Managing a Locum Workforce

Whether you are looking for someone to hold the fort for the day, delivery of a special project or to recruit an entire seasonal workforce, you need strong skilled staff who add to the effectiveness of your organisation.

The potential for locum vets and nurses to excel is often under-estimated. However, with the right input from you and choosing the right recruitment consultant to build a relationship with, you can expect locum staff to hit the ground running, with commitment, expertise and the same positive attitude as a permanent member of staff.

Why use Locum Staff?

• Sickness
• Maternity/Paternity cover
• Holiday
• Providing cover whilst role is vacant
• Temp to Perm
• Flexible workforce
• frozen head count

Preparation

• Prepare a brief of the role you have to fill - it may be a different role from the role of a permanent job
• Think about timings - taking into account a permanent member of staff to meet them and settle them in
• Research relevant recruitment consultants - good place to start is the REC website
• Prepare a set of criteria by which you will judge the effectiveness of the consultant
• Make a short list of consultants

Then ask yourself:

• Did you feel they understood what you were looking for?
• Did they take as much information as possible about your company and the booking you are discussing?
• Did they understand the type of staff you are looking for both in terms of skill set and culture fit.
• Did they send through a copy of their Terms of Business?

Managing the Workforce

• Keep the permanent staff aware of new locum workers and why they are there - this saves any undermining of the staff or animosity on their part.
• Create a 'mini induction' covering Health & Safety issues, fire exits, the accident book, when to take breaks and any procedures within the company which will help the locum work more effectively. Many of your practices procedures and policies will differ from other practices so its always a good idea to explain fully what your procedures are.
• Explain the role to the locum worker and give them a point of contact for any queries or questions
• Make sure they are aware of what criteria they may use to judge where they have done a good job
• Check within the first 4 hours that work completed is up to standard, feedback any problems or compliments to the recruiter.
• Sign the timesheet at the end of the assignment or each week if the booking is ongoing, and keep a copy to be married up when the invoice comes in
• It is important to differentiate between locums and permanent staff. the line between that status is very fine and employers often make the mistake in their efforts to make locums 'feel at home' particularly if they are there for a long period.
• Clients should not get involved in disciplinary discussions with the temps. Locums should not be on memo lists, holiday charts and work rotas. Invitations to company members should go as a separate memo to temps.
• Respect and value the contribution temps make to the overall well being of the company.

Is the locum legal?

One thing that is often overlooked when practices book locums directly (i.e. not through an agency) is whether the locum is working legally.

• Have they registered with the RCVS as a home practising member?
• Have you checked their ID, are they who they say they are?
• Have you checked their work visa (if applicable)
• Have they got Professional Indemnity Insurance
• If the locum is working self employed, have you the correct contracts in place, if not HMRC will view their payments as 'cash in hand' and you could be liable for any unpaid tax and NI.

Locums are a wonderful resource and in the main simply want to do the best job they can - feedback to the recruiter, both good and bad, will help move the relationship and make the matching process far more accurate.

Locum Induction Checklist

Pre-employment

• Joining instructions
• Company literature

Health & Safety

• Emergency exits
• Evacuation procedures
• First aid facilities
• Health & Safety policy
• Accident reporting
• Clothing
• Specific hazards
• Policy on smoking

Organisation

• Site map - canteen, first aid post, etc
• Telephone system
• Computer system
• Company products and services
• Vaccination schedules
• Prescriptions policies
• Security procedures

How to Read a CV

Human capital is the most important asset to any employer, so short listing and assessing the calibre of 300 CV's to identify the 10 best can be a daunting prospect.

Reading the CV

The first step is to match your candidates against your Job Specification. Beyond that, here are some things to look for:

1. Skills: Seek out CV's that describe how the candidate measured their performance using the relevant skill. Furthermore, has the candidate correctly described the skills needed for the role?
2. Achievements: Candidates that describe how they added value to a job through, for example, saving money or increasing sales outperform other candidates that list job duties.
3. Transferable Skills: Career changers that describe relevant, transferable skills.
4. External Validation: Winning awards or being selected to chair working group meetings rarely happen to under performing individuals.
5. Promotion: Steady and consistent promotions are a good indicator that the individual can sustain the enhanced job responsibilities and that the person has been highly regarded.
6. Length of Service: Advantage or Disadvantage?
   Long Service: Some consider many years of service a benefit, others consider the candidate institutionalised.
   Short Stints: Look for signs in the CV. The candidate could be a job-hopper or could be going through rapid fast paced promotions or it may be normal for the sector.
7. Photographs: Ignore photographs/videos when recruiting as they allow for the potential to discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, etc

