The Talent Division
Recruitment insights, career advice, and industry news from our team.
Not getting the job can really sting. You've prepared. You've had the interview. You've imagined yourself doing the job. And then you get the email or phone call saying: "Unfortunately, on this occasion..." It's disappointing. Of course it is. But after nearly 30 years in recruitment, there's one thing I'd really like candidates to remember: Not getting the job doesn't mean you weren't good enough.
As your interview comes to an end, you'll almost always hear the same question. "Do you have any questions for us?" Please don't say... "No, I think you've covered everything." An interview should be a two-way conversation. The questions you ask demonstrate curiosity, preparation and genuine interest. More importantly, they help you decide whether the role is actually right for you.
One of the most common questions clients ask me is: "Should we make a counter offer?" The honest answer? Sometimes, but not always. The important question isn't whether you can persuade someone to stay. It's whether you've addressed the reason they wanted to leave in the first place.
Most employers worry about attracting great people. Far fewer spend enough time thinking about how to keep them. The truth is, replacing a valued employee is expensive. Recruitment costs, lost productivity, onboarding and the impact on the wider team all add up far quicker than many businesses realise. The good news? People don't always leave for more money. More often than not, they leave because something else has been missing for a while.
It sounds like the easiest question in an interview. Yet for many candidates, it's the one that causes the most panic. "Tell me about yourself." Where do you start? How much detail do you give? Should you talk about your personal life? Should you simply read through your CV? The short answer? No.
How long does it take your business to hire? Two weeks? Six weeks? Three months? For many businesses, recruitment is something that gets squeezed between meetings, projects and the day job. Before you know it, weeks have passed, interviews are still being arranged, and your ideal candidate has accepted another opportunity. The reality is that the longer a vacancy remains open, the more it costs your business. And I'm not just talking about recruitment fees.
It's easy to become fixated on finding the "perfect CV." The perfectly formatted document. The flawless career history. The candidate who appears to tick every single box. But after nearly 30 years in recruitment, I've learnt that great hiring isn't about finding perfect CVs. It's about finding the right people.
One conversation I've had countless times over the years starts with the same sentence. "I'd love that job... but I don't think I'm qualified enough." Sometimes the candidate doesn't have one of the qualifications listed. Sometimes they've never worked in that particular industry. Sometimes they're simply lacking confidence. My answer is often the same. Apply anyway.
Your CV doesn't need to tell your entire life story. Its job is much simpler than that. It needs to make someone want to have a conversation with you. After nearly 30 years in recruitment, here are five mistakes I still see time and time again.
