Manchester Girl Geek Tea Party v.7 - Technology and Science Show & Tell

Things we'd like to talk about

Interview Planning

As an MD in a small business I know that the key to success is to plan for it. Infact, if ...

25/01/2012

25/01/2012

As an MD in a small business I know that the key to success is to plan for it. Infact, if 5 excellent years at the MD support group Vistage taught me anything - it was that.

25/01/2012

Recruiting new team members is tough. However I find that so often the employers thinks 'phew, we have three interviews set up and that's the hard part done with', not so, that is just the start.

Most recruitment projects are done under duress. We are in a hurry and we need someone yesterday - this is not a great planning environment I grant you, but planning as the name implies, is best done in advance and this is no exception.

Step 1
Job Description. Not everyone does this in advance but it's essential especially if there's more than one person or groups doing the interviewing. Everyone needs to fully understand the role, including the candidates and a good job description facilitates this.

Step 2
How many interviews? Best practise would ask for three interviews with three different people in three different locations, but this is not always possible. The point here is that this person will cost you a lot of money if they fail, whether they are recruited with a fee or directly. Therefore spend as much time as you can with them before you make any decisions.

Step 3
What do you need to know? Looking at the meetings you have planned (two or three) and try and decide different ways to spend the time. For example here at Orchard we have a chemistry meeting to discuss previous employment. Then we have a presentation and competency meeting to discover more about the candidate. Then finally, we have a third offer meeting to discuss what Orchard can do for the candidate.

Step 4
Plan your questions. If you want to find out information in Step 3 you need the right questions before the interview. If you are having multiple interviews then find out what questions are used in which interview. Ensure you have enough questions to spend time with the candidate, an important part of the process.

Step 5
Evaluate the interviews on paper. It's important to have a writer to record the meetings incase any questions arise in the future. Also, it helps when evaluating candidates against each other. I would always sleep on a job offer if at all possible.

Within the Digital, Creative and Marketing sectors the team we have is our most valuable asset and as such hiring decisions are critically important and mistakes can be hugely expensive in terms of time and money.

Can you afford not to sit down and spend between 4 and 8 hours to ensure that you do that process to the very best of your ability?

If you require any help in interview planning or interview training for managers that have had no formal training then please contact us.

Mike Carter
@Orchard_Mike
#OrchardBaby Competition

It's hard to imagine that some of the Orchard team were babies once upon a time, well here ...

20/01/2012 2 comments

20/01/2012 2 comments

It's hard to imagine that some of the Orchard team were babies once upon a time, well here is proof!

20/01/2012 2 comments

To celebrate @MattOrchard's new arrival we are giving away a £50 Amazon voucher with our very own #OrchardBaby competition. For 12 days, from Monday 23rd January we will add a baby / toddler photo of each Orchard employee onto our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Orchard - you just need to guess who it is.

For a reference point you can take a look at our Orchard Folding photo album on Facebook which has current photos with names of all of the Orchard team.

Here are the rules....

1 - Take a look at our Orchard Facebook page to find the photos and enter the competition - if you Like it, click the button!

2 - You only have 1 guess per photo - you enter by simply commenting under the photograph with the name of the Orchard employee you think it is. If any of your guesses are correct over the 12 days you will automatically be put in the hat - which will be drawn at random.

3 - The competition ends on Friday 10th February and a winner will be drawn on Monday 13th from all the successful guesses.

Follow our @OrchardTweets & #OrchardBaby Competition page to get all the latest competition news!
#Blogfromthearchive: Freelance, should you take the plunge?

Going solo as a freelancer is a daunting and challenging life decision, but the rewards can ...

17/01/2012 2 comments

17/01/2012 2 comments

Going solo as a freelancer is a daunting and challenging life decision, but the rewards can outweigh the negatives when successful. It's just getting there.

17/01/2012 2 comments

As it's my turn to write a blog this week, I thought to myself "What would be most relevant to our candiates and readers?" I have been asked a few times this week about 'what it's like to go freelance' and have given out my thoughts on the matter. Alex has hit the nail on the head with this blog so I have reposted it for all you permanent job creatives thinking of taking the plunge!

Especially in the design world, freelancing is something that I think most designers and artworkers would like to have a shot at during their career. It is unfortunately one of those instances were you have to try it out to know whether it suits you, and making the first leap can be a risky and unstable time - especially at the moment.

Here are a few qualities that make a good freelancer:

- Versatility. As a freelancer is it crucial that you not only have great communication skills, but that you have the ability to get on with a wide range of different people. You will have to be able to adapt quickly to different working environments without issue. It is in essence, like constantly starting a new job.

- Confidence. An integral part of being a freelancer is being confident with others, as you will be continually meeting new people and employers. You have to be sure of yourself and your abilities, and not be shy of networking.

- Motivation. There will be some times as a freelancer when times will be tough and quiet. It is important that you have an upbeat positive attitude during these periods, and are able to motivate yourself to find work and contacts.

- Have an easy going and pleasant personality. We find that the majority of our clients will call and request a freelancer by name, someone that they have had before, as it make things easier for them. So, making a good first impression is vital.

