The interview is undeniably the pivotal moment in the hiring process. This article offers four essential tips to help candidates stand out and perform exceptionally well during their next job interview. Whether it’s your first professional position or you’re seeking a new opportunity, mastering the interview process is key.

1. Dress in professional attire: Making a strong first impression is crucial, and your attire plays a significant role. Opt for formal business attire, such as a suit and tie for men or a business suit or blouse with a skirt for women. Grooming is equally important, so ensure you are well-groomed and presentable. Looking sharp when entering the interview room sets a positive tone and demonstrates your professionalism.
2. Bring copies of your resume: Anticipate that hiring managers will delve into the details of your resume during the interview. While you’re well-acquainted with your own experiences, bringing multiple copies of your resume ensures everyone is on the same page. Be prepared for potential group interview scenarios by bringing extra copies. It’s a simple yet effective way to facilitate a smooth discussion about your qualifications.
3. Practice your answers:  Bring your expertise into the conversation using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) and practice potential interview questions before the big day. Download a copy of our How to Nail Your Interview Questions Guide to learn how you can ‘wow’ hiring managers.
   
4. Research the company: Demonstrate your genuine interest in the potential employer by conducting thorough research on the company. Beyond the initial job search, stay updated on the latest company news and industry trends. This knowledge not only showcases your preparedness but also allows you to engage in meaningful conversations about the company during the interview. A well-informed candidate stands out in the eyes of the interviewer. Check out our Interview Preparation Guide for more tips.
5. Ask questions at the conclusion: While you’re the one being interviewed, take the initiative to prepare a list of questions for the conclusion of the interview. This not only gives you an opportunity to seek clarification but also reinforces your level of preparation and interest in the role. Thoughtful questions demonstrate your engagement and commitment to understanding the company and the position.

Mastering the interview process requires careful preparation and attention to detail. By focusing on professional attire, bringing copies of your resume, conducting thorough research, and asking insightful questions, you position yourself as a standout candidate. As you embark on your job search journey, these tips serve as a valuable guide to excel in your next interview.

For over 25 years we’ve been revolutionising the contractor experience, and in 2014 we took it one step further with a brand-new tool for our contractors and clients – ENGAGE.

ENGAGE offers a new and different way for contractors to (and excuse our pun) engage with their contracting career. It combines all the practical requirements of being a contractor with access to a unique and exclusive wellbeing and benefits program. For employers, it’s an easier and more convenient tool for management of your contractors including paperless contract management, as well as seamless timesheet approval. Plus, it’s a place for contractors to feel supported. As our research points to in our Contractor wellbeing report, 1 in 4 contractors don’t feel their wellbeing is supported in the workplace. ENGAGE helps ease that pain point.

As we fast-forward to 2024, the needs of contractors are changing and after much research and planning, we’re excited to share with you an upgrade to ENGAGE that we know you’re going to enjoy.

Introducing Jobs.

Contractors told us they wanted help securing their next opportunities. Shaped by this feedback, as an ENGAGE member, your next job is now just a few clicks away. Taking away the end-of-contract uncertainty, you’ll be able to secure your next opportunity with live roles aligned with your contract timeline. You’ll be able to apply in seconds, simplifying the job-hunting process and saving you time and hassle.

As an ENGAGE member, your application will be immediately flagged with our team, ensuring it receives priority attention. Benefit from our deep understanding of your skills and preferences, making ENGAGE more than just a platform—it’s your advocate in the job market.

How does jobs benefit me as an employer?

ENGAGE isn’t just a game-changer for contractors—it’s also a powerful tool for employers. By working with Talent, you gain direct access to a highly skilled, exclusive community of over 20,000 top-tier contracting professionals who have already proven their expertise through previous engagements with us.

Your roles are featured prominently to available contractors within the platform, ensuring they receive maximum visibility and attract the best candidates (who can apply in just seconds). The streamlined hiring process, with live roles aligned to contract timelines, allows you to find and secure the right talent exactly when you need them, reducing downtime and maintaining project momentum.

