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- 30 4月
Client Newsletter – April 2020
RECRUITMENT MARKET UPDATE
As you may expect, the Legal market has taken a pause with many jobs and interviews on hold until things return to normal. However, some legal roles are critical and so hiring is continuing. Of course, all interviews have moved online, and we have completed searches without the candidate having a face to face interview or even visiting the office. It is a new challenge for everyone but there have been some interesting adaptations to get the job done!
For the Accounting & Finance market FP&A, FP&A Manager or Director positions, the number of vacancies continues to be high, and we are recruiting many from junior level to senior level. Also this month, there are many Head of Finance positions in foreign companies. Many hiring interviews have been changed to online to prevent the spread of infection, and even the final interviews with directors and presidents are now by video interview. The pharmaceutical, medical device and chemical industries are especially active for recruiting, as you may expect. Due to the closure of retail outlets due to the declaration of emergency, sales in the retail and fashion industries will be greatly affected. Naturally this will have a negative affect on future hiring.
The following are some examples of offers out this month:
Legal
- Foreign Technology Company – Sole Legal Counsel – 12M
- European Automotive – Legal Counsel – 12M
- Japanese trading Company – Legal Counsel – 15M
Accounting & Finance
- US Pharmaceutical Company – Senior Accountant – 8M
- Europe Consumer Company – Controlling Manager – 12M
- US Consumer Company – Finance Director – 15M
Recruitment Focus – #WFH? How to make remote working a success
It’s amazing to think that, just six weeks ago we were getting onto packed trains with fellow commuters go to and from our offices. Work from home (WFH) was being considered as a potential solution to the increased traffic during the planned Olympics, but instead, the topic has come about with increased urgency. In such a short space of time, everything has changed and many of us are working from home and adjusting to the challenges of doing our jobs in an unfamiliar work environment, all during a global pandemic.
The mechanisms and routines we have in our working lives which drive us towards productivity are tied closely to our work environments; going to the office interacting with colleagues keeps us focused on ours and our company’s goals. Working from home removes a lot of these cues and one of the main challenges is to maintain that work frame of mind and not get distracted.
Keep to a routine and mimic your work schedule
Great – no more commute! You can simply go from your bed to the shower to your computer and you’re ready to go. However tempting it may be to stay longer in bed you should do the same things you would do to prepare yourself for the office. Get up at a normal time, wear smart clothes and get yourself in the right mindset. To mimic your travel time you may go for a walk and listen to what you would do normally on the train. Packed trains are no fun but the journey does get you thinking about work.
Set up a dedicated workspace
Japanese houses and apartments are notoriously small, we simply don’t have the space to create a separate home office. So you may need to get creative. Try and move your desk or table to a corner of the room away from other distractions. If you have a foldable screen or a sheet you can hang around your work area this will create a great temporary space. It will let anyone living with you know that you are working and should not be disturbed. When the day is done you can convert things back to your usual living space.
Structure your day
Without your team and manger around you, you may find it difficult to organize your task and remain productive. You are now your own manager and will need to stay focused and avoid burn out throughout the day. After making a to-do list for the day, take some time to plan when you will achieve these tasks. Make to sure to leave room for other activities and breaks and you will find you can stay on top of things without losing focus – easy to do when you are on your own! Finally, give yourself a finish time and stick to it – try not to beat yourself up if you don’t complete everything on your list, it is best to look after your self so you are ready and refreshed for the next day.
Take advantage of the flexibility
We don’t all have the same energy levels at the same time of the day; some of us are more active first thing the morning, while others gain more energy as the day goes on and come alive in the afternoon and evening. While you are away from the usual rhythms of office life, you can match your energy to your schedule and maximise your output. You may have the opportunity to fit in exercise or learning with the time you would be spending on the train, for example, and then shift different work activities around to suit your mood.
Remember to communicate
When working from home away from your colleagues, you should always try to keep in touch, even if it is to talk about non-work related topics. Isolating your self is mentally tough and we all need support. Interacting with colleagues is what gives strength to companies and this is the biggest loss when everyone is working separately. We rely on each other to keep motivated, share ideas and stay positive. Email is not enough to get your message across, use this only for very short messages or for when you have to pass on information only. Thankfully there are many applications available now which make staying touch easy. Whether you want to have text-based chats or video calls with the whole team, as long as you have a strong internet connection (thanks Japan) you will find something which suits your company. There is no excuse to be out of touch!
Like with any new situation at work, working from home requires some thought and planning and some skill to make it work. Time management, self-discipline and self-motivation are all vital to keeping yourself productive and may take some time to develop. Don’t get down on yourself if it doesn’t happen overnight, these are somewhat crazy times and we will all take some time to adapt. Good luck!
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.
