Job seeker tips & tricks to help you find a Software or IT job easier
Please click on a link below to start learning…
How does the IT recruitment process work?
How to Ace your IT Job Interview
Preparing for the IT Job hunting process & common recruitment myths dispelled
Are you changing careers into tech? Heard of skills-based CVs?
10 Best tips on how to write a cover letter to get you a job interview
IT recruitment interview tips & expectations for IT candidates
The IT Recruitment glossary - all the job terms you need to know
What do I need to set up as a professional IT contractor?
Hiring manager tips & tricks to help you find talent easier
Please click on a link below to start learning…
For some reason I’ve never put out a guide on writing a CV…maybe I thought it was obvious, that there were so many tips & tricks on the internet…I’ve even covered the ‘cover letter’…So I put out a post on LinkedIn and received some interesting feedback on people’s pet peeves - the things that annoy them the most that people put or don’t put on CVs.
Clearly it’s a topic which is very subjective but here’s a few things from people here you might find helpful:
‘Lack of purpose. I get that most people just want a skill resource, but people have also have motivation based on working with and for meaning. What kind of company do you want to work for - or create? What mission(s) do you feel a connection with? Actually, same can be said for many job ads.- Head of Blockchain
‘GitHub profile.. nothing beats the real thing.’ - Software Engineer
‘When people don’t live where the job is but don’t address that in the cover letter. It’s great when they state an intention to move or a desire to work remotely. Otherwise it feels that they have applied for so many jobs they don’t even know where it is.’ - Software Delivery Lead
I think a covering letter is a must, but not too long. Reading a CV of listed skills and Job history only gives a small insight into a candidate. - Lead Creative Designer
‘MS Word documents. Straight to the bin!’ - ‘CTO’
‘1) definitely agree that CVs that are too long are a pain - like to see a one-pager. Fine if backed up with more detail, but when reviewing CVs time is precious. 2) Typos - bad vibe when considering the CV is an important part of the hiring process. (Especially so, if typo is highlighted automatically by spellcheck and/or grammar [sic] check).’ - ‘Project Manager’
‘Spelling mistakes, and not updating the CV to reflect the role they have applied for. It's the SMALL things that make all the difference.’ - Contract Business Analyst
‘Job descriptions, I don't need to know what you were meant to do, I do want to know what you've done. Oh, and I've never read past page four.’ - Head of Engineering
‘Skill ratings... especially when there's no info to back up that you're a 4 out of 5. CVS over 2-3 pages. The largest CVS I've ever seen are from IT candidates. Plain word documents with no formatting. When candidates put their age. I don't care how old you are. If you're the right person for the job, age doesn't matter.’ - Customer Service Manager
‘So you’re 8/10 in python? We’ll let the tech test be the judge of that’ - Senior Developer / Entrepreneur
‘Times New Roman - just don’t. Lol’ - General Manager
Some real feedback there and now I’ve summarised some of my classic ‘rules of thumb’ to go by to ensure you have a tight document that will enable you to land an interview & that dream tech job…
Send your CV in a PDF there are good free converters out there as this is easier to read on mobile devices, share on systems & write on with digital pens (for interviewers)
2-3 pages ideally if you do stretch into 4 or 5 & have a lot of experience that’s fine but it must be a succinct document & well formatted…any larger likely people won’t read it at all
NO spelling or grammar mistakes - spell check it & have someone else look over it - friend or family
Remember the key objective of the CV is trying to gain an interview for the particular role you’re applying for so tweak it with this in mind using similar language to the job advert & titles
Create a great mission statement at the top which can be flexed for each different job you apply to
Clear contact details - best to put them in a footer at the bottom of each page this way if it’s printed off in an office (yes people still do this) and a page goes missing your contact details are on each page & are still easy to find
Create a document that’s really epic - that you’re proud of that can be edited and updated for each new job or contract that you complete
Interests - I’m often surprised how many people don’t add these - ‘people buy people’ and if you both like chess, travel or reading etc there’s a nice commonality for some small talk to start building this new relationship with your potential new boss
People often don’t like ‘selling themselves’ but use it as a chance to highlight some new technologies you’ve used or about some epic side projects to land your next great job
GitHub put your personal coding projects up on this code repository to highlight some of your dev skills
Networking groups - go along to Canterbury Tech or one of the many meet up groups (like the JavaScript or Product Meet Up) and make some connections in the industry see what they’re up to - companies are often sponsoring these events so you’ll start to learn about your industry (and you can list them on your CV for kudos) or even meet a key connection that might land you a job
Work on side projects in the area that you want to get into ie if you want to become a front end developer then write some JavaScript apps, learn about Vue, Angular & React - the internet has so much opensource free stuff - so go for it, get started today
My final killer tip is ‘the follow up call’ - once you’ve sent your CV & Cover letter and applied for the job - make a follow up call to the company 2 days later. This will A) Ensure they’ve received your application B) Show you’re truly keen & C) Make you stand out from the hundreds of other applications, it may even get you moved to the short-list for interview because you’ve shown good initiative
Now get out there and go for it - happy job hunting
You might be a Computer Science graduate or have just never used an IT recruitment agency before as a candidate so how does it all work? You might be a company looking for IT staff & have exhausted your networks & need to reach out to an agency to find specialist IT skills.
How does it work?
IT Recruitment Process
Once you decide to look for a new role, either as a permanent staff member or as a contractor, it's time to start the hunt! We advertise all our roles on our website, and most of them are also on either Trade Me or Seek.
• You apply to an advert or direct to the IT recruitment agency you are interviewed by an IT recruiter so they can get to know you, your skills & experience.
• The IT Recruiter gives you advice which might be about your CV, what the IT job market is looking for at the moment and information about any roles that might be a good match and they'll discuss your salary expectations.
• They'll also find out information about your technical skills and qualifications, what your notice period is and any requirements you have about your location or specific needs.
• If you're suitable for an IT role you are submitted to the client by the IT recruiter sending your CV.
• If the Client would like to see you, the IT Recruiter arranges an interview time and date, and sends you through a detailed interview confirmation confirming who you're meeting with, when and where, and some background on the roles, projects & company.
• If there are subsequent interviews, they liaise between you and the company. Some companies interview 2 or 3 times before appointing the right person for a permanent role, normally just 1 interview for contract.
• After your interview CALL the IT recruiter when you finish up to give your immediate impressions, the IT Recruiter will talk with the Client and provides you with feedback.
• If the Client would like to offer you a role we'll help you through the offer process and organise your references and any other requirements the client might have.
• We'll then help to arrange a start date, ensure your contract has been sent through by the Client and help to explain anything you're unsure of in the paperwork.
• Then it's up to you to hand in your notice. Your IT recruiter can also advise on any questions you have before you start your new role and in your first few weeks.
Advantages of using an IT recruiter from the candidate side:
• Meeting an IT recruiter is an excellent way to understand your local IT job market & make sure you are doing the right things to enhance your career & understand the next realistic steps to achieve your career goals
• You'll receive Insight into what the client is looking for
• Get Interview tips & coaching
• Sound career advice
• Gain market knowledge of other clients that are looking for your skill set
• IT Recruiters can proactively & speculatively put your details to clients who look for your skill set to open doors for you
• They can refer you to other connected people
• Give advice on networking / user groups within your industry domain
Advantages of using an IT recruiter from the client side:
• Meeting an IT recruiter is an excellent way to understand your local IT job market, ensure you're paying market rates & staying up-to-date with market trends & job hunters' expectations
• IT recruiters can handle applications & manage the hiring process professionally for you
• Can manage technical testing or run psychometric testing process for you
• Give professional feedback to candidates - good & bad
• Provide interim / IT contract solutions if the permanent IT role is a specialist skill set that could take a long time to hire
• Give advice to organisational structure / team / approach / scarcity of skills & level of experience etc
• You will only pay a fee when you get an outcome / result (called the contingency recruitment model)
I hope this is a good snapshot & insight into how it all works
One thing I’ve learnt after a long time in this business is that the interviewer and the interviewee have something in common – both want you to succeed in getting the job. These are some tips to enable you to show your best side.