This efficiency is complemented by our deep insights and matching capabilities, which leverage a detailed understanding of each contractor’s skills and preferences to ensure the best-fit candidates are effortlessly identified for your roles.

When can I start using this?

Straight away! This feature is live and already in use by Talent clients and available contractors in the ENGAGE platform.

From physical wellbeing through to their mental wellbeing, ENGAGE provides all the tools contractors need to ensure they are happy and supported. After all, a happy workforce means an engaged workforce.

Reach out to us if you’d like to find out more.

Enterprise people leaders have big shoes to fill – constantly. We took the most common hiring challenges faced by our clients and put together our best tips into a guide you won’t want to miss.

Learn more

Achieving mastery in this concept requires alignment across several fronts: your TA team, your business leaders, your processes, your technology stack, and your employer brand. When all these elements work in sync, the reward is access to a sustainable “river” of talent that’s readily available when you need it most.

Now, you might be wondering how to implement this approach effectively within your organisation. Here are a few strategies to consider:

• Get your execs on board with a more fluid way of working: Talent rivers carry talent in and out of your organisation. They enable on-time and on-budget hiring, so long as the business is equipped to embrace dynamic resourcing. What’s this look like in practice? It means challenging default tendencies, like always replacing a permanent leaver with a new permanent hire. Or hiring a full-time role because “it’s what we’ve always done”. This isn’t just about changing how work is being done, it’s about making you don’t miss out on the best-fit talent just because their work preferences don’t happen to perfectly match yours.
• Continuous talent sourcing: Adopt a proactive stance towards talent acquisition by continuously sourcing and engaging with potential candidates, even when you don’t have immediate openings. Leverage tools and platforms that allow you to maintain ongoing relationships with talent.
• Strategic talent mapping: Identify key talent segments relevant to your organisation’s current and future needs. Develop targeted talent pipelines to ensure a steady influx of talent in critical areas.
• Enhanced candidate experience: Focus on delivering a positive candidate experience throughout the talent acquisition process. This includes personalised communication, transparent feedback, and streamlined application processes. This is especially important when building advocacy among your candidates or hoping that contingent workers will return in the future.
• Employer branding: Cultivate a strong employer brand that resonates with your target talent pool and ensure you are front of mind whenever your needs match . Highlight your organisation’s values, culture, and opportunities for growth to attract top talent.

By embracing the concept of talent rivers and implementing these strategies, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of enterprise hiring.

Ready to equip yourself with the latest tactics to build top-tier teams? Check out our Beyond the basics: Hiring guide for enterprise leaders and get in touch with us.

In the fast-paced world of hiring, the adoption of an Applicant Tracking System, ATS, can make or break the recruitment process. As we navigate through the biggest challenges of hiring in our Beyond the basics: Enterprise hiring guide, it’s crucial to address the common pitfalls that enterprise leaders face and give our advice to navigate these challenges with ease.

Here’s how you can get ahead:

Insist on integration: Look for an ATS solution that offers scalability and flexibility to adapt to your evolving requirements.  Ensure that your ATS can seamlessly integrate with other essential tools in your tech stack and ones that may be added in the future. These integrations go both ways – into core enterprise tools like HRIS/HCM and communications platforms, as well as into complementary applications catered to specific steps of the talent acquisition and management lifecycle. Prioritise solutions that support APIs or offer pre-built integrations with popular third-party applications. This approach minimises data silos, streamlines workflows, and enhances overall efficiency.

Workshop the needs of all stakeholders: It might sound simple, but too often examples like poor candidate experiences or a perceived lack of ATS reporting capability are a result of not taking the time to consider the needs of every stakeholder along the recruitment journey. So long as it’s correctly configured from all perspectives, the right ATS can be a catalyst for industry-leading candidate experience, recruiter productivity and strategic workforce planning all at once.

Consider the big picture when considering AI: There is a trend among newer ATS market entrants to major on their AI-enabled capabilities. Other players are incorporating AI in pockets of their platform. Needless to say, there are some transformative pieces of software out there. But, in 2024, AI is not quite the be-all and end-all some industry commentary would have us believe. Following on from the point above, do your due diligence to ensure that your chosen ATS can deliver across the entire hiring lifecycle, uses AI in the places that make sense for your needs, complements your business tech stack and is backed by reliable supporting infrastructure from a service perspective.

