We don’t mean to be harsh here, but we really don’t like exit interviews.

Anthony Sork

We’ve analysed the results of thousands of exit interviews. We found the results and methodology a little depressing.

Few employees are honest in them. They are mindful of how the information is likely to be used against them. Employers tend to execute exit interviews poorly.

Many exit interviewers tend focus on the immediate reasons behind the employee’s departure. They hone in on one or two easily-quantifiable issues. These might be money, location or the requirements of the job. We all know, however, that employees’ reasons for leaving are often far more complex than that.

We’ve also found few people are trained in how to conduct these interviews. For the exiting employee, interviews can seem like a “last minute” rushed exercise that has been fobbed off to a manager from another department. They can also seem like just another HR administrative process that has to be completed.

We’ve all had exit interviews where someone stumbles through a template with pre-prepared questions rather than attempting to understand our deeper issues.

All this can serve to make the exiting employee feel undervalued at an emotional time.

If an employee lacks trust in the process or the interviewer, they will not be open or honest. Nor will they provide anything of value that the organisation can build back into recruitment, induction and engagement initiatives.

Instead of just doing exit interviews, organisations should consider measuring the detachment perceptions of all their employees. These can provide a more quantifiable and consistent measurement of employees’ engagement and attachment – or detachment.

Measuring detachment perception is useful to measure at an individual level and at a trend level across organisations. This can allow greater insight and control over engagement initiatives for the existing and future staff.

If organisations deliver detachment surveys through a consistent survey methodology, and complement existing exit interview activities, not replace them, they can measure detachment consistently and in a non-threatening and reliable manner.

Ironically this is a much better measure all round as employers can act on the results of these to benefit all employees – instead of just closing the stable door after one horse has bolted.

You can spend weeks perfecting your resume: selecting the perfect font that represents who you are, finding the right alignment for your bullet points and weighing up the pros and cons of hard versus soft copy. And this is all before you’ve decided what to include in it. Many a time your labour of love can end up lost in a sea of resumes on the recruiter’s desk.

It’s vital that you make your resume stand out to the recruiter and this can be achieved not only through the content but also through the delivery. For many industries, video resumes can be a great way to remove yourself from the pulp and show recruiters your personality. It will also make it easier for people to remember your name if they can attach a face to it. Here are some tips on how to create the perfect video resume.

Think about your audience

Video resumes are not appropriate for every job or industry. If you’re applying for a more traditional role or a role with a conservative company, it is probably recommended that you leave the video resume at home.

Before you embark on your video-making adventure, bear in mind who you are making your video for, and for what job. Make sure it’s targeted to the role. If the position requires someone with a bubbly, outgoing personality, make sure you convey that. Hone your video to be job- and industry-specific.

Make it different

Your video resume will sit alongside your traditional resume, not in its place. Therefore make sure that both differ in content – and length. A video resume is not a clip of you reading out your resume. It is your chance to engage and start a conversation with the interviewer, so use it wisely.

Show them who you are and what you are capable of achieving. Use the medium to show your enthusiasm and convince them that you’re a perfect match for the company by aligning your skills and experience with the position.

Keep it tasteful

There is a fine line between video resume and home movie. Remember that you are still applying for professional employment and you need to convey this professionalism and show that you have taken your application seriously. You do want it to be entertaining but steer clear of making the interviewer feel like they’re at an amateur stand-up comedian night.

You want to make an impression, but for all the right reasons. Try to emulate the vibe of the company – this means dressing and acting the part. You don’t want to look too casual if you’re applying for the role of a suit or look too corporate and conservative if you’re pitching to a funky design company.

It’s incredibly easy for your video resume to fall into the cheesy category. The best way to avoid this is to be yourself and keep your content as natural and honest as you can.

Keep it simple

Even though you may feel like the next Steven Spielberg, keep in mind that this video is heading for the HR department, not the box office. Don’t make your video convoluted with special effects – unless, of course, you’re applying for a job in special effects. It needs to be a balance between showcasing yourself and your skills.

Avoid making your video run longer than the one-minute mark. You don’t want to make your resume so long that the interviewers require an intermission midway.

Make it accessible

You need to make your video easy for recruiters to access and view. There is no point spending months creating a masterpiece if HR requires a home entertainment centre just to watch it.

If you’re providing a hard copy of your resume, then send in your video on a CD-ROM or DVD disc. If you’re emailing your documents, upload your video to YouTube and place a link in your resume and cover email. It’s also a good idea to add a link to your clip to your LinkedIn or Twitter profile.

