it as easy as possible to follow up. Let them know when you’re free for a call, or even suggest a day and time. Another tip is to ask someone trustworthy to proofread your cover letter before sending. As the letter is an example of your level of writing skill, you want to be sure you’ve cleaned any typos, grammar slips, or confusing sentences.

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Download our personal assistant cover letter example to see all these points put into practice.

If you haven’t already, register with us to get the ball rolling on your PA job search!

The post Four steps to writing a personal assistant cover letter appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Are you looking to kick-start a career as a personal assistant? Do you have the perfect skillset for this challenging role, but can’t quite put it into words?

We’ve all been there – it can be tricky to write about yourself in a way that shows off your best qualities. That’s why we’ve put together an ideal PA CV example and tips to help get you on the right track.

Of course, no two CVs will ever be the same. The trick to a great personal assistant CV is to take all your achievements and experience, before tailoring to highlight those most relevant to the job at hand.

What should a personal assistant CV include?

A PA’s CV should include a profile (or bio), personal details, your skills, employment history, achievements, education and interests. Your personal details, employment history, and education will always need to remain untouched, so let’s look at the areas you can use to your advantage.

Profile – the elevator pitch

The profile section of your CV is where you can really sell yourself for the specific job at hand. And just like any great sales pitch, it should be brief, compelling and to-the-point.

It’s an opportunity to shine a light on the most impressive, relevant points from elsewhere in your experience, as well as flaunt your passion for the role.

In our personal assistant CV example, the aspiring jobseeker has noted their skills, desirable traits, and motivation for seeking a PA role.

Skills – the test drive

The hiring manager will want to see that your abilities are up to scratch for the job – to kick the tyres as it were. So, you’ll need to demonstrate you have all the bells and whistles they want.

While you mustn’t change the job titles or dates in your employment history, you certainly should cherry-pick the most relevant duties those jobs entailed, and the skills they taught you.

These are known as ‘transferable skills’, and you’ll have many more than you might suspect! Our example jobseeker’s previous role as a waitress taught them to be calm under pressure, as well as the importance of timely service. Another role as an office administrator involved proofreading and travel booking, while another lists expenses management – those all sound like classic PA skills to us!

Achievements – the proof

Alongside your employment history and key responsibilities, you should list your achievements in the roles. Why? These demonstrate exactly what you contributed to your previous employer and how it benefited them. Keeping your achievements concise and to-the-point will allow your future employer to quickly envision how you might also add value to their business.

Interests – the charm

It may seem like a minor section of a CV, but writing about your interests is the most powerful way to get across your personality. The clue is in the job title, Personal Assistant – you’ll need to show why you’ll click with your principal!

You can be especially selective here, depending on the business or individual you’re applying to work with. Think about aspects of your hobbies and passions that further highlight your suitability for the role.

Our example personal assistant CV talks about taking part in football tournaments since childhood. You can frame this as being a natural team-player, with the dedication to stick at it for the long haul. Likewise, a love of travelling may not seem relevant, but didn’t that require a knack for planning, preparation, flight and accommodation booking? All music to the ears of a PA hiring manager!

By applying these tips, you can turn a stale, uninformative CV into one that hits all the important points, and does so in your own unique voice. This will immediately help you stand out from the competition, especially in such a personality-focused role as a PA.

Download PDF here:

Tiger Recruitment – Personal Assistant CV template (AE)

Ready to put that freshly polished CV to work? Apply for PA roles on our jobs board now!

The post Writing a personal assistant CV appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Why asking your interviewer questions is important

Interviews can often be a dreaded part of the recruitment process. Regardless of whether they’re a panel interview, video interview or phone interview however, they’re integral to your understanding of the PA job and the prospective employer. And, asking your interviewer well-researched and considered questions presents an opportunity to emphasise your enthusiasm for the open vacancy.

It’s likely that a well-prepped interviewer will set out the agenda for the meeting at the beginning, advising whether they’d welcome questions throughout the interview or at the end (be aware, there may be interviewers who are ill-prepared!). If this isn’t mentioned, however, we generally advise to try and keep the conversation as two-way as possible.

Every question you ask the employer affords you an opportunity to highlight your own skills too! By framing your questions appropriately, you can convey your strengths and examples of previous performance in an interactive and proactive way. For example, when asking about process improvement, you could say, “At my last organisation, I set up a committee for all the PAs to meet once a month so that we could share tips and improve processes. Do you have anything similar in place here?”.

How long does a PA interview last?

A typical PA interview will last about an hour and we would normally expect you to have seen a copy of the full job description beforehand.  There will usually be two or three stages to a PA interview process – but we have seen this take a lot longer depending on the company and seniority of the position.

