News

3rd October 2024

CELEBRATING ANOTHER WORK ANNIVERSAY

Well-known and highly regarded within the industry, senior consultant Andre is celebrating 5 years with Top Personnel.

Since joining us, he has successfully placed 100's of candidates in their dream jobs.

Congratulations Andre!

 

 

24th September 2024

CELEBRATING 1 YEAR WITH US

Maddie, one of our recruitment consultants is celebrating a year since joining TP.  In that time, she has become a key member of the team managing the Temp desk.

She has great people skills and excels in building strong relationships and genuinely cares about the success of her candidates.

Her ability to match her candidates with the right job by understanding their needs and interests is a huge asset.

 

 

2nd April 2024

ASKING FOR A PAY RISE

Asking your boss for more money can be a nervous and tricky conversation. However, with preparation you can improve your chances when it comes to the negotiations.

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/embarrassing conversation.

Know the market

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.

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 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.

Know the details

Once you’ve checked you’re working within company policy and 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.

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.

If the response to your request is no, listen carefully to their reasoning, 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. You can then decide if these are worth your while. If not, it may be time to move on.

Send us your CV to discuss your next move.

 

 

14th February 2024

QUESTIONS TO ASK AT JOB INTERVIEWS

Most people struggle to come up with relevant meaningful questions, the key is in the preparation. The interview should be a two-way conversation for both parties to establish whether there is a good match. Relevant questions are ones that will actually be useful to you in making your mind up about the role. They will also demonstrate your genuine interest about the company and the position, not in just getting a job, any job. Never say you have no questions, or ask questions you know the answer to, or that relate to salary, benefits etc. Prepare specific, not generic questions that will really help you decide if this opportunity is right for you. Research the company, its news and plans – this will give the role context and help you formulate questions. Asking good questions as well as giving good answers will engage your interviewers and enhance your chances.

 

 

3rd January 2024

THE COVER LETTER

What kind of image do you want to project? This is the first introduction to your prospective employer, so make it count. 

The Header

The cover letter format should start with the basics, such as your name and general contact information. Then, add the company and position you are applying for and the hiring managers name and title. You can also insert any social media links, like your LinkedIn, Twitter or portfolio.

The Greeting

In today’s world and in many situations, greetings can be very informal, however not on a covering letter.

If the position is corporate then use their last name, Dear Mr./Mrs. Smith.  If you’re unsure or can’t find a name, that’s okay. Using, Dear Hiring Manager, or, To Whom It May Concern, is acceptable. 

The Body

Engage with your professional potential by telling a success story from your current or a previous job. Be sure to research the company and job requirements and use those as focal points. Highlight an obstacle that you overcame as it pertains to the job description. Discuss where your department was when you started and how you were pivotal to its growth. Make this about you and your achievements. You can mention how good a fit you’d be in the role based on the position’s needs.

Keep it short and sweet though, as you want your message to be effective and not too long winded. 

The Closing

Thank you for your consideration, or, how you’d appreciate the opportunity to meet in person and discuss further.

 

 

1^st September 2023

THE BIGGEST CONCERN FOR ANY ORGANISATION SHOULD BE WHEN THEIR MOST PASSIONATE PEOPLE BECOME QUIET.

According to Tim McClure, passionate employees becoming quiet usually signals that the work environment has become very dysfunctional. As a result, suspicion and insecurity cloud the culture and employees retreat into self-protection behaviour patterns to protect themselves from the forces within the company as opposed to the forces externally.

The leader must be aware and act on this immediately. When you have a passionate team inspired to help the company achieve its vision while fulfilling its purpose, you must do everything in your power to ensure that this team keeps this vibe. Otherwise, you risk pushing away great talent while settling for mediocrity.

Check out the Best Seller, “Unlock The Hidden Leader, Become The Leader You Were Destined To Be,”

by Gifford Thomas

 

 

5th April 2023

THE WAR FOR TALENT

Jersey’s successful finance business means that there is a constant demand for skilled, experience and qualified staff who can really deliver.

New staff members are crucial to meet the needs of changing and growing businesses.  Staff retention is equally vital – securing replacement staff can be costly in terms of recruitment but this can be negligible compared with the loss of productivity, knowledge and skill when you lose existing staff.

So what is it that’s really attracting and keeping employees these days?  Remuneration is clearly a major motivating factor and in a competitive market employees are aware of their value and the opportunities available to them.  In the current market employers are becoming all too aware of the need to offer competitive remuneration packages.  There isn’t much to say on this other than that it’s important not to focus the competition package on new recruits while forgetting to reward existing staff.  Lack of reward and recognition is often cited as reason for wanting to move.

Staff turnover is a significant factor – a company with a reputation for having a revolving door will find it difficult to attract the people it needs.  It also has an impact on the morale of those left behind, thereby compounding the issue.

Flexibility and work-home-hybrid balance is an increasingly important element.  Companies that recognise the need for flexibility are highly regarded by employees.  All of these things have a real effect on an applicant’s ultimate decision.  In such a completive market, employers must differentiate themselves from others to result in a wider and better quality choice of candidate – ultimately to win the war for talent.

