Pedro Barahona

"By receipt of this email, you are agreeing to (X recruitment company)'s Terms and Conditions, which can be found here..." No. No I don't think so, I don't think I will even respond or consider the services you provide thank you. How in 2024 are Recruitment Agents sending these? Not to mention, the roles they recruit for being so far away, from what I may actually be interested in. I've been in recruitment for a while, I've seen companies go to court over fees etc. and I know how thoroughly terms and time lines are reviewed during these processes, something like the above (which was part of the signature of a consultant, who was contacting for the first time) would never hold up and can only serve as a tool to try and essentially extort a fee from a company. It looks bad on the company, and the recruiter sending it, I could never work with someone who thinks this is a good idea.

24

3 Comments

Like many hiring managers / decision makers going to develop this year, there’s probably one thing you are dreading. REPEATING YOURSELF TO AGENCY RECRUITERS ⛔ Not working with agency at the moment ⛔ Not hiring at the moment ⛔ Not adding to our PSL at the moment And when you say ‘At the moment’ you probably mean ‘Please leave me alone, if I’m interested I will reach out myself’ - Am I wrong? You know they’re just doing their job but you can’t help that it gives you the ‘ICK’ (Yes, I learned this phrase from Love Island). SO LET’S BE HONEST If/when you require support with your vacancies, there’s a few reasons why you might go to one agency over another: ✔️ Existing relationships ↳ You worked with them before ✔️ Niche/Specialism ↳ They have the network of you need ✔️ Competence ↳ They’re efficient/effective ✔️ Rates/Cost of hire ↳ You have to think about the budget A good recruitment partner will hit all 4 of these reasons, and if they don’t, maybe THEN you will try working with someone new. SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO PICK? AND WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS NOW? ↳ What If I could give you something now ↳ That you can keep for as long as you need ↳ And save you thousands on your next hire? Would that be fair enough? I will only be offering this to 3x companies for now. Drop me a message or send me an email and I’ll send you the info. [email protected] #GamesIndustry #Develop #GameDev

12

3 Comments

What is the toughest part of the Talent Acquisition role? Telling candidates it's a 'No'. If you've done your job properly, the candidates at latter stages should all be ready to accept an offer, no questions asked. Making this the toughest part of a TA role because you're delivering the news that everyone dreads and no one wants. It is the toughest part of the job but is one of the simplest to actually do. Which is probably why so many TA professionals, teams, recruiters and hiring managers get it so wrong. A lot of people just aren't comfortable having the uncomfortable conversations. We need to, as TA/recruitment professionals to be better at being comfortable with the uncomfortable and to remember to treat everyone how you'd want to be treated. A tip to anyone that struggles with these conversation just think 'how would I want to be given this news?' How do you approach a 'No' conversation? #talentacquisition #recruitment #interviewing #candidateexperience

59

14 Comments

Hot interview tip to get your Friday started 🔥 Do a John Lewis and give the candidates the interview questions in advance... but then UNO REVERSE their ass... ask them completely different questions, in fact questions from a completely different vacancy, from a different area of the business You want people who can think on their feet and survive in your crazy, fast paced culture. In the words of Clint Eastwood, #improviseadaptovercome #hiring #interviewing #recruitment #staytoxic

10

2 Comments

I saw a post yesterday asking for recruitment horror stories. I'm sure there are more than the 15 or so comments the post had received by the time I saw it. Besides engagement on the post, I can't see a useful reason to post this. The cynic in me says every person commenting has exposed themselves. Exposed themselves as potentially hostile candidates, but also exposed themselves as people willing to drag others in public. I can't see how commenting on this post helps them. Maybe catharsis? But more concerning is the leader of a talent business who is using their position and clout to undermine the very industry they are in. If I was to farm engagement with a similar post, I would try to put a positive lens onto the issue. Instead of "Tell me your recruitment horror stories" it could just have easily have been "Tell me your recruitment horror stories and I (as a talent professional) will tell you how it should have gone down" In it's current form, this post is not kind or helpful, it's only trying - and failing, I might add - to farm engagement for it's author. So, to the OP, if you see this, read the 4 agreements, and don't be a poe$, be lekker, When you have a choice, choose kindness, choose help, choose to educate and choose to build your profession and it's community. #PeteFromRecruitment