Example questions PAs can ask their employer in interview

1. How many PAs are working in the company at the moment and how do you allocate executives to PAs?

This question will help you to better understand the make-up of the PA team, as well as how the management team view the business support function. Do they recognise its importance or do they, for the most part, try to push senior execs to do the admin for themselves? It might also shed some light on your support network once you’re working for the company (moral and professional!).

2. What are the key goals you’d like to see me achieving in the first three months?

Having a better understanding of the key objectives will give you better clarity around what is important to them. It might be that they want you to focus on getting your head around the different time zones you’ll be working with, in which case you’ll know that that’s the key priority.

3. Can you tell me more about the personalities of the people I’d be assisting?

As you know, personal assistant jobs are so much more than what’s listed in the job description. Having a better understanding of their personalities is likely to give you a better insight into whether or not you’d be comfortable working for them. If the fit doesn’t feel right, you might need to weigh up the pros and cons of the other aspects of the role.

4. What traits do the most successful PAs in the company have?

Having a greater insight into the other PAs’ perceived successes affords you a glimpse of what they deem to be positive. If you’re very lucky, their successes will be things that you already do and know back-to-front!

5. What technology do the PAs and EAs typically use in the company?

This will give you a better understanding of any knowledge gaps you might have, or an opportunity to let them know you have experience in what they’re using! Knowing their use of tech also gives you a sneak peek into how innovative the business is, in that regard.

6. Aside from the people I’m supporting as a PA, who will be my main stakeholders?

Some PAs only spend a few minutes each day with their executives. Knowing who else you spend time with will play an important part in your enjoyment of the position!

7. What do you feel are the main challenges of this PA opportunity?

Having an understanding of the perceived challenges affords you greater insight into the obstacles you might need to overcome. This will hopefully give you an opportunity to get a fuller understanding of the cons as well as the pros.

8. Tell me about your working style and how you like to work with your PA?

This question is obviously directed towards the executive you’d be supporting, rather than an HR representative. Having a sense of their preferred working style gives an awareness of how closely you’ll be working together, how involved you’ll be with their projects and the day-to-day detail of their requirements.

9. Will I have access to your inbox and will I be responding to emails on your behalf?

Email management has the potential to take a significant chunk of time in a personal assistant’s job. Depending on whether this is something you enjoy, it’s always best to know ahead of time if this is something you’ll be doing.

10. Are there any additional areas of responsibility that I can take on, such as committee work or events management, in other areas of the business?

This question should be phrased carefully, to ensure that there are no misconceptions about your enthusiasm for the role at hand. That said, asking about ways you can add value elsewhere in the business will be well-received in the right context.

11. Do you have any initiatives in place to train and develop your PAs?

The question on many PAs’ minds, when interviewing, surrounds career progression and learning and development (L&D) opportunities. Does the company support advancement and how will they support your professional growth? Instead of asking specifically about career progression before you’ve secured the role, knowing how they structure their L&D will give you a glimpse of the ways in which they can support your growth.

12. Do any events or forums exist for PAs within the business in which they can come together and share ideas?

This demonstrates a consideration of bigger-picture continuous improvement and an ability to look outside of your own role. The advantages of collaboration and team building are also significant.

If you’ve not already submitted your CV, you can do so here.

The post Personal assistants, ask the employer these questions in your next interview appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

After searching far and wide, you’ve found the ideal personal assistant job to apply for. You have the traits required of a great PA, and you’ve made sure they’re all listed clearly your CV. But before you hit that apply button, there’s one more area that needs close attention if you want to stand out to the hiring manager: the personal statement.

Writing an effective personal statement on your CV can have a substantial impact on your job hunt and the success of your application. It will sum up why you’re the perfect fit for the role, and encourage the employer to read on and see the proof. But it’s not always easy to write.

To help you in this process, we’ve put together a list of tips to give you clarity and confidence when writing the best possible personal statement on your CV.

What do you write in a CV personal statement?

On your CV, the personal statement provides a brief overview to the hiring managers of your character, your ambitions, and what you can offer.

In the case of a personal assistant role, it should of course highlight your relevant skills, experience, and the sectors you’ve specifically worked in. But you should also pay special attention to the personality traits that are so crucial to this role.

Below, you’ll find some more specific guidelines to make a great first impression with your CV summary.

Keep it concise

Your CV personal statement should be brief and to-the-point — ideally three to four lines long. The hiring manager will be interested in learning more about you, but they won’t have time to read a whole biography. Keep it punchy and relevant, and therefore effective.

Focus on readability

Don’t get too creative with your vocabulary — keep it simple!

