Regulatory Affairs

I’m happy and not looking for a new job right now. Why should I connect with a recruiter?Another InMail in your inbox… beginning to feel a little fed up? You’re not actively searching for a new opportunity so why should you spend your time answering recruiters and connecting on a call with them?Read on to find out why it might be more beneficial to connect than you think…*N.B. Before we get started, it’s important to clarify that I don’t recommend being in touch with every recruiter that contacts you, especially if their message isn’t personal to you or job offers irrelevant, and certainly not if their outreach includes ‘send me a CV’. I’m talking about connecting with the good ones who try to make a deeper connection, focus on you as an individual, and work in your specialist area.   Thinking ahead. Sure, you’re not looking for the next opportunity right now. You have a project that you worked so hard on, and you just cannot imagine leaving before it’s finalised. But what about 6 months, or a year down the line? Situations can and do change and wouldn’t it be great if you had already connected with someone who had asked you those all-important questions and knew about your interests, wants and, not only that, your personal requirements, the locations that fit best and the flexibility you need to fit around your family life. It’s never a bad idea for someone to know these things and have you in mind for when a great opportunity comes up. What’s even better? When the time comes to consider a new opportunity, which it likely will someday, you might not even have to search at all if someone with all this knowledge is doing so already. Give yourself visibility.Some individuals believe that there is little point in connecting with a recruiter; in their mind they think, “if I want to find a job, I can simply look online for job advertisements!” - but did you know that a huge number of job opportunities are not even advertised? Many companies rely on recruiters to support them as it saves a lot of time having to filter through huge pools of candidates who may not be the right fit for the position. This means that your dream job could be waiting for you to be discovered but you would never even know. Clarity.Even if you are not actively looking, speaking to a recruiter about your career, sharing more on the aspects of your career that you love and the elements that perhaps aren’t so satisfactory can really help to you to clarify things and realise what you want. A good recruiter doesn’t have the sole aim to just place you at a company and move on, a good recruiter wants to build long-term relationships and will take time to understand your goals and help you get closer to achieving them – they are passionate about driving your career forward. Take time to connect with a trusted recruiter and you will reap the benefits. It’s a common feedback after an initial conversation that voicing things really helped a candidate to visualise what could be next for them in their career pathway.  Support.If you do decide to explore an opportunity through a recruiter, you’ll have a support system throughout the entire process. Someone on your side with “insider knowledge” about the company, who can prep you before any interaction, tell you all about the personalities of the hiring managers and share information with you about the interview structure and questions that will likely be asked - use it to your advantage! This takes away so much pressure and the “fear of the unknown” that you usually have before that first meeting with an interviewer, allowing you to focus on having those interesting conversations and making new contacts in the industry! Hiring for your own team.Perhaps you really are not considering a new opportunity but are in a leading role at your current company. By connecting with a recruiter, you can see the approach they take to working with candidates and decide if this is someone you want to have onboard to represent the growth of your department. Did they motivate you, show real interest, have industry contacts, and add value to your career even from a first call? Work with this recruiter to meet your company and professional goals! Especially if you are often recruiting in a limited candidate pool, building these contacts and a list of excellent recruitment partners will help speed up the process when you come to hire, since you’ll already know who to trust to get the job done and give candidates an excellent hiring experience. There really is nothing to lose.The bottom line is, there is nothing to lose from connecting with a specialist recruiter in your industry. Avoid buying into the thought process that you should only talk to recruiters if you are actively looking - this is simply not the case (it’s almost better to connect when you’re not in a rush to find a new job). There is no need to feel pressured, as a recruiter will simply be there to ensure that you are informed and have visibility of great opportunities within your industry.  

