The Great Resignation is the informal name for the widespread trend of a significant number of workers leaving their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Texas A&M professor Anthony Klotz defined the term  “The Great Resignation” (paywall). 

“How we spent our time before the pandemic may not be how we want to spend our time after,” says Klotz.

Klotz believes how we spend our time pre and post-pandemic will cause a massive shift in the future of work he identifies the key factors of Hybrid and remote work as a key driver in people reassessing the status quo. 

The great resignation, if the stats are to be believed, will massively affect organisations from the US to the UK and their ability to function and drive businesses forward. 

Some Stats: 

• According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 74% of the participants said time spent at home during the pandemic caused them to re-evaluate their current work situation.
  • survey of 1,000 UK workers reveals that almost a third (29%) of UK workers are considering moving to a new job this year. Findings also uncovered the industry’s most likely to be affected by this with Legal (44%), IT & Telecoms (42%), and Sales, Media & Marketing (40%). 
  • Employees between the ages of 30 and 45 have had the greatest increase in resignations with a 20% increase between 20 and 2021. (Harvard Business Review)
  • More than 19 million US workers and counting—have quit their jobs since April 2021 (McKinsey & Company)
  • 65% of employees say the pandemic has made them rethink the place that work should have in their lives. Gartner

Top Reasons for the Great Resignation 

• The Covid Pandemic: The covid pandemic has given workers time to reflect on their current work, what this means to them and how this aligns to their life and values. 
• A backlog of resignations: workers considering resigning from their jobs prior to COVID-19 stayed in roles due to the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic.
• Working from home: remote work became the norm for a lot of people, so when businesses started asking them to return home full-time many wanted to remain working from home.

• Sense of belonging being valued: there is a disconnect between what the employees consider important and what their managers and companies see as important. (McKinsey’s & Company)
• Employee burnout: while 42% of employees were already experiencing burnout before the pandemic, that number skyrocketed to 72% during the pandemic, due to increased anxiety, heavier workloads, and people taking less time off. (Limade)

An Opportunity for Change   

Many believe the great resignation is an opportunity for change, forward-thinking companies are shifting their focus towards retaining employees and making work more meaningful. For work to be more meaningful employers need to focus on true authentic employee engagement and understand the root cause of leavers and develop strategies, engagement models, and tools that make employees want to stay. 

Companies in 2022 should  focus on: 

Understanding Employee Key Drivers: Companies need to understand what is driving employees at a company and social level so that they can shape their offering to be more meaningful to employees. Companies need to take their employer brand seriously and understand how this aligns with employee values. Companies that invest in their employer brand see staff turnover reduced by 28%. (Office Vibe)

Flexible work Arrangements: Forward-thinking companies will focus or Hybrid, work from home and remote first models to tap into the talent pool that sees flexible working as their preferred model of work. COVID, it was a novelty. The rise of the four day work week in 2021 may start to become the norm in 2022 for forward-thinking companies and become a competitive advantage for companies in the war for talent (LinkedIn). Recent research has shown job seekers Searches for jobs that allow employees to work from home in Ireland were six times higher in December 2021 than before the Covid-19 pandemic began Irish Examiner.  (Irish Examiner – Remote Working)

Focus on employee Wellbeing and mental health: With burnout being a significant factor in the great resignation, companies need to focus more on the mental health of employees according to research from the CIPD, Fostering employee wellbeing is good for people and the organisation. Promoting wellbeing can help prevent stress and create positive working environments where individuals and organisations can thrive. Good health and wellbeing can be a core enabler of employee engagement and organisational performance.  

Employee engagement technology: With hybrid, WFH, and remote working, companies need to make use of digital technology to improve employee experience and engagement, there has been an explosion of technology in this area that focuses on both productivity, communication, and internal social elements of the business. These software products can strengthen business communication, employee engagement, culture, and connection to the business. Products such as Workplace from Meta, Viva from Microsoft, and Humu all focus on the workplace and improving employee experience and engagement. 

The Future 

As COVID 19 has had major impacts on the world of work across the globe lots of organisations and individuals are still in a period of adjusting to a new normal. Companies that thrive will be the ones that hire employees that authentically share their values. Forward-thinking organisations will focus less on the transactional elements of employment and more on: 

• Understanding employee key drivers
• Employer Brand
• Employee experience and engagement 
• Mental health 
• Flexibility In the workplace 
• Equality, Inclusion, and Diversity 

2022 will be an interesting year for organisations as they develop new strategies to retain and hire staff post COVID.  

Most of us will be familiar with traditional interview questions but from time to time employers will test applicants with unusual questions in an interview.  Usually asked by big brands, as obviously, they want the best of the best. Candidates who can think on their feet under pressure. 