Do your homework
Not only research the company’s products (their website/social media) and who’s going to interview you (LinkedIn) but also do a drive-by to know where you’re physically going.
There’s nothing worse than trying to duck out of your current job undetected, to then spin into a panic, adding extra stress of not knowing where exactly the company location is and where you’re going to park.
Find out if you share any common contacts
Let’s face it - if you have a mutual friend or business contact the company is more likely to HIRE YOU as there’s significant LESS RISK taking on a 'known quantity’! This could be anyone - a neighbour, old work colleague, family friend and name-dropping never hurts if you know them to be well respected in the organisation.
Research the role
Find out as much as possible about the role and how it fits into the company, current trends in the market / recent news / media attention with the company or the specific technology / domain - you want to come across as CURRENT and ON-THE-BALL - someone who’s a ‘Knowledge worker'!
Never be late
You’ve got ONE SHOT to get it right! Or too EARLY for that matter….turn up into reception 10 minutes before your meeting (if you’re earlier then sit in your car or go for a walk around the block to calm the nerves) and be positive and friendly to reception…when interviewing consultants I often asked reception / our secretary what their first impressions of the candidate was? Check out any awards or accolades in reception that might act as a nice icebreaker conversation…it shows awareness and interest. My first recruitment boss would make candidates wait in the interview room for 5 minutes and see if they noticed the one (and only) framed press release about our company.
Double check the time and date
You won’t be the first or the last to turn up 10 minutes before the appointed time on the wrong day or week!
Communication
Have a simple email address i.e. your name so you can be found easily in the Recruiter, HR or Line Manager’s inbox. Ask for their business card and drop a polite thank you email after the interview thanking them for their time & why you're keen on the job – it will put you above the rest instantly.
Presentation
Find out if they're 'suity' or smart casual….there’s nothing worse than being under-dressed….so play it smart and be on the safe side…NO ONE DIDN’T GET THE JOB FOR BEING TOO WELL DRESSED…but pull up in your stubbies & jandals and you better be able to pull code out of where the sun don’t shine…now go buy a new shirt or shoes! You’ll feel great and pumped for the interview!
Smile
People HIRE people they like and we tend to get on better with friendly, positive people…it costs you nothing and let’s face it - it’s a far better way to approach life…In saying that ‘MIRRORING’ is an important technique when interviewing. You should match your Interviewer’s body language and pace of speech / type of language to align to them….Remember you’ll be working with them so they need to like you.
Pressure / Nerves
Everyone gets nervous, it’s just how you handle it. When I'm presenting I like to do as much research / preparation as I can and then I feel ‘I’ve done as much as I can and thus I’m well prepared’. Often you find interviewers are just regular, friendly people who will put you at ease as THEY WANT YOU TO GET THE JOB so they can finish their search….so give them every reason to say YES!
Prepare 8-12 questions to ask at the end
You can ask 2-3 killer questions that are different in content to the info you’ve already discussed so you can FINISH STRONGLY. In psychology we have the primacy & recency effect - like your Mother taught you - first impressions and last impressions are important, so remember a firm handshake to start & great questions to finish which will show you’re interested in the position, company & working for them.
My favourite question….’What do you enjoy about working here’? or ‘What attracted you to the company’? Often that will get the interviewer talking about themselves…you might find out about some commonalities - similar companies you’ve previously worked at, cities or technologies, and as humans this is very gratifying and will leave a lasting impression of you as a great candidate and someone they might want on their team.
Closing
If you’re feeling confident you might want to ask ‘What concerns do you have in my ability to perform the role? This gives you an opportunity to cover off any objections they have. If you can cover off these objections you may then want to ask what are the next steps? Or it could even be 'When do I start? If you’re feeling especially confident. Although in some cultures / roles this is expected & generally more appropriate for IT sales jobs or contract roles. In my first IT recruitment role I failed to ‘ask for the job’ and it meant I had to do a further interview and presentation to secure the role. But that's experience for you!
And remember always explore ALL options. Some of the least interesting roles on paper have turned out to be the most rewarding jobs I've accepted!
May the force be with you :-)
The Photo
Yes even I toyed with the idea when I was first job hunting after Uni but I thought better of it. Unless you’re a super model ditch the photo, a job is about skills & experience you can offer; and you don’t want to pull in any unwanted bias. It’s a nice surprise when the person turns up and they’re well presented with a friendly smile, so let your experience do the talking firstly and your personality shine when you meet face-to-face or online.
The Cover Letter
Yes we expect a cover letter but not what you’d expect. A cover letter is an opportunity to let us IT recruiters or hiring managers know one thing:
Why you are the best person for this job
....what specific skills & experience you can bring to the role, you can also add in your current employment situation / availability, visa status etc.
Keep it short, sweet & concise. It can even come in the shape of a brief email direct to my inbox - a couple of short paragraphs and a hot tip for you is to use the recruiters or line managers name - it’s easy to spot spammed approaches.
Think of it as your elevator pitch. Your 30 second summary of what you do :-)
Remember the hiring manager & the applicant have one major thing in common...
They both want you to get the job
Yes I do want to know that your brother or sister lives in Christchurch & you visited here on holiday or honeymoon!
The Technical Test
You don’t have to know everything
This is not a chance for the employer to ‘catch you out’, this is a chance for you to show how you can keep your cool under pressure, work on some hard problems that you don’t know by asking questions, working through logically to create a solution or come to a conclusion. Dev or IT managers want you to admit you don’t know something, to be genuine & honest but want to know how you could go about finding the answer to a problem in a positive & proactive way.
No one knows everything and that’s ok
Working in a time pressured IT or development environment is about solving lots of little problems all the time and how you can get from A ——> B quickest.
So don’t go down the rabbit hole ask questions!
The one Page CV
Again a total myth - all I want is a nice document, spaced with bullet points that is easily digestible, easy on the eye and if you can get into one page well done you!
Ideal is a 2-3 page concise document that the audience will actually read.
It can be 3-5 pages if it’s relevant content. ideally you should be able to get into 2-3 pages but don’t sweat it, I just don’t want to read 12 pages+. Oh but I’m an IT contractor you ask? Yes so you can have a short & a long version. Some contractors in the IT industry only present their past 4 years experience as relevant with technologies moving on so quickly, I’m happy to see that past experience included only if it’s relevant to the role.
Tweak your CV to each opportunity to ensure it’s RELEVANT and remember...
The whole point of your CV & cover letter is to get an interview
Use a professional business font like arial 11, NO comic sans unless you’re applying as an entertainer for a kids party. Short, sharp, relevant and yes I want to see your interests but one or two lines will do :-)
Another good tip is to have your CV in both PDF & Word form. PDF ideally to be consumed by all devices as I’ve noticed some fonts being skewed when read on iPad / tablets or phones. ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) that larger companies often use sometimes need a word document to be consumed by the system so have both ready to go :-)
Remember to put your work history in reverse chronological order - most recent experience first which is standard practice globally!