Conduct regular health checks on your ATS set-up: Did you take note of your ATS provider’s latest product release? Do you have a plan for how you’ll utilise these new features to enhance your current processes? Don’t fall into the trap of set-and-forget. Instead, stick to a regular cadence of quick system once-overs and build continuous improvement into BAU to ensure you’re not missing out.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you beat common enterprise hiring struggles.

At Talent, the safety and well-being of our clients, contractors, and candidates are our top priorities. There has recently been an increase in reported scams across the recruitment sector with malicious individuals impersonating consultants through WhatsApp and text messages in an attempt to scam unsuspecting individuals. In response to these fraudulent activities, we are issuing this alert to ensure your protection. We urge you to exercise caution and refrain from responding to any suspicious messages.

Here’s some examples of how you can spot a scam:

• You come across an advertisement, receive an email, SMS or WhatsApp message, or phone call from a Talent consultant you aren’t familiar with, and they don’t have a legitimate Talent LinkedIn profile.
• Warning signs include a suspicious profile image, lack of genuine profile information, activity or contact details.
• If in doubt, check to see if their email is from the official Talent domain. An email from a Talent consultant will be sent from the official Talent domain e.g., name.surname@talentinternational.com
• The message asks you to provide personal details or a fee for more information about the job or start-up materials.
• You are asked to transfer money.

Please note, Talent will never ask a candidate for any form of direct payment. All email correspondence will be from an official Talent domain e.g., name.surname@talentinternational.com

Taking Fraud Matters Seriously

At Talent, we treat matters of fraud with the utmost seriousness. If you encounter any concerns or come across scams that exploit our brand or the identities of our consultants, we encourage you to report them to us promptly. Your safety and security are paramount to us.

Reporting Scams

To report scams or suspicious activities, please contact us at cybersecurity@talentinternational.com or utilize the reporting mechanisms provided by government authorities in your jurisdiction.

• For Australia – Scamwatch, ACSC (Australian Cyber Security Centre) or ID Care.
• For New Zealand – CERT NZ, NetSafe NZ or ID Care.
• For USA – Federal Trade Commission

We appreciate your vigilance and cooperation in helping us prevent these fraudulent activities. Stay informed, stay safe.

Preparation is the key to success in any interview. But, what should that preparation actually entail? Check out our Interview Preparation Guide.

We also chatted to Jon McCahon, Account Manager at Talent’s Perth branch, to discover his insights on exceptional interview practices.

How much research should you do before an interview?

“It often depends on the role and how much you want it – if it’s your dream job you could spend days researching, but in general, you should spend at least a couple of hours looking into the company. Most research can be done online these days, and an excellent place to start is social media, especially LinkedIn.”

In fact, according to Glassdoor, social media is becoming so popular in the job hunt that 79 per cent of job seekers use it at some stage in the process.

“If you don’t have much time, focus on the job description and matching it to your resume. This doesn’t mean tailoring your CV, but instead searching through it to see which skills and past successes best match the role.”

How can job seekers go about anticipating employer questions?

“If they’re being represented by a recruiter, ask them as many questions as possible to get an idea of their interview style – will they ask about your CV or have technical questions? Will it be formal or informal? Even if you aren’t job hunting through a recruiter, simply ringing the HR department and asking what sort of questions are normally asked is a good place to start.”

Don’t worry if you can’t find anything out about the interview. If you’re well-prepared and know your CV, you’ll be able to lead the interview yourself by making the employer ask questions around what you’ve chosen to tell them.

What should you do if you’re doing a group interview or assessment centre?

“You need to focus on your soft skills. This means communication, but also listening. It’s important to stand out, but be a team player. I recommend preparing three things that you definitely want to get across, and spend the rest of the time sitting back and listening.”

How should candidates prepare for IT interviews?