If you are interviewing with a big brand, expect to be tested, but don’t expect to have the answers at your fingertips. The key is to pause, thinking about the question, respond calmly and logically. Your willingness to embrace an unusual question and your efforts to give a logical answer will be looked upon favourably by an employer, whatever answer you eventually arrive at. 

Here are some strange questions which have been previously asked in interviews: 

• What biscuit would you be and why? 
• Room, desk and car – which do you clean first? 
• How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator? 
• If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it? 
• How would you cure world hunger? 
• Pepsi or Coke? 
• If you wanted to bring your dog to work but one of your team members was allergic to dogs, what would you do? 
• Design an evacuation plan for the building 
• Name a prank you would pull on x manager if you were hired. 
• If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be? 
• Tell me a joke 
• What’s your favourite song? Perform it for us now.” 
• You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what colour would you be and why? 
• On a scale from 1 to 10, rate me as an interviewer 

…Now, let’s review how to answer the strange interview questions.  

What biscuit would you be and why? 

This question is trying to decipher your kind of personality, or possibly the interviewer wants to know if you’ll eat all the digestives on a tea break. Either way, the first biscuit which comes into my head are my favourite biscuits, Chocolate cookies. A common choice I’m sure, but everyone loves a chocolate cookie. 

What your favourite biscuit says about you 

Room, Desk and Car – Which do you clean first? 

• Desk 
• Room 
• Car 

Whichever order you decide, the interviewer is most likely interested in your reasoning. What logical approach are you taking to an unknown situation? 

How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator? 

This sounds like a joke question, but try to arrive at a logical answer. 

• Is it a baby elephant, if so a chest refrigerator may be adequate? 
• If it’s a full elephant, I guess we would need a custom-made refrigerator 
• Bring the elephant to a sub-zero climate such as Antarctica- essentially a giant refrigerator 

If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it? 

Take a consensus of the average person’s height in each country in the world and compare it to German’s average height. 

How would you cure world hunger? 

This question is massive. These are only some suggestions: 

• Focus more on globalisation in poorer countries 
• Provide facilities/training for locals to produce more food 

Pepsi or Coke? 

This could just be a personal choice, but Coke has always seemed to be slightly superior to Pepsi. Most likely due to its marketing advantages from previous campaigns such as initiating a red Santa Claus and developing ‘bring a coke home’ Christmas Campaign. 

More differences between Coke and Pepsi

If you wanted to bring your dog to work but one of your team members was allergic to dogs, what would you do? 

This is a question analysing your caring side, you can’t cause problems in the office with team members, but you also can’t harm the dog by leaving it in the car all day. What are your options?

• Bring the dog on a day your team member is off 
• Don’t bring your dog to work 

Design an evacuation plan for the building. 

This is analysing your attention to detail. Have you looked at the building when you came in, are you aware of the layout of this floor? 

I guess the rule here is to, pay attention to the building on arrival.  

Name a prank you would pull on x manager if you were hired. 

This is another analysis of your personality, it’s a great measurement to see how you would fit into the team. In addition, to assessing what you think is funny and acceptable in a work environment. 

If you could be remembered for one sentence, what would it be? 

This last sentence will provide insight into what you most care about in life or what means to you the most. This can be a judge of your character and interests, are you going to be a good team fit? What do you care about?  

Tell me a joke 

If you’re caught off guard this can be difficult to think of on the spot. Do you resort to how did the chicken cross the road? This is blatantly boring and not very creative. On the other hand, you don’t want to offend anyone with “three men walk into a bar..” kind of joke.  I suggest dad jokes are probably the best, they are so embarrassing they are funny. 

What’s your favourite song? Perform it for us now. 

This question assesses your confidence, can you perform a song in front of strangers? I guess you’re confident enough to do anything. Especially if you can’t sing. 

You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what colour would you be and why? 

This is a chance to be creative, make up a colour? Go beyond the usual RGB, if the job seeks a creative individual this is your time to shine.  

On a scale from 1 to 10, rate me as an interviewer 

Is this a question asking you to suck up to the interviewer or is it a test to see if you can critically analyse? Can you give constructive criticism? This is the real test to decipher what the interviewer wants from you. If you’re applying for a manager role or senior position, then yes provide genuine advice. Try not to show fear in high pressured situations, even if this job depends on it.  

Please note that any answers I have provided are out of context. The best way to approach these types of strange questions is to understand what the interviewer is asking you and how your answer could be relevant to the job.  

Learn what questions have been previously asked in Google interviews  

If you’re interested in a career move and would like to speak to one of our friendly recruiters in confidence, please get in touch on 028 9091 8529 or email your CV to hello@corvus.jobs.   

What is a counteroffer?

