225+
5 reviews
MikeMike
16:04 13 Mar 23
Highly recommended! Josh and Sarah have been fantastic at Astute. They've found and placed me in 2 jobs now between them, both really responsive and excellent at keeping you up to speed with things. Very knowledgable about the roles and happy to talk to companies with any queries you have.
C R.C R.
10:45 27 Jan 23
Great agency one of the best ones I've worked with! Liz has been a great help and support in helping me towards a new direction in my career life. She is very attentive and keeps me in the loop at all times! She makes the extra effort to work with my preferred requirements for work and even if it isn't completely attainable she meets me in the middle and does as much as she can to help! Also Liz is very funny might I add 😂 and I'm happy that I can now put a face to the name after all these years! Thank you again Liz for all your help and support! 😊
ChristineChristine
10:32 20 Dec 22
Josh and the Astute team was very swift to help me to find roles that matched my profile. They are really reliable and will help through every step of the recruitment process going out of their way to assist and follow up when needed. Could not find a better recruitment agency!
Helen PinegarHelen Pinegar
16:19 18 Dec 22
Fantastic recruitment agency.. Josh was extremely enthusiastic, encouraging and clearly knowledgeable about what was needed from both the employee and the employers point of view. Extremely supportive especially in regards to interview preparation and endeavoured to procure feedback promptly. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Astute in the future to both candidates and recruiting businesses particularly for the right fit for the role!!!
Lisa LeighLisa Leigh
11:56 30 Nov 22
I have worked as a candidate for Astute and they have been excellent. Super friendly service and professional agents keen to fit the right person to the right job. It has been a pleasure dealing with them and I would happily work for them again in the future. Highly recommend this agency.
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What makes an exceptional finance director?The remit of a Financial Director (FD) is to direct the financial obligations, and financial reporting of a business AND help drive the company forward with the senior management team.

 

But that’s the easy bit. What genuine qualities lift an ordinary FD into an extraordinary Director of Finance?

 

This isn’t about which accountancy qualification you secured. The best, most brilliant FDs we have had the pleasure of recruiting and recruiting for, have had the full range of qualifications from CIMA, ACCA, ACA, CA, CIPFA, and QBE. The ability to pass exams, demonstrates academic rigour, but the modern FD needs much more than just letters after their name.

 

They need emotional and business intelligence as much as academic prowess. As the world emerges from the maelstrom of Covid into a new normal, MDs are looking for candidates who can own and understand the numbers, but who can also be intuitive to understand the power of having and keeping a resilient finance team intact.

 

To start with, let’s distinguish the difference between a Financial Director and a Financial Controller. The lines of duty can blur in an SME setting, but a crucial difference is an FD directs, while an FC controls the day-to-day operations of the finance function.

 

To effectively ‘direct’, you need to be able to command, lead, inspire. If you can’t influence people to perform their duties properly, this is a big problem.

 

Then we have the engagement /people bit.

 

You may have a great ‘number 2’ as a financial controller or finance manager, to manage staff day to day but it’s crucial you can also command the respect of the team underneath.

Don’t silo yourself but keep open lines of communication, at all levels.

 

A modern breakdown of the key attributes to being an exceptional FD: –

 

               Decisive

I                  Inspirational

               Reflective

               Emotionally intelligent

               Collaborative

T                 Tenacious

               Supportive

 

Let’s look at these in more depth.

 

Decisive: – 

Decision Makers have to be able to make decisions. You’re in the wrong job as an FD, if you struggle to reach a decision, stand by it and take responsibility for the course of action you have taken. Hindsight is a great thing. There will be mistakes made. But the extraordinary FD will own their decisions and be able to deftly calculate a fresh course of direction weighing up the risks and benefits. There’s no hiding place for a great FD. You need to be seen to be a leader in your company, amongst your peers, and by your team. That’s how respect is earned.

 

Inspirational: – 

To inspire is to be innovative. To think “outside of the box” through your knowledge and experiences, and to be creative in your thinking. The key here is application. How you apply your experience to specific, spontaneous work and business situations. As a mindset, the exceptional FD will have the dexterity to apply their interactions to a wide spectrum of situations, encouraging, and motivating their people and peers to achieve the best possible business outcomes.

 

Resourceful: –

This has become an absolutely crucial attribute. More than ever, the ability to adapt to many different functions or activities, the FD may have to step into other roles e.g. Interim Managing Director/ IT Director/ HR Director. They must be commercially aware and must understand the other areas of the business such as HR, Strategic direction, and IT amongst others.

 

Emotional intelligence: – 

The Oxford University definition: the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

“emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success”.

People have been hugely affected by changes to their working routines. An FD needs to be more mindful than ever of the psychological and mental well-being of their team and lead their staff through the return to a new normal. An outstanding FD will be able to direct how their team(s) can be professionally steered during the transition from Lockdown to new normal.

They will also have honed great recruitment skills to select the talent they need, interview and challenge potential hires, and most importantly have a succession plan.

 

Collaborative: –

Collaboration at work means involving two or more people working together for a particular purpose for the benefit of the company. This means having the ethical, professional, and moral compass to know what needs to happen and how to work together, to bring the best results. Being emotionally aware of not just yourself but others at work is key. An exceptional FD will understand how to approach people at all levels and how to temper their language, tone and timbre to make the best possible collaboration work. Remote working and online meetings mean your efforts need to transfer even more clearly and effectively than in person.

Remember: Collaboration can be upwards, as well as cascading to more junior staff.