“Know your successes. Look at your past experiences and highlight the projects that you’ve led or played an integral role. If you don’t have that much experience, bring ideas to the table and show you have a sound knowledge of the role you’re going to undertake.”

Do you have any other tips for an interview?

“One of the most important things I can tell you is to be fully present in the room. You only have an hour to sell yourself, and it’s not worth it if your mind is elsewhere. One thing you should never do is answer your phone in an interview. If this is only your first or second interview, remember that while you may not always be successful, it’s still great experience and will help you perform better in future interviews.”

What’s stood out for you in interviews?

“I like it when candidates bring something extra to the table, for instance some slides they’ve prepared on a particular project they did in the past. This shows they’ve gone the extra mile and prepared above and beyond others. There might be one candidate that is a perfect fit, but if they’re complacent and don’t prepare sufficiently, they will lose out to less experienced people that really show they care about the role.”

Don’t forget to download our complete Interview Preparation Guide here, to make sure you make a lasting impression on hiring managers and set yourself apart from the competition.

It’s essential to give your CV a refresh every now and again, whether it’s to change the layout, update your details, or match it with your LinkedIn profile. Almost everyone will realise the importance of having a near-perfect CV; whether you’re a recent graduate looking for your first role, a student planning for the future, or a professional seeking a career change, it’s essential this document reflects a number of important facts about yourself.

For those who have been in the job market for a while or are applying for a range of jobs, it’s also a good idea to refresh your CV every now and again, especially in the unfortunate event you aren’t having much success. Alternatively, if you haven’t changed roles or received any new qualifications or accolades for some time, a refresh could breathe some much-needed life into the document.

Refresh your CV with our guide.

Here are some key things to keep in mind:

Consider starting anew

In some cases, a quick refresh might not be enough to bring your CV up to the standards expected by recruiters. Alternatively, it may have been a while since you last applied for a job, leaving your details out of date or irrelevant. This also gives you the chance to try out a number of new ideas before settling on a final copy, such as changing the layout completely or updating your reference list. Have you met someone new who could better represent your achievements in the workplace?

Proofread the result!

At the very least, you should be taking the chance to refresh your CV with a proofread each time you make any changes or before submitting for a position. This is especially important considering career advisor TheLadders discovered just how little time some recruiters spend with each CV they inspect. According to the firm, many hiring managers are able to make a decision within six to seven seconds of opening an application. With CVs being subjected to such quick scrutiny, it’s essential that you’ve dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s in all the right places.

Check your digital CV at the same time

Ever wondered about a digital CV? LinkedIn revolutionised professional networking, offering a global platform with 1 billion members. It’s not just for connecting; it’s your online CV. Keep it aligned with your resume for a consistent professional image. Stay updated and find new connections.

Looking for more advice? Download our latest CV Guide.

At Talent, we’re about more than finding you your next role or assignment. We’re committed to empowering you in many other ways that will support your career, wellbeing, and lifestyle. If you’re looking for a role in the tech, transformation or beyond, have a look at our jobs board.

With significant digital transformation occurring in the higher education sector, coupled with a significant increase in global cyber threats, the higher education industry is a prime target for cyber criminals.

Join Talent and cybersecurity experts Jeff Whitton and Scott Flower on Thursday 30 November 2023 at 11:30 am AEDT as we present some of these evolving cyber threats and explore strategies on how best fortify and protect your organisation.

We’ll also discuss critical infrastructure intelligence, the importance of regulatory compliance, as well as learnings from the finance sector on how we can help protect each other in higher education.

Register today

About the speakers

Jeff Whitton 

Jeff Whitton is an accomplished and highly respected leader with a diverse background in telecommunications, digital technology, cyber security, and information intelligence. With over 40 years of experience in his profession, Jeff has established himself as a subject matter expert across these disciplines.

He holds several leadership roles and board positions, including Ambassador for NSW Cyber Security Hub, Australian Country President of the Economic Council of India, and Orange City Councillor.

In addition to his leadership roles, Jeff also shares his knowledge and expertise through teaching and mentoring at several higher educational institutions. He lectures on topics such as corporate regulatory governance risk, and compliance for company directors and C-suite executives in the field of cyber security.

