Building a team that gels together is a tricky task which eludes many business leaders and managers. It’s relatively easy to recruit and throw together a bunch of high-performing individuals without regard to their different personality types, but this can often lead to internal discord and division later down the line.

That’s why many managers now prioritise personality in the hiring process, often over the candidate’s skillset and past accomplishments. All of your research, interview prep and written documents (CV and cover letter) could amount to nothing if you haven’t given proper consideration to the type of personality the employer will be looking for.

Not everything that a hiring manager needs to know can be communicated on two pages of A4, which is why it’s so important that you convey your full personality during interview. You can certainly hint at the below character traits on all your written documents, but it’s in a face-to-face environment that you’re really given the opportunity to bring them to life. Read more

5 steps to conquering interview presentations

It’s becoming increasingly common for our candidates to be asked to present as part of the interview process. Presenting during interview might be a foreign concept to you, but don’t be thrown off by it or let your nerves get the better of you. This is actually the perfect opportunity for you to showcase more of your personality, experience and skills.

It’s very unlikely that you’ll be asked to present during the interview without prior warning. You will usually be told exactly how long you’ll be expected to talk for and on what topic. If you’re not properly briefed on this then it’s not unreasonable to ask; nor is it unreasonable to ask whether a projector/screen will be available, as this will have a bearing on how you approach the presentation.

Think about what those present in the room are going to be looking for. Usually they’re assessing three main things:

• Creativity and knowledge:the content of your presentation, your aptitude for problem solving and how you have used your experience to answer the brief

• Communication skills:your ability to engage with an audience, build rapport and trust

• Time management:your capacity to manage and adapt the pace of the presentation based on frequency of questions/interruptions – so that it finishes on time

Here’s some best practice advice on making a lasting impression – for the right reasons. Read more

Most of us now understand that a diverse workforce leads to more innovation, better financial performance and improved staff retention, however there are still not enough women in senior positions. Only 7 per cent of FTSE 100 companies have a female CEO, while just 26.1% of boardroom executives (this drops to 19.6% for FTSE 250 firms) are female – ranking the UK sixth in Europe.[1][2]

Why is this and how can it be resolved?

The most commonly cited reason for there being such a disproportionate amount of men in the upper echelons of organisations is of course the difficulty with being both a mum and a successful professional. While the UK’s parental leave policies are far more developed than other advanced western economies, it’s true that they still leave much to be desired – which is why just the week a cross-party committee declared that the government was not doing enough to tackle income disparity.[3] Many organisations struggle to accommodate flexible working, whereby an employee might work half the week from home; however there has been some improvement in this area in recent years. Read more