If you’d like any help or constructive critique on your CV or have me send you a CV or Cover Letter template feel free to send me an email paul@sunstonetalent.com
When you’re changing jobs into a new industry you want to leverage off existing skills & experience.
Ask yourself what are the transferable skills I can bring to this new role?
A skills-based CV, also known as a functional CV, focuses on highlighting your skills and qualifications rather than your work history. To write a skills-based CV:
Make a list of your skills, including both hard skills (such as technical abilities) and soft skills (such as communication and leadership)
Organise your skills into relevant categories, such as "Technical Skills" or "Leadership Skills"
Create a summary or objective statement that highlights your most relevant skills and qualifications
In the body of the CV, include a section for each skill category. For each section, list your skills and provide specific examples of how you have used them in the past
In the education and experience sections, include information that is relevant to the skills you are highlighting
Use action verbs to describe your skills and accomplishments
Proofread your CV for errors and ensure that it is easy to read and understand
It's also important to tailor your CV to the specific job you are applying for, highlighting the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the position. This makes it easier for people like me to introduce you to the right people in the best light.
But what kind of things would you highlight for software development jobs?
When writing a CV for a software development job, you should highlight your technical skills, programming languages, and software development methodologies. These are a few specific things you may want to include:
Programming languages: List the programming languages you are proficient in and highlight any specific projects you have worked on using those languages
Software development methodologies: Mention any experience you have with Agile, Scrum, or other development methodologies
Technical skills: Highlight any specific technical skills you have, such as experience with databases, version control systems (e.g. Git), or cloud-based services (e.g. AWS, Azure)
Experience with specific tools: If you have experience with specific tools or frameworks, such as React or Docker, be sure to mention them
Project experience: Provide examples of software development projects you have worked on, including a brief description of the project and your role in it
Relevant education: If you have a degree in computer science or a related field, or a recent online course be sure to include it
Other relevant experiences: If you have any other experiences that demonstrate your ability to work in a software development team, such as open-source contributions or hackathon participation, mention them
You should also include any relevant certificates, awards and training you've had for software development.
Remember, tailoring your CV to the specific job you are applying for, highlighting the skills and qualifications that are most relevant to the position will make it stand out.
Also think about going to talk to someone in technology and ask them all about it. Join the local networking group ie Canterbury Tech who have a mentoring programme.
I hope this helps and get amongst it - technology is a fantastic industry than can never stop evolving so you’ll always have a job!
1 Write one
Companies or recruiters who don’t see a cover letter with your CV will often instantly reject you…Why? Because they think you’re not interested. It’s polite, expected and has been standard practice in applying to jobs FOREVER. It also helps show your communication skills and adds some personality into the process. Remember to write one specifically for the role you’re applying for - not just a generic one you send to each role. Your job here is to convince the hiring manager that you’re the best person they can hire and it’s worth their time to meet you.
2 Focus on the outcome
Remember your CV & Cover Letter are there for one purpose only - to secure an interview and get you into the meeting process.
3 Sell yourself
Let the hiring person know why you’re the best person for the job and what skills / experience you can bring to the role & company. Think of it as your 30 second elevator pitch - a summary of what you do. Remember the hiring manager & the applicant have one major thing in common...THEY BOTH WANT YOU TO GET THE JOB :-)
4 Your current situation
It explains what your personal circumstances are & why you’re, for example, looking to move down from Auckland because of the terrible traffic or high house prices in Wellington, family are down in Christchurch or looking to move for the great work / life balance in the South Island.
5 Tailor your cover letter
Personalise it to the person you’re applying to on every different application & keep it short & succinct. For example ‘Dear Paul’. This sets a good first impression and will grab their attention and thus they’re more likely to want to interview you. It also means you’ve thought about this role and why you’re the right person for it, rather than sending the same thing to everyone.
6 Include the job listing reference (number / code / job title)
This is to ensure you are coded up correctly in the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) so it’s helpful & important to include so you’re in their system correctly and can be found & bought forward for interview seamlessly. Also you can add your contact details to the ‘footer’ within the word document so it’s super easy for them to contact you, just in case a page from your CV gets mixed up or goes missing.
7 Research
Is it a recruitment agency handling the role? Or directly with the company? A lot of candidates fail on this first hurdle. Hi Paul I’d love to work for Sunstone Talent….99.99% of the time we’re recruiting on behalf of another company as that’s what we do…not a great first impression. Instead focus on the information you have to hand in the job advert & take a couple more steps to research ensuring what you’re saying is correct & genuine.
8 Keep it short & succinct
This is not a place to copy & paste your CV into. You want the recipient to actually read it ALL. So one or two compelling paragraphs that have impact will do the trick.
9 Follow up
Make a phone call two days later to ensure they’ve received your CV & Cover Letter and politely ask what the next steps are in the process. You might close an interview right there & then. At the very least they’ll look at your CV again and might short-list you on the fact that you were professional on the phone & had the enthusiasm to call up being proactive. This is my killer tip as there is so much digital noise, especially currently in the covid climate with stacks of emails so make it a phone call…right now…go on pick up your phone & ring them.
10 Sign-off your name
Finish strongly with a professional ending. I look forward to hearing next steps etc with a Kind regards Paul or Yours sincerely Paul. This shows professionalism and willingness for the job & can sway them in favour to choose you for an interview.
I hope these tips are useful. Please feel free to pass on any tips, experiences you’ve had by dropping me a line or if you have any questions get in touch on paul@sunstonetalent.com
May the odds be ever in your favour….
IT Recruitment consultants are there to help find you a job & give you advice on the IT market & some hints & tips a long the way.
They’re often extremely well connected and can make a process seem very smooth while they work hard in the background and use years of IT market knowledge to save you time & get you a great outcome.
It is key to remember that first impressions & reputation are as important as the actual job interview. Conveying a good impression that you’ll be someone who is professional & easy to work with is key to have a recruiter work on your behalf & find you that well-matched job & dream career move.
The Christchurch & NZ IT job market has become competitive with a lot of candidates from the US, Britain, South Africa, Asia and many other countries seeking the work / life balance & fair professional environment NZ has to offer - so you want to gain the recruiters trust for them to spend time & effort on your behalf.
So how do you go about this?
Pre-interview
Documentation: Have a good CV & cover letter or write a short punchy, polite email explaining your situation and reasons for looking. Have a copy or email through your work visa / proof of ID etc. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and any public facing websites or social channels.
Be on time: Whether it’s a face-to-face meeting or video interview ensure you’re ready in advance, familiarise yourself with the platform whether it’s Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts or Skype etc. If the unexpected occurs send a message or call the recruiter before you’re late.
At the Interview:
Dress Standard: First impressions are important. Wear appropriate dress, if you’re not sure err on the side of smarter - for IT in New Zealand a smart shirt, jeans & good shoes…or your best t-shirt, ironed of course hahaha ;-)
Be Professional, Positive & Confident: Make good eye contact, avoid swearing, or negative comments on past roles, companies or colleagues. Like my mother said if it’s not a nice thing to say then don’t bother saying it :-)
CV: Be familiar with your CV as yep you guessed it we’ll be asking questions based on the document you sent us. Be aware that a recruiter may not know about particular IT projects, companies or the significance of roles so give some context but keep it succinct. For software development the conversation will focus around the projects you’ve worked on - both commercial & personal so think about: Length of project, technologies used, good things / bad things, collaboration, problems solved & solutions found.