The FD needs to balance ambition with reality and needs to be the “wise counsel to the board without allowing entrepreneurial flair to become suppressed.”

 

Tenacious: –

Tenacity is the determination to consistently continue what you are doing. To see things through. From ensuring financial information produced stands up to scrutiny from external auditors, bank and other external, legal parties.

 

All stakeholders expect honesty and a “nothing to hide” attitude to be consistently delivered. The highest standards (ethics) must be maintained, the FD should be seen as the “Champion” of the organisation’s culture and ensure that good corporate governance is maintained at all times.

The exceptional FD will have this in hand.

 

Supportive: –

“Your support network is the solid ground from which you can propel yourself upwards” . Anna Barnes.

This is about your own support network as much as being a supportive FD.

The most successful business people will have great emotional and personal backup networks. From family, and friends to external services and people to make their personal lives run as smoothly, healthily, and efficiently as possible.

You can’t be an effective, exceptional FD if your personal life and own wellbeing are in disarray.

 

If you would like confidential career or employment advice around this or any other topic, please contact Mary Maguire and she will be delighted to help you or navigate you to one of our team.

 

 

Article by Mary Maguire

Managing Director
Astute | Accountancy & Finance | HR | Office Support

Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100
M: 07717 412911

E:  [email protected]

W: www.astuterecruitment.com

LI:  https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

What makes an exceptional finance director?

Time is an equal opportunities employer“Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow.”

Denis Waitley

 

We hope you didn’t forget to pop your clocks forward an hour too!

 

But this set us thinking. How do you truly value your time? AND can this influence your levels of life satisfaction and levels of happiness.

 

The pandemic has carved up our usual lives, routines, working days and so, so much more. The enforced lockdowns reducing our world down to a microcosm within our homes.

Breaking normality.

Challenging our sanity.

 

Now, with renewed optimism, many cautiously turn their minds to regaining control of their lives, careers, and routines.

But, we cannot turn back the clock.

The last 12 months have left an indelible marker on our innermost thoughts and desires.

From many conversations, candidates from credit control to Finance Director, confirm their views on what really matters in their search for a new job has shifted.

 

The company car?

The snazzy office?

The potential promotion?

 

These don’t factor anywhere near as highly post pandemic. Instead, potential employees and job seekers value the currency of time above all else.

Work life balance, and genuine flexibility from a future employer are cited with increasing frequency as the most desirable attributes an employer can offer.

 

This is not to be confused with laziness or sloth. Infact, research has flagged again and again that increased employer engagement yields greater productivity.

 

So what can employers and business owners do?

Answer: Reaffirm your people value proposition and brand.

  • Culture Counts
  • Being valued matters
  • Ethical Employers with a strong moral compass

Its as though the isolation of the last 12 months has made many people re-evaluate what is really important, and money, prestige, have fallen away to be replaced by more holistic values – especially time.

As businesses look to return to the office, it becomes even more key to ensure that protecting staff retention rates and top candidate attraction are front and centre of company strategy. This can be done by looking at the most valuable commodity to everyone of us at work and in life – the commodity of time.

 

Many of us value time differently because we each experience time in different ways. Some people believe they have enough time; others feel as though they’re being chased by the clock.

 

The question is, where are YOU on the spectrum? Time starved? An abundance of time at your disposal or somewhere in between?

 

It’s important that you consider this question because your experience of time dictates how you manage your day, your work, your life, even your finances.

 

We all have the same amount of time each day. So, what’s the difference between time deprivation and having an abundance of time?

 

The short answer: –

How you think about yourself in relation to time dictates how you value your time. Its also a precursor to happiness and contentment with life.

 

The Flow of Time

What makes the passage of time so challenging and individual in its passing, is that it’s both concrete and abstract at the same time. We watch the minutes on a clock face tick by on a very real clock. Even so, we measure time according to “zones.” And, depending on your circumstance, time can seem to move either fast or slow.

 

If you’re late for work, a red light can seem like hours, but if you’re scrolling through zillions of work emails, that same light can feel like it changed in a split second. The phrase “a watched kettle never boils” is so true. Time seems to slow right down when you are waiting for something to happen.

 

To complicate matters further, research tells us that people experience time differently based on their stage of development. Think of the repeated question every young child asks a parent on a car journey: “Are we nearly there yet?” For that child, a half-hour trip can seem like days. Some scientists state that conceptually, human beings live most of their lives by the time they reach 18 years old. This is because time seems to pass more slowly to a child than to an adult. As we age, the years appear to pass faster and faster. When in actuality – time of course has not sped up at all. Our concept of the passage of time has merely shifted.

 

Lets look at some interesting points around ‘Time Poor’ vs ‘Time Rich’

 

Here’s What Time Rich Looks Like: – 

For the people who live in scarcity of time, the distinctions are fairly obvious. They always feel as though they’re being chased by time. There’s never enough time to do the things they want to do; they are frustrated and overwhelmed. Often at work, they will be creating extra anxiety over their perceived lack of time to get work tasks completed.

If you score highly as being time rich, there are subtle differences to those who are time-poor.

From an assessment by The Money Meter, their results suggested two groups of individuals in the time-rich category. Let’s talk about these two groups as the Blue and Green Groups.

 

The Blue Zone: Moderately Time Rich

People who are scoring in the moderate zone of time abundance, state that they experience less anxiety, stress, and fewer negative emotions about time than those who are time-poor because they view time as neutral.

 

Yes, time is transitory, fleeting, a precious commodity, and it should therefore be managed well. However, this group experiences time as a continuum that marks the passing of events.