Be creative

Here is your chance to showcase your skills and talents. Don’t make the recruiter regret taking the time to watch your clip. Your video needs to convince them that you deserve the job or at the very least an interview.

While it doesn’t have to involve state-of-the-art special effects, a little sophistication and editing won’t go astray. If you’re applying for a role in a creative industry, then make sure you display some of that creative energy that’s going to get you hired.

Practise

Don’t be fooled by TV presenters who make performing on camera look like a breeze – it’s not. It takes a lot of practice, so don’t be disheartened if your first attempts look like they should appear on Funniest Home Videos. Be prepared to do a lot of takes but try to stay natural and relaxed – and don’t forget to smile!

Need more help with your resume? Our professional resume writers can create you a job-winning application. Click here to find out more about our Resume Writing Service.

Source: Career FAQ’s

You know it’s coming.

It’s the most feared question during any job interview: Do you think I would look good in a cowboy hat?

Just kidding. The real question is: Can you tell me about yourself?

Blecch. What a boring, vague, open-ended question. Who likes answering that?

I know. I’m with you. But unfortunately, hiring managers and executive recruiters ask the question. Even if you’re not interviewing and you’re out networking in the community — you need to be ready to hear it and answer it. At all times.

Now, before I share a list of 10 memorable answers, consider the two essential elements behind the answers:

The medium is the message. The interviewer cares less about your answer to this question and more about the confidence, enthusiasm and passion with which you answer it.

The speed of the response is the response. The biggest mistake you could make is pausing, stalling or fumbling at the onset of your answer, thus demonstrating a lack of self-awareness and self-esteem.

Next time you’re faced with the dreaded, “Tell me about yourself…” question, try these:

1. “I can summarize who I am in three words.” Grabs their attention immediately. Demonstrates your ability to be concise, creative and compelling.
2. “The quotation I live my life by is…” Proves that personal development is an essential part of your growth plan. Also shows your ability to motivate yourself.
3. “My personal philosophy is…” Companies hire athletes – not shortstops. This line indicates your position as a thinker, not just an employee.
4. “People who know me best say that I’m…” This response offers insight into your own level of self-awareness.
5. “Well, I googled myself this morning, and here’s what I found…” Tech-savvy, fun, cool people would say this. Unexpected and memorable.
6. “My passion is…” People don’t care what you do – people care who you are. And what you’re passionate about is who you are. Plus, passion unearths enthusiasm.
7. “When I was seven years old, I always wanted to be…” An answer like this shows that you’ve been preparing for this job your whole life, not just the night before.
8. “If Hollywood made a move about my life, it would be called…” Engaging, interesting and entertaining.
9. “Can I show you, instead of tell you?” Then, pull something out of your pocket that represents who you are. Who could resist this answer? Who could forget this answer?
10. “The compliment people give me most frequently is…” Almost like a testimonial, this response also indicates self-awareness and openness to feedback.

Keep in mind that these examples are just the opener. The secret is thinking how you will follow up each answer with relevant, interesting and concise explanations that make the already bored interviewer look up from his stale coffee and think, “Wow! That’s the best answer I’ve heard all day!”

Ultimately it’s about answering quickly, it’s about speaking creatively and it’s about breaking people’s patterns.

I understand your fear with such answers. Responses like these are risky, unexpected and unorthodox. And that’s exactly why they work.

Otherwise you become (yet another) non-entity in the gray mass of blah, blah, blah.

You’re hireable because of your answers. When people ask you to tell them about yourself, make them glad they asked.

Let me ask you this: How much time did you dedicate this week to becoming more interesting? Let me suggest this: For the list called, “61 Stupid Things to Stop Doing Before It’s Too Late,” send an e-mail to me (moc.ttocssiemanymollehnull@ttocs.) , and you win it for free!

Scott Ginsberg is an Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist and Mentor. This post was originally was published in TheLadders.com

Photo courtesy of The Guardian.

Source: Mojo40

Many people come to me for help when they freeze up in interview, which they attribute to panic and nerves. That’s true. Your nerves can make you freeze up under the spotlight of an interview. What you may not know however, is that your nerves will make you do other strange things. So if you’ve ever had an interview that you thought went wonderfully well, only to receive a knock back a week or so later, read on. Many recruiters see the way you handle yourself in interview, as an indication of what you will be like under pressure in real life. That is, you give at your weakest points. Here are a few examples to show you what I mean:

Answering the question before an interviewer finishes asking it – I list this first as I honestly loathe this behaviour. I’m not sure why people do this, but my take on this is that the person has poor listening skills. Interrupting someone before they finish asking you a question is like a verbal kneecapping – unexpected and painful.

