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The top 4 interview mistakes and how to avoid them
Anyone who has been in the job searching process for a while will know that being invited to a job interview is not something that is easily achieved. Being one of the few candidates chosen for an interview rather than being in the huge crowd of applicants is a huge success and something to be proud of. Unfortunately, too many job seekers blow their shot by not being prepared, uninterested or even having negative body language – wasting everyone’s time and effort. To avoid this – we have put together the top 4 mistakes that are made in interviews and how they can be avoided. Mistake #1: Being unprepared An interviewer can always tell when a candidate is unprepared, always. It is one of the biggest opportunity blowers. How to avoid: Be prepared! Look up the company and memorise a few facts to take to the interview, such as how long the company has been running and any awards they may have won. You should also analyse the job description and make notes on how your skills match up to their requirements to talk about in your interview. It’s also good to look up some standard interview questions and start preparing your answers. Also, check out our blog 10 unique interview questions that are fun to ask and prepare yourself for some of the less conventional questions too! Researching into your potential employer can also score you brownie points. Hopefully you know the name(s) of your interviewer(s), so search them on LinkedIn and look at their page to find out how long they’ve worked there or any promotions they may have had. (Top tip – you can use their promotion experience if you’re asked the famous “where do you see yourself in two years” question!) Mistake #2: Appearing uninterested This will drive the hiring manager insane. Even though it can be hard to know that the job is for you just by looking at the description – but even if you’re in the interview thinking “this isn’t for me” still act interested – it’s polite. You can always call the interviewer after the interview and explain why you’re not interested. How to avoid: Demonstrate your interest in the company and the role by knowing what you’re talking about. Actually have a conversation with the interviewer instead of just answering questions back and forth. Also, turn off your phone. This is so that there won’t be any awkward “sorry, I’ll just switch that off” or “sorry, I just need to take this quickly” (this one is a massive no no!) Your sole attention should be on the interview. You should also ask questions – but not ones that could be answered by looking at their website or a google search. Mistake #3: Having negative body language You should always greet your interviewer with a smile, a firm handshake, eye contact and confidence. If you don’t at least greet your interviewer with a smile it is an instant sign that you’re too bothered and therefore set the tone of a bad interview. This can also set the first impression as negative – and first impressions are impossible to get back, and hard to bounce back from. You want to make a good impression to prove you are right for the role and the company. Click here to check out our blog how to make a good first impression. How to avoid: Always ensure you greet with a smile, a clear “Hello” and a firm handshake. Act like you are so happy to meet this person. Don’t slouch in the chair, sit up and answer all their questions. Mistake #4: Don’t share too much information People can sometimes have a ‘whole truth and nothing but the truth’ mind-set when it comes to interviews. Some people bad mouth previous employer, some people tell their whole life story – which is not something that the interviewer wants to hear. If they want to know something, they will ask. How to avoid: Answer the interviewers question, you can elaborate but keep it relevant and on topic. Don’t talk about anything inappropriate. We all know someone who has blown their interview by doing at least one of these things! Now we have straightened things out, hopefully you won’t follow their lead. For more top tips check out our blog 5 things you should never do in an interview.