 

People in the Blue Group appreciate flexibility and having control over their own time. They are deliberate and intentional in creating time for family and relaxation, and they pride themselves on how well they “manage” their daily timetable & work schedules.

 

Precisely because they appreciate, rather than fear, the fleeting sense of time, the people in the Blue Group are often more energised and focused. They tend to experience a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of each working day.

 

Whilst keen on making time for family and loved ones, they are more focused on time from a task orientation perspective than they are from a relational one. Time with family, for example, may only happen when their ‘work’ is completed.

No room for sentiment – thats just what has to happen for them.

Responsibility and control are key elements for how people in the Blue Zone value time. For people in this group. their realisation is that “Time is fleeting. I should manage it well!”

In short, they firmly believe they have control over their time.

They take pride in themselves in their ability to prioritise work/ jobs, and they enjoy a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.

 

 

Then we have the Green Group representing those who are highly time rich.

People who score as ‘highly time rich’,  seem to believe that they have enough time to accomplish whatever they want, whenever they want. They view time as precious and go beyond “managing it” to using it astutely.

 

Wise use of time means that they live from a sense of joy, appreciation, and freedom. They are present in the moment and therefore better able to respond to changing timetables or altered meeting times in more spontaneous ways.

 

Because of this high level of flexibility, the Green crowd lives a more balanced life. Family activities are not tasks to check off a list. Family is first—not an interruption.

For people in this category, there is always time to do the “important things” in life.

 

Perhaps the biggest differentiator between these two groups is that the green group has a deep desire to make every moment count. They value time in terms of relationships over task orientation. Making memories is important; they don’t want to be known as workaholics or taskmasters.

 

Major Theme: Time is precious. I should use every moment wisely.

 

Research has been inconclusive to tell if this highly time-rich perspective on time occurs with age and the passing of time or after a life-threatening loss or illness.

 

Either way, it’s a perspective worth considering in a world held hostage by the increasing demands of work, social media, mobile phones, and the expectation of being available at a moment’s notice.

 

As a call to action, examine your perspective on time.

 

Every one of us, every single moment of every single day, experiences huge pulls on our time. Our daily demands are great. It can be hard to set firm boundaries between work, family, and very importantly yourself.

Time for you!

What this research and many other investigations flag, is that those who value time and appreciate its transience, are the ones most likely to achieve a happier, more satisfying work/ life balance.

 

Now that’s something we could all do with!

 

 

Mary Maguire

Managing Director
Astute | Accountancy & Finance | HR | Office Support

Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100
M: 07717 412911

E:  [email protected]

W: www.astuterecruitment.com

LI:  https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

 

 

Astute Recruitment celebrates International Women's Day 2021 #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge

Purple, green and white are the colors of International Women’s Day. Purple signifies dignity & justice, green symbolises hope. White represents purity. The colors originated from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in the UK back in 1908.

 

International Women’s Day celebrates the cultural, sociological, economic, and political achievements of women across the globe. Far from singling out women, the day focuses on unity, equality, and advocacy where the differences and injustices between women and men are as great as ever in some corners of the world.

 

International Women’s Day is a global, annual opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements and rally together for women’s equality.

 

Marked annually on March 8th, International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:

 

Celebrate women’s achievements

Raise awareness about women’s equality

Lobby for accelerated gender parity

Fundraise for female-focused charities

 

The campaign theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. On the IWD website, organisers said:

 

“We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world”.

 

Over 20 countries particularly across Asia celebrate March 8th with a day off work for everyone, while others allow all women to take a day off.

 

Many people may think International Women’s Day is a modern invention, but it’s not.

 

First acknowledged back in 1911, becoming a cornerstone holiday in the Soviet Union from 1917 (even being a day off from work from 1965 onwards). Since 1977, the United Nations has made it a focus day for both women’s rights and world peace.

 

To read more about the historical timeline of International Women’s Day, click on the link below: –

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/15586/The-history-of-I’d

 

Here at Astute, we celebrate our very own inspirational women! We are proud of our diverse team, embracing women at all stages of their lives and working careers.

 

From Mary Maguire and Sarah Stevenson as our award-winning Founders to Sarah-Louise Wykes, achieving several promotions from trainee to Director. A busy wife and mum who manages to juggle family life and a highly successful career. Charlotte Sproat, successful Consultant and keen arts enthusiast, and Tiarna Boler who at 17 years of age started working for us over 4 years ago and now manages our admin. Last, but no means least, Debbie Jackson, with over 20 years of recruitment expertise in London, the Midlands, and North East. She has just completed her first work anniversary in our team!

 

Wives, girlfriends, daughters, mums, businesswomen.

 

Ladies, we salute you!

 

PS. We also have some great men too!

 

Richard Bowe, busy husband, Dad, and keen runner who is ahead of the rest filling senior interim to permanent finance roles. Our newest recruit, Harry Langridge, joining our successful permanent qualified division in 2020.  Tom Norton completes our team. Sports mad & looking forward to when he can ski down black runs again! Meanwhile, he continues to conquer the slopes of permanent qualified accountancy recruitment.

 

We’ll have to wait till 19th November to celebrate International Men’s Day, but it’s great to acknowledge men and women every day throughout the year!

 

#Article by Mary Maguire

Managing Director
Astute | Accountancy & Finance | HR | Office Support

Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100
M: 07717 412911

E:  [email protected]

W: www.astuterecruitment.com

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maguire-astute-recruitment-ltd/

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

Astute Recruitment Ltd show why mental health and physical health matterMacmillan Cancer Support recently published research showing that an estimated 7 million people across the country have turned to exercise including jogging or running during the pandemic crisis to boost their mental health.