You’ve nailed the interview(s), you’ve had a call from your Recruitment Consultant with the great news that the new company formally want to offer you the position.

Brilliant, your hard work has paid off!

All you must do is hand in your notice which can be daunting. You have a sigh of relief after you’ve handed in your notice. Then you get called into your current boss’ office, you’re offered a counter-offer, usually more money or a promotion to stay.

You’re torn, what do you do now?

Here are 6 reasons why you should never take a counter-offer

Recognise your worth

Why has it taken for you to resign to prompt your employer to give you the promotion, responsibility or pay rise you have been asking for? Professional development should be rewarded due to hard work and not out of fear of losing staff. The culture of your workplace could not be rewarding your hard work. You’ll soon be in the same situation again.

Broken trust

You’ve essentially fired your Manager. You have expressed your desire to leave and your Manager is unlikely to completely trust you again.

Money doesn’t solve your problems

Unfortunately, money will not make your work environment nicer, give you better projects to work on or remove that Sunday night fear. You’ll just be able to buy slightly more expensive coffee to catch your tears at work. This short-term gain most likely won’t pay off in the long run. Many promises made during the counteroffer period do not come to fruition and you may find yourself even more frustrated and eager to leave.

You’ll end up leaving

80% of candidates who accept a counteroffer from their current employer end up leaving within 6 months. Not only will you leave but you’ll have damaged your reputation with your employer and burnt bridges. Going all the way to offer stage with a new employer, only to turn them down to stay where you are a waste of everyone’s time. Are they likely to give you that same offer 6 months down the road – employers will remember that you jilted them at the altar!

Your Manager is buying time (and maybe their job security)

Depending on your Manager, they might not care if you leave, they’re more worried about you walking out and there being no one to replace you. The cost of no one in your role can be very costly and it can also reflect poorly on a Manager if they are losing a valued team member.

Rock the boat

Once your office or co-workers get a whiff of your £5 or 10k pay rise the company environment may be damaged. Resentment could grow from your co-workers. They may be thinking, ‘Oh, Susan handed in her notice and got an amazing pay rise, maybe I should do that too…’

Expectations will also be raised in terms of what you are expected to deliver – if you are given a pay increase and improved conditions, your existing employer will have significantly increased expectations about repaying them, which can lead to friction.

Conclusion

It’s important to remember why you were planning on leaving in the first place. Appreciate the value of taking this new opportunity. There were reasons you were leaving your current employer, create a pros and cons list of starting fresh at a new company. One thing that is important during this period is to talk to your Recruitment Consultant. Let them know your thoughts on this negotiation period they should be there to advise and recognise which would be the best opportunity for you.

It can be a scary process changing jobs which is why most people can see the easier option of simply staying where they are.  Workers who change jobs earn an average pay raise of £2,066 per year or 5.2% (compared to the 2.9% national average) – when did you last get a pay rise? – Glassdoor Economic Research, Why Do Workers Quit? The Factors That Predict Employee Turnover February 2017.

Benefits of changing jobs when you’re unhappy

A reminder of why you were changing your job in the first place.

•    Your mood

It will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. When you’re unhappy, it can affect not only your mood in work, but your life outside of work. Your mood affects the people around you. Changing jobs can help improve your relationships with family and friends.

•    Fresh start

When you’re interested in changing your job, it’s usually to either get away from negativity or you’re attracted by opportunity. This could be an opportunity to take a step up in the career ladder and I don’t necessarily mean more money, I mean more responsibility, career development, new projects, better experience – an overall better career path.

•    Stay sharp

When you change your job, you need to learn to adapt to new work environments, face new challenges and possibly even work with new technologies. You’ll meet more people in your industry and broaden your knowledge in your sector.

•    Better job

In addition, to feeling more valued, this could be an opportunity to achieve a far better remuneration package. Whether that means a better pension, less travel, additional training more flexible working or bonus structure to name a few. This could give you overall better satisfaction in work.

If you’re currently looking for a job or maybe you’re considering a change it is important that you do the following things to ensure you are making the best move for your career.

1.    Create a list

Create a list of reasons why you want to change jobs. This will affirm whether you’re making the right decision to change your job and what you are looking for in a career move. This will prevent any embarrassment for yourself and the recruitment consultant if you end up accepting a counteroffer and take it because of last-minute promises.   

2.    Find a niche recruiter in your sector

This is important for a number of reasons. They will have expert market knowledge on which companies are good to work for, who is currently recruiting, and who will be someone to fight your corner throughout the job search process.

3.    Glassdoor is your friend

If your recruitment consultant suggests a company you haven’t heard of, or even if you have. Check out their Glassdoor reviews. It’s important that you’re moving to a company where things will get better, not a toxic environment where the staff are unhappy in their jobs.