 

 

15th August 2022

MAKE YOUR CV STAND OUT

When you sit down to update your CV, do you start by jotting down a few points about your duties and responsibilities in your current role? While this may seem like a logical place to start, it’s rarely an approach that creates a winning CV.

On your CV and in an interview, it’s your achievements and results that really count. Employers don’t want to read or hear about what you think of yourself, they want proven ability. After all, anyone can say they are innovative, but not everyone can say they implemented procedures that increased sales by xxx in the first six months in the role.

One of the simplest and most helpful ways to ensure you add and quantify accomplishments in the career history section of your CV is to use action verbs. Verbs force you to include your results and achievements. This is a simple trick that ensures you prove your strengths, rather than simply list them one by one.

So next time you update your CV, consider using some of these verbs to bring your successes to the forefront. For example, instead of writing that you managed a team, try verbs such as directed, lead, motivated, recruited.

• Rather than stating you have strong communication skills, use verbs like wrote, published, edited.
• As opposed to writing that you have good organization skills, try facilitated, coordinated, arranged.
• Instead of writing that you always achieved your target goals, try surpassed or accomplished.

With the help of these action words, you can bring your achievements to life on your CV:

• Demonstrate your creativity: built, crafted, devised, implemented, initiated, established
• Demonstrate your efficiency: enhanced, advanced, capitalized, maximized, leveraged, improved
• Demonstrate your leadership skills: headed, coordinated, executed, managed, operated, organized
• Demonstrate improvements made: refined, remodelled, strengthened, upgraded, transformed, designed
• Demonstrate your management skills: guided, fostered, motivated, recruited, enabled, united
• Demonstrate bottom line contributions: reduced, decreased, consolidated, saved, yielded, increased
• Demonstrate overall achievements: awarded, exceeded, outperformed, surpassed, earned, granted

 

25th July 2022

WHY REGISTER WITH US?

What are the factors you look at when deciding to apply to a company or not? Is it their compensation, benefits or remote working options? If you have an eye on building your career, you might look beyond the things you’ll experience personally and look at the strength of the company itself – its market share, profitability, brand reputation.

All these things are important and a conversation with one of our expert recruitment consultants can help you navigate your options.

7 key reasons why you should register with us.

• We’ll connect you with prospective employers
• We’ll help you refine and write a more targeted CV
• We’ll assist you with interview prep
• We’ll endorse you to employers
• We’ll provide advice on your career path and recommend relevant professional studies
• We’ll negotiate your salary
• We’re the preferred recruitment agency for many of our clients

Send your CV through today, your registration will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

 

 

Tuesday 5th July

BENEFITS AND PERKS

Benefits can make up a substantial chunk of your remuneration package, so it's worth assessing this part of your contract carefully, as their value is often less obvious than the value of the salary. The salary that you've been offered might be higher than your current one but, if the benefits package is lower, you could be worse off in the long term.

When assessing the value of your benefits package and what’s important to you, consider the following:

• Leave – What's the holiday entitlement?
• Health insurance – What are the premiums? Is dental cover included? When will you be eligible?
• Tuition – Will the employer cover your tuition fees on relevant professional courses?
• Bonus / Incentives – Is the bonus scheme based on personal / team or the company's wider performance?
• Pension – What contributions will the company make?
• Profit sharing – Is there a plan to give employees a share of the company's profits?
• Remote working - Use of a mobile phone or laptop – Are these provided?
• Other perks – Are any additional benefits offered, for example gym membership, sabbaticals, child care facilities etc?

 

 

Wednesday 22nd June 

SALARY

When deciding whether to accept a job offer, many people see salary as the key factor.  

You need to realistically evaluate how much your skills and experience are worth before you accept the salary you've been offered.  Various websites and your recruitment consultant / agency can give you a good idea of the average salary bands within your industry, position, experience and qualifications.

The salary on offer might be suitable for now but, it's also important to consider your future prospects, without annual cost-of-living increases, your income could depreciate in real terms over time.  If there’s a bonus scheme in place, don't be afraid to ask the frequency of pay out and if it’s based on individual / team / company performance.

 

 

Monday 30th May

AN EMPLOYEES MARKET

For company leaders and for the foreseeable future, being an employer in an employee’s market is a huge challenge.

Post-pandemic, many people are reassessing their priorities and personal goals. Some employees are switching to companies that better align with their preferences, while others are changing careers entirely.  There’s a lot of churn in the job market and therefore, high numbers of job openings, as a result, the market is tilted in favour of job candidates.

To avoid losing people to post-pandemic turnover, companies are wise to step up their efforts to keep employees happy, engaged and motivated. To attract talented people on the move, companies must also figure out how to outshine competitors. That’s why recruiring and retention are major focuses in an employee’s market.

Here are a few ways you can retain your current employees and attract the best talent for your organisation:

• Identify what makes you different from other employers, especially your competitors.
• Talk to your employees. Look at exit interviews as well as onboarding feedback to find out what is keeping employees at your company and what’s driving them away. See how you can improve and what you should emphasize to candidates.
• Act quickly and differentiate your company, or your competition will beat you to it.