 

One in seven people in the UK (14%) said exercise had helped them handle stress better since the first lockdown.

 

Exercise proved more popular than meditation or yoga (12%). Roughly 33% said physical activity including running, helped them feel calmer and more positive, while one in five said it helped them to feel mentally stronger.

 

Macmillan is hoping this will all mean a record interest for the 2021 London Marathon. 2020’s event was first postponed to October and then cut back to just an elite event, following a year that has left charities devastated following reduced fundraising.

 

You are never too young, or old to start either. Nor are you too fit or unfit. From a gentle jog initially, gradually building up to a slow, then faster run, this is one exercise with no limits on who can join in or at what level.

 

Everyone can do it.

Whatever the weather!

 

Taking a regular stroll to the local park, it’s surprising how many new faces you can spot, having a run or jog.

 

According to City AM, Sports Direct sold 218% more pairs of running trainers online during the lockdown than in the same period 12 months before, and Britons bought 243% more running clothing than normal!

 

One of the best, instant results from a run is the immediate lift of your mood. This isn’t an accident.

 

The science bit. 

 

When you exercise, endorphins, tiny chemicals, react giddily with chemical receptors in our bodies and go mad inside our bodies. That’s what causes you to feel lifted in body and soul. Those jigging, rushing chemicals. A whole new 21st-century twist to the phrase ‘gettin’ jiggy with it’ 🤣🤣

 

Whether you’re experiencing a simple case of the Monday blues while working from home, or more persistent symptoms of depression, that’s why exercise can really help to boost your mood and reframe your mental health to a new, much more positive place.

 

Getting regular exercise is important for good physical and mental health. Exercise can help stimulate parts of your brain that aren’t as responsive when you’re feeling depressed. It also promotes the release of feel-good brain chemicals. Exercise can also help to distract you from your worries and improve your confidence.

 

Commenting in the Guardian, Saurav Dutt, a 38-year-old author in London, ramped up his running in 2021 after taking it up for the first time during the initial lockdown.

 

“I used to try to avoid running as much as possible just because of the effort,” he said. “But the endorphin release after a big run is really significant, it really lifts your mood. And you’re also thinking about reinforcing your own general health, because underlying conditions are a big problem with Covid.”

 

In the absence of normal running groups, a number of virtual running challenges have been set up online during the pandemic. Its why we set up our #miles4meals initiative too so that people wfh can still get some valuable exercise AND help a worthwhile cause!

 

These virtual running groups are especially popular with people working from home. It’s not good for us to be sat down at a desk all day, the tension it puts on your lower back and your hips, it is really important to get out and move the body. Here at Astute, we are thrilled with the response so far from candidates, clients and businesses offering their time and miles to help us.

 

Its been interesting to highlight to businesses and employers that the benefits of virtual group exercise projects can really help the levels of employee engagement, staff wellbeing AND productivity levels in their teams. Some bracing physical activity is scientifically proven to aid and improve worker’s efficiency and increase the amount of work they can do in their job.

 

You can easily join into a virtual group by using the NHS/ Public Health England’s Couch to 5k app which was downloaded 858,000 times between March and June last year, a 92% increase compared with 2019. Check out more information on this useful link https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/

 

Like many across the country, our busy working days now revolve around a “commute a few steps downstairs or upstairs” and Zoom meetings. With long, long hours sat tapping away on laptops interspersed with calls.

 

Gone is the commute to the office. For many, our step counts and levels of movement have suffered.

 

Before Covid struck, most of us would travel, often walking to meetings, even taking a lunchtime stroll to grab some lunch. Now, that 20-minute stroll can easily become a daily ‘two-step toddle’ to the fridge and back.

 

This is why all of us at Astute wanted to do an organised event to raise awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of exercise AND support our local communities whilst helping a brilliant local charity, all at the same time.

Hence, our #miles4meals charity initiative was born! 😊

To make a donation, check out our fundraising page on Derby City Mission’s website HERE

Alternatively, if you or your team would like to join us to help Derby City Mission put together more food parcels for those in need, please email me – [email protected] and my team and I will warmly welcome you and send you more information.

 

 

Article by Mary Maguire

Managing Director
Astute | Accountancy & Finance | HR | Office Support

Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100

E:  [email protected]

W: www.astuterecruitment.com

LI:  https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

#BeAstute - Childrens Mental Health Week 2021 "I'm enough as I am said the boy"
#BeAstute – Childrens Mental Health Week 2021 “I’m enough as I am said the boy”

What inspires children can so often inspire all of us…

“What’s your best discovery?” asked the mole.

“that I’m enough as I am” said the boy.

I love this quote by Charlie Mackesy in his award-winning 2019 book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse.

My son was given this book to inspire him and all the then year, 6 pupils, in his school.

He’s kept it.

The other day, he came up to me in my upstairs bedroom (aka ‘office’ 🤣) and said,

“Mum, this is a really great book!”.

“Can I have a read?” I asked.

” ‘course you can Mum, but I want it back!”

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye as I read beautiful and moving pearls of wisdom. Whilst written a couple of years ago, this is a timeless, wonderful book for kids and adults alike.

The gentle words wash over you, giving you a warm hug of reassurance.

And we all need a hug right now. ❤️❤️

Thank you Ashbrook Junior School!

Thank you Charlie Mackesy for creating such a heartwarming, wise and beautiful book.