Not answering the question – Sometimes interview questions are too long. Sometimes an interview question has too much preamble. Sometimes interview questions are too confusing. So as an interviewer I don’t mind repeating a question, but when I need to rephrase and simplify a question three or so times, I give up and move on to the next question.

Talking too much – Some people don’t seem to take a breath in interview. This is fine if you have an engaging story and you can remember the question you are answering a few minutes into your answer. However many people keep talking and forget to keep checking to see if their interviewer is listening. The tricky thing here is to know whether your interviewer is a person who likes detail or who likes bullet points. It’s also difficult to know if interviewers are actually listening. Some interviewers, particularly experienced interviewers, are professional at looking like they’re listening.

Shutting down – Often people switch into “interview mode.” They’re engaging in reception. They’re lovely over the phone. But when they get into interview they talk in a completely different way. As an interviewer I think “whatever happened to?”

Injecting odd phrases – “Like,” “like you know,” “do you get what I mean?” This verbal stuffing can completely detract from your appearance as a competent professional. The public speaking group, Toastmasters, is good for eliminating this kind of thing, as is recording yourself in an interview practice session.

Forgetting to listen – Sometimes people launch into an answer that they want to give, rather than listening to what a question is actually asking. The danger in this is that it may take the interviewer a couple of minutes to realise you are off tangent. If your interviewer is short on time, or simply impatient, you may have missed your chance.

Some thorough preparation can help you with interview nerves. Have a look at these earlier posts for a few tips. Or subscribe to the blog for weekly updates.

Source: InterviewIQ

Second job interview tips

We all know the interview process can be lengthy these days. Given the economic uncertainty, we can confirm that our clients are taking their time to make their hiring decisions, particularly the big ones.

We don’t blame them.

In any economic time, hiring people is risky. If you’re looking for a job you may well find that you’ll go through an interview with us, and most likely at least two interviews with a client.

So why do clients do second or third interviews?

Clients do second interviews for many reasons. Hiring is not an exact science. Apart from testing your skills, employers will want to see how well you fit their team and their company culture. Culture we all know is difficult to define. So for your fit alone, a few perspectives are useful.

Second Interview Tips #1

Treat each interview as if it is the first.

Prepare to sell yourself each and every time you are interviewed. Do not assume that the interviewer knows much about you, even if they have your resume and our briefing. You would be surprised by how little communication can happen between internal parties in large organizations, pre-interview. Sometimes, if employer’s interview processes are sophisticated, they do what’s called a “data-integration process.”

This means each interviewer will gather separate data on you. They rate it, and come together to a mutual conclusion post interviews. But they won’t speak to each other about you prior to your interview. So our biggest tip here – is to prepare for each interview as thoroughly as if it was your first. Plus be prepared to go over old ground if the interviewer requests it.

Second Interview Tips #2 Use your first interview to ask as many questions as you can about the role, the employer, their expectations, possible career-paths, challenges, priorities etc. Use this information, not just for making up your mind about a role, but to think more deeply about relevant examples you can present in your next interview to highlight your skills.

Second Interview Tips #3

Preface your answers in the second interview, with the insights you have gathered from the first interview. That way you show you have listened and understood.

For example, you could answer a question this way: “I understand from my first discussion with so and so, that one of the challenges in this role is abc – I have actually worked on something similar in a previous role…”

Second Interview Tips #4

Be patient.

We know this is hard when you are anxious about a role, but for everyone’s sake, including yours, you want you and your future employer to make the right decision. It’s better to get things wrong at this stage, than when you start a role. Please don’t ever say to a second interviewer “we’ve already discussed that!” or “I told so and so that.” Respecting the interview process and showing some flexibility will take you a long way towards securing a role.

Second Interview Tips #5

An interview is always an interview, even if it doesn’t feel like one.

You’d be amazed at how people make hiring decisions, and some of the tricks of the trade interviewers use to try and make you feel relaxed.

One of our clients assesses your small talk in the reception and lift. She says that’s because her current team are “people-people” who need to quickly build rapport with almost anyone. So she asks a few random type questions about current affairs or the news as she is bringing people up to the interview meeting room.

