There have been a number of recent articles about interviewing candidates for jobs; how to find the good ones, how to get past the “blaggers”, how to know the person you’re hiring is worth the pay increment you’re giving them.

Gone were the days of out-there interview questions like “if you were a button on a keyboard which one would you be and why” and “sell me a holiday in Iraq” (I was actually asked that in a recruitment interview).

So, it seems hiring managers are getting creative and deriving from consultant-type interviews of case studies and on the spot presentations. Sure enough, I’ve been briefed to prepare a group of business analysts for exactly such an interview. The first round was a handshake and a get-to-know you interview and the next and final stage is to prepare a 20 minute presentation on a major project; real or fictitious and plan it from strategy to UAT (user acceptance testing). They then have to present this to a panel of business analysts who already sit in the business; and this is for a contract job..

So is this the future? no more relying on references and face to face interviews? Which let’s face it; we could all get a job that way. It’s put you in the hot seat to see how you would actually perform the role.

face to face interview, interview presentations, interview questions, job interviews, job search

One of the most important aspects that job seekers tend to neglect is preparing themselves mentally for what lies ahead. This is extremely important and it is essential to establish a positive attitude and be emotionally prepared when finding a new job. Our colleague Justin Kamihara from the Tokyo office discusses this.

To read more, click here.

hiring process, interview preparation, job interview, job search, job seeker, staying positive

When searching for a new role, a job seeker will normally consider the salary, job title or even office location. But have you thought about whether the culture of the new company will fit you?

In the blog “When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters” written by Bill Barnett from McKinsey & Company, he mentioned there are many cases that job seekers enter companies without understanding the culture and come away disappointed. To avoid making wrong decisions, he proposed three questions for job seekers to think before going to an interview: What should I learn; how should I learn; and when should I learn.

You can get a sense of the company’s culture in the first interview by asking how the company usually gets things done; the level of teamwork; the quality of the people; or how staff communicate. To find out more, try to meet other employees there who aren’t involved in your recruiting process as you may learn more about the company from a different angle.

Cultural fit doesn’t necessary mean you look and sound the same as the boss or the team; sometimes it may be better for individuals to have different points of view as long as everyone can mutually align with each others’ values to accomplish the best results.

When you search for your next job, spend some time investigating the company’s culture it is not just the salary that you should consider, but also the company’s culture is significant too. Sometimes money can’t buy you happiness. Do you agree?

corporate culture, Hiring, new job

We all know that employers have a very specific idea about who they want to hire in some cases, and often look for professionals from the local market. The question I sometimes ask myself is, should it be our responsibility to advise a client of whether to broaden their search criteria when they already have a very clear idea of what they want?

Recently, the subject of “assuming” was highlighted in the Trayvon Martin case in the US. Just in case you are not aware of the story, Trayvon was a black US teenager  who was on his way home from the grocery store when a neighbourhood watch officer by the name of George Zimmerman, decided that he was acting suspiciously. He therefore tried to apprehend him and the resulting scuffle led to him shooting and killing the young man. When asked about why, his response was Trayvon was wearing a hoodie.

The jury is out on whether or not this was a race related crime but it does raise questions about how much we tend to make assumptions about people based on their appearance or our own perceptions.

I personally believe that as recruitment consultants, it is in our best interest to offer advice wherever possible, hence the consultant word in our job title! Being told that someone is not right based on their race, sex or even age without asking is a wasted opportunity.

After all, if we are lazy and accept that some people are just not right based on their looks alone, we may get caught out just like George Zimmerman, the presumption will result in a backlash, particularly when in this case all that was found on the teenager’s body was iced tea and a bag of skittles.

employers, hiring process, job search, jobs in Singapore, recruitment, recruitment and selection, recruitment consultants, search criteria

Singapore remains an attractive regional hub for many of the world’s leading technology organisations and continues to lead the way in new innovation, research and development.

Hiring activity in the end space environment has been strong over the last year. Confidence to invest in upgrading or implementing new technologies has been buoyed by improved trading conditions in 2011. The need for organisations to become more financially efficient has also been a major driver for investment in new technologies in the short and medium term.

There has been strong demand for good mid to senior level professionals with experience in project management, enterprise / data / applications and solutions architecture, and specialist ERP skills and IT governance. The number of available sales and pre-sales roles has also been buoyant and senior IT leadership positions have seen a steady increase.

