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Graduates.... is a degree enough for employers?

19 January 2012

There was a time when ‘being a graduate’ was enough to make you standout from the crowd – having a degree was something not achieved by many.

Occupations are changing, a degree still holds a very high currency with employers but expectations are higher and the breadth of graduate opportunities demand much more than simply acquisition of skills and knowledge.  The world of work is a very different place in 2012.  Graduates looking for the top jobs need to understand that employers are looking for potential leaders and managers who can adapt to the changing markets and have the personal confidence to rise to every day challenges and new innovative ways of working.  Attitude is everything and despite the huge increase in online activity, real business is still personal – people do business with people they like and trust so the old fashioned values like honesty and integrity still matter hugely.

To stand out from the crowd today’s graduates need to be able to demonstrate a dynamic approach with pace and energy.  Business is looking for key people who can make a real difference with the resilience to pursue their own goals and commitment to the goals of the organisation.

Evidence of work experience, voluntary work and interests that show a well rounded individual hungry and enthusiastic to experience life and participate in all it has to offer will enhance a graduates CV and encourage a potential employer to accept them for interview.  Preparation for interviews is absolutely key, researching and understanding the organisation, practicing interview techniques and potential responses to questions.  Interviews can take several forms including Assessment Days, competency based or strength based interviews.  Establishing what interview style is going to be used is certainly useful to know in advance.  Preparation = confidence and is time well invested to ensure success.

Chief Executive Officer - Charitable Sector

18 January 2012

In the heart of North West Worcestershire, KEMP, the local hospice founded 30 years ago, serves patients and families across the Wyre Forest, Tenbury Wells and surrounding areas.  The Hospice provides a major support facility for the local community and its primary goal is to deliver specialist palliative care and holistic support for patients and their families or carers.  Hospice Staff are supported by an extensive volunteer network, as well as NHS Trusts, palliative care Consultants, Macmillan nurses, GPs and allied professions. As a result the hospice is able to develop and widen access to its services for adults and children.

The Role:

  • Develop, in conjunction with the Trustees, a strategy for the on-going management and development of the Hospice, which reflects its vision and values, in order to ensure success, financial viability and impact
  • Inspire the senior management team to ensure the effective and efficient day to day financial and operational management of the charity
  • Represent the Kemp Hospice externally and develop strategic relationships with the appropriate stakeholders to facilitate effective partnerships
  • Ensure the contributions of Trustees, employees and volunteers are effectively co­ordinated to meet the Hospice’s objectives, both short and long term
  • Provide visionary leadership to motivate employees and volunteers to ensure key performance measures agreed with the Trustees are achieved

The Candidate:

  • A demonstrable understanding of, and passion for, the objectives, ethos and values of the Hospice
  • Experience as a CEO of a similar sized charity and/or relevant transferable experience from outside the sector
  • An established track record of successful strategic leadership, management and development
  • Outstanding communication and ambassadorial skills, with the ability to inspire both external stakeholders and the wider community

It is envisaged that the key accountabilities in this important permanent role will be delivered on a three days a week, flexible, part-time basis, supported by a well qualified and experienced executive team.

£55FTE

To discuss this opportunity in confidence contact, Ian Hood - Hewett Executive Talent on 01905 725989 or email: ian@hewettexecutivetalent.co.uk

Recruiting at Executive Level.... Getting it Right

10 January 2012


Resourcing issues at senior level in many businesses arise more often than you might think.  When a key member of your executive management team moves on, it can often leave a big gap and have an immediate and direct impact on your company’s ability to deliver.  It is therefore important to find the right replacement as quickly as possible, ideally without wasting substantial amounts of precious time on endless interviews of inadequately screened candidates, and maintaining a degree of confidentiality throughout the process.

The answer is a search.  Executive search, or headhunting, is a proactive form of recruitment which involves a direct approach to individuals who have been identified as prospective candidates for a role.  These people are rarely on a candidate database, and aren’t necessarily actively looking for a new job.  Because the approach is selective, the quality of candidates is high and yet there is a minimum amount of information about the vacancy in the public domain.

For headhunting to be effective, executive search consultants need to have an excellent understanding of your requirement, so they will ask you for an initial face to face meeting where they will take a thorough brief.  You may think the commitment time-consuming, but the end result makes that initial investment very worthwhile.

After that meeting, most of your work is done.  You will be asked to approve a target list of organisations where likely candidates will be identified and approached, and agree the projected timeline for the assignment.  Then you can sit back, schedule some time for interviews a few weeks hence, and look forward to seeing some quality people in the almost certain knowledge that one of them will be your next hire!

Contact our Executve Search team today for more information.

www.hewettexecutivetalent.co.uk

Apprentice Numbers Increase Driven by Adult Trainees

03 January 2012

According to provisional data published by the Government, apprenticeship numbers have risen by 50% on last year’s figures, largely driven by an increase in adult trainees. Figures show that there were 442,700 apprenticeship starts in the full 2010/11 academic year, compared to 279,700 starts for 2009/10. The numbers of young people (aged under 16 to 24) starting a programme grew by 15.9% (36,600), from 230,600 to 267,200, but this was dwarfed by the increase in trainees aged 25 and above, which went up by a huge 257.4% (126,400) from 49,100 to 175,500.
Sectors with the biggest growth in trainees were health, public services and care (which was up by 48.7%), business, administration and law (41.2%) and retail and commercial enterprise (38.8%). Meanwhile, growth in sectors traditionally associated with vocational training, such as engineering and construction, continued despite the tough economic conditions.
Advanced apprenticeship schemes showed the biggest rise, up 40.7% from last year; intermediate scheme places saw an increase of 34.9% and higher apprenticeships rose by 28.6%. However, some commentators have questioned the value and content of existing apprenticeships schemes, whilst others have contested the validity of the fi gures suggesting that many apprenticeships are going to existing employees. For example, FE Week revealed in June that while supermarket Morrisons claims to be the largest provider of
apprenticeships in the UK, nearly all the 18,000 schemes created by the company so far this year were taken up by existing staff.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “This Government’s unprecedented investment in apprenticeships is working for businesses and creating long term career opportunities for record numbers of trainees. I’m particularly pleased that vital sectors like construction, manufacturing and engineering are continuing to back apprenticeships, despite tough economic times. By helping firms build a stronger skills base, this investment puts businesses on solid foundations to deliver sustainable growth and a more balanced and
inclusive economy.”

Source: REC Market i Report

www.rec.uk.com 

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