Another employer we know shuffles his interview papers at the end of the interview as if to say the interview is over. Then he slips in a few questions when the interviewee is off-guard. He thinks he’s more likely to get an honest answer that way.

In coffee interviews, we’ve heard of people looking at the way you speak to waiters as an indication of your people skills and how you might treat people who report to you in your team.

Second Interview Tips #6

Sometimes with a second interview, you will find that the interviewer does all the talking, but asks no questions. They tell you about the company structure, the future direction, who is in the team, the challenges and priorities of the role and so on and on.

With this kind of “interview” go back to point 5. It is still an interview. We suggest you take this opportunity to learn as much as you can, and if the interviewer appears in for a chat, seize the opportunity.

Remember, not all interviewers are trained in interviewing. They may think they are interviewing you, even if they are just giving their information. However you may be being judged on the quality of the questions you ask, so fire away.

Second Interview Tips #7

Ask to see where you may be working. While talk is talk, we much more absorb by looking, feeling and visualizing. If you can actually see yourself at the desk, in the role and in the working environment, you’d be surprised how much more real it feels.

Second Interview Tips #8

If you really want the job, then tell the interviewer that – and why.

When it comes down to it, it might come down to a choice between you and someone with exactly the same skills. If that’s the case the person who wants the role the most, who shows the most enthusiasm, is the person who will get it.

Second Interview Tips #9

Remember you can always ask us what you can expect from a second interview. That’s actually what we are here for.

Does any of this sound familiar? We’re keen to hear what you have experienced or any of your questions.

Please feel free to comment below.

Source: Enigma HR

Recruitment Consultants

I received these questions on my blog. I thought I would answer with a post. They’re good questions.

“Hi Karalyn,

I have now registered with several recruitment agencies when applying for positions advertised on the Seek website.

I have two questions please … I have heard that if you register with many recruitment agencies, and these recruitment agencies are aware of this fact, they “don’t work as hard for you”. Is this true?

Secondly, I have done skill testing in Microsoft applications such as Excel and Word, as well as Data Entry and typing tests, with the first recruitment agency I registered with. Is it above board to offer these test results to other recruitment agencies, to avoid the necessity of repeating them?

Thanks for your help!”

OK, here goes.

A recruitment agency will work had for you if you have skills in demand (that they can place), or are immediately up for a job they have on their books. If you have registered with many other recruitment agencies, and are about to sign for a job, then the consultant may leave it there with you, and wish you luck.

Good recruitment consultants will ask you qualifying questions about what you’ve been up to in your job hunt so far, other recruitment agencies you are registered with, and how serious you are about securing another role. If you’re a “gun” applicant a recruiter may ask you to work with them exclusively for a time. You should think carefully about this – for many reasons.

If you are not so hot as a candidate, or it is unlikely that the agency will be able to place you, a good recruitment consultant would encourage you to look elsewhere and make some recommendations about who may be better placed to help.

When I worked in recruitment I would consider how many places a candidate had registered with as an indicator of how keen they were to move, or even how bad they were as an applicant – it really depended on the scenario.

As a candidate you have every right to ask the recruitment consultant for some honesty in the process.

If you’ve registered with a few agencies, and worry about how that may impact your relationship with a consultant, there’s nothing wrong with the question “Are you likely to be able to place me?” If their answer is yes, you can tell the consultant that you are happy to work with just them for a while.

Two provisos apply to this answer.

* This scenario applies for more junior candidates. If you’re at the executive level your relationship with a recruitment agency will be different.

** I use the qualifying term “good” recruitment consultant. If you are with a bad or an inexperienced consultant, all bets are off.

On your second question on testing – you can always offer to show your results. Some recruitment agencies use the same testing systems. Some don’t.

Source: Interview IQ

In response to an article detailing 2010’s Weirdest Interview Questions, BNET reader kjameshall asked the following question:

Here’s a question that should be illegal and is definitely unethical. “What is your salary history?” I think companies have a lot of. . . nerve to ask what you have been paid in the past. Isn’t this confidential information between an employee and previous employers? I’d like to hear what other people on this board think about this subject or better yet, a story on BNET about this practice. I won’t be providing this answer in the future and I will be letting the company know that it is none of their business.

I’m here to tell you that it’s neither illegal nor unethical, although it may be stupid. Now, while I’d be in favor of getting rid of all the stupid things that take place during the hiring process, I’m not in favor of outlawing stupid altogether.