Keep Focused: Make sure you sell yourself & not the companies you worked for: using ‘I’ rather than ‘We’. It’s your personal skills & what you did on that cutting edge AI project that we’re interested in :-)
Be Flexible: The NZ IT job market is competitive with local, national and global candidates competing for roles. If you are flexible about the role, industry sector and remuneration you are more likely to be considered for a broader range of roles and find a job more quickly, otherwise be patient. Note: don’t undersell yourself (ie low salary) as this can cause confusion & come across as desperate so do your research & work out a rough market rate then talk through this with your recruiter.
Post Interview:
Follow up: After your interview follow up with your consultant and thank them for their time.
Keep in touch: When you’ve had an interview check in with feedback / call them to debrief and always make them aware if you have another offer on the table - this can lead to some action from other opportunities and you may find you have 2 or 3 offers on the table, being able to select the best one for you. You need to be proactive and keep an eye on new roles coming live to ensure you’re in the mix.
‘The Job Call’; Recruiters are extremely busy people and will not call you unless they think you can do the job…so pick up the phone, get interviewing and the next thing you know you’ll have some hard decisions to make on which offer you’ll accept.
Often when you’re starting out IT job hunting or when unique situations occur there’s a myriad of terms that are new so I thought I’d put this helpful list of terms together as a reference guide.
Please feel free to comment others that you have come across and would like further explanation - feel free to message me :-)
The Basics
CV: Curriculum Vitae or Resume. Your work skills, experience, interests that are best put into a 2-4 pages word or Google docs. Think of this as an awesome document to be proud of to really highlight what you can do and why you’re a great candidate.
Cover Letter: A short succinct letter (or email) that explains your current situation & why you should get hired for the job you’re applying to. Think of it like a 30 second elevator pitch.
30 second elevator pitch: When people ask what you do ie like you’re in a lift or elevator you can explain succinctly what you do. Hi I’m Bob I’m a software developer specialising in web technologies, working for Google in California, I’ve just returned home to Christchurch and I’m looking for a new job. It’s good to practice it too before you’re going to a networking event or conference.
Candidate: A person applying for or being nominated for a role. A Job applicant. Think of this as an opportunity to find your nirvana work place with great people, technology and market pay rate.
Interview: A meeting between the candidates and hiring employer / company. This is a two-way process for you to find out about the role, projects, people & culture and for them to learn about your skills & experience. Make each opportunity a way to meet new people even if you’re not successful this time around. A good way to think of this is that you both want the same thing - for you to get the job.
Internship / Work experience: A few days, weeks or months work in a company to get some experience of a type of job or industry. Often students will do a 3 month paid internship which gives you experience for when you graduate and the company might even hire you full-time.
Career fair: A job fair where lots of companies & organisations have stands to promote what they did. A great place for you to get in front of companies face-to-face. An example is the ICT Job Fair at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch held every year.
Vacancy: A job opening at a company or organisation that they’re looking to hire into. Your opportunity to fill this gap.
Permanent Job: Just that a permanent job you might be there for a good number of years so find a good one. Think of it as a career so what are your short, medium & long term goals and see if this opportunity lines up with these.
Temp / Freelance / Contractor / Interim: A short-term contract assignment normally paid on an hourly or daily rate which are often extended and are a more flexible arrangement. A great way to work on a specific project, fill a gap in your work career and also find out about an organisation before you commit long-term.
Fixed Term Contract: A specified term of work usually paid at pro rata of your salary. It’s a little bit of a halfway house as you don’t get the benefit of a premium contract rate nor the long-term permanent benefits but if you’re not currently working then why not.
Placement: When you’re placed in a new permanent job or contract assignment - happy days.
Timesheet: Hours worked by a contractor electronically signed off by the client for invoicing so you can get paid.
Basic Salary: The money you get paid before tax is deducted and not including benefits. Cold hard cash baby.
Benefits: Other things that come with the salary these might include medical insurance, a car park, bonus, flexible working, training etc and some industry specific discounts.
Remuneration: Often mistakenly misspelt & mispronounced this is total package including salary & benefits. Best to ask what the basic salary is and the benefits on top.
Notice period: The amount of time you (or your employer) have to give when you finish your job. ‘Handing in your notice’. Usually 4 weeks or a month for permanent jobs but can be less (for contract usually 1-2 weeks) and longer for C level executives.
HR: Human Resources are the friendly people in the company who will often manage the hiring process and will send you your job offer / contract etc. A good contact to ask if you’re unsure of anything as they usually will have the answer or will find out who does.
OE: overseas experience - go travelling after your degree or once you’ve worked for a year or two - highly recommended because employers like hiring people with life experience.
Degree / Qualification: A tertiary qualification is something 90% of people in the IT industry have. It’s not only a great way to learn about an interesting subject but about learning how to research & critically think. It’s a really good test of self motivation too - no one else is going to manage your time and finish assignments for you. You’ll also meet inspiring people & life long friends.
The Interview process
Research: something you need to do before an interview to be successful. Look into the companies share price, current news on their blog, history, values, culture, tech stack & recent projects.
Job description: Just that a description of what the job entails. Work out the key requirements then write down how your skills & experience match these.
Job board: An online place to search for jobs ie Seek, TradeMe, LinkedIn, SJS etc. Set up a profile so relevant jobs are sent to you on a daily basis. Make applications (CV & Cover Letter) and follow up with a phone call for best results.
Phone screen: An initial phone screen before a job interview often conducted by HR to check your details & availability that you’re a potential match and are lining up for next stage interview. Make sure you get across why you’re a good match for the job and ask what the next steps in the process are.
Panel interview: A group interview situation in which you might have 3-5 people interviewing you at one time. Tends to be universities or government organisations that use this method.
Psychometric testing: Personality & ability tests. No right or wrong answers here. A chance to look deeper into your personality & preferences. Often scarily accurate but in a good way. From a recruitment stand point we take these ‘with a pinch of salt’ as just one part of the whole hiring process.
Job Offer: A job offer is a verbal offer that is legally binding in NZ law that is followed up by a written contract.
Reference: A work reference or personal reference to confirm you are who you say you are and that you worked at a particular company and a chance to shine. Make sure you pick people you can trust to give you a positive reference as this is the expectation.
Preferred Candidate: A candidate who is the front runner in the hiring process and is likely to be offered the role.
Counter-offer: When a candidate hands in their notice and your current company tries to tempt you to stay usually by offering you more money, a promotion or another position. Be careful as desperation to hold onto candidates, especially in technology can lead to false promises and the data says 80% of candidates decide to leave anyway after 6-12 months of accepting a counter-offer as they were unhappy for other reasons.
Offer Rescinded: When a company withdraws an offer. Very uncool but can be due to different reasons.
Ghosting: When you follow up on a job application and get no feedback, not even a no.
Once you have a job
Workshop: These are small group gatherings that can be on up-skilling, internal projects or initiatives or all manner of things that are good to be presented, worked on & discussed.
Seminar / conference: An external gathering of professionals in your area & a chance to learn about latest updates or trends in your industry - a very valuable way to continue learning & meet industry contacts & connections that can help you progress. A key part of your professional development. Some are better than others so ask someone you trust for advice. A key gathering in Christchurch is the Annual Canterbury Tech Summit.
Mentor: A person senior to you in the business (or external) who can show you the ropes on how to improve your skills & experience & progress your career to become a guru.
Career coaching: Something that you can gain internally or externally from a an experienced coach or consultant to help you sharpen up your game. Usually goal orientated so you can plan some milestones to aim for.