A book for the best of times, and the hardest of times too. It’s a brilliant book to recommend to all those parents working from home for their children, especially during this special children’s week dedicated to raising awareness of child mental health.

It’s a beautiful, and rare book that can befriend a child and also captivate adults too.

A lot of parents are struggling to juggle their work and jobs from home whilst overseeing their children’s schoolwork at the moment. As a parent and an employer of staff with children, its really important to highlight and recommend great opportunities to help hardworking parents reassure their kids.

There is a great organisation called Children’s Mental Health Week

where you can access a video from their Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge’s video message to mark the start of the week.

Their Virtual Assembly with BAFTA and Oak National Academy is now available to view and share – featuring Jodie Whittaker, Oti Mabuse, Matthew Lewis, and many more…

If you would like to read more articles and posts on employment, recruitment, careers, mental health, and more, please follow Mary and our company page for Astute Recruitment Ltd on LinkedIn and Facebook.

 

 

Mary Maguire

Managing Director
Astute | Accountancy & Finance | HR | Office Support


Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100
M: 07717 412911

 

E[email protected]

W: www.astuterecruitment.com

LI:  https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

 

 

Why good interview feedback really matters. Interview tips from Astute Recruitment

Why good interview feedback really matters

 

Our team been working exclusively with a long-standing client to recruit an Assistant Management Accountant. Ideally someone with bright enquiring mind, keen to learn with an accounting and finance degree.  Some experience in a finance role would be ideal. After shortlisting down from 18 candidates to the best five, the CVs went across and our client interviewed all five this week.

 

The good news is that three have been selected to undertake some online testing and have a second interview in a few days.

 

The bad news is that two candidates are not being progressed.

 

The client and Astute were able to discuss detailed, constructive feedback for each candidate including some tips for the future.

 

We fed back to one of the candidates not being progressed and wanted to share what the feedback was including some constructive tips for them in answering unplanned questions and focussing their answers.

 

“…while its bad news I’ve not got a second interview – it’s great to get positive rounded feedback after the first interview. I can use this experience and feedback to help me prepare and perform better in future interviews, and hopefully get a second interview next time! Thanks for letting me know and taking the time to ring me.”

 

He has been impressed with the process at Astute Recruitment Ltd, and thanked us for taking the time to call him and pass on the feedback.

 

If someone has taken the time to attend an interview – they deserve at the very least to get some constructive post- interview feedback. That feedback may just help them secure a second interview and a job offer next time.

 

It’s not just learning how to prepare for an interview that counts.

It’s also learning how to perform in an interview. That takes time, practice, and crucially, feedback!”

 

This is why our team at Astute Recruitment encourages a collaborative relationship with our clients throughout the recruitment process. Good interview feedback from the finance manager/ line manager/ HR professional recruiting, really helps our team inform our candidates on how they can improve their performance on an interview.

 

From how to answer a question to coping with nerves, unless a person has interview practice and good feedback from the recruitment consultant and/ or client, it is very hard for them to learn how they can come across better in the actual interview itself.

 

For another useful post on more interview tips and advice, you can see another of our blogs on our website, using the following link:    https://www.astuterecruitment.com/6-interview-questions-and-answers-to-help-you-nail-the-perfect-job-in-the-pandemic/

 

If you would like any more advice or help around interviews, arranging interviews remotely – let us know.

 

An article by Mary Maguire

MD Astute Recruitment Ltd

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553

 

6 'astute' Interview questions and answers to help you get a job in a pandemic
6 ‘astute’ Interview questions and answers to help you get a job in a pandemic

 

With interview requests and new jobs taken by our team at Astute Recruitment, it’s great to share some pointers for candidates about to enter the job market to give them an edge on interview.

 

Imagine, you’ve been selected for a job interview! Well done! It’s always great news, but especially so in such challenging times.  But preparing for a job interview might be trickier than usual, too.

 

It would be a little weird if you and your interviewer didn’t acknowledge the global pandemic going on.

 

You’ll probably be doing your interview remotely, online, at least the first interview, and it’s also likely that you’ll be starting work remotely.

 

The people and business you’re interviewing with won’t be operating as normal, plus you’ll have to navigate different ways to work together.

 

Apart from the obvious,  (ensuring you’re wearing smart clothes, and your Zoom background looks tidy & professional), preparing for an interview means being ready to answer some different questions. So, what can you expect to be asked?

 

1. How are you feeling?

It’s normal to start off an interview with an icebreaker, but in the pandemic, small talk can take on a deeper meaning.

 

For an interviewer, it’s a way to gauge the tone of the interview. Some candidates’ replies might reveal they are struggling, whereas others will take the question much more lightly. In either case, there is no shame in acknowledging how the Covid-19 crisis is affecting you. The worst thing would be if a candidate came across as too disconnected from the situation, which could be a hint as to empathy skills or lack of.

 

The pandemic is impacting people emotionally, and for an employer to ask this question, shows they care. If you are asked this question, you should show you understand the situation and are adapting to it. You shouldn’t just use the same answers that you had prepared pre-pandemic, as if you were still in a typical office setting.

 

2. How are you handling your work-life balance?

If you can keep a healthy work-life balance, it shows a potential employer that you’re able to manage your time independently, and be organised.

 

Working from home is set to continue for a lot of us for the foreseeable, meaning employers are looking for these qualities,

 

Companies and hiring managers need to know that even if you don’t have a team around you sitting in an office, you ARE going to be able to work by yourself, can be trusted to wfh independently and autonomously.