43

17 Comments

JOB SECURITY - DOES IT REALLY EXIST? It's never guaranteed, just a feeling you get—or don't. More permanent employees are now considering 3-6 month contracts because they're unsure what the next few months hold in their supposedly ‘secure job.’ A year ago, this wouldn't have been the case. The rise in layoffs across the industry has amplified this fear, but it's the uncertainty and speculation that really put people on edge. You may have seen the signs: - Discreet conversations in the office - More executive meetings than usual - Projects being delayed or canceled - Higher demands with no extra credit - Salary reviews have stopped completely We can't always change the circumstances, and I don't have all the answers, but here’s what I can say: 🏢 COMPANIES: Be as transparent as possible about the challenges you’re facing. Trying to hide them will likely make things worse. Some people may leave, but those who stay will be more motivated to pull together as a team. Also, avoid casting blame on individuals; killing their confidence won’t make them work harder. 🫂 EMPLOYEES: If something doesn't feel right, voice your concerns through the correct channels before engaging in negative conversations with colleagues. Don't feel guilty about engaging with recruiters and learning about other opportunities. Your years of service won't protect you if your company is making cuts. Knowing your options can alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the current market. Networking outside your organization is a smart move, even if you feel secure in your current job. WHAT DOES JOB SECURITY MEAN TO YOU? #JobSecurity #Layoffs #GamesIndustry

14

How can it be? 🤯 Last week I spoke with 4 CDOs who are hiring at the 'Head of' level Once again, they're struggling and in some instances these roles have been sat with Internal TA, RPO or PSL partners for over 5 months In a world where there are more people at that level on the market than anywhere else It really shouldn't be taking anywhere near that long to fill these type of roles We're seeing the usual story play out... They're getting lots of applicants, having plenty of conversations but they're just not the right people A couple of considerations: 1) Relying on adverts will very rarely bring you success - in fact it often serves as more as distraction 2) If you have partners that don't understand the nuances of the D&A space it's almost impossible to decipher what titles, roles and responsibilities mean in the context of different organisations A 'Head of Data' means 100 different things across the industry Either way, as Data Leaders, there's no reason you should ever be struggling with identification of talent after 5 months 🤯

79

35 Comments

5 myths about senior hiring.. 1- ATS / Bots are filtering CVs and blocking my application (Humans review CVs) 2 - A CV over 2-pages long is bad (No one has ever been ruled out for having a 3-page CV) 3 - I get loads of rejections from applying as I'm bad (EVERYONE gets rejections, applying is like buying a lotto ticket) 4 - Hiring Managers read cover letters (Unlikely, they're too busy) 5 - If a sales person can't sell themselves on paper (CV), they're bad (False, selling yourself is a different skill set) 🔥 It's good to research the background of those giving advice.. PS- Thoughts?

51

14 Comments

Everyone is a TA expert these days… For almost two months, I have barely posted on LinkedIn… and there are a few reasons for that… but the main one was starting my new job… (which is ace.. thanks for asking) I’ve still been on the platform … networking etc… but I ran out of stuff to say… and like Dad always said… ‘if you’ve got nothing nice to say, say nothing at all…’ So what did I see and hear on LinkedIn in my absence…? I’m glad you asked… It seems that almost overnight… you can become a recruitment expert! Recruiting (in my experience) is the only job in a company where everyone thinks they can do it better than you… and now… if you’ve been doing it for just a few weeks… you can become ‘LinkedIn famous’…. 🤦🏻 No value add required… no deep experience needed… That’s right folks… all you need is a camera and a vague, meaningless-yet-obvious quote about hiring and you are in! As well as being my favourite artist of all time… Mr Warhol was right with this particular quote… (which I appreciate doesn’t compliment what I just said about quotes… but the irony is beautiful) and maybe Instagram culture is making its way onto LinkedIn? Who knows? But lets up the content game and share our experiences… context… insights… and the valuable stuff… because this TA community is amazing… and recruiters are typically brilliant storytellers! Have a great day TA! (And non-TA folks too… because you also matter) #talentacquisition #recruitment #talent #hiring #content #influencer

54

22 Comments

When you're suddenly laid off or facing redundancy, it's tempting to immediately update your LinkedIn with an 'Open to work' banner. "I often see posts like "Hi, I'm immediately available due to x, please share with your network!"" 👆🏻 Gives zero context or information that could help you connect with the right people. All it says is "I need a job, anything will do" and your better then that, I promise! It's understandable, you want to secure a new job quickly due to commitments like family, rent, and bills. This is especially true for ND folk, particularly those with ADHD, who might act impulsively based on their feelings, leading to hasty decisions. Here's my take it or leave advice from experience 👇🏻: ➟ Hold off on posting about your situation on LinkedIn right away. Take a day to actually "Think" what to say. ➟ Don't rush into the next opportunity. Give yourself a short break, only "YOU" know when it's right. ➟ Layoffs can stir up negative emotions. Before acting on impulse, take a day to actually let the smoke from your ears stop. ➟ Allow yourself a few days to process. It's fine not to have an immediate plan. Use this time to consider what you really want next. 🍰 Here's my "Icing on the cake advice": avoid panic applying to multiple jobs. This can lead to more rejections, which isn't helpful right now. What advice has helped you move forward after a redundancy? #Linkedin #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Careers #Jobadvice