Human relations: A lot of work really comes down to people and how you get on with them whether you’re a manager or not. Influencing is important in career progression so read lots of books. The number one most popular book on Human Relations with a terribly cheesy title that has lasted the test of time is ‘How to win friends & influence people’ written in 1936 by Dale Carnegie. It’s a must read for everyone in business.
Reading: READ READ READ books on business, coding, self development, human relations and you will LEARN LEARN LEARN.
Secondment: I was very lucky to be seconded from Christchurch to Bristol on a project in my first job after university. Be open to these opportunities to work in another global office it gives you richness of experience and is a lot of fun experiencing travel, new markets, cultures & customs.
Sabbatical: Go travelling or take some time out to work on that life long project. Life goes quick and why have regrets - just do it. Learning about yourself and what you like is as important as career progression as they go hand-in-hand.
Voluntary work: give back to the community locally often arranged by you, your company, family or friends. Travel to a destination combining a sabbatical with some voluntary work overseas for an NGO. Again give back and these experiences can shape you as a person exponentially.
The not so serious
Networking event: No this is not learning about infrastructure or servers. This is an event where often a sponsored speaker talks on a tech or business subject and you get to meet industry folk and often get free food & drinks - although these days there are a lot online.
Unicorn: A multi-skilled techie with technical & people skills.
Cowboy: A recruiter who is reckless with your personal details or keeps on ringing you about jobs that don’t match what you do.
Job hopper: Someone who doesn’t stay in permanent jobs very long and ‘job hops’ from company to company. Potential employers like to see some solid, stable work history. if you have left jobs after short period have a clear, honest explanation.
Personal projects: Fun new coding projects, often used to explore new coding languages or tech and can be shared on your Git hub or in the open source community.
Side gig: You might have some personal projects or other interests that earn you money. These can be work related or a different interest like brewing beer or ski guiding in the Himalayas.
Subordinate: A term that should never be used to describe a person you manage worse than minion but not by much.
IT Specific
NDA: Non disclosure agreement. This is a confidentiality document to protect the clients IP - Intellectual Property. Common in tech. You might even have to sign one at the job interview so you can have an open discussion, or usually when you start your new job.
Technical exercise / coding test: A written test or technical session for you to solve problems to test your technical abilities - they can be a lot of fun.
Dev: - Developer, coder or programmer. Someone who writes software to create systems that the world is now run on.
Tech Off: Two techies getting into a technical debate trying to prove one is more knowledgeable than the other. Only cool if it’s done in a nice respectable manner .
HR stuff
Credit check: A background check on your credit history often for roles that involve work in finance. Try & keep your personal finances tidy.
Security check: A background check to see if you have any criminal record.
WFH: Work from home. Something we’ve widely experienced recently with Covid but not uncommon before Covid in the IT industry. Some real advantages here when you need quiet space to focus on deep problems. Not so good for team banter as Zoom parties just aren’t quite the same as drinks with colleagues in person.
Furlough: Temporary leave of absence. People who are ‘Furloughed’ get to return to work.
Redundancy or Lay-off: When someone gets ‘laid-off’ it means they’ve been made redundant and don’t get to come back to work unfortunately. Someone can lose their job because of different factors - change of company circumstance, industry or company direction or major market changes like a global pandemic.
Professional development: A mix of personal & formal training & career planing to progress to a certain position or area of expertise. The best way is to read lots of books & attend meet-ups and seminars and really get involved in your industry if you want to become an industry expert.
Cost of living adjustment: When a candidate moves a different region sometimes companies will adjust their salary to allow for higher living expenses for example.
Bereavement leave: Time off available for a staff member when a close loved one passes away.
Job shadowing: A person ‘shadows’ someone else who is already experienced / skilled at a role to learn how it’s done. Great way to ‘learn on the job’.
Exit interview: An interview conducted when a person leaves an organisation. Really good way for the company & you to give feed back. Keep it professional as you never want to burn bridges.
EAP: employee assistance programme. In times where you have personal challenges companies often have a 3rd party help programme to help you which is often free - check it out.
Time in lieu: When you work over time you get some hours to take off ‘in lieu’ of the hours worked. Get some time back after those late nights spent on that huge project.
Culture: The feel, atmosphere, customs, social behaviour and the way people act in a company or organisation. Ideally you’re looking for a culture that will match your values & principles.
Internal recruiter: A recruiter who is based inside an organisation recruiting for that organisation or company.
Minimum wage: The minimum salary employers have to legally pay you. In New Zealand it’s currently $18.90 per hour as of April 2020.
KPIs: Key Performance Indicators are metrics to measure your work performance. Important because they often tie into how you get promoted or remunerated. So make sure you understand how these are defined with your manager and then go for it.
Garden Leave: Some industries let or insist employees once they resign to not have to work their notice period. This is termed ‘garden leave’ and is more typical in sales roles or jobs where there is security protocols.
OTE: ‘On Target Earnings’ or ‘Opportunity to Earn’: Usually for sales roles in which when you meet targets you get a bonus. The ‘OTE’ is the likely commission earned in a year sometimes combined with the salary.
Head hunter: A specialist recruiter who works by getting paid up front to do targeted searches on particular people, skill sets, companies or industries.
Search assignment: An assignment taken on by a head hunter to extract the best talent for the role targeting passive or non-passive candidates.
FTE: Full Time Equivalent. This is a full time permanent job.
PAYE: ‘Pay as you earn’ this is tax that is deducted by your employer and given to the government as income tax.
Take home pay: This is the amount of money after tax comes off.
IEA: Individual Employment Agreement. This is your employment contract and should cover all the important things you’d expect in a job: remuneration, leave, notice, sickness, role description etc.
Professional witness: Sometimes as a professional in a company you might be called on to give expert evidence or advice in a court case.
Employment law: Law that governs workers & organisations in NZ. Covered by the Employment Relations Act 2000.
ATS: Applicant Tracking System. A piece of software that manages the job application process for companies or recruitment agencies.
90 day trial / probation period: Businesses with 19 or fewer employees can only use this now.
Strike: An action by employees to stop work usually because of a grievance.
Smoko: An old term for a morning or afternoon break at work.
Emotional Intelligence: Is the way we understand & own emotions and those of the people around you.
IQ: Intelligence quotient is a total score derived from a set of standardised tests designed to assess your intelligence.
Business terms
Board director: A person who is elected to sit on the company board to represent the shareholders. Every public company must have a board.
Shareholder: Someone who owns a share of the company.
Partner / shareholder: Is a person whom with at least one other owns a share of a business.
Start-Up: Start-up company is a new company often referred to in tech for using blazing new technology or a new concept disrupting an industry.
Post start-up: A company that is past the initial ‘start-up’ phase and has paying customers & revenue and starts to take a more formal business structure.
Corporate: A large company or business usually with thousands of staff.
Enterprise: Refers to a large corporate company or organisation that often needs large software to map their processes ie the term ‘enterprise software’.
Acquisition / Merger: A take over when one company buys another. No such thing really as a merger as this is the way it might be marketed or presented but 99% of the time one company buys another.
Management buy out: When the internal management team buys the company. A great opportunity for a companies staff to get ‘skin in the game’ and become business owners.
Churn: Turnover of staff. Some turn over is healthy for an organisation say 5-10%. If it gets a lot higher than that with staff leaving a business a lot this can spell trouble.
C suite: Senior executives ie C stands for Chief in COO Chief Operating Officer or CEO Chief Executive Officer. The head honchos of a company.