 

This doesn’t have to mean that you’re calendar-blocking each hour of your day. But this question is a prime opportunity to highlight how you can, and have been able to work productively.

 

In an online interview, it’s an opportunity to also build a bond as you can reflect back a question to your interviewer, e.g.”I’ve found it’s key for me to factor in a 20 minute slot to excerise /walk the dog/ play with kids. I find this improves my feelings of wellbeing and makes me more focused and productive working for the rest of the day. What works for you?”.

 

3. Have you learnt any new skills since March last year?

 

This isn’t a trick question. Recruiters

wouldn’t be put off if a candidate said they had struggled with motivation or finding time to learn at the beginning of lockdown.

Instead, they’d welcome and expect some  honesty about what they’ve learnt about themselves during the pandemic.

 

You don’t have to pretend you’ve been on some kind of productivity marathon if you haven’t. Of course employers will want to know if you’ve added any professional skills to your CV, but talking about hobbies you’ve picked up or personal lessons you’ve learnt helps to give interviewers a glimpse of your personality and a real glimpse of you.

 

For instance, what you learnt about yourself could be how you discovered a new skill or the ability to step back from something. It doesn’t need to be professional, it can be something more personal.

 

But, how do you answer if you can’t think of anything you’ve learnt in the past few months?

 

Something as simple as trying out a new recipe counts. Most of us have discovered some new culinary skills 🤣.

 

4. What’s your ‘work-from-home set-up like?’

Potential employers have every right to ask about a candidate’s home working environment. Especially making sure that potential employees have a computer with internet access, that they have access to a telephone or a landline, and asking about the reliability of their wifi signal

 

Employers need to know that you have the equipment you need to do the job you are being interviewed for. However, they are aware that few of us have the perfect WFH set-up. Don’t be afraid to mention any challenges you’ve faced working from home, and how you’ve found solutions to work around them.

 

This is a good question for employers to ask candidates to see how creative they can be, and how they’re dealing with and have adapted to the current situation.

 

5. “We’re all on Microsoft Teams/ Slack/ Google Hangouts. Have you used it before?”

 

Of course, if your interview is on a platform you haven’t used before, you’ll want to test it out beforehand to make sure you know how to use it.

 

It’s also worth getting to know the main digital communication tools that are popular with businesses. Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom are all free to download and experiment with.

 

Some great advice to all candidates, is to be organised and prepared with the tech that they could be using if they are offered a job.

 

Lots of companies used digital communication tools before the pandemic. They’re just using them even more now. If candidates are unfamiliar with them they should definitely look them up & try them out before interviewing for a new job.

 

For employees who have started looking for a job after several years, this is a really useful tip.

 

6. Do you have any questions for us?

Pre-pandemic and lockdown, candidates would go into the office, meet a couple of members of the team. They’d get all of the contextual information before being offered the job and deciding whether to accept it.

 

Now, with largely online interviews, applicants don’t have all of the sensory, physical experiences through Candidates who have managed to get an interview aren’t getting the complete view of companies they’re applying for.

 

To counteract this, ask a lot of questions during your interview to get a clear idea of how the company works, the office culture and how you’ll work with different teams and individuals.

 

For starters, ask questions about training, daily tasks and communication methods. It’s equally important to ask about potential colleagues and hierarchy. This may mean clarifying who you would report to or who you can ask for help when you need it. Alternatively, it might mean taking a more informal approach to interviewing altogether.

 

A great suggestion for candidates is to ask, “If possible, could I have a virtual lunch with the team that I could be working with, just so I can get to know them—maybe not so much in a professional sense, but in a more casual, informal way?“

 

You could ask to have one-on-one meetings with potential future team members as part of the interview process. This shows you take the future culture of your potential colleagues seriously.

 

Companies should be understanding about these requests.

 

It’s really key that candidates meet more people, especially now. Particularly so if companies add a few more steps to the recruitment process. This can give applicants the confidence to be happy if they go on to secure a job offer.

 

Remember, it’s not just the candidate who has to adapt to the recruiter, but the recruiter who has to understand it’s a different situation for applicants too!

 

If you have questions around this topic or would like more information about this or something else, feel free to contact our MD, Mary Maguire, by email on [email protected]

 

An article by Mary Maguire, Managing Director
Astute Recruitment Ltd

Suite One, Ground Floor West, Cardinal Square, 10 Nottingham Road, Derby, DE1 3QT

T: 01332 346100

LI:  https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/mary-maguire/18/73/553 

LI: www.linkedin.com/company/astute-recruitment/

Astute tips on the Extended Furlough scheme for employers and employees
Astute tips on the Extended Furlough scheme

 

 

So, as we find ourselves in another Lockdown, what is the advice for employers and their employees on this adaptation of the Government’s original Furlough Scheme? Here, we try and break these down and provide some useful links for more detailed advice and webinars.

 

HMRC have published full revised guidance about the extended Coronavirus Job Retentions Scheme – i.e. the Furlough Scheme. This has now been extended to March 31st 2021.

 

The key changes for furlough claim periods from November and beyond are as follows: –

 

  • The UK Government are currently reviewing if employers could be eligible to claim for their employees serving contractual or statutory notice periods and will change the approach for claim periods starting on or after December 1st. Further guidance is to be published at the end of November. As things stand, employers may claim the grant for notice periods.

 

  • In the cases of Employers claiming for an employee for the period from November 1st retrospectively, only backdated written agreements put in place up to and including November 13th may be relied upon for the purposes of a claim. In simple terms, this means employers should ensure written furlough agreements are in place by November 13th if they are wanting to claim the grant retrospectively from November 1st.

