Happy holidays! We hope you are having a great break and are looking forward to an exciting and prosperous 2018.
Here at BIE we’ve been taking a look back at the most viewed blog posts from 2017.
In case you happened to miss any, here is a recap of the top five.
5. 6 current themes in organisation design
In this blog post from Steve Arrow, we pinpoint some of the common themes in organisation design.
First in the list is that organisations are increasingly placing high value on a candidate's practical experience and are tending to veer away from individuals who can only demonstrate a high level theoretical approach.
Another key theme raised by Steve is around transfer of knowledge. Organisations are keen to upskill their internal people and build internal capability, so they can continue to evolve without the constant need to being in external help.
The ability to apply various organisation design approaches is an invaluable resource for businesses as they try to keep up with the pace of change.
To read the full post, click here.
4. Yet more advice about CV writing
CV writing is often not the most enjoyable task. The pressure to get it right makes it daunting at the very least. So in this blog post we provided practical tips for making the most of your CV. Here’s an insight into some of them:
Getting started - Write down all of your programmes, projects, initiatives and achievements. Then categorise them by business outcome. By categorising what you’ve done, when a role comes in that requires specific experience, you will be able to pull the relevant examples into your CV.
Interim vs. permanent CVs - Interim CVs should be outcomes oriented and demonstrate that you have delivered what the client is looking for. Permanent CVs should have outcomes and core accountabilities.
Interests - Carefully consider what you include. Only list things that are genuinely interesting - things that could be a point of conversation and help you build rapport.
To read the full post, click here.
3. How to get yourself noticed by a recruiter
In a recent BIE survey, 44 per cent of candidates said they wanted tips to help them stand out to recruiters. This blog post from March provided just that by throwing light on the recruitment process.
In the post we emphasise the importance of developing personal relationships with recruiters. If they don’t know you, how can they be assured of your character and capability to feel confident of recommending you to clients? Choose core consultants you work with, but you need to also keep an eye on the jobs popping up with companies you have never heard of.
We also point out that applying for diametrically opposing roles with the same recruiter can send a wrong message.
To learn more, read the full post here.
2. The 12 commandments of interim management
In this post, Alistair Lechler presented ‘12 commandments’ for anyone looking to make the switch to an interim role.
Here’s a recap of some of them.
‘Experience’ - Clients will expect you to be highly qualified in your chosen area of expertise, so make sure you’ve built up a strong track record.
‘Interim Recruitment Agencies’ - Build and maintain good relationships with the interim agencies working in your field.
‘Working From Home’ - Being an interim means working from home from time-to-time, so make sure you’ve established an ‘office’ space where you can focus.
'Client Company’ - Kick off an assignment the right way by learning about the culture and getting a good working knowledge of their products and services. But, be careful how far you integrate.
‘Testimonials’ - Once you’ve completed an assignment, ask for a written testimonial from your sponsor. This will be extremely useful for helping you establish your track record and you may be asked to provide it as a reference for future assignments.
For more detail and to read all 12 commandments, read the full blog post here.
1. A brave new world - interim vs. permanent
In this blog post we looked at how recruitment has changed over the last decade. Before 2008, clients were reluctant to take on an interim in a permanent role and vice versa, for fear of them leaving for a better paid interim role or a more secure permanent role.
The market now is a lot more fluid. Clients are generally more flexible in their view of candidates with experience in both interim and permanent roles, as they can see the benefits of what that person may have learned. Candidates too are more open to both roles.
In the post we put to bed the misperception that taking an interim role is a career-ending move. With the increasing prevalence of a gig economy, why should someone stay at a company once they’ve completed the project they signed up for? And candidates who have a breadth of experience and who can demonstrate diverse approaches can be more interesting to organisations who want to change and transform.
The interim vs. permanent debate is clearly an interesting one, with this particular blog post sparking a lot of discussion in the comments section.
Where do your views fit? Read the full post here and have your say.
We’ll leave you with these thoughts to ponder as we head into the New Year...
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