Non-compete or restraint of trade agreement: Written into a contract in which your company tries to restrict you from working in a similar company or industry. Can be hard to enforce as it normally means stopping an individual earning a livelihood.
Pro rata: Latin meaning for Proportionally. This is used to divide a full time salary when someone is working part-time hours ie if you’re working 30 hours per week you work out the pro rata salary. If the organisation’s standard work week is 40 hours the pro rata salary will be 3/4 for example.
If you think of any I’ve missed or others that might be useful please email me: paul@sunstonetalent.com
You’re looking to get into IT contracting for the variety of projects, the excellent hourly $$ rate & no politics but what do you need to set up and what are the real costs of IT contracting?
The reality is that it’s not that hard to become an IT contractor and setting up is relatively straight forward with everything you need to know online.
Company set up:
You can start contracting immediately as a ’Sole trader’. This is zero dollars to set up.
Once you start to earn over $60k per year you need to register for GST.
If you’re looking to become a contractor long-term you might want to set up a limited company for about $143 as this can give you tax advantages. For example your tax rate can be lower than top personal rates.
Check out the differences between a Sole Trader & Limited Company structures click here.
Apparently New Zealand is one of the easiest places in the world to do business and start up your own company.
To see how to start up a business click here.
Provisional (Income) Tax, GST & ACC:
The IRD simply want to get paid the tax they are due.
Most professional IT contractors will be in the 30% tax bracket & the best tip I’ve had when I was a contractor is to keep 1/3 (ie 33%) of the money you earn in a separate account for tax and a wee bit more (to cover any oversights or expenses) & remember THIS MONEY IS NOT YOURS IT’S THE GOVERNMENTS.
If you are GST registered you add 15% to your invoices and the best way to think of GST is you are collecting GST for the government. Again put this into your separate account and don’t touch it until you pay your GST.
You also need to pay ACC being self-employed.
To see how much your ACC levy will be click here.
The number 1 way small companies get into strife is not paying their tax correctly.
Accounting systems:
Of course we have Xero which is super easy to set up & is a flexible solution. If you’re only sending up to 5 invoices per month it only costs $27.50 per month.
There are other options on the market but many people love the simplicity of Xero as do I.
Timesheets:
As a contractor you’ll be expected to record the hours you work & submit these to a line manager for invoicing purposes. This is a small piece of admin that is usually done on an email, spreadsheet or app.
Invoices:
Typically every month (or few weeks depending on your agreement) you’ll send an invoice with the hours you’ve worked to the company or IT recruitment agency.
Accountant:
There are plenty of accountants who will oversee your provisional tax (income tax) for your company & yourself (personal Income tax & how much you pay yourself or as a dividend - ask your accountant about this).
It will be cheaper if you reconcile your accounts & do your GST yourself and it’s VERY easy once you have Xero set up. It’s also quite fun as you’re learning how the nuts & bolts of a business works and this adds to your professional business experience :-)
Again the number 1 way small companies get into strife is not paying their tax correctly so get a decent accountant and as long as you’re on top of this it’s plain sailing.
Sick leave / Public holidays / KiwiSaver:
Sick leave. There is none.
The hours you work are the hours you get paid for & really any time you take off is covered in your contracting rate but it might be an idea to budget for some sick days off per year say 5.
You won’t get paid on public holidays or when you go away on holiday. When you finish a contract it can be a good time to turn this into a holiday before you get your next contract or at least make sure you budget for when you do schedule your next family holiday.
You’ll have to contribute your own money to KiwiSaver. If you contribute at least $1,042.86 a year (from 1 July to 30 June) to your KiwiSaver account you get the maximum Government contribution of $521.43. Ask your accountant or check out the KiwiSaver website here.
Expenses:
You can claim back work expenses like petrol (kilometres) to & from the work site, work tools (Laptop, Mobile etc), business coffees & lunches. Remember to keep your receipts for 7 years.
Here’s how expenses work click here.
It’s also good to think of some extra expenses that might arise like a new laptop, phone or vehicle so think a head and put away 3 months of earnings to give yourself a buffer.
More on things to think about before you become a contractor click here.
Insurance:
Most companies require Professional Indemnity insurance. You can search online for a broker or ask for a referral from an IT contractor you know.
You may also want to consider liability insurance should you get sued this will cover costs like legal expenses. If you’re working on large, expensive IT systems in mission critical enterprise environments (like banking, aviation or defence etc) where things could go wrong this is worth looking into.
Market Contract Rate:
Make sure you charge a decent contract rate. For shorter assignments your rate will be higher for longer-term ie 12 months+ it would be less. Talk to fellow contractors and find out what a ballpark market hourly rate and I’m always happy to advise on market IT contract rates for various IT disciplines as this is what I do everyday.
Professional conduct & 3rd party independent view:
Now you have your own company and you’re about to step on-site and start working as an IT contractor you can hold your head up high and be a true professional. Many professional contractors enjoy being an independent consultant as they can focus on the technical solution / project and not get caught up in the politics of an organisation.
Networking events / professional development:
Getting out to networking events & keeping up-to-date with latest technologies is part of the professional IT contractors job. This doesn’t have to be a crazy amount, but pick the right networking events for what you do & go to them regularly - become known. It’s also great to go on courses (online & physical) that will extend your skills & you get to meet excellent contacts in your industry which is a win-win situation.
Rewards:
A lot of IT contractors find their work extremely rewarding due to the purpose and the effort they put in - they get out. There’s a sense of pride in doing purposeful work for yourself, Your reputation is important and from doing great work it leads to more great work as you continue to build your contracting network.
Sunstone:
I’ve been managing IT contracting relationships for nearly 20 years & having been a contractor myself and running Sunstone Group Limited I’m happy to point you in the right direction. Whether you’re looking to start out contracting or you’re a seasoned professional IT contractor looking for your next gig please get in touch. I’m always happy to help you out on what the going market rate for a particular contract skill set in Christchurch is - just reach out on: paul@sunstonetalent.com / 021 532 008
Disclaimer: Before you commit to any of these please seek professional accounting or legal advice as everyone’s situation is a little different.
A natural step for many experienced or qualified IT professionals is to take the next step into the contracting world….
But what are the pluses & minuses of becoming an IT Contractor?
What about Tax? When will I get paid? How do I manage financially between contracts?
Some of the key questions to ask yourself first are:
• Do I have the people contacts?
• Are there some of my ex-employers I could ring up now and know they’d potentially have me back on contract?
• Can I financially go between a contract for 2-3 months?
• Would my partner want me hanging around home in the downtime?
• Do I have software or personal projects I can work on when I'm 'out of contract'?
• Am I prepared to get out & network / partner with agencies to secure my next contract?
• Am I prepared to be flexible to work on-site & from home or both?
• Am I prepared to travel to Wellington or Auckland when I can't find a contract in Christchurch?
• Am I quick to learn a new environment - both technical & company?
So what are the Pros?
• Easy set-up start as a sole trader (zero $$)
• Variety of projects
• Neutral point of view / detached from the in-house politics
• Hourly or daily pay rate
• Become a Specialist
• Become a Generalist
• Gain a lot of different domain experience in a short time
• Work on cutting edge projects that demand specialist technical skills
• Claim back work / travel / tools / entertainment / expenses
What are the Cons?
• Having to stay current with latest technologies (Not really a negative for techies ;-)
• Have to learn a new environment very quickly
• Paying your own tax / engaging an accountant
• Setting up as Sole Trader (Zero $$) or Limited Company ($150)
• Gaps between contracts…
• Delay in payment from time of invoice
• Having to do the jobs that others don’t want to do!