 

  • After December 2020, the names of employers who claim under the Furlough Scheme for the month of December onwards and, for employers that are registered Companies or Limited Liability Partnerships, both the company name and registration number will be published by HMRC, so that this information will be in the public domain.

 

  • Should an employee decide to end their maternity leave early to enable them to be furloughed, they must give their employer at least eight weeks’ notice of their return to work and the employer will not be able to furlough them until the end of the eight weeks.

USEFUL LINKS: –

 

  • Top Accountancy firm, Dains, have compiled a number of useful HMRC advice and areas for businesses to focus on including: –

·         Time to Pay – HMRC

·         Raising finance

·         COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme

·         COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan Scheme

·         COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme – A Practical Guide (Check out our Top Tips)

·         COVID-19 Job Retention Bonus

·         COVID-19 The Self Employment Income Support Scheme

·         Financial forecasting

·         Grant applications, loans and funding

·         Cash management and profit improvement

 

Have a look at Deloitte’s upcoming webinars on COVID-19: – 

 

  • 3 December 2020
    The COVID-19 webinar: health, economics, business

The COVID-19 webinar: health, economics, and business

 

  • 17 December 2020
    The COVID-19 webinar: health, economics, business#

  • For the latest Government advice and support: –

Click on this link for help and support if your business is affected by COVID-19 from the Government’s website

To keep up to date with the latest developments on COVID-19, advice to employers, businesses, and employees, please follow our company page on LinkedIn HERE.

You can also follow us on FaceBook HERE

On Twitter by following astute_recruit

& Instagram HERE

 

 

 

Astute Recruitment Ltd share our top 10 tips for managing stress and anxiety
Astute Recruitment Ltd share our top 10 tips for managing stress and anxiety

 

As England heads into a second national lockdown, we provide some tips for working from home during this stressful time, and hope this helps those feeling anxious, worried or struggling generally.

 

Stress Awareness Day, falls today, 4th November 2020. It was created by the Founder of International Stress Management Association (ISMA) Carole Spiers in 1998.

 

Carole is speaking at an online Stress and Wellbeing Summit, covering stress management, workplace wellbeing and how to develop resilience during unprecedented times, as a result of the pandemic.

 

In this ‘new normal’, companies, and their staff face massive challenges with millions of people once again asked to work from home – some for the first time in their lives.

 

Carole Spiers said, “With over half of adults reporting that their mental health worsened during the first lockdown (MIND Survey, June 2020), it’s more important than ever to get wellbeing working for home-workers.”

 

We are sharing ISMA’s 10 tips on working from home productively with a few extra pointers we all learned at Astute Recruitment in the last lockdown: –

 

1/ Dress as though you are going to work.

Finding a daily routine is proven to help anxiety and stress. Find a place that is exclusively yours during working hours. Get dressed every morning, at the same time. Don’t stay in pyjamas and slippers every day. If you need to make or attend video calls, you need to be dressed for the camera.

 

2/ Be open to adapting to change

People are creatures of habit and often do not like changes to our daily routines. Now we find ourselves in the current changing situation, we must be able to adapt, be open to adapt and get used to change quickly. Try and think positively about ways you can use your time in isolation most productively.

 

3/ Try exercising and eating healthily

Every day build some time for exercise. This can just be a short stroll or an online fitness class. Diarise this. Make this something to break up your day and change your focus away from ‘work’. Be aware of what you are eating and try and eat more healthily. You can pre-plan your meals and get creative with your cooking if some food items aren’t easily available.

Stock up on some staples that you can mix and match to knock something together easily. Don’t forget that frozen vegetables retain their goodness and vitamins much longer than freshly bought items.

 

4/ Using IT to keep in touch

When you are used to working with others, it is not easy being by yourself. Make full use of video/ online meetings, video calls and phone apps to stay in touch with colleagues and others in your circle. At Astute in the last lockdown, our team whether furloughed or not, said that their highlight of the day during lockdown was our daily zoom meeting. It wasn’t about work, it was about talking and seeing each other and really helped everyone. Whether working from home or not, to have a daily time to look forward to catching up with friends at work, (albeit in their homes!) can provide a real highlight to your day and ‘lift’ your spirits.

 

5/ Make it easier to work with family at home

Having to work with small children, older kids, and partners/ husbands/ extended family at home doesn’t help you to concentrate. But what can you do?  If you have a partner, share the load. If you live alone with children, get them occupied with an activity before you start to work. Build a routine, a day plan that the kids can get used to, and share this in the kitchen on a wallchart or whiteboard. If everyone understands when ‘Mummy or Daddy’ needs to be working – it is easier to have that time alone.

 

6/ Plan work in blocks of time

Normal office hours between – 9 – 5 might not work in Lockdown and working from home. If you have children, you may choose to work in the evening as well, or very first thing before the kids get up and get a couple of hours admin out of the way.  There is nothing wrong with this and this helped a number of our team with kids or partners, to manage their day, give them structure and help them be really productive.

It is essential to build in breaks where you can step away from your bedroom/ kitchen table or if you are very lucky – your home office 😊 Set your alarm on your mobile so that you have regular meal times and just even 5-minute breaks to go and make a cuppa. With no usual office banter or typical office distractions, it can be all too easy to zone out and suddenly realise hours have gone by and you haven’t eaten anything!

Make sure you take regular breaks and set yourself goals during the day.

 

7/ Keep in touch with friends!