Warning Signs:

1. Gaps: Ensure gaps in employment are accounted for.
2. Duties: A list of these does not say how the person performed in the role, just what they were meant to be doing.
3. Spelling: Mistakes on such an important document should prompt fears.
4. Promotions: Job-seeking within 3 months of promotion may be indicative of over promotion.
5. Salary fluctuations: If a salary is £10k higher or lower than former roles - ensure you understand and accept the reason for this.
6. Lies: With so many CV's containing exaggerations, look for evidence to overcome this concern.
7. Contact details: A work direct line on a CV often indicates the person is happy to take personal calls during work time. Unprofessional email addresses also draw unwelcome assumptions.

Return on Investment

You should think about this in particular for your trainee hires. The costs to a business rise considerably for Trainee Schemes, so individual graduates should sell to you far more than a list of their modules. Look for descriptions of projects/dissertations. How they interpreted their project findings/results can help you understand how they tick, which is vital if you are to invest substantial sums of money in them. The grade alone is not enough.

Correlation of Job Advertising and CV Cliché's

The CV's you receive will mostly mirror the job advertisements you place, so favour absolute requirements and limit clichés in your advertisements that require a good team player or excellent communication skills as applicants are likely to feed these generic terms back to you in their CV, without evidence of the skills use, leaving you with a batch of CV's impossible to short-list. Many CV's simply claim the applicant to be a great organiser who is hard-working with excellent communication skills and able to work in a team - but when pressed for specifics these applicants often cannot recall a good example using the said skill to make a noticeable difference for the business.

Searching CV Tips

To expand your CV search, look at positions below the one you are looking to fill - a candidate ripe for promotion. Additionally, look for competitor names or company names that are synonymous with like minded employees.

Interview Preparation

Emily Gohl from Recruit4health explains how to prepare yourself for your interview

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Good preparation is a key part to having a successful interview beginning with knowing the names and job titles of the people interviewing you.

One of the most important things you can do is prepare answers to questions you may potentially get asked... also rehearse them out loud. This will make you feel more confident and prepared when you walk into the interview room.

It is always a good idea to plan the route to your interview to make sure you give a good impression of being punctual. Find out directions as well as information on parking if you are driving or the nearest railway station or bus stop. If due to unforeseen circumstances you know you are going to be late contact the company to inform them of your expected arrival time and let the agency know you have done this. When you arrive ensure you apologise immediately and explain your reasons.

Interview Questions

Interview questions may vary but in essence they are all trying to establish the following:

• Your skills and experience to do the job
• Your enthusiasm and interest for the job
• Whether you will fit in

If you can answer these questions, using real-life examples to illustrate your points, then you should be able to answer most of the questions that arise including the following frequently asked questions.

1. Tell me about yourself?

This question or something similar usually starts every interview. Your answer should be well-rehearsed, confidently delivered and last between 3-5 minutes.

This is your opportunity to sell yourself and your answer doesn't have any boundaries.

Remember they want to hear you speak and gauge just how confident you are. It is your chance to sell yourself!  

You need to:

• Focus on the areas of most relevance to the job in question i.e.: key skills
• Include some impressive achievements e.g. improvements made that could be relevant to the job you are interviewing for
• Convey your enthusiasm for the job
• Avoid going into too much detail on personal or irrelevant information e.g. your children, un-related jobs

2. What are your key skills/strengths?

This is one of the most difficult questions to answer and we would recommend planning and rehearsing an answer to this prior to your interview so that you know exactly what to say.

Focus on what you know they are looking for, even if it has been a smaller part of what you have been doing to date.

The job advert or person specification form will give you the information you need about their requirements.

3. What are your weaknesses?

Again, this is a very difficult question and you need to plan and rehearse this prior to an interview.