Scott Flower

Prior to supporting the establishment of CI-ISAC Australia in 2022, Scott worked as the Global Intelligence Officer for FS-ISAC (2019-2022), where he was responsible for leading the threat intelligence fusion cell for the global financial sector in Asia Pacific.

Scott’s background includes a stint (2006-08) at the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s (ASIO) critical infrastructure protection directorate (CIPD), where he was Lead Analyst responsible for banking and finance and oil and gas sectors. There, Scott authored national threat assessments and delivered assessments to key state government and private sector CI owners and operators.

Scott is regularly engaged as a subject matter expert by governments, international private sector MNEs, universities, and think tanks.

Talent has announced it has acquired Wellington based recruitment agency, People&Co, effective immediately. The acquisition comes off the back of a highly successful financial year for Talent with the business cracking $100 million in gross margin and boosting EBITDA by more than 10% to $27.5 million.

This acquisition reinforces Talent’s commitment to the New Zealand market, and supports the expansion of Talent’s core recruitment business, as well as establishing a platform for it to build out its project delivery, automation and data consultancy business, Avec.

Speaking on the acquisition, Mark Nielsen, Global CEO, Talent, touched on the strong business and cultural alignment between the two companies. “When the opportunity to acquire People&Co arose, we believed it would be great fit for Talent. In addition to significant growth potential, we recognised a strong affinity in terms of culture and vision between the two organisations, and our shared commitment to the New Zealand market.”

Sam Collins, Managing Director, People&Co, will be joining the Talent Group as part of the acquisition will be responsible for scaling Avec’s business in New Zealand. “It’s a new era for the People&Co brand and for me personally. We are excited about the opportunities Talent and Avec will deliver for our sales team and our customers, candidates and contractors. Our culture that we have built is aligned with Talent’s which was a non-negotiable, and we resonated with the growth mindset of the leaders and their teams,” Sam said.

Kara Smith, Country Manager, Talent New Zealand commented. “We are incredibly excited about the acquisition of People&Co. Talent’s commitment to further expanding and investing in Aotearoa is an exciting time for all our team members, clients, candidates and contractors, and this growth begins a new chapter for us.”

Sam and Kara will work closely with Talent Wellington’s Managing Director, Nik King-Turner, Talent’s Global CEO, Mark Nielsen, and the wider Talent team, focusing on the growth of the New Zealand company.

People&Co is a proud Māori-owned organisation, and a member of the All-of-Government (AoG) External Recruitment and Consultancy panels. Through co.star they offer OD, HR and business consulting to individuals and organisations looking to drive change or results.

Levelling up your career with training is undoubtedly valuable, but courses can be costly and require you to take hours out of your weekday – something that’s rarely an option for contractors.

That’s why we’ve partnered with Adapt IT to offer you a SAFe course with a difference – exclusively for Talent contractors and their friends.

About Leading SAFe® 6.0 for Talent:

New to the Scaled Agile Framework®? Leading SAFe® offers you an introduction to the foundations of SAFe, and provides the principles and practices to drive your Lean-Agile transformation with confidence. The course also offers the guidance and tools you need to lead effectively in remote environments with distributed teams.

You’ll learn how SAFe helps you improve quality, productivity, employee engagement, and time-to-market. You’ll come away with an understanding of how to align your entire organisation around the same clear objectives, and how to improve the flow of value and work from strategy to delivery. You’ll learn what makes companies more customer-centric and how to run key SAFe alignment and planning events, like PI planning.

Learn more about contracting with Talent

Layoffs, redundancies and hiring freezes, it is no secret that throughout the year jobs have been on the chopping block – especially in the tech sector. However, just as it has done in the past, the economy will eventually recover. When this happens, businesses that sat still or cut their TA function too deep during the downturn, instead of focusing on driving growth, may find themselves at a disadvantage in the long run.