Employers ask about your salary history for 3 reason.

1. The assume you want a raise. Managers don’t want to waste time conducting interviews only to find out that you are currently making more money than they have budgeted for the position. They assume you want more money than you are making now (or for the unemployed, at least in the same ballpark as your last job), and asking your salary history is an easy way to asess this.
2. They want to see a steady increase in salary over the years. If your salary history goes like this: $45k, $50k, $52k, $55k, then super. They know that you’ve steadily increased your salary and are a dependable sort. If your salary history is like this: $45k, $60k, $75K, $100k then you are a fast corporate climber with high potential. If your salary history is like this: $45k, $46k, $30k, $22k, then you are categorized as a loser who is on the way down. They don’t want to hire someone who peaked 2 companies ago.
3. They presume that your previous/current company valued your labor correctly. If another company was willing to pay you $50k a year, they figure that is just about what you are worth. Sure, you’ve gained some additional experience, so they’ll offer a nice $55k and you’ll be thrilled with the increase.

That’s why they do it. And you can see, these reasons aren’t irrational. Most people do want a raise. Most of the time, people’s salaries do increase over time and decrease is an indication of a problem. And, most companies benchmark their salaries against their competitors (at least most large companies do), so most salaries are fairly accurate.

But, it’s also sloppy compensation work. Companies should be evaluating the position, determining a correct salary range and then informing the job seeker that the job pays “$45-$55k, depending on experience.” Then, if you are making $60k, but want a shorter commute, or less responsibility or whatever, you can still apply. Your act of applying informs the company that you’re willing to work somewhere in that range.

Now, every time I make this suggestion (or the suggestion that companies should be open with salary ranges) I get HR people jumping in and saying, “But if I post a range of $45-$55k then every candidate thinks he is work $55k!” Of course, we all want to make more money. (Sally Struthers, anyone?) However, I make it habit to hire people who are capable of understanding that salaries vary based on experience and that they may not have the maximum experience needed to do this job. I have no problem saying, “The offer at $52,000 per year is firm.”

There are ways you can avoid salary history discussions. You can do as you suggest and tell the person that it’s none of their business, but don’t be surprised if they don’t bother to interview you. Confrontation is rarely the path to job interview success. Instead emphasize that you are looking for a job which pays fair market value and that you’re sure they are offering that. Or you can answer the question with, “I’m looking to make somewhere around $55,000 per year.” The reality is, though, some companies just won’t hire you if you won’t cough up your salary history. I think it’s a ridiculous position, but it’s the reality you have to deal with.

Another reality is that online applications may require you to put a salary in before they will accept the application. In those situations you have the option of putting in your real salary, putting in an obviously false number ($00.37 per year), or not applying. Before you take up the idea of putting in an obviously fake salary, remember that a human may not even look at your application if the recruiter searches only for people who previously earned $x per year.

Companies should be more open with their salary ranges. Candidates should not be so freaked out about sharing information. Everyone needs to remember that the job interview process is about finding the person who is the best fit for the job, and one of the things that must fit is salary.

When the economy is soaring along and companies are desperate for good workers, you can be more obstinate about not revealing your salary than you can when there are 25 other qualified candidates. If 24 of the candidates are willing to answer the questions asked, you’ll be dropped from the running. It’s unpleasant, but a reality of the current job market.

Source:  Evil HR Lady

You can’t predict every question that will come up in a job interview. There are some interview questions, your interviewer will ask you, where you’ll sit there and think “I really have no idea what you have just asked me! What is it that you actually want to know?” Sometimes interviewers will ask you a seemingly weird question just to throw you off guard or to see how you think on your feet.

I remember being asked a strange question when I was about 20, well it was a weird question to me at the time. The interviewer asked me what was the worst thing in my life that ever happened to me? I sat there and thought, well, um, so far in my life I have had a pretty lucky and safe middle class existence, yellow brick road to a yellow brick home in the suburbs, and all that. Should I make up something dramatic so I don’t sound really lame?

Strange questions aside there are some job interview questions that will come up, almost every single time, at some stage in the process. These are questions many recruitment consultants love, as they’re screening you for their clients. Here are some questions that you really should prepare for.

Q1. Tell us about yourself.

