Turning up the heat
Mon, July 06, 2015
London in summertime – there’s nothing better. The sun brings out the best in people: it makes us open to talking to strangers and ends the typical aloofness that we all suffer from. Just as the weather is hotting up, so is the HR market.
Since the election, businesses have been more prolific in hiring again: 2015 has seen a measureable rise in new hires across the HR Generalist and Resourcing areas at all levels ranging from administration to strategic leadership. Now that businesses are confident, this is reflected in the need for a better-than-ever HR function to truly respond to the organisations’ needs. It is no longer only about best practice.
Companies are still going through restructuring and new operating model formations. So, the question is: how do you compete in a buoyant candidate market? Simply put, you must find your unique selling point (USP). Being a good technical HR practitioner is no longer enough. And saying you are strong at building relationships should really be a given. So, what do you need to think about, and have you formulated a USP before? My top tips are:
- Have an honest conversation with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what you do and don’t do is crucial. Pretending you can do everything does not make you a strong contender for any role.
- Identify the weaknesses and decide if you need to address them in line with what your career ambitions are. Are you strong in financial management or reporting, or how about big data or D&I?
- Understand what you can offer that others may not, but be careful not to think you are the only person who can do it.
- Be able to articulate the business problems you can manage or solve, and know what extra value you can bring to the role
- Be honest with yourself before applying. You might like the look of a job but that doesn’t make you right for it.