Learn more about job searching in Northern Ireland

If you’re not looking for a job but would like to learn local professionals’ career stories and know what’s going on in the market in Northern Ireland? Why not listen to our career podcasts

How often do you take a step back to consider what are your long-term goals or considered what you define as ‘career success’? 

You could be at a point in your career where goals could be the perfect focus to help develop it further. Although it’s great having goals, many of us can feel that they are pointless when we don’t achieve them. This fear of not achieving something can hold us back. A key method to improving your chances of achieving your goals, is by documenting them.  

 
Can you believe something as simple as writing your goal down can have a profound impact on whether you succeed? 

Dr Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University in California did an experiment to analyse the science and art of goal making. With a focus group of 267 people, Gail divided everyone into groups of those who didn’t write their goals down and those who regularly wrote down their goals and dreams.  

Gail found a significant increase in those achieving their goals who wrote them down compared to those who don’t. In fact, Gail found you’re 42% more likely to reach your desires if you write down your goals.  

Your chances of achieving your goals increase even further when you tell a friend, colleague or family member about your goal. Letting others know about your goal will hold you more accountable.   

Type of goals 

Creating SMART goals, are often more successful again as they are specific and measurable. This acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Timely. An example of a SMART goal would be: 

• Specific: I will earn a pay increase. 
• Measurable: I will document my progress and work with management to ensure I am meeting the goals and expectations of my job. 
• Achievable: I will achieve this by working hard and becoming more valuable to the company. 
• Relevant/Realistic: I will participate in development and project opportunities such as ..‘You could name projects you are aware of’  
• Timely: I will accomplish this by June 2022. 

As you can see, the accuracy of this goal allows you to really know if you have achieved your goal or not by June 2022.  

Another example of an experiment involving writing down your goal can benefit your career. A Harvard Business Study found that 3% of their MBA graduates who had their goals written down, ended up earning ten times as much as the other 97% put together, just ten years after graduation. If this isn’t reason enough to give it a try, I don’t know what is!  

Yet, it has been found that only 3 in 100 adults write down their goals. Do you want to be in the 3%? 

Why not take 15 mins out and think about your goals, whether it’s a promotion, a larger professional network or even a new job. Start your list today.

If you’re a professional seeking new job opportunities, why not get in touch with our friendly team at hello@corvus.jobs or call on 028 9091 8529 

Finding the perfect candidate for an open position in your company can often be a challenge. Although you may receive a number of applicants, they may not have the right skill set or experience to fill the role.

This is amplified with the ease of applying for jobs through online application process, which although makes some aspects of recruitment easier, but unfortunately, operating a simplified recruitment process also means you will likely receive a lot of unqualified candidates.

Traditional recruitment agencies often promote their database like a little black book of perfect candidates, but if that book is full of unqualified, uninterested parties, it lacks any substance or quality. When searching for a candidate to fill a niche or exclusive role, perhaps the most effective method is by targeting passive candidates. 

Our Corvus Assured process does just that – we seek out the perfect candidates and attract them to you, rather than “hoping for the best” with a list of names on a directory.

The passive candidate is one who isn’t actively looking for new opportunities but are particularly great for this specific reason – they are thought to be more loyal and stable.

Passive candidates make up about 85% of the working population, and whilst there will be those who won’t be interested in any other roles, there will be those who are open to finding out what opportunities are out there for them.

You may be thinking that if they aren’t applying for jobs then they must not be interested in one, however, this is not always the case. Although many talented employees are happily employed, they may still be interested in considering other work if the right one comes along.

Unlike active job seekers, passive candidates are not constantly checking job postings or applying for positions. This means you have to move beyond job boards and career sites and look for candidates in other places, by engaging in non-traditional sourcing methods. 

Here Are A Few Ways to Appeal To Passive Candidates In 2021:

Maximize Your Company Brand

Position your company as the best workplace for your particular niche by emphasizing what sets you apart from other companies. It could be flexible work hours, extensive employee benefits, stock options, high compensations, and so on.

Establish a unique feature of your company that makes it a desirable place to work, and send the message through your website, social networks, and events.

If your company lacks a public profile, there is an increased chance that your potential passive candidates have never heard of you, so it is important to establish an online presence so they can connect.

Potential candidates are likely to do some research before they decide to get on board, so you want to make sure your branding is exemplary.

Utilise your company blog and website to promote interesting information about your organisation, post engaging content on social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter, and engage with your audience. This is the most fundamental practice to provide your brand with a persona; a voice with which passive candidates will come to know who you are, what you do and what life is like working at your company.

People will get to know the company as more than a name and a logo and will be able to relate more personally with the brand. Over time, the audience will become familiar with the company, so when you are ready to start hiring, they already know all about you.