For such an innocuous slightly pleasant standard question, this is one that most people fear. I used to use it as an interview as a “settling in” question so I could get my pen working, re-familiarise myself with someone’s resume and break the ice. I didn’t realise I was doing just the opposite, that my interviewee was thinking where do I start, what do I say, isn’t that the whole purpose of an interview, so which bit are you not going to cover in the rest of the questions.

Q2. Why did you leave your last job?

This one is to see that you’re leaving for a reasonable reason, and that what you’re looking for you’ll find in the new role on offer. Recruiters will often go through your entire job history looking for patterns in the reasons you have left organisations.

Q3. Why do you want this job?

Pretty basic, and if you have access to the employer’s website, you have no reason not to give a reason.

Q4. What are your strengths?

If you struggle to answer this question, think of what others have said are your top points. Think about what you have achieved and how you have achieved it. Back whatever adjective you choose with a reason you say this.

Q5. What are your weaknesses?

Read this post on how to handle weakness questions in interview.

Q6. What are your achievements?

Q7. Why should we hire you for this job?

You can’t compare yourself to other candidates with your answer to questions like these. But you can have done your homework and understand what makes you stand out.

Source:  Interview IQ

I recently interviewed Sarah Stein, of Miss Efficiency Bookkeeping.  Sarah launched her business model with the intention of working from home and having a baby. There have been many changes since launching in 2002 – starting out solo, hiring staff, moving to commercial premises, developing the franchise. Business has now come full circle and Sarah is back to working solo from a home office with clients.Sarah’s passion and commitment has seen the business grow into a sustainable franchise and during that time she has managed to have two babies and keep up with both family and business commitments. She loves bookkeeping (as strange as that may sound) and have a number of unique systems and proven strategies to assist you with your business needs.

She shares her story and amazing journey with us.

I was working full time for an international relocations company. I loved my job – I met my husband, Jason, while working there, and was going to stay there forever! Our plan was to have a baby and I’d go back to work while Jason stayed at home and looked after the kids. He had it all worked out too – he’d get the kids ready in the morning, do the washing and the housework, and be on the golf course by mid-morning with his specially made golf buggy/stroller.

A few months after getting married I got pregnant but unfortunately had a miscarriage. As devastating as that was, it didn’t change our plans; a couple of months after that my sister-in-law lost a 5-week old baby to SIDS. That turned my world upside down!

I decided that I wanted to work full time, but I wanted to be at home with a baby too. The only way that I could see that I could have my cake and eat it too, was to be able to work from home. So I approached my boss and said that I planned to get pregnant again and have a baby, and I’d like to be able to work from home, so let’s put things in place now to make that happen. He said absolutely no way, that couldn’t possibly work.

Still feeling the devastation from the loss of my baby niece, I was quite tunnel visioned in my quest. The next day, six months short of long service leave, I handed in my resignation.

My family and friends said that I was crazy and it would take at least three years for my business to take off. It was at this point that I began to get scared! So I got a part time job as a court reporter for three days a week, and the other two days in the week I spent working on my business.

I had a very clear picture of me working from my home office with my bundle of joy sleeping soundly beside me – it was the in between that was a little fuzzy!

Fully expecting to be a court report for three years, I resigned from that job and went full time in my bookkeeping business after only eight months, when I had 50 clients. Within 12 months of that I hired my first full time bookkeeper, and in another 12 months there were more staff and we were working out of commercial premises.

Five years into my business, and after five years of fertility treatments, I was finally pregnant and carried a baby to term. My friends and family were again quick with the questions – how was I possibly going to run my business, manage my staff, have a baby, and not have a nervous breakdown in the process? Their concerns were understandable – I’d barely changed a nappy in my life and was a little concerned about my bundle of joy’s arrival. I jokingly insisted that it would be okay because I’d scheduled my due date in my diary, and the baby was going to fit nicely into my diary too. Funnily enough, baby Zac did arrive on his due date, and he just about did fit into my diary after that.

Through the systems that had been developed over the past five years, and particularly over the past nine months, I could run a business, manage staff, develop a franchise, continue to expand my business – and have a baby, and even master the art of nappy changing!

Now it’s a few years on and my business has come full circle. I’m back to my home office, I don’t have staff, but I do have great franchisees that I can rely on as the need arises.

Last year was a particularly challenging year –Jason broke his arm in January, a very bad break that left him not working, and consequently not earning an income; I had a (very difficult) baby in February, and Jason had a massive heart attack in April. This was an extremely difficult time emotionally, and even with these extreme events I still had a toddler to take care of, as well as a sick baby and husband, and a business and house to run. Were it not for the tremendous relationships I’d developed with my clients and accountants, and the excellent systems that had been developed, both my business and I would undoubtedly have collapsed in a heap. But we didn’t – it was just another obstacle to overcome, which we did.