Do not say that you do not have any weaknesses and do not give any cliché answers such as: “I get bored easily”

Choose a weakness that:

• Doesn't matter for the job e.g. languages for a UK firm. 
• Is a positive e.g. "I like to make things happen and get frustrated if too long is spent sitting around discussing it without action" 
• Used to be a weakness but which you have improved upon e.g. presentations. This demonstrates self awareness

4. Why did you leave your last job?

Your answer should be positive and upbeat even if the circumstances were difficult. If you were made redundant, depersonalise it by talking about company restructuring rather than your individual circumstance. Never criticise a previous employer no matter how tempting.

5. Why do you want this job?

Your answer should reinforce why you are such a good fit for the job and then convey your enthusiasm for the role e.g.

• good match between your skills and their requirements
• interested in the product/market/sector
• company's excellent reputation, exciting challenge etc.
• Do not say (even if it's true) that you just need a job, or you want it because it's local.

6.  What are your career goals?

They are checking if you are likely to stay and if so, for how long. Reassure the employer that the role you are applying for fits your career plan and your longer term commitment to the company.

7. What are your salary expectations?

Salary negotiations are best handled at the job offer stage so try to avoid this at interview if you can. If forced to name a price, give a realistic but wide salary range and say that you feel that salary won't be an issue if you decide to work together.

8. What do you know about our organisation?

Do as much research as you can. It is highly likely that you will get asked this question and remember that  “Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” It will also impress the interviewer if you refer back to research/knowledge on the company in some of your other answers.

You need to know the following:

• Company structure, finances, products and services, key staff 
• Customers and competitors
• Market trends and challenges

To find out that information, check the company website, any industry related media,  or companies house.

Competency Based Questions

In a Competency Based Interview or Behavioural Job Interview, the company has decided what skills are needed in the person they hire and will ask questions to find out if the candidate has those skills.

Behavioural interview questions will be more focused and specific than traditional interview questions and you'll need to respond with specific examples of how you handled situations in the workplace. 

Review examples of the questions you may be asked during a behavioral job interview and think about how you would answer them. 

Use the job description to get a clear idea on what key competencies they require in a candidate, that way you'll be prepared ahead of time, rather than having to think of a response on the spot during the interview.

Ensure you get to the point quickly, do not waffle. 

The STAR technique will help you add structure to your answer and ensure you cover all vital points so that you give a top quality answer.

S = SITUATION. Here you would briefly describe the situation you are going to base your answer on. Set the scene.

T = TASK. Describe what it was that you had to do. This section of your answer should flow quite nicely when describing the situation.

A = ACTION. This is the most important part of your answer. You need to talk about what YOU did to successfully complete the task. Remember to show how you added value here, what you achieved etc as this will show the employer what you could potentially do for them.

R = RESULT. Finally, what was the result of the task and your actions? Try and make it a positive result or if it wasn’t, try and put a positive spin at the end i.e: what you would do next time to achieve a better result.

Example question could be:

Tell me about a difficult scenario at work and how you dealt with it

Here they are testing how you cope under pressure as well as your problem-solving and communication skills.

Good examples are where you:

• helped resolve or improve a difficult situation
• were resilient in adverse conditions
• showed emotional intelligence and cool-headedness
• Avoid any examples which still feel sensitive, because in a high-pressure interview situation, old emotions can easily resurface and throw you off balance. Always remain positive.
• Other questions could include:
• Give an example of an occasion when you used logic to solve a problem.
• Give an example of a goal you reached and tell me how you achieved it.
• Give an example of a goal you didn't meet and how you handled it.
• Describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it.
• Tell me about how you worked effectively under pressure.
• How do you handle a challenge?
• Have you been in a situation where you didn't have enough work to do?
• Have you ever made a mistake? How did you handle it?
• Describe a decision you made that was unpopular and how you handled implementing it.
• Did you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?
• Did you ever postpone making a decision? Why?
• Have you ever dealt with company policy you weren't in agreement with? How?
• Have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? If so, how?
• When you worked on multiple projects how did you prioritize?
• How did you handle meeting a tight deadline?
• Give an example of how you set goals and achieve them.
• What do you do when your schedule is interrupted? Give an example of how you handle it.
• Have you had to convince a team to work on a project they weren't thrilled about? How did you do it?
• Give an example of how you worked on team.
• Have you handled a difficult situation with a co-worker? How?
• What do you do if you disagree with a co-worker?
• Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers.
• Do you listen? Give an example of when you did or when you didn't listen.
• Have you handled a difficult situation with a supervisor? How?
• Have you handled a difficult situation with another department? How?
• What do you do if you disagree with your boss?