Engage With Potential Candidates on Linkedin

LinkedIn is extraordinarily situated for providing a treasure trove of qualified passive candidates. Positioned as a profession-oriented platform, most profiles will include pertinent information for inquiring recruiter minds, and some will even include links to their online portfolios.

Everyone hates making a new connection on LinkedIn and instantly being ambushed with a generic sales pitch. Engage with connections before the “here’s what I can do for you” spiel begins.

Utilise your company blog, LinkedIn groups and other content or marketing materials to inform them about the industry or your differentiators. What specifics do those passive candidates want to know, considering they aren’t actively looking for jobs, but will be looking for news/comments on the industry they work in?

Your mission is to get into your target audience’s line of sight via whatever means you can. To warm them up as a sales and marketing team would a potential customer. To influence their perception of your organization as a place to work – so that, when the right career comes up, they are more likely to click on the opportunity or say yes to a conversation.

The challenge now, is reimagining the candidate journey as travelled by passive talent and being a discoverable, compelling, and authentic tour guide as they find their way.

Don’t Be A Recruiter, Be An Industry Leader

Most people will be complimented to be contacted in relation to a new prospect, it assures the candidate they are valuable in the workplace and can start the thought process in a passive candidate to consider other opportunities. Take advantage of this first impression by thinking through the first contact, being genuine and not spamming the candidate.

Top candidates don’t want to be just another CV; they want to build their own networks in their professional journey, and engage with individuals with industry experts who understand the area they work in.

Ensure you are engaging those passive candidates. It is essential that you do not push the candidate for applications, but rather use this as a way to establish a relationship that you can build on. Only then will you know their professional goals and expectations. 

Establish a Pro-Employee Reputation

A great reputation among your employees is essentially one of the best passive candidate sourcing techniques you can utilise. You will engage candidates by discussing your pro-employee culture on your website and your various social platforms, as well as on your job listings. 

Having an engaged workforce will lead to your people going ‘the extra mile’ for you and becoming loyal advocates for your brand and product. 

Your existing employees are another one of your best resources for recruiting passive candidates. Creating an appealing work environment will make it easy to encourage your employees to use their own connections. Some companies find it beneficial to have a referral program through which they pay their employees to bring in candidates that result in a hire. 

Listen To Candidate Demands

Money is often not the top motivator for candidates; the real motivators can vary greatly. Often passive candidates are passive, not because they love their job so much but because where they are is comfortable and works for them and their personal routine.

Listen to your candidates and look at the job history to understand their core motivators, it could be something as simple as having flexible working conditions to enable them a better work-life balance.

Our advanced recruitment solution Corvus Assured, combines management alignment, behavioural insights and full profiling to ensure the most accurate hire for your organisation, thus removing the guesswork.

Not every candidate knows what they are looking for so present them with opportunities, explain the value each of them could bring to the candidate and use their response and reasons to help you find the right match. Ensure you don’t go for the hard sell when presenting jobs, use it as an opportunity to understand the candidate and their motivators better.

Tailor the Application Process to Passive Candidates

A passive candidate may be turned off by a long and arduous application process. Make your application easy to access and complete. If a passive candidate makes it to the interview process, consider what kinds of questions would be conducive and which ones would be cumbersome to ask. For instance, you would not ask a candidate you sought out, “what attracted you to this company.”

Recruiting passive candidates is an ongoing process that demands constant engagement and care.

It involves investing in passive candidate sourcing techniques on an ongoing basis and not just when you have an active job opening. Building relationships in person and online takes time.

Curating your online presence will take consistent dedication, as it is an investment not only into your short-term recruitment strategy, but to your overall employer brand.

If you need assistance finding the right fit for your company, please get in touch today on 028 9091 8529 or hello@corvus.jobs.

The usual procedure when leaving a job involves writing a letter of resignation. Firstly, it’s usually better to resign in person and follow up with a formal resignation letter. When writing your letter, keep in mind that it should be positive, brief and focused. This is not the time to criticise your employer or your job. This letter will be saved in your employment file which could be shared with potential future employers. This emphasises the importance of leaving in a professional and polite term. 

What should your letter include? 

-          Announcing you’re leaving 

-          A date when your resignation is effective 

-          A brief appreciation for your time with the company 

Offering to help with a detailed handover of your workload and duties during the transitional period following is generally appreciated – especially by your co-workers. This could be from interviewing people to replace you or finishing up projects you’re currently working on. 

It is also important to be aware of your contract when writing your letter of resignation. Showing you have considered your terms of contract will ensure you’re safe from legal implications when quitting your job. I would recommend reading through your contract before starting your letter of resignation. 