Using this time as an opportunity to invest in a better Talent Acquisition solution for your business, rather than sitting on the sidelines during a hiring turndown can deliver a competitive edge in several ways. Here are just a few:

Cost savings

Investing in a flexible outsourced Talent Acquisition solution can ease short term cost pressures. The right solution can also significantly reduce costs in the long term too, by streamlining recruitment processes and improving the efficiency of your team.

“Prior to deploying a Talent RPO solution, one client was almost entirely reliant on using external recruitment agencies. Our solution quickly reduced their total recruitment spend by 72%; from more than $2,400,000 down to less than $700,000”. – Cameron Robinson, Head of Enterprise Solutions.

Automating tasks such as resume screening and interview scheduling frees up your recruitment team and your hiring managers to focus on higher-value activities, which ultimately reduces the time, resources, and costs to fill open roles.

“While there might be the temptation to remove costs completely, organisations might be better served by reallocating budgets instead. An expert partner will be able to help you quantify the return on investment and build a compelling business case for where and how the Talent Acquisition budget could be redirected to generate significant and sustainable returns for the organisation.” – Cameron Robinson, Head of Enterprise Solutions.

More time to implement and optimise

During a hiring downturn, with fewer live vacancies to source for, talent partners are likely to have more time on their hands. While this can be a challenging time for both the business and the talent team, it also presents an opportunity to review aspects of the talent function and operations. Whether it is auditing your processes, enhancing or optimising your tech stack, or ensuring your employer brand is compelling for when the market kicks back into gear, it’s a perfect time to refocus the team on driving long term impact.

“After forecasting that recruitment demand would slow in the first half of the year for one of our clients, we’ve harnessed the extra capacity in our team to fast-track an upgrade of the client’s TA technology stack. As a result, we’ve minimised the resource demand on the business and maximised the benefits for their teams once volume ramps up again soon.”  – Adelina Ekechukwu, Client Solutions Lead.

Enlisting the support you need to make swift and impactful change before hiring accelerates again also means you can get a head start on the competition once market confidence returns.

“Working with one of our clients, we have grown their employee headcount by over 160% over the past 5 months. Whilst they prepare to triple headcount in preparation for manufacturing; it has opened the perfect opportunity to focus on uplifting their talent operations whilst developing and amplifying their employer brand to improve efficiencies within the talent function, reduce manual tasks and increase candidate attraction strategies.” – Jasmine Alderton, Client Solutions Lead.

Less competition for top talent

While many organisations opt for hiring freezes or cut back on recruitment efforts during a downturn, a favourable environment can be created for businesses that are hiring and that continue to invest in their talent acquisition strategy. Whether you’re making strategic new hires or filling a critical skills gap left by unwanted attrition, investing in a top-notch talent acquisition solution – which includes a first-class candidate experience and standout employer brand can give you a significant advantage. In short, hiring when others are not can be an excellent way to secure top talent before your competitors do. However, it is important to note that attracting top talent in a hiring downturn isn’t just about having job openings available. In times of economic uncertainty, candidates are especially selective, so conveying your EVP is critical.

“When approaching the topic of EVP and how best to engage prospective talent, it’s essential to understand that bringing the EVP to life goes far beyond the slick marketing video. Candidates want to hear from employees, they want to connect with the people and the values through real life stories and touch points throughout the talent journey. By enabling candidates to get an authentic feel for the company, its people and culture, it’s likely to improve time to hire, quality of hire, overall employee engagement and retention long term.” – Sarah Blanchard, Head of Talent Advisory.

Why use Talent for your outsourced TA solution?

Even in a hiring downturn, most companies still need to fill certain positions. But when times are a bit tougher than usual, it’s critical that you focus your energy and resources in the places that will serve you down the track. While short-term hiring solutions such as ad-hoc agency arrangements may sound like a tempting solution, now is the time to think long-term. This means being strategic and ensuring that you have the right resources and processes in place to ramp up hiring in the future.

Our Talent Solutions team supports clients right across the recruitment and talent management spectrum, from embedding talent acquisition specialists to providing full-service outsourced RPO and MSP solutions, plus advisory services which are designed to solve your specific talent acquisition pain-points. Whether your facing people challenges, process problems, tech pains or brand battles reach out to our team today.