Although there is lack of visibility regarding financial markets going into 2012, the general outlook is positive. We anticipate continued growth in the ‘cloud’ technologies, digital media and social media. Demand for strong ERP consultants will continue to be high as well as post sales integration positions

For more information regarding the recruitment market, please view the Morgan McKinley Singapore Salary Guide 2012. This salary guide provides market intelligence on hiring and remuneration trends across financial services and commerce & industry in Singapore.

cloud technology, digital media, ERP, IT jobs in Singapore, Singapore hiring, Social Media, technology

After a weekend competing in the Manila Rugby 10′s (which has left me battered and bruised) I started thinking about leadership and why we choose to follow some people and others not so much. Sports analogies are unquestionably over used in the business world but there is a good reason for this, the skill sets needed to lead are universal and indistinguishable, regardless of context.

What is it about some leaders that can make a normally rational person decide to keep competing even after sustaining several fairly nasty injuries that will rule that person out of sport for the next six to twelve months?

People speak about attributes such as confidence, ability to build strategy, ability to understand colleagues/team mate’s strengths and weaknesses and decisiveness. All of these are important, but the one thing I respond to the most is when I see my leader committing as much as they ask me to. On the rugby field that can be putting your body on the line to win the ball or make a tackle, in the office it comes down to the hours put in and the intensity of work to drive the business forward.

Someone can have all the intelligence, knowledge and experience but in my opinion, unless they can demonstrate that they work harder and with more purpose than the person who reports in to them, they may not be able to lead.

For some, reaching the top level of any well run business can become so ingrained into them that it appears to be an innate rather than something they have learnt through their career. When we recruit and interview professionals for C-Level positions this can be hard to quantify.

I usually find when we take a process on; we start to learn about this side of a professional. Have they researched the company in detail and have they spent a considerable amount of time formulating succinct questions that will help them make a decision further down the line? If the work and research levels are high and expectations are clearly defined, for me these are indicators of a strong leader.

leadership, leadership qualities, Manila Rugby 10's, strategy building

Morgan McKinley’s 2012 Salary Guide is now available. It provides market intelligence on remuneration and hiring trends across the financial services sector and commerce & industry organisations in Singapore.

Download the 2012 Salary Guide now

We hope you find our Singapore Salary Guide 2012 informative. If you have any questions, feedback or would like to discuss any of the findings, please contact us directly.

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The market is very tough now and competition is extremely high between professionals for a smaller pool of jobs. Our colleague Justin Kamihara from the Tokyo office discusses why job seekers should keep an open mind when seeking job opportunities.

To read more, click here.

Career advice, job search tips, job seeker

A week ago, no-one had heard of Jeremy Lin. Since then he has electrified the NBA with his inspirational play and has become a media sensation and a fan favourite. The Jeremy Lin phenomenon continues to grow and has far reaching effects outside of the sports world.

Take a long hard look around your workplace – for those in management positions, is there a Jeremy Lin in our midsts who is a star in the making?

Our colleague Benny Lee from the Hong Kong office discusses about Jeremy Lin and maximising opportunities. Click here to read more.

Career advice, determination, Harvard University, Jeremy Lin, job promotion, Kobe Bryant, Linsanity, NBA, New York Knicks, seizing the opportunity, talent management, 林書豪

So the interview is going well, the hiring manager has asked questions to which you have provided brilliant answers, it feels more like a discussion than a question and answer session and everything you’ve read on the internet about how an interview should go is going that way.

You sense the interview is ending and the conversation is coming to a close and you’re just about to relax when the interviewer asks you the dreaded question, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Many professionals are unsure, about what questions to ask and as a result are sometimes unprepared. Generally, as a rule of thumb, questions on salary, holidays, and work hours are not looked upon favourably.

Great topics for questions are company culture, office environment, and posing questions on some of the recent projects the company might have worked on. However, you could also ask questions on what the interviewer thinks would make one successful for the role.

For instance, asking “what attributes are essential to have for someone who aspires to be successful in this role?”

Questions like these tend to work well in three ways:

• Firstly, it leaves the interviewer with a positive impression of you and it reinforces their idea that you do want the position.
• Secondly, it can help you gain an insight into how the interviewer thinks and some knowledge into the role itself.
• Additionally, it could also be a way you could sell yourself by giving examples of the qualities that the interviewer stated that could help you be successful in the role!

Overall these kinds of questions are insightful in nature and tells your future employer that you are positive, enthusiastic and keen on the position. Happy interviewing!

interview questions, job interview, questions to ask the employer, recruitment