How do I write an Email Resignation? 

Write an email resignation just as professionally as you would a letter. There are some slight differences which are mentioned at the writing guidelines section below. 

Should I mention the reason I’m leaving? 

In many cases, it’s not necessary to mention your reason for leaving. In some cases, it might be appropriate such as a cross-country move or other large life decisions which can affect your job. If you’d like to state a reason in the email or letter ensure there is nothing negative about other staff members or the company. It would be more advantageous to keep your letter short and brief. 

If you’re not sure what to write, review resignation letter samples to get ideas for how to structure and word your letter. 

Guidelines for Writing and Formatting Your Resignation Letter 

• Resignation Letter Length: Keep it one page, any longer and you’re most likely rambling about why you’re leaving which is unnecessary. 
• Font and Size:  Use traditional font such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri; keep your font size at 12 points. 
• Format: A resignation letter should be single-spaced with a space between each paragraph. Use about 1″ margins and align your text to the left; the alignment for most business documents. 
• Accuracy: Be sure to edit your resignation letter before mailing it. Read over it and ensure it’s accurate, positive, brief and focused. If you’re not sure, get a friend to read over it as sometimes it’s easy to construct a sentence in a certain way which could show different connotations. 

What’s the Professional Resigning Process? 

Firstly, resign in person, followed by sending a letter of resignation. 

If you’re unable to speak to your manager in person, call them and let them know you’re leaving. Follow up with a resignation email. This email should follow the same guidelines as a formal resignation letter. 

How to Layout a Resignation Letter 

• Header: Begin with both your employer’s and your contact information (name, title, company name, address, phone number, email) including the date. 
• Greeting: Address the resignation letter to your manager and ensure you use his or her formal title. 
• Paragraph 1: Announce that you are resigning, also include the date on which your resignation will be effective. 
• (Check your contract to see how much notice you are required to give).

Optional Paragraphs: 

• Why you’re leaving:  If you want to say why you’re leaving, it’s not necessary. If you do choose to say why, be positive don’t bring up negative reasons why you’re leaving your current job. 
• Help in Transition: Unless you know you will be completely unavailable, include that you are willing to help with the transition. 
• Reference: If you would like a letter of reference from your manager, you can ask for it here. 
• Thank you: Thank your manager for the opportunity to work for the company. If you had a particularly valuable experience, you can go into more detail about what you appreciate about the job (the projects you worked on or opportunities available etc). 
• Close: Use a formal closing, such as “Sincerely”, “Yours Sincerely” or “Kind regards”. 
• Signature: End with your signature if handwritten, followed by your typed name. 

If you feel this format is not suitable for your resignation letter, please review other letter samples you can edit and reuse here. 

In conclusion, a resignation is a formal part of leaving your job and is often compulsory for company records. Ensure you can write a letter of resignation which is focused and positive to leave a company on good terms.

Undoubtedly, the shift towards hybrid work models, whereby employees experience flexibility over their working environment, has become one of the biggest side-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst remote working commenced as an essential measure for many businesses to survive, it has since become evident that flexible working could not only restore the work-life balance, but also revolutionise entire business models.

With the mounting pressure on employers to consider their employee’s mental health, wellbeing, happiness and productivity, the question of how to manage this the correct way has always presented a struggle. Now, however, employers are beginning to understand the key drivers of happiness in the workplace – Flexibility.

Besides necessity, flexibility is the biggest motivation in moving towards hybrid working models. Most employees have adapted to working from home (WFH) and are much happier with their ability to waive daily commutes goodbye, spend more time with their families and generally achieve the much-desired work-life balance. Seriously, who doesn’t love skipping rush hour traffic after a busy day?!

Fully remote working is not necessarily for everyone which is why introducing hybrid models of work can help achieve balance. Whilst 83% of employees feel they do not need an office to be productive, a number of workers continue to feel the strain of isolation, including the lack of collaboration and inability to switch off. If you’re considering implementing hybrid work models in your organisation, there are a lot of considerations before making any changes.

Check out some of our recommendations for a smooth transition!

Take Time & PLAN!

When introducing any major organisational changes, it is fundamental to plan it correctly. Although the media (and maybe even employees) may be hyping up hybrid working, rushing to implement anything due to external pressures could be a disaster waiting to happen. Before making any decision, do your research, determine the interest of your employees, and work out if it is in fact a plausible reality for your business needs.

Gauging your Workforce

Before changing anything, you need to understand your employees’ perspectives. Utilising a company-wide communications strategy, such as anonymous surveys, will ascertain whether WFH, hybrid or flexible working is in fact a consideration. Once you have gauged the attitude of your workforce you will need to ensure new company policy and processes are implemented to reflect the newly introduced practices.