• Time pressure to deliver projects can mean some demanding hours if needed
• Flexible to travel to client sites
It’s not for everyone……But the rewards are great!
If you'd like to learn more about the IT Contract recruitment market in Christchurch & types of assignments on offer, hourly rates etc having been a contractor myself for a number of years & owner of Sunstone Group Limited I'm happy to help feel free to email me paul@sunstonetalent.com
I started writing this blog a few weeks ago & was going to call it ‘5 key tips for companies recruiting in a down market’, however we’ve been pleasantly surprised with the positivity in the NZ IT market with a lot of hiring activity.
It seems life (& business) goes on & especially in technology, the reality is the whole world is being run on software. So we feel grateful for being in the technology industry & living in Aotearoa.
One of the hardest things in a ‘down market’ or ‘mixed market’ as we’re terming it, is to actually do the same things as you would normally do, but unfortunately there is a lot more digital noise and distraction going on so….
1 - Stay focused on the key skills & experience you’re looking for
You may see over or under qualified people and a huge variety of different people but they key is to stay focused on what you’re looking for and pay market rate and get the right fit for the team.
2 - Make sure you get back to all applicants as often this is the first contact people will have with your brand
In the current market we’re seeing a huge deluge of candidates many people returning home, people being made redundant etc this does not change the fact that it’s still hard to find really good people, who even if they’re not happy in their current role they’ll often ride it out where they are currently.
3 - Continue to recruit on merit & don’t make assumptions because of Covid
See a good deal when there is one - it’s not the market for candidates to negotiate high so often you’ll pick up very good talent for market rate or have very good candidates happy to do different projects. Don’t bias people who have got caught up in restructures / redundancies either - interview people on merit and everyone’s situation is a little different so don’t make assumptions because of Covid.
4 - Larger Talent Pool
Because of a disrupted market you can often find people that are more difficult in a stable market, especially with redundancies and Kiwis returning from overseas so here is a golden opportunity to acquire IT specialists who have built up overseas software experience and are bringing this back to NZ. As the saying goes ‘never let a good crisis go to waste’.
5 - Consider Interim Contract solutions
Because of organisation or market uncertainly is your team stressed? Look at getting a contractor in for 3-6 months.
Again because there’s a larger talent pool with more people available on the market it’s easier to get well skilled & experienced IT contractors who can often start immediately to lighten the load on your team.
I thought I’d write a handy article from the other side as you’re often thrust into the interviewing situation when you're promoted, with little or no formal training on 'How to Interview' as a hiring manager.
So what are the best questions to ask? What is the optimum way to get the most out of that initial first 45 minutes with your potential new team member? How many interviews should you conduct? Potential candidates are likely being courted by 5 or more competing tech companies....So make it count!
Introduction
It’s always nice to offer a coffee, tea or even water. It can get darn thirsty answering all those questions and it helps to break the ice before you kick things off. This is also a chance to show off that champion espresso machine the boss was so proud of when they bought it for the team last Christmas…..
Never make make the candidate wait
A pet peeve of mine is being made to wait typically a candidate will arrive 10 minutes early so you can kick-off on time. The serial position effect tells us that the first and last impressions you make are the ones that make the most impact, so make them wait for 20/30 minutes and you’re giving the impression that you’re not interested and disorganised. Let’s face it, we all hate being made to wait. So print out their CV or have it ready to go on your iPad the day before, and give your colleagues a wee reminder to avoid the last minute rush.
The Icebreaker
To get the best out of your candidate, start with some context or clarification about how the meeting came about, and set the scene. Something as simple as "Thanks for coming in and I understand you know so & so". Give a brief overview of the process i.e. we'll give you a quick intro about the company, how the role fits in, then there'll be some technical questions and a chance for you to ask us some questions towards the end. Explain who the people are around the table "I look after X and this is the ‘Line Manager of Digital’ etc…. Speaking of "around the table" do try to sit around the table, as opposed to everyone on one side which feels a bit like an inquisition...this is a two way meeting - welcome to the new school!
Types of questions
The most important questions you can ask are open, role specific questions. When you're asking a question, make sure the answer you're expecting to receive is something you can learn something from rather than an "interesting but ultimately irrelevant" answer. You're trying to find the person who can do this job for you - and the best way to do that is to put them in a position where they can answer to the best of their abilities.
If the role is highly pressured, sure, ask them high pressure questions, and if it's creative, ask them creative questions. Remember this is a 2 way street, candidates will want to be able to show you what they can do, rather than walking out with regrets that they forgot to mention something.
My favourite questions to ensure we elicit the forgotten information are - "Is there anything else you wish we had asked you?" and "Is there anything else we need to know?"
We put this out to Facebook & LinkedIn and here are some favourite questions we received back:<br>
"How many petrol stations are there in the UK?" - Ollie (Recruiter - Google UK)
"Is there anything I didn't ask you that you wish I had?" Steve (UI/UX Manager/Consultant)
"What do you think the role will be like?" - Jason (Retail Manager)
"What extras do you bring to the workplace?" - Donna (School Principal)
"What makes you want to work for us?" - Andy (Head Ski Instructor)
Best question I once got asked was, "How do you make a cream egg?" - Andrew (Head of IT Services)
"If it looked like you were going to miss an important (client) deadline on something, how would you handle this? And when would you do it?" - Steve (Web Architect/Managing Director)
"Describe yourself on a good day at work"... then ask "and what about a bad day?" - Duanne (Manager - Architecture)
"What would you achieve in your first three months in the job?" Jane - (Fundraising Manager)
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" - Jess (HR Manager)
"What is the biggest challenge in your life so far that you have had to overcome?" - Colleen (Recruiter/HR Manager)
"How do you think you did in this interview?" - Amy (Psychologist)
"What are your passions?" - Mikala (Consulting Manager)
And don’t forget to ask at the end - "Is there anything else I should be aware of with regards your application?" I've been surprised on more than one occasion at what that can elicit...
Include your team
It’s always great if you can include one of your technical member of staff, not only to ‘suss out the candidate’ but to be able to sell to them the technology stack & exciting projects the team is working on.<br>
To TEST or NOT to test in the first interview?
if it's a highly technical role it's great to test the candidate first - why waste an hour on a first meeting, then test them in a second to find they're not up to speed. You just need to make the candidate aware of the process - if it's online or in-house, what the expectations are and the instructions, and include a brief introduction to make them at ease & comfortable.
Office Tour
While you have them in the office, show them around and introduce them to some of the team. It gives the candidate a better feel for your culture, it also gives you a chance to again show off your great team, what you do and some of the neat people in it, the nice new hardware you’re using, some of the quirkier stuff in your office - the office dog or goldfish, the cafe, or the fact you have a shower or a ping pong table. We forget that some of these small things really catch the attention of a candidate and allows them to start to visualise themselves working in your company & often will set a strong memory when they’re comparing job offers later.
Half or Full day Work with the team session
I did a lot of internal hiring for one of the consultancies I worked for in the UK and when we snagged a good potential candidate we’d get them back for a 2nd full day in our office to show them warts & all, what the job really entailed.
We were also really proud of our great culture, everyone knew the drill and would go up to them and introduce themselves, ask them where they worked, if they wanted to know anything about the company and what it was like.
