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

Your CV Profile –

Increasingly for candidates, anything that can flag a CV to a potential employer is great.

But what to include? What to specifically cite? How to keep things concise but genuinely show you have made a difference and why you stand out?

Below is part of the profile for an experienced Finance Director who Astute Recruitment has worked with for a number of years.

Experienced SME Finance Director with a proven track record of success, supporting strategic objectives with financial acumen and operational pragmatism.
Facilitated ‘fundraise’ with PE – pre and post-acquisition
Pro-active manager and influencer, empowering staff to take ownership
Providing coaching, training and mentoring to build cohesive teams and business partnering senior management.
Proven experience working alongside MDs and Senior management teams driving businesses forward
Focussed on achieving individual targets and company objectives and offering excellent relationship management skills.
Experienced in financial and corporate management to ensure the achievement of commercial goals within budget.
Extensive SME experience and management of external relationships with banks, insurers, suppliers and investors.

“Driving business projects to deliver business strategy”.

This is someone who one of our Directors has personally known for a while and who has sat on both sides of the client/ candidate fence. Their words and the way they succinctly covered their key attributes was great and we wanted to share this.

The candidate identifies specific, key deliverables and specific, defined savings they have made to the business and specific ways they have delivered success in their previous roles. They did this citing in percentage terms, the differences to the profit and balance sheet of their company. Where they had saved time – they cited the exact amount of time. They were clear that they had taken ownership of the improvements cited.

Another key part of this is to ensure that all the Job Boards you are registered with and your LinkedIn profile also all reflect accurately the most up to date version of your CV. Often we discover a candidate’s online profile varies to the latest CV they forward to us. Consistency in all things applies – especially in terms of your own candidate CV, personal profile and branding online.

For obvious reasons – we cannot state the identity of this eloquent person, as they are still in a permanent role!

Nor can we cite specific deliverables or critical success factors for confidentiality, but if you are reading this and your business needs someone like this – let our Qualified Team know and we will gladly facilitate an introduction!

We hope the above provides some inspiration for those struggling to write up / update their own profiles/ CVs.

Astute’s Team!

Richard Bowe – Senior Consultant Interim Qualified Accountancy

Tom Norton – Senior Consultant Permanent Qualified

Andy Lilliman – Recruitment Business Development Manager

Sarah-Louise Wykes – Manager, Interim Transactional Finance Staff, Part-Qualified to Qualified Accountants

Charlotte Sproat – Permanent Transactional Finance Staff, Part-Qualified to Qualified Accountants (Derby, South Derbyshire, North Leicestershire, Staffordshire, South Notts)

Debbie Jackson – Permanent Transactional Finance Staff, Part-Qualified to Qualified Accountants (Derby, North Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire)

As it was Valentines Day on 14th Feb, I thought I’d ask – Are You Married to your Career?

Just like a relationship, do you find your job sapping all your energy? Is it all-consuming with you giving and giving with no gratitude in return? Do you feel that no-one is listening to you? Are you feeling unappreciated?

If that’s the case – maybe its time to find a new partner or certainly end what could be a toxic relationship!

It’s a proven fact that you are more likely on average, to spend considerably more time at work than you are with loved ones, family and partners. So it is vital that, just like a good, healthy relationship with your partner, you deserve and are entitled to have a great life partnership with your employer and career.

Some interesting facts researched by Perkbox who surveyed 2,000 professional UK Employees, discovered some disturbing findings around our relationships with work.

From the survey: –

1/ Separation Anxiety – Over HALF checked emails out of work hours whilst at home.

2/ Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) – 1/3rd did not ‘switch off’ from work mode. Employees aged in their mid-twenties are statistically likely to work 7 hours a week extra at home on top of their normal contracted hours.

3/ Unreliable and breaking commitments – nearly 25% skipped social events with a further fifth of respondents admitting to cancelling annual holidays due to work commitments! A totally shocking 10% cited work as the reason for a total relationship breakdown.

4/ Draining our confidence, sapping energy & affecting our health & wellbeing – over 40% of professionals reported extra hours of work negatively affecting stress levels, energy levels and day to day mood. Negative effects on family life, decreased motivation and health all scored highly in nearly a 3rd of people.

So, what is to be done?

If you were talking to your friends/ family – the advice would be to look for another relationship and certainly if talking and communicating your unhappiness led to no improvements – you would quite rightly be looking for a new partner.

If you want a divorce from a toxic career relationship contact me or my team at Astute Recruitment Ltd – We are wonderful relationship councillors!