Implementing Policy & Practice

Prior to making any decisions on implementing flexible working models, ensure any necessary paperwork is done. Devising policies which clearly outline expectations from employees can help eliminate any ambiguity, particularly if there is a range of different wants and needs from your workforce.

Not having an appropriate policy or guidance document in place may lead to hostility between colleagues. Remote workers may feel people predominately working in the office are being favoured, whereas in-office workers could perceive remote workers as being less productive. Having transparent, formal directives in place helps to avoid these situations as everyone should know what is expected of them. Ensure that whichever working model is applied, that it does not initiate a potential HR nightmare.

Remote Recruitment

If you are considering employing fully remote employees, ensure you have a fit for purpose recruitment process. Traditional recruitment methods may not accommodate the remote world so you may need to consider things like management alignment, behavioural insights, and candidate profiling to ensure you can make a better hiring decision. Remote recruitment could create a more accessible and inclusive working environment for people with disabilities. Remember, making a bad hire can end up costing a company thousands in lost income, training costs and reduced staff morale, just check out our bad-hire calculator. If you are recruiting for a critical role, get in touch and find out more about our Corvus Assured® recruitment solution, with a 95%+ success rate.

Remote Alternatives to Maximize Productivity

Whilst a hybrid model of in-office and remote working is being strongly advocated at the moment, there are a number of alternative initiatives that may be more valuable to your workforce. For some organisations, introducing a 4-day working week could produce a similar outcome as the hybrid working model. Research is beginning to show that employees’ productivity is equal whether they work for 4 or 5 days per week. Besides striking a better work-life balance whereby employees will be more revitalised and achieve more flexibility in their personal lives, there are additional company benefits including heightened productivity, staff well-being, job satisfaction and retention, and reduced gender inequality.

Notably, the pandemic has accelerated a radical working model that most employers were only beginning to think about, if at all. With strong internal communications, employee engagement and commitment, flexible working models can help you stand out as an employer, recruit better staff, and strengthen your organisation as a success for the future.

Changing jobs is a massive decision, it’s not one you should rush into or take lightly. Check out some of the fundamental steps you should take when deciding whether to change your job.   

The first thing to consider is why you want to change role and identifying the decision. This means you may be ready to look to make the move!

 As you’re currently pondering the decision, you’ve identified that you may be ready to change your job and you want to know if you’re ready for it. It’s important to identify why you are considering this change before you go any further. Are you feeling unfulfilled or unappreciated?  Do you want more responsibility, personal development, a better work environment or a shorter commute? Though you’re uncertain about whether you want to go through with this decision right now, you need to go through the next 6 stages of the effective decision-making process to ensure you’re making the right decision. 

Gathering Information 

This is an important stage to research jobs and find out what information is relevant to you when changing jobs.  

Not only gathering information about jobs, the market and companies, but about yourself and what you wish to achieve if you were to move. As this can go beyond simply your income and day-to-day environment, if you have a family, this can change their routine and even affect financial areas such as your tax credits entitlement. You need to think and research all aspects of changing your job.  

“The job search can be a long and tedious process of looking at job boards every day, networking and trying to find a job which would be suitable for you.”

If you are thinking of quitting your job and then searching for a job, I’d strongly advise against this. The job search process can be a long and tedious process of looking at job boards every day, networking and trying to find a job which would be suitable for you. It’s important to keep yourself in your current role until you’ve been offered a new position. This would be more beneficial for your finances and reduces the risk of accepting a role which may not be quite right just to secure a new position.  

Identifying Alternatives 

At this stage, you need to identify any potential risks which are involved in the jobs or recruitment consultancy you’ve decided to apply for or sign up for. You may even decide to apply for a combination of recruitment consultancies and any relevant jobs you can find. Unfortunately, it is a method I would advise against. 

“The best method for you to get a job which you really love is finding a specialist consultant in your sector.”

The best method for you to get a job which you really love is finding a specialist consultant in your sector. A specialist recruiter would know the market inside out and find you a job which could fit your needs and circumstances.  

Learn more about working with a specialist recruitment consultant 

You should now be aware of all the information which could affect your job search.  

Be wise about the path you decide would be best for you. 

 

Weigh the Evidence 

In this step, you need to review the “feasibility, acceptability and desirability”  of changing your job. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of you making this move.  

It’s time to make a list. 

Which job are you most drawn towards and what are the benefits of changing to this job? 

Choose among alternatives 

You’ve created your pros and cons, you’re coming towards making a decision. You should have all the information and factors which will matter if you change your job. 

Realistically, you’ve done so much research that you should have a gut feeling on whether this is the right move or not for you. If you’re working with a recruiter, they are a great source of market wisdom to help you make this decision. Use your resources and contacts to discuss what is best for you.  