Dealing with conflict or tough conversations at work. It’s comparable to the ‘we need to talk’ dread all of us have undoubtedly faced at some point in our personal lives.Whether it’s addressing distracting behaviours in the office, challenging your colleague on the accuracy of a report or confronting a long-overdue company problem – these conversations need to happen, and they need to happen for a few reasons:-         The problem can’t be fixed if there is no awareness of the problem in the first place.-         Get that weight off your shoulders, its liberating!-         It’s how we achieve professional and personal growth – your company will benefit from this too. The art of conversation is like any art. With continued practice you will acquire skill and ease.Finding the right words, and the right moment – it is no easy task in the fast-paced commercial world. Step 1) Conquer your fears and just do it.Here are some tips to make the conversation easier…Set a Positive Tone -         Mindset matters. Frame the conversation in a different way and put a positive spin on it. Be constructive, not negative. Can you offer an alternative solution to the one currently on the table? Make sure there is an action plan in place when a consensus (or even just an understanding) is reached to ensure you move forward.Keep Your Cool-         Don’t forget to breathe! Taking this brief moment to focus on your breathing will allow you to refocus and absorb any information. It’s important that whether you are the recipient or provider of a challenging discussion, that you make a conscious effort to slow down the pace of the conversation, listen, collect your thoughts, and respond rationally.Plan with Emotional Intelligence-         Think ahead. What do you anticipate the response will be to the discussion? Put yourself in the shoes of your counterpart to mentally consider their possible responses. You can have some flexible strategies to hand on how to move the conversation forward in a productive way. If you don’t feel confident on the recipients view beforehand, ask them.Be Concise and Direct-         Difficult conversations need to be clear and to the point, otherwise the message gets lost in a muddled delivery. To avoid receiving objections, be prepared with concrete examples. Focus on facts, not feelings. Try not to let your emotions get the better of you when you are trying to find a resolution.Make It a Conversation-         Feedback shouldn’t be a monologue - there should be two-way communication. Make sure there is an opportunity for an open discussion and questions to allow the meeting to end with unwavering clarity on both sides. Do you fully understand each other and what will happen next?  “Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.”- William Ellery Channing, American Theologian

“Self-care has become a new priority – the revelation that it’s perfectly permissible to listen to your body and do what it needs.” ― Frances Ryan Burnout - lets talk about it!It’s one of those subjects that often gets mentioned, but never really discussed. I think it’s time to change that.I am actually quite surprised that in today’s day and age it has not been classified as a medical condition yet, because let’s face it – it is.Burnout is very popular and happens more often than people would like to admit. It’s that state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion, caused by prolonged, work-related stress. In order to come up with ways of avoiding it, let’s break down the definition to see how each of the factors can be FIXED!Emotional exhaustionEmotional exhaustion is a state of feeling emotionally worn out and drained. This can be easily improved by ensuring we eat right, take technology breaks, meet with our friends, and of course exercise. Yes, many people could argue that exercise is a suggested remedy for almost everything nowadays, but in this case it is true. Exercise releases chemical endorphins to the brain which triggers a positive feeling in your body. So there, we have proof that going for a run or taking that HIIT class is worth it!Mental exhaustionMental exhaustion is similar, but the symptoms can be more severe, as the person experiencing this feeling starts to be detached, showing apathy towards their work colleagues and the work itself. The first thing to do if possible is to remove the stressor. If it is an overwhelming task at work, perhaps speak to your Supervisor – see if they could offer you some help. Don’t feel that you have to go through this alone.Again, try to eat well and stay active, but also practice relaxation techniques like yoga, massage, or mindfulness – all scientifically recognized to lower stress and anxiety.Physical exhaustionPhysical exhaustion is an extreme state of unrelenting fatigue and sometimes it can be brought on by the previously mentioned mental exhaustion. Being in this state can cause dizziness, chronic tiredness, and headaches, which if untreated can lead to moodiness, slow reflexes or even bad judgement/decision making.Get some sleep! Clocking in your 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night can restore well-being. Set aside some time each day to stretch and try eating foods that improve your energy level, like nuts, fish, and cheese. Magnesium is an essential mineral to promote a healthy nervous system, energy production, and for muscle relaxation.Also, if you ever notice that someone around you is starting to display any of the above signs, see if they are ok, offer them help. Trust me, it will make their day!