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- 30 9月
Candidate Newsletter – September 2019
RECRUITMENT MARKET UPDATE
We have seen a lot of activity in the Legal market for surrounding developing technologies, particularly in the areas of payment technology and digital publishing. As businesses have forged ahead, legal issues such as consumer protection and the proper description of offerings have come up which has lead the government to introduce regulations. Companies have to catch up and retrain or hire new legal counsels to protect themselves. There is now a strong demand for legal professionals with experience in data-related and finance issues.
The job change market for Accounting and Finance in September remains almost unchanged and there are still many jobs. There is still high demand for financial planning, FP&A Manager positions and in September, in particular, there are many positions in tax accounting. Language skills and experience in international taxation are much sought after in this area.
As usual, the focus is on candidates in the 30s and 40s age group for manager-level positions. Another continuing trend is an increase in the number of opportunities with full-flex time and remote working companies are increasing, creating an easier working environment.
The following are some examples of offers out this month:
Legal
- US Healthcare – Legal & Compliance Manager – 12M
- Japanese Technology Firm – Legal Manager – 10M
- European Pharmaceutical – Legal Counsel – 14M
Accounting & Finance
- US Consumer – Accounting Manager – 11M
- European Manufacturer – Controlling Manager – 12M
- Japanese Global Company – Senior Accountant – 8M
Recruitment Focus – Personality Test and how to handle them!
For Japanese companies, the personality test (often the SPI test) has long been an integral part of the interview process. Like them or loathe them, they are relied upon to provide information as to how the candidate will fit into the company and the likelihood of their success in a particular position.
Increasingly, these tests are forming part of the process for other clients as well. The reason is that many companies are moving to a more structured interview process, to eliminate bias and provide a more accurate description of suitability. Even senior candidates in professional positions are requested to take these online tests, so if you thought your days of studying and preparation are over, it will pay to be ready should you start interviewing again.
Having spoken with many candidates about their experience, as well as clients about what they expect, we would like to provide some advice on how to have a great personality test.
Preparation
There is a saying in English ‘failing to prepare is preparing to fail’ and this is especially true with a personality test. It may seem a simple point, but a lot of candidates go into their test to do their best and just see how it goes. You should instead gather as much information as possible, through your agent, about what kind of test it is, what the questions will look like, what the company is trying to find out, and whether it will be a technical or general test.
Practice
Practice, of course, makes perfect – once you have found out about the test, invest some time in finding resources to help you practice. They are many guides online and countless books available which contain practical advice and practice tests for you to hone your skills. In particular, you will be able to manage your timing, – many candidates complain that they run out of time and cannot answer all the questions. You can also get used to the types of questions and familiarize yourself with the structure and goals. When it comes to taking the real test, there should be no surprises and you can concentrate on giving the best answers.
Set yourself up for success
Tests these days are usually online when it is convenient for the candidate. This is great for managing your schedule, but it is important to remember that the test is for how you will fit in a professional situation. Most people have different personas or personalities for whether they are at work or if they are at home. You may be super-organized and careful when you are at work, but when at home much more relaxed and disorganized. It is best to treat the time you are taking the personality test the same as you would an interview. If you have to, dress as you would at work, and find a quiet, calm setting when you sit down to take the test. If you are distracted by home commitments then you will likely slip into your home style and not give the right impression of what you are like to work with.
It is useful to remember that personality tests are not rigid ‘pass or fail’ type exercises like you had at school and for professional qualifications, rather they act as a guide for employers about where you can best fit into the company. Companies will be far more interested in your skills and experience and how you come across at interview – the personality test will always be secondary to how you interact in person. Having said this, doing well in these tests will give you a head start and will teach you as well more about yourself and whether the role and company match your expectations. We have had a lot of experience in managing these tests and are ready to help when they come up in your interview process.
We provide a free consultation and training session to help clients improve recruitment activity and perfect their agency relations.
For further information on this topic or any other recruitment-related questions, please contact ken@alberto-recruitment.comComments are closed.
