So you have successfully managed to get to the interview stage of the job that you desperately want, but what comes next?

You need to show the interviewers what you are really made of and impress the socks off of them to secure the job you have been dreaming of.

Part of the interview process may require you to answer some competency based interview questions. These assess your past experiences and analyse the way you may manage future situations.

You may tell your interviewer that you can ‘think outside of the box’ but why not show them? Go above and beyond and demonstrate that your claims are reality.

One way to shine like the star that you are is by following the STAR interview approach. This technique guides you through answers by explaining the situation, task, approach and result of a scenario. You’ll see your name in lights on broadway for sure with our tips:

Situation – It is good to give an overview in order to set the context of your story. Don’t forget to keep it brief and try not to waffle on. Stick to explaining the who, what, where and when to your interviewer for best results!

Task – Describe the task that you needed to complete to the interviewer and don’t forget to specify the role that you played in the scenario – as this is what they are looking for.

Approach – Ask yourself how did you approach the task? Were you successful at overcoming the challenges that you faced? It is a good idea to give a step by step guide focusing on the detail of the event.

Result – What was the outcome? Explain the direct results of your actions and show just how fab you really are. It may be an idea to back this up with quantifiable achievements. This will really impress the interviewer and help score you those extra brownie points.

You may have no idea what competency questions will be asked in your interview, but you can prepare several examples of past experiences to practice before you head on in. This will help to calm those nerves as you will feel prepped and raring to go!

Preparation is key and giving your interviewer specific, meaningful answers will showcase your suitability as a candidate, screaming “pick me, pick me” in the best possible way.

We know you can do it, so go on – be a STAR!

For more information on the sectors that Selective Group work in, visit our website or email us on info@selective-group.com or call 01235 462 900.

1. Counter Offers – It’s a no from me.
2. Why those top job lists might not be so top of the pops
3. Refer a Friend
4. Golf Day Success – Supporting Helen and Douglas House

You’ve decided to leave your job in search of a new, exciting change. But just as you’re about to leave, your manager throws a massive curveball in the form of a counter offer!

This may appear to be a big complement, but there could be many reasons why your boss has suddenly decided they would like to improve your pay or working conditions, or whatever else is offered. However, in many situations it may just be too little, too late.

Here are some of the reasons why you may want to reconsider accepting a counteroffer, after all it may not be all that it seems!

It May Not Resolve All The Issues

If the only reason you are unhappy in your job is because you aren’t being paid enough, then a counteroffer may solve all your employment woes. However, it will not necessarily stop you from being overworked, under appreciated, or change your working conditions. Does the offer improve your job in the long run, or is it just a temporary solution? There must have been a reason you wanted to leave – don’t be tempted by a sugar coated offer!

Loyalty May Be Questioned

Even if you ultimately decided to stay, it does not change the fact that you, for whatever reason, were unhappy and ready to go. This could leave your manager and your co-workers questioning your loyalty to your job and leave them questioning how long you are actually going to stay.

It May Not Be Because You Are Valued

Although it may appear to be a big complement, do you really know the reasons behind why your manager now so desperately wants you to stay? Finding, hiring and training someone else is a time-consuming and inconvenient task. Does your boss really want you to stay, or are they saving themselves from such an unpleasant task? Don’t be fooled!

Is It Just Because You Are Leaving?

You worked in those conditions, with the same amount of pay for a while and there is only a hope of them changing now because you are about to leave. Do you really want to carry on working in an environment where you have to take such drastic measures to improve your job satisfaction? If you were leaving for a valid reason just go walk out the door…

Long Term Consequences

If part of your counteroffer was being given a raise or a promotion, what could happen in the long-run? Could this mean that you miss out in the next round of promotions, even though you are still working really hard? Or could it put you at risk of redundancy? Will you be in the same situation in a couple of months, unhappy and stuck?

Moving On

By staying in the same job and accepting a counter offer, you could be missing out on other opportunities that could further your career, or that could just make you happier in general. Would you regret not finding something different, or constantly be wondering what could have happened?

Are You Going To Leave Anyway?

The offer may have temporarily made life a bit easier, but there was still a reason you wanted out. If you know deep down that ultimately you are going to leave, then are you just putting yourself a couple of months behind where you would have been anyway.

Commitments With Future Employer

If you have found a new job and have got an offer, and then you have to turn around and refuse that offer after deciding to stay, then you may have missed out on any potential opportunities with that employer. Therefore you could be shutting more doors for yourself than you are opening.  

If you are looking for a new job or require more employees at your company don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on info@selective-group.com or call 01235 462 900.