Questions to ask at the end of your interview

Asking the employer questions at the end of your interview confirms to them your interest in working for their organisation and obviously is a good way for you to find out more information.

It is always best to go to your interview with around 5 questions prepared. Do be aware though that some of your questions could get covered earlier on in the interview.

Some questions you could think of asking could be:

1.        What types of training opportunities can you offer?
This is one of the classic questions as it can highlight that you are keen to advance your skills and add further value to a company.

2.     Is there a chance for promotion in the future?
This is another classic question, and in a similar vein. It can emphasise a determination to make progress and to do so over the long term.

3.     How would you describe the work culture here?
Here you are signalling that you want to be able to operate at your optimum and understand that for this you require a positive environment. In turn, this can indicate you are a good self-manager who is aware of how to get the best out of yourself.

4.     In what way is performance measured and reviewed?
This question can flag up that you appreciate the importance of delivering real results. You can be seen to be someone who understands the value of commitment, reliability and returns.

5.     Do you have any doubts about whether I am suited to this position?
This is a rather more brazen way of emphasising some of your strengths. It suggests you are open to constructive criticism and willing to learn from the experience of others. In addition, it gives you a real chance to address any weaknesses the interviewee may think you have. Finally, it allows you to finish on a high, re-stating why you think you are the right person.

Dress for success

The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. The first judgement an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look. It is always important to dress professionally, even if the work environment is casual or requires a uniform.

Men's Interview Attire

• Suit (solid colour - navy or dark grey)
• Long sleeve shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Tie
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewellery
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Limit the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails

Women's Interview Attire

• Suit (navy, black or dark grey)
• The suit skirt should be long enough so you can sit down comfortably
• Coordinated blouse
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewellery (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• Professional hairstyle
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails

CHECKLIST - Have you?

• Researched the Company
• Sorted out what to wear
• Travel Arrangements
• Prepared some broad questions to ask the interviewer (try to avoid the salary question unless prompted)
• Rehearsed interview scenarios
• Confirmed Date/Time/Location of Interview
• Printed a copy of your CV and any relevant project work
• Got a decent notebook and pen in case you would like to make notes

Clients tell recruiters what they really really want

Despite the recruitment industry turning over billions of pounds, are agencies always meeting clients’ needs?

Lawrence Hargreaves, managing director of Nicoll Curtin Recruitment

With turnover in the region of £23bn in 2011-12, the UK recruitment industry is clearly meeting a need. So it may come as surprise that there is a huge disparity between what recruitment agencies are delivering and what clients actually want.

New research carried out for IT recruiter Nicoll Curtin illustrates the extent of the gap of this ‘delivery gap’. For example, only 4% of hiring managers say they are “always confident” in the ability of their recruitment consultant to submit candidates of the right quality.

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A massive 75% of hiring managers [only 30% of whom had worked with Nicoll Curtin] believe this stems from the consultant failing to understand the requirements of the role.

Similarly, 72% of the 140 hiring managers interviewed believe that recruitment consultants care more about placing a candidate to secure their fee than finding the best candidate for a role.

RAISING STANDARDS

For many recruiters, and especially for those who have worked hard to raise standards in the industry, these will be sobering statistics. Yet for Lawrence Hargreaves, managing director of Nicoll Curtin Recruitment, they are no reason for despair: “The good news for us is that more business can be won and better relationships achieved, and it is not rocket science.”

It all comes down to listening, not overpromising and ultimately delivering. A focus on quality, and spending time understanding both the role and the market, will ultimately pay off.

As Hargreaves expounds: “Many clients will review an agency’s performance based on fill rates that stretch past the probationary period; so it pays to spend time understanding the nuances of the position and encouraging consultants to become experts in their markets. This will lead to PSL positions and even sole agency status.”

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

When it comes to the criteria used by clients to select an agency, one figure stands out. With 83% of hiring managers choosing an agency based on a previous relationship with that agency, it is clear that getting this aspect of business right is key.

It is vital for agencies to invest in their consultants. Naturally this will include financial reward, though this should not only apply to sales but also to assimilating industry knowledge.