Not my initial vision, but my two children now aged 1 and 2 are in full time kindy and I work in my business full time at home. I do not feel guilty about this decision – working full time is exactly what I need for myself, and going to kindy is exactly what my boy’s need for them. However, because I work for myself, I can control my own diary. I visited kindy when Santa and the Easter Bunny visited, and spent the afternoon with my boys for a special Mother’s Day treat. I would not have the luxury of being able to do this if I worked for somebody else.

Now, I’m nobody extraordinary. But with the systems and procedures that have been developed over a number of years, I do have an extraordinary business!

Editors Note: Miss Efficiency franchisees are provided with a turn-key operation and undergo extensive training.

If you would like to work from home and to receive further information on about becoming a Miss Efficiency franchisee, please download their Franchisee Information Guide or direct any enquiries the Franchise Recruitment Manager on 1300 662 958. You can also Visit the website to view an online presentation.

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Job interviews are awful. AWFUL. Nobody enjoys them, let’s be honest. It’s an elaborate dance of Q&A, forcibly bright body language and awkward pauses. So much of what goes on in a job interview is unspoken. Especially when the interviewee is female.

Baby plans? When? Are you using contraception? Is it reliable? Could you be pregnant now or is that just an empire line top you’re wearing?

But what if those questions weren’t unspoken? What if employers could legally ask them? Would you answer honestly?

They want to know because hiring somebody who is pregnant or about to be pregnant puts a serious kink in their future plans for your role and their business. It has implications for them and for your future co-workers. So are you obliged to disclose your conception intentions?

According to the Sunday Telegraph:

BOSSES and recruiters say that, during job interviews, women should disclose their future plans to have a baby.

Several employers told The Sunday Telegraph women should be open about their family plans when applying for a job – some believing it would actually help them secure a position.

A discussion in the UK’s House of Lords last week has sparked intense debate among global businesses, recruiters and politicians.

Prominent businessman and boss in the British television version of The Apprentice, Lord Alan Sugar, urged women to be “forthcoming” by declaring their status on children and childcare “so as to pre-empt any unaskable questions in the mind of the interviewer”.

“Employment regulations for women, whereby the prospective employer is not able to inquire about the interviewee’s status regarding children, childcare, or indeed their intention of becoming a parent, are counterproductive,” he said. In Australia and in the UK, employers are prevented by law from asking female applicants if they plan to have kids.

Hmmmm, “bosses and recruiters” think it’s a good idea? And that it could HELP your employment prospects. Oh sure.

But there are some recruiters, women included, who think that being up front and honest with your bosses really will be good for you (it’s still not clear exactly how). And Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce took a different tack, saying it was best just to assume a woman would want a child.

That doesn’t sound any better. Do all women want babies? Do bosses see wombs when women walk in for an interview?

The article continues from above:

“Federal Status of Women Minister Kate Ellis said businesses were mandated to employ people on merit, not on age and gender assumptions.

Tracy Spicer

NSW Shadow Minister for Women Pru Goward said it was blatant sex discrimination. “Where does it stop? Do you ask a woman whether she has a boyfriend? Why don’t we ask men whether they have had affairs in the office? There are a lot of personal things that would be useful for employers to know but it doesn’t achieve anything and it is

offensive.”

Business owner Jack Singleton said employers do make gender assumptions. “You look at men and know men can’t get pregnant,” he said.

TV presenter and journalist Tracey Spicer says “the writing was on the wall” for her career at C

hannel Ten when she told her former employer that she wanted to have children.

The 43-year-old said a manager at the station unlawfully asked her years ago whether she was planning on having kids in the next five years. “I trusted this man so stupidly I was honest and I said yes and from that point onwards you could virtually hear the doors being slammed shut, she said.”

With the introduction of paid parental leave in Australia, things are looking up. But there are some intensely private and personal issues at play here, beyond just what’s good for business. For many women, the prospect of miscarriage is real and many of us prefer to keep things quiet for the first few months of our pregnancy. Is this not our right?

And what if you haven’t yet decided if or when you want to have children? What if you’re undergoing IVF? Does your boss have the right to know that? Should you email him or her a photo every time you pee on a stick?

Discuss.

Source: Mamamia