Playing the employment market

At this present moment in time we are all very fortunate. Finding a job is not that difficult. Finding the ‘right’ job, however, is somewhat tougher. Employers are clouding our judgements, increasingly aware that they need to tempt us not with higher remunerations but with the red carpet treatment.

In days gone by, you would be lucky to garner a smile from the receptionist as you entered the building but, in today’s environment, your name will appear on the Welcome Board and coffee with a choice of cream or milk will be brought to you rather than you having to work out how to eke the best mix from a drinks dispenser that hasn’t seen ‘coffee’ in over a decade!

Next on the red carpet treatment you will notice that the personal assistant to the head of Human Resources (HR), who is normally indifferent to your name, has been banished to the typing pool. Now, the head of HR steps out and wants to shake your hand. “How was your journey?”... “Glad you could make it!”... “Do you like our Renoir?”... “Let’s meet The Team”...

Now, I don’t know about you but my definition of The Team is nearest to the well-trained footballers who use their skill and passing abilities to tease-out opportunities and support each other. Not the truculent herds on the terraces, each baying support for their club while dismissing every effort from the opposition whether good or bad.

Being interviewed is often akin to being part of the herd, each ‘boss’ trying to recruit you into their side of the terrace. Not a great image!

Different team ethics

So you meet The Team! In lean recruitment times The Team would have ripped you to pieces. Every nuance you utter would have been dissected in front of you, each inaccuracy exposed and all flaws would be laid on the table for all to see. Today, any errors you make are a form of healing, like watching an episode of EastEnders as your future employers fall over themselves to share similar misfortunes.

You are now being taken into their confidence, and even your nervous joke will receive a hearty laugh as bonhomie abounds.

If this sounds too bizarre to be true then you really should head out for an interview or two. These are strange times. Is it so difficult to remember that you are the prize? It is your hard-earned skills and expertise employers want, but do you need them?

Job hunting in today’s world is as much about finding the right company culture for you as it is the employer finding someone to fill a position. It’s about working in an environment that recognises – and is aligned with – your values and beliefs. It simply isn’t necessary to choose the hard option and suffer the stresses that inevitably follow when values displayed are inconsistent with your own.

Here, I’m not just talking about managers, although I recognise that the majority of SMT’s readers are senior security professionals. I’m addressing this to all security job seekers, at all levels. Find the culture and environment that suits you. The quality of your working life is also directly correlated to your line manager’s attitudes, values and beliefs. A person’s values significantly affect their behaviour and, hence, how they treat you.

No matter how lofty the position, if you’re working in a caustic, understaffed and unethical culture, you’ll feel unfulfilled. If that’s the case, now is the time for change!

No matter how lofty the position, if you’re working in a caustic, understaffed and unethical culture, you’ll feel unfulfilled. If that’s the case, now is the time for change!

Do your homework well

When pondering on how to make this change, why not take a leaf out of the employers’ books? It has been well-established that all but the best competency interviews are pretty hopeless at establishing your ability to do the job. So what else do employers do with the hour they spend with you?

They determine if you will “fit” their culture or not. It may not be a conscious decision on their part but, in effect, the outcome of the majority of all interviews boils down to: “Can I work with them or not?”... “Will the Chairman like him/her” Now, all you have to do is seek information that will answer one question: “Can I work well with these people?”

Do your homework properly. I don’t mean a quick Internet search followed by a drive past one of their locations to see that the car park is clean and tidy. What I do mean is taking time out to visit an office or outlet, and gauge the mood of the staff. If you have read the intelligence gained from the Internet and established what is not being said, what questions, then, are begging to be asked? If, after all of this, you are still interested in meeting with the potential employer, don’t just abandon yourself to fate. Control the situation.

Clues to your future employer’s culture abound. They are found in interviewer behaviour and their words. With a little practice they can be easily spotted, just like an investigator seeking clues to an incident, you don’t have to be trained. Just be aware.

At the conclusion of the interview, rather than criticising yourself about an expression or answer given, ask what does the question tell me about the firm? Identify phrases that were used frequently by the interviewers. Is there an implication that needs further exploration before you agree to proceed to the next level?

Back to the invitation...

Another area to consider is the administration that accompanies your invitation to the meeting. How well was this handled? Has the firm invested much time and effort on ensuring that you are properly briefed? If they use an agency, how professionally did they handle your questions? Did they know much about the company and their culture?

All of these background statements can tell you a great deal about the inner workings of the company you are thinking of joining. Ignore them and you risk leaving one unfulfilled role for another.

One last thought... Finding a new employer is very much like looking for a new partner. You will have a propensity towards the same unless you actively change your views on life.