It was very powerful to build on the great culture we already had. You don't need to do a full day but maybe consider a half-day, take them for lunch, have them work through some problems that are similar to the job they’ll be performing. Yes it's sometimes hard to make the time available but taking some time up front to get the right new team member on board will cause a lot fewer headaches later on. This is also a career move for the candidate and will test their commitment - if they aren't interested in making the time to come in and spend some quality time with your team they're probably not the right fit for you.
You have to sell your company
I think one thing that has changed is the culture of job interviews. Back in the 80’s/90's it was the employer with all the power, you had to impress them to ‘win the job’. Now it goes both ways with skills shortages for great talent, especially within IT. It really is up to you to ‘sell the job’ because there’s 5 other companies doing just that, competing for that talent in the market. Counter offers and competing offers are typical for good people these days. Don't forget to run through your full list of benefits.
So go on, include lots of your team, have a bit of fun with it, spend a little more time at the front-end and you'll have your next star joining you soon…..
A perfect glassy day on Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch photo by Sunstone
In this resource I’ll give you some reasons why companies use them, some pitfalls to watch out for and some tips on how to manage IT Contractors…
Why should I use an IT Contractor?
• When your team needs more resource but not enough to justify a full-time hire
• They are a specialist that can solve a specific problem / provide a specific solution for you
• Provide Expertise in a knowledge domain / hard-to-find skill set
• Great when you have a project budget & you can use skilled experts to resource this
• Flexible Resourcing - time of engagement from hours, weeks, months or years if needed
• Short notice periods i.e. 1-2 weeks is standard for 3-6 month contracts
• You only pay for work performed
• They can bring new ideas / different ways of working
• Up-skill other team members
• Look at overall methodologies / processes to improve
• Can provide coaching on new ways of working i.e. Agile / Scrum or TDD/BDD/DDD etc
• Can focus on a specific piece of work the team has been struggling with / are fed up with
• Can be paid for in Capex budget rather than Opex
• Fill a key gap that may become vacant due to maternity cover, long-term sick or someone on secondment / long-term leave etc that is critical to your business
• Try before you buy - not quite sure? Take someone on contract and see how they perform
• Having a very high-end resource can be very valuable to an organisation delivering value, improvements, efficiencies and innovations - you may want to move them onto the next project and / or take them on permanently (if they are open to this)
What are the Negatives or things that I should watch out for with IT Contractors?
• Cost is a premium - but you pay for what you get (keep an eye on your budget)
• IP can walk out the door - you need to manage your contractors closely
• They can become 'part of the furniture' & never leave - again you need to be aware of how your head count is made up ie FTE & Contractors
• Make sure you work out the market contract rate & pay accordingly
• A professional IT Contractor will always want to finish an assignment so pay a market rate to ensure this isn’t a reason for them leaving
What are some of the key tips I should know to managing IT Contractors?
• Ensure your IT contractor doesn’t become ‘indispensable’ or ‘irreplaceable’ by not sharing information or not documenting key information —> Have senior team members collaborate / work together with the IT Contractor
• Set expectations up front before engaging the IT Contractor or on the start of the assignment-> When expectations are clearly communicated issues are less likely to arise
• Draw specialist knowledge from the IT Contractor —> Have the IT Contractor pass on skills / technical knowledge and even 'Upskill’ other team members in a particular domain or language
• Have the contractor sign an NDA - Non-disclosure Agreement to protect your IP (Intellectual Property)
• Give feedback to the IT Contractor or IT Recruiter on how they’re getting on
• If an IT Contractor does stay long-term ensure you write in specific project briefs in the contract to avoid risk of it being deemed an employee relationship by the IRD
IT Contractors are an excellent way to get flexible resource into your business if used & managed well.
If you have any questions or want to know more on how an IT Contractor could help your team or business please feel free to contact Paul on paul@sunstonetalent.com
Hiring the right people is critical for the success of any start-up. Here are some tips to help you hire the right people for your software or tech start-up:
Clearly define your company culture and values: Before you start looking for candidates, it's important to have a clear understanding of your company culture and values. This will help you identify candidates who are a good fit for your company.
Look for passion and commitment: Start-ups require a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance, so it's important to hire people who are passionate about your vision and committed to seeing it through.
Use a variety of recruitment channels: Don't limit yourself to just one recruitment channel. Use job boards, social media, referrals, and networking events to find the right candidates. And when your network runs out and you need to start scaling fast or have specialist requirements use an IT recruiter who knows the market that can give you advice and save you time & money in the long run.
Screen for relevant skills and experience: Look for candidates who have the necessary skills and experience to contribute to your start-up's success. However, don't overlook candidates who may not have direct experience but have transferable skills and a willingness to learn.
Conduct thorough interviews: Take the time to conduct thorough interviews with each candidate. Ask open-ended questions and dig deep to get a sense of their work ethic, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. If you’re hiring technical people always have a coding challenge or deep technical interview to explore how much they really know. If you don’t have this in-house use a 3rd party.
Check references: Always check references to verify the information provided by the candidate and get feedback from previous employers or colleagues.
Offer competitive salary and benefits: Start-ups often have limited resources, but it's important to pay market rate (or close to and/or equity like shares in the company) and a competitive package & benefits (if possible) to you attract and retain top talent. This is especially true in software where your people are building your product & infrastructure. If you can’t provide a shopping list of corporate benefits that’s ok try to focus on the basics - like creating a great atmosphere & culture by having fun - team events or lunches, be flexible when staff really need it, these things create far more loyalty than comprehensive insurance packages for example.
Remember, hiring your initial staff is a critical part of building the foundations of a successful start-up. By taking the time to find the right people, you'll be setting your company up for long-term success.
Is your company struggling to hire IT candidates in a skill short market? What’s your intern or graduate strategy?
In an ever competitive skills short technology market a strategy that I’ve seen work a lot for Christchurch companies over the years is to hire graduates.
Why would I hire graduates rather than experienced tech people? A very good question.
Grads have the advantage of bringing a fresh perspective with new ideas and ways of doing things. They tend to bring enthusiasm and energy and can challenge the status quo. They’ve often had recent training with exposure to the latest ideas and methods of doing things and they’re also extremely cost effective to hire as the candidate pool is larger.
Hiring grads can also help with your succession planning for building a long term staffing strategy. In a few years time they can be your next intermediates, seniors and future leaders. It works both ways as it enables your senior developers / tech people a chance to mentor and train graduates improving their team leading skills & building their people management experience.
The challenges we often hear are:
***I don’t have the time, I need someone up to speed now
***It costs too much to train graduates
***Where do I start?
Something to consider is that in a skill short market it may take months to find Intermediate & especially the right Senior people. Yes it takes a bit of time to train grads, like anything but the rewards to your company, people and brand will be exponential.
Last year we had a client of ours struggling to find an intermediate automation engineer and we suggested bringing on a graduate which would be easier to find in the extremely skill short market. We found a keen graduate who had some internship experience working on an automation framework and although they had 4 months to finish their degree the company bought them on part-time to get them started and learning their tech stack. A great example of showing some flexibility to get a win-win solution and great outcome for everyone.
Hiring a smart graduate with great attitude and aptitude – you’re halfway there. Just let them learn your tech stack and with guidance & support they’ll be adding value in a few months.
A way to bring on graduates with very little risk is through a temp intern programme where you could start by bringing on interns for 6, 8 or 12 weeks and ‘try’ before you ‘buy’ seeing some grads in action and you can choose which ones to keep on and watch these wonderful people grow to their full potential. If you would like a hand putting together a fuss free programme or finding the best way to get in contact with the right graduates, give us a call.
Thanks for reading :-) :-) :-)