You’re searching for a job and come across a featured role on the top spot and are immediately drawn to it. You think this is the job for me!

But why is that job promoted above all others? Could you be missing an even better opportunity lower down the list?

There are many reasons why recruitment companies decide to prioritise certain vacancies and they might not all be in your best interest. They may need to fill them fast, or they might require more time and resources to find suitable candidates. The organisation may also be struggling to fill the vacancy so ‘vamp it up’ to make it look like a new, shiny job that is perfect for you.

Here at Selective Group, we are an independent agency, so all of our jobs are of top priority. However, we have looked into the reasons why some recruitment companies may prioritise certain jobs over others and feature ‘top jobs’ on their websites and social channels.

1. Money

The company may decide to prioritise a job, not so surprisingly, due to money. If the employer is paying the recruitment agency more commission for filling the role than normal, they are more likely to put more time and effort into finding candidates.

As executive recruitment companies only get paid once they have found the candidate, higher paid jobs would become a priority for recruiters as this will lead to a better commission rate. Instead of thinking about their candidates, some consultants may be whispering “show me the money!”

Selective Group don’t take this approach and unlike other agencies, all of our jobs are given 100% of our time despite the end fee. We want what is best for you!

2. Employers

It has been said that recruitment companies prioritise certain jobs because of the employers themselves. If the employer does not interview many of the candidates, then it may not feel worth the recruitment company’s time to find more candidates. Also, if the employer takes a long time to make decisions, it may mean that the recruitment company finds it more challenging to work with them on the whole. For some, easy clients = an easy life.

All of our clients are important to us, they trust us enough to give us the vacancy therefore we do not put any company first and ensure we work our hardest so that every job is placed.

3. Loyalty

We know what you’re thinking “I’m loyal babe”!

If the recruitment company has worked with the employers before, they may be more likely to prioritise the jobs from that company. This could be because they know who they are working with and how they work, especially if they feel it is worth their time and resources to work with the employer. If they have a good relationship then this could factor into why they push to promote their roles. Again, this is not how we at Selective Group work – we have a loyalty to ALL of our clients – so no one is put on a peddle stool.

4. Urgency

A job may also be prioritised because the need to have the vacancy filled is urgent. This means that there is less time to fill the role and therefore the recruitment company use more resources to fill the vacancy in the short time available.

They also may be the jobs that companies haven’t been able to fill, with a new lease of life.

All roles at Selective Group have a sense of urgency and we ensure that all of our jobs get the same amount of coverage, as we do not clog up our news feed with repetition of old jobs.

We feel that there is no need for said ‘top jobs’ as all of the roles we offer are equally as important to us. Social media timelines can often be crammed with too many job posts, if the same jobs are being highlighted in these so called ‘top jobs’ candidates will just bypass reading and taking in the information.

If you are looking for a new role or would like help finding candidates get in touch with us on 01235 462 900 or email info@selective-group.com.

On the 4th of July, we held our annual Charity Golf Day in partnership with Helen and Douglas House.

Helen and Douglas House have been selected for the last 3 years as our chosen charity, due to  the affiliation with a former employee of Selective recruitment – Jordan Tabor and his family. Helen and Douglas is a hospice for terminally ill babies and children in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.

The day was held at Studley Wood Golf Club and was a huge success. The Selective team and a number of clients enjoyed 18 holes of golf, surrounded by beautiful countryside, navigating 14 lakes and 44 acres of woodland. The sun also joined the party, making it a great day all round!

40 people attended, starting with a breakfast of bacon rolls and coffee, then the golf and a two course lunch followed. We ended the day  with the prize giving, an auction and a raffle. The golf was won by Dave Gregory who ended with a very reasonable score of 36, and won on count-back from Steve Shaw in a close second place, Darren of Selective finished in 3rd with 35 points.

We raised a total of £1,000 for Helen and Douglas House – which is great and much appreciated. We want to thank everyone that attended the event and that donated.

If you would like to donate, you can do so by visiting our Just Giving page here.

If you need any further information or recruitment expertise, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with one of our team on info@selective-group.com.

Would you like to win a bottle of bubbly and some vouchers?

All you need to do is refer a friend to one of our roles. If they get placed successfully, you will both receive a bottle of the sparkly stuff!

If you have someone in mind, pass on our email address – sian.hickey@selective-recruitment.co.uk and ask them to send over their CV, along with an outline of their current situation and your name of course! Those who are successfully placed through us will be lucky enough to receive the goods!

If your referral then goes on to a permanent role, passing their probation period, we will send you vouchers as a thank you for recommending them to us!