News & Views From Our Cheltenham Recruitment Agency

You have decided that you need to look for a new job role but see that the role is with a recruitment agency and you are not sure how to approach it and what an agency can do for you, or perhaps have had a less than good experience with an agency in the past. Here at Hooray we pride ourselves with being a bit different and doing what we can to support the candidate – this article should clarify our role in the recruitment process and how you can make it work for you.

Hooray works on behalf of a client who has asked us to search for candidates as working with an agency who engage with candidates regularly means that we are more likely to find a candidate quickly and we provide a service which is a big time saver for the client as perhaps they may not have time to get involved in the time-consuming and difficult part of recruitment.

What to expect when you apply for a role advertised…

When you apply for a role through us, we will respond to every application, even if it is a polite email thanking you for applying. Here at Hooray we do review each application and this is done by the recruitment consultant who is dealing with the client and knows them best. If you receive this email, please do not be disheartened as we can receive a high number of applications and we match to the client specifications, and we choose candidates to move forward purely on merit and the client brief. We encourage you to continue to apply for roles if you feel they match your skills and experience and of course you will always know where you stand with us.

When you are looking for a new role, there are a lot of boxes you can tick to ensure you are suitable for a role and ensure your best chance of success.

Please read our Top Do’s and Don’ts to support you in securing your dream job!

DO be aware of the impression you make, for example, if you don’t show up to interviews or stop contact after being in touch with someone, they may not consider you for future roles as you would be considered unreliable, which is not a good situation to be in when your dream job comes up with a particular company or recruitment agency.

DON’T apply for anything and everything, even if you are open to a lot of things – if a particular company or recruiter notices this, it might make you look as if you are applying a bit randomly for jobs and not reading the description well enough. The best option is to be realistic on what job you would and can actually do and what boxes need to be ticked for you in your next role then apply carefully for appropriate roles.

DO be ready to move job – when recruiters contact you they are potentially offering you an exciting opportunity of a new role, if you are only just putting your feelers out it is not the right time to be applying as recruiters will expect you to know what you want and be prepared to attend interviews and commit to further stages.

1. The candidates are not qualified enough

You are receiving plenty of applications, however the candidates you have received do not have the relevant experience. This is a common problem among employers and has some key causes and therefore solutions;

• Check your advert- is it deterring those who do not have this skill? Your advert should be attracting the right candidates and deterring those without the relevant skills and experience.
• Does it clearly state what is essential and what is desirable? If candidates feel that certain skills are not essential, those without that experience may apply.
• Is your salary competitive enough?

A recruitment agency such as Hooray will be able to write an advert which attracts the right candidates and deters the wrong ones and has knowledge of the sector and can let you know if your salary bracket is competitive enough to attract the right candidate for the role.

2. Not enough candidates have applied

You have barely received a response to your advert, but plenty of candidates are looking at your advert and you cannot understand why they are not applying.

We are very happy and proud to be supporting Gloucestershire College with their apprenticeships and are offering our recruitment expertise with their platinum service ⭐️

Couple of photos taken by Chris Boulton at last weeks BizShowGlos What a great time we had meeting lots of lovely new people and seeing lots and lots of familiar faces!

Fantastic to have GelatoDolcetti confirmed to be selling their absolutely delicious ice creams at the Pied Piper Summer Show    Richard and Ian are here with Rob, the owner of Dolcetti who is very kindly donating a portion of the proceeds to this fantastic

You have just received the call or message that you’ve been selected for interview! Panic sets in and you are not sure what to do next – take a deep breath, inhale, exhale…. and don’t worry, you have Hooray’s interview tips for professional roles to follow!

We have lots and lots of experience in placing good candidates with good clients and will support you all the way as you make your next career move.

To ensure you perform your best and have the best chance to succeed in securing the role, please see our hints and tips below but what we always like to emphasise for success is….preparation, preparation and some more preparation!

Before the interview

By doing some preparation you’ll feel more confident, and will appear cool, calm and collected as a result to your prospective employers – qualities always looked for in the right candidate.

Here are some preparation tips to help you make a big impact…

Review your application and the job description

It can be hard to keep track when you’re applying for various jobs, so make sure you print off a copy of the selection criteria and your application. It’s a rookie mistake to go into an interview unsure of what the actual job is or what you presented to the employer which got you the interview in the first place!

Re-read everything to make sure you’re confident in what is expected of you. This is also a great place to start thinking of any questions you would like to ask in the interview. Keep a copy of your CV in a nice folder and take it along on the day, it will make you look organised and prepared.

When you’re job searching, it’s important to be prepared for a phone interview at very short notice. Many businesses and recruiters start the process with a phone call to discuss the job opportunity and determine whether you would be a good fit, and to gauge your interest in the position.

Quite often, a phone call may come out of the blue and so it is imperative to answer the phone professionally, especially if the number is an unfamiliar one. If you are unable to have a detailed conversation at that time, politely take the details of the caller and arrange a suitable time to pick the conversation back up. Most importantly, always call back or answer your phone at said time!

Have you started your job search? Dusted off that old CV from your emails several years ago?  The first stages of seeking new employment usually start with finding the CV you had from your last role, and just adding a bit and then applying for multiple roles via a jobsite. This is how the majority of people apply for jobs and on average 250 applications are received for a particular role, so how do you stand out from the crowd? Hooray recruitment represents high quality candidates and we know what a great CV looks like – here are my top tips to improve your CV and increase the likelihood of that exciting first call back.