One of the best ways to attract and retain top talent is to create a good company culture.  A positive work environment can be a major selling point for potential employees and it can also help to keep current employees happy, improving morale and engaged in their work, increasing productivity.

Some things you can do to create a good company culture include:

• Encouraging open communication
• Offering employee development opportunities
• Fostering a team environment
• Making sure your workplace is safe and comfortable

Another way to attract and retain top talent is to offer a health / dental insurance plan. In today’s job market, employees are looking for companies that offer good health benefits.  Offering a health insurance plan is an important part of any benefits package and it can be a major selling point for potential employees, you will also improve the overall health of your employees and demonstrate you care about their wellbeing.

Offer the opportunity to make a direct impact, in today’s job market, employees are looking for companies where they can have a direct impact on the company’s success.  This will improve attitudes and motivation within your company.

Some things you can do to offer the opportunity to make a direct impact include:

• Giving employees a voice in decision-making
• Encouraging employees to share their ideas
• Allowing employees to take on new responsibilities
• Giving employees the opportunity to lead projects

The recent events of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that many employees are looking for and value companies that offer flexibility, remote or hybrid working.  

These strategies can help you attract and retain the best workers in today’s employee’s market.

 

Tuesday 3^rd May

COMPETITION TIME

To celebrate the Queens 70 year reign we are offering one lucky winner the chance to enjoy afternoon tea for 2 in the beautiful grounds and stunning views at the St Brelades Bay Hotel.  To be in with the chance of winning simply head to our FB page, like our page and share the competition post.  The winner will be announced Wednesday 1^st June.  Good Luck!

 

 

Tuesday 19th April 

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW

In todays climate, it’s not unusual to have an initial interview by phone prior to progressing to a face to face (if successful) second interview. 

Have a copy of the job description and your CV to hand, the interviewer will be sure to reference information from either if not both of them.

As with any interview, preparation is everything.  Do your research on the company and the role you are applying for.  You want to show the perspective employer / interviewer you’ve done your homework and that you’re fully committed and seriously interested.

Have a list of questions and topics relating to the job / company to demonstrate your communication skills and ability to think on your feet.

Make notes during the interview that you can refer to later. 

Make sure you are in a quiet location without distractions or fear of interruptions of children / pets.

 

 

Friday 25^th March

REACHING YOUR CAREER GOALS

If you want to move closer to reaching your professional goals, it’s crucial to subjectively take a look at your current skillset and then make concrete plans to fill any gaps you may have. It’s vital to appreciate the difference between skills and competencies, skills being the specific learned abilities and the competencies being knowledge and behaviours that contribute to your success in a job. By understanding the differences between the two, you’ll gain a better awareness of which areas you need to focus on to reach your career goals. #toptips #topjerseyrecruitment #careergoals

 

 

Tuesday 8^th March

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.

Today we celebrate and recognise the achievements of inspirational women on International Women's Day and to draw global attention to women everywhere when it comes to gender equality, bias, stereotypes and discrimination. Its goal is to make the world more diverse, equitable and inclusive for them.

This year’s theme is #BreakTheBias and asks the world to call out instances of bias against women in the workplace, at school and at home. The campaign asks that people show their support for this year’s theme by posting selfies to social media posing with their arms crossed along with the hashtags #BreaktheBias and #IWD2022. 

People have traditionally worn purple on Intrnational Women's Day.  Purple, along with green and white are considered the colours of International Women’s Day, according to the website.  These colours have roots in the United Kingdom's Women's Social and Political Union from the early 1900’s.

 

 

IS IT EVER A GOOD IDEA TO ACCEPT A COUNTER OFFER?

Gone are the days when a salary-boosting counter offer would successfully retain a resigning staff member. Today people leave jobs for a range of reasons, which are seldom addressed by a counter offer.

From looking for a new challenge to career advancement, a desire to work with newer technology or within an organization where they can contribute and feel valued, people change jobs for a number of reasons. Why then would a pay rise, new job title or additional benefits be anything other than a superficial tactic to convince you to stay?

If you receive a counter offer, it’s worth considering the reasons why you initially looked for a new role to begin with. They must have been serious and genuine since you not only looked for a new job but applied, were interviewed and accepted a position elsewhere. These are not the actions of someone satisfied in their current role.

Of course it’s flattering when your boss makes a counter offer upon hearing of your decision to resign. But if you look at the situation objectively, you’ll see that recruiting a replacement for a vacated role can be time consuming. We are all time-poor, your boss included, so if there’s even a small possibility of avoiding interviewing, onboarding and training up someone new, your boss will take it.

Those in the latter group have employers who actively seek to address the reasons that drove them to accept another job. Rather than offering a hollow new job title or a few additional benefits, they make real change that motivates, engages and develops the career of their employee.

But the majority of people are not so lucky and find themselves resigning again within a year. Their original motivations for looking elsewhere are not addressed, meaning their career is in limbo and engagement and motivation are low. Added to this is the broken trust that now exists with your boss, which can be very difficult to deal with.

While every situation is unique, you should consider your original motivations for leaving and question if the counter offer is really worth remaining for.