69

74 Comments

The best recruiters have huge networks. Tons of live conversations every single day. But try to remember a list of people who are willing to relocate to London and what do you get? Patchy results. Some recruiters have photographic memories. The rest need Metaview. Meet Siadhal Magos, the Co-Founder of the product turning your large network and masses of data into a powerful tool that drives your business. Siadhal is a self-confessed tech optimist at the forefront of tech development and adoption. Yet his passion is for helping recruiters do the most human parts of their role better: Levelling up the industry with better quality interactions with the most relevant people at the right time. In a wide-ranging interview, we discussed: 🎧Fueling Productivity With AI 🎧Consistently Developing Alongside AI 🎧Creating Consistent Recruitment Cycles 🎧Engaging With Data & AI 🎧Attracting Vs Assessing Talent 🎧Automating Human Interactions ... and much, much more. Being able to search every conversation you've ever had for complex data, like willingness to relocate. That's a tech-powered future worth getting excited about. Right? Let's dive in.

11

5 Comments

** Counter-intuitive insight time ** Ever wondered why recruiters with great positioning and a seemingly endless parade of prestigious clients often struggle to produce the right candidates for you? Surely, you muse, they must be the best at what they do. Why aren't we getting results? "Market's tough", they say. Lots of competition. "You should have come to us six months ago." Or maybe even the best recruiters are just the best of the worst and we should go and try rinsing our other channels some more, push through the suck, and maybe put building a TA team on the roadmap for next quarter (even if we'll probably lay them off again in 18 months but who's thinking that far ahead)... What if I told you that the real problem is often the same exact reason you thought you were in safe hands? The problem is that endless parade of prestigious clients. Enter: the off-limits list. Every ethical recruiting firm has one. It's the list of current and former clients they can't recruit from. "You're either a client or a source", as the old school recruiters would say. While I can't speak to what anyone else does, our standard agreement includes a three year off-limits clause. That's three years AFTER the most recent engagement has concluded. As headhunters we're privy to some of the most confidential and delicate information that exists. Information that can be used either for or against an organization's interests. I think it's only reasonable to legally codify this protection for clients. Anyway. Point being: if they have dozens or even hundreds of clients, that's dozens or hundreds of candidate sources they can't access. If you don't need to hire from within crypto, maybe that's fine. But if you do... It's a major reason I prefer to go deep rather than wide. The goal is not to onboard as many clients as possible - it's to meet our revenue goals while doing an exceptional job for as few clients as possible. And this allows us to produce results - every time, on every search, in every type of market, on a timeline that is predictable and defined upfront. If your recruiting service is declining as the market heats up and you're wondering if any solution actually exists, we should probably talk. Because it does exist. And you really don't have to settle for second-rate hires just because it's a bull market, no matter what anyone else might try to tell you. (Psst...we don't market your candidates to other teams in order to create FOMO and drive price wars, either.) #recruiting #hiring #crypto #web3

11

Why you should work with Specialist Recruiters for your projects and not rely on your TA Teams, its not a rant, just my opinion. Ive been in the game for a while now, so i know a thing or two about contract recruitment. When rolling out an ERP, CRM, or any major project, the talent you bring on board can make or break its success. While internal Talent Acquisition (TA) teams are valuable, relying solely on them can lead to costly delays. The extra investment in a specialist recruiter is often far less than the risk of project failure or delays, especially if there are penalties involved. TA teams dont not have the industry-specific knowledge, active contractors, or experience in your niche. Specialist recruiters, on the other hand, have a proven network of experts who are ready to hit the ground running, or know where they are as we track live projects. Not using a specialist is like trying to navigate a ship without a compass. You might eventually get there, but wouldn’t you rather have someone who knows the way and get you there faster? "Maybe I need to work on my dad jokes, but its true" In the long run, working with a specialist recruiter is far more cost-effective than risking project delays or a bad hire. They know who can deliver and no who cant. #NetSuite #erprecruitment #freelance #contractrecruitment #projectdelivery

15

1 Comment

OK, here we go... I think salary guides are completely pointless. In fact, they are as useful as waterproof teabags! Recruiters love them! Almost like they are some long-lost scripture that each year could change the fate of humanity. The reality is they are all so generic and broad... The only way to really benchmark a role is to actually benchmark that particular role. Example: Type in Finance Director salary guide, (I did) not only will you get a huge range, it won't factor in any of the following... 1️⃣ What you have to pay for someone OK vs someone exceptional. 2️⃣ The size and complexity of the business. 3️⃣ The key skills that might be required. 4️⃣ The business growth / exit plan. I do need a Finance Director though. It's paying between... £85,000 and £400,000 - When can you start? We Do Group The detailed salary benchmark people and avid supporters of conventional teabags!