Some people may fail miserably, some may freelance for a few years until returning to permanent work and some will have long profitable careers. If you're currently in two minds about whether freelancing is the thing for you, here are some pros and cons to help you out.

PROS

- It goes without saying that pound for pound, when working as a freelancer compared to permanent, that the rates are generally higher. You have the potential to earn big bucks.

- Due to the flexible nature of freelancing, you have the control over the impact of your work on your lifestyle and out of work plans, choosing to work as often or as little as you want (or can afford).

- You get the opportunity to build relationships with many different agencies and companies, and once you're in, if you do a good job you are more likely to be asked back. Not just for freelance, but forming these relationships increases the chance of being offered a permanent role for when / if you return to this way of working.

- Working for many agencies and companies on different projects and in different industries widens your skills and experience. You consequently learn a great deal when working as a freelancer, benefiting from working with many different people. Not only this but it increases your networking pool.

CONS

- The main point that scares many people away from freelancing is the lack of financial stability and not knowing when the next job will come along. A lot of freelance work is unpredictable and last minute, and at times you will have to leave personal plans in order to earn some money. If you aren't in a comfortable position financially or just starting out, you will most likely need to take whatever comes your way regardless of plans previously made.

- Working as a freelancer, you will need to accept that generally, you will be placed with the more routine and 'mundane' tasks to complete, the more creative work will most likely go to the permanent employees.

- Another downside to working as a freelancer in the financial sense, is that you get no sick pay, no redundancy pay and will find it very hard to get a mortgage without showing long term regular income.

If you are interested in making the transition from permanent to freelance and have any questions then please do not hesitate to ask.

Written by Alex Fisher @orchard_alex
Stolen by Mairi Wilson @Orchard_Mairi
Different Types of Interviews

Formal? Informal? Panel? Telephone? .... Getting ready for an interview? Take a read of these ...

08/01/2012

08/01/2012

Formal? Informal? Panel? Telephone? .... Getting ready for an interview? Take a read of these different types of interviews and make sure you're ready for you're next time to impress.

08/01/2012

So you’ve got your foot in the door and it’s time to shine at your first interview. All you have to do now is prepare. Easy! If you know how…

There can be many different types of interviews and the more you know about the style, the better you can prepare.

The Telephone Interview
Often companies request an initial telephone interview before inviting you in for a face to face meeting in order to get a better understanding of the type of candidate you are. The one benefit of this is that you can have your notes out in front of you. You should do just as much preparation as you would for a face to face interview, and remember that your first impression is vital. Some people are better meeting in person than on the phone, so make sure that you speak confidently, with good pace and try to answer all the questions that are asked.

The Face-to-Face Interview
This can be a meeting between you and one member of staff or even two members.

The Panel Interview
These interviews involve a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. This type of interview is popular within the public sector.

The Group Interview
Several candidates are present at this type of interview. You will be asked to interact with each other by usually a group discussion. You might even be given a task to do as a team, so make sure you speak up and give your opinion.

The Sequential Interview
These are several interviews in turn with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer asks questions to test different sets of competencies. However, if you are asked the same questions, just make sure you answer each one as fully as the previous time.

The Lunch / Dinner Interview
This type of interview gives the employer a chance to assess your communication and interpersonal skills as well as your table manners! So make sure you order wisely (no spaghetti bolognaise) and make sure you don’t spill your drink (non-alcoholic of course!).

All these types of interviews can take on different question formats, so once you’ve checked with your potential employer which type of interview you’ll be attending, get preparing!

Here’s a list of interview formats that you should prepare your answers for;

Competency Based Interviews
These are structured to reflect the competencies the employer is seeking for the particular job. These will usually be detailed in the job spec so make sure you read it through, and have your answers ready for questions such as “Give me an example of a time you worked as a team to achieve a common goal.” For more examples of competency based questions click here.

Formal / Informal Interviews
Some interviews may be very formal, others may be very informal and seem like just a chat about your interests. However, it is important to remember that you are still being assessed, and topics should be friendly and clean!

Portfolio Based Interviews
In the design / digital or communications industry it is likely that you will be asked to take your portfolio along or show it online. Make sure all your work is up to date without too little or too much. Make sure that your images if in print are big enough for the interviewer to see properly, and always test your online portfolio on all Internet browsers before turning up.

The Second Interview
You’ve past the first interview and you’ve had the call to arrange the second. Congratulations! But what else is there to prepare for? You did as much as you could for the first interview! Now is the time to look back and review. You maybe asked the same questions you were asked before, so review them and brush up your answers. Review your research about the company; take a look at the ‘About Us’ section on their website, get to know their client base, search the latest news on the company and find out what the company is talking about.

General Interview Preparation
Here’s a list of questions that you should consider your answers for when preparing…

• Why do you want this job?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What relevant experience do you have?
• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• What do you know about this company?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your salary requirements?

Ever experienced an interview not listed above? Have a story to tell about an interesting interview you've been on? Let us know by commenting below!

@Orchard_Mairi

If you've found these helpful, please take a look at our other interview related blogs!

Interview Planning by @Orchard_Mike

Interview Questions - How to avoid that awkward silence by @Franisaholden

Portfolio Presentations by @OrchardRich

Top 5: What NOT to do in an interview... by @OrchardRich