In an effort to sound different or knowledgeable by using very sophisticated words, the risk is that your personal statement will be hard to read. The tone should be professional, but when it comes to the choice of words, sometimes less is more.

Don’t forget to dot the i’s and cross the t’s

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make grammar mistakes when writing a personal statement on a CV.  When the goal is to keep it concise and simple, you may feel there’s no need for a grammar check, but it’s always best practice to proof-read. It might also be worth using a tool like Grammarly for extra help.

In conclusion

The goal of your personal statement, when applying for a PA role, is to spark the interviewer’s interest in those first few lines. If you can grab their attention early, they will be more likely to read your full CV and offer you an initial interview. Focusing on the above points will go a long towards achieving this.

Are you not registered with us yet? Submit your details here and let us help you find the perfect personal assistant role!

The post How to write a personal assistant CV profile appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.

Thank you for choosing to register with Tiger Recruitment Limited. We hope that we can assist you with your job search, whether permanent or temporary. In the current market, we are hearing of an increasing number of incidents concerning the behaviour of a number of “rogue” agencies behaving unscrupulously.

Tiger Recruitment Limited promises to never send your CV to clients without your prior authorisation. We ask that you agree to this confidentiality agreement, which states that you will not in any circumstance release the name of any client, of the details of a position, that a Tiger Recruitment consultant speaks to you about.

You, as a registered candidate of Tiger Recruitment Limited, hereby confirm that the information given throughout the registration process is true and correct. You have omitted no facts that could affect your future employment. You understand that Tiger Recruitment Limited, in accordance with our legitimate interest to provide work finding services, will collect and process your personal data. Tiger Recruitment will use your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You understand your references will be contacted should your job search include temporary work. If, during the course of a temporary assignment, the client wishes to employ you directly, you acknowledge that Tiger Recruitment will be entitled either to charge the client an introduction/transfer fee, or to agree an extension of the hiring period with the client (after which you may be employed by the client without further charge being applicable to the client).

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For both novice and seasoned interviewers, interviewing for a technical position can seem daunting. If your company is looking to hire a specialist in-house, it may mean you’re in the position of hiring for a role you know little about. If you find yourself in this position with a software engineer, the below guide will help you get the best out of the experience.

What is a software engineer?

The first thing you need to do in preparation for conducting the interview is to understand the role of a software engineer. Software engineering is a segment of computer science that focuses on building and developing computer and applications software. So, when a company wants to hire a software engineer, they will typically refer to either applications engineers or systems engineers.

• Applications engineers develop user-focused programs such as databases and web browsers.
• Systems engineers develop programs such as operations systems and computing utilities.

You or your business may consider employing a software engineer due to the increasing use and reliance on sophisticated and customised technologies, such as mobile technology.

Key skills to look for in a software engineer

Software engineers are in high demand for their skills in developing business applications, middleware, operating systems and network control systems. So, what does a software engineer do and specific skills do you need to look for on their CV?

Depending on the purpose of hiring, you should look for experience and knowledge in:

• Algorithms and data structures
• Debugging software
• Design and architecture
• Fundamentals of computer science
• Information analysis
• Programming and codebases
• Testing software

It would help if you also looked for the following soft skills, many of which you might look for when interviewing for other roles within your business:

• Attention to detail
• Communication skills
• Cooperation/working well in teams
• Love of learning/innovation
• Perseverance
• Project management

Ten software engineering interview questions

To get you started on the right track towards hiring the best software engineer for your needs, you can weave these software engineer interview questions into your preparation:

• Describe a time you explained a technical project to non-technical stakeholders. How did you ensure everyone understood it?
• Which systems do you use for managing projects and tasks?
• Which programming languages are you most familiar with?
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a colleague who had a negative impact on the team. How did you raise the issue of their behaviour and what was the result?
• Describe a situation you’ve encountered when several teammates disagreed. How did you resolve the problem, and what might you do differently in the future?
• When a project leader or manager hands you a task, how do you ensure you’ve completely understood all requirements?
• Tell me about a time you were the lead on a product or application development project. How did you make sure the team worked together to ensure the deadline was met?
• Describe an instance where you had a critical application error. How did you and your team work through the emergency, and what you might do differently in the future?
• Which of the following have you used: Agile, XP, Scrum, Lean, or PRINCE2? Which is your favourite project methodology?
• Describe the process you use for writing code and how you make sure it is capable of handling various error situations.

You might also like to delve deeper into your candidate’s experience in updating outdated systems, designing scalable applications, and working under stress.

The post How to identify a fantastic software engineer: an interviewer’s guide appeared first on Tiger Recruitment.