It can be really lonely working from home. With no distractions from your friends in the office as usual, think of someone you can ‘buddy’ up with. We are all social creatures and thrive with social interactions. Having a ‘buddy’ to share experiences with and give each other support/ advice – is a brilliant idea and so good for your wellbeing (and sanity!). It can often give you a real lift. Get imaginative and have a ‘Friday drink’ at 4pm/ 5pm – or later in the evening – share a glass of wine, online!

 

8/ Get the balance right

There is no ‘one size fits all’ and recognising this is absolutely key.

What works for you does not necessarily work for someone else!  Use trial and error until you find the right balance and don’t feel bad about getting it wrong a few times! Kids/ pets/ partners and life in general will still throw some curve balls.

If you do find certain things work – share your successes with friends and co-workers. You may just have the key to unlock some of their problems!

Talk to people used to working alone from the last lockdown. There may also be people you know who are used to working from home anyway. Contact them and ask what tips and ideas they can share. They will be glad to share if they know it will help you/ someone else!

 

9/ Have clear boundaries between ‘home/ family life’ and ‘work-life’

Every day, At the end of your ‘work’ day, switch off your computer. Tidy your desk and close the door.

This routine will become a daily habit and help with balancing your work time and home life.

Just as you would in a normal working week- you need to have clear boundaries between work time and home time.

 

10/ Get a good night’s sleep!

Worry and anxiety can often be a barrier to getting to sleep and having quality sleep.

The answer? Plan your bedtime. Make sure you have some downtime from work before you go to bed. Our brains are wired so that if they have been crunching numbers, solving problems and generally very active – they need some time to calm down.

Don’t eat rich foods or drink too much coffee after 8pm. And put down the Playstation/ social media feeds an hour before bedtime.

Have a regular time for bed! Whether you are a night-owl or rise with the lark, make sure you stick to a bedtime routine and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Regular 7-hour sleep times will improve your mental health, make you more alert and more productive at work and at home!

 

Useful links: 

https://isma.org.uk/

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/about.html 

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/stress/

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ 

Now the nights are drawing in how to keep your fitness on track? Local, Derby owner of Santinos Gym, Kim Santino shares some expert tips
Now the nights are drawing in how to keep your fitness on track? Local, Derby owner of Santinos Gym, Kim Santino shares some expert tips

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the nights are drawing in, how to keep your fitness on track? Now more than ever it is key for everyone to try and maintain their fitness levels. Our MD, Mary Maguire, discussed this very point with local, Derby Gym owner and multi-award-winning Body Builder, Kim Santino. Hence this collaborative and useful article was put together.

 

Over to Kim telling us more about his gym and the amazing contribution his Boxing Academy makes to support young people in our communities around Derbyshire.

 

“I’m Kim Santino, I’m 61 years young and a competitive bodybuilder.

I am very proud of my Gym, Santino’s Gym and Studio in Derby, which we opened just 4 years ago. Yes, its hard work and very long hours but it is so rewarding!

Each piece of equipment was hand-picked to hit every body part from all angles and installed lots of cardio machines in the Studio for that all-important heart-pumping exercise. Adding our Boxing clubs was the icing on the cake. Our Boxing Circuits are a killer, well not literally 😊, but it’s the Boxing Academy we are particularly proud of. It supports young people in the community, giving them the mindset and confidence to stand up to bullies and the discipline and focus to avoid bullying behaviour.

Many years ago, I ran Karate Schools and achieved 3rd Dan Black Belt status but the desire to put on a little weight to enhance my performance led me to join a Gym.

I found my strength improved week on week and along with that, my confidence too.  Continuing with both, however, would have been counterproductive so had to focus on just one and decided to see where bodybuilding would lead me.

Of my many Bodybuilding titles, gained over 3x decades, I am most proud of the ones I achieved in 2019 as I became Mr Universe, Masters Champion, Mr World Masters Champion and Mr Britain Masters Champion.

At the Gym, I’m on hand to give advice, to lend a hand with training and love, more than anything else, to see someone really making a difference to their life!

We have so many amazing transformation stories and are so proud of what our members have achieved over the years at Santino’s.

‘Santino’s Gym, a Friendly Gym with a Hard-working Ethic’.

 

“How to keep your fitness on track now the nights are drawing in” – Kim’s top tips

1.       Training:

The Winter months are upon us and I have always tried to impress upon people that it is so important to train hard at this time of year.

After all, Summer bodies are actually made in Winter!  What better way to make sure you get out of the house, keep fit and healthy, socialise, and make the most of those short dark days? So many gains can be made; so many improvements, all ready to hit that beach or attend that special occasion in the New Year looking and, above all, feeling your very best.

2.       Food:

Its very tempting to fill yourself up with carbs during the cold months. We certainly seem to crave them in cold weather! We all love a hearty meal, whether it be cottage pie, a hot steaming stew or lasagne, but be sure to burn off the carbs you had earlier on in the day and to reduce carb intake later on when you are about to snuggle up at home.

Remember to eat a balanced, healthy diet to make sure you are taking in a good source of vitamins and minerals but take supplements too to boost your immune system.

Kim’s key takeaway!

Consistency is key and remember, that it is not just the hour in the Gym but what you do during the other 23 hours that counts too.

If you would like to find out more about a great, local, and truly friendly gym, you can visit Kim’s website for Santinos Gym clicking HERE.

 

Mary and Kim will be putting together other tips and information around keeping fit and healthy in the coming months, including how Mental Health is inextricably linked to our physical wellbeing.