“Knowledge definitely is power; the more they know about the industry the quicker it will be for them to spot the right candidate to match their client company,” says Hargreaves.

With clients above all else demanding quality, 82% of hiring managers call for more in-depth screening of candidates. For some consultants, especially those who submit candidates without meeting them beforehand, this will undoubtedly require a sea change in behaviour.

While Hargreaves accepts that “more in-depth screening of candidates takes time and effort at the early stage”, current practice, including the “fundamental misdemeanour” of consultants bluffing they met the candidate, is clearly a major contributor to the ‘delivery gap’.

The unremitting focus of clients on quality may require agencies to consider other significant changes. Chief among these is that consultants would do a better job in finding the best candidate if the fee structure was no longer commission based. “This is a radical move for many agencies, although some do take this approach,” he says. Giving consultants individual SLA [service level agreements] that incorporate quality and not just sales targets helps.

Despite the many agency shortcomings identified by hiring managers in this research, those in the industry should be encouraged by the 54% of hiring managers who say that consultancies can save them time and money.

The overall message from this research is clear and uncomplicated. “Clearly there is a strong place for agencies, but it will be a marathon not a sprint to change the ingrained perceptions. But the good news is it’s easier than we think.”

PowerPoints

• Tell customers what you can reasonably deliver and then ensure you do it
• Invest in your consultants’ knowledge and development
• Work on getting the basics right rather than pursuing the latest buzz such as social media
• Quality is never an accident. It is a choice made from many alternatives
• Work harder in understanding the positions you are hiring for

What Not to Include in Your CV

You may have spent years building up the necessary skills and qualifications to come across as the perfect applicant for your dream job. Don’t go and blow it all now by including any of these fatal mistakes on your CV!

Jargon and Fluff
Avoid using acronyms and jargon when writing your CV. Employers will lose concentration if they have to stop and work out the meaning of every acronym on your CV. Also avoid unnecessary fluff – keep it clear, to the point and back up any lofty statements with hard facts.

Comedy email addresses
An inappropriate email address like sillybilly@hotmail.com will mark you out as unprofessional. If you don’t have a professional-sounding email address then set one up before you start applying for jobs, especially if you are posting an online CV!

Irrelevant information
When compiling your CV, don't include irrelevant information and make sure anything you do include can be interpreted as a positive attribute for the job. List your most relevant and transferable skills on the first page and keep the document under two pages long.

Fancy paper
Your CV should be recognised for the quality of information it contains. The way to do this is with a clear CV template, not with fancy fonts, coloured paper or complex layouts. Use plain white paper, and print on one side of the page only.

Too much personal information
You don't need to include your marital status, age, place of birth or gender on your CV. These could lead to identity fraud. Unless any of these are demonstrably relevant to the position, the employer doesn’t need to know.

Long, convoluted sentences
Use short, snappy sentences that grab the reader's attention and portray you as someone who gets things done. You don’t want to lose the attention of your audience. Use bulleted lists for skills and achievements and use an online CV template with clearly marked-out sections to make it easy for the reader to follow.

Un-truths
Common as it is, exaggerating achievements on your CV or making them up from scratch is one of the best ways to get blacklisted by an employer. If you do make it through to the first interview, only to be discovered as a fraudster, you’re unlikely to get a second chance.

Negative thinking
Avoid including anything negative in your CV. Don’t be tempted to give ‘reasons’ why your career in a certain position did not progress as you would have wished and don’t include ‘reasons for leaving’. Negative-sounding words are also out – don’t say ‘problem’, for example, say ‘challenge’ instead.

Criticism of previous employers
Always remember that you are posting your CV to an employer. Don’t criticise your previous employers or the way they run their business or there is a good possibility that the reader will view this as disloyalty.

Repetition
We all have words that we prefer to use, but be sure that you haven’t repeatedly used the same word or phrase through the CV, or you will appear unimaginative.

Referring to yourself in the first or third person
Do not start sentences with either ‘I’, ‘he’ / ‘she’, or your own name. It is best to leave out all of these and use a report-writing style instead.

Mistakes
One of the most common error is spelling mistakes. Remember to spell-check and proof read your CV several times, and find someone else to check through it. It is easy to miss grammatical and spelling mistakes on the first read-through. In the hands of an employer, just one mistake could label you as careless and lacking attention to detail.