Monique is one of my earliest mentors in Recruitment. I worked as a Resourcer for her team way back in the early 2000’s, gradually learning to ply my craft in Recruitment. Since then, Monique has been a Plan B client, a Plan B temp, and most importantly – a good friend! She is currently the People & Culture Business Partner at Unified Health Group.
I recently met with Monique for a coffee in Windsor, with the plan to ask her 3 recruitment-related questions in order to gain some insight into staffing in her world.
So Monique, what are the small things you notice about candidates that make a huge difference to their chances of landing a role?
There are a few key components that candidates should be mindful of when applying for a job
Firstly, make sure there are no grammatical errors on your CV – there is nothing that looks more careless than when you haven’t made an effort to proof-read your application
Secondly, be on time, even a few minutes early – this shows you are keen, reliable and punctual – makes for a positive first impression
And lastly….be yourself – employers want to know the real you in an interview and how they will gel with the team, don’t be afraid to be yourself.
With regard to skill shortages in 2018, what areas/roles within the business are the hardest to recruit for (and why?)
Skill shortages for me fall within the IT space, it’s a candidates market and a new startup in the market every day
Once you have found the right candidate, what are the key things a company can do in order to retain them?
One of the most important things for employees is to feel they are making an impact with the work they do – create an environment that makes them feel like they are an asset to your company
And be open and honest with opportunities – create a pathway for career development