Article by Mary Maguire, MD Astute Recruitment Ltd

Originally Published on LinkedIn, February 13, 2019

Life is a series of little successes. Make sure you celebrate yours.

“Life is a series of little successes. Make sure you celebrate yours”.

A quote from the latest life coach/ business guru? Nope. My husband said this to my 10 year old son.

We all have the power to inspire and encourage others in work, rest and play.

Who are you going to inspire today?

Written by Mary Maguire, MD

I met a great candidate the other day.

I like to understand why people looking for work reach out to me specifically.

So, I asked him.

He said that when he was using me to hire an accountant last year, I was so passionate about one particular candidate and confident in that person’s ability that I staked my professional reputation on the line to give that person a chance of an interview. I came across as genuinely understanding that particular accountant’s skills, experience and strengths. I also came across as genuinely caring about that person.

“Now that’s the sort of person I want to represent me” he said. “Someone who can passionately, professionally and rationally present me as a professional person and not ‘just another CV’.

Someone who genuinely ‘gets me’ as a candidate and who truly has my interests at heart and not just hitting their monthly sales target.”

What better way to sum up a recruiter’s role in the 21^st Century?

Some really interesting statistics and analysis came to light following a survey concluded by CIMA at the end of January 2017. More than half (55%) of the qualified accountants who responded, cited flexibility and a greater work-life balance as their biggest motivations when looking for and considering a new job. This is a big increase from the 37% in 2015 according to research by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

The 2016 salary survey conducted by CIMA utilised 3,460 student accountants, CIMA members and 4,467 qualified CIMA members. This report established that 52% of qualified accountants who responded were motivated by financial rewards alone.

Other key takeaways: –

42% of qualified accountant respondents cite a good working environment as their main motivator.
More than half (53%) of student accountant respondents are influenced by financial rewards when considering a new role.
36% of student accountants responded that they are motivated by a good working environment when considering a new role.

Here at Astute we feel that it is increasingly likely that finance professionals and their employers will place increasing significance on being able to participate in and offer flexible working hours outside the 9 – 5. Attracting and retaining talented staff is always key. In an increasingly competitive market, employers slow to adopt new, fresh flexible benefits could be missing out on hiring the best talent for their teams.

However what the research also indicates is the greater importance on career development rather than flexible benefits by CIMA Students. Their focus remains seeking career building opportunities offering the best and widest experience. In contrast the more experienced hire seems to be saying they need an employer who can flex around their personal and private commitments (e.g. childcare, elderly relatives etc.).

Mental Health – The 3 most important things you need to know.

May 2017 is Mental Health Month. Everyone from Prince Harry to Brad Pitt have commented on this but so have a lot of ordinary people like you and I. For years, this whole topic has been a silent taboo. Hardly anyone has dared to raise this, let alone admit to suffering from mental exhaustion or emotional problems lest they be ostracised by their fellow workers, bosses or even closest family and partners.

This is all changing now and it has become a signature topic that has captured the attention of the masses at long last.

What are the top 3 things to know about this?

1/ Recognise the signs. Are you finding it hard to sleep? Do you find it hard to focus and concentrate on one task at a time? Is your appetite affected?

2/ Admit that you need help. Accept that this is not a sign of weakness but the first step to making you strong again.

3/ Seek different types of help until you find the one that works for YOU.

There is not ‘a one size fits all’ cure. Everybody is different. I know from personal experience that while therapists and psychologists are the first people we are directed towards, for me, it was more about allowing myself to explore other avenues. Allowing myself the time to pause and reflect. Most importantly of all – allowing myself to accept that recovery from any type of mental and emotional stress is a ladder that you have to climb. One small step at a time with people that you totally trust to confide in.

This is an issue that is so important for everyone. SME business owners, Entrepreneurs, office workers, finance professionals, the mother, the uncle, the sister or brother. Each and every one of us, in every sector and walk of life knows someone directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues whether we care to admit or not. This is something I’ll be covering again soon from the perspectives of employers and their staff to highlight how everyone can work together and ensure that the momentum built up isn’t allowed to fade away again.

In the meantime, if you or someone you know is in emotional distress – remember the three points above: –

Recognition

Admission

Seek help.

If this issue resonates with you – whether you are looking for work, an employee or a business owner, please let me know your comments to help me post more relevant articles on this really important subject.

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Mike

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.

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! 😊

Christine

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 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 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.