Take Action 

You’ve done as much research as you can. It’s time to update your CV and consult a specialist recruiter. If you do have a family, ensure you have their support as it can be far easier when they understand why your routine may change. Be prepared to address any questions they may have.  

Working with your recruiter, they can introduce you to relevant companies in your market and should have great insight on what the best move is for you. After all, their job is to find the best fit for both the job seeker and the company seeking talent.  

Review Your Decision 

After applying for jobs you’ll hopefully begin to get interviews. Be sure to work with your recruiter through the process so you can achieve the best job package. If you’re finding it more difficult than expected to review your decision, where could you be going wrong?  

Here are the common challenges of changing your job 

• Being too hasty when finding another job 
• It can take longer than expected to find the right role 
• Not keeping your CV up-to-date and relevant 
• Applying for jobs which you’re underqualified or have a lack of experience for  
• Overconfidence of achieving a job quickly 
• Not performing well in the interview (Always remember to ask for feedback!) 

Conclusion 
 

Deciding if you should change your job is a massive decision in your life. Ensure you’re giving yourself the best chance of landing the right job by following this logical process.  

If you’ve followed the above steps in the decision making process and believe you’re ready to change your job, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly specialist recruiters at hello@corvus.jobs or 028 9091 8529. Our conversation will be completely confidential.  

Chances are most of your marketing is either B2B or B2C.

But how much thought do you put into your B2T (business-to-talent) marketing?

Most SME’s don’t give it much thought & I find that quite strange because those same companies also say that their “people” are their most important assets…

Ask yourself these two questions:

What impact would/does the best talent have on your business?

What impact would/does below-average talent have on your business?

I’m sure the answer to the above questions will be the same for most people. The best talent will generally cost more in the short term, but the investment will usually pay off and result in growth in the long term. Below average staff will cost less in the short-term, but they’ll result in stagnation or failure & a higher cost in the long term.

So, how can you improve your B2T marketing?

Get your marketing people involved in your recruitment advertising. 

Seriously, a job advert should make somebody want to find out more, it shouldn’t be a job description or a photo of a sign saying “we’re hiring”/”new job”.

Make your candidate experience straight-forward, positive & quick. 

If you have a process where people don’t know what’s coming next, you’ll lose out on them. If people go away with a negative experience, it’ll affect your business because NI is a small market & people talk. If you don’t move quickly, you’ll lose out to one of your competitors who’ve realised the importance of moving quickly.

Give everyone that you interview constructive feedback. 

People don’t like wasting their time. If you interview somebody and don’t provide any feedback, you’ll have wasted that person’s time. NI is a small place, people talk. If you don’t provide feedback, it will negatively affect your ability to recruit. You will get people saying: “You’re interviewing at ….? I wouldn’t waste your time, I went there and didn’t hear anything back”

Show appreciation & celebrate the success of your employees. 

B2T marketing isn’t just about attracting new people, it’s about retaining your current talent. It’s important to feedback to them & celebrate their successes.

When people leave, conduct a proper exit interview where you ask for their advice on how to improve as a business. 

You could be doing everything right but you’ll never retain all your staff. When people hand their notice in, treat them well, show that you respect them by asking them how you can improve your business. The more that you understand about your business, the better. Don’t be afraid to hear negative things, if you listen & take action to try to fix the issues, you’ll only improve as an employer.

This might all seem new. That’s because it’s relatively new.

When it came to recruiting talent, companies used to be the buyers – “We’ll just post a job, you’ll apply and then you’ll tell us what you can do for us”. That’s now changed. Now candidates are the buyers – Before people apply to your jobs, they’ll now likely do more research. They’ll google you, look on Glassdoor, look at your website, look on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc to get a feel for what you are like as a business. A US piece of research from 2016 found that 72% of people now research a job or employer for over 1-hour before applying for a job. This means that now more than ever, your B2T marketing needs to be on point.

We’re in a candidate-driven market, there are more jobs that there are suitable people to do them. The issue is that lots of SME’s are still trying to recruit how they were 20 years ago… And if you do that, you’ll be unlikely to get the best talent… which means your company will stop growing.

Candidates are the customers. If you want to attract the best, you need to have a strategy in place to attract and retain them. We call this B2T & if this is the first time that you’ve heard of it, we’d be happy to sit down with you to discuss it.

I’m not saying that B2B & B2C marketing isn’t important. What I’m saying is that B2T is also important and it’s something that’s worth thinking about if you’re serious about the growth of your business.

At Corvus, we’re experienced at supporting companies to attract, recruit & retain top talent, if you’re in growth mode but feel you have some gaps in your business, let’s talk.

028 9091 8529 / hello@corvus.jobs