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Sales calls: Top tips
No one ‘has the time’ to listen to sales people, right? Your prospects tend to be ‘stuck in a meeting’ or are ‘currently unavailable’. Which can make your sales based job very difficult and frustrating at times. So how can you break the stigma around sales calls (and sales people in general) so that your clients make the time to hear what you have to say? Read on to hear our top tips… Tip #1 – Always start off positive Whether it’s a meeting or a call, never start off by talking or moaning about negative things such as bad weather, traffic or how busy you are. This sets the tone for the rest of the meeting – think positive – talk about good weather, upcoming weekend plans and other positive things happening in life. This will kick off your sales call in the right direction! Remember, before you speak to your prospect – most of the time the call will start off with a gate keeper – if you’re negative or rude to them, it is likely that they will not even put you through to the person you want to speak to. This completely eliminates your shot before you’ve even taken it. Make the gatekeeper your new bestie! Tip #2 - Use positive labels Assigning positive labels generally makes people try and live up to them. Try saying things like… “You’re one of the best clients we have!” “You’re such a pleasure to do business with” Having received these compliments, clients will most likely try and be your best customer and/or even try harder to be a pleasing client. Tip #3 – Set the agenda and stay in control Before picking up the phone, you should have notes in front of you on the things you want to talk about and in what order you are going to speak about them in. This is good to do otherwise you may side track from the topic and end up going back and forth which seems unorganised and unfocused. Stay in control of the calling process by saying something along the lines of: “I’d like to go over X,Y and Z with you and then I would be happy to answer any questions you may have, does that sound good to you?” Tip #4 – Simplify options Giving a client too many options at once can over whelm them and maybe even cause them to reconsider working with you if you overload them with information. Try and make the sales process for your client as simple as possible and do anything you can to help them with it. They will appreciate this and may even refer other businesses to you. Simplifying your client’s options will also make them come to a decision quicker. Only when the threat of rejection occurs should you present counter options. Do you think you could make use of our top tips? How about joining our crazy sales team here at Swanstaff? We have multiple roles available up and down the UK. Check out what job roles we have available here https://www.swanstaff.co.uk/consultants/grace-rosam
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Swanstaff Recruitment achieves ISO 9001:2019 certification from the British Assessment Bureau
Swanstaff has achieved re-certification to the internationally recognised ISO 9001:2019 standard, establishing it as one of the leaders in its field. Swanstaff were originally certified in 2016. This independent assessment was conducted by the British Assessment Bureau, a leading Certification Body, and demonstrates Swanstaff Recruitment’s commitment to customer service and quality in delivery. ISO 9001 was first introduced in 1987 and requires organisations to demonstrate that they do what they say they do, and that they have a Quality Management System in place to ensure consistency and improvement; leading to high levels of performance and customer satisfaction. Certified organisations are committed to continuous improvement and are assessed to ensure progress is being maintained. Swanstaff Recruitment has shown they have good service reliability and process controls, which means lower costs for its customers! Swanstaff’s CEO, Stephen Rogers said, “We’re delighted to have achieved our ISO 9001 for the third consecutive year. It demonstrates our promise to our candidates and clients that we focus our efforts on providing a quality service. It allows our customers to have an insight into the standard of our back office activities. This achievement acts a testament to the hard work put in by all Swanstaff employees to maintain a high quality service.” The benefits of certification to ISO 9001 include: Streamlining an organisation’s procedures Bringing consistency to an organisation’s service delivery Reducing cost and rework Improving an organisation’s management practices Enhanced status Competitive advantage Swanstaff has been supplying its clients with high calibre candidates for over 21 years and has proven steady growth. Swanstaff will continue to provide opportunities to those seeking work in a multitude of industries including working internally for Swanstaff in the recruitment sector.
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How to prepare for your upcoming CQC visit
An unexpected inspection from CQC can be a daunting experience for all who receives them. To ensure that the visit goes as smooth and well as possible, you need to set aside time to prepare for what will actually happen when the day arrives. If you follow our 5 top tips to preparing for a CQC inspection, you’ll be ready and set to go! #1 – Prepare your staff A huge part of meeting the inspector’s requirements and impressing them will be to really prepare your staff. The best way to do this is to explain what the CQC is and why the inspection is so important to the organisation producing high quality care. Also explain to your staff what kinds of questions could be asked so that they can prepare for them. This will help them to feel more confident and less likely to feel under pressure and on the spot. #2 – Prepare your patients Your patients are the biggest assets to your organisation and the CQC inspector will want to speak with them to get their views on the organisation and how it is run. You want the patients to give their honest opinion so instead of preparing them in regards to the answers their going to give, just let them know that they may be asked a couple of questions and maybe give them an example of the kinds of questions. Patient feedback is essential in any Health and Social care setting, you want to be providing the best care possible so you need to know what is working for your patients and what can be improved! #3 – Plan the day in advance Make a timetable for the day of the inspection so you and your staff know exactly what to do and when. You could also prepare a welcome pack that outlines the key members of staff that the inspector(s) may wish to speak to. This could include the staff member’s name, their job title and a picture of them. #4 – Gather all the correct and relevant information There could be a vast amount of paperwork and documentation that the CQC inspector could ask for. This could include; policies, HR records, patient information and Health and Safety documents. Remember to include minutes of meetings where these topics may have been discussed. #5 – Don’t over think it The CQC inspector will just want to see how the organisation operates on a day to day basis, in its normal manor. So there’s no need to roll out the red carpet and bubbly just yet! Just remember to remain calm and treat it the same as any other day. If you follow our top tips then we have no doubt you will be completely prepared for your CQC Inspection! Remember, stay calm and act normal!