71

11 Comments

  WHAT’S UP! Telling a candidate about challenges within your company is one of the best interview techniques at your disposal. Here's why: ✅No one else does it ✅They will respect your honesty ✅They can’t say they didn’t know 3-6 months down the line ✅Every company has problems Here’s how you can approach this conversation: 1. BE HONEST BUT BALANCED It’s important to be transparent, but frame challenges in a constructive way. 2. FRAME CHALLENGES AS OPPORTUNITIES Present the challenges as areas where the candidate could make a meaningful impact. 3. FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST Candidates appreciate honesty, and sharing the reality of the company's situation can build trust. 4. SHOW COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENT Explain what actions the company is taking to improve or resolve the issues. 5. PROVIDE CONTEXT Context matters—explain why the challenges exist, whether due to rapid growth, changes in the market, or other external factors. 6. INVITE THEIR PERSPECTIVE Engage the candidate by asking for their input on how they might approach or contribute to resolving these challenges. By being transparent, framing challenges as opportunities, and showing the company's commitment to improvement, you can present an honest yet hopeful picture, allowing candidates to make informed decisions. Are you struggling to hire? #Recruitment #Hiring #TalentAcquisition #HRStrategies #InterviewPreparation #CandidateExperience #NewHire

6

1 Comment

A lot of recruiters spray and pray, and hope for the best. Fire you 30 CV's maybe some of them are right, but most just don't meet the brief its like they can't even read a job spec or listen to you on a briefing call. Then you get the snipers, one profile, make it count, nothing else. If they missed the mark you'll never hear from them again. I prefer what I call the revolver approach, 6 perfect profiles, all could easily do the job, all get interviewed, all the right fit. 100% able to do the job as long as they hit the mark and get interviewed. And I will make sure that I get interviewed with my accuracy. Sorry, my write-up on them. If you have a role, and you want 6 perfect profiles and only to pay a full fee once they have passed probation? Drop me a message.

15

4 Comments

When a hiring manager offers a candidate less than the market rate, we recruiters call this "lowballing". We are seeing more of this happening at the moment as the perception is that there are more candidates in the market. Whilst this may be true, there is always only a tiny handful that are the ideal match for your team. When you find them you want to secure them and often have one shot. This is why lowballing is a bad idea. 🤷‍♀️ You want top talent, and so does everybody else. There is always a limited supply of TOP talent. 🤷‍♀️Other companies will be pitching to top talent constantly speaking of salaries and peers will be telling them what they can achieve in the market. Once a lowball offer is made, it is very hard to come back from even if you increase the offer. The candidate feels devalued. 🤷‍♀️Decreasing salary bandings to capitalise on a 'supply outweighing demand' market is a sure way to lower your retention numbers as the market starts to gain confidence. It is a small market and people talk. Candidates will always remember companies that won't offer them salaries equal to their worth during times of uncertainty. Our salary guide is being released in the next few weeks! To register for it click the link in the comments. #salaryguide #lowballing

45

6 Comments

It is so easy to stand out in a job application! You just have to put the extra bit of love into it... Recruiters have the job of going through 100's of CV's every week and let's be honest, it can get tedious. We want to see something that grabs our attention and keeps us reading. Here's a few tips on how to do that: ✨BE YOURSELF ✨ As cliche as it sounds, putting your personality on a CV is important (to me). It's your first impression and I want to know if you are the right person for the company as well as the role. 💡RESEARCH THE TEAM💡 It's so clear when someone has no idea what they are applying for. Show us that you know the team as well as the company, who you will be working for and why you think you can make a positive impact. Take time to apply with care, it really does help you stand out. 🎶MENTION MUSIC🎶 And for goodness sake, if you are applying to a music job, tell us how much you want to be a part of the industry and why. Sharing your favourite artists goes a long way. Prove the passion! 💎MAKE IT CLEAR💎 Don't make us guess, be clear with your information and try not to be too wordy. The most relevant work to the job you're going for should be the focus on the page. Bullet points are good but make sure there is enough information there for us to understand your input on a project or within a role. Don't stop refining! Keep going and the right role for you will be in easy reach. ATB x

461

32 Comments

Recently spotted this warning message aimed at recruiters on a job ad. The message itself is fine and I do understand the need to include it. Recruiters descend on a new job post like a flock of seagulls on a dropped chip. A proper headache for hiring managers and internal recruiters. The thing I don't understand is the message's placement in the ad. To me, the most important part of the message goes at the top of whatever it is you're writing. In this case, surely it should be the stuff that will attract your ideal candidate, given that's the whole point of a job advert. This company's priority seems to be making sure recruiters don't email them. It probably won't affect the advert's applications, but I wouldn't bet on it. I'd rather get a few recruiter emails